Being monolingual offers no more advantage today than it did in twelfth- and thirteenth- century England, where French was both a written and spoken vernacular. French was already an international language in the Middle Ages, so it is not surprising to hear French in more than fifty countries on five continents today.
Beginning students of French at Drury gain communicative competence through their study of the French language and French and Francophone culture. French majors and minors at Drury engage even more deeply with the culture, literature, and history of the more than 200 million people who make up the French-speaking world. The French minor and major curricula at Drury offer students the opportunity to attain a higher level of mastery of the French language in preparation for participation in today’s multilingual world.
The foreign language curriculum is designed to introduce all Drury students to selected languages of the world and their cultural and literary traditions. Language majors are prepared for graduate studies and also for careers in a variety of fields including teaching, international business and other professional disciplines. French majors and minors are strongly urged to earn some of the required credits through an approved program in a French-speaking country.
This is a very tough question to answer for four reasons. A great deal varies from student to student depending on:
In general, the U.S. Department of State sets out these guidelines for the languages that Drury offers:
Spanish: 600 class hours
French: 600 class hours
The differences here arise from the foreign language’s differences from English.
These numbers are why we highly recommend an immersion study abroad language experience to achieve fluency. One foreign language course per semester for four years will give students 360- 390 hours. This will give students skill, but fall short of fluency.
In general, we say three years (with a course every semester) plus an intensive immersion experience will produce a fluent speaker.
Other practice, however, can also be achieved through students’ own initiative: speaking with international students, etc.
Generally, our most successful graduates are those who pair their foreign language degree with another degree that will point them toward a professional field (immediate employment or entry into graduate school).
The following list gives some examples from recent Drury graduates who paired their language with another major (or minor) and then went on to professional success. This list is not exhaustive, it is intended to give a few examples of the types of things graduates have done in the past. More details examples or ideas are certainly available.
| Degree | Profession/Fields |
|---|---|
| Foreign Language + Criminology | FBI, Homeland Security |
| Foreign Language + Psychology | Attorney, Social Services, NGO (charity) |
| Foreign Language + Business | NGOs, International Sales Accounting at Multi-National firms Banking, International Stock Trading Information Technology |
| Foreign Language + Pre-Health | Physician, Pharmacist, Nurse, Occupational Therapist |
| Foreign Language + Political Science | International Relations, Federal Government, Attorney |
| Foreign Language + Education | University Professor, University Administration, Secondary Education, Foreign Education (teaching abroad) |
| Foreign Language + Communications | Advertising, Journalist |
| Foreign Language + Architecture | Peace Corps, NGO work |
History
Pi Delta Phi was founded as a departmental honor society at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1906. After twenty years as a local chapter, Pi Delta Phi declared itself the National French Honor Society and chartered the Beta Chapter at the University of Southern California in 1925.
The Society expanded slowly during the next fifteen years. Since the end of World War II, Pi Delta Phi has enjoyed phenomenal growth. At the present time, it numbers more than 350 chapters established at representative public and private colleges and universities in almost every state, as well as chapters in Paris and Aix-en-Provence.
The Society was admitted to membership in the Association of College Honor Societies in 1967. The official publication of Pi Delta Phi is the Newsletter.
Purpose
The purpose of this Society shall be 1) to recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literature; 2) to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world; 3) to stimulate and encourage French and francophone cultural activities.
Membership
There are two categories of membership: regular and honorary.
Regular members include graduate and undergraduate students who shall be nominated in recognition of their academic achievement in at least one semester or quarter of upper division French (300 level), with a minimum GPA 3.00 in French. Graduate students who are candidates for an advanced degree in French are eligible for regular membership. Members in good standing are eligible for scholarships through the national organization. Contact Dr. Blunk for more information about he scholarships.
Honorary members include: the French faculty of the sponsoring institution; members of the faculty at large, diplomats and community leaders who have shown a strong support of French cultures.
National dues for regular members are $40.00. Each member receives the official pin, a certificate, a graduation chord, and a card indicating life membership in the organization.
DU Chapter
The chapter of Pi Delta Phi at Drury University is called Delta Theta. This chapter has been at Drury since 1965. The membership rules to apply are the same as the national society. For further information visit the National French Honor Society website.
All prerequisites must be completed prior to enrollment in the following courses. The French major requires 24 credit hours of coursework. Note: Completion of 101 or 102 (or equivalent) or transfer credit are prerequisites for enrollment in courses at the 200 level.
