French Program

french students in Angers

Why study French?

Explore French language as well as Francophone cinemas, literatures, history and cultures while developing cultural awareness and critical thinking skills.

The Saint Mary’s approach

Knowing an additional language and having enhanced cultural skills gives you an advantage in your career and future education. We offer comprehensive Major, Minor, and Certificate programs that will strengthen your linguistic skills and help you to understand and appreciate the languages and cultures of the Francophone world.

Hands-on learningstudents holding award

There are excellent opportunities to study abroad in France for academic credit and you could even win the CIDEF-Angers Prize for studying abroad in France. As a student, you can enjoy French activities on campus such as our regular French Immersion Café or French Cinéclub or participate in the Explore Program to improve your French.

Inquire about the French as a Second Language bursaries we offer every year for students who take 50% of their courses in our programs (conditions apply).

 

Sample courses offered:

  • Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced French: Learn to speak, write and converse in French.
  • Literatures of French Canada: A study of selected major works in various Franco-Canadian literatures outside Québec: Acadie, Ontario, and Western Canada. Gain a historical and cultural appreciation of the Francophone communities outside Québec, while studying literary works from a variety of theoretical perspectives.
  • Songs in French: Songs are part of daily life and reflect the evolution of the society in which they are rooted. They also have a genuine poetic value, and in this respect, they are timeless. The purpose of this course is twofold: first, to examine the cultural and historical background behind the works of France’s or the Francophonie’s most prestigious songwriters; second, to analyze the literary value of the lyrics. 
  • Narratives of the Anthropocene: This course offers an overview of contemporary critical theory and cultural representations of the Anthropocene in visual arts (the film industry, fine arts) and different literary genres and forms. How do visual arts and literature (re)present geophysical phenomena threatening the very existence of our species? (Examples: pollution, collapse of biodiversity, global warming, depletion of resources.) What new(er) identifiable trends—literary genres, tropes, logics of representation—could account for or characterize this rise of consciousness?
  • Francophone cultures through film: Explore Francophone cultures through the medium of film, with a focus on the Caribbean, the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa. By studying films alongside scholarly texts, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of French colonial history and its impact on the contemporary Francophone sociocultural landscape. Taught in English.

Career Opportunities:

  • Any job you want! A second language is always an asset, no matter the job. 
    This is particularly true in Canada, where mastery of both official languages opens many doors!
  • Teacher
  • Translator
  • Journalist
  • Interpreter
  • Cultural liaison
  • Social worker
  • Public relations consultant
  • Politician
  • Federal employees

 

Admission Reqs
Apply
Tuition and Fees
All Programs
Sign up to Learn More