Pasadena City College's French program offers a variety of courses, ranging from basic and advanced language courses to French Conversation, French Culture, French Cinema, and an Internship in a French professional workplace. You’ll have opportunities to join the French & Francophone Club, La Table Ronde, and participate in competitions, festivities on campus or in the greater Los Angeles area as they will relate to French or Francophone culture, bien sûr! Also certificates, awards, and scholarships await you: acknowledgments of your hard and productive work. Whether you’re a beginner or already fluent in French, we have something just for you... On vous attend. Alors, venez!
Want to learn more?
Contact professors Emilie Garrigou-Kempton at egarrigoukempton@pasadena.edu or Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu.
Not a PCC student yet? Apply now.
Explore Your Passion
We offer elementary to intermediate French courses as well as a variety of culture and history courses. Use the links below to see full course descriptions and the current schedule of classes.
French | Associate in Arts (AA) Degree
Major in French AND earn a degree. By completing the French major program at PCC you will earn an AA degree in French as well as complete many of your lower division major requirements to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in French prior to transferring to a four-year university.
Foreign Language Proficiency in French | Occupational Skills Certificate
Demonstrate your proficiency in the French Language with an Occupational Skills Certificate! Certificates are available in Basic Proficiency in French (12-13 unit certificate) and Intermediate Proficiency in French (12-14 unit certificate).
Certificate Completion
To earn an Occupational Skills Certificate you must complete all required courses with a C or better. After completing course requirements, complete the Certificate Application and return to the Languages Office, C-247.
- You need 16 units, choose any French classes you want as long as you have 16 units or more
- On your transcript, it will be noted that you have earned a "Certificate of Achievement in French"
Master Class Program in the American French Film Festival with Jean-Xavier de Lestrade
Photo by Paria Didehban
Experience Working in French
Locally or Abroad
Internships are a proven way to gain relevant knowledge, skills, and experience while establishing important connections in a given field. The tremendous particularity of this internship is the foreign language component: you will speak in French. Levels of French will depend on where you do your internship. It is the best way to immerse yourself and improve your French. Internships are a way to get your feet wet and find out if a specific field is something you could see yourself doing in the future. The experience they provide make you a preferred job candidate with another language in your portfolio.
Here are the places where you can do your internship:
- French Dual Language Immersion Altadena Arts Magnet School*
- Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market
- Alliance Française de Pasadena
- Consulat de France Los Angeles
French workplaces want PCC students who are motivated, eager to learn, to discover their passion and above all to explore the French language! Come on board, Internship BUS070 awaits you!
There are no internship during the summer session.
*For students interested in participating with TAPIF (Teacher Assistant Program in France), the internship at the Altadena Dual Immersion Arts Magnet School is a great opportunity for PCC students to develop their communication skills in French and learn how activities are created and managed. It is a plus when students fill in their TAPIF application and on your resume.
Want to learn more? Listen to Jose Castillo
Want to Apply? Contact an Internship Advisor at wbl@pasadena.edu or contact professor Emmanuelle Remy at exremy@pasadena.edu.
The PCC French Department is proud to have had students hired by the French Government for the past five years for the TAPIF Program. Our students have been paid to live in France for an academic year and speak English with French students to give them conversation practice. Living and working in France are the best ways to absorb the language and discover how French people live, study and work.
Elmer M., who took numerous French classes at PCC, was in France when the French and Francophone Club Zoom invited him to come and talk about his TAPIF experience. He created a PPT to present his life in Southwest France. Please check out the video about his experience with TAPIF.
The PCC French Department offers the Work & Study Award that David Cuatt and Kris Pillon have generously provided to help our students have a study abroad experience.
For students interested in participating with TAPIF (Teacher Assistant Program in France), the internship at the Altadena Dual Immersion Arts Magnet School is a great opportunity for PCC students to develop their communication skills in French and learn how activities are created and managed. It is a plus when students fill in their TAPIF application and on your resume.
Should you be interested in applying for the TAPIF program or if you know someone is, visit the TAPIF website.
