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Why study French at Westminster College?

Fluency in French increases your competitiveness in the workforce. Not only is this language spoken on every continent and in many global organizations, but according to Bloomberg Rankings, it represents the second language of business after Mandarin. Knowing French opens up educational, travel and career opportunities throughout the world and it enables you to become fully engaged in the global community. 

The French program at Westminster is designed to enhance your critical and analytical skills, to refine your written and oral communication, and to stimulate your creativity. You will expand your knowledge by exploring various aspects of the French-speaking societies, such as history, systems of beliefs, politics, economic and demographic data, culture and arts.

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Le français, c’est cool!

Students who wish to obtain certification in secondary education must complete the major in French and take all the required classes in the Education Department, including EDU 400 (Methodologies of Teaching a Foreign Language).

Exciting Opportunities

Most French majors choose to major in a second field as well. They report that their competency in French has brought them both personal and professional benefits and that it often has set them apart from other candidates in that crucial interview for their first job after graduation.

Recent French majors are currently working as attorneys, market analysts, accountants, art directors, IT specialists, teachers and international student advisors. French majors have also pursued or are completing graduate degrees in fields such as Public Administration, Foreign Policy, Comparative Literature, Law, International Development, Business, and Computer Science at major universities including Yale, George Washington and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland as well as at regional institutions in Missouri and Arkansas.

“I am really happy with the outcome of my experience in France. It’s indeed a worthwhile investment. I would definitely recommend this program to all Westminster Students. Do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and learn about the world. It might be challenging but very rewarding!”

Jennyfer Larios Martinez Far left in photo

French Minor

 

The French program offers a minor (21 credits) with two different tracks. The first one has an emphasis on cultural production and literature; the second track has an emphasis on French to English translation. The upper-level courses cover a wide variety of topics that, in addition to the expected advanced written and oral communication progress, also refine critical and analytical skills by studying more in depth the cultural production (literature, art and cinema) of regions where the language is spoken; other courses related to specific fields (translation or specialized writing of commercial and formal documents) are theoretical and practical in nature, and have proven very successful for students willing to apply their knowledge in other areas of expertise.

Students can also pursue a certificate with 12 credit hours (all of which are on 200 and/or 300 level), a program designed for those students who want to learn some practical applications of the language while focusing in other programs of study here at Westminster. We currently offer certificates in French Communication, French for Business, French Language, and Translation (French to English).

 

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Check out what Westminster french students and alums are doing and get french department updates.

French News

The Spanish and French programs currently offer a major with two tracks, a minor, and three certificates. The major consists of 30 hours of study and a student can choose to complete his/her degree with an emphasis in culture and literatures or with an emphasis in translation. The Spanish minor consists of 21 hours of study, and while the Spanish and French majors and minors have certain mandatory requirements, our students can choose classes to fit their interests. Finally, the department also offers three 12-credit hour certificates: Spanish/French communication, Spanish/French for Business, and Spanish/French translation. All programs in our department are designed to to refine written and oral communication and enhance the student’s critical and analytical skills.

Our Department offers a variety of Study Abroad opportunities for our students. More specifically, the Spanish department regularly opens a May term Study Abroad course either to Latin America or Spain. These courses are led by Westminster faculty and groups of students have enjoyed stays in Argentina, Guatemala, and Spain. Students enjoy the opportunity of fully immersing in Hispanic culture and its lifestyle while leaning about its history, cultural production, and people. One of the most important outcomes of this experience is developing the students' communicative proficiency in Spanish by taking intensive language courses with native professors and living with families. There is also an important service-learning component and we have built relationships with non-profit organizations that improve the quality of life of communities with scarce resources. Finally, advanced students in the major also have opportunities of studying for a full semester in Spain (University of Oviedo) or France (Université de Bourgogne, Université Catholique de l’Ouest).

There is no doubt that the practical aspect of developing the skill of speaking a foreign language is very relevant today. Globalization and transnational population flows have increased the demand for workers with proficiency in different languages. In addition to the utilitarian view of language, our program is committed to provide our students enriching cultural activities and options that also increase and develop their cultural awareness. People with advanced proficiency in a Foreign Language are in high demand in the current market and can search for a diversity of career paths. Our students have been employed in fields as varied as education, business, marketing, accounting, goverment and provate agencies, ONGs, and healthcare.

The Foreign Languages department is home of the Spanish Club and the French Club, two student organizations that bring cultural diversity to our campus. Among the events organized in the last years are the annual celebration of the "Día de los muertos" or “Day of the Death” (with a lecture on the origins and historical significance of this festivity), salsa dancing lessons, movie nights, cheese tastings and dinner celebrations. The department also is home of chapters for two very important national organizations: Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honor Society (Psi Psi Chapter), and Alpha Mu Gamma, two national collegiate honor societies of the United States to recognize exceptional achievements in the fields of Spanish and Foreign Languages respectively.

The Foreign Language department only require students to complete a capstone project in the translation track. The student focus on an extensive final written project related to the area of his/her interest (all under the professor's supervision and feedback) by applying all the concepts and theory learned in previous courses. The final capstone project and all the translation samples are organized and compiled in an electronic portfolio.