PROFICIENCY

What is it?

Proficiency in a foreign language is the ability to use the foreign language as a vehicle of oral and written communication; in other words, it is communicative competence.  A person who would thoroughly know the grammar of the language – that is, the rules of phonetics (sounds) morphology (word forms), and syntax (phrase structure) – but would be unable to read, write, understand or speak the language (or be able to demonstrate some competence in only some of those skills) would have a certain linguistic knowledge of the language, but would not be proficient in that language. Proficiency is not an absolute value.  There are degrees or levels of proficiency. In the rating scales used by the Foreign Service Language Institute or by ACTFL, level 5 at the top represents the complete proficiency of an educated native speaker.  Our scales evaluate the level of a student after two intensive semesters (four non-intensive semesters) of studying the language.  Our passing score is approximately equivalent to a 2 on the government rating scales, and to an advanced rating on the ACTFL scales.

This level of proficiency is not measured by adding points in the different parts of the test and calculating an average score.  We evaluate in a rather broad, but still complete, manner the way a student performs in each of the skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) in the target language.  These four skills are not independent of each other:  they are usually practiced together and progress in one skill feeds on progress in another skill.  This is why, for instance, practicing oral skills will help improve writing and vice-versa.  For practical purposes, especially for testing, it is convenient to evaluate performance in each skill.  Passing the Proficiency Exam means receiving a passing score in each skill. 

What are the levels students are expected to achieve? 

v   Listening comprehension: the student is able to understand a class conducted entirely in the target language. S/he has no problem understanding a presentation delivered at moderate speed by the instructor.  S/he might have some difficulty with more technical, specialized vocabulary, but overall comprehension is not impeded.  An occasional word/expression may need to be repeated.  Some difficulty may be encountered with idioms of a visiting foreign speaker, songs, or movie dialogues, but face-to-face conversation is not problematic.  A twenty-minute lecture on any topic of general interest is understood.  Its general content, main points, and conclusion are well grasped; some minor detail errors might occur.

v   Reading comprehension: the student is able to read a text in the foreign language without looking up every unknown word and is able to guess their meaning with the help of the context.  In a skim-type reading, the student gets the main ideas accurately.  S/he uses the dictionary occasionally for a closer, more analytical reading. S/he is not afraid to tackle reading a long text, a play or a novel of moderate difficulty. When reading a newspaper or magazine of general interest, s/he has a good comprehension of the text, without the help of a dictionary.  S/he understands the logic of the argumentation. S/he can report the general direction and conclusions of the text accurately, although there may be some minor misunderstandings.

v   Writing:  the student can write in the target language in such a way that the text is completely intelligible to a native speaker.  This means that the use of uniquely English structures and word usage is avoided and that no sentence is obscure to a native speaker who does not know English.  The student avoids basic mistakes, such as agreements, or can correct them when proofreading or when the instructor has pointed them out.  The student does not make mistakes on word-gender for basic vocabulary, and knows how to use a dictionary for less-common nouns.  S/he has good control of the morphology of the language, such as verb forms, and of the most basic syntactic structures (place of pronouns; negative, interrogative, relative clauses).  S/he might still have some difficulties in producing more complex sentences.  The student has a reasonable range of basic vocabulary at her/his disposal, can express herself/himself simply, and is able to use circumlocution when writing about current events, daily situations, personal preferences and observations, and personal history.

v   Speaking: 

v  Pronunciation:  the student makes no phonemic errors, has a good command of all the sounds of the target language.  In conversation, some phonemic mistakes may slip in but do not prevent comprehension by a native speaker.  Accent may still be obviously foreign phonetically, rhythm and intonation not quite correct, but speech is intelligible to a sympathetic native interlocutor.

v  Vocabulary:  vocabulary is generally appropriate for topics of general interest.  In more specific or technical contexts, when preparation is possible, vocabulary is appropriate.  There may still be minor lexical mistakes in both instances.  The student is capable of using circumlocution.  The student is able to ask questions about phrases or words s/he did not understand and to ask for clarification.

v  Fluency:  there may be some stumbling and long pauses at unnatural points of utterance, but the student manages to rephrase and continue.  Pace is slower than that of a native speaker but comprehension remains adequate and conversation proceeds with no uncomfortable feeling.

RCLANG 150 Pre-Intensive French

Description

This non-intensive course is designed for students with limited to no background in French in preparation for Intensive French I the following term. It provides foundational instruction in language acquisition strategies, grammatical structures, and French syntax. Students apply these concepts to a range of in-class speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities. They develop a functional vocabulary, familiarity with French sounds and intonation patterns, and a basic understanding of French and Francophone cultures. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to comprehend brief oral passages and level-appropriate texts in French; sustain a basic conversation with a native or near-native speaker; and write effectively in French on general topics, such as family, academic life, and personal interests. The language skills and learning strategies students acquire will give them the confidence to pursue further study in French.

