Brianna Mullin

I am currently a Ph.D. student in French Literature at the University of Toronto. 

What were your favourite classes and why? 

I really enjoyed the French and Francophone culture and literature courses that the Language Studies department had to offer. "Women of the Francophone World" allowed me to discover and delve into the works of inspiring Francophone women, from Agnès Varda's cinema to the literature of Simone Schwarz-Bart. I also really enjoyed "Writing from No-Man's Land: Diaspora Writings in 21^st Century Francophone Literature" where I discovered different Québécois authors that I otherwise would not have been exposed to, such as Abla Farhoud and Kim Thúy.

If you could start university again, what would you do differently? 

If I could start my undergrad over again, I think I would try to make more of an active effort to get involved on campus with the Language Studies department. I would've loved to have had a "French Studies Club" when I was at UTM. I think community plays a huge role in the acquisition of another language; French is not just a school subject, it is a living subject that is best learned with others. A club where students could gather and speak French with each other, watch French films, and do other cultural activities together would have been an enriching experience on both the personal and academic levels. 

How has your program in French Studies from UTM set you apart from your colleagues and peers?

The quality of the teaching, the kindness of the professors, and the delivery of courses offered by the Language Studies department at UTM have definitely enabled me to distinguish myself from my colleagues and peers. As a student of French Studies, I felt that I had a well-rounded degree that prepared me for a career in French – whether that be in teaching, translating, communications, or any other field. The French Studies major/specialist does an effective job of developing students' French language skills within the first two years of the degree and then immersing them in the two different branches of the program, Linguistics or Literature, in the final two years, allowing them to take courses that interest them while further developing their skills in French. 

What motivated you as a student in your program?

My passion for the French language motivated me to complete a specialist in French Studies. I was determined to perfect my language skills and learn as much about French/Francophone literature as possible, which is why I decided to do my third year abroad in Lyon, France at the Université Jean Moulin Lyon III. This was an important experience for me as a second-language learner that allowed me to use French for the first time in the real world and, as a result, gain more confidence in myself as a French speaker. In my opinion, living abroad is a crucial part of learning and perfecting a foreign language. Also, the fact that I was learning an official language of Canada also motivated me as I knew that being English-French bilingual is a precious asset to have in this country, no matter what field of work you may find yourself in.

What projects or tasks do you perform in a typical week in your current role? 

As a Ph.D. student, my tasks vary from week to week but more or less consist of teaching (which I love!), research for my thesis and writing, whether that be for academic or non-academic publications or my thesis. In every task, I'm constantly challenging myself to be the best teacher and researcher that I can possibly be!