Learning a language…
- Helps you to expand your view of the world
- Encourages critical reflection on the relation between language and culture
- Develops your intellect – Improves knowledge of the native language
Who speaks French?
- About 110 million native speakers in parts of the world like France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco, Italy, Canada, and Northern and Western Africa
- About 190 million second language speakers across the globe (Francophonie)
- That’s nearly 300,000,000 people who speak French world-wide
- Projection of 500,000,000 by 2025
Where is French spoken?
- The official language of 29 countries world-wide
- It is one of the official languages of
- EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
- UNITED NATIONS
- NATO
- UNESCO
- INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
- INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
- Many other international institutions (OECD, ILB, UIA, UPU)
French in Oregon
- Over 11,000 Oregonians speak French, most in Western Oregon
- One of Oregon’s nearest and largest trading partners is Canada – Canada’s official languages are French and English
France in the US
- The US was the #1 destination for French investments abroad in 2011
- France is the 8th largest provider of goods and services in the US
- France was the 11th largest client of US goods and services
- More than 2,800 French companies are established in the US, providing about 550,000 jobs
French: Language of Science and Culture
- More Nobel Prize winners in Literature than any other country (Marie Curie, Camus, Simon, Modiano)
- Numerous artistic movements began in France (Impressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Existentialism, New Wave, etc.)
- Enormous impact on the world of cooking and cuisine (Escoffier, Bocuse, …)
- Fashion (Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, J-P Gaultier…)
- France has a long history of scientific research and discovery (Descartes, Pascal, La Condamine, Lavoisier, Pasteur, Curie…)
Major/Minor in French
- Many students who major in French plan to – Pursue graduate degrees in a number of fields – Enter the world of Fashion – Work in the field of Art (production, curator) – Go into Publishing – Work in Education
- Many student combine their interests – Double Majoring in French allows you to be even more competitive
What are French & Francophone Studies?
- Major: 10 credits. The new major would consist of a shift to a more inclusive approach to the French-speaking world, a multi-disciplinary methodological approach, and the inclusion of courses taught in English within the major requirements.
- FFS is the study of – Language – History – Culture – Literature
- Not only France, but other French-speaking parts of the world – The Americas – Northern and Western Africa – Asia and the Pacific
Study Abroad
- Many students choose to do a summer or semester-long program abroad
- Dept. sponsored: CUPA (Paris) or CIDEF (Angers)
- Many other programs in francophone countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Senegal, Marocco, and Carribeans.
- Between 10 and 15 students go abroad every year.
- Contact the Office of International Education if you are interested
French @ WU and in Salem
- French Club – Open to all WU students – Food, games, community service
- Language Learning Center
- Alliance Française in Portland
- Informal get-togethers of French-speakers
- Many French restaurants in Oregon
- Oregon vineyards