Course Requirements:

To receive full credit for the course, students must pass the final exam which tests reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. They must also demonstrate satisfactory mastery of course material throughout the term. Class attendance is mandatory. Students are also required to participate in co-curricular activities at least twice a week. (French Table is offered Mo, Tu, Th, F, 12:00-12:45; French Coffee Hour, Th, 3:00-3:45.)

Intended Audience:

Enrollment in RCLANG 150 is limited to RC students with little to no background in French who plan to take RCLANG 190 in Winter.

Class Format:

The course meets four times a week and is supplemented by individual tutorials. Class time is devoted to the introduction of grammatical concepts and language learning strategies with ample time reserved at each meeting for activities that develop students’ speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension skills.

RCLANG 150 counts as one of the four RC courses students have to take (other RC language courses and FYS do not count).

RCCORE 205 French Review I

Pre-requisite: reduced credits for Intensive French I

Description:

The goal of this course is to bring students to the expected levels to start Intensive French II in the four linguistic skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. It is designed for students who need further reinforcement in two or more skills, but do not need an intensive course to reach the expected levels. RCCORE 205 is taught on a semi-tutorial mode: students meet with RCLANG 190 as needed, attend co-curricular activities and meet once or twice a week individually with their instructor to focus on their individualized needs. This course is offered as an Independent Study.

Course requirement:

Students must attend some 190 lectures based on their needs, participate in co-curricular activities at least three times a week, more if needed (French Tables: every day, except Wednesday, 12:00 – 12:45; French Coffee Hour: Thursday, 3:00 – 3:45). Students with their instructor once or twice a week.

Intended audience:

This course is only offered to RC students who received reduced credits for Intensive French I.

Class format:

RCCORE 205 is taught on a semi-tutorial mode: students meet twice a week in class as a group and once or twice a week individually with their instructor.

RCLANG 310 French Accelerated Review

Description

The goal of this course is to bring students to the level of proficiency in the four linguistic skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. It is designed for students who need further reinforcement in two or more skills, but do not need an intensive course to reach the expected levels. RCLANG 310 is taught in a semi-tutorial mode: students meet with RCLANG 290 as needed, attend co-curricular activities and meet once or twice a week for a tutorial with their instructor to focus on their individualized needs. Students must pass the French Proficiency Exam in order to receive credits.

Course Requirements:

Students must attend RCLANG 290 lectures based on their needs and participate in co-curricular activities at least three times a week (French Tables: every day, except Wednesday, 12:00 – 12:45; Coffee Hour: Thursday, 3:00 – 3:45.) Students meet individually with their instructor once or twice a week.

Intended Audience:

This course is only offered to RC students who achieved partial success on the proficiency exam.

Class Format:

RCLANG 310 is taught in a semi-tutorial mode: students meet with the RCLANG 290 class, attend co-curricular activities and meet individually with their instructor.

Dominique Butler-Borruat RCLANG 320.001 Winter 2025 T, Th 1 – 2:30

“Un homme sur deux est une femme”

Are we there yet? The status of women in the Francophone World

“Un homme sur deux est une femme.” Such was one of the slogans coined by the Mouvement de libération des femmes (MLF), born in France in 1970, in the aftermath of the revolution of Mai 68. More than 50 years after the creation of the MLF, one might question what has been accomplished in terms of women’s rights, not only in France, but throughout the Francophone world. What battles were won? Which ones still remain to be fought? What demands were given up along the way? In short, what is the status of French-speaking women today and is there still a fight to improve it?

Before taking on answering these questions, we will retrace the origin of the French feminist movement and gain a historical perspective on its evolution by reading foundational texts. While we will go as far back as the early 15th century, with Christine de Pisan’s La Cité des dames, which is often identified as the earliest French feminist writing, we will quickly reach the French Revolution of 1789 with Olympe de Gouges’ Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne. From then onward, we will learn about the major intellectual figures who have played important roles in the liberation of French women, among them are: Tristan, Auclert, Pelletier, d’Héricourt, Michel, de Beauvoir, Wittig et Delphy. We will read excerpts from pivotal works from them. (Note that we will not discuss the different feminist currents in depth.)

We will pursue our study by adopting a thematic approach to examine issues from various realms of life (domestic, political, professional, etc.) to understand the status of today’s women vis-à-vis equal rights. Issues such as reproductive rights, parity in politics and in the workplace, and the #BalanceTonPorc movement (the French equivalent of #MeToo) will be addressed, among others.  Exploring how the same themes play out in Francophonie, with an emphasis on African countries, will allow us to assess the status of women in other cultures. As we explore these issues, the successes, challenges, and resilience of women around the world will coalesce to underscore the commonality of their condition, beyond vastly different realities.

