Programs in French language and literature teach people the spoken and written traditions of France. Students learn how the language began and continues to develop. They also learn regional dialects. They study myths and writings. They learn to apply their knowledge to business and technology.

Paris has the reputation of being the most beautiful city in the world - and French, the most beautiful language. French literature has a long and honorable tradition. The French philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau contributed many ideas to the Enlightenment. The essayist Montaigne "wrote the book" on expository writing. And playwrights Moliere and Racine were masters of comedy and tragedy, respectively. Victor Hugo's novel "Les Miserables" was an instant hit at the time, and the musical version is still on Broadway today.

In French language and literature programs, you study just what the name implies – language and literature. You take courses from different fields of study, such as art, anthropology, and history. You learn about French culture and history, from the kings of the Middle Ages (think of all those monarchs named Louis), to Napoleon's conquests, to the French revolution where it is said democracy was born. In addition, French is spoken widely across the globe – from areas in Vietnam and Canada, to African and Caribbean countries such as Congo and Haiti, and other European countries, including Belgium and Switzerland. Therefore, in many French language and literature programs, you study French colonialism and the cultures of other French-speaking nations.

Of course, courses in this program teach you how to speak, read, and write French. Many courses also teach you translation techniques and "business French." In addition, you read original, untranslated works of literature, including poems, essays, epics, and novels. You also study folklore and film.

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the French language and literature. Most two-year colleges offer the first two years of study. Students can often transfer these credits to a four-year school. Master's degrees typically take five or six years of full-time study after high school. Doctoral degree programs typically take three to five years after the master's degree. Most people with graduate degrees become professors.

Students who major in French language and literature may be able to choose concentrations such as:

• Conversation
• Dialects
• Folklore
• Interpreting
• Linguistics
• Literature
• Teaching
• Translation