French Minor

Placement

Students with no previous French study will be placed in FRNC 101 , a class reserved for true beginners. Students with previous French study in high school or college will be placed into the appropriate course by means of the online WebCAPE placement test. This test may be taken more than once before enrolling in French courses; it is free of charge for IUP students. Instructions on how to take the online WebCAPE test are available on the departmental website and through the faculty members. As deemed necessary by the individual student or French faculty, the proposed WebCAPE placement may be further refined: Students’ writing and speaking proficiency may be additionally assessed by one or more faculty members in the French program in the Department of Foreign Languages. Each student’s individual requirements and the judgment of the classroom instructors will also be considered in placement.

IUP Course Credit for Acquired Proficiency

Students may receive course credit for their oral and written proficiency levels in French through the American Council on Education (ACE) Credit Recommendation Service and Language Testing International (LTI), the assessment vetting agency for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Students MUST complete all steps for earning ACE credits prior to completing their first French course at IUP.

Students may receive the following course credits in French at IUP by first taking the departmental placement exam (WebCAPE) and being recommended to pursue ACE credits.  Upon recommendation, students may

1. take an ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) or OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer) and/or
2.  take an ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT).

To begin the process, students must contact Dr. Charles McCreary (chasmc@iup.edu) or Dr. Jean-Louis Dassier (dassier@iup.edu). There is a fee for the OPI and an ACE application fee to be paid by the candidate.

Study Abroad French Studies Summer Program: Cours d’été, Nancy, France

The Department of Foreign Languages has partnered with the Office of International Education to establish a study abroad experience in Nancy, France. All students having successfully completed FRNC 102  are invited to consider continuing their study of French in France. Students seeking the certificate or minor in French are strongly encouraged to study abroad in Nancy.

The summer program proposes a four-week session, including up to 25 hours of weekly language instruction as well as cultural field trips or activities, and weekly debriefing sessions with an IUP faculty member. Housing options include accommodations in university housing, apartments, and home-stay with a host family. The program offers 6 hours of transfer credits that may be used toward completion of any foreign language requirement, the certificate in French, or the French minor.

For further information about cost and application procedures, contact the Department of Foreign Languages.