GSAS, Steinhardt Offer New Master’s Degree in Teaching French

By Timothy Farrell

    The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development has collaborated with the Graduate School of Arts and Science to offer a master’s program in teaching French as a foreign language. It is the first master’s degree program administered by two separate NYU schools. The unique, trans-Atlantic 47-point Master of Arts program combines two semesters in Paris and two semesters at Washington Square. The program leads to initial certification as a teacher of French for grades 7 -12 and is jointly offered by Steinhardt’s Foreign Language Education Program and NYU in Paris, Department of French, GSAS.

      A highlight of the program is the integration of content and pedagogy, says Frank Tang, director of multilingual multicultural education in Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching and Learning.

      “The one-year total immersion in Paris provides students with an authentic and favorable environment for studying the French language and culture,” says Tang. “The second year of studying back in New York and doing student teaching allows students to advance their knowledge and skills and to put them in practice.”

      While in Paris, students work closely with French pedagogues in the field of foreign language acquisition, drawing on the expertise of the Department of Teaching French as a Foreign Language of the University of Paris III-Sorbonne Nouvelle, as well as the Institute of General and Applied Linguistics and Phonetics through NYU in Paris. During the two semesters in Paris, students observe French language classes at various levels and interact closely with students and teachers.

   Coursework during the program’s second year, taken at Steinhardt, covers general pedagogical issues as well as knowledge critical to foreign language teaching and learning, including adolescent development, teaching students with special needs, and intercultural perspectives. Degree candidates complete their required two semesters of student teaching at NYC public schools and have the option of taking an additional course to extend their certification to include teaching French at the K-6 level.

      “This new degree program is not only a great example of cross-school collaboration, but also speaks to the strengths of NYU as a whole,” says Steinhardt School Dean Mary Brabeck. “Through French immersion via NYU in Paris, and studying the theory and practice of foreign language pedagogy at NYU Steinhardt and the NYC public school system, students will have a rigorous, multidisciplinary experience that will serve them well in their chosen profession.”

      “GSAS is delighted to do what it can to strengthen the teaching of languages and the faculties of high schools,” says GSAS Dean Catharine R. Stimpson. “The work of high school teachers is crucial if graduate schools are to enroll the most promising scholars, researchers, and teachers of the future.”

 

Frank Tang, director of multilingual multicultural education in Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching and Learning.