SUGGESTED ENTRY-LEVEL FRENCH CLASSES

The following are general guidelines to help students self-select the appropriate French class in which to start off here at Georgia Tech.

If you are unable to register for a specific class, fill a French Permit/Overload Request Form on-line for the section(s) you desire. If you are in doubt as to your individual placement, contact a faculty member!

•  Students who have never taken a formal French class before (at Tech or elsewhere) or have taken 1-3 years of high school French and do not feel confident enough to take 1002 may register for 1001 without a permit once the first restrictions are lifted.

This is the right class for you if...

• You have taken French 1001 at Georgia Tech, or its equivalent at another college/university and have received at least a "C".
• You have taken several years of high school French but you do not think you would feel comfortable at the 2000 level.
• You master the present tense and passé composé and you can speak about yourself, your friends and family members, your possessions, the weather, seasons, your study/work. But you want to review the future, conditional and subjunctive and other grammar items and some more basic vocabulary.

Note: Students who begin their study of French at Tech in the 2000-level classes or higher, and who complete 6 hours of coursework at those levels, may apply for 6 hours of retroactive elective credit for the 1000-level classes.

WHO SHOULD TAKE FREN 2001-2002*?

This is the right class for you if...

• You have taken 3 years of high school French or more, 1 year of college-level French, or its equivalent and did well in your classes.
• You are able to understand most of what your teacher says in French, and you are comfortable in an all-French classroom.
• You are hesitant when you speak French, and you make vocabulary and structure mistakes, but you can describe yourself, talk about your interests, ask other people about themselves and their activities, etc.
• You have done some reading in French, but it takes you some time and effort to follow the gist of a story or newspaper/magazine article.
• You can write several paragraphs about yourself and your friends or family, without a dictionary, but with errors.
• 2001 and 2002 build on the 1000 level, review the material and expend vocabulary, grammar etc.

Even though it is preferable to take them in sequence, these classes are not sequential; that is, you may take them in any order that fits your schedule. They build on the 1000 level, review the material and expend vocabulary, grammar etc.

These should be the right classes for you if...

• You have few problems following your teacher in French or the other students in an all-French classroom.
• You speak and write easily, make some mistakes, and are able to express yourself comfortably in the past or present about relatively sophisticated issues such as critical opinions, politics, etc.
• You can read unabridged French texts fairly easily with the help of a dictionary. It might take time, but you can read with attention.
• You want to become more proficient in the language, increase your vocabulary, improve your grammar. You also want to become comfortable writing longer compositions that develop an argument or a position on a serious issue.

For more specific information regarding and/or placement in the 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level classes, please see the professor teaching the classes:

Dr. Blackbourn-Jansma, O'Keefe 215 C
Dr. Cottille-Foley, O'Keefe 217 B