Courses in French | University at Albany

Courses in French Language

A FRE 101 Beginning French I (3)

This course is for students with no previous study of French. It emphasizes the development of practical communication skills through a variety of lively and interactive activities. By the end of the course, students should be able to talk about themselves, their immediate world, and their interests. The course also introduces students to the culture of France and other French-speaking countries and regions. According to University regulations, this course may not be taken for credit by students who have taken three years of high school French or passed the Regents examination within the past five years. Language courses must be taken in sequence. A student may not earn graduation credit for a lower-level course taken concurrently with a higher-level course or after receiving credit for a higher-level course in the sequence. (A FRE 101 > A FRE 102 > A FRE 221Y > A FRE 222Y, must be taken in this order). Cannot be taken by French native speakers. Students must complete an evaluation form on the first day of classes. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 102 Beginning French II (3)

This course is for students who have completed Beginning French I or the equivalent (e.g., one semester of beginning French at the college level or one year of beginning French in high school). The course continues to develop practical communication skills using a lively and interactive approach. Students expand their ability to talk not only about themselves, but the world around them as well. Students also increase their knowledge of French and Francophone cultures. By the end of the course, students should have acquired basic survival skills in French. Language courses must be taken in sequence. A student may not earn graduation credit for a lower-level course taken concurrently with a higher-level course or after receiving credit for a higher-level course in the sequence. (A FRE 101 > A FRE 102 > A FRE 221Y > A FRE 222Y, must be taken in this order). Cannot be taken by French native speakers. Students must complete an evaluation form on the first day of classes. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 221Y Intermediate French I (3-4)

This course is for students who have completed Beginning French II or the equivalent (e.g., two semesters of beginning French at the college level or two to three years of French in high school). It is a language proficiency course using short-subject videos, cultural readings, and literary texts as well as opportunities for face-to-face or online interactions with native speakers to provide a substantial review of the basics while expanding students' knowledge of French vocabulary, structure, and functions. Students learn to express themselves in a more varied and meaningful way, while building their skills in listening comprehension and cultural awareness. A student may not earn graduation credit for a lower-level course taken concurrently with a higher-level course or after receiving credit for a higher-level course in the sequence (A FRE 101 > A FRE 102 > A FRE 221Y > A FRE 222Y, must be taken in this order). Cannot be taken by French native speakers. Students must complete an evaluation form on the first day of classes. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 222Y Intermediate French II (3-4)

This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French I or the equivalent (e.g., three to four semesters of French at the college level or three to four years in high school). This course will expand students' knowledge of vocabulary, structure, and functions to allow them to express themselves on a wider range of topics, both orally and in writing. Students will increase their knowledge of the French language and French and Francophone cultures through short-subject videos, current news articles, and a variety of texts. A student may not earn graduation credit for a lower-level course taken concurrently with a higher-level course or after receiving credit for a higher-level course in the sequence (A FRE 101 > A FRE 102 > A FRE 221Y > A FRE 222Y, must be taken in this order). Cannot be taken by French native speakers. This course prepares students for the 300-level French courses. Students must complete an evaluation form on the first day of classes. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 270Y Beginning French for Business (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. COIL course. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French I or the equivalent (e.g., three to four semesters of French at the college level or three to four years in high school). In this course students learn and practice how to communicate in a French business environment. Successful students will acquire greater fluency, mastery of business vocabulary, knowledge of fundamental work-related cultural differences and familiarity with basic practices for doing business in France. The course includes an online exchange with native French speakers from the Université de Haute-Alsace in France and prepares students to take the DFP A2 (Diplôme de français professionnel-niveau A2), sponsored by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Students who pass this fee-based test earn a certificate that attests to their functional command of both oral and written French. The certificate is widely recognized in the French business community and has the potential to enhance the professional credentials of students looking to work in an international context. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 297 Independent Study in French (1-3)

Study in an area of special interest not treated in courses currently offered. Topic must be approved by the undergraduate adviser and directed by a member of the faculty. May be repeated once for credit with approval. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 301 (formerly A FRE 240) Structural Review of French (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). Provides a thorough review of French structure for communication with increased accuracy in both speaking and writing. Students will improve their control of French grammar and learn how the grammar functions in specific spoken and written contexts. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 306 Comprehension & Pronunciation of French (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). The course is designed to help students hear and understand French with greater ease and to speak French with greater accuracy. It combines an examination of how sounds are produced, how they are organized into a patterned system, and how they are different from English sounds, with practical exercises in sound discrimination, listening comprehension, and oral practice. Students increase their ability to communicate successfully with French speakers throughout the francophone world. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 315 Introduction to French Cinema (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). An introduction with detailed analyses of some of the most well-known French classic films as contributions to the art of cinema and as reflections of French society at various historical moments. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 341/341Z Introduction to Global French Studies (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. OER course. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). It introduces students to the fields of linguistics, culture, and literature in France, the Caribbean, Quebec, and/or Africa. Includes units on fiction, film, music, and art. Students are taught research and analysis techniques that are required in all upper-level courses in the French Studies Program. Required for the French minor. Only one version of A FRE 341 may be taken for credit. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 350Y French Conversation (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. COIL course. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). This course provides intensive practice in French conversation and focuses on developing listening and communications skills. Students will learn the strategies, vocabulary, and structures that will allow them to participate more fluently and confidently in a variety of spoken contexts. Students will watch and report on Francophone news and current events. Through daily discussion of readings and other authentic materials, students will develop an understanding of how the healthcare system, higher institutions, work environment and regulations, family policy, etc. shape daily life in France. They will also engage in debates in class and have one-on-one online conversations with a class of university students in France. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

