Instructor Qualifications for FREN 1003 & FREN 1004

The qualifications listed below reflect the minimum qualifications a high school instructor must meet before applying to teach the UMN courses FREN 1003: Intermediate French I and FREN 1004: Intermediate French II.

Licensure

CIS instructors must have a valid Minnesota teaching license or an approved alternative.

Experience and proficiencies (all required)

• Three years of teaching experience, including:
  • At least one year of experience teaching advanced levels of French.
  • At least one year teaching high school juniors and/or seniors, using a communicative, proficiency-oriented program.
• Candidates must have native or near-native fluency (speech must be reasonably unaccented, generally grammatically correct, and employing appropriate vocabulary and register). Common assessments of proficiency include faculty observation of the candidate, faculty interview with the candidate or documented performance on a recognized assessment such as the ACTFL test of French proficiency passed at Advanced-Low or higher, ILR scores of two or higher or the Common European Framework of Reference at the B2 level.

Demonstration of advanced, relevant content knowledge (select one)

1. Graduate degree in the field(s) of French Studies (French language, literature, linguistics) or Teaching of French or French Instruction
2. Graduate degree in any field plus 18 graduate credit hours in field(s) of French Studies (French language, literature, linguistics) or Teaching of French or French Instruction
3. Graduate degree in any field plus six equivalent experience options from A through L, below
4. Degree from an international university plus six equivalent experience options from A through L, below
5. Undergraduate degree in French Studies or with significant coursework in French Studies plus seven equivalent experience options from A through L, below

Description of Equivalent Experience Options (only required if #3, #4 or #5 is selected above)

A: Graduate credits in French

Specifically in topics of French language and culture. Credits need not have been taken as part of a graduate degree program.

• Three semester-length credits is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to seven times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and number of credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

B: Professional development workshops

For example, those offered by AATF, MN-AATF, MCTLC, CARLA, Alliance Française, Central States, or similar language, culture, or pedagogy-focused workshops, trainings, conferences, or seminars. Training to teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate French is also considered in this option.

• 30 hours of professional development is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to six times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of each professional development workshop, the sponsoring group or organization, and total hours. Refer to Faculty Guiding Questions #1: Discipline-specific professional development.

C: Published textbook, journal article or essay

May include similar scholarly or creative work in the field of French Studies, Second Language Acquisition, Education, or Pedagogy.

• Each publication is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe the significance of the work, particularly as it applies to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. Include a link to the publication or provide, with your application, an abstract or copy that lists your authorship.

D: Experience requiring regular use of French language

This may include the performance of professional responsibilities such as interpreting, translating, or working in a French-speaking environment. May include paid employment or volunteer work.

• Each instance is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

E: Fellowships or awards for teaching in French Studies

This includes recognition of high school or undergraduate teaching from school, district, state, regional, national, or international organizations.

• Each award is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your awards using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #8: Receiving an award or other recognition.

F: Years of successful and effective teaching experience in a course leading to undergraduate credit

These should be French courses, including dual credit, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or teaching undergraduates on a college or university campus.

• Two years of teaching is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your teaching experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

G: National Board Certification in World Languages

• Include a copy of your certification letter or certificate with your application
• Fulfills three options

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your certification using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #11: National Board Certification.

H: Discipline-specific leadership role in a secondary or postsecondary institution

Qualifying positions include department chair, or board member in a professional organization such as MN-AATF, MCTLC.

• Each year of service is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your leadership experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #4: Discipline-specific leadership role.

I: Presentations at relevant conferences

These may include local, state, regional, or national workshops or conferences such as MCTLC, MN-AATF, Central States, ACTFL or AATF.

• Each presentation on a distinct topic is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe presentations using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #5: Presentations.

J: Serve as a content or pedagogy trainer or coach, or student teacher supervisor

To apply this option, French or related content must be embedded in pedagogy.

• Each year in role is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field or to #7: Student teacher supervisor.

K: Participation in nationally normed assessment activity

This entails work related to French such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test grading

• Each year of participation is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your participation using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #10: Participation in a nationally normed assessment activity related to the field.

L: Organizing foreign study exchange programs

• Each distinct trip is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe your roles and responsibilities, and provide information about the scope, duration, and significance of this experience.