Mission

In acknowledging the privileged role in the created world which language and culture play in achieving God's purposes and in recognizing the responsibilities of Christians to serve God and others in every aspect of life, the Department of French is committed to teaching language, literature, and culture; to providing appropriate service related to such teaching; and to engaging in scholarly exploration of the French language and francophone literatures and cultures.

Integration of Faith and Learning

Believing that Christians are created in God's image and are redeemed children of God, the faculty of the French Department at Calvin acknowledges the responsibilities of Christians to serve God and others in every aspect of life.  In occupying an important place in the created world, language has long been a special instrument for achieving God's purposes, from the dispersal of earth's inhabitants at Babel to the outpouring of blessing at Pentecost.  In recognizing, therefore, the multilingual and multicultural dimensions of life as part of God's creation, we affirm our commitment to exploring those dimensions so that we may be more effective agents of service and blessing.

The foreign language class is one vehicle by which students can develop appreciation for the richness of other cultures, the intricacies of verbal and written communication, and, by contrast, the peculiarities of our own culture and language system.  For the department faculty members, integrating faith and learning implies a faithful effort to help students develop such appreciation.  Furthermore, we believe that the classroom atmosphere should reflect values held by Christians:  the dignity of each student, the obligation to view our peers as image bearers of God, and the responsibility to affirm each other in the spirit of community.  Finally, the classroom should provide a context in which the Christian faith can be expressed openly through Scripture reading, prayers, songs, etc.

Integrating what we learn with what we believe is a task for both teacher and student.  The teacher should serve as facilitator, while each student must work individually to internalize the integration