Foreign Languages, French Concentration, M.A.T.

Jun Da, Program Director
(615) 898-2279
Jun.Da@mtsu.edu

World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers the Master of Arts in Teaching with concentrations in French, German, or Spanish. Also offered is a minor at the graduate level. Students who would like to minor in world languages should determine the requirements based on their major curriculum in consultation with their advisors.

This degree is intended to prepare native and non-native speakers of the world language for a career in world language teaching at the elementary or secondary level. Students planning to teach in elementary school must be licensed prior to admission to the M.A.T. program. Those planning to teach on the secondary level may be already licensed or may pursue licensure while enrolled in the M.A.T. program; however, requirements for admission to teacher education must be met. Students select a concentration from French, German, or Spanish.

Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Master of Arts in Teaching in Foreign Languages program with a French concentration, applicant must have earned at least 24 semester hours of French. Students may complete up to 6 hours of these as undergraduate hours while concurrently enrolled in the graduate program. Native speakers must consult with the graduate director regarding this requirement.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. A combined score of 291 (current scale) or 900 (former scale) on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination is considered indicative of potential for an acceptable level of academic performance.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
submit two letters of reference;
submit official transcripts of all previous college work.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in Teaching in Foreign Languages with a concentration in French requires completion of a minimum of 33 semester hours.

Candidate must

complete a minimum of 33 semester hours including 24 hours in world language courses as listed below; no more than 30 percent of the total degree hours dual-listed as undergraduate/graduate hours can be counted toward the degree;
complete a professional education component approved by the chair of the Educational Leadership Department;
achieve an oral proficiency level in the target language (French) of at least “Advanced” and a written proficiency level of “Advanced High” on the ACTFL scale; students should consult the world languages graduate director for additional information on this requirement;
demonstrate a basic reading knowledge in a language other than French; this requirement may be met by passing a world language reading examination or by earning a final grade of A or B (83%) in GERM 5990 or SPAN 5920 ;
successfully complete a written comprehensive examination that covers language teaching methods and the language, literature, and culture of the French language (may be taken no more than twice).

Curriculum: Foreign Languages, French

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements. In addition, a maximum of 6 hours of community college credit and a maximum of 3 hours of third language proficiency may be required to fulfill degree requirements.

Required Courses (9 hours)

FL 5500 - Introduction to Teaching Foreign Language 3 credit hours
FL 6990 - Internship 3 to 6 credit hours (3 credit hours required)
FREN 6000 - Seminar in French Studies 3 credit hours

Educational Leadership Courses (9 hours)

To be selected in consultation with advisor.

Electives (9 hours)

Electives must be at 5000 or 6000 level in the concentration, or in consultation with advisor.

Select six (6) hours from the following:

FL 6010 - Foreign Language Acquisition: Theory and Practice 3 credit hours
FL 6700 - Introduction to Linguistics 3 credit hours
FL 6800 - Instructional Technology in Foreign Language Education 3 credit hours
FL 6900 - Issues in Foreign Language Acquisition 1 to 3 credit hours

Community College/Third Language Proficiency

Community College 0-6 credit hours
Third language proficiency 0-3 credit hours

Program Notes

Candidates for the M.A.T. with a major in Foreign Languages and a concentration in either French, German, or Spanish may choose whether or not to seek licensure to teach. The curriculum selected is based on the individual’s preference and need:

for those already licensed to teach in the state of Tennessee;
for those who seek licensure in conjunction with the M.A.T. degree;
for those who wish to pursue the degree without teacher licensure in Tennessee.

The foreign language requirement under each option is the same; candidates should consult an advisor in the Educational Leadership Department regarding the courses pertinent to their degree and career goals.

Candidate must

file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which candidate intends to graduate.