Jose Castillo, intern at the French Consulate in Los Angeles
Photo by Jose Castillo
Discover Languages Awards & Scholarships
Work & Study Abroad in France or in a Francophone country
David Cuatt and Kris Pilon are honored to provide a $750 award to a PCC French student planning to be part of a work/study abroad program in France or in a Francophone country. The award is intended to help financially with the expenses that participants will incur, such as airfare, housing, food, etc. Students will write a letter to explain their motivation and the purpose of the program they choose. The award funds will be transferred upon proof of participation (such as confirmation from a French company or organization), and flight reservation and payment. A summary with photos of the experience will be required following its end which will be posted on the French and Francophone club website.
David Cuatt and Kris Pillon are retired professors who taught at PCC in the area of Graphic Arts. They share a love of travel and continue to be enriched by the Foreign Language program at PCC, particularly in Italian and French. They recognize the benefits of first-hand experiences of living abroad, and want to help other students to have the opportunity of living fully immersed in a culture.
Contact Emmanuelle Remy (exremy@pasadena.edu) or Michèle Pedrini (mmpedrini@pasadena.edu) for more information.
Dr. Pedrini, French Instructor and Professor Emmanuelle Remy, French Instructor, are honored to provide a $1000 scholarship. One or several French Students of the Year, in recognition of special actions and attitudes, will be selected. These are students in the French Department who show qualities such as courage, dedication, perseverance, tenacity, assiduity, originality, support, progress, and leadership, to name a few. Students need to have taken 2 semesters of French. They are determined to learn the French language and support the French Department. The $1000 scholarship will be given to one student or shared by several students. It will vary from year to year. Keep doing what you are doing and it might be you next year! Ce sera la surprise du chef and it might be You!
Michèle Pedrini and Emmanuelle Remy-Riley are offering this scholarship based on observations from PCC French professors.This award is not conferred solely on grades/performance but also honors and recognizes students for their learning evolution and their blossoming in French courses as well as their contributions to the PCC French Department and its students.
Contact Emmanuelle Remy (exremy@pasadena.edu) or Michèle Pedrini (mmpedrini@pasadena.edu) for more information.
Students from French program can apply to Kathleen D. Loly Scholarship.
You may be the next recipient of a study abroad scholarship!
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich
Live French Beyond the Classroom
All Year-Round
Join the French & Francophone Club that meets online and/or in person at festivities or on campus. During online sessions, the club is an engaging place to be, to learn some French and Francophone news, to meet French students, and also to welcome and listen to guests who are from different backgrounds but always have the French/Francophone common denominator. Please check the French & Francophone Club webpage to see our online sessions calendar, articles, news, outings, etc. The French & Francophone Club webpage helps all of us to stay connected. If you would like to share an experience, a good tip, a French or Francophone experience, or something else, this is the place to share and exchange.
For more information see our official French and Francophone Club webpage or send an email to francaispcc@gmail.com - an officer will respond.
To contact the Advisor, please email Emmanuelle Remy (French Instructor) at exremy@pasadena.edu.
La Table Ronde is for French 3 level students and higher. It meets once a month and the session is one hour and fifteen minutes. Students talk only in French about diverse topics centered around authentic pedagogical materials: stories, poetry, articles, songs, videos, etc. Meetings can be online and/or on campus, in a local café, or at a French or Francophone restaurant.
For more information contact Emmanuelle Remy (French Instructor) at exremy@pasadena.edu.
If you ever feel that spoken French is just a blur of sounds and you want to improve your ability to understand what people are saying, come to this phonetic and spelling activity.
For students who desire greatly to improve their level of oral French comprehension: there will be gatherings to do some dictée exercises together by teleconference. It will be once a month. It's open to anyone studying French. The meeting will be conducted in English so that it is accessible to all levels of French students. All you need to have is a pen or pencil and paper. The exercises that we will be doing are at levels A1/A2, which essentially correspond to the first year of college French.
Check our French & Francophone Club webpage for dates and time.
La Dictée de Timothée: monthly event, in order to develop your learning but also to prepare you for La
Dictée Competition.
