Department of French Studies

General

The Department of French Studies offers a programme which essentially covers French and French Canadian literature as well as other aspects of French studies, including civilisation and language (linguistics and stylistics).

The Department also offers Honours and Major programs. Prerequisites for these programs are FRF152 and FRF262, or equivalent courses.

French is the only language of work within the Department. Most courses can be attended by any student having the required knowledge and skills: the professor responsible for the course will make the final decision, with the approval of the Department Head.

The Department also offers Spanish courses. For Honours and Major programs, these Spanish courses are considered as being outside the Department.

Department Mission

The mission of the Department of French Studies is threefold:

  1. Quality in teaching. The purpose of the courses is to develop the intellectual skills of students, provide them with the knowledge required at the university level, and enable them to obtain a bachelor's degree.
  2. Quality in research. The Department of French Studies wishes to create a stimulating research environment that will enable professors to enhance their knowledge in their specialty fields, enrich and nourish their teaching through their research, and provide the College with an even broader recognition.
  3. Participation in administrative tasks. The Department of French Studies wishes to actively participate in College activities in order to contribute to the continuous improvement of the quality of its university environment.

The most important aspect of these three roles is to provide Officer Cadets with high quality education, as the knowledge they will acquire during their undergraduate studies will be the foundations on which they will build their future careers.

Program Objectives

One of the objectives of the Department of French Studies program is to develop the intellectual skills of students and provide them with the linguistic, stylistic and cultural knowledge and skills required for literature and language studies.

All courses offered by the Department of French Studies have four fundamental objectives:

  1. To enable students to express themselves clearly and accurately, both orally and in writing, and to deal with issues in a thorough and rigorous way;
  2. To focus on the importance of cultural and social values in the evolution of civilisation and the modern world, and notably of the French-speaking world;
  3. To provide students with an awareness of second language interference; and
  4. To promote flexibility in intellectual skills, including the ability to think and analyse, which is often required in the profession, notably as regards individual relations or problems.

Communication Skills

French studies focus on improving oral or written communication in the first and second year courses, but also in those of third and fourth years, specifically for students registered in a concentration or honours program. The analytical study of literary texts also enables students to develop critical thinking.

Knowing the critical and analytical methods will enable students to better understand the potential and limits of language.

Perceptions: Literary studies enable students to fully understand the cultural and social values of a people or community. They enable them to recognize the underlying forces of the evolution of any society. One of the objectives of French studies at all levels of education is to demonstrate that the influence of cultural and social forces is as important to our understanding as are political, economic, strategic, and historical realities for understanding the historical evolution of societies and the complex nature of the world we live in today.

Intellectual Development

As in other disciplines, French studies will enable participants to master evaluation and logic analysis methods. Furthermore, the very nature of French studies also promotes less Cartesian ways of thinking, such as intuition, imagination and aesthetics. These ways of thinking are specially useful for resolving human problems.

A literary work usually deals with human problems and what can be done to solve them. These problems require intellectual flexibility and analytical skills which are very useful for people with management responsibilities.

Program Structure

First year. These courses are designed to improve the student's writing abilities, style and understanding of French literary texts in general, and of French Canadian texts in particular.

Second year. These courses are designed to improve style and enable students to appreciate the most significant French literary works of the 19th and 20th centuries. These courses could serve as a basis for eventual studies in Arts and Human Sciences, Social Sciences and Administration.

Third and fourth years. These courses are mainly designed by students enrolled in a French studies concentration or honours program. These courses are usually available to students enrolled in other programs.

These courses essentially cover two fields: Literature and Linguistics. Literature involves three aspects: Literature from France, French Canada, and the overall French-speaking world

Structure of 3rd and 4th Year Courses

Most courses offered are divided in two half-courses of one session each: A for the fall session, and B for the winter session. Most of these courses are given every two years. It is highly recommended for students to select their courses in advance, to obtain advice from the Department's faculty, and to discuss their choices with the Department Head.

Requirements for Bachelor of French Studies

The Department offers a bachelor' degree at three levels: a bachelor's degree without honours, an honours bachelor's degree, and an honours bachelor's degree summa cum laude.

Requirements for Bachelor of French Studies without Honours

Students must successfully complete the Arts and Human Sciences program over a period of four years. They must also complete at least eight full courses (or 16 one-session courses) within the Department of French Studies (excluding German and Spanish courses). The following courses are mandatory: FRF152, FRF262, FRF344, one French Literature course, and one French Canadian Literature course.

Requirements for Honours Bachelor of French Studies

Students must successfully complete the Arts and Human Sciences program over a period of four years. They must also complete at least ten full courses (or 20 one-session courses) within the Department of French Studies (excluding German and Spanish courses). Mandatory courses are: FRF152, FRF262, FRF344, FRG426, and either FRF352A and FRF354B, or FRF452A and FRF454B.

To obtain an honours bachelor's degree, students must have a minimum average of B in their 3rd and 4th year French Studies courses, and a minimum average of B in all 4th year university courses.

Requirements for Honours Bachelor of French Studies Summa Cum Laude

Students must meet the requirements for the Honours Bachelor's degree described above.

Students must have a minimum average of A in their 3rd and 4th year French Studies courses