Getting Started | Course Options

The Department of French Studies offers courses at the advanced beginner and intermediate levels for incoming first-year students and students taking their first course in French Studies.

PLEASE NOTE: FREN 150/6.0 is no longer being offered.


 

Intermediate

FREN 151 & FREN 152 are courses at the advanced beginner and intermediate levels for incoming first-year students and students taking their first course in French Studies.

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Intended learners: This course is suitable for many students who have a background in Grade 12 Core French, Extended French, International Baccalaureate, French Immersion (in Canada) or an equivalent program. It has been designed for intermediate users of the language.

Course Content: In addition to learning or reviewing the essential grammar rules of the B1 level, students will respond to written and audio texts on familiar matters relating to work, school, and leisure; write brief descriptive and narrative texts on topics of personal interest; communicate solutions for everyday problems, by describing events and providing explanations for opinions; and interpret short literary texts or excerpts.

French Plan: FREN 151 grants credit towards all degree plans in French. It is the prerequisite for FREN 152, which is the gateway course to all FREN Plans.

Placement Test: The Placement Test can help determine if this course is right for you. Click the red button below for more details and the link.

Intended learners: This course is best suited for students who have a solid foundation in high school French. This may include students who have completed International Baccalaureate or AP French levels, as well as students with a strong background in Extended French or French Immersion programs (in Canada) or equivalent. It has been designed for confident intermediate users of the language.

Course Content: In addition to learning or reviewing the essential grammar rules of the B2 level, students will respond to increasingly complex written and audio texts on both concrete and abstract topics; develop written arguments on a wide range of subjects; communicate solutions for everyday problems with a greater degree of fluency and spontaneity, by providing explanations for opinions; and interpret a short novel.

French Plan: FREN 152 grants credit towards all degree plans in French. It is the gateway course for all French degree plans.

Placement Test: The Placement Test can help determine if this course is right for you. Click the red button below for more details and the link.

Beginner

FREN 118 is an advanced beginner and low intermediate level (A2) course designed to help students to reach intermediate-level proficiency.

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Intended Learners: This online course is suitable for students who have completed grade 10, 11, or 12 Core French with no French Immersion background (in Canada) or equivalent. It has been designed for advanced beginners and low intermediate users of the language.

Course Content: In addition to learning the essential grammar rules of the A2 level, students will learn to listen and respond to short written and audio texts relating to daily life; write short grammatically accurate texts that solve everyday problems; communicate orally about familiar topics and learn to describe the cultures of French speaking countries.

French Plan: FREN 118 cannot be used for credit towards any degree plan in French. Students who complete FREN 118 may enrol in FREN 150 afterwards.

Placement Test: The Placement Test can help determine if this course is right for you. Click the red button below for more details and the link.

According to the Council of Europe, who devised the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), A2 learners can:

  • “understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
  • communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
  • describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.”

Attention!


Academic Integrity Policy

Taking a French course that is below your level of proficiency is prohibited because doing so gives students an unfair advantage over other students who are just beginning to learn the language. Gaining an unearned advantage over other students in this way is considered a departure from academic integrity.

Acting with integrity means being honest about your background in French, the academic work you do, taking responsibility for your learning, and acting in a way that is fair to others. For the courses at the Beginner Level, you will be required to sign a pledge affirming your honesty about your background and your commitment to academic integrity.

À noter: Il n’est pas permis aux étudiants francophones de suivre les cours de niveau 100, ainsi que le FREN 219 et le FREN 320.

Have More Questions?

If after reviewing the information above, you are unsure how to proceed, please contact the French Studies Department for guidance.

Angie Clark - Undergraduate Assistant
francais@queensu.ca 
613.533.2090