French Minor

Why Minor in French?

Knowledge of at least one foreign language and familiarity with different societies equip university graduates with more intelligent choices as citizens of today’s world and enhance their effectiveness in a range of career fields.

The Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication at UMBC has had an interdisciplinary focus since the mid-1970s, and the department is currently composed of specialists in linguistics, the social sciences, second language pedagogy, bilingual education, literary analysis, cultural studies, and intercultural communication.

In an increasingly interdependent world, the study of languages and cultures, including the heritage languages and cultures of immigrants to the United States, is a fundamental part of every student’s education. Knowledge of at least one foreign language and familiarity with different societies equip university graduates for more intelligent choices as citizens of today’s world and enhance their effectiveness in a range of career fields, including law, journalism, business, education, health care, banking, social work, management, international administration and many others in the public and private sectors.

MLLI offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in French, where students participate with students of other languages in a common core of three courses that stress linguistic and cultural analysis. Therefore, aside from acquiring proficiency in the French language and knowledge of the cultures of France and the French-speaking world (the Cajuns of Louisiana, the Caribbean, Canada, and West Africa), students also learn about the fascinating dynamics of languages and cultures in general. The MLLI faculty, which includes a unique combination of specialists in linguistics, sociology, cultural and literary studies, and pedagogy, has been a pioneer in developing an interdisciplinary curriculum. Most university language programs focus almost exclusively on language and literature. Not UMBC:

French courses address an exciting variety of cultural, sociological, and literary themes. UMBC French students learn about the histories, cultures, and social problems of the societies in which French is spoken. Classes in advanced French courses are small and offer the opportunity for individual interaction with professors.