French
Overview
Folsom Lake College offers elementary and intermediate courses in French designed to provide students with the ability to understand basic conversations, to speak with reasonable fluency, and to write at their speaking level. It offers students the necessary skills to pursue advanced transfer level courses.
French, along with English, is the official working language of: the United Nations, UNESCO, NATO, OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), the International Labor Bureau, the International Olympic Committee, the 31-member Council of Europe, the European Community, the Universal Postal Union, the International Red Cross, and the UIA (Union of International Associations). French is the dominant working language at: the European Court of Justice, the European Tribunal of First Instance, the Press Room at the European Commission, and CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Research). French is also the foreign language spoken by our largest trading partner, Canada.
Note: Native speakers who have high school-equivalent reading and writing skills in French should enroll in the FREN 411 level course (or above).
Career Options
- Airlines/Travel
- Banking
- Bilingual Education/Teacher’s Aide
- Bilingual Telecommunications
- Emergency Services
- Fashion & Design
- Foreign Language Teacher
- Foreign Service
- Homeland Security
- Import & Export
- Intelligence/Military Service
- International Business
- International Law
- IRS/State Franchise Tax Board
- Overseas Employment: Business & Commerce
- Pharmaceutical
- Social Security Officer
- Social Service
- Software & Computer Science
- Tourism
- Translating & Interpreting
Some career options may require more than two years of college study.
Highlights
- Multimedia, interactive language lab with internet capabilities
- Internationally trained faculty and staff
- Native speaker faculty
- Division Dean Francis Fletcher
- Meta-Major Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- Phone (916) 608-6752
- Email fletchf@flc.losrios.edu
French (FREN) Courses
FREN 401 Elementary French
- Units:4
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 54 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:Local GE L3
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
This is the first semester introduction to the French language. It is designed for beginning students with little or no previous exposure to the language. It is characterized by the ability to understand and produce appropriate responses in high-frequency situations utilizing learned material. Speaking and writing will be comprehensible to a sympathetic listener used to communicating with non-native speakers.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- apply learned patterns and high-frequency expressions in order to offer greetings, enumerate, ask and answer routine questions, talk about daily activities, describe people and things, talk about the weather, and give simple instructions.
- speak intelligibly to a sympathetic listener used to communicating with non-native speakers, using short questions and responses with basic vocabulary and structure.
- write compositions and journals, which include listing, writing simple messages, and supplying biographical information, using simple sentences.
- identify the geography of the French speaking world and analyze the complexity of its socioeconomic, political, and religious systems.
- read and comprehend basic materials at course level relating to familiar topics such as university life, favorite pastimes, clothing and fashion, family, and weather.
FREN 402 Elementary French
- Units:4
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 54 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:FREN 401 (with a grade of 'C' or better) or two years of high school French (with a grade of 'C' or better).
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:Local GE L3
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
This is the second semester of elementary French. It provides refinement of skills introduced in FREN 401. It is characterized by increased grammatical accuracy and ability to understand and produce appropriate responses in high-frequency situations utilizing learned material. Speaking and writing will be comprehensible to a sympathetic listener used to communicating with non-native speakers.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- apply learned patterns and hi-frequency expressions in order to express personal opinions and feelings, give commands and follow basic instructions, talk about food, talk about the past, plan future activities.
- speak intelligibly to a sympathetic listener used to communicating with non-native speakers, using short questions and responses with basic vocabulary and structure.
- write compositions and journals, which include listing of food, writing recipes, supplying biographical information using the past tense, and planning future activities.
- analyze the complexity of the French speaking world through some of its traditions and history.
- read and comprehend culturally appropriate materials at course level relating to familiar topics such as food, historical facts, and biographical information.
FREN 411 Intermediate French
- Units:4
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 54 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:FREN 402 with a grade of "C" or better or three years of high school French with a "C" or better.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
This is the first semester Intermediate French. It is designed for students who have completed French 402 or three years of high school French. It provides refinement of skills attained in French 402. Students will work toward the ability to create with the language without relying on learned responses, to understand main ideas in routine speech and to understand main ideas in written texts. Listening and reading comprehension will continue to develop; speaking and writing will be comprehensible to a somewhat sympathetic native speaker. Students will develop the ability to respond in an unrehearsed manner on concrete topics in known situations. Written expression will meet limited personal needs and culturally appropriate language at a higher level of accuracy than found in French 402. Students will analyze the complexity of the French speaking world through some of its social and political institutions, its different communication systems and media, and its artistic contribution to the world.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- communicate information, concepts and ideas in culturally appropriate ways. Speak with pronunciation at the Intermediate-High level. (ACTFL Proficiency Standards).
- write information, concepts and ideas at the Intermediate-High level in culturally appropriate ways.
- listen to spoken French at Intermediate-High level and demonstrate comprehension.
- demonstrate knowledge of the French speaking world through some of its social and political institutions, its different communication systems and media, and its artistic contributions to the world.
- read and comprehend culturally appropriate selected material based on topics such as traveling, technology and the role of the media in the French speaking world. Read and comprehend selected literary material based on familiar topics that primarily focus on the past.
FREN 412 Intermediate French
- Units:4
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 54 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:FREN 411 with a grade of "C" or better; or four years of high school French with a grade of C or better.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
This is the second semester of Intermediate French. It is designed for students who have completed French 411 or four years of high school French. It provides continued development of skills attained in French 411. Students will develop the ability to handle complex situations using past, present and future time frames. It will help develop the student's emerging ability to handle complicated situations, to discuss topics beyond immediate personal needs (e.g. current events, social, political, economical and environmental issues; history, traditions, and customs). This course will focus on development of written narratives and expository prose along with increased awareness of cultural concerns, norms, values, and cultural-specific customs and events, with emphasis placed on culturally-authentic readings and writing through the introduction and application of basic literary analysis. Students will expand their knowledge and appreciation of geography, culture and values of the French-speaking world and its contribution to the world.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- communicate in culturally appropriate ways using complex structures relying on acquired complex formula language. Communicate about topics beyond immediate and personal needs such as current events; social, political, environmental issues; cultural and moral issues; history and customs in the present, past, future and conditional tenses. Express hypothetical opinions.
- write information, opinions, and ideas at the Intermediate-High level in culturally appropriate ways.
- speak and respond intelligibly to a sympathetic listener used to communicating with non-native speakers, using the target language in culturally appropriate ways.
- reflect on and evaluate cross-cultural differences through cohesive written narratives and expository prose and culturally authentic texts.
- continue analyzing the complexity of the French speaking world through some of its social, political, economical and environmental issues, and its artistic contribution to the world.
FREN 495 Independent Studies in French
- Units:1 - 3
- Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
FREN 499 Experimental Offering in French
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
This is the experimental courses description.
Faculty
This program is part of the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Meta-Major.