- FACULTY OF LANGUAGES & LITERATURE
Department of French
Established in 1962, the Department of French has been a pioneering centre for French studies in Goa, fostering linguistic excellence and cultural engagement for over six decades.
Overview
The Department of French at CES’s Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Science stands as a pioneering and leading centre for French studies in the State of Goa and is one of its kind in South Goa. Established in 1962, the department, though small in size, is vibrant in spirit and vision. For over six decades, it has been committed to imparting holistic, high-quality education that equips students to meet the linguistic, cultural, and professional challenges of an ever-evolving global landscape.
The department offers a wide range of undergraduate courses, enabling students to pursue French either as a Major or a Minor. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to ensure the steady and systematic development of both written and spoken proficiency. An immersion-based approach is adopted, with French used as the medium of instruction at all levels, allowing learners to naturally acquire language skills while progressing gradually from one semester to the next.
Constantly striving for academic excellence, the department actively integrates innovative pedagogical practices and modern teaching methodologies. It fosters a warm, inclusive, and stimulating learning environment that encourages students to explore language not merely as a system of grammar and vocabulary, but as a gateway to new cultures, perspectives, and ways of thinking.
The department is supported by a well-equipped library featuring an extensive collection of French literary works, language manuals, workbooks, and reference materials. Its greatest strength lies in its dedicated and highly qualified faculty, with expertise spanning French language, literature, culture, translation, tourism, business communication, phonetics, and creative writing.
Complementing academics, the department offers skill enhancement courses, technology-enabled teaching, and vibrant cultural activities such as Jour de Bastille and Soirée Française. Together, these initiatives ensure a dynamic, enriching, and career-oriented learning experience for every student.
Vision
To emerge as a dynamic hub of academic excellence that inspires and empowers students to pursue mastery in foreign language acquisition. The Department envisions providing rigorous, high-quality training that fosters the holistic development of learners by refining their creative writing abilities, oral communication, professional competencies, and essential life skills. Through this comprehensive and learner-centric approach, we aim to nurture confident, culturally sensitive, and adaptable individuals who can navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving and highly demanding global landscape with confidence, competence, and grace.
Mission
The mission of the Department of French is to foster excellence in spoken and written French while cultivating a deep understanding of French culture and civilisation, thereby promoting strong intercultural awareness. We are committed to building students’ confidence, public speaking ability, and real-life communicative competence through meaningful, technology-enabled, and engaging teaching–learning practices. With a balanced focus on language proficiency, employability, and essential life skills rooted in savoir-faire and savoir-vivre, we strive to open pathways to the rich worlds of French art, literature, philosophy, science, and culture. Above all, we aim to inspire our students by leading with integrity and humanistic values, empowering them to become responsible global citizens in a rapidly globalising world.
Department Faculty
Activities Organised
Teaching & Learning method
The Department of French adopts a dynamic, learner-centred teaching–learning framework that moves beyond rote memorisation to foster critical thinking, creativity, and real-world language application. Teaching is anchored in interactive lectures that actively engage students in constructing knowledge alongside the facilitator, thereby promoting higher-order learning. Classroom discussions serve as vibrant platforms for critical reflection and creative exchange, enabling learners to analyse contemporary issues and propose innovative solutions. Simulations and role-playing are extensively used to recreate authentic linguistic and cultural contexts, particularly enhancing oral proficiency, cultural sensitivity, and problem-solving skills. Collaborative and cooperative learning strategies further enrich the learning environment by encouraging peer interaction, shared responsibility, and knowledge co-creation. These pedagogies are seamlessly aligned with continuous and formative evaluation methods such as presentations, group tasks, simulations, role-plays, reflective assignments, and participatory assessments, ensuring a holistic evaluation of linguistic competence, interpersonal skills, and cultural understanding.
Best Practices
Role Play Method
The Department of French adopts the Role Play Method as a flagship best practice for achieving effective teaching–learning and outcome-based evaluation. Closely aligned with course and programme learning outcomes, this method enables students to apply theoretical knowledge of grammar and syntax to authentic, real-life communicative situations. Learners work in carefully balanced groups to design and enact dialogues, fostering experiential learning and creativity. A transparent, criterion-based assessment framework—shared in advance—ensures fairness, objectivity, and clarity in evaluation. Beyond linguistic proficiency, role play cultivates teamwork, problem-solving abilities, cultural sensitivity, and essential soft skills such as confidence, articulation, diction, and interpersonal communication, making it a holistic and impactful pedagogical practice.
Meritorious Alumni of the Department:
Dr. Natasha Maria Gomes
Batch 2008-2009
Assistant Professor
Discipline of French and Francophone studies, The Shenoi Goembab School of Languages & Literature, Goa University.
Link to website : https://gomesnatasha.in/
