France’s economy is ranked among the world’s top 10 largest economies, and French is an official language in 29 countries around the world. Because of this, professional French skills are in high demand in the increasingly global marketplace. This semester, three of Grove City’s French students embarked on a mission to learn about French business culture and language in the Business French course taught by Dr. Kelsey Madsen.
Students studied vocabulary, concepts and cultural mores for everything from shipping to the stock exchange. This course aims to prepare students to pass the Diplôme de français professionnel, a comprehensive, internationally-recognized exam offered by the Paris Île-de-France Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry to certify competence in French skills used in a business context.
French students Matthew Schallus, Grace Thurman and Emma Hagan, along with their professor, Dr. Madsen, registered for the Diplôme exam at varying levels of difficulty. In order to take the exam, students traveled to a testing site at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio on May 3. There, everyone took the written and oral portions of the exam, which were sent off to Paris for evaluation.
The group also took advantage of their time in Cleveland to enjoy French culture with a visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art. In the brief time they had to tour the museum, they prioritized visiting the two spaces dedicated to French art: one room contains medieval French tapestries and manuscripts, and another houses Impressionist paintings by artists such as Claude Monet.
The day in Cleveland was an intellectually rewarding adventure, and French Club is considering organizing a more extensive museum visit soon.