In addition to being the subject in the classroom, exposure to French language and culture exists in other contexts, as well.  The department makes available to the student the opportunity to use French and to be exposed to francophone cultural experiences in a variety of contexts: from regular activities such as French chapel, film showings and Pause Café, to special events such as lectures, theatrical performances, and a Christmas party. Students are encouraged to volunteer to help in French Chapel or to organize the sessions themselves.  From time to time the department sponsors additional activities such as a book club, summer conversation groups, etc. Television programming from France and other French-speaking regions in the world are aired twenty-four hours a day by TV5 and are accessible through the college's cable network on channel 15.  The French Connection, the department's newsletter for students, appears on a regular basis.

The department's audio-visual closet houses a collection of French-language documentary and feature-length videos and DVDs as well as numerous audio tapes and CDs of contemporary singers.  Students may borrow documentary materials and audio tapes and CDs (but not feature-length films) by contacting the French Department assistant.  Feature-length films may be viewed in the Cayvan Center by request.

Tutoring Services

All students (especially those in core-level courses) who desire extra help with their French, are encouraged to make use of the department's free tutoring services.  The tutoring room is located in Hiemenga 418 (to the right of the entrance to the Spanish Department).  As a courtesy to the tutor, please make contact with the tutor at least twenty-four hours in advance of your expected visit.  Once you have made an appointment, please keep your appointment.

Tutoring by advanced level French students is available free of charge to all students in the French Department.  Names of tutors assigned to each class are available from the instructor or from the department assistant and are also posted during the semester on the Tutoring Bulletin Board outside the French Department Office, along with photos of the tutors.

If you are at a point in your class work where one-on-one help would be beneficial, be sure to avail yourself of our tutors’ services.  They are very approachable and willing to help.

Students wishing to tutor

Tutors are recruited from advanced-level students whose work has been exemplary.  Each spring an announcement is made concerning the number of tutoring positions open for the following year.  Majors and minors, especially those contemplating a career in teaching, are invited to apply.  For the 2008-2009 school year, Professor Vicki De Vries is the tutoring coordinator.

Students with learning disabilities

Students designated as being at-risk can sometimes complete their language core requirements by the sequence FREN 111, 112, 113:  Multisensory Structured French I, II, III (4, 3, 4 sh).  This core-language sequence comprises three courses (Fall, Interim and Spring) in the comprehension and use of spoken and written French, specially designed to meet the special needs of at-risk students. Materials are presented with an emphasis on understanding the nature of language. General language-learning skills are developed as specific foreign language goals are met.  Students are assigned to this course on the basis of adequate documentation of being at-risk.  Professor Irene Konyndyk is the instructor for this program in 2008-2009.

Career Strategies

Anchored in the liberal arts, the programs of concentration in French at Calvin help foster in students the following competencies:

• Verbal skills  (in both the target language and in the native language). Studying a foreign language makes you more aware of the problems inherent in spoken and written expression, thereby helping you hone your own communication skills.
• Organizational skills.  Working extensively in a language system other than your own makes you more aware of the intricacies of language and the need to develop and maintain mental skills of categorization, filing, and retrieval.
• Interpersonal skills. Studying a foreign culture (via its language, literature, and authentic texts) increases your awareness of your own culture and of the ways in which it differs from the rest of the world. An ability to interact sensitively with persons of other cultures draws on many of the same skills necessary for working effectively with persons of the opposite gender and with persons older or younger than yourself.
• Analytical skills.  Language and literature studies yield benefits far beyond the level of communication or culture; they help you sharpen your skills at analyzing texts--written and oral.

A liberal arts education with a concentration in French can provide you with communicative skills, and the intellectual and social framework necessary for functioning effectively in many areas of employment.  Within the past few years, French majors from Calvin have gone into the following career areas:

• Art history
• Architecture
• Commerce: import / export
• Information systems
• International development
• Law
• Library science
• Linguistics
• Literature studies
• Missions (evangelism, relief work)
• Public relations
• Teaching (French, English as a second language)
• Translation services

International Careers

Combining foreign language and literature study with knowledge and skills in a professional area such as teaching, engineering, law, diplomacy, business, or journalism raises the level of a student's marketability.  There is a growing need for competence in foreign language studies.

Working permanently in France is generally not feasible for persons from non-EU countries.  With the exception of persons married to French nationals, employees of international companies, and certain categories of temporary workers, few Americans can aspire to lucrative employment in France.  The best possibilities for students or recent graduates consist of the following:

French government assistantships in Lycées. 
Each year the French Ministry of Education offers English assistant posts in French schools.  Applicants must be American citizens (Canadians may apply through the French Embassy in Ottawa), under 30 years of age, and hold a BA by time of appointment.  This is a unique opportunity to spend 6 to 9 months in France, improving your French skills, gaining valuable teaching experience, and drawing a monthly stipend. The monthly stipend is 914 Euros. This means that after taxes, social security, and health care are taken out, you have about 750 Euros a month to live on. You may not defer the social security and health care costs. The stipend provides enough money to live the life-style of a typical French student.  Assistants generally work from October 1 to April 30. There are usually 1000-1700 positions available for Americans to teach in primary and secondary in all parts of France and the DOM-TOM.  While applicants may specify their region of preference, the Ministry of Education makes the final placement in secondary schools throughout France.

