French, minor in

Students completing a French minor have a credential that demonstrates proficiency at the intermediate level on the American ACTFL rating scale and the B1 level on the European CEFR rating scale. This means they can demonstrate the following skills at work or in other interactions with speakers of French: 

• Speaking: Students can narrate and describe in present, past and future time frames, connecting phrases in a simple way to report on experiences and events; briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans; narrate a story or relate the plot of a film and describe their reactions; converse on familiar topics of personal interest or on everyday assignments while traveling and on the job; and handle routine phone calls at work when given models for phrasing and content.

• Writing: Students can write simple connected text on familiar topics related to professional or personal interests; write up detailed telephone messages or respond to routine emails; prepare informal summaries and lists; and describe experiences, events and impressions. Students will rely heavily on AI and translation programs while occasionally being able to find errors in the translation.

• Reading: Students can understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency every day or job-related language. The gist of what is said on events, on feelings and sentiments that are conveyed, and on what is said in routine correspondence at work or in personal letters is understood without a dictionary.

• Listening: Students can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work or leisure settings. The main point of many radio or TV programs on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest is understood when the delivery is relatively slow and clear.

Language proficiency testing

Students with a minor in either French or French studies who have studied abroad, taken more than the minimum number of courses in French or who have lived or worked in a French-speaking environment will be advised to seek credentials such as the Business French badge at VCU, a Global Seal of Biliteracy, or other types of ACTFL or CEFR referenced tests. For definitions, see the link for the ACTFL rating scale at https://www.languagetesting.com/actfl-proficiency-scale and for the CEFR rating scale at https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale.

Students will receive French language credit for courses in FREN and other courses where instructors work with them to build their French language proficiency. These may include courses focused on language, culture, literature and interdisciplinary approaches to civilization that are also taught in English. French credit can be assigned to courses with designations such as FRLG, WRLD, ENGL, NEXT or other disciplines when there is an alternate syllabus in French that specifies class activities, class materials and class assignments that build students' skills in French.