Why Study French?
French is one of Canada’s two official languages and spoken around the world in the eighty-eight states of the Francophonie with large numbers of Francophones found in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. It is the second most learned second language after only English. French speakers also represent a young and fast-growing portion of the world’s population.
French is also the language of rich, diverse cultures including world-renowned artists, philosophers, and scientists such as Simone de Beauvoir, Coco Chanel, Assia Djebar, Xavier Dolan, Michel Foucault, Jean-Luc Godard, Gabrielle Roy, and Michel Tremblay as well as Nobel Prize winners JMG Le Clézio and Annie Ernaux.
French Studies allow you to develop a broad range of cultural, linguistic, professional, and research skills. These programs allow students to consider questions such as the following:
French Linguistics
- What do first and second/third language speakers know about French sounds, words, sentences, and meaning?
- How do child and adult multilingual speakers’ languages including French interact both at the individual and societal levels?
- How is French learned & maintained in minority language contexts like Ontario?
French and Francophone Literary & Cultural Studies
- How do French authors renew the relationship between fiction and non-fiction?
- How do French and Quebecois writers reflect upon and challenge gender roles and stereotypes?
- How can the study of literatures in French enhance cross-cultural understanding and communication?
French Teaching and Learning
- What does it mean to be a French language learner or teacher?
- How can we learn and teach a second language by leveraging cultural and linguistic diversity?
- Why and how do pedagogical practices evolve?
The Department of Language Studies at UTM offers multiple programs in French Studies:
- French Studies: Minor (ERMIN1135), Major (ERMAJ1295), and Specialist (ERSPE1295)
- Programs in French Studies involve a combination of language and disciplinary (linguistics, literature, teaching & learning) classes with a strong research component
- Functional French: Minor (ERMIN1000)
- The FSL Minor is designed for students with little to no previous knowledge of French who wish to develop French language and cultural competences to realize their personal and professional goals
- Language Teaching and Learning: French - Major (ERMAJ1056)
- The Major in Teaching & Learning French, structured around both French language learning and pedagogical studies, includes both research and practical experience designed for students with a passion for teaching the language
- Specialist Program: Language Teaching & Learning: French & Italian (ERSPE1092)
- Combined Degree Programs - Any of the French major or specialist programs may count towards a combined degree (Honours Bachelor of Arts / Master of Teaching (MT)) from UTM and OISE
Courses in these programs aim to provide:
- a combination of language and disciplinary (linguistics, literature, teaching & learning) components;
- opportunities to develop French language and cultural competences to realize personal and professional goals; and
- insights into French language learning and pedagogical studies, including both research and practical experience designed for students with a passion for teaching the language.
French Studies can be the first step along the path to numerous opportunities:
In addition to opportunities for graduate studies in fields such as linguistics, literature, and teaching, UTM French graduates pursue a variety of careers in:
- Teaching
- Public service
- Speech-language pathology
- Educational technology
- Law
- New media
- Broadcasting
- The arts
For any questions about French @UTM, please contact the Program Coordinator, Prof. Jeffrey Steele (fre.pc.utm@utoronto.ca).