Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

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Why choose French at PCC?

Did you know that French is the second most frequently taught language in the world after English and that French and English are the only two global languages? French is the only language other than English spoken on five continents. The International Organization of Francophonie has 51 member states and governments. Of these, 28 countries have French as an official language. With that kind of global reach, French is useful for business, diplomacy, education and much more!

PCC French classes feature:

• Both in-person and remote classes to suit your needs
• A supportive and fun classroom environment (in-person and on Zoom) with a lot of partner/group work and one-on-one instructor support
• Language immersion made easy through interactive, intuitive, student-focused instruction with an emphasis on meaningful communication
• Full integration of speaking, grammar, writing, listening, and culture at every level
• Instructors with Master’s Degrees and 25+ years of experience teaching French as a second language (and who have been students of French ourselves!)
• Instructors with native fluency who have lived and worked abroad
• Access to a course website with video, audio, and other activities for at-home use
• One textbook and a fully interactive website for a full 2-year course sequence (FR 101-102-103 and FR 201-202-203)
• Free French tutors and instructor office hours for additional help
• Fun, cultural opportunities such as French concerts, conversation groups, immersion week-ends, and more!
• Free tuition for senior citizens over the age of 62 who audit

Award information

PCC offers classes in this program but not a degree. These classes can be used as electives and as part of the following university transfer plans:

What will you learn?

At PCC, we teach all of our first and second year French courses in full immersion and focus on the five skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture. We integrate grammar lessons in a natural and fun way so that you can immediately use it for meaningful communication all while developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for the culture.

Our in person and online French courses are all taught with live class meetings twice a week either at the Sylvania campus or via Zoom. Each class session features both teaching of new material and a lot of partner/small group practice in a culture driven format with the goal of communication (not just grammar tests!). Our classes allow students to practice with classmates and get immediate feedback from the instructor.

Students can also interact with their instructors during Zoom office hours. Free online French tutors are available for extra practice and help.

We are happy to report that students are attaining the same levels of oral, written, and listening proficiency as they do in on-campus face-to-face classes and we regularly receive feedback that our students perform above average when transferring to 4-year institutions (e.g. PSU, U of O, etc.). We would love to have you as part of our program!

What will you do?

Undergraduates who study French can use their language skills for careers in:

• International Business
• Sciences (e.g. CERN)
• Engineering (France has some of the top engineers)
• IT (I myself worked in the financial software industry in Paris)
• Fashion (many students go on to fashion institutes in Paris)
• Sports (e.g. soccer, tennis, cycling, fencing, etc.)
• Education (teaching locally and abroad)
• International relations & politics (e.g. cultural liasons, United Nations, etc.)
• Community/economic development (e.g. Peace Corps)
• Medicine (e.g. Doctors Without Borders, etc.)
• And more!