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Southern Oregon University

French Summer Language Institute

Coursework

Through courses on language acquisition and pedagogy as well as language and culture courses, you will improve both your language proficiency and cultural understanding while becoming a better teacher. The Institute leads to a Master of Arts in French Language Teaching.

Overview:

In the Summer Language Institute for French Teachers (a banner program of the SOU Center for Language Studies), you will perfect your language skills and enhance cultural understanding while receiving the most current training on language pedagogy and methodology. You will expand your linguistic and professional skills and go home ready to apply your new knowledge directly to lessons and materials for your classroom.

The Institute is specifically designed to meet the needs of middle school, high school and community college French teachers. The program builds on the National Standards for Language Learning and incorporates recommendations for language teacher training developed by NCATE and ACTFL.

The Institute offers you the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts in French Language Teaching over three summers. The program is also appropriate for teachers who are not seeking a master's degree but who need additional credits to retain or renew their certification. Space permitting, non-Masters candidates may attend individual sessions.

The SOU Center for Language Studies was developed after eight years of successful cooperation between Southern Oregon University and high school teachers through the Southern Oregon Foreign Language Articulation project (SOFLA). One of only eight projects selected nationally to participate in the Modern Language Association High School to College Articulation project, SOFLA has sponsored an average of 2-3 workshops a year for language teachers since 1998, bringing in nationally recognized language educators and creating links with ACTFL and other professional organizations.

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Master's Degree:

The Summer Institute for French Teachers offers you the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts in French Language Teaching (a total of 45 credits) over three summers. You may earn up to 18 credits each summer. NOTE: The Oregon University System is on a "quarter credit" system. For those of you NOT pursuing an MA through the SLI, and are taking courses simply to meet licensing requirements, make sure your licensing agency will transfer the correct semester credits. 

Course Work includes:

Five 3-credit required core courses:

#1 FL 511, Second Language Acquisition: Theory and Practice
#2 FL 512, Teaching for Proficiency: Methods and Strategies
#3 FL 513, Foreign Language Assessment: Principles and Strategies
#4 FL 514, Action Research
#5 FL 515, Technology in the Foreign Language Classroom

Core courses may be taught in English. While we recommend you take core courses 1-3 in the above numbered order, they may be taken in any order. Action Research must be taken after core courses 1-3 and before your final summer. The Technology course is offered during the winter quarter (Jan-March) and may be taken any time.

A minimum of thirty credits of French Language and Culture courses:

Language and culture courses vary each summer. Each language or culture course has a companion course on pedagogical practices relative to the language or culture topic. All language and culture courses, as well as companion pedagogical courses, are taught in French. With advisor approval, topics courses may be repeated for credit when the topic changes. A sample of Language and Culture courses and their companion pedagogy courses include the following 

  • Communicative Grammar (3 credits) with Teaching Grammar in Context (2 credits)
  • French/Francophone Film (3 credits) with Teaching Language with Film (2 credits)
  • Topics in French/Francophone Culture (contemporary and historical) (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Culture (2 credits)
  • Contemporary French/FrancophoneTheater (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Theater (2 credits)
  • French/Francophone Music (3 credits) with Music in the Foreign Language classroom (2 credits)
  • Topics in French/Francophone Literature (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Literature (2 credits)
  • Topics in French/Francophone Art (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Art (2 credits)
  • Topics in French/Francophone Pronunciation (3 credits) with Teaching Correct Pronunciation (2 credits)

At least ten credits must come from French 516, which may be repeated for credit as topic changes.  Up to six graduate credits can be transferred from other accredited institutions.  

Masters candidates must take all but the conversation class during a three-week session. The conversation class is an additional option which may count toward three of your nine elective credits.  Note: students who are admitted at the intermediate high OPI level, will be required to take these normally optional conversation courses.  They must complete 5 credits of FR 507/510 and will need a total of 47 credits to graduate.

You may attend one or both of the three-week summer sessions. Masters candidates expecting to complete the program in three years must take both sessions at least two of the three summers. Space permitting, non-masters candidates may attend individual sessions.

During the school year prior to your final year in the program, if you are a masters candidate, you will conduct an action research project with your own students/at your own school. You will write a paper documenting the project and make a presentation about this action research project during your final summer. Based on feedback from your advisor, you may be expected to modify and resubmit the paper after your final summer. The action research project, presentation and paper take the place of a thesis project.