To know more about La Dictée Competition on our French & Francophone Club webpage.
Story behind La Dictée de Thimothée
The activity "La Dictée" within the PCC French Department was initiated by a Fr. 4 student, Timothée Chan, who is a lover of France, French language, French culture etc. During the Spring semester 2021, Timothée organized twice a month an e-gathering and students loved it. It became very quickly "La Dictée de Timothée". If you want to know more about him, check out his article about his experience at L'Alliance Française de Paris and his see our official French & Francophone Club webpage.
All members of the PCC Community (students, faculty, staff) are welcome to borrow books from our library. Come to room R217 and feel free to take books that interest you and return them when you are finished so that someone else can enjoy them too. A box is at your disposal for returning books. Thanks to various donors, our French library presents a very nice assortment of books, including topics such as gastronomy, politics, history, philosophy, and literature from the Middle Ages to the present (and much more). Most of the books are in French but there are some in English as well.
Once a Year
PCC students who are cinephiles and who love French movies, series, or programs will enjoy going to the Colcoa French Film Festival in Hollywood. They can discover the latest films and some have already been judges for the American Students Award. Also, when it is possible, French Department members participate with Colcoa and welcome on campus a Master Class.
For more information see our official French and Francophone Club webpage or send an email to francaispcc@gmail.com - an officer will respond.To have access to all information about the Colcoa festival program, go to
https://colcoa.org/
Each year, Dr. Marie-Magdeleine Chirol (Whittier College) organizes and proposes a
French play performed in the French language. This is to celebrate National French
Week. For over twenty years, the R. Shannon Theater, in collaboration with the French
Department of Whittier College, has presented a remarkable performance done exclusively
in the French language.
For more information see our official French Club webpage or send an email to francaispcc@gmail.com - an officer will respond.
La Dictée Competition is an annual event in partnership with L'Alliance Française de Pasadena, the PCC French Departement, and the French & Francophone Club.
It is a fun and intensive two hours immersed in French: there are quick reviews on grammar, conjugation, and lexicon with preparatory activities. Then comes La Dictée. There will be prizes for everyone. More information about La Dictée Competition is available on the French & Francophone webpage or send an email to francaispcc@gmail.com - an officer will respond.
Languages at PCC are active and fun! Without languages we lose our identity, our roots, our culture...This is why, for one week each year, the Languages and ESL Division organizes festivities!
Come and listen to some Italien opera, watch spanish films, admire Chinese drums, eat a French baguette with brie, etc. The PCC French Department participates actively in promoting French and Francophone cultures: Come, see, watch and eat!
For more information see our official French and Francophone Club webpage or send an email to francaispcc@gmail.com - an officer will respond.
Foreign language student reciting poetry at PCC International Poetry Day
Photo by Emmanuelle Remy
The French department lending library in R217
Photo by Richshell Allen
Meet the French Professors at PCC
An LA native, after transferring from Santa Monica College, I earned a B.A. in Anthropology at UC Berkeley then an M.A. in French Studies at The University of Wisconsin, Madison. I spent an academic year in France teaching English at a public school as an Assistant de langue through the TAPIF program (Teaching Assistant Program in France). My academic interests primarily include media studies, race, colonialism, and postcolonialism. I enjoy composing fragrances as a hobby.
Originaire de Los Angeles, j’ai passé du Santa Monica College à UC Berkeley où j’ai obtenu un baccalauréat en anthropologie, puis une maîtrise en études françaises à l'université du Wisconsin, à Madison. J'ai fait une année scolaire en France à enseigner l'anglais dans une école publique en tant qu'assistant de langue dans le cadre du programme TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France). Mes intérêts académiques comprennent principalement les études des médias, la race, le colonialisme et le post-colonialisme. Je me régale de composer des parfums comme passe-temps.
