Major: French
The trouble with studying French may be choosing your favorite writer. From Madame de Lafayette to Marcel Proust to Martinique poet Aimé Césaire, the literature of France and French-speaking people is a major influence on Western writers and thinkers.
As a French major, you will learn to read a wealth of masterworks in their original language. You may even find yourself living and studying in Paris, where many of your favorite writers and artists lived too.
Students of French learn how to speak, write, and read French. They also study the literatures of France and former French colonies such as Algeria, the Ivory Coast, and Lebanon.
“I was an exchange student to France during my junior year of high school and as a result, I have become obsessed with the French culture and language.”
Zach, sophomore, French, history, and journalism, Northwestern University
Are You Ready To...?
- Edit another student’s paper for grammar and fluency
- Live in France for a semester, maybe in someone’s home
- Study Moroccan or Lebanese poetry written in French
- Read French magazines and newspapers
- Listen to cassettes to learn how to pronounce words
It Helps to Be...
Open to manners and customs surprisingly different from our own. The greeting bise, or kiss on both cheeks, is one French custom with which some Americans are uncomfortable.
College Checklist
- Does the program offer a study-abroad program?
- Does the department sponsor cultural and social events where you can speak and hear French?
- Does one literature specialist teach all courses?
- Is there a linguist on staff?
- How many professors are native speakers? Will you have contact with native speakers?
Did You Know?
- The Beat writers of the 1950s were influenced by nineteenth-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud and his poem “The Drunken Boat.”
Course Spotlight
As part of your immersion in the French language, most departments require that you take French composition courses. In some courses, you may write four to five papers in French, which are then edited by your peers both in and out of class. In others, you may study French books and films to improve your structure and vocabulary. As you advance, you may write papers in different styles, such as rédactions (compositions on concrete topics), dissertations (critical essays), and creative writing.
