The french program at Chapman University gives students a strong foundation in the language, culture, and literature of France and the Francophone world. It is also a gateway to a variety of academic, professional, and personal interests.
At the lower-division level, you can choose to enroll in a general-use language course, or a specialized course that addresses topics like linguistics and anthropology. At the upper-division level, you can pursue a major or a minor in French. In the major, you can choose to focus on a particular area of interest (for example, art, literature, history, music) or study the French-speaking world in general.
If you have some experience with the language, you can also take advantage of our innovative honors option in which you work closely with a faculty member on a senior-year research project. This click here experience is designed to meet the writing-intensive requirement (“W”) and offers a variety of exciting opportunities to engage with the French-speaking world in a creative and independent way.
To help you become a better communicator, we offer an online French course for all levels and a series of courses that address grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. You can also participate in a weekly conversation group.
You can also study abroad through our many programs. You can live and learn with a French host family or get a job as a tutor, assistant teacher or linguist.
A major in French opens up a wide range of career options, including international business and government, journalism and public service, law, and education. You can also pursue a graduate degree in French or a related field.
In addition to a language and culture core, we also offer courses in American studies, comparative politics, and social sciences. These courses introduce you to a wide range of issues that affect the world today, from globalization to the role of women.
Throughout your time at the college, you can also take part in student-led and co-sponsored events on French culture and the Francophone world. In these activities, you can interact with other French students from all over the world.
For more than 11 years, the French Heritage Language Program has been helping young Americans with francophone backgrounds maintain their linguistic and cultural heritage in the United States. The program’s mission is to support the linguistic and educational growth of these students through a mix of AP coursework, college prep, and cultural immersion with a special emphasis on West African and Caribbean cultures.
The French Immersion and Homestay Program consists of full-time spring and summer immersion sessions at a number of accredited French universities, along with homestays and work placement options following the program. You can choose from over 20 locations ranging from small towns to metropolitan Montreal.
A core premise of the FHLP is that French is a heritage language, that it is a universal language, and that it should be taught at a young age. But it is important to examine how this premise is implemented and what the implications are for the participants’ language ideologies and their relation to French, France, and the greater Francophone world.