French
Department of French and Italian
Why study French?
French is a global language.
The official language of 33 countries, widely spoken in at least 10 more and the second most frequently used language on the Internet.
The first or second language of over 20 African countries.
One of two languages spoken on five continents.
One of the official languages of many international organizations: the UN, UNESCO, NATO, the EU, the International Red Cross, the International Labor Bureau, and even the Olympics.
Required or preferred by 53% of international jobs listed by the U.S. State Department; 33% Spanish; 11% Russian; and 3% German. The second most frequently taught foreign language.
French and francophone cultures define esthetics in the arts and literature.
Francophone literatures, unified in their use of the French language, provide
access to African,
The Human Genome Project is located in
U.S. Coast Guard helicopters are made by
of airplanes.
The “smart card” (cards with embedded computer chips), Minitel (the precursor to email and the Internet), fiber optics, HDTV, and high-speed rail are just
some of
U.S.-Canadian trade is the largest in the world.
Why study French in
The UW-Madison Department of French and Italian is one of the largest of its kind in the nation.
25 faculty members, 6 long-term and 12 short-term academic staff
140 majors and double majors.
60 graduate students
1500 – 2000 language students per semester
Award winning Faculty, Academic Staff, and Teaching Assistants are committed to undergraduate education in language, literature, and civilization.
In 2001, the department received the “Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Departmental Teaching” and has twice been the top humanities department in the competition.
11 Faculty have been recognized for excellence in teaching
2000 marked the 10th consecutive year that a graduate student in the Department of French and Italian has won the prestigious “Excellence in Teaching” award, offered to less than half of one percent of all teaching assistants on campus.
Since 1993, 12 graduate students in French and Italian have been chosen as “Teaching
Fellows” by the
Introductory and intermediate courses in French language offer diverse approaches to learning.
Students of French are immersed in a communicative and relaxed environment in the classroom.
Through a variety of current methods and materials, language courses emphasize speaking, listening, writing and reading. These four skills are reinforced through exposure to French and francophone culture, literature, civilization, and current events.
No previous exposure to French is necessary to do well in French 101. The French language curriculum has been carefully designed to maximize each student’s potential for success in the language.
Audio and visual components in each class, often including the Internet, strengthen growth in the language and offer an extensive look at francophone cultures and civilizations throughout the world.
The Beginning and Intermediate French sequence:
101-102 First and Second semester French
203-204 Third and Fourth semester French
227-228 Intermediate Language and Culture
271 Introduction to Literary Analysis
Honors options available.
UW-Madison students of French have a wide variety of opportunities on campus and around the world to increase their knowledge, experience, and enjoyment of all things French.
A true immersion experience, The French House has been a francophone residence for UW students for over 80 years. It is also the central meeting place for departmental conferences, receptions, and other activities such as the weekly movie series and meals open to the public.
Each year, over 100 UW-Madison students
study abroad in
The Department has established cooperative programs with the
In addition to majors in French and French education, the Department of French and Italian continues to increase its offerings to serve the needs of a wide range of students. For example, business and (soon) engineering students can obtain a certificate in French. Many French classes are “cross listed” with departments such as Women’s Studies, Communication Arts, International Studies, African Studies, African Languages and Literature, and Medieval Studies.
Studying French will help you graduate faster and get a better job sooner!
“Retro credits” bring students closer to graduation. Students who enter the French program anywhere above the first semester, and who receive at least a B, are awarded retroactive degree credits for all courses leading up to that semester. For example, a student placing into fourth semester French can receive 16 total credits in French after that semester. As a result, she or he will be able to register for classes earlier than many other students who entered the university at the same time.
Over 1,200 French companies in the U.S. employ half a million Americans. Some of the most recognizable are Michelin, Mack Trucks, Zenith, RCA-Thompson, Air France, Bic, American National Can Corporation, and Dannon.
Many American corporations have offices in French-speaking countries. These include IBM, Microsoft, Lands End, The Gap, Banana Republic, hotels and restaurant chains, research laboratories and manufacturers of products from medical equipment to farm implements.
For more information, contact the
Department of French & Italian
618 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-3941
http://frit.lss.wisc.edu/frit