Academic Focus
The French Language Immersion program at the Catholic University of Paris is designed for students of all language levels who are interested in acquiring and improving their French language skills within a broad liberal arts curriculum. You will choose your schedule from a combination of language courses and electives, all of which are taught in French. The Catholic University of Paris is dedicated to teaching French to non-native speakers and offers students flexibility in designing their schedule. The Catholic University of Paris also offers you small class sizes which make the educational experience more personal and engaging. As you earn credits in a variety of liberal art fields, you will certainly perfect your French language skills.
All students, no matter what their language level, will take a language course. Language courses focus on oral expression, vocabulary development, phonetics and listening comprehension. The Catholic University of Paris offers language courses for a variety of different credits. Depending on your level, you can enroll in a language course worth 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15 credits. The number of credits you enroll in for your language course will determine how many elective courses you can take. Beginner students tend to enroll in language courses worth 9 to 12 credits and more advanced students typically enroll in language courses worth 3 or 6 credits. Once a language course is selected, electives can be chosen. Electives are designed to help you further your fluency in French, while exploring French culture and history. Popular subject areas in the past have included Literature, Art History and Civilization.
The maximum number of credits a student can take is 15. Depending on your level, the language component meets for 3 to 15 hours per week, for a total of 45 to 225 hours during the semester. The language course is generally worth from 3 to 15 credits in the US semester system. Each elective course meets for 45 contact hours and is generally worth 3 credits in the US semester system. However, it is up to the discretion of your academic advisor how much credit will be awarded. Students interested in earning more than 15 credits during the semester can do so for an additional fee.
Schedule Summary
The schedule for French language courses varies based on the number of contact hours for which a student enrolls. For example, 9 credit French classes meet 3 days a week for 3 hour sessions, and 6 credit French classes meet 2 days a week for 3 hour sessions.
Electives meet once a week for 3 hours. Classes may be held in the afternoon or morning and will not be final until students arrive onsite.
Course Registration
Before you leave for Paris, you are required to take a placement exam which will determine your level of French. All students must identify a proctor who monitor their exam and then send it back to CEA for grading. After this exam, registration will take place. Upon arrival in Paris and during orientation, students will take a short oral placement exam with the faculty. The purpose of this test is to verify the students' levels in case the written exam is not conclusive. Any anomalies in the placement will be detected at this time, and changes can be made to the initial placements. Only Catho faculty can make the decision to alter students' French level based on the oral component of the exam.
Approximately one month prior to the start of the session, the Catholic University of Paris will provide a list of available courses based on the results of your exam. You will then select courses, including alternates. Based on your selections and course availability, course registration will be finalized before you arrive onsite. To aid in the registration process, it is in your best interest to have courses, including alternates, approved by your academic advisor prior to departure.