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2013 Courses

Core Courses Summer Session 1

1. FL 511 Second Language Acquisition (3 credits) - Dr. Kate Paesani  Syllabus

Provides students with an overview of the most current theories of second language acquisition and the teaching methodologies that result from these approaches. Students will detail differences between and similarities among the various models of second language acquisition as they learn how to identify and integrate them into the foreign language classroom.

2. FL 513 Foreign Language Assessment: Principles and Strategies (3 credits) - Chantal Thompson Syllabus

Explores the many ways to assess foreign language proficiency. Compares traditional testing measures with more recent performance-based assessment methods and portfolio assessment models. Students study various assessment instruments and resources, as well as learning how to integrate assessment practices with foreign language standards.


Electives Summer Session 1 (Students choose both a and b)

3a. Fr 526 Contes et Nouvelles (3 credits) - Dr. Daniel R. Morris  Syllabus

A study of the French and Francophone short story, from its early development in the form of Medieval lais through the great short story writers of the 19th Century to contemporary short stories in France and throughout the francophone world. Emphasis on short story as a genre.

3b.  FR 516 Literature in the Language Classroom  (2 credits) - Chantal Thompson  Syllabus

Designed as a teaching praxis companion course to FR 426 Contes et Nouvelles, this course addresses issues of how to teach literature in the foreign language classroom, and, more importantly, how to use literature to enhance language instruction. Students will work with various literary texts appropriate to early language learners to develop ways to use the text in the language classroom, and ways to teach the language through the literary texts.

4a. FR 582 Expression Ecrite (3 credits) Faculty from the Université Catholique de l'Ouest

This course focuses on helping students to develop their writing competency in French at the advanced level. The course includes a variety of writing genres, and emphasis on grammatical structure and problems typical of non-native writers of French.

4b. FR 516 Teaching Writing in French (3 credits) Dr. Kate Paesani Syllabus

Designed as a teaching praxis companion course to FR 582 Expression écrite, this course addresses issues of how to teach writing in the foreign language classroom. The course will focus on various strategies to help beginning and intermediate students develop writing skills in French, and how to effectively link writing practice to speaking practice.

5. FR 510 Advanced French Conversation  (1 credit, OPTIONAL) Faculty from Université Catholique de l'Ouest

Designed to improve French conversational skills by focusing on linguistic functions appropriate to student levels. Students will narrate and describe, state and support opinions, and hypothesize using current events and topics from contemporary French culture as the content of discussion. This course may be taken for repeat credit. Up to 3 credits may be applied to degree requirements.

 

Core Courses Summer Session 2

1. FL 512 Teaching for Proficiency: Methods and Strategies (3 credits) - Lauren Schaffer Syllabus

Explores how proficiency standards can be applied in the classroom in conjunction with state and local standards based on the national standards for foreign language education as established by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Students learn how to integrate the five Cs of foreign language education: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities, with clearly defined proficiency standards for foreign language performance.

2. FL 514 Action Research (3 credits) Dr. Béatrice Dupuy Syllabus

Introduces students to research methodologies that pursue action (change) and research (understanding) concurrently. Students will learn how to do a systematic inquiry into the teaching/learning environment of a classroom with the goal of developing reflective teaching practices. This course is intended as preparation for an action research project that students will conduct over the course of the following year.


Electives Summer Session 2 (Students choose both a and b)

3a. FR 528 La France et Ses Immigrés  (3 credits) - Dr. Marianne Golding  This class has been canceled.

3b. FR 516 Teaching Culture (2 credits) This class has been canceled.

 4a.FR 528 La peinture française du XIXème siècle vue à travers les œuvres du musée d'Orsay (3 credits) Dr. Rose Lecomte

An analysis of the major works of different 19th century artistic movements in France, creating an understanding of the evolution of painting from the confines of classicism to open the door to modernism and painting of the 20th and 21st centuries. 

4b. FR 516 Art in the Language Classroom Lauren Schaffer Syllabus

Designed as a teaching praxis companion course to the FR 428 La Peinture française du XIXème siècle vue à travers les oeuvres du musée d’Orsay, this course addresses issues of how to integrate art related activities into the language classroom, and how to use art as a means for teaching language. Should be taken in conjunction with FR 428 La Peinture française.

5. FR 510 Advanced French Conversation  (1 credit, OPTIONAL) Faculty from Université Catholique de l'Ouest

Designed to improve French conversational skills by focusing on linguistic functions appropriate to student levels. Students will narrate and describe, state and support opinions, and hypothesize using current events and topics from contemporary French culture as the content of discussion. This course may be taken for repeat credit. Up to 3 credits may be applied to degree requirements.