Study Abroad in Paris (Catholic University of Paris, ILCF): Courses
View and print all course descriptions
Students should consult with their university advisors prior to participating in the program to have course credit pre-approved. Recommended credits are shown in parentheses.
Recommended credits are shown in parentheses.
French Language Courses (Mandatory)
Standard French Language courses in Session 1 and 2 carry 5 credits. The French language course for students taking French Language and Culture carries 4 credits.
French 131 (5) (4) | French Language - Beginner
The Beginner classes introduce students to the rudiments of the French language. They learn to introduce themselves, to give and respond to simple greetings, to express their nationality and age. Vocabulary work focuses on color, clothes, the family, the calendar and items encountered in the home. Working in the present tense, students learn to buy, order and pay for things as well as to express their likes and dislikes.
French 132 (5) (4) | French Language - Elementary
The Elementary French classes aim to teach students to understand simple phrases that they will encounter in daily life. They learn to answer basic questions and to ask for information on familiar subjects. Students discuss their habits, daily activities and personal experience and learn to give opinions. They are able to make comparisons and use both the simple future and simple past tenses.
French 232 (5) (4) | French Language - Intermediate
At this level students learn to grasp the meaning of more detailed information through discussion of topics such as their studies, family ties, the work environment and social relationships. They are able to use the conditional as well as more complex future and past tenses, including the subjunctive. They can give orders, express doubts and feelings, relate what someone else has told them and discuss hypothetical situations.
French 332 (5) (4) | French Language – Advanced
Advanced students learn to interact naturally and with spontaneity when conversing with native speakers, being able to express the subtleties of their feelings and thoughts. They work at associating facts and ideas, moving with fluency between tenses and learning to alter their register to suit a given situation. In debates and discussions students aim to make convincing and structured arguments backed up by concrete examples. They discuss politics, the economy and history, comparing different written and spoken styles.
French 432 (5) (4) | French Language - Superior
Superior French furthers and develops upon the material covered in Advanced French.
French Language and Culture Program Electives (taught in English)
These courses are only available in Session 2. Electives are held in the afternoon. Students choose one elective taught in English. Each elective course is recommended for 2 semester credits. A minimum enrollment of 10 students is needed to confirm an elective course.
Art History 305 (2) | Paris, World Capital of Arts and Architecture
With a focus on modernity and through visits to significant sites in the city, students learn to classify architectural function and style. Through discussion of the social and economic conditions in which various buildings were constructed, students acquire an understanding of the historic conditions that defined the changing Parisian landscape of the 17th to 20th centuries.
Economics/Political Science 309 (2) | Politics and the Economy in France and Europe today
The French Republic is a complex web of institutions and administrative bodies that can seem quite impregnable to the outsider. Through examination of the French Revolution and analysis of the values it upheld, students are able to untangle the French political system and achieve a better understanding of the workings of the State. Through study of the trade unions, the media, and the educational system and in comparing these apparatus to those of other European countries, students learn to place France as a distinct socio/political entity on the European and indeed global map.
