我们的主要目标是确保我们的学生不仅能精通外语，而且还能在自己的文化框架内获得对法语和/或意大利语国家的语言和文化的批判性见解。学生会遇到各种各样的真实材料，包括阅读材料，视频，电影，法语和意大利语电视，新闻和基于网络的活动。他们有机会接触到许多法文和意大利文化做出了巨大贡献的领域，例如视觉艺术和电影，音乐，流行文化，社会学，政治学或美食。通过这些方式，学生可以培养他们在各种文本和文化作品中创造和解释意义的能力，并发现与他们之间的联系。
The Department of French and Italian (FIT) offers undergraduate students exceptional opportunities to study and experience some of the rich literature and culture of the French and Italian-speaking worlds. Our 16 regular faculty, half of whom are native speakers of French or Italian, include scholars of international distinction in all the subjects taught, from medieval literature to contemporary film. In addition, distinguished visiting faculty frequently supplement the department's diverse offerings.<br>We offer instruction in both languages at the 100 and 200 levels in our Language Programs, and exciting, interdisciplinary courses in French and Italian languages, literature, and cultures at all levels. We pride ourselves on providing a supportive environment for our certificate students and concentrators, who benefit from a high level of personal attention with accessible advisors. Our concentration has customized plans of study and a wealth of resources and research support.<br>Our primary goal is to ensure that our students do not only achieve linguistic proficiency in the foreign language, but also gain a critical perspective of the language and cultures of the French and or/Italian-speaking world from within their own cultural framework. Students encounter a wide range of authentic material, including readings, videos, films, French and Italian television, news, and web-based activities. There are opportunities for them to be exposed to many areas to which French and Italian culture have greatly contributed, such as the visual arts and cinema, music, popular culture, sociology, political science or gastronomy. By these means, students develop their ability to create and interpret meaning across a wide variety of texts and cultural productions and discover connections to them. All class work is conducted in the target language, with a strong emphasis on communicative activities and discussions, along with a solid program of linguistic training.