The French Studies program within the Department of World Languages and Cultural Studies prepares students to become effective readers, writers, and speakers of French, and to more fully appreciate and understand the literatures and cultures of countries where French is spoken. Students must demonstrate achievement in four distinct areas:

Oral/aural communication: Students should demonstrate command in both speaking French and understanding it when spoken. Speech patterns should be well-organized and generally cohesive; pronunciation and fluency should be close to the norm and may even approach that of near-native speakers in some cases. Social and/or cultural references should also used appropriately.

Written communication: Students should demonstrate a competent (and in some cases near-native) command of the complex structures of the French language with limited errors in vocabulary and syntax.

Cultural awareness: Students should demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of Francophone verbal culture as expressed in literature, theater, film, etc.

Critical and analytical thinking: Students should demonstrate an ability to understand and interpret written texts in French. This includes the ability to comprehend and synthesize a written text; to develop a working thesis and defend it through proper use of evidence and argument; and to write a coherent, critical essay that properly documents both primary and secondary sources. Students should also display a knowledge of different literary genres, literary tropes, cultural phenomena, and textual analysis.