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We offer elementary to intermediate French courses as well as a variety of culture and history courses. Use the links below to see full course descriptions and the current schedule of classes.

French | Associate in Arts (AA) Degree

Major in French AND earn a degree. By completing the French major program at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C you will earn an AA degree in French as well as complete many of your lower division major requirements to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in French prior to transferring to a four-year university.

Foreign Language Proficiency in French | Occupational Skills Certificate

Demonstrate your proficiency in the French Language with an Occupational Skills Certificate! Certificates are available in Basic Proficiency in French (12-13 unit certificate) and Intermediate Proficiency in French (12-14 unit certificate).

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Certificate Completion

To earn an Occupational Skills Certificate, you must complete all required courses with a C or better. If you qualify for an Occupational Skills Certificate, you will be notified in the spring.

• You need 16 units, choose any French classes you want as long as you have 16 units or more 
• On your transcript, it will be noted that you have earned a "Certificate of Achievement in French"

These program maps represent possible pathways through the program and are for reference only.

Associate in Arts
The French program offers a broad spectrum of courses, ranging from language instruction to studies of civilization, culture, literature, and the arts. Language courses focus on all four skills—reading and listening comprehension, writing, and speaking. 

French Certificate of Achievement
The curriculum prepares the student to read, write, comprehend and speak at the intermediate level and provides knowledge of the cultures of Francophone countries. 

Gathering

Join the French & Francophone Club Salons that meet online and/or in person on campus or at festivities. Our online/on campus Salons provide an engaging place to be, to learn and to discover French and Francophone news, culture, cuisine aspects etc. Come listen to guest speakers who are from different backgrounds but always have the French/Francophone common denominator. They can be students, professors, professionals etc. It is on Friday.

Twice a week, come to listen to the French Fulbright Teaching Assistant ‘Talks who is coming directly from France. He/she/they will speak about music, literature, food, places to discover and more.

Enhancing

But the Club offers more than that and with the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French program, if you feel like practicing or brushing up your French, come to our Chit-Chat À la Française, La Dictée de Timothée, La Table Ronde, for immersing yourself and your passion into the language. All those activities are led by our amazing French Fulbright Teaching Assistant.
All those previous activities happen to be on Friday and we call it "Vendredi Brochette" or
"French Friday Kebab" as the activities are aligned one after the other. It is a fun day!

Participating

We encourage you to be a part also of competitions, festivities on campus or in the greater Los Angeles area like The American French Film Festival where you could be a volunteer.

Community

The club is the opportunity to meet other French students and to create a fun and unique community. And the French & Francophone Club webpage helps all of us to stay connected.

Sharing

If you would like to share an experience, a good tip, a French or Francophone experience, or something else, this is the place to share and exchange. Please check the French & Francophone Club webpage to see our online sessions calendar, articles, news, outings, etc.

For more information about our semester program  or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

You want to "Parler Francais" then join Cami on zoom for a one-on-one 15 min chat! 
You can come prepared or not. Our French Fulbright has always a topic to talk to.

For more information about how to book a spot for the Chit-Chat à la Francaise,
or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

For more information about the French and Francophone Salon,
or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

If you ever feel that spoken French is just a blur of sounds and you want to improve your ability to understand what people are saying, come to this phonetic and spelling activity : La Dictée de Timothée

For students who desire greatly to improve their level of oral French comprehension: there are regular gatherings to do dictées together via Zoom.  It is on Friday. We recommend at least level 2. But it's open to anyone studying French or wanting to improve their French and to anyone (even if level1) who wants to take the challenge .  The meeting will be mainly conducted in French but English can be used so that it is accessible to all levels of French students.  All you need to have is a pen or pencil and paper.

La Dictée de Timothée: monthly event, to develop your learning but also to prepare you for La Dictée Competition. .

Story behind La Dictée de Thimothée

The activity "La Dictée" within the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French Department was initiated by a Fr. 4 student, Timothée Chan, who is a lover of France, French language, French culture etc. During the Spring semester 2021, Timothée organized twice a month an e-gathering and students loved it. It became very quickly "La Dictée de Timothée".

For more information about how to participate to The La Dictée de Timothée or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu

Each session is a discussion held all in French on a contemporary subject, either through a cultural object discovery, a news event, and more! Students talk only in French about diverse topics centered around authentic pedagogical materials: stories, poetry, articles, songs, videos, etc. The event is thus built for French students’ level 3-4 and above, but anyone is welcomed to join to watch and/or participate. We meet on Friday and the session is from one hour up to one hour fifteen minutes. Meetings are online.

For more information about how to participate to The La Table Ronde or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

Students will explore diverse scripts spanning various genres to expand their vocabulary, grasp emotional nuances, and gain deeper insights into French culture. Each session will kick off with enjoyable warm-up exercises to set the stage for active participation.

Activity led by Bry and Laura, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C bilingual students, and with the participation of The Fulbright Teaching Assistant.

For more information about L'Atelier Théâtre  or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French Program is very pleased and honored to welcome a French Fulbright Teaching Assistant at Residence for a year. Having a French FLTA is a unique opportunity for the program but also for the students. It allows to offer many gatherings that complement French learning such as Chit-Chat a La Francaise, Salons, La Dictée de Timothée,La Table Ronde, the cultural FLTA's talks and more. The roles of the French FLTA in our establishment are very unique and versatile as the French FLTA is the leader of those activities as well as being the Public Relation & Webmaster of the official Lancerlife webpage . In addition, the French FLTA is an Ambassador of the French and Francophone culture. She, they or he will go to feeder schools and do a cultural presentation or lead a discussion in French or in English to French high school students as well as to Elementary schools or after school French program such as L'Ecole d'Altadena.

