Program Description

Globalization has made international communication skills a necessity. French is a key language in today’s global economy, and speaking French and being familiar with Francophone cultures can open opportunities for your education and career.

Cottey’s minor in French and Francophone studies focuses on the acquisition of French language and study of literature, films, cultures, and civilizations of France and the Francophone world. This minor is beneficial in helping students think more globally, comparatively, and to challenge strongly held stereotypes.

Why Cottey’s French minor is unique.

French and Francophone Studies at Cottey College give students the opportunity to explore, research, engage with, travel, and publish their knowledge of French and Francophone in an annual publication, La Francophonie at Cottey College. With courses in grammar, linguistics/phonetics, culture, film, and literature, students prepare for a minor in French and Francophone, or for programs at the bachelor, masters, and Ph.D. levels.

The program has a special focus on language production. We do this through blogs, videos, students’ essay publications in La Francophonie at Cottey College, and other media that students produce. In place of tests, media production and personal experiences are more useful for learning and understanding French language and culture. Students are encouraged to personalize their learning by bringing their passions and areas of interest into the classroom and sharing with the class, the larger campus community, and other communities of interest.