French
The Department of World Languages and Literatures offers a range of French language courses at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, and a variety of courses on French and Francophone cultures, history, literature, and cinema. Additionally, students have opportunities to complete internships in French and study commercial French for international trade, which prepares them for the Business French certificate, or Diplôme de français professionnel (DFP), offered on the SMU campus.
Why Study French?
1. French is one of the world's major languages
As of 2026, there are 396 million speakers of French world-wide. It is the fourth most spoken language in the world and second most studied.
2. French is the language of international trade, diplomacy, medicine, and sports
French is an official language of the UN, UNESCO, WHO, Doctors Without Borders, the International Olympic Committee, and FIFA.
3. French is the language of some of the world’s largest companies in fields such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, transportation, and luxury goods.
- Danone, L’Oréal, LVMH, Airbus, Total Energy, and Michelin are French companies.
- DFW ranks 2nd in the US among cities with major French companies.
French opens access to fast-growing francophone markets in Africa, one of the world’s most dynamic regions for entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and investment.
4. French helps you to understand a variety of world perspectives
- French is spoken in more than 56 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
- Every continent offers French-speaking destinations.
- France is the most visited country in the world, with over 100 million tourists each year.