For more information about how to contact the French Fulbright Teaching Assistant or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

If your establishment would be interested to welcome a French Fulbright Assistant, contact the Fulbright FLTA Program, Institute of International Education,   IIE&²Ô²ú²õ±è;•&²Ô²ú²õ±è;The Power of International Education.

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French Program in collaboration with the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C Success Center are pleased to give the opportunity to students to contact and have access to Free French Tutoring with one of our finest French Tutor.

Find French Tutoring at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French Program in collaboration with the International Students Center are please to give the opportunity to students to contact and have access to Free French Tutoring with our wonderful French Fulbright Teaching Assistant.

For more information please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

All members of the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C Community (students, faculty, staff) are welcome to borrow books from The Michele Pedrini French Department Lending Library*. Come to room R217 and feel free to take books that interest you and return them when you are finished so that someone else can enjoy them too.  A box is at your disposal for returning books. Thanks to various donors, our French library presents a very nice assortment of books, including topics such as gastronomy, politics, history, philosophy, and literature from the Middle Ages to the present (and much more). Most of the books are in French but there are some in English as well.

* We wanted to honor the work that Dr. Pedrini had accomplished for the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French program on the course of thirty years, and we wanted to dedicate her the French library as she is the one who came up with that fantastic idea and who created it. Therefore, we named it Michele Pedrini French Department Lending Library.

For more information about how to contact the Michèle Pedrini French Department Lending Library, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C students who are cinephiles and who love French movies, series, or programs will enjoy going to The American French Film Festival in Hollywood at the Directors Guild.  They can discover the latest French films. Some ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French students have already been judges for the American Students Award. Also, when it is possible, French Department members participate with TAFFF and welcome on campus a Master Class which consist of watching a documentary or film and then have a discussion with the French Director in English.
TAFFF is also a wonderful place for volunteering and for now many years, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French students’ volunteers at the festival. They love this immersion experience and it is considered as Community Hours and it helps the French&Francophone Club to do a unique outing.

For more information about The American French Film Festival please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

The English and Language Studies Division organizes its annual Open House for English and Language Studies Majors. This event is to promote our programs, to inform about resources and scholarships, to chat with ELS (English and Language Studies) faculty. Students love as it is a moment to know more about what they have at their disposal and they enjoy the food and the giveaway gifts as swag bags, used books etc.

or to contact the Advisors/Professors, please email Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu or Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu.

Come to listen or participate or both to the annual event The International Poetry Day.

Students and professors from different languages and countries gather to share poems in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, ASL, Arabic, Armenian.

It is an opportunity to embrace sounds, rhythms, emotions, movements, silents and be in touched within ourselves as a new world opens up.

For more information about International Poetry Day  or to contact the Advisors/Professors, please email  Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu or Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu.

Come to our annual World Cheese Tasting. It is an annual event in partnership with the International Student Center and the English and Language Studies Division.

It is an opportunity for students to explore a variety of cheeses from France, Italy and Latin America and learn more about the stories behind and cultures.

Wonderful displays of cheeses from different countries will make you travel and want to be visit those parts of the world.

For more information about World Cheese Tasting  or to contact the Advisors/Professors, please email  Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu or Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu.

Come to our annual Francophonie Symposium. It is an opportunity to discover or re.visit a part of the world (with its beauties, cultures, languages ...)  where we speak French as well as to learn more about elements of History linked with the French colonization. The symposium welcomes guests’ speakers from around the United States and the world who will share their expertise, their culture, their literature etc.

In 2022 the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French & Francophone Club had the honor to be First Place Recipients of the 2022 France on Campus Awards

For more information about Francophonie Symposium  or to contact the Advisors/Professors, please email  Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu or Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu

La Dictée Compétition is an annual event in partnership with L'Alliance Française de Pasadena, the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French Department, and the French & Francophone Club.

It is a fun and intensive two hours immersed in French:  there are quick reviews on grammar, conjugation, and lexicon with preparatory activities. Then comes La Dictée. There will be prizes for everyone.

For more information about our semester program see our official French and Francophone Club webpage or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu.

Languages at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C are so active, so alive and so fun in classes and beyond. Without languages we lose our identity, our roots, our culture...This is why all along during the year we offer gatherings, outings to museums, to festivals etc but for one week each year, and English & Language Studies Division organizes festivities and put on pedestal one of the pilar that makes us human:

Language is the window that lets us understand the world.
Language creates our reality

When we acquire a new language, we unlock different subtle ways to experience a new reality that each language reveals - a reality of thought, culture and people.

During the International Week at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C, you can listen and ask questions to ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C Alumni who are using languages in their profession. Join us for the Foreign Language Career Talk. You can also listen to some Italian opera, watch Spanish films, admire Chinese drums, experience calligraphy, watch a Tea Ceremony, etc.

The ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿C French Department participates actively in promoting French and Francophone cultures. Professors and French and Francophone Club members and students are at our wonderful booth to tell you all about our French Program and our French & Francophone Club.
We will be happy to see you there!

For more information International Week or to contact the Advisors, please email Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu or Emilie Garrigou-Kempton.

2025 launches our first Annual Symposium "Remembering the Holocaust" or "Le Devoir de Mémoire".

During the symposium, we will discuss the history of the Holocaust in France and explore how it is remembered and commemorated.  In addition to an historical overview of the events of World War II in France, we will hear testimonies from survivors and resistance fighters.

Dr Emilie Garrigou-Kempton, one of our Full-time French professors, will be the main leader of The Symposium "Remembering the Holocaust" or "Le Devoir de Mémoire". She is currently working on a project in the field of Holocaust and memory studies which focuses on a corpus of memoirs published by grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and explores how the memory of the genocide is transmitted across generations.

For more information Symposium "Remembering the Holocaust" or "Le Devoir de Mémoire"  or please email Emilie Garrigou-Kempton egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu or Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu.