Getting involved in the French department
In addition to being the subject in the classroom, exposure to French language and culture exists in other contexts, as well. The French department makes available opportunities for students to use French and to be exposed to francophone cultural experiences in a variety of contexts.
Special Presentation
Wednesday, February 13
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Meeter Center Lecture Hall
Larry VanderGrift
Developing smart listeners: Teaching students how to listen
This seminar will inform teachers on how they can help their foreign/second language (FL/L2) students become more successful listeners by putting more emphasis on the process of listening rather than just the product (i.e., the correct answer) alone. Participants in this workshop will 1) review comprehension processing and the information sources used by listeners; 2) learn about metacognition and its critical role in helping students become smart listeners; and 3) examine and evaluate some listening tasks that lead students through the process of listening, to develop listener metacognition. In sum, participants will gain an enlarged view of what it means to teach FL/L2 listening comprehension.
Conversation groups
Conversation groups are held on a weekly basis and are arranged in class.
The French connection
The French department’s newsletter for students, the French Connection, appears regularly throughout the school year and is available in the French department office.
To read the latest version online, click here.
The annual French Christmas party
Every year the French department organizes a Christmas party. Please join us for bûche de Noël and singing.
For fall semester 2012, the Christmas party will be held on
Tuesday, December 4 from 4 - 5 p.m. in the Chapel Undercroft.
French television
Calvin College subscribes to TV5, the international French-language television network. This channel is available on all televisions hooked up to the campus cable system on Channel 15. For program scheduling, see the TV5 website.
French chapel
French chapel will meet on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. during the fall 2012 semester in the Meeter Center Lecture Hall. Students are encouraged to help out or to organize the chapels themselves.
| Date | Leader |
| September 12 | Professor Selles |
| September 26 | Professor Vos-Camy |
| October 10 | Professor De Vries |
| October 31 | Claude-Marie Vos |
| November 14 | Professor Haveman |
| November 28 | Claude-Marie Vos |
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Pause Café
Pause Café will be held during the fall 2012 semester from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. in "The Fish House" (lower level of Johnny's). Students take a break for French conversation with a French professor and fellow students.
vdv=Prof. DeVries; jvc=Prof. Vos-Camy; os=Prof. Selles; ah=Prof. Haveman
| Monday | Sept. 10 | ah | Thursday | Oct. 25 | jvc |
| Tuesdsay | Sept. 18 | vdv | Monday | Oct. 29 | os |
| Wednesday | Sept. 26 | os | Tuesday | Nov. 6 | vdv |
| Thursday | Oct. 4 | ah | Wednesday | Nov. 14 | jvc |
| Monday | Oct. 8 | vdv | Thursday | Nov. 29 | ah |
| Tuesday | Oct. 16 | jvc | Monday | Dec. 3 | os |
Senior Breakfast
Senior Breakfast will be held in May 2013 at Chérie Inn (date to be announced). The "Outstanding Senior Award" is given out during the breakfast.
Honor's Theses Presentation
Students who graduate from the French Department with Honors will have an opportunity to present their Honors work in May 2013.
Film Festival
In the fall of 2012, we held our 8th annual French Film Festival. The theme this year was Father Figures. Click here to see the films we showed.
