To obtain an indispensible grounding in French language and culture, all students are enrolled in Sarah Lawrence language classes according to their individual requirements and skills.

Advanced French I

(1st and 2nd semesters)

This course offers a systematic review of the grammatical and syntactical bases of the French language as well as elevated phonetic training. In class, the points covered are illustrated through written and oral exercises adapted to the needs of the group, dictations and grammatical analyses of texts selected from the daily press and francophone literature. The discussion of texts and the exercises that follow allow students to better understand academic written French. In conference, we examine each exercise in detail.

This class is comprised of two parts: the class (four hours a week) and the conference (one half hour every 15 days).

Advanced French II

(1st and 2nd semesters)

The goal of this course is to allow students to revise and deepen their grammatical and syntactical knowledge of French and to become more at ease with academic language. We focus, in particular, on the difficulties encountered by English-speakers (use of subjunctive, agreement of tenses, prepositions) through written and oral exercises as well as dictations, grammatical analysis of excerpts selected from the daily press or Francophone literature, and through presentations and debates. We study the practical vocabulary and technique, which are essential in the academic world, and varied exercises such as summarization, compare and contrast, and essay. In conference, we examine each exercise in detail.

This class is comprised of two parts: the class (four hours a week) and the conference (one half hour every 15 days).

Advanced French III

(2nd semester)

This course gives students the opportunity to develop a mastery of the written and oral language used at French universities through an intense study of grammar and various exercises such as summarization, compare and contrast, critical essay and written work. In order to respond to the demands of the French teaching style, we focus our attention on the art of composition and an appreciation of academic discourse. Students regularly complete grammatical exercises, prepare presentations, lead debates and produce written work that we study in detail during conference.

This class is comprised of two parts: the class (four hours a week) and the conference (one half hour every 15 days).

"At first I was intimidated by the idea of talking one-on-one during tutorials. But my professors were extremely understanding, and I found I had a lot to say."
—Participant, Sarah Lawrence College