Class Introduction: French

Foreign Language Courses | Foreign Language II: French

Students choose French classes for many reasons: “the pronunciation sounds cool,” “the streets of Paris look beautiful,” or sometimes just “for no particular reason.” At first, you may not have a clear idea of how learning French can broaden your future opportunities.

However, French is spoken by nearly 400 million people and is an official language not just in France, but across numerous African countries and parts of Canada. Learning this language—which is also one of the official languages of the United Nations and the European Union—does more than just build a foundation for your future academic and professional pursuits. Above all, it opens the door to the rich and diverse Francophone world, which you might otherwise never have had the chance to discover. 

In the Faculty of Economics, you will develop well-rounded proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Furthermore, going beyond mere language acquisition, we offer more specialized courses that allow you to explore Francophone society, history, literature, cinema, and philosophy from multiple perspectives. 

For students who wish to deepen their learning even further, a comprehensive range of study abroad programs is available. You will have opportunities to learn alongside students from around the world through study abroad programs at Keio University’s partner institutions in the Francophone world. These include the Faculty of Economics’ Double Degree Program with Sciences Po, as well as exchange programs with École Polytechnique and HEC Paris. In addition, short-term study abroad programs during long vacations are offered at Sciences Po and École Centrale de Nantes (the latter organized by the Faculty of Science and Technology).

In 2026, the Faculty of Economics launched the “Plurilingual and Pluricultural Studies” program, which officially recognizes students’ dedication to their second foreign language. A certificate of completion will be awarded to students who complete the required coursework together with either an approved study abroad program or an Independent Research Project.  

Learning a foreign language means encountering people whose languages, cultures, and perspectives differ from your own. Such encounters are often full of surprises and can sometimes deeply challenge your assumptions and values. Such experiences reshape your worldview and broaden your horizons. In our increasingly complex world, where people from diverse backgrounds interact, why not take the first step toward a deeper understanding of the world and a richer way of thinking by learning French with us?

(Kanako Imaseki, Associate Professor)