About the Department
Bonjour!
We’re delighted that you’re interested in French and
the cultures of the French-speaking world. There are many great
reasons to learn French and to explore French-speaking cultures.
To see some, click on any of the links below:
Where do people speak French?
The French impact on:
Berea College is an excellent place to learn French and to discover
French-speaking cultures.
- We offer beginning, intermediate, and
advanced courses in the French language as well as courses on
French and Francophone
culture,
film, and literature.
- We have a state-of the-art language lab.
- Our College library
has a large collection of movies from France and other French-speaking
countries that you can check out
and watch in your home or dorm.
- We have a French Club, French tables, field trips,
and French movie nights to let you practice your French with
friends and other
students in a fun setting.
- Our intermediate and advanced students can work
in the department tutoring beginning students and assisting faculty
members.
- The Department of Foreign Languages provides money to
French majors and minors so they can participate in spring, summer,
or fall
study abroad programs at the Sorbonne in Paris, at the Catholic Institute
in Paris, at the University of Dijon in France, or in Cameroon
in Africa.
- During our January Short Term, students from any
major may apply to spend three weeks in Paris studying French
history and civilization.
For further information, please call (859 985-3445 or 3447) or
e-mail us at
or
.
We look forward to meeting you.
A bientôt!
Dr. Mylène Watkins and Dr. Richard Meadows
Where do people speak French?
French is a world language spoken by hundreds of millions of people in about
50 countries, regions, and islands on five continents—Europe, Africa,
Asia, North America, and South America—and on hundreds of islands all
around the world. There are 4 million people living in Kentucky and about
125 times that many or 500 million people living in countries or regions
where all or some of the people speak French:
Europe: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra
North America: Canada, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont
Caribbean: Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, Grenada, Dominica,
St. Martin, St. Barth-
South America: French Guiana
North Africa: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia
West Africa: Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Guinea,
Benin, Togo, Mauritania
Central Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Rwanda,
Burundi, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon
East Africa & Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion,
Djibouti, Comoros, Seychelles,…
Middle East: Lebanon
Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
Pacific Ocean: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tahiti,…
The French Impact on the American & Appalachian economies
French-speaking companies play a huge role in the economies of the world, the
U.S., Appalachia, & Kentucky. The U.S.’s #1 trading partner is Canada,
whose 2nd largest province—Quebec—and 2nd largest city—Montreal—both
speak French. Lexmark Printers—which employs four times more people than
any other company in Lexington—has its European headquarters in Orleans,
France (1 hour south of Paris). Quebec’s Quebecor World —the world’s
largest publisher of books, magazines, etc.—employs tens of thousands
of workers in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, & Georgia,
and is the largest employer in Woodford County. Here are some of the best-known
brands owned by French-speaking companies:
Food: world’s largest food company—Nestle; world’s
best chocolate—Godiva,…; world’s best cheeses & yogurts—Dannon,
Yoplait,…; Dunkin’ Donuts?; Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors?
