French Careers
Key information
Careers open to you with a degree in French include;
- International Business
- European and Irish public service
- Interpreting and Translating
- Teaching (Professional Master of Education required)
- Tourism
- The media and information industry
Follow on study
Careers open to you with a degree in French include;
- MA French
- MA Applied Linguistics International
- MA TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
- Professional Master of Education (Modern Languages)
Student profiles
Faye Gibson, Beginner's French
I’m in my first year of Applied Languages, studying Beginners French, Advanced Spanish and Linguistics. I hadn’t studied French at all in secondary school, but after researching the options, I realised how widely spoken French is globally and how many opportunities it opens. That’s what inspired me to choose it as a complete beginner.
From the very first week, I found the environment incredibly supportive. Our lecturers are patient and encouraging. We started with the absolute basics like common words, simple phrases, and everyday vocabulary before moving into grammar. Building that foundation early has already made a big difference.
The structure of the classes also helps. We often have a lecture followed immediately by a lab, so we get to apply what we’ve just learned straight away. The labs move at a slower, more detailed pace, which is great for practising grammar and building confidence. I’ve also really enjoyed the oral work; speaking helps me understand how the language flows much more naturally than writing alone.
I’m already looking forward to being immersed in the language for Erasmus and Co‑op. I was in France recently, and I understood far more than I expected. It made me feel independent and excited to keep going.
My advice? You don’t need to start out confident; you just need a genuine interest and the willingness to put effort in. You can’t cram language study, but if you stay engaged and keep up week‑to‑week, you are on the right track.
Annabel O’Donnell
I am a student in the Bachelor of Arts and chose French and English as my subjects. UL interested me because of the semester abroad and the semester of Cooperative education (work placement). I felt that these would be very beneficial not only in an academic sense but also for gaining real-world experience, social skills and work ethic. For my Erasmus, I will be studying in Marseille.
I have always found languages intriguing and knew that I wanted to study them in some way. I appreciate how supportive, reassuring and helpful my lecturers and tutors are.
In terms of how we learn on a week-to-week basis, we have lectures but also oral classes and grammar classes. I find it beneficial that the lectures are delivered in French entirely. We don't speak English at all in class which is great because it helps you to adapt more to the language.
In the future, I’m interested in pursuing either speech and language therapy or post-primary teaching in French and English. These have always been my two fundamental options. My advice for students would be just to enjoy it and do your best. Do not skip classes and put in the work. This is good advice in general but especially with languages. I would definitely recommend French on the Bachelor of Arts as a subject to others, especially anyone who has a flair or a strong passion for languages.