Assistants conduct conversation classes 12 hours per week.  Specific assignments and weekly schedules are arranged with the supervising teachers.  Generally speaking, news of one’s placement arrives in mid-summer.  For more information visit http://www.info-france-usa.org/culture/education/support/assistant/index.html or contact in writing The French Cultural Service, SCULE- Assistant Program, 972 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10021. Applicants do NOT need to have been education majors or minors in college.

Canadian students should contact the French Embassy in Ottawa as the program is the same as for American students. Contact information:
Le responsable des assistants de langue
Service culturel - Ambassade de France au Canada
Ambassade de France, 42 promenade Sussex, OTTAWA (ON) K1M 2C9 –
Tél. 613 789 1795 - Fax. 613 562 3735
Site internet : http://www.ambafrance-ca.org
Email questions through link provided

Peace Corps
Please see www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

Au-pair employment

Au pairs perform childcare tasks and light housekeeping for French families in exchange for room, board, and pocket money.  To be an au pair you must be between the ages of 18 and 30 and unmarried.  You can stay in France for up to 18 months and you must enroll in French classes.  The following organizations organize au-pair positions:

• L’Accueil Familial des Jeunes Étrangers, 16, rue Joukovskogo, Saint-Pétersbourg, Russie Tél. : +7 (812) 272.08.60.  http://www.af.spb.ru
• Au pairs: Cultural Homestay International 106 Butterfield Rd., San Anselmo, CA 94960. Tel 1-800-432-4643 or 415-459-5397  Fax: 415-459-2182 http://www.chinet.org
• The French-American Center, 4, rue Saint Louis; 34000 Montpellier; FRANCE.  Tel (011 33) 467923066; Fax (011 33) 467589820. www.frenchamericancenter.com
• International Educational Services   www.planetaupair.com

Summer employment

Students wishing to work in France during the summer should contact the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), 7 Custom House Street, 3rd Floor, Portland, ME 04101; 1-800-40-STUDY, or 1-207-553-7600 Fax: 1-207-553-7699
Centre Odéon Franco-Américain, 1 place de l’Odéon, 75006 Paris, FRANCE; tel (011 33) 1 46-34-02-90.  There is a fee for this program.

Internships

Internships, lasting from 6 weeks to 6 months, are available in Paris to qualified college graduates.  This program provides an opportunity to build your resume in a non-paying position.  Contact: Internships International, www.internshipsinternational.org

Volunteer Work

Students wishing to volunteer in France for a six week program should contact the Sociéte Française de Bienfaisance Mutuelle/International Volunteer Program, www.afsf.com.   There is a fee for this program.

For career opportunities with U.S. Federal Agencies, consult the Federal Jobs Digest, the leading private source of federal job information.  The Digest is a weekly publication. A subscription costs $49 for three months and may be ordered from Federal Jobs Digest NT. See website http://federaljobs.net for more information.

Other international career planning resources, with valuable bibliographic information, include

• Cooper, Marian. Employment Opportunities Abroad. Baltimore, MD. Agora , 1992.
• International Employment Gazette. 200 N. Mainstr., Suite 100, Greenville SC 29601. 1-800-882-9188 (six issues--three months: $40). Email: intljobs@aol.com
• *DeGalan, Julie and Stephen Lambert. Great Jobs for Foreign Language Majors. Available at www.amazon.com for around $10.  ISBN:  0-8442-4351-5.
• *Kocher, Eric. International Jobs: Where They are, How to Get Them. Available at www.amazon.com.
• *Pineau, Carol and Maureen Kelly. Working in France: The Ultimate Guide to Job Hunting and Career Success à la française. Frank Books, SARL, B.P. 29     94301 Vincennes Cédex FRANCE, 1991. (ISBN 2-908171-08-2).
• Pinto, Carland, Maria and Daniel Spatz, eds. Careers in International Affairs. 1991. School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, ICC 729, Washington, D.C. 20057. (Available at www.amazon.com).
• Transitions Abroad. Subscription Services, Box 3000, Denville NJ  07834. www.transitionsabroad.com  1-year subscription (6 issues) costs $28.
• Work, Study, Travel Abroad: The Whole World Handbook 1994-1995. Council of International Education, St. Martin's Press, 205 E. 42nd St. New York, NY 10017. Also available at www.amazon.com for about $13.95.

*Are available through the French Department.

Websites

Helpful sites on the Web for budget travel include Lonely Planet Online which is a good site for general information; also check Le Coin des Francophones et autres Grenouilles.

Dr. Robert Peckham of the University of Tennessee at Martin hosts the following gateway site: http://www.utm.edu/departments/french/french.html .

Other interesting links for reading or research include the following:
http://www.info-france-usa.org/ (Embassy of France in the United States)
http://www.france.com/