DESCRIPTION: This course is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of French. Students will be introduced to French vocabulary and grammar necessary for reading and translating the Bible, theological journal articles and books in academic research. Students will also be introduced to available resources and tools for reading and translating French texts.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Reading knowledge of French is a necessary skill for a ministry of scholarship in service to the church. Reading competence of French gives a scholar a broader range of facility with important theological works from the church's history, current journals and books in theology and biblical studies, liturgical resources, and archaeological publications related to the study of the Bible.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who pass this course will demonstrate that they are able to

• begin translating academic articles and books that are available only in French and are necessary for their research;

• make informed choices about tools for translating, such as grammars, dictionaries, and websites;

• distinguish similarities and dissimilarities between English and French grammar;

• improve upon their French pronunciation skills.

La Bible en français au courant. Alliance Biblique Universelle, 1988. Free online: lire.la-bible.net

Palmeri, Joseph, and E. E. Milligan. French for Reading Knowledge. 2d. ed. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1969. Reprint by Higby Family Trust, 1997. ISBN: 0-9661843-6-x. Pub.price: $47.

A French Dictionary such as:

Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary: French-English English-French. Edited by M. H. Correard and V. Grundy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN: 13-978-0-19-861422-7. Pub.price: $55.

Collins-Robert French-English English-French Dictionary. 2d. ed. London: Collins Publishers, 1987. ISBN: 13 978-0-00-722108-0. Pub.price: $55.

Kendris, Christopher. 501 French Verbs Fully Conjugated in All the Tenses. 5th ed. Huappaug, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 2003. ISBN: 0-7641-2429-3. Pub.price: $16.99.

Ritch, K. Janet. Reading French: A Guide for Students of Religion and Theology. Toronto: Clements Publishing, 2006. ISBN-10: 1-894667-27-1. Pub.price: $34.95.

1. Attendance and participation in all class meetings is required (10% of grade).

2. Weekly quizzes on vocabulary, grammar, and translation (30% of grade).

3. Translation of two pages of a theological journal article or book in French (by Week Eight) (35% of grade).

4. Final exam (25% of grade).