French
French
Recent students have taken positions teaching in France or working in finance, business, accounting and other fields; others have gone on to competitive graduate programs in French language and history.
Completing the World Language FDR
One of the Foundation and Distribution Requirements at W&L is proficiency in a world language. The Romance Languages Department offers coursework towards language proficiency in French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
Opportunities
Romance Languages is affiliated with study abroad programs in most of Spanish America, Portugal and Brazil, Italy, Spain, France and Francophone Africa. An extended study abroad experience sets students on the road to linguistic and cultural fluency and is strongly encouraged by our faculty. Students in French have many opportunities to study abroad. Recent students have studied in Toulouse, Paris, Dakar and Montpellier.
Back in Lexington, language tables such as Table française meet twice a week and are a great way for students to practice languages with W&L’s native teaching assistants and faculty. Students in French are also involved in the Francophone Student Organization, whose aim is to educate the W&L community about French-speaking communities all over the world.
Other opportunities include annual dramatic performances in French and Spanish, Romance Languages Poetry Night and the National Symposium on Theater in Academe.
Students are encouraged to participate in our honors program, which allows engagement in original research with a faculty member on a topic of interest. Completed projects are invaluable assets for graduate or professional school.
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Read MoreSample Courses
French (Elementary-Adv. Intermediate)
French courses at W&L begin with an emphasis on listening comprehension and speaking, with gradual introduction of reading and writing. Intermediate French comprises extensive grammar review with acquisition of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in the classroom, while Advanced French covers reading and composition skills, with extensive practice in speaking and listening. Students are also acquainted with French life and culture.
Conversation & Composition
Further development of conversational skills and beginning work in free composition, with systematic grammar review and word study in various relevant cultural contexts.
French Civilization & Culture
A study of significant aspects of culture and civilization in francophone countries. Topics may include: contemporary Africa, pre-colonial Africa, West Indian history and culture, and Canadian contemporary issues. Readings, discussion and papers in French further promote the development of communication skills.
Theater, Poetry & Rock 'n' Roll
An exploration of the connections and synergies between various works of modern and avant-garde French theater, poetry and popular music in the 20th and 21st centuries, from surrealism to the absurd to the postmodern. We journey through the magical worlds of Paul Eluard to Fernando Arrabal's theater of cruelty to French hip hop and the dramas of Eric Emmanuel Schmidt.
Contemporary France Through Film
Taught in Toulouse, this course introduces students to the most important issues in modern French society, including immigration, university life, social justice, art, culture and gastronomy. An integral part of the course is connecting the issues examined through film with the urban and social fabric of Toulouse. During their stay in Toulouse, students are also enrolled in an intensive grammar-review course taught by a French professor, accommodating a variety of linguistic levels. Students live with host families and go on two different excursions, to Albi and Carcassonne.
France Under Nazi Occupation
A close examination of life in France under Nazi occupation (1940-44), through documents, texts, songs and films, and of its effect on memory, institutions, political life and French arts. Students study documents and analyses, alone and in groups; reflect on the ethical and strategic choices facing the authorities and individual citizens; and confront their interpretations in class discussions.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
