The French Program
All students who begin their French studies at CSU Northridge take two 4-unit courses which meet twice per week. These beginning courses are intended to introduce the student to basic oral and written language structure while presenting, at the same time, meaningful cultural materials relative to the francophone world. Our textbooks are currently supplemented by multimedia available in the Barbara Ann Ward Language Center; these materials are also accessible at home. On-line resources are an integral part of the information base. The 3-unit courses that comprise the second year program, common to our minors and major, encourage the students to obtain more extensive knowledge of the spoken language and French grammar. Students are also exposed to basic literary texts to improve their reading skills and the opportunity to hone their writing skills in an introductory reading/composition course.
At the upper-division level, students can take courses in a number of areas for an in-depth study depending on their individual interests and whether they are completing one of our minors (15 units) or our major (36 units). These areas of study include grammar studies, phonetics, literature surveys, intermediate and advanced composition, business French and techniques in translation.
Why Study French?
In our multicultural, global community, French, with over 150,000,000 speakers, is a major means of communication between people in over 52 countries of the world. As such, it is essential both for students who anticipate a career as teachers of French lnaguage, civilization, and culture ans for those who see the study of French as an adjunct to studies in another field. Careers for these students are available in such areas as:
- Language instruction
- Communications: translator, interpreter, journalist, foreign correspondent
- International Business
- Tourist industry, hotel and restaurant managment
- Public service, with local, national and international agencies such as the U.N., NAFTA, E.U. or the Olympics
- Film and T.V.
- Science and Technology