22, no. 3 (Spring 1991): 54-57 To the Editor Search

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IN FALL 1988, the Department of French and Italian at the University of California, Davis, undertook a survey of its undergraduate majors of the previous twenty-five years. One aim of this study was to determine the types of occupations recipients of the BA in French are likely to pursue. We felt that the information obtained from such a survey could be of significant value in counseling, since career options seem to be among the foremost concerns of foreign language majors today. ¹ We were also curious to know whether our alumni had earned advanced degrees and credentials and how extensively their training in the language played a part in their professional or personal lives. The results of this survey, insofar as they relate to curricular matters at the University of California, Davis, may perhaps be of limited interest to the reader. Viewed in a broader perspective, however, they provide insight into student attitudes and trends pertinent to foreign language education.

With the assistance of departmental, university, and alumni-association records, we identified a total 460 French majors for the period 1964–87. We mailed questionnaires to 448 individuals and conducted telephone follow-ups wherever feasible. Of these 448 surveys, 44 were returned as undeliverable; a significant proportion of alumni whose addresses were current also did not choose to reply. When the survey closed in late 1989, we had received 252 responses (see table 1). Of the 404 questionnaires that reached their destinations, 62% were returned to us, a respectable figure by most survey standards.

Certain statistics provided by this survey came as no surprise. French, as an undergraduate field of study, continues to be heavily dominated by women. Only 51 (roughly 12%) of the 460 majors identified were men, a female-male ratio of 8 to 1. However, the year-by-year distribution indicates a changing trend. Since 1983, each graduating class has included at least three to five male French majors, still a disproportionate figure but an increase nevertheless over previous years. The stereotyped notion among male students—that French is a nonlucrative, purely “liberal arts” field of study, with its primary outlet in teaching—appears to be eroding. One reason for this change in perception may be the increasing demand in the business world for bilingual or multilingual young people. These figures, however, only indicate a trend at a particular West Coast institution, and it would be somewhat presumptuous to make sweeping generalizations on the basis of such modest statistics. Clearly, we need more information on the subject form the other institutions. Nonetheless, our survey results suggest that today's students, men as well as women, are more likely than their predecessors to perceive the study of foreign languages as a viable career path.

The greater emphasis, in recent years, on dual specialization involving a foreign language seems to corroborate this view. Two or more decades ago, a student who majored in both French and another discipline constituted an exception. Today, such students tend to be the rule. The competitiveness of the modern job market has induced many undergraduates in nonscientific fields to add a foreign language to their primary area of study, to help them achieve a more rounded preparation. Conversely, many students whose major interest in French are combining this discipline with other compatible fields, primarily the social sciences, to enhance their marketability after graduation. In the period 1964–74, only 47 of 217 French majors at Davis, or 22%, had a secondary field of study. In a similar period of time, between 1975 and 1987, this figure had jumped to 104 out of 243, or 43%. The chosen secondary discipline also changed over the year. Before the mid-1970s, French majors chose second majors primarily in the humanities, with preference for subjects such as English, Spanish, and history. Since then, the emphasis has shifted noticeably to the social sciences. Before 1974, for example, we tallied 14 double majors with English, 9 with Spanish, 8 with history, and only 5 in the combined areas of political science, international relations, and economics. By contrast, from 1975 to 1987, French majors pursued 34 double majors in international relations, 13 in economics, and 7 in political science, compared with 4 in English, 3 in Spanish, and 3 in history (see table 2). These figures suggest, in a microcosmic view, that language students today are highly attuned to the realities of the job market, that they believe the combination of a foreign language and a business-oriented field provides a surer road to success than does the combination of two strictly humanistic disciplines. Social values evidently have changed over the years, and the concept of education, for better or for worse, has assumed a more pragmatic character.

In their pursuit of postgraduate degrees and certificates, many recent alumni are showing a similar departure from tradition. For example, the number of teaching credentials awarded yearly in French has fallen in the past ten years. From 1966 to 1978, approximately 6 to 7 French majors a year earned an elementary or secondary credential on graduation or shortly thereafter. During the 1980s, that number declined to an average of 2. Teaching, in the traditional sense, no longer appears to constitute the primary outlet for a person with a BA in French. An increase has occurred, however, in the number of majors who earn ESL (English as a second language) certificates on graduation and who thus are able to combine in the classroom that training with their background in French. Our statistics also show that an increasing number of students choose postgraduate degrees in business. Many of our recent alumni have earned, are currently studying for, or have expressed an interest in obtaining MBAs or other advanced degrees in fields such as political science, economics, and international management. A bachelor's degree in French in not infrequently a precursor to a law degree, and in contrast to their predecessors in years past, a substantial number of female French alumni are currently enrolled in law school.

The survey's primary value, however, lies in the information that it provides about postgraduate employment. We asked our alumni to indicate the various positions they have held since graduation, excluding part-time or temporary jobs. Graduates have filled 113 positions in business and 97 positions in teaching; in the sciences, as might be expected with a degree in French, the number was a comparatively low 19. (See appendix A for a detailed listing of positions.) We must remember, lest we draw the wrong conclusions, that these figures represents an absolute—the total number of positions over a twenty-five-year period—and that they do not reflect change. For instance, many of the teaching positions, particularly those at the elementary and secondary levels, are held by alumni who graduated more than twelve to fifteen years ago; similarly, positions in the business field are predominantly filled by more recent graduates. According to our survey, the business world has increasingly replaced teaching as the primary job outlet for French majors, and this trend appears to persist. Nonetheless, the teaching profession continues to attract a respectable number of dedicated graduating seniors every year. ²

In addition to seeking information about employment and postgraduate study and asking for a retrospective assessment of the UCD French curriculum, the survey also asked the following general questions:

1. In what respects has your background in French language, literature, and culture played a significant role in your personal life?
2. At this point in your life, how do you feel about having majored in French during your college years?

