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French

Would you like to be able to chat with a winemaker in the Loire Valley? Discuss the menu with a waiter in a Parisian café? Frequent the Latin Quarter and talk about existentialism in the Café de la Sorbonne? Then learning French as part of a major in International Languages and Cultures is the ideal way to start.

Enrolment into the PGCert, PGDip, BA(Hons) and MA in Japanese will be suspended from 2022.

At undergraduate (Bachelors) level, a French specialisation is offered through a major in International Languages and Cultures.

French is one of the world's most important languages, being widely used in commerce and diplomacy. The role of France in European history and civilization means that French culture has an influence which extends all around the world. Including French in your university studies gives you many advantages:

  • If you want to work overseas, knowledge of foreign languages and cultures is a bonus. English is not as universally recognised as you might think, and the ability to communicate in another language makes a big difference.
  • If your career plans involve international marketing or hotel management, French is an asset. New Caledonia and French Polynesia are both near neighbours and trading partners, while further afield there are nearly fifty territories where French is an official language.
  • If your future lies in the sciences, French will give you access to a huge number of professional journals and contacts in everything from agriculture to physics.
  • People. You get to communicate with people, make friends and share ideas through language. Imagine being in a café in Paris with ten other people, each from a different land, each speaking French; only your language skills let you participate.
  • Personal enrichment. A foreign language opens up new worlds, through culture, literature, films and so on.
  • Experience. We are all to some extent afraid of what we do not know. That fear leads us to make biased judgements about strangers and foreigners. Learning another person's language opens our minds to understanding and to other cultures.

Apply to enrol

Key information

Area of Study:

Study French in these qualifications

Study French as a specialisation of

Career opportunities

  • Diplomat
  • Hospitality Operator
  • International Lawyer
  • Tour Guide
  • Translator or Interpreter
  • Travel Agent

100 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
FRNCH131French for Beginners15.024B (Hamilton)
Learn the basics of written and spoken French including greetings, family, city life and daily routines. No previous knowledge of French is needed.

200 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
FRNCH231Intermediate French 115.024A (Hamilton)
Take your written and spoken French to the next level. This paper focuses on the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing the French language at an intermediate level.
FRNCH232Intermediate French 215.024B (Hamilton)
This paper is the continuation of FRNCH231.
INTLC225The French-speaking World from Astérix to Zombies15.024B (Online)
Discover the result of contact between French, regional and Indigenous cultures in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Topics include language revitalisation, the Slave Trade, Creoles and Vodou. This paper is taught in English.

300 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
FRNCH331Advanced French 115.024A (Hamilton)
Use your French in practical contexts. This paper covers work, CV-writing, presentations, travel, accommodation and everyday life in France.
FRNCH332Advanced French 215.024B (Hamilton)
Extend your written and spoken French skills through creative writing and discussion of current affairs in France.
INTLC301Research Methods in International Languages and Cultures15.024B (Hamilton)
After workshops covering intercultural contexts in research, bibliography, literature reviews, ethics, data collection and editing, students will prepare a research report.
INTLC317French Culture from Versailles to the Revolution15.024B (Hamilton)
A study of France's literary, social, and historical movements from the Golden Age of Versailles through to the Enlightenment and the Revolution it inspired.
INTLC380Study Abroad 115.024G (Block), 24I (Block) & 24X (Block)
This paper will enable students to undertake appropriate individual study abroad programmes as part of their undergraduate degree. Each study programme should have a significant component of time spent offshore, with a series of assessments being agreed in advance with the paper convenor.

800 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
FRNCH800French MPhil Thesis120.024X (Hamilton)
No description available.

900 Level

Code Paper Title Points Occurrence / Location
FRNCH900French PhD Thesis120.024I (Hamilton), 24J (Hamilton), 24K (Hamilton) & 24X (Hamilton)
No description available.

Scholarships and prizes

New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.

Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships

Find your scholarship

The University’s exchange agreements with France’s Université de La Rochelle and the University of New Caledonia allows students to study for a trimester in France as part of their undergraduate degree.

Students wishing to work in France, New Caledonia or Tahiti can take a break from their studies and spend a year in a French-speaking school as an English teaching assistant. Students need at least beginner's French to be eligible to apply.  There is also an exchange with the University of Avignon in the South of France.  These exchanges often lead to contacts and further employment in Europe.

Subject links

European Languages Programme

French is available as a pathway within the International Languages and Cultures major or as a supporting subject for the BA, and as a supporting subject within other undergraduate degrees, subject to academic approval of the Faculty or School of Studies in which the student is enrolled.

The focus of the specialisation is to provide students with the opportunity to develop language skills that might enhance their ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.

International Languages and Cultures major with a specialisation in French
International Languages and Cultures is available as a major for the BA and may also be taken as a second major or as a supporting subject within other undergraduate degrees. A major in International Languages and Cultures with a specialisation in French requires 135 points, and students must complete FRNCH131, FRNCH231, FRNCH232, FRNCH331, FRNCH332.

For more information about subject requirements please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information.

French in other majors
A minor or specialisation within other majors requires 60 points above level 100 in French, students must complete FRNCH231, FRNCH232 and FRNCH331,

Entry

The point of entry into the French programme depends on previous experience. Students with no knowledge of French should take FRNCH131, Students with 14 credits at Level 3 NCEA French, or equivalent, will gain direct entry into FRNCH231. Students with excellent results at Level 2 NCEA French, or equivalent, may, at the discretion of the Convenor of French, begin with FRNCH231.

If you have any questions and need more advice contact one of our friendly student advisors phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4080 or email: [email protected]

Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the papers section above.

Contacts

School of Arts
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4932
General and Undergraduate Email Enquiries: [email protected]
Graduate and Postgraduate Email Enquiries: [email protected]