WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A
DEGREE IN FRENCH?
Students often choose to do a degree in French
with one of the following career goals in mind:
• Teaching in schools (after completing a B.Ed.
degree following the B.A.)
• Teaching in colleges and universities (after
graduate studies: M.A., Ph.D.)
• Translation and interpretation (usually after
specialized training following the B.A.)
But there are many other types of careers for
which university studies in French can help
prepare you:
• Civil service: positions with federal, provincial
and municipal governments
• Advertising
• Publishing
• Radio and television broadcasting
• Transportation: airlines, railways, bus
companies
• Personnel
• Fund-raising
• Sales
• Import-export
• Graphic arts and printing
• Law
• Journalism
• Information management in libraries, business
and industry
• Travel, tourism and hospitality industries
• Financial planning
• Banking
• Insurance
• Telecommunications
• Audio-visual production
• Secretarial and administrative services
French Faculty at King’s
For more information on French courses,
French Studies modules, and French
exchange programmes, please consult
the King’s calendar, the UWO calendar, or
contact one of the following Professors of
French at King’s University College:
French
Dr. Koski
[email protected]
Dr. McKellar [email protected]
Dr. Small
[email protected]
Department of Modern Languages
King’s University College
For more information
Department of Modern Languages
King’s University College
266 Epworth Ave.
London, Ontario N6A 2M3
Phone: 519-433-3491
Toll Free: 1-800-265-4406
www.kings.uwo.ca/french/
kingsatwestern
kingsatuwo
kingsatwestern
kingsatwestern
266 Epworth Avenue, London, Ontario N6A 2M3, CANADA
1.800.265.4406 or 519.433.3491
[email protected]
Department of Modern
Languages
FRENCH STUDIES AT KING’S
OPENING YOUR MIND AND THINKING
CRITICALLY
King’s University College is an affiliated college of The
University of Western Ontario. Our small classes and
warm community facilitate interaction between students
and faculty. Yet our association with a world-class
university provides our students with the resources and
choice of a large institution. In essence, we offer “The
Best of Both Worlds.”
LEVELS OF INSTRUCTION
First-year French courses are designed to meet
the needs of students who already have a level of
proficiency equivalent to Grade 12 French. French
courses for students at the beginner level and the
intermediate level are also offered at King’s. Classroom
instruction is supplemented by oral practice in the
language laboratory with the French Language Assistant
on exchange from France, who also provides individual
tutoring and the opportunity for conversation in an
informal and relaxed setting. Multimedia technology
enhances learning in King’s computerized language
lab. A free peer tutoring programme is also provided for
students who would like additional review and practice to
perfect their French language skills.
FRENCH DEGREE MODULES
Beyond first year, a full range of French degree modules
is offered at King’s, including Honours Specialization
in French Language and Literature, Specialization in
French, Major in French, and Minor in French. French
modules can be combined with modules in other
disciplines such as English, History, Interdisciplinary
Programmes, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious
Studies, Sociology, and more. Students specializing in
areas of study other than French can complete one of
the French certificate programmes and add bilingualism
to their credentials.
FRENCH EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES
A number of opportunities to study French abroad on
exchange are available to King’s students. There are
credit courses in Trois-Pistoles, Québec, during fiveweek intersession and summer sessions. Government
bursaries covering tuition and room and board with
a Québécois family are available. Students doing
a programme module in French have the option of
spending their third year in the north of France at the
Université Catholique de Lille.
WHY STUDY FRENCH AT UNIVERSITY?
University students today know that the world awaiting
them after graduation is much different from the world
of their parents’ generation. Globalization, downsizing
and rapid technological change have radically altered
the career landscape. Faced with these challenges,
students are perhaps more concerned now than ever
about making the right choices in their education. One
of these choices is French at the university level. If
you are looking for an exciting, varied and challenging
programme allowing you to combine literature with
language, consider a programme in French. If your main
interests lie elsewhere, you can easily add French as a
valuable component to your degree.
DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
Companies and public sector employers have always
had a need for people who can communicate clearly
with the public and deal effectively with other companies
and agencies. Studying another language such as
French not only connects you with the people who
speak the language, but it is also one of the best ways
to develop your own communication skills. The study of
a second language also contributes greatly to improved
communicative ability in a person’s first language.
A university education should be seen as a preparation
for life-long learning, and not just as training for a
specific type of job. Where do French Studies fit into
this? Learning a second language contributes to overall
cognitive development. People who have studied a
second language tend to score better on scholastic
aptitude tests than those who haven’t. In addition, the
study of language and literature will teach you to think
about language and texts in new ways and help you
develop skills for critical thinking that can be applied in
many other situations. Literary studies also provide a
great opportunity to stimulate your creative imagination.
Finally, studying the language and culture of the
French-speaking world helps you to understand and to
appreciate cultural differences, and gives you a fresh
perspective on aspects of your own culture which you
might otherwise take for granted.
BECOMING BILINGUAL
French is the first language of about a quarter of
Canada’s population. While the majority of these
francophones live in Québec, substantial Frenchspeaking minorities can be found in other provinces,
such as New Brunswick (a third of the population) and
Ontario (half a million Franco-Ontarians). Given this
demographic situation, proficiency in Canada’s two
official languages, French and English, is an undeniable
asset in today’s job market.