France has a literary and intellectual tradition going back to the Middle Ages, and the study of French has always been an essential part of a liberal education. We cherish this tradition at the University of Connecticut. Our students learn about the rich literary heritage of the French and Francophone  world alongside the major philosophical and political ideas that have shaped the Western world.

The French Language Program is designed to provide students with active proficiency in the four skills (speaking, listening reading and writing) and to introduce them to important features of French and Francophone history and culture. The Program’s teaching approach similar to those used at Middlebury and Dartmouth, seeking as much as possible to simulate immersion learning. Furthermore, it introduces modules in French and Francophone History, Culture and Society that will be extended in upper-level courses. The Language Program thus treats the learning of language as integral to the mastery of a range of disciplines, helping to prepare students to enter a variety of different professional fields, such as the health and biological sciences, international affairs, politics, anthropology, film studies, history, sociology, education and literature. It also introduces students to the practice of translation, international business and media.