Clothes & Perfume: Ralph Lauren perfumes, DKNY, Louis Vuitton,
Chanel, Christian Dior, Armani, Givenchy, Gloria Vanderbilt, Guerlain,
Lacoste, Méphisto, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint-Laurent,…
Cosmetics: L’Oréal, Maybelline, Lancôme, Clarins,
Garnier, ROC, Redken, L’Occitane
Medicine & Eyewear: world’s largest producer of prescription
drugs—Novartis; 50-100% of the U.S.’s flu vaccine;
Transitions Lenses, Allegra, Frontline, Heartguard
Cars & Tires: Nissan, Infiniti, Michelin, BF Goodrich,
Uniroyal, Car & Driver, Road & Track
Hotels: Red Roof Inn, Motel 6, Sofitel,…
Travel: world’s largest airlines—Air France, world’s
largest airplane manufacturer—Airbus; world’s fastest
trains, Club Med
Magazines: Elle, Woman’s Day, Marie Claire, Red; Car & Driver,
Road & Track
TV, Movies, Theme Parks: Universal Studios, Sundance Channel, Technicolor,
Jerry Springer
Music & Electronics: RCA, MP3.com, Motown Records, Polygram
Records
Alcoholic beverages: world’s best champagnes, red & white
wines, whiskey, gin, & bourbon
Watches & Jewelry: world’s best watches (Rolex,…) & jewelry
(Cartier,…); Belgium is the diamond capital of the world;
most diamonds come from French-speaking Africa
Water: world’s best water—Évian, Perrier,…;
Culligan water purifiers
Sports: The Athlete’s Foot, Aqualung, U.S. Divers, SeaQuest
Banks: Switzerland is a capital of international banking: Crédit
Suisse-First Boston,…
Plastics: Bic—pens, razors, lighters,…
Cookware, China, & Crystal: T-Fal, Le Creuset, Krups,
Baccarat, Durand, Mikasa, Limoges,…
Horse-Racing: last 2 jockeys to win Triple Crown French (Cruguet),
French-Canadian (Turcotte)
The French Impact world culture, art, literature,
film, theatre, & music
For hundreds of years, one equation has been true: “France
= culture”:
Art: The Louvre is the world’s greatest art museum. It contains
the world’s most famous painting (the Mona Lisa) and the
world’s most famous sculpture (the Venus de Milo). For the
last 600 years, most of the world’s greatest artists have
worked in France: Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Gaugin, Dali,
Chagall, Modigliani,…; Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Millet, Renoir,
Degas, Corot,…; Da Vinci, Watteau, Poussin, David, De La
Tour, Lorrain,…
Literature: France has perhaps the world’s richest literature:
Proust, Gide, Duras, Sartre, Camus, Beauvoir,…; Hugo, Balzac,
Baudelaire, Flaubert, Sand, Zola,…; Rousseau, Voltaire, Corneille,
Molière, Racine, Descartes, Montaigne, Rabelais,…
Film & Photography: the French invented photography (Daguerre)
and movies (the Lumière bothers); the Cannes is the world’s
most important international film festival; the French New Wave
revolutionized film; in 2005, French films, films with French directors
or actors, and films set in French-speaking countries were nominated
for 11 Academy Awards
Theater: three of the four longest-running plays on Broadway have
French or French-speaking orgins: The Phantom of the Opera, Les
Misérables, & Miss Saigon.
Music: Chopin, Debussy, Ravel,…
The French impact on the English language or Preparing yourself
for graduate school
About half of the English language comes from French (which developed from
Latin). So, studying French is about the best way to expand your English vocabulary
and to understand how the English language works. Studying French is also one
of the best ways to prepare for the tests you’ll have to take to get
into graduate school, law school, business school, medical school, etc.
The French impact on world politics
France and other French-speaking countries play a huge role in world politics.
France is one of only five permanent members of the United Nations Security
Council. The world’s largest market, “Europe” or “The
European Union,” has two French-speaking capitals: Strasbourg, France
and Brussels, Belgium. The “G8,” which is comprised of the world’s
greatest industrial & economic powers, includes two countries where French
is spoken: France & Canada.
The French impact on on world history
Since the end of World War II in 1945, the world has seemed to revolve around
the U.S. Yet, for the preceding 450 years (from France’s invasion of
Italy in 1494 to 1945), the world seemed to revolve around France. Politically,
French Kings and Emperors like Louis XIV and Napoleon were the most powerful
rulers on Earth, conquering much of Europe and gradually constructing a global
empire. Likewise, the French Revolution set the stage for the democratization
of every nation in Europe.
The French impact on American & Appalachian history
Besides Great Britain, France has had the greatest influence on American history.
Between 1524 and 1803, the French explored, settled, and/or controlled all
or part of 30 states (60% of the U.S.) before they became part of the United
States.
