Armentières, France (June 1989)
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Whether you are studying French or exploring larger questions about culture, history, identity, and the contemporary world, my courses and those offered by my colleagues will encourage you to ask important and timely questions, make connections across disciplines and cultures, and think seriously about where your education might lead next.
Spring 2027
Spring 2027
FR 1102
FR 1102
Elementary French Language and Culture II
Tuesdays & Thursdays · 4:00–5:50 p.m.
Continue building your ability to communicate in French while developing your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and exploring cultures of the French-speaking world.
Required text: Portails 2.0: Introductory French · Lessons 8–14
In person · Regular attendance and participation required.
FR 2202
FR 2202
Intermediate French Language and Culture II
Tuesdays & Thursdays · 2:00–3:50 p.m.
Build greater confidence and independence in French as you strengthen your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and deepen your engagement with cultures of the French-speaking world.
Required text: Portails 1.0: Intermediate French · Lessons 6–10
In person · Regular attendance and participation required.
Cultures of France
Asynchronous online
What does it mean to be “French”?
Explore different—and sometimes competing—ideas of France and “Frenchness” through culture, history, language, politics, identity, and contemporary debates.
Students investigate how cultures are constructed, represented, challenged, and reconsidered through film, literature, music, journalism, and other cultural texts.
Taught in English · No knowledge of French required.
WLC 4400
WLC 4400
Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates
By appointment
Individual advanced study arranged in consultation with the instructor.
Questions Worth Asking
Questions Worth Asking
What is “liberty”?
What is the role of the “past” in the “present”?
How can we understand the political volatility in France or around the world?
Are concepts like “trust,” “optimism,” and “fidelity” overrated?
How can one make progress in one's personal and/or professional life without “lying”?
How does studying French help one better understand phenomena and events in one's own country and/or other countries?
My interdisciplinary courses invite students to explore questions like these—and to develop the knowledge and tools needed to formulate responses of their own.
Where Might French Take You?
Where Might French Take You?
Cal Poly's French Minor
Cal Poly's French Minor
Already studying French? You may be closer to completing a French minor than you think.
A French minor can complement your major while giving you the opportunity to continue developing your French, explore the cultures, histories, and contemporary societies of the French-speaking world, and—perhaps most importantly—ask yourself how you might leverage your French studies as you pursue your major.
Beyond Cal Poly
Beyond Cal Poly
How might you leverage your French studies after Cal Poly?
French might become part of your plans for graduate study, work, volunteering, travel, or other personal and professional goals. One particularly interesting possibility is the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF), which has taken Cal Poly students to France to teach English.
One path: Elizabeth Dodge (Sociology ’22), a former French minor, taught English in Le Mans through TAPIF. She found that what she had studied in her Cal Poly French and Cultures of France courses helped her connect with people and navigate life in France.
Another path: Anaïs Lohier (Business Administration ’25), who minored in both French and Biology, combined her interests in business, science, and French before pursuing a master’s degree in Bioinformatics at Yale.
For My Students
For My Students
Don't waste the privileged years you have at Cal Poly.
I pledge to help hardworking, serious, and dedicated students excel in their studies—whether in French or in other fields—and think carefully about where their education might lead.
Think deliberately about what you want to do with French.
If you are taking French with me, I encourage you to think about how you want to use the language and would be happy to meet with you to discuss your options.
A good starting point is ACTFL’s Oral Proficiency Levels in the Workplace, which can help you think more concretely about what different levels of proficiency allow you to do.
Recommended for My Students
Recommended for My Students
Course Policies
Course Policies
Spring 2028
Spring 2028
TBA
The Move from Quarters to Semesters
The Move from Quarters to Semesters
Updated 3 September 2026
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