Course Requirement:

Attendance is required. Course work will include analytical and research essays and a presentation that will contribute to a collective project on the status of women in French-speaking African countries. Students are expected to participate actively in class discussions.

Intended Audience:

This course is open to students who have passed the RC French Proficiency Exam, completed French 235 or received instructor permission. Priority is given to RC students.

Class format:

This is a seminar type course which meets twice a week for 90 minutes.

L’Art de la vie quotidienne  (The Art of Everyday Life)

Elissa Bell Bayraktar

This course provides an occasion to think about the relationship of art to modern, everyday living. Through a selection of narrative, poetic, and dramatic works in French, we will address questions of the following sort: What is the function of a work of art? What is at stake in the transformation of works of art into everyday objects? How and why do certain literary texts elevate the quotidian to the status of art? Can art, especially as literature, teach us how to live?   

Featuring works by such writers as Honoré de Balzac, Charles Baudelaire, Francis Ponge, Nathalie Sarraute, and Yasmina Reza.

Written work to include journal entries and formal analyses. Students will have the chance to give a brief oral presentation and will be expected to come to class prepared to engage in seminar-style discussion. 

Au coeur de l’amitié:

A Multidisciplinary Study of the Concept of Friendship

Dominique Butler-Borruat

The abundance of treatises on friendship throughout history, and the profusion of research on the subject nowadays, attest not only to the importance of this human phenomenon--present in all cultures in different forms--but also to the enduring interest in piercing its mystery. 

What is friendship? What is at its fundamental core? How and why does it emerge between two or more individuals? Is it a form of love? Does it originate from or against collectivity? Does it have enemies? Does it even still exist in today’s world dominated by relations based on self-interest? How does it manifest itself in other cultures?

These are some of the questions which will be discussed in this seminar. We will glean answers from three different fields of investigation, namely psycho-sociology, philosophy and cultural anthropology, which we will consider each in turn.

First, we will discover how friendship manifests itself presently both in the United States and in France. Our readings in psycho-sociology will help us understand the modes through which friendship is constructed, as well as the practices in which it engages. The social dimension of friendship in both these countries will also be highlighted.

Given that any discourse on friendship opens upon the world of sophia, of philosophy, we will then go back in time to the ancient Greek city where the Western idea of friendship was born, and we will see how this idea was transmitted and evolved through the Roman and Christians eras, the Renaissance and “l’Ancien Régime”, leading us up to today. We will read what the main representatives of the philosophical tradition had to contribute to this concept.

We will then pursue our study by taking a world tour and examining the importance of friendship and its practices in non-Western societies (India, Taiwan, Tibet, Burkina Faso) and conclude our investigation by focusing on the cultural differences at play between the way Americans and French people live their friendships.

Readings will be selected from various sources: chapters of psycho-sociological and cultural anthropological studies, articles from professional journals, excerpts of philosophical treatises on friendship. Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Le dernier ami will be read in its entirety. Our study will be supplemented by a few songs and a film, Mon meilleur ami by Patrice Leconte. Students will be required to actively contribute to class discussions and write several essays, both creative and theoretical.

Changes in Modern Narrative: The Short Story

Elissa Bell Bayraktar

The flourishing of the short story in 19th-century France coincided with the growth of the newspaper industry, which provided writers with more opportunities than ever to see their work in print and earn money for it. We recognize short stories from this period by their narrative drive and focus; they are exciting tales that appeal to a wide readership. What becomes of the short story in the 20th century, during which two major wars affect the way people perceive the world and their significance in it? How do writers who question the very possibility of telling a story find expression in this genre? How might we characterize the structural and thematic changes it sustains? We will pursue answers to such queries through a study of short stories ranging from those of Maupassant and Mérimée in the 19th century to those of authors such as Samuel Beckett in the 20th.

Written work to include journal entries and formal essays. Students will have the chance to give a brief oral presentation and will be expected to come to class prepared to engage in seminar-style discussion. 

Satire and Society

Mark Burde

This course begins with an examination of classic works from the golden age of French satire by Molière, Voltaire, and Montesquieu in their historical context. The middle portion of the course will turn toward more recent satires produced by authors and artists such as Boris Vian, Jean-Michel Ribes, and Claire Bretécher. Attention will be paid in the final portion of the course to the recent rise of televised current-affairs spoofs to positions of preeminence in the media landscape of both France (Les guignols de l'info) and the US (The Daily Show). Coursework will consist of various forms of written analysis and, for those interested in developing their satirical expression, the possibility of creating an original satire or performing one of the ones studied during the term. A satirical bent is not a course prerequisite, but an interest in and sensitivity for social commentary, extending to one's own distinctive characteristics, is highly desirable.