The overall response was highly favorable. In those instances where complaints were voiced, they tended to focus on issues such as insufficient career counseling, the need for more “culture” in the curriculum (problems long since remedied), and, among early alumni, the paucity of postgraduate job opportunities. While some students indicated that they wished they has chosen a more lucrative field of study, many more lamented the fact that they had not combined their French major with a degree in another discipline.

Of perhaps greater significance—and indeed a most encouraging message to those of us who teach the language—was the assessment of French as a field of study. Disassociated from curricular matters and the job market, French was enthusiastically praised by the vast majority of alumni, who indicated that it had broadened their perspective on the world, given them a better understanding and a tolerance of other cultures, helped them in their appreciation of English, and laid the foundation for travel and lasting personal friendships abroad. In the dozens of responses received, the terms enrich and enjoy recurred with the frequency of a leitmotiv and perhaps hold the key to the attraction of French as a subject of study (see appendix B). As one alumna, looking back through the years, philosophically put it, “I may not have made money with my French major, but I've been enriched by it.”

What conclusions may we then draw from this survey? Most important perhaps is that French remains a popular subject of study, whose appeal is more often to the inner soul or sensibility than to the practical mind and whose prime value lies in the cultural enrichment that it provides. Young people today, however, are discovering the pragmatic aspects of foreign language, as a means of enhancing their marketability after graduation. One obvious result is the slow, but steady, increase in the number of male students enrolled in French programs. Teaching, once the prime outlet for French studies, has taken a backseat in recent years to the business world, though we may well see changes in the near future as opportunities once again begin to flourish in the teaching profession. We cannot, of course, make realistic projections or discuss national trends on the basis of a single set of statistics with a limited geographical scope. More such surveys are needed, studies originating in different sectors of the country and from different types of institutions, to give us a clearer picture of the status of French studies today.

The author is Senior Lecturer in French at the University of California, Davis.

Notes

¹ One result of this survey was the publication of a brochure for students that lists some of the positions currently held by UCD French alumni (see appendix A).

² In the course of recent conversations with French seniors, in my capacity as undergraduate adviser, I note a resurgent interest in teaching as a career. Statistics a few years from now may well reveal surprising changes.

Appendix A

Current Occupations of UCD French Alumni

Business, 115 (38%)

administrative analyst, 1
advertising media planner, 1
airline employee (nonflight), 2
bank officer/employee, 7
coal industry representative, 1
computer sales, 3
computer programmer/analyst, 13
convention sales manager, 1
department store sales/management, 5
financial/credit analyst, 7
food industry/caterer, 2
general management consultant, 2
hotel/resort industry, 1
insurance, 7
industrial attaché abroad, 1
international flight attendant, 7
legal/legislative secretary, 3
marketing analyst, 6
personnel manager, 2
real estate/property management, 6
secretary/general office, 22
self-employed/small business, 4
stockbroker, 2
telecommunications representative, 3
transportation (nonair), 1
travel agent, 3
wine sales/representative, 3

Education, 122 (40%)

adult education teacher, 3
college/university professor, 9
elementary teacher/counselor, 30
ESL, teacher, 10
graduate student (French), 5
graduate student (other), 7
high school teacher/counselor, 45
librarian/library staff, 5
special education teacher, 4
university affiliated (nonteaching), 4

Fine Arts, (2%)

commercial artist, 1
dance instructor, 1
museum curator/staff, 2
photographer, 1
theater professional, 1

Government and Law, 22 (7%)

attorney/paralegal, 10
diplomatic service, 2
military career and related, 2
Peace Corps volunteer/trainer, 3
state/federal employee, 5

Science, Medical, Technology, 19 (6%)

electronics industry, 1
engineer, 2
health-fitness instructor, 1
health care management, 1
medical professional (MD, DVM, etc.), 4
medical secretary/receptionist, 3
medical technologist, 2
physical therapist, 1
registered nurse, 2

Writing and Communication,12 (4%)

author/commercial writer, 2
filmscript translator, 1
newspaper writer/reporter, 2
translator/interpreter, 7

Other, 9 (3%)

homemaker, 7
unemployed, 2

Note: Alumni-association records and survey responses yielded information on 306 alumni. The percentages are based on that total.

Appendix B

Sample Alumni Comments about the Study of French

I feel enriched because I can view people and situations from more than one cultural perspective.

As an English teacher, I feel I have special insights into word origins which come from French.

My background in French has broadened my worldview and enriched my family life.

All my contacts, friends, and travel have been enhanced by my cultural and linguistic knowledge.

French was a discipline which exposed me to another culture and way of communicating.

My background in French enabled me to read and see French plays and enjoy French films.

Studying a language has helped my critical reading and interpretive skills.

I am enriched by a background in the literature of other cultures.

Most prospective employers view a major in a foreign language as a big plus.

Knowing another language opens your eyes to the reality of different ways of thinking.

My French degree has enriched my life.

It has been a source of pleasure to read literature in the original.

The study of language is the study of a people and encompasses more subjects than language itself.

I treasure my background in French as personal enrichment, skills employed for pure enjoyment.

Background in a foreign language helps with English sentence structure, spelling, and vocabulary.

I majored in something I enjoyed, rather than something that would guarantee a high-paying job.

© 1991 by the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages. All Rights Reserved.

ADFL Bulletin 22, no. 3 (Spring 1991): 54-57

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