WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE STUDIES?

From Bora Bora to Burundi and from Switzerland to the Seychelles, French is spoken all over the world. In fact, French and English are the only two languages spoken on every continent. French majors at the College of Charleston develop high levels of competency in a program recognized as one of the best in the country. Their French language skills give them a decisive edge in competing for jobs in a variety of interesting careers and for places in graduate programs.

So, what can’t you do with a major in French?

• Proficiency in French broadens your knowledge of the world.
• Proficiency in French also enhances your credentials in virtually any career field.
• From business and finance to tourism and recreation, those who speak and understand French have a competitive advantage in every area.

In a recent listing of 224 international jobs distributed by the U.S. State Department, 111 jobs either required or preferred French language proficiency. (In comparison, Spanish was next in demand, required or preferred for 44 positions.)

Some of the areas in which French majors or double majors find rewarding career opportunities include:

• education
• business
• government
• journalism
• banking
• marketing
• retail
• sales
• social services
• foreign service
• tourism
• shipping and forwarding
• communication
• recreation
• interpreting
• translation
• airlines
• international relations
• international trade and commerce
  

Active Learning Opportunities

Study abroad opportunities include the following semester, summer and bi-lateral exchange programs:

• French Program in La Rochelle. Through this semester-long experience, students can earn up to 15 credit hours at the Université de La Rochelle, while immersing themselves in French language and culture by living with host families and visiting parts of Europe.
• Summer Program in Tours. This Maymester experience combines study of French language and culture at François Rabelais University in Tours with excursions to nearby sites of interest, including a trip to Paris.
• Summer Program in Toulouse. This experience exposes students to the rich and varied life and culture of parts of Southern France.
• Summer Program in Morocco. Offered in collaboration with the political science department, this program combines traditional classroom work with the learning experience of living in Morocco.
• The Abbey. At this learning community in Pontlevoy, France, students can study elementary and intermediate French.
• University of Robert Shuman of Strasbourg. A program designed especially for French majors in the international business track. Students take classes at Strasbourg’s Robert Schuman University, a prestigious grande école.
• Annot. Students can take elementary level French at this campus village in Southern France.

Internships. Internships can be coordinated to coincide with studyabroad programs or can be arranged independently. Recently, students have interned in Toulouse and Dijon, and in Brussels with the European Parliament.

French Club. Membership in this active organization is open to all students with an interest in the French language and Francophone cultures.

Language and International Business Club. Founded and advised by a member of the French faculty, this group organizes guest lectures and excursions to sites of international business interest, sponsors social and fund-raising events, and occasionally co-sponsors other activities with the Marketing Club and the International Club.

La Maison Française. This beautiful historic residence (currently for women only) offers a French language living/learning environment for up to nine students who share an interest in French and Francophone language and culture.

Pi Delta Phi. Membership in this national French honor society is offered to those who meet academic criteria.

Other Special Opportunities

Soirée Cinéma. The Alliance Française de Charleston and the department of French and Francophone Studies co-sponsor free French films the first Friday of every month.

French Film Festival. This popular annual event offers a week-long series of French language films at the College’s Sottile Theatre. All films are free of charge to College students and faculty.

Table ronde. A weekly get-together in a downtown cafe of students seeking additional opportunities to practice their French. Assistants from the university of Versailles (France) and students who have studied abroad are normally on hand to animate these gatherings.

Learning Resources

Tutors. Free tutoring is available from student tutors employed by the department.

Language Resource Center. The center contains the main language lab/computer lab with a Sony 9000LC console, 26 student carrels, 11 Mac and three Dell computers. There is equipment students need in order to practice language skills in pairs or groups, while recording their work. The center also maintains a vast collection of foreignlanguage films and computer programs.

Center for Student Learning. The Center’s many services include walkin foreign language labs and individual language tutoring.

“My French classes have never ceased to interest me – whether it was a 19th-century literature course or a business class taught in French. The department also encourages all its students to participate in a study-abroad program, so after my freshman year, I chose to go to Morocco. It was a most amazing trip – the professor was very knowledgeable, and it was fun discovering a new culture while living there for a month. I have always been passionate about the French language, so choosing it as one of my majors is a decision that I could never regret!”

Sarah Exell '07