French and Francophone Studies
French
Today, French is spoken on every continent on earth—and locally, right here in Bloomington-Normal. Designated a critical language by the Department of Defense, French also functions as a working language of many major international organizations such as the United Nations, the Red Cross, the European Court of Justice, and the International Olympic Committee.
Studying French opens doors to careers in government, public service, tourism, hospitality, health services, business, law, technology, fashion, communication, and education. Studying French improves your written and spoken communication (even in English!), equips you to succeed in a global workforce, and encourages a broader perspective on what it means to be human.
Listen to this French minor describe her many takeaways from French studies at Illinois State.
French News
French Honor Society hosts multilingual, interactive ‘Wall of Love’
In recognition of Valentine’s Day, the executive board of Illinois State’s French Honor Society, Pi Delta Phi, reached out to ISU language clubs, students, faculty and staff who speak other languages to participate in the online Le mur de l’amour (the wall of love).
LAN alum wins AATF award
Kelly (Blake) Karstrand '89, M.A. '92, recently received the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Illinois French Teacher of the Year award presented at this year's Illinois Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL) conference.
World languages teacher education students attend professional conference
Students in the semester prior to student teaching as part of the course LAN 320 World Language Teaching in the K-12 Setting attended one day of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL) conference with hundreds of other State of Illinois World Languages teachers.French Alumni
"The process of learning a foreign language educated me beyond grammar and linguistics. It has encouraged me to move out of my comfort zone, view the world from different perspectives and communicate while traveling abroad."
—
Addie CaDavid '12
French minor and international volunteer
Interdisciplinary programs
Students can also participate in the several interdisciplinary programs at Illinois State: