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Why Study French?

French is a global language. French is spoken on five continents by over 200 million people in 43 different countries. Besides the European countries of France, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg, Canada, our most important trading partner is officially bilingual. French is also the official language of Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, and in twelve African countries French is one of several official languages. French is also a strong second language in places like North Africa as well as numerous countries in Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia), Latin America, the Middle East (Egypt and Lebanon) and Eastern Europe which have historic cultural ties with France. Knowledge of a second language increases your job opportunities as well as appreciation of other people and their cultures. Knowing a global language such as French will allow you not only to function, but to compete effectively in the global economy of the future. For those of you interested in travel (France is the #1 tourist destination in the world), art, music, cuisine, cinema, literature or fashion, or graduate studies (where knowledge of a second language is often required), French is the natural choice!

French in the Cleveland Area

As the first Europeans to explore the Great Lakes, the French played an important role in settling this region which was once part of New France.
Today Cleveland has an active French American Chamber of Commerce, attesting to the many business links between this area and France.
There are several active groups of French speakers in the area that organize cultural events such as a Bastille Day celebration and a Beaujolais Nouveau festival. These groups include La Maison Française de Cleveland (associated with the Alliance Française), Le Cercle Français, Les Bavardes, and the French American Chamber of Commerce.

French at Cleveland State University

Job Opportunities. French majors can become teachers. There is a shortage of foreign language teachers in the Cleveland area. A French major or minor is also a natural choice for students in International Relations, Art History, Music, or Business or for those going on to graduate school.
French Club. There is an active French Club at CSU which organizes cultural events for those students interested in speaking French
Lafayette Archive. Cleveland State is home to the Lafayette archive, an important microfilm collection of over 25,000 documents. These documents are only accessible here at CSU and at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The originals are at le château Lagrange in France.
Study Abroad. Study abroad opportunities at CSU include year-long exchanges programs in France with l'Université de Savoie in Chambéry as well as 'École supérieure de Commerce in Clermond-Ferrand. Our 5-week summer program takes place in Clermond-Ferrand and Paris (next trip June 24-July 29, 2002). We also have connections with the Laval program in Québec and numerous other programs abroad.

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