A FRE 355 Contemporary French Society and Culture (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). A course designed to give students a broad knowledge and understanding of French society today: value orientations, family and education, social and political institutions, leisure and work, and the media. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 360 Social and Cultural History of France (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. Provides a broad knowledge and understanding of the political, social, intellectual, literary and artistic history of France from the Middle Ages to the present as well as the historical and conceptual framework required in more advanced courses in French Studies. Prerequisite(s): A FRE 341 or permission of instructor. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 365 Contemporary French Media (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH, OER course. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). A study of print and online media from the French and Francophone world with an emphasis on context analysis and language practice. Students will explore and analyze French and Francophone cultural contents from printed newspapers to digital media. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 380 French for International Relations (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. COIL course. In this course, students learn and apply some of the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge of the professions associated with diplomacy and international relations in the Francophone world. Successful students will develop their communication skills through oral and written activities in the context of authentic situations. We study the structure and activity of international organizations, analyze international media, analyze data and report on a country's situation, learn about jobs and careers in the diplomatic world, draft a CV, practice work emails and targeted conversations. This practical course is focused on the development of professional French language skills and enhances the credentials of students interested in the field of International Relations and related areas. The course also includes an online exchange with a class of university students in France designed to strengthen interpersonal communicative skills in French and intercultural competence. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). It could be of interest for students who did not acquire their French skills in U.S. schools. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 397 Independent Study in French (1–4)

A FRE 399 Special Topics (3)

TAUGHT IN FRENCH. This course is for students who have completed Intermediate French II or the equivalent (e.g., four semesters of French at the college level or four to five years in high school). Intensive study of a topic not treated in regularly offered undergraduate courses. May be repeated for credit when content varies. Students needing advisement should contact the French Program Director.

Courses Taught in English

Note that only ONE course taught in English can count toward the French minor.

A FRE 201 Perspectives on the French World (1–3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. Intensive study of a particular work or works, limited theme or topic, genre, or contemporary issue. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.

A FRE 202 French Literature (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. Reading and discussion of selected works of French literature in translation. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 208 Haiti through Film and Literature (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. An introduction to the history and culture of Haiti. Gives broad knowledge and understanding of the political, social, intellectual, literary and artistic history of Haiti from 1492 to the present, particularly as it relates to the United States. Main tools of investigation: fiction, essays, film (documentary and fiction), and the arts. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 218/218Y Contemporary France (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. Analysis and comparison of French and American value orientations, family structures, educational, political, economic and cultural institutions. May not be used to fulfill the requirements of the major in French. T FRE 218 is the Honors College version of A FRE 218. Only one of T FRE 218 and A FRE 218 may be taken for credit. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

T FRE 218 Contemporary France (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. Analysis and comparison of French and American value orientations, family structures, educational, political, economic and cultural institutions. T FRE 218 is the Honors College version of A FRE 218. Only one of T FRE 218 and A FRE 218 may be taken for credit.

A FRE 238 Great Classics of French Cinema (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. An introduction with detailed analyses to a dozen of the most well known French classic films as contributions to the art of cinema and as reflections of French society at various historical moments. Only one of A ARH/A FRE 238 and A FRE 315 can be taken for credit. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 281 French Canada Through Film and Literature (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. Gives broad knowledge of the French-speaking areas of Canada (mainly Quebec and Acadia) through an examination of the history of the French in North America as well as contemporary literature and cinema. May be taken to complete the French minor. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 338 French Cinema and Society (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. Analysis of selected feature films of major contemporary French directors. Emphasis on each film as a social and cultural document. Only one of A FRE 338 and A FRE 415 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior class standing, or permission of instructor. May not be offered in 2024-2025.

A FRE 349 (= A HIS 349) History of France Since 1815 (3)

TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. A survey of the history of France from 1815 to the Fifth Republic, with attention to the political, social, economic, and cultural developments within France during this period. Only one version of A FRE/A HIS 349 may be taken for credit. May not be offered in 2024-2025.