Our two-year French program features state of the art materials to help students communicate in the written and spoken language. Our textbooks and online supersites give students substantial opportunities to practice their listening skills, and offers practice exercises many of which give immediate feedback for better learning.
The francophone culture is woven throughout all the lessons. Online and in class video provide reinforcement of the rich and practical vocabulary as well as some fun.
We are very happy to have a dedicated staff at the tutoring center in D 204 where they offer drop-in tutoring for all students and individual tutoring for students with a “C” average or less.
French is recommended to fulfill a World Language requirement in our state colleges and universities, but also to enhance any other major. Fluency in French is suggested for majors in international relations, marketing, pre-law, the sciences, and community service. We believe strongly that studying a World language and culture gives one a strong foundation for any creative endeavor in the future.
AP Credit
We give some credit for AP scores, but you need to take a World Language class from us first.
Additional information
We do much more than learn grammar, but the following information may help you choose the level where you feel most comfortable.
FRENCH 121: The verbs: The present tense of “er”, “ir”, and “re” verbs.
Irregular verbs: être, avoir, aller, faire
FRENCH 122: The verbs: The “Passé composé” with avoir and être, introduction of the “imparfait”. Irregular verbs: prendre, boire, vouloir, pouvoir, dormir, etc., conduire, voir, croire
FRENCH 123: The verbs: ” L’imparfait et le passé compose” together, pronominal verbs, future and conditional tenses.
Irregular verbs: savoir, connaître, suivre, vivre, ouvrir, courir, rire,
FRENCH 221, 222, 223:
Second year college language study is both review and expansion of the previously gained skills. A student can begin this sequence of advanced courses any quarter after having successfully completed French 123 or French 3. We do encourage students to start these courses during the fall quarter if possible, because it’s a little easier for the student.
Although it’s not critical to start the sequence in the fall, that is when all the students in this “cluster” class cover the first few units of the text. In winter, everyone is working on the middle units and finally finishing the text during the spring quarter.
In order to have the opportunity to complete all three courses, students should register as a French 221 student regardless of which quarter a student is able to enroll. When students take the courses out of order they are graded somewhat differently. For example, if a French 223 student is now completing the series in the fall with many 221 students, the 223 student will be expected to do additional work, and there are higher expectations for the written and oral production.
Placement Questions:
If a student does not know which level is best, please send an email to: enorling@bellevuecollege.edu
In that message, please communicate:
- How much French you’ve had.
- How long has it been since you had a French class.
I will probably ask you to write a short paragraph about a recent vacation where you can use the two common past tenses. Then we can begin a discussion about the best placement for you.
Class Descriptions
FRCH& 121: French I – 5 credits
FRCH& 122: French II – 5 credits
FRCH& 123: French III – 5 credits
FRCH& 221: French IV – 5 credits
FRCH& 222: French V – 5 credits
FRCH& 223: French VI – 5 credits
Last Updated May 23, 2023