Michèle Pedrini was born and raised in Alhambra, California then lived in Paris, Lisbon, Aix-en-Provence, and had long stays in the Veneto region of Italy, Central Mexico and Algiers. She earned her B.A. French at UCLA in 1980. A few years later she returned to UCLA to pursue a M.A. in Romance Literature with a major in Francophone Literature and a minor in Lusophone literature. She was trained in French pedagogy and taught French there in that program. Her daughter Gioia was born the following year. Michèle then started teaching French as an adjunct instructor at PCC. Fifteen years later, she returned to UCLA to earn her Ph.D. in Romance Literature with an emphasis in French, Italian and Spanish. During the course of that program she taught Spanish and Italian. She has taught at PCC part-time for twelve years and full-time for seventeen. She has a happy blended family with her dear husband, Misha, and is the proud grandmother of seven. She likes to read and to grow organic vegetables.
Michèle Pedrini est née à Alhambra en Californie. Elle y a grandi puis a vécu à Paris, à Lisbonne, à Aix-en-Provence. Elle a aussi passé de longs séjours dans la région Veneto d’Italie, au Mexique central, et à Alger. Elle a reçu son B.A. en Langue Française à UCLA en 1980. Quelques ans après elle est retournée à UCLA pour poursuivre une maîtrise en Littérature Romaine avec une emphase primaire en Littérature Francophone et secondaire en Littérature Lusophone. Dans ce programme elle a reçu une formation pédagogique en Français comme Langue Étrangère et elle y a enseigné le français. Un an après est née sa fille, Gioia. Après, Michèle a commencé à enseigner le français à PCC à temps partiel. Quinze ans après, elle est retournée à UCLA pour faire ses études de troisième cycle. Sa spécialité était la Littérature Romaine – française, italienne et espagnole. Au cours de ce programme elle a enseigné l’espagnol et l’italien. Elle est professeur à PCC depuis presque trente ans. Michèle Pedrini fait partie d’une belle famille recomposée avec son cher mari, Misha, et elle est grand-mère de sept petits-enfants. Elle aime lire et cultiver des légumes biologiques.
Si tu veux ajouter une photo, en voici une.
She is very interested in interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and her own academic interests are very much interdisciplinary. She has conducted research in the field of medical humanities, gender studies, and visual culture. She is currently working on a project in the field of Holocaust and memory studies which focuses on a corpus of memoirs published by grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and explores how the memory of the genocide is transmitted across generations.
Emilie Garrigou-Kempton est née à Bordeaux, en France, et elle a grandi sur un petit domaine viticole de la région de Sauternes. Elle a obtenu une licence, une maîtrise et un DEA de philosophie à l'Université de Bordeaux et c'est dans le cadre d'un programme d'échange pour étudiants qu'elle est d'abord venue en Californie. Plus tard, elle a travaillé pour plusieurs ONGs spécialisées dans le développement international avant de reprendre ses études à USC et d'y obtenir un Doctorat en Études Françaises et Francophones. Depuis, elle a enseigné à USC, à Scripps College et à Pomona College. Son enseignement est guidé par une approche interdisciplinaire que l'on retrouve dans ses propres recherches. Elle s'est ainsi intéressée aux humanités médicales, aux études de genre ainsi qu'à la culture visuelle. Elle travaille actuellement à un projet qui étudie la manière dont la mémoire de la Shoah est transmise de génération en génération dans les familles de survivants.
Emmanuelle Remy est française et elle est née dans le sud de la France. Cependant, elle a grandi dans la région parisienne, le Val d'Oise. Malgré tout, elle est restée fidèle à sa région occitane où elle adore y déguster du foie gras, du cassoulet, de la pissaladière, de la crousdade etc. A l'origine, ses études et son professorat sont en carrières sanitaires et sociales, à l'université Paris XIII ainsi qu'à l'IUFM d'Anthony. Sa passion pour l'enseignement auprès d'adultes prend sa source lorsqu'elle même était une jeune étudiante à l'université de Villetaneuse, Paris XIII, en Sciences de l'Éducation. A son arrivée à Los Angeles, elle se convertit à la langue française. Elle obtient sa maîtrise de Français à Cal State Los Angeles où elle a aussi enseigné pendant plusieurs années. Par ailleurs, durant plusieurs années, Remy a enseigné différents niveaux dans plusieurs institutions. A l'heure actuelle, elle travaille à PCC depuis 2010 et elle adore y enseigner. De plus, à la maison son mari Tom et sa fille Jade parlent français. Cependant, on parle trois langues: le français, l'anglais, le chinois. Vive les langues!
