French

Program Overview

The French minor offers quality instruction that reflects the increasingly interdependent and global nature of culture, knowledge and the world in the 21st century, as well as the growing inter-connectedness of peoples and places in the local, regional, national, and global communities. Through interactive coursework at home and/or abroad, reflective papers, research, travel and presentations, the program enables students:

• To develop an understanding of cultures and history of the Francophone world;
• To understand, read, write, and speak French;
• To gain a thorough knowledge of the corresponding countries, traditions and peoples in these regions.

The inherent multidisciplinary nature of culture and language studies as well as the geographic variety of the Francophone world requires that the faculty work with other programs as well as similar programs in the neighboring universities.

Students pursuing the French minor obtain a strong grounding in global affairs which teaches them how to engage in problem-solving across boundaries and cultures, and how to critically evaluate information from a comparative perspective. This training also involves learning how to become an effective communicator which includes learning how to argue and defend complex views before a variety of global audiences. Well-developed global awareness and communicative competence make students with a French minor very attractive to companies and organizations.

Outcomes

Minors in French will be able to:

• Demonstrate proficiency in the discussion and analysis of cultural, political, historical, and literary issues within the respective language countries.
• Demonstrate the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and comprehension) at an intermediate-high level.

Graduates

Our graduates are equipped to pursue careers in international education, business, law, diplomatic service, and journalism; and to work with international corporations, international service organizations, and non-profit organizations with global agendas and responsibilities.