Program Overview
French at Queen’s reflects the dynamism and cultural diversity of the French-speaking world, focusing on the language, culture and society of metropolitan France, and opening up perspectives on a range of global cultures. French language, written and oral, is at the centre of the course. Students will also explore a variety of contemporary issues, historical periods and geographical areas through a range of media, including art, cinema, linguistics and literature. All students spend an academic year in a francophone country.
French Degree highlights
French at Queen’s was 7th in UK for French overall and 2nd for Research in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020. 91% of French students were satisfied in 2019.
Global Opportunities
After Stage 2, you will spend a period of residence (normally 8 months or more) in a French-speaking country. Students will have the possibility of acquiring professional experience by teaching in a school, undertaking a work placement, or doing voluntary work. They may also elect to study at a French university.
Students in Languages at Queen’s have specialised classes to prepare them for the Year Abroad and members of our staff act as Year Abroad Officers.
Queen's University Belfast is committed to providing a range of international opportunities to its students during their degree programme. Details of this provision are currently being finalised and will be available from the University website once confirmed.
Students taking a BA in French undertake an extended period of residence abroad (typically 8 months), normally working as an assistant in a school or undertaking a paid work placement in a French-speaking country (previous students have gone to France but also, for example, Belgium, Canada and Guadeloupe). Students can also elect to study at a French-speaking university. In addition to the benefits for oral competence, the residence provides a unique opportunity for immersion in French and francophone culture. Moreover, the Year Abroad is a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity. This feature of our degree programme gives students the opportunity for personal development, and further develops communication and language skills and intercultural awareness. The challenges of living abroad come to be a unique (and unforgettable) stage in their own personal development.
World Class Facilities
Queen’s has an excellent library with an outstanding range of resources in French and Francophone cultures. The Language
Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for language learning, and the IT provision more generally is excellent.
Internationally Renowned Experts
French at Queen’s is taught by world-leading experts in nineteenth and twentieth-century French and Francophone culture, with particular expertise in visual culture, linguistics, popular culture, medical humanities and postcolonial writing. Research in Languages at Queen’s was ranked 3rd in the UK in the most recent
Research Assessment (REF 2014).
Professor Janice Carruthers is an internationally renowned expert on linguistics. She is currently the Leadership Fellow in Modern Languages with the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Student Experience
Students run a lively French Society and staff offer support through a personal tutoring system, skills development programme and a structured framework for feedback.
There are a number of undergraduate prizes available to top-performing students on this pathway. In addition to Foundation Scholarships recognising outstanding achievement in Stage 1, we have a range of endowed prizes. The AN Troughton Award and The Samuel and Sarah Ferguson Travel Prize recognise academic achievement at Stages 1 and 2. The Chris Shorley Prize rewards the best performances in the Language exam in Stage 3, and the Richard Bales Prize is awarded to the student with the highest mark in an optional module in Stage 3. Students of both languages receive a certificate of distinction for first class performance in the Stage 3 oral.
“In Queen's, what I realised is that it’s not just about the language. It’s not just about the listening, pronunciation and translation. There's a lot more to it, you learn so much more, you gain so many more skills, lifelong skills. You get a general overview of the language and can do historical modules and cultural modules, and you work with a variety of media: film, novels, short stories, poems, art."
Veronica Rossetto, Stage Three student in BA French who began her studies in French as a Beginner.
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Course content
