Central’s French program offers many opportunities for students interested in French language and culture. Many students have spent their first year after graduation working in France as assistants in the French school system, and graduates have also pursued careers in education, marketing, government and business in the U.S., Canada and overseas.
As part of every French course, students will have regular conversation sessions with language assistants who are native speakers, and all interested students have the opportunity to live in the French house on campus and to study in Paris.
While participating in the Paris program, students may choose from internships in many disciplines and professional fields and have access to service learning opportunities. Recent internships have included the following fields:
Classes in French literature, civilization, translation and business are taught exclusively in French to maximize opportunities for students to master the language. All on-campus courses include laboratory sessions with native or advanced French speakers, and students also have the opportunity to live in the French language house. All courses aim to increase language proficiency and cultural awareness to prepare students for an extended, off-campus immersion to live and study in Paris.
Learn more about French in the course catalog.
Nicole Kaplan, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Kenneth J. Weller Distinguished Professorship of the Liberal Arts and Professor of French , interest areas include: Francophone literature, 19th century French literature, French colonial history and French cultural studies and civilization\
Maria Snyder, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Associate Professor of German and French, interest areas include: teaching French and German as a foreign language, media history, the history of reading, text and image in the Renaissance and Reformation and contemporary West Africa
Central offers French scholarships of up to $2,000 for all students (majors and non-majors) interested in foreign language studies at the college level.
The Weller Center for Business and International Studies houses faculty offices and classrooms for the modern language departments. The $3.9-million building completed in 1999 includes an interactive computer language lab to supplement traditional methods of language learning through phone exchanges, chat groups, recording and listening activities.
The Language Houses in the Wing International Center offer a unique living alternative for language majors, those returning from a semester abroad or anyone who wants a chance to use French, German or Spanish on a daily basis, celebrate native holidays, share experiences and sample diverse foods. International language assistants from Mexico, Spain, Germany and France also live in these townhouses along with Central College students.
Is a world-state an ideal worth pursuing? Matthew Wells ’18 and Hannah Marcum ’18 won research grants to study this political debate in Paris.
For a small group of language assistants, study abroad means leaving behind their home countries for Pella, Iowa.
How many adventures can four years hold? Senior Cody Bock of Ankeny can compete for the record.
Want to find out more about French at Central? Contact us to learn more about this major and our other strong academic programs. Visit campus to observe classes and experience The Central Difference firsthand.
