This course aims at informing students about contemporary France. It will also aim at improving students’ oral and written competencies in French. This course is linguistically accessible. Readings are mostly from the chapters of the sole required book. The readings are approximately 15 pages a week, divided in segments of two. The course will be looking at the following issues:

1. Social life: family and sexuality, work and leisure, social welfare.

2. Cultural life: religions, immigration and education.

3. Information and technology: media, technology and trade.

Besides the readings from the book: Edmiston & Duménil, La France Contemporaine, 4th edition. (Heinle Cengage Learning, 2009), students will watch the news from TV5 or France24 and search the internet for supplementary information. Furthermore, a student will be chosen each day to summarize a one-page article from the editorial page of Le Monde; an exercise that will allow students to be up-to date with French life. www.lemonde.fr

Students will practice the lexicon and structures that are related to their professional goals through class discussions and readings.

There will be a grammar component on structures that may be problematic to most of the students.

This class will focus mostly on improving speaking, reading and listening skills. The writing component of language acquisition will weigh less than other skills.

The level of French proficiency recommended is Intermediate Low to Intermediate Mid on the ACTFL language proficiency scale. http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012/english