圣麦克大学

French language and culture have a unique place in the heart and history of Saint Michael’s, a college founded by scholar-priests from France more than a century ago. We’re a short drive from French-speaking Quebec and the vibrant, cosmopolitan city of Montreal, so you’ll gain fluency not only from your classes, which emphasize conversation, proper grammar, literature and culture, but also from visiting Montreal theaters and museums, socializing with international students, studying abroad in Paris or hosting a French-themed campus radio show. First you’ll take a language placement exam to put you at the right starting-point.

From the beginner level onward, our courses are conducted in French with students participating actively. First-year French courses improve your basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and introduce you to the cultures of the French-speaking world. Subsequent courses offer further development of intermediate language skills in all areas while also enhancing your understanding of French-speaking cultures.

Subsequent courses offer further development of intermediate language skills in all areas, usually in the context of French and Francophone cultures. Advanced conversation courses at the 300 level really prepare you to live and get along in a French-speaking society on a practical daily basis. Advanced grammar and composition assures that you develop writing skills and consolidate your grammar and vocabulary abilities.

Some students choose to build proficiency through an Applied Language Component (ALC) or a Conversation course. ALCs allow you to read and discuss, in French, selected texts and materials pertinent to the subject matter of courses taught in English outside the department in a wide variety of disciplines by meeting one extra hour a week with instructors to discuss the texts in Spanish. Conversation courses prepare you to live and get along in a French-speaking society on a practical daily basis.

Advanced Communication and Culture assures that you develop strong writing skills and consolidate your grammar and vocabulary abilities. The goal is to foster students’ critical reflection and self-correction, thereby increasing their independence in the craft of writing.

In the capstone course for majors, you’ll use the skills and knowledge gained over the course of your studies on campus and abroad to produce a substantial academic essay written in the language of the major.

We provide attentive, personalized mentorship to our French majors so that they may get the most out of their classes, select a study abroad experience best suited to their goals, find internships, and expand their professional opportunities after graduation.

Careers

• International Relations (policy analysis, foreign service, diplomacy)
• International Development (NGO, U.S. State Department, or private sector)
• International Business, Law, or Journalism
• Translating and Interpreting