French

Develop fluency in French and an appreciation of the Francophone world through the study of literature, film, and other media.

Overview After Principia Faculty

Our curriculum prepares you to excel in the field of French and Francophone Studies, including all aspects of language, literature and culture. Course work emphasizes all language skills—oral fluency and comprehension, writing, and analytical reading of various texts. You’ll also acquire a broad knowledge of French history, civilization, values, and society. Our students are well prepared to live and work in a French-speaking environment and pursue graduate study.

Major and Minor Offered

French—French Language Concentration (BA major, minor)
French—Francophone Studies Concentration (BA major, minor)

We also offer a French Language Certificate, available to majors and non-majors. The certificate recognizes students' proficiency in French based on the standards of the nationally-recognized ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) test. With global business increasingly being conducted in languages other than English, the certificate provides another way for students to prepare for success in multilingual environments.

Why Study French at Principia College?

Our multilingual faculty emphasize all skills pertinent to a learned language but also focus on broad-based intellectual exploration and strong written and verbal communication skills.
We develop cross-cultural understanding skills transferable to any unfamiliar culture.
We prepare students to continue their education at top graduate schools.
Fluency in French is an essential accomplishment. As one of two global languages, French is a critical language for world affairs, spoken in more than 40 countries and by over 200 million people.

Abroads

Principia abroad programs are open to all majors, and students are encouraged to apply for any abroad program that interests them. All abroads involve individual research that students can tailor to their interests. The abroads to France, Vienna, and Prague are of particular interest to our majors and minors.

Note: See the College Catalog for more detailed information about our program and departmental learning outcomes.

Beyond the Books

Our graduates are prepared for a variety of careers:

Teaching
Translating
Interpreting
International business
Government service

Some of our graduates choose to continue their studies at top universities, including the following:

University of Southern California
Indiana University
University of Minnesota

From Our Alumni

“Principia’s small classes are ideal for learning a language. My experience in the French program was beyond my expectations. I developed as a thinker entering the ‘real world’ because of issues addressed in my French literature classes.”

–A 2011 grad currently earning a PhD in French and Francophone Studies at Indiana University

“Since graduation I’ve met people who majored in French at other universities, and I feel that my education at Principia was better because I read more literature, developed a better grasp of the language, and generally had a more immersive experience. Going on the France Abroad laid the groundwork for my ability to feel confident and comfortable working in France after graduation.”

–A 2010 grad hired by a global law firm

“I model the courses I teach and assignments I give my students on the examples provided by Principia faculty in the French program.”

–A 2006 grad currently working as a post-doctoral scholar and teaching fellow at the University of Southern California