We conduct almost all of our courses in French. These courses span literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present, and they emphasize significant authors or problems rather than chronological surveys.
We conduct almost all of our courses in French. These courses span literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present, and they emphasize significant authors or problems rather than chronological surveys.
Our majors select courses from a wide range of historical periods (Middle Ages to the present). Most students double major, combining their interest in French with practically every other one of the College’s 40 majors.
Learn MoreAlmost all Amherst French majors study in France or Senegal for at least one semester.
Learn MoreFrench-speaking students of all ability levels may live on campus in the French House, an academic theme house and home to the department’s teaching assistants.
Learn MoreOur students have the chance to converse weekly at the French Table in Valentine Dining Hall.
French has been taught continuously at Amherst since before the Massachusetts Legislature granted the institution its charter in 1825.
Intensive review and coverage of all basic French grammar points with emphasis on the understanding of structural and functional aspects of the language and acquisition of the basic active skills.
To gain as much confidence as possible in idiomatic French, we discuss French social institutions and culture, trying to appreciate differences between French and American viewpoints.
An exploration of Enlightenment thought within the context of the collaborative institutions and activities that fostered its development, including literary and artistic salons, cafés, and the Encyclopédie.
Learn about exchange fellowships available in Paris and Dijon, and about prizes awarded annually to French majors.