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This course is intended for minors and majors.

Offered: Spring

Prerequisites: 200-level or placement

Course Description

The aim of this course on “French for Business” is to : (1) familiarize students with the socio-economic realities of the business world and the workings of French companies; (2) provide the linguistic, methodological, and cultural tools necessary to master the various aspects of oral and written business communication; (3) make the students aware of the importance of the intercultural dimension of the business world; (4) prepare students for the Diplôme du Français Professionnel (DFP, B2) offered by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry through the French Department at the end of the semester (fee: $100). 

To maximize the learning experience, you will be asked to imagine your own enterprise, which you will build from the ground up throughout the entire semester. You will learn how to define a product, build an attractive résumé, design a successful campaign, organize a stand at a trade show, hire employees, deal with pesky customers or bad payers, and so on. Past student enterprises included: a translation company, a vegetarian restaurant, a music school, a bicycle shop, a night club, a circus, factories producing chocolate, shoes, or “green” clothes, and NGOs promoting human rights or animal welfare. By the end of the semester, you will be able to handle complex business transactions in person and in writing, and will have acquired roughly 500 new words and efficient methods of reporting information. Through films and articles, you will also learn about the differences between the French and the American workplace.

This course is asynchronous.

Personal contacts by email and/or by phone during office hours and upon arrangement.

Course URL - A Canvas link will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Exams, Assignments, and Grading Policy: Weekly assignments, business project, group discussions, sizes, form entries along with a midterm and a final exam will be part of the final grade.

Course Materials

Quartier d'affaires 2 - Niveau B1 - Livre de l'élève + DVD Rom - ISBN-10: 2090386630
Quartier d'affaires 2 - Niveau B1 - Cahier d'activités - ISBN-10: 2090386649

Films: Brizé, La loi du marché (2015), Cantet, Ressources humaines (1999)

Schedule of Undergraduate Courses