French Literature, Culture and Translation - B.A. Download to print

Students in the Bachelor of Arts in French Literature, Culture and Translation study the language, literature and culture of France and Francophone countries. They gain a respectable measure of competence in reading, writing and oral/aural skills in the French language and basic knowledge of translation techniques. To gain proficiency, students are able to attend a weekly French table. A conversation course sometimes involves speaking to people in France live via teleconferencing and viewing an occasional French film. Kent State also offers study-abroad programs in France during the academic year.
 

Students with an interest in teaching who major in French can, by taking the appropriate education courses in addition, pursue careers as PreK-12 French teachers. Teaching is not for everyone, however, nor should it be a fallback for those who do not have a real dedication to it. A major in French Literature, Culture and Translation can also be combined with a major in a variety of other fields that have international components to enhance job opportunities in those fields, such as international relations, international business, art history, non-European history, etc.
 

General Admissions for Freshman Students: Students most likely to be admitted and succeed at the Kent Campus are those who have graduated with at least 16 units of the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school, who have achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and whose composite ACT score is 21 or better (980 combined critical reading and math SAT score). For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for new freshmen.

General Admissions for Transfer Students: Generally, a transfer applicant who has taken 12 or more semester hours with a college cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted. An applicant who has taken fewer than 12 semester hours will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records. For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Minimum 121 total credit hours  and  42 upper-division hours for graduation. Minimum 2.000 GPA overall and 2.000 GPA in major required for graduation.

All French Literature, Culture and Translation majors must take the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview, ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test and the French Outcomes Assessment Test, prior to being cleared for graduation. Information about the exams can be found on the ACTFL Website and the Language Testing International (LTI) website, the exclusive licensee of ACTFL. B.A. in French Literature, Culture and Translation candidates should consult with their designated French faculty advisor for more information on arranging to take the proficiency exams.

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Perform tasks at Intermediate High and Advanced Low levels of proficiency using the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines. Proficiency in ACTFL terms is understood to describe a range of qualities rather than an absolute norm and will vary according to task type, language function, topic, skill (listening, speaking, reading, writing), and so forth.

2. Contribute to most informal and some formal conversations with sufficient accuracy, clarity, and precision to convey their intended message without misrepresentation or confusion. They will for the most part be understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-native speakers.

3. Vary the register (formality level) of their speech.

4. Talk about personal interests, topics of general interest, literature and culture, and so forth in the target language

5. Listen to connected discourse on a variety of topics and understand main ideas and most details. This requires processing of different tenses, knowledge of discourse structure, cohesive devices, pronoun systems, and more.

6. Read somewhat longer and more complex prose that have been written for native speakers and not edited or adapted for students. They will be able to read a wide variety of text types such as poems, plays, novels, magazine articles, newspaper articles, brochures, pamphlets, menus, letters, and so forth, Some texts they will understand completely; for others they will be able to grasp the main idea and some or most details.

7. Compose routine social correspondence, take notes, write cohesive summaries and resumes, as well as narratives and descriptions of a factual nature in the target language. Additionally, they will be able to complete course-related writing tasks such as essays and term papers in the target language. They will be able to defend a thesis statement and make stylistic decisions based on the needs of specific audiences and on specific writing purposes.

8.  Demonstrate a historical knowledge of French history and culture and to understand the diverse nature of culture throughout the ages.

9. Discuss cultural differences, distinguishing between fact, opinion, stereotyping, etc.

10. Learn to recognize and esteem diversity as they gain the skills necessary for sensitive, effective interpersonal and intercultural interaction. To this end, study abroad will be encouraged.

11. Learn to view concepts, issues, events, and themes from the perspectives of diverse ethnic and cultural groups and to esteem diversity as they gain the skills necessary for sensitive, effective interpersonal and intercultural communication. Additionally, in learning to recognize and accept cultural differences, they are able to maintain an ongoing assessment of their own cultural values and behaviors. A successful program will instill in our students a lifetime commitment and desire to continue learning about languages, literatures, and cultures different from their own.

Students can also take upper-division French courses abroad, either through Kent's own year-long program with the University of Bordeaux or with any accredited study abroad program offered by another university. Such programs may be for one semester, one academic year, or one summer. They most benefit students who have already acquired a strong command of the language here before leaving, however.
 

Phi Sigma Iota
 

French: Applied Linguistics and Pedagogy, Literature (M.A.), Secondary Education: French (M.A.T.), Translation: French (M.A.)