French

Kelly Roehl, Tomson Hall 331
507-786-3230

wp.stolaf.edu/french/

French (Romance Languages)

" ... la langue française n’est pas fixée, et ne se fixera point. Une langue ne se fixe pas. L’esprit humain est toujours en marche, ou, si l’on veut, en mouvement, et les langues avec lui. Les choses sont ainsi." [ "... the French language is not fixed, and never will be. A language does not become fixed. The human spirit is always on the march, or, if you prefer, in movement, and languages with it. Things are made so." ]

Victor Hugo, 1827

More than 220 million people around the world — in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific and Indian Oceans — speak French. It is an official language in 25 countries, and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie estimates that by 2050, over 700 million people (80% of whom will live in Africa) will speak French, and that by 2025, French will be the most common native language in Europe.

French is one of the official languages of governing institutions in diverse domains: diplomacy; international trade and economics; healthcare and science; and sports. For centuries, it has been one of the languages most associated with art, music, film, literature, cuisine, and fashion. The French language’s far-reaching geographical and cultural influence helps to explain why it remains the second-most-taught language in the United States.

Indeed, connections between the United States and the French-speaking world run deep. In the late 18th century, Thomas Jefferson recommended that those studying “Mathematics, Natural philosophy, Natural history, &c.” learn French (Letter to Peter Carr, 19 Aug., 1785). Much more recently, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote of his relationship with the French language and France as both a personal project, and as part of a long history of African Americans relocating to Paris: “It occurred to me … that France was not a thought experiment but an actual place filled with actual people whose traditions were different, whose lives really were different, whose sense of beauty was different” (Between the World and Me, 2015).

A major in French complements any other St. Olaf major and extends students’ liberal arts education and multicultural competence. By studying the French language and Francophone cultures, civilizations, and literatures, students develop and enhance their oral and written language skills, analytical thinking, and familiarity with diverse perspectives sought by employers and graduate schools today.

The French section of the Department of Romance Languages offers a variety of courses, on campus and abroad, for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students, both majors and non-majors. To expand students’ exposure to French beyond the classroom, the French program hosts a weekly French conversation table, culture table, and film series and sponsors an honor house (Maison francophone). St. Olaf benefits annually from the presence of a number of international students from Europe and Africa whose first language is French.

Overview of the French Major

In courses for the major, students refine their oral and written French, gain intercultural competence, and develop analytical skills through the study of Francophone contemporary cultures, civilizations, and literatures.

Level II courses are divided into three sequences:

  • French 231, 232, and 235 are topically organized content-based courses, with lexical and grammatical work grafted onto and integrated into the study and discussion of a wide range of texts. French 231 focuses on intercultural comparison of French and American institutions such as the family, school, and immigration. In French 232, students explore the question of identity in the French-speaking world outside France. French 235, a January term immersion course offered in Morocco, examines Moroccan culture yesterday and today; it may be taken in lieu of French 232.
  • In 250-level courses, students hone their emerging language skills through textual analysis, writing, and discussion.
  • In 270-level courses, students explore the diverse cultures and literatures of the Francophone world while continuing to refine their French language skills.

Level III courses build upon the interpretive skills and knowledge of the Francophone world acquired by students in 270-level courses. Level III courses examine a particular topic or genre as well as critical or theoretical issues associated with it through the analysis of representative literary and non-literary works.

Intended Learning Outcomes of the Major

Distinction

See Academic Honors

Special Programs

French faculty lead January term courses in Paris and Morocco. St. Olaf is affiliated closely with semester and year-long study programs in France and Cameroon. Eligible students should contact the program advisor for current information.

All French majors are urged to study in France or in another Francophone country. 

All course credit from study abroad is subject to department review and approval.

  • Students who participate in an approved semester-long St. Olaf study abroad program in a French-speaking country receive credit for up to two department-approved French courses toward the major.
  • Students who participate in an approved year-long St. Olaf study abroad program in a French-speaking country receive credit for up to four department-approved French courses toward the major.
  • Students who participate in an approved semester- or year-long St. Olaf study abroad program in a non-French-speaking country may receive credit for one course that is not taught in French but that has a significant French or Francophone focus, subject to department review and approval. Such a course would be one of the “two additional relevant courses of the student's choosing” toward the major; see requirements for the graduation major, below and the one course allowed to count from a department outside of French.
  • The total number of courses counted toward the French major from St. Olaf study abroad programs spanning two semesters or more may not exceed four. Course credits from non-St. Olaf study abroad programs must be reviewed and approved by the department for major credit in advance. All course credit from study abroad applied to the French major must meet department standards for course level and content.

St. Olaf's French Education program has been discontinued. Students interested in obtaining a K-12 French teaching license are encouraged to complete an undergraduate major in French and then apply to a graduate program that offers a Master's degree combined with teaching certification in French.

Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC)

French program faculty also participate in the Languages Across the Curriculum Program, collaborating with faculty in other departments to offer students the opportunity to use their language skills in selected courses in other departments.