French - Major

Students in the French Major Program will learn about literary and cultural movements, making connections between literary artifacts and their political, cultural, social, and economic contexts. They will make linkages between the major and other academic disciplines. Majors will have the opportunity to enroll in French courses tailored to their future professions, to do French-based internships, and take community engaged learning classes working with French-speaking community partner institutions. This comprehensive approach prepares students to excel in diverse professional environments where their language and intercultural competencies are highly valued.

Study Abroad, Language Houses, and Language Lab

Students may study abroad in France - for a summer, semester, or full academic year.

French majors are strongly encouraged to study abroad for at least one semester; one year is possible, in partnership with Rennes 2 University in Rennes, France. This program is open to both French majors and non-majors, providing a diverse range of course offerings during the Fall and Spring semesters. Students enroll in classes at Rennes 2’s CIREFE language institute and they can also take advanced courses in English through the Rennes English and History Departments. These courses fulfill core curriculum requirements or serve as electives for a second major or minor in disciplines such as Business, Communications, English, Fine Arts, History, International Studies, Political Science, and Psychology. Students are fully immersed in French life during their stay, living with host families to deepen their cultural integration. The program also organizes cultural activities, field trips, and regular social events with French university students to enhance the study-abroad experience, including one field trip to Paris. 

On Campus, a  key part of the program is La Maison Française, a vibrant center dedicated to French studies and a student residence.  At La Maison Française, French Majors have the unique opportunity to live and learn alongside students from Rennes, France. This living-learning experience allows students to build meaningful connections with their French peers.

French majors living on campus are encouraged to spend at least two semesters living  in the Maison Française. Ideally, one of these should be the year following their study abroad trip in France, to allow them to maintain fluency in the language skills acquired abroad.

Through the Emerson Language Laboratory, students are trained to use new learning and technology media at all language levels to allow them to communicate effectively in a variety of personal and professional contexts. 

Student Learning outcomes:

1. Students will be able to understand and foster intercultural competence across languages and cultures, including religious, class, ethnic, and gender diversity in the geographical areas of their study. (Intermediate, and Advanced, accomplished especially in the senior seminar)
2. Students will be able to communicate increasingly and effectively in the target language through speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. (Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels)
3. Students will be able to analyze, interpret, and discuss different narrative genres in the target language -texts, movies, music, paintings, political cartoons, graphic novels, food origins, and other cultural practices/artifacts. (Intermediate, and Advanced levels)
4. Students will be able to develop a position (a thesis statement) when confronted with specific cultural practices/artifacts produced in the societies that they study and argue to defend their position, providing evidence to support their views -in writing and orally, in the target language. (Intermediate, and Advanced levels)
5. Students will be able to function successfully in today’s world using vocabulary in the target language pertinent to the needs of their future careers -a language and culture proficiency that will allow them to adapt to the mobility of the job market. (Advanced levels)