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Why Learn French?

French is a Romance language spoken by about 300 million people in 54 countries worldwide as either a native or second language. Descended from the Latin of the Roman Empire, it was influenced by the Celtic and German languages. It is an official language in 41 countries in the French La Francophonie, the community of French-speaking nations. It is an administrative language of the European Union, the International Olympic Committee, and the United Nations among others. Along with English, it is the most used language in the European Commission.

Mt. SAC offers beginning and intermediate, university-transferable French language courses that include both verbal and written learning, including an extensive web site with sound and video files to help students learn pronunciation, taught by native speakers in both English and French.

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Course Offerings

French (FRCH)

If you have prior experience in French and would like to take a placement test, please contact the French Language Coordinator at salghannam@mtsac.edu before the term you plan to enroll.

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10 Good Reasons for Studying French at Mt. SAC

1.  The French textbook for the first three semesters comes with a free, downloadable audio program, free websites with an integrated spoken dictionary, and hundreds of links to other resources on the web useful for the study of French language and culture, and a free video program.
   
   
2. The Mt. SAC French Program has an outstanding reputation for excellence and completeness.
   
   
3. The Mt. SAC French Program offers four levels of French language classes and French Culture Through Cinema (taught in English).
   
   
4. The Mt. SAC French Program includes extra-curricular activities and benefits:
   • French Circle hosts virtual visits to notable French sites, including the Eiffel Tower, the Castle of Versailles, and the Catacombs & Cemetery Pere-Lachaise
   • Every year, one outstanding French student who continues studying French at a four-year institution receives the Vigano-Halabi French Scholarship in the amount of $500.00.
   • Weekly French tutoring is available for free
     
     
5. French is the native language of some 200 million people and is the second language of millions more. In Europe, it is spoken in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. In the Americas, it is an official language of Canada and is spoken in the Caribbean.
   
   
6. French fashion designers, artists, writers, musicians, chefs, and filmmakers have had a wide influence in the United States and the rest of the world. Who hasn't heard of Christian Dior, Chanel, and Pierre Cardin? Impressionist painters like Monet, musicians like Ravel and Boulez, and novelists like Flaubert and Camus have influenced world culture. Michel Foucault was a founder of postmodernism.
   
   
7. French is a language of tourism. Paris is the third most visited international city by Americans. France is the second-most-visited country in the world, and Quebec offers a taste of Europe in North America.
   
   
8. French is a language of business. Today, American companies have over 2,000 subsidiaries in France, and French companies have over 600 subsidiaries in the United States. Major corporations with headquarters or subsidiaries in the United States and France include DuPont, Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, Apple Computer, Michelin, Renault, Bic, and many more.
   
   
9. French is a key language in the European Union of twenty-seven nations, the world's largest economic entity, with a population of 350 million and a gross national product larger than that of the United States.
   
   
10. French is the language of the well-educated in parts of Southeast Asia, North Africa, and much of Western and Central Africa. Being able to speak French is an asset for anyone interested in working in international organizations such as the Peace Corps. 

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Faculty

Photos	Name	Phone	Office	Email
	Solene Alghannam	909-274-3443	66-235	salghannam@mtsac.edu
	Marie Anglin			manglin@mtsac.edu
	Florence Erturk			ferturk@mtsac.edu
	Marguerite Nguyen			mnguyen126@mtsac.edu
	Mika Merino			mmerino2@mtsac.edu
	Anne Lavalle-Shepston			alavalleshepston@mtsac.edu