Who we are
The Department of French Studies offers programs in three disciplines: language, literature and linguistics. Programs and courses have been designed to meet the specific needs of two language groups:
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Études françaises – for Francophones
- French as a Second Language/Français langue seconde– for Anglophones
Instruction is thorough, extensive and complete, bringing together cultural knowledge, analytical skills and language proficiency.
The Department of French Studies is uniquely positioned at Laurentian University and in the local community because of the language education it provides. The Department takes an interest in services and activities that help to improve the linguistic and cultural circumstances of Francophones at the University, and in Sudbury, and plays a role in promoting them.
Faculty members form a dynamic, capable, and experienced team focused on teaching excellence and student success. Small class sizes encourage close collaboration with students all the while allowing professors to get to know them and help them achieve their full potential.
Did you know
French is considered one of the most challenging languages on Earth, as you and many students here and around the world may have noticed. According to UNESCO, French is the tenth most difficult language. Of course, it is all relative. Variety, history, culture and finesse make the French language exceptional, and there are clear advantages to knowing it.
In its 2014 report, the French-Language Observatory estimates that about 274 million people around the world speak French, and it is the mother tongue of nearly 75 million of them.
French literature has been recognized 15 times by a Nobel Prize.
French has become increasingly important globally. It is not only a working language - but also an official language - of organizations such as United Nations, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, the International Red Cross, and several international legal authorities, not to mention the European Commission (especially for legal issues) and the Council of Europe.
French is the third most present language on the Internet, after English and German.
Undisputedly, French remains the language of culture: literature, theater or dance, philosophy, as well as cuisine and fashion.
