French Language Program

French Major/Minor Advisor: Shannon Dubenion-Smith

The French program at Western Washington University offers courses focusing on language, literature, media, and the diverse cultures of la Francophonie. Our approach is grounded in an immersive, student-centered classroom experience that incorporates authentic resources from across the francophone world. With specialized courses examining francophone Canada, the francophone Caribbean, the Hexagon and other francophone regions and cultures, our program helps students acquire the skills required to communicate in French all while providing cultural insights that will facilitate future study or work abroad.

The French section currently offers both a major and minor, as well as a variety of dual degree programs. In addition to supporting students in their pursuit of linguistic proficiency and a more nuanced appreciation of global francophone cultures, our curriculum is well-aligned with the university’s mission and includes several courses that can be applied to our institution’s general university requirements (GURs). These offerings are designed to help students gain and refine cross-disciplinary competencies in critical thinking, creativity, academic excellence, and analytical writing.

To further support students’ interest in French, we encourage the pursuit of experiential learning opportunities and extracurricular activities in French such as our student-led French club, departmental tutoring, education abroad, internships, and other community language collaborations both on and off campus.