French Education Concentration
Foreign Languages majors in the French Education Concentration are eligible to apply for licensure to teach French in Maryland upon graduation. In addition to the Core Curriculum requirements and the requirements specified by the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education, students must complete 30 units. Students must contact the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education about admission to the Teacher Education Program.
Students who decide not to complete all education requirements must select and complete a different concentration/track in the major in order to graduate.
Majors who are in the Teacher Education Program are required to take Advanced Grammar and Method of Teaching a Foreign Language before internship. Students are also required to complete the Oral Proficiency Interview and the Writing Proficiency Test. They are required to achieve a level of “Advanced Low" in the Oral Proficiency Interview.
Admission Requirements for Teacher Education
The Teacher Education Executive Board, representing all initial teacher education programs at Towson University, utilizes the following minimum requirements as conditions for admission into teacher education programs, maintaining candidate status, and entry into the capstone internship. Programs may include additional requirements for admission into the program and/or the capstone internship.
Educator Preparation Programs (EPP) admit students either as freshmen or as undergraduate transfer students from accredited, post-secondary institutions. During the freshman and sophomore years, students are generally engaged in pre-professional courses or courses that fulfill Core Curriculum requirements, as well as all identified prerequisites (e.g., specific and sequential courses in Core Curriculum) for admission to EPP initial licensure programs.
All EPP undergraduate programs are screened majors. As an integral part of the teaching/learning experience, students work with advisers in a strategic planning process across all years at TU. Accordingly, to support student success, all EPP students are required to confer with their assigned advisers prior to registration each term.
I. PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO ALL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
- Complete a self-disclosure criminal background form to be submitted to the major department with the application.
- Submit an application for formal admission to the program. Students seeking admission to teacher education programs must contact their department chairperson or program coordinator by 45 units for program-specific procedures and requirements for admission to professional education programs.
-
Meet the Basic Skills Assessment Requirement as defined by the Maryland State Department of Education to be eligible for admission. A student who is admitted to Towson University and in Good Standing but does not meet the Basic Skills Assessment requirement at the time of application to the program can be granted "Conditional Admission" and given one semester as a conditional candidate to satisfy the Basic Skills Assessment requirement. If the conditional candidate does not meet the requirement by the end of the conditional semester, there are two options: 1) the program may recommend the conditional candidate for exemption and if granted, the conditional candidate would be fully admitted to the program or 2) the conditional candidate will not be fully admitted to the program.
II. REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTAINING CANDIDATE STATUS
- Meet the grade, course, and/or assessment requirement(s) identified by the candidate's specific program.
- At the department’s discretion, a candidate who does not meet the program requirement(s) may continue for one additional semester under probationary status but must satisfy the requirement by the end of the probationary period. If the requirement is not met at the end of the probationary period, the candidate will be dismissed from the program.
- Exhibit behavior that is consistent with the University’s Code of Student Conduct, the Educator Preparation Program’s Professional Behavior Policy, and established professional practice in educational and clinical settings. (see EPP Behavior Policy)
III. PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY INTO CAPSTONE INTERNSHIP FOR ALL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
- Complete a criminal background check as required by the school system in which the internship is located.
- Complete all required coursework.
The Standards were revised and approved in February 1996, May 1998, February 2000, May 2007, May 2008, April 2009, December 2011, November 2012, February 2014, October 2014, February 2015, November 2015, May 2019, February 2020, March 2021, and November 2024.
Curricular requirements may be revised due to changes in state licensure requirements, and therefore, students should work with their adviser to ensure they are following the correct program plan.
The French Education concentration is a PreK-12 teacher education program. Students complete 30 units of French courses and 56 units of education courses for a total of 86 units. Of the 30 units in French courses, at least 15 units must be taken at Towson University.
Minimum requirements for admission into teacher education programs, maintaining candidate status and formal entry into the capstone internship are outlined on the Standards for Teacher Education page in the Undergraduate Catalog.
French Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Language Required Courses | ||
| FREN 301 | ADVANCED CONVERSATION 1 | 3 |
| FREN 302 | ADVANCED COMPOSITION 1 | 3 |
| Grammar, Literature and Civilization Required Courses | ||
| FREN 329 | CONTEMPORARY FRENCH LITERATURE AND CIVILIZATION: 1945 TO PRESENT | 3 |
| or FREN 330 | FRANCOPHONE LITERATURE AND CIVILIZATION | |
| FREN 391 | ADVANCED FRENCH GRAMMAR | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 18 units of French electives, including 6 units at the 400 level. | 18 | |
| Suggested elective courses at the 300-level include: | ||
| FREN 310, FREN 325, FREN 326, FREN 328, FREN 329, FREN 330, FREN 331, FREN 370, FREN 391 | ||
| Suggested elective courses at the 400-level include: | ||
| FREN 402, FREN 407, FREN 420, FREN 422, FREN 424, FREN 470, FREN 494 | ||
| Total Units | 30 | |
Education Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 202 | HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES: AMERICA'S URBAN SCHOOLS | 3 |
| EDUC 203 | TEACHING AND LEARNING IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY | 3 |
| HIST 145 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE CIVIL WAR | 3 |
| or HIST 146 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE CIVIL WAR | |
| ISTC 301 | INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| SCED 304 | EDUCATION, ETHICS AND CHANGE | 3 |
| SCED 305 | ADOLESCENT LEARNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND DIVERSITY | 3 |
| SCED 341 | PRINCIPLES OF SECONDARY EDUCATION 2 | 4 |
| SCED 353 | TEACHING MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE | 3 |
| SCED 384 | INTERNSHIP IN FRENCH EDUCATION | 12 |
| SCED 401 | ANALYZING THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE | 3 |
| SCED 460 | USING LITERACY IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS 2 | 3 |
| SCED 461 | TEACHING LITERACY IN THE SECONDARY CONTENT AREAS 3 | 3 |
| SCED 499 | INTERNSHIP IN EDUCATION 3 | 6 |
| SPED 301 | INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION | 3 |
| Total Units | 55 | |
- 1
Native and Heritage speakers of French may earn up to 6 units for FREN 301 and/or FREN 302 by taking the Departmental Challenge Exam.
- 2
SCED 341 is taken concurrently with SCED 460 and shares a field experience.
- 3
SCED 499 is taken at a professional development school during the term preceding the full-time internship. It is taken concurrently with SCED 461.
The Professional Year
As part of their year-long professional internship, all teacher candidates begin these activities in Professional Development Schools (PDS). These are schools in which the Department of Secondary & Middle School Education has partnerships in which the PDS and the Department collaborate, including serving as in-school sites for courses and activities taking place during the full-time internship year.
- All pre-service students in Teacher Education programs at Towson University whose program of study requires an internship experience in a public school setting (pre-K through 12) must undergo a background check as required by the assigned internship school district before entering this experience.
Sample Four-Year Plan
The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| FREN 201 (Core 5)1 | 3 | EDUC 202 (Core 10) | 3 |
| HIST 145 or 146 (Core 11) | 3 | FREN 202 (Core 12)1 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (Suggested for Core 6) | 3 | Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | Core 4 | 3 |
| Core 3 | 3 | Core 7 | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| EDUC 203 (Core 13) | 3 | FREN 302 | 3 |
| FREN 301 | 3 | FREN 3xx Upper-Level Elective2 | 3 |
| Core 8 | 4 | ISTC 301 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | SCED 304 (Core 14) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | SPED 301 | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| FREN 329 or 330 | 3 | FREN 3xx Upper-Level Elective | 3 |
| FREN 391 | 3 | FREN 3xx Upper-Level Elective | 3 |
| LING 320 (Suggested for Core 9) | 3 | FREN 4xx Upper-Level Elective | 3 |
| SCED 305 | 3 | SCED 341 | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | SCED 460 | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| FREN 3xx Upper-Level Elective | 3 | SCED 384 | 12 |
| FREN 4xx Upper-Level Elective | 3 | SCED 401 | 3 |
| SCED 353 | 3 | ||
| SCED 461 | 3 | ||
| SCED 499 | 6 | ||
| 18 | 15 | ||
| Total Units 126 | |||
- 1
During their first academic year, students may take French Intermediate courses (FREN 201-FREN 202) if needed, or they may start with FREN 301 after consultation with a faculty adviser from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
- 2
Students are required to take three courses in literature and civilization at the 300 level. All students must take either FREN 329 or FREN 330.
ACTFL Standards
- Standard 1: Language proficiency: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational
- Standard 2: Cultures, Linguistics, Literatures, and Concepts from Other Disciplines
- Standard 3: Language Acquisition Theories and Knowledge of Students and Their Needs
- Standard 4: Integration of Standards in Planning, Classroom Practice, and Use of Instructional Resources
- Standard 5: Assessment of Languages and Cultures – Impact on Student Learning
- Standard 6: Professional Development, Advocacy, and Ethics