Majors in French take 11 to 15 courses beyond the introductory level, including three courses in Independent Study (I.S.). In addition to junior and senior I.S., all majors are required to take Advanced French, Introduction to Francophone Texts, Studies in Francophone Culture, and Phonetics to assure the coherence of the major and provide students with the ability to read, research, and use language at an advanced level.

Student Learning Goals (Major)

1. Language proficiency: Students will demonstrate proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension.
2. Content knowledge: Students will demonstrate historical, linguistic, and literary knowledge of France and the Francophone world.
3. Cultural awareness: Students will deomonstrate knowledge of the social and cultural traditions of France and the Francophone world.
4. Critical thinking: Students will demonstrate the ability to develop, organize, and articulate a critical analysis within areas of content and cultural knowledge.

As an initial step toward the establishment of a Major Portfolio to assist with departmental assessment, in the semester in which the major is declared, students will write a one-page statement in French stating why they have chosen to major in French; whether they have a particular interest within the field of French Studies; and how they think knowledge of French language and culture might be useful in the future.

Students interested in language should include Applied Linguistics and Translation and Stylistics in their major. Students who prefer the civilization and literature focus should take courses from the historical studies sequence--the Middle Ages and Renaissance and the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries--that focus on the relationship of literature to its cultural context and of the past to contemporary concerns. Those interested in graduate study in French should include courses in several periods.

The department also provides a range of electives which offer each student the opportunity to pursue individual interests within the program of the major. Recent courses of particular interest include Studies in the Eighteenth Century: Reading, Writing, and Viewing Revolution; Twentieth Century Fiction and Film; and Standard and Variation in French Dialects.

A major in French should be complemented by courses concerning France, Western Europe, Canada, or West Africa in other departments. The department also supports students who wish to double major or to combine a minor in French with a major in another related area. In recent years, students have combined a French major or minor with majors in Comparative Literature, Cultural Area Studies, English, Economics, International Relations, Political Science, and Spanish.

For those who are interested in French as preparation for careers in international business, Wooster offers an integrated program of study that incorporates French and Business Economics. Contact the chair of the French Department for more information.

Students who wish to prepare for careers teaching French at the secondary level may obtain licensure to teach in Ohio through the College's Education program.

The following courses are offered in the department.

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