Moreover, without France, America might have lost the Revolutionary War and
the United States might have never even existed. By 1781, the British had conquered
Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and most of Virginia, and they were
well on their way to defeating the U.S. in the Revolutionary War. Then, after
Ben Franklin convinced French King Louis XVI to help the Americans, the French
army and navy turned the tides of the war by surrounding the British army at
Yorktown, Virginia. Of the four generals and admirals who won this decisive
victory, three were French—Generals Lafayette and Rochambeau and Admiral
Grasse—and one was American: future 1st President George Washington.
The American Colonies officially gained their independence by the 1782 Treaty
of Paris, in which France doubled the size of the United States by granting
it all of the formerly French territory between the Appalachian peaks and the
Mississippi River. So it’s thanks to France that the U.S. exists and
that it includes Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the western parts of West Virginia, Virginia,
North Carolina, & Georgia.
In 1803, French Emperor Napoleon allowed the U.S. to double in size once again
by selling the central third of the U.S. to our 3rd President and former ambassador
to France, Thomas Jefferson. The Louisiana Purchase gave the U.S. the former
French territories of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado,
Wyoming, and Montana.
Not surprisingly, given that France explored or controlled 60% of the United
States at various times over a period of 280 years, tens of millions of Americans
have French blood. Moreover, in the last few decades, millions more immigrants
have come to the U.S. from French-speaking countries and regions in Canada
(Quebec), Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), the Caribbean (Haiti),
and Africa (see above). For instance, experts estimate that there are about
450,000 immigrants from French-speaking Haiti living in Florida alone.
One can still see the French influence on this region in the names of its cities
and counties. For example, Kentucky’s largest city is Louisville and
its second largest city—Lexington —is in Fayette County, named
after Lafayette. Moreover, all of these cities and counties have wholly or
partly French names: Bourbon Co., Garrard Co., Gallatin Co., Larue Co., Paris,
Versailles, Bellevue, La Grange, Corbin, Erlanger, Barbourville, Nicholasville,
Danville, Pikeville, Campbellsville, Burkesville, Shelbyville,…
The French impact on U.S. government
Our American system of government is founded on three crucial documents: the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The
authors of these three texts—including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin
Franklin, who both served as ambassadors to France—filled them with ideas
taken from the writings of the 18th-Century French Enlightenment philosophers:
Rousseau, Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, Condorcet, etc. So, only through
reading French can one fully understand the sources of American democracy.
The French impact on Appalachian arts & crafts
Many of the greatest artists and craftsman in Early Kentucky had French connections.
Kentucky’s greatest naturalist and wildlife artist—John James Audubon—was
born in Haiti and raised in France. Early Kentucky’s greatest sporting
artist—Edward Troye—was born in Switzerland. Moreover, early Kentucky’s
greatest silversmith (Asa Blanchard), portrait artist (Matthew Jouett), and
greatest landscape artist (Paul Sawyier) all had French roots. So, understanding
the arts and crafts of France, Switzerland, etc. can provide great insights
into the development of Kentucky’s own arts and crafts traditions.
The French impact on American & Appalachian
architecture
When we think of the U.S., we think of New York and its Statue of Liberty & Washington,
D.C. and its many monuments. But did you realize that France discovered, created,
or inspired them all? France discovered Manhattan in 1524. French engineers
Bartholdi and Eiffel created the Statue of Liberty, which France gave to the
U.S. in 1886. French architect Pierre L’Enfant designed the city of Washington
to be a miniature Paris, with large parks, height-limits to preserve the skyline,
tree-lined boulevards going in all directions, and traffic circles. And Washington’s
most famous monuments—including the White House, the Capitol Building,
the Washington Monument, the Supreme Court, and the Jefferson & Lincoln
Memorials are all Neo-Classical (columns, domes, etc.), imitating French models
such as Le Panthéon, La Madeleine, Les Invalides, and the Concorde Obelisk
(which were themselves inspired by Italian, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian models).
Likewise, Washington’s National Cathedral and New York’s St. Patrick’s
Cathedral both feature French Gothic architecture as found in Paris’s
Notre Dame.