Emmanuelle Remy is French and was born in the south of France. However, she grew up in the Paris region, Val d'Oise. However, she has remained faithful to her Occitan region where she loves to taste foie gras, cassoulet, pissaladière, croustade, etc. Originally, her studies and teaching were in health and social careers, at the University of Paris XIII and at the IUFM of Anthony. Her passion for teaching adults began when she was a young student at the University of Villetaneuse, Paris XIII, in Education Sciences. Upon her arrival in Los Angeles, she decided to teach the French language. She obtained her Master's degree in French at Cal State Los Angeles where she also taught for several years. In addition, for the past several years, Remy has taught at various levels in several institutions. Currently, she has been working at PCC since 2010 and loves teaching there. At home, her husband Tom and daughter Jade speak French. However, we speak three languages: French, English, and Chinese. Long live languages!
Corinne Slosburg is a French native speaker from Paris, France. She was born in Tunisia, and speaks Arabic, Hebrew and Spanish. She also has a degree in Japanese from the University of Paris oriental languages. Initially, her background was in banking. She earned a Master’s degree in Banking & Finance in Paris and worked for different banks for twenty years. She changed her profession to French instructor when she moved to Los Angeles thirteen years ago. She obtained her Master's degree in French as a foreign/second language at the University of Lille, France. She taught several levels of French at Pepperdine University, Loyola Marymount University, Whittier College, Cal State University Dominguez Hills & Northridge, Occidental College, and Glendale Community College. She has been working at PCC since 2019 and she enjoys the diversity of the French program as well as the impressive motivation of the students. She loves travelling, hiking, reading, watching French movies and of course, teaching French! Her areas of expertise are creative writing, phonetics and pronunciation.
Corinne Slosburg est française. Elle est née en Tunisie et parle l’arabe, l’hébreu et l’espagnol. Elle est aussi titulaire d’un diplôme de japonais de l’institut de Langues orientales à Paris. A l’origine, elle a obtenu un Master en Banque et finances à Paris et a travaillé dans différentes banques pendant vingt ans avant de devenir professeur de français à son arrivée à Los Angeles il y a treize ans. Elle a acquis son Master en français Langue étrangère et langue seconde à l’université de Lille en France. Elle a enseigné différents niveaux de cours de français à Pepperdine University, Loyola Marymount University, Whittier College, Cal State University Dominguez Hills & Northridge, Occidental College, et Glendale Community College. Elle travaille à PCC depuis 2019 et elle apprécie particulièrement la diversité du programme ainsi que la motivation impressionnante des étudiants. Elle aime les voyages, les randonnées, la lecture, les films français et bien sûr enseigner le français ! Ses domaines d’expertise sont l’écriture créative, la phonétique et la prononciation.
Camille Weinert, arriving from Strasbourg in the North-Eastern side of France, is the Fulbright French Language Teaching Assistant for the academic year 2024-2025. They hold a BA in Anglophone Studies and are currently pursuing a Master's degree in Anglophone Studies with a major in American Studies. They are doing academic research on LGBTQ+ voices in the Underground Press during the 1970s. Their academic interests thus include queer studies, sociology, journalism and counter-culture. In their free time, they enjoy photography, literature, hiking, cycling, and horse riding.
Camille Weinert, venant de Strasbourg dans le nord-est de la France, est l'assistant.e de français Fulbright pour l'année universitaire 2024-2025. Iel est diplômé.e d'une licence en études anglophones et prépare actuellement son master en études anglophones, avec une spécialisation en civilisation américaine. Iel réalise son projet de recherche académique sur les voix LGBTQ+ dans la presse alternative des années 1970s. Ses intérêts académiques comprennent ainsi les études queer, la sociologie, le journalisme et la contre-culture. Pendant son temps libre, iel apprécie la photographie, la littérature, la randonnée, le vélo et l'équitation.