BA French Language and Literature

Pursuing French as an academic field means mastering the language in addition to studying the literature and the social and political culture of France and French-speaking countries. French is spoken all around the globe--in Europe, Africa, Asia, Canada, and the Caribbean--where it has produced rich national literatures and diverse cultures over the span of many centuries. As a recent Association of the Teachers of French publication has stated, "French is the other international language." Command of the language is the first prerequisite to entrance into the discipline which depends upon linguistic, literary, and analytical skills. On a more practical level, French is the language of government, law, management, and business in many regions of the international community, and the study of French as used in these areas is an applied field within the discipline.