If French-inspired architecture dominates our nation’s capital and largest
city, it also dominates Appalachia. Throughout the Appalachian states, most
State Capitol Buildings, Courthouses, and other government buildings—such
as Kentucky and West Virginia’s Capitols —are Neo-Classical. Likewise,
many of Appalachia’s largest churches—including Louisville’s
Cathedral, Covington’s Cathedral, Lexington’s First Baptist, and
Berea’s College’s own Danforth Chapel—are in the French Gothic
style.
The French impact on Berea’s Great Commitments I: Equality
of blacks & whites
Berea prides itself in its Great Commitments, the foundation of the college.
One of the most important commitments—to “equality among blacks
and whites—grew out of the thinking of the 18th-century French Enlightenment
philosophers: Rousseau, Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, Condorcet, etc. These
French philosophers were among the first to condemn slavery & argue for
the equality of Blacks. French politicians took the ideas of these French philosophers
to heart, freeing slaves in France in 1830 and in the French colonies in 1848.
Meanwhile, in 1804, the French-speaking blacks of Haiti, led by Toussaint-Louverture,
proved that blacks were capable of democracy by establishing the first independent
black republic in the New World. The theories and actions of these French-speaking
philosophers & politicians inspired American abolitionists to fight slavery
and to create Berea College to educate blacks and whites together.
The French impact on Berea’s Great Commitments II: Equality
of men & women
Berea is also founded on the principle of “equality for women and men.” This
idea grew out of the writings of such early feminists as the French thinker
Olympe de Gouges, who published her “Declaration of the Rights of Women” in
1791, during the French Revolution. In this document, De Gouges declared that
women had all the rights that men have, including the rights to vote and hold
property and the rights to free speech and fair trials. This inspired Berea’s
founders to educate men and women together and to treat them equally—as
in our Great Commitments.
The French impact on Berea’s Great
Commitments III: Equal rights of the poor
According to the first of our Great Commitments, Berea also exists to “provide
an educational opportunity primarily for students… who have… limited
economic resources.” This means that we believe that the poor have the
same rights to an education as the wealthy. This Commitment grew out of the
ideas of the 18th-century French philosophers and of the French Revolution
of 1789, in which all citizens were to have the same rights regardless of wealth
or class.
The French impact on Berea’s Great
Commitments IV: The labor program
Berea’s fourth Commitment asserts that we believe in enhancing learning
through a “labor program” that includes both “mental and
manual” labor. The 18th-century French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau
popularized the idea that learning a trade and doing craftwork, agricultural
work, and manual labor are essential to learning in Book III of his 1762 novel
titled Emile or On Education. In fact, Berea’s commitments to teaching
all students the “dignity” of “manual” labor and “pride
in labor well done” echo Rousseau’s claim that one must learn a
trade “in order to overcome the prejudices that scorn it” and to
understand the “glory” of hard work.
The French impact on Berea’s Great
Commitments V: The Christian faith
Berea’s third Commitment asserts that we must “stimulate understanding
of the Christian faith and its many expressions….” There are two
kinds of Christians: Catholics & Protestants. France has long been one
of the most important Catholic countries in the world—so important that
the Popes moved the center of the Catholic church to Avignon, France for most
of the 14th century. Moreover, the Frenchman John Calvin (1509-64) was one
of the two creators of Protestantism and his version of Protestantism came
to dominate the Protestantism of France, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Holland,
Canada, and the United States. So, knowledge of French and French culture can
deepen ones understanding of Berea’s Christian commitment.
The French Impact on Berea’s Great
Commitments VI: Peace with justice
The preface to our Great Commitments asserts that we should strive for “peace
with justice.” Many of the 18th-century French philosophers advocated
for peace by criticizing the militarism and warmongering of many contemporary
European countries (cf. Voltaire’s 1759 Candide). Moreover, another country
where French is spoken—Switzerland—has established itself as one
of the world’s greatest advocates for peace by remaining neutral for
hundreds of years and by hosting peace talks for warring countries around the
world. Many peace-seeking charitable organizations are headquartered in France
and Switzerland, including The Red Cross & Doctors without Borders.
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