European Languages and Cultures - French

Would you like to become an expert on the cultures, languages and politics of Europe?

France has had great cultural, political and historical influence on the Western world. The 1789 Revolution formed the basis for today’s parliamentary democracies. And even now France is still playing an important role in Europe – which is why experts in the French language and culture will always be needed. 

By studying the key linguistic, political, cultural and social topics of contemporary Europe, you will learn to understand the mutual relationship, differences and similarities among national and regional cultures. In doing so, you will learn to understand future challenges and inform advanced decision-making in cultural, political and educational institutions.

Why French?

Although linguistic, historical, cultural and political issues may all play a role in your decision to choose French, most importantly you should be truly interested in the language. The French specialization within the degree programme in European Languages and Cultures focuses on French language and culture as well as on Europe, and sometimes the wider world. Within the French linguistics course units, for example, diversity in the French language will also be explored through the case of Francophonie, the presence and use of French across the world. Language plays an important role in cultural and political identity issues for instance in the city and region of Québec. Two serious attempts to make Québec independent of Canada failed in the past. Introductory course units in Language and Society, which you will follow together with other students of European Languages and Cultures, will help you understand and analyse the how and why of such processes.

European Languages and Cultures with the French specialization will teach you to speak and write French fluently and develop into an academically trained expert in French language and culture in a European context. Your proficiency will get an extra boost during your stay abroad in your third year, for which the University has contacts with universities in Belgium, France and Canada.

The programme has a flexible structure. From your second year onward, you will specialise in one of the profiles:

• European Language and Society
• European Culture and Literature
• European Politics and Society