French-language skills help prepare you for a career in the military, international business, diplomacy, international relations, research, teaching, or in any field where you encounter representatives or data from foreign countries.
French is a strategic military and business language, ranked the second most important communication language in the world, excluding English. Studying French adds value to your degree by giving you a leading edge on the job market and in the military. It opens global possibilities, because it helps maximize your ability to communicate with those from diverse parts of the globe.
Our program of French offers courses that are communicative and interactive at all levels. Faculty get to know you well. We are passionate about what we teach and in helping you reach your goals.
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Program Details
Norwich students earn a minor degree by completing six courses beyond the introductory level. Every course includes a cultural focus: Literature, civilization courses and the examination of international French-language media sources provide opportunities for students to be alert to cultural differences outside their own culture and to develop a more global perspective. Our program also offers service-learning courses and community service with leadership opportunities. Examples include French-language interpreter/cultural role-play with 30 members of the National Guard, and preparing bilingual biographies of Norwich cadets who fought in World War I France for French readers.
We offer a fantastic opportunity for those who wish to spend a semester at the world-renowned Ecole Speciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, France's military academy to study French and other subjects. At Norwich, all students are encouraged to participate in the program's weekly Cercle Francophone/French Club and to study abroad for a summer or semester in an approved overseas program to experience language immersion and explore products, practices, and perspectives of other cultures first hand.
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What Students Say
"My experience at Norwich was one in a million. I have studied French at various institutions. But Norwich gave me that extra push to expect challenge and achieve distinction and [to] be diligent while doing so. The French program helped me understand and appreciate other cultures across the globe. The professors are passionate about their jobs and want every student to succeed. They provide the necessary help and organize activities that will help you practice your French. It goes way beyond the classroom. So by the time you get to Advanced French, you would be able to communicate effectively in French.
--Deborah D'Amoako-Atta '16"Completing the French minor at Norwich dramatically changed my military and civilian career. My time spent at the French Military Academy (Ivy League equivalent) as a Norwich study abroad student has always been a large selling point. Both with civilian employers and the military, who appreciated my ability to speak French and work with Francophone allies, such as the Vermont State Partnership Program with Senegal. Learning French and attending St. Cyr helped me get a senior management position in Texas and led to my selection by the base commander to travel to Senegal for all future missions."
--SSgt Doug Delpha '15, USAF -
View Catalog
To view French minor course offerings and a curriculum map, see the Norwich University academic course catalog:
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