Global Arc

This class develops the basic structures and vocabulary for understanding, speaking, writing, and reading in French. Classroom activities foster communication and cultural competence through comprehension and grammar exercises, skits, conversation and the use of a variety of audio-visual materials. Prerequisites: Princeton French Language Placement test.

The main objective of this course is to enable you to achieve intermediate communication proficiency in French. All four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing will be actively practiced in realistic communicative situations, through a variety of activities designed to help you strengthen newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures. You will learn to talk about events and people, construct narratives in French and develop reading and writing skills that will be a foundation for literacy in the target language. There is a wide use of authentic material from France and the Francophone world throughout the course.

FRE 103 is an intensive beginning and intermediate language course designed for students who have already studied French (typically no more than 2-3 years). Covering in one semester the material presented in FRE 101 and FRE 102, this course prepares students to take FRE 107 the following semester. FRE 103 is designed to develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in French in a cultural context using authentic materials. Classroom activities include comprehension and grammar exercises, conversation, skits, and working with a variety of audio-visual and online materials. Pre: Appropriate score on PU FRE Lang Placement Test.

The main objective of this course is to develop your listening, speaking and writing skills, while allowing you to explore contemporary French-speaking societies. It offers a thorough review of French grammar and a wide range of communicative activities chosen to improve proficiency and give practice of newly acquired linguistic material. The course will build your confidence in French while giving you a foundation for the understanding of French-speaking cultures and exposing you to their rich literary and artistic productions. A wide range of authentic material will be offered, including films. Prerequisite: See Course Offerings

The main objective of this course is to examine what it means to communicate in a foreign language while helping students strengthen their linguistic skills and gain transcultural and translingual competence. Students will reflect on differences in meaning through the study of diverse cultural modules, including politics, art, current events, migration, and French and Francophone literary texts and films. FRE 107 is not open to first-year undergraduates in fall only. Prerequisites: FRE 102 or FRE 103, or special permission.

FRE 108 is an intermediate advanced course that guides you through key periods of French history and culture while tackling pressing contemporary debates, from architecture and the State to education, health, science, and new technologies. Through films, music, articles, and literary excerpts, you'll strengthen your French via reading, writing, and grammar review, sharpen your communication skills, and gain a nuanced understanding of French and francophone cultures. Prerequisite: Placement through the University's Placement Test or completion of FRE 105.

This course is the ideal bridge course for students who've completed the 100-level language sequence and are ready to try a more advanced course but still need practice with grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. This interdisciplinary, discussion-based course explores supernatural themes, such as dreams, magic, fantastical creatures, and flights of the imagination through a variety of genres, including fairy tales, utopias, comics, science fiction, and films from France and the Francophone world. Students will improve their speaking, writing, reading, listening, and analytic skills throughout the semester.

FRE 207F is an intensive immersion program in Aix-en-Provence that develops advanced linguistic proficiency while engaging students with French literature, journalism, and creative writing. Through daily classes, cultural visits, and fieldwork, students analyze literary style and cultural representation, exploring local traditions, contemporary issues, and the role of language in shaping identity, social norms, and otherness. Admission by application and interview. Possibility of a Princeton-in-France internship immediately after 207F. Admission to internship also by application and interview. Prerequisite: 107, 102-7, or 108, or equivalent.

This course is a discussion-based seminar, taught entirely in French, integrating cultural and linguistic learning. We will explore the Francophone world, examining a wide range of topics and issues and interacting with guest speakers from the regions studied. The course will provide intensive language practice, with an emphasis on the acquisition of a rich lexical base for social, economic, political and cultural topics and consolidation of grammatical foundations. Topics will vary from semester to semester and may include environmental, educational, health, social, cultural and political issues as well as aesthetic considerations.

FRE/THR 211 will offer students the opportunity to put their language skills in motion by exploring French theater and acting in French. The course will introduce students to acting techniques while allowing them to discover the richness of the French dramatic canon. Particular emphasis will be placed on improving students' speaking skills through pronunciation and diction exercises. At the end of the semester, the course will culminate in the presentation of the students' work. Prerequisites: FRE 108 or equivalent. FRE 207 or 208 recommended as a co-requisite.