Undergraduate Contacts
Chair
Emmanuel Nikiema
416-926-2303
Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies
416-926-2312
Undergraduate Counsellor & Administrative Assisstant
416-926-2333
General information
416-926-2302
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Overview of French Programs
The Department of French, St. George campus, offers a Specialist and a Major program of study in French Language and French Linguistics; a Specialist and a Major program of study in French Language and French Literature; a Major program in French Language Learning, formerly known as Second Language Learning; and three Minor programs of study each in French Language, French Studies, and Practical French.
Specialist and a Major program of study in French Language and French Linguistics
Linguistics-focused courses (FRE) help students achieve a solid understanding of skills for the analysis of French word formation, sound patterns, and sentence structure and a familiarity with the most defining periods in the history of the French language as well as an understanding of and ability to formalize the patterns of linguistic variation observed in both Canadian and European French varieties. The 200-level mandatory courses initiate students into the analysis of contemporary French and its historical development. The 300-level courses break the discipline of linguistic analysis into its chief component parts and the 400-level courses initiate students to research in a variety of areas including formal linguistics, bilingualism, second language acquisition, and language contact.
What can I do with a program in French Linguistics? Possible career paths include:
- provincial and federal government civil service
- health professions such as speech pathology, speech therapy, audiology
- language teaching
- computer applications in speech & text recognition, programming
- media, public relations, journalism, publishing, editing, copywriting, technical writing
- bilingual customer service
Specialist and a Major program of study in French Language and French Literature
Literature-focused courses (FRE) provide students with a comprehensive training in literary theory through the study of particular theories and approaches to the literary text. Students acquire in‐depth knowledge of the socio‐historical and cultural contexts of the works examined and have the necessary skills for the rigorous and critical analysis of literary and cultural texts. The 200-level mandatory courses introduce students to concepts, methodologies, and critical tools elaborated vis-à-vis further literature and theory and that serve as the framework for other literature courses dedicated to the history of French literature and its cultural and social contexts. The 300-level courses encourage students to explore sophisticated primary and secondary sources from disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives and the 400-level courses initiate students to research.
What can I do with a program in French Literature? Possible career paths include:
- provincial and federal government civil service
- language teaching
- media, public relations, journalism, publishing, editing, copywriting
- library and information sciences
- foreign services/affairs, international development
- bilingual customer service
Major in French Language Learning
The 200-level mandatory course FSL 226H1 introduces students to strategies for autonomous learning in French as a Second Language. Courses at the 300 and 400 levels build on knowledge and skills first introduced in FSL 226H and provide students with more analytical approaches to French language learning, in its both synchronic structure and historical evolution. They encourage students to learn about the richness of culture across the French-speaking world and improve writing skills for subsequent advanced study.
What can I do with a program in French Language Learning?
Career paths include:
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- provincial and federal government civil service
- language teaching
- media, public relations, journalism, publishing, editing, copywriting, technical writing
- bilingual customer service
Minors
The three Minor programs: French Language, French Studies, Practical French are designed to accommodate the widest range of previous learning experiences and particular interests of students. Emphasis is placed on both written and spoken language; at higher levels, half-courses allow for specialized study of one or the other.
Career paths include:
- provincial and federal government civil service
- language teaching
- media, public relations, journalism, publishing, editing, copywriting, technical writing
- bilingual customer service
More information about the specific undergraduate programs and courses offered by the Department of French can be found in the section Curriculum & Course information.