French

Course summary

Within the French department we are passionate about the benefits that learning a language can bring. We strongly believe in languages as a skill for life, and something that should be both enjoyable and rewarding - both personally and professionally. We are proud, too, of the students who have continued their language studies at university, and in recent years we have been delighted to note that students have often opted to take on new languages, such as Arabic, Italian, Portuguese and Russian, to complement their already well-honed skills. It is estimated that French is spoken by 321 million people across the world, and is the second language of millions more. It is also worth considering the significant impact French has had on the English language; testament to a shared history which has led to a multitude of interesting linguistic evolutions. If you want to get to know your own language better, you could do worse than continuing to study French. Its global importance is assured, and given the predicted growth rate in places like sub-Saharan Africa, some have estimated that French could be the world’s most-spoken language by 2050, or even sooner (with an estimate of 820 million speakers according to www.francophonie.org). In line with the above, it is also worth noting that French remains one of the most sought-after languages in the workplace, and therefore it comes as no surprise that French is offered alongside a wide range of university courses, with the possibility to tailor your degree to include one or more languages, or to include a year abroad. In recent years we have seen students combine languages with the following subjects: Biology, Contemporary Chinese Studies, Economics, English, Geography, History, International Business, International Management, Law, Linguistics, Maths, Philosophy and Politics. In terms of the A Level specification, the culture of France and French-speaking countries is placed firmly at the centre of the course, and includes the study of current trends and issues alongside aspects of political life and artistic culture. By the end of the course you will be a confident speaker of French, have a good appreciation of French culture and have widened your social and employment opportunities. You will be in a great position to open professional doors and build personal bridges. The study of French at A Level also supports and encourages the development and acquisition of key soft-skills, such as communication, patience, problem-solving and more besides.