French

Attend French language classes at Normandale!

Learn to communicate in the fifth most spoken language in the world (by native and secondary speakers). You will gain a professional advantage because employees who speak French are sought in business, science and diplomacy careers across the globe.

French classes here are small and offer personalized attention with plenty of time to practice speaking, writing and reading French. The program is comprehensive: You can choose among beginning and intermediate-level online French language classes or in person and blended/hybrid classes. They are offered in the fall, spring and summer.

Whether you simply need to meet a French language requirement or want to earn an AA or ultimately a BA in French, Normandale is a great, affordable place to start. When you graduate, you can easily transfer to one of seven Minnesota State schools as a junior majoring in French.

Le monde attend!

Study abroad in Senegal

Normandale's program opens doors to the francophone world through a partnership with an innovative school in Senegal.

Join us for an exciting trip to this West African country in spring 2024. Practice your French language skills as you enjoy getting to know the people and culture of Senegal. The trip is a collaboration with the University of Minnesota-Morris.

Senegal Trip Information

Learn more about Normandale’s academic travel program.

What level of French class is best for you?

Fren 1100: Beginning French I (offered Fall, Spring and Summer I)

Prerequisite: This course is intended for students with no prior French language experience, or who have completed two to three years high school French.

Course Summary: This introductory level course focuses primarily on the present tense of regular and irregular verbs, and the passé composé.

Course materials: Printed course packet and open source online resources.

Topics:

vocabulary: family, daily routine, abilities and desires, city life, house vocabulary, chores, and past activities and experiences.
verb tense(s): all regular and irregular present tense (including reflexive verbs), the futur proche, and the passé composé.

Fren 1200: Beginning French II (offered Spring and Summer II)

Prerequisite: This course is intended for students who have successfully completed Fren 1100 (Beginning French I) or have completed three to four years of high school French within the last two years.

Course Summary: This beginning level course covers the imparfait, the future and conditional tenses and introduces the subjunctive. Combining the imparfait and passé composé to describe past events and situations is an important focus.

Course materials: Printed course packet and open source online resources.

Topics:

vocabulary: childhood, food and restaurants, the environment, education and professions, travel, health and well-being, and technology.
verb tense(s): all regular and irregular passé composé and imperfect, future, conditional, and subjunctive.

Fren 2100: Intermediate French I (offered Fall)

Prerequisite: This course is intended for students who have successfully completed Fren 1200 (Beginning French II) or have completed four to five years of high school French within the last two years.

Course Summary: This intermediate level course covers the present tense of reciprocal and reflexive verbs, contrasts the passé composé with the imparfait, and focuses on the plus-que-parfait. Other important grammar topics covered are negation, the formation of complex questions, and the use of pronouns, including y and en, as well as partitive articles.

Course materials: Printed course packet and open source online resources.

Topics:

vocabulary: relationships and personality, urban problems and leisure activities, the media, social justice and politics, immigration and globalization.
verb tense(s) / mood(s): the present tense of all verb groups, including spelling changes, passé composé vs. the imparfait, the plus-que parfait.

Fren 2200: Intermediate French II (offered Spring)

Prerequisite: This course is intended for students who have successfully completed Fren 2100 (Intermediate French I) or have completed five to six years of high school French within the last two years.

Course Summary: This intermediate level course focuses on the formation and use of the subjunctive, as well as the future, conditional, and more complex compound tenses such as the past conditional and future perfect in si clauses.

Course materials: Printed course packet and open source online resources.

Topics:

vocabulary: generation gaps and family life, science and technology, traveling abroad, the workplace, the environment, and current events.
verb tense(s)/ mood(s): present subjunctive, future, conditional, future perfect, past conditional.