French (B.A.)

In addition to the major in French, BU offers language instruction in Chinese, German, Italian, Latin, Russian and Spanish. A student interested in a teaching career may elect French as an area of specialization leading to a Bachelor of Science in Education.

The languages and cultures curriculum serves to enhance the quality of the students' liberal arts education with an international and multicultural perspective. In addition to developing proficiency for communication with speakers of other languages, the program also offers courses in culture and civilization taught in English to support the goals of global/cultural awareness and international education.

No prior knowledge of the French language is needed to start, but to enter the major sequence, you'll need to have a least two semesters of skill with the language. Then you'll study advanced French, applied phonetics and pronounciation, structure of the French language, French daily life and customs, advanced French, contemporary issues in Francophone media, masterpieces of French literature and black Francophone writers and culture.

Working closely with your adviser, you'll then select from an array of electives to tune the academic program to specific interests and career goals. These include study abroad at the University of Nancy's Faculté des Lettres and the Commercial Institute in Nancy as well as art and culture of France, commercial French, French for elementary school, selected contemporary readings, and foundations of french culture and civilization.

If you're interested in teaching French at the secondary level, you'll enroll in Secondary Education with certification in French to acquire the necessary professional education courses to become a teacher. The French curriculum itself is nearly the same.

The Department of Languages and Cultures also offers majors in German and Spanish, as well as minors in French, German and Spanish and a career concentration in Chinese, plus Latin, Italian and Russian courses.

Studying another language helps students become more competitive after graduation. Employers and graduate schools are receiving an ever-increasing number of applications from qualified students and are looking for something special. A foreign language may be the ticket to a rewarding career in the areas of international business, education, health care, tourism, foreign service, management and social service, to mention just a few. No matter what field you specialize in today, you stand to benefit from the study of another language and culture because it provides you with a broader view of the world and an additional marketable skill.

Additionally, knowledge of another language fosters greater awareness of cultural diversity among the peoples of the world and allows greater appreciation of other people's values and ways of life.

Those who learn a second or third language also gain greater insight into their native language and culture. Knowledge of a second language, therefore, not only allows you to learn about others, you also learn more about yourself. Not only that, study of another language helps students comprehend the intricate connections between language and thought and thereby enhances higher-order thinking skills.

Individual Practice - Audio tapes, videotapes and compact disks for language courses are available for individual practice in the language laboratory, located in 238 Old Science Hall. The language laboratory is equipped with the latest computer technology.