Why French?
Historically, the French language and culture have held enormous sway over the West. Today, French maintains its influence as an official language for a broad swath of the world's population. Since the fall of the Roman Empire and the gradual disappearance of Latin as a living language, French literature and culture has steered European literatures, cultures, and politics. It is now the native or administrative language not only of the sixty million citizens of continental France, but of over two hundred million more people in Europe, North and South America, Africa and the Pacific. Countries in the Middle East and Asia, such as Lebanon and Vietnam, are still profoundly influenced by their status as former French territories.  In the former colonies, history has tied French and native cultures together in a complex web of influences that remains dynamic to this day.

Studying French at McDaniel
McDaniel’s French program provides courses from the elementary level for students who would like to start learning the language all the way to the advanced level, preparing students for graduate programs, Maryland’s teaching certification in French, and a multitude of jobs in International Studies, translation, Communication, among others.  The faculty teaches language and culture using film, multimedia strategies, and other contemporary sources.

Students may take French to fulfill the McDaniel Plan.  A Minor and a Major in French are available.  Dual Majors in French-Communication, French-Economics, French-Political Science/International Studies, and in French-Sociology are also available.

Our recent majors have studied for a semester at Facultés Universitaires Saint Louis, our affiliated campus in Brussels, Belgium; at the Université de Bourgogne-Dijon in France; at the Université Catholique de Paris, at the Université de Grenoble in France, and at the Université Laval in Québec.

 

For all questions concerning the French program, please contact Dr. Martine Motard-Noar at mmotard@mcdaniel.edu or (410) 857-2467.