The specialty “French Language and Literature” was established in the structure of the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University in 2002. Doctor of Philology, Professor Volodymyr Hryhorovych Matviishyn stood at the origins of the youngest specialty of the faculty.
Currently, the educational process in the specialty 035.055 Philology. Romance Languages and Literatures (Translation Studies included) is provided by 1 doctor of Philological Sciences, 4 candidates of Philological Sciences, of whom 3 are associate professors and 1 is a professor, 2 senior lecturers and 4 assistants. Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor Olga Albertivna Bigun is the Head of the Department of French Philology
Scientists from the leading higher educational institutions of Ukraine are invited to cooperate. In particular, in the 2006-2012 academic years, the teaching of theoretical courses was conducted by Doctor of Philology, Professor of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University Mykhailo Mykhailovych Popovych.
Specialists are trained at the “bachelor’s” and “master’s” levels.
The department maintains long-term business and friendly relations with the French Cultural Center in Ukraine (Kyiv) and the French Center (Lviv). According to the program of the international project of the Embassy of France in Ukraine “Teachers without Borders”, teachers from France – Jacqueline Leger, Chantal Merlin, Wilma Santaniello worked at the specialty. Sofia Popoff, a master’s student at the Toulouse Institute of Political Science, had her practice.
The ties between the Department of French Philology and the Department of Culture and Cooperation of the French Embassy in Ukraine were especially strengthened after the visit of the Ambassador of France to Ukraine, Mr. Jean-Paul Vesian (2007).
Teachers and students majoring in “French Language and Literature” annually travel to France, as part of cultural exchange and establishing creative relationships with universities and research institutions in France at the level of internships for teachers and students and development of joint research projects.
French youth are also in active contact with representatives of the specialty 035.055 Philology. Romance Languages and Literatures (Translation Studies included). The student charity organization of one of the commercial universities in Lille (France), which has repeatedly visited Prykarpattia with humanitarian missions, primarily gain support of our teachers and students, who are often their translators and guides in the region.
The Department of French Philology has good traditions. Decades of Francophonie are celebrated every school year; various competitions and Olympiads are organized among young connoisseurs of French language and literature.
Students of the specialty have repeatedly become winners of all-Ukrainian competitions of student research papers, winners of competitive selections of the Scholarship Program of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation “Zavtra. UA ”, namely Rushchak O. (2009), Yaremak I. (2009), Shkabara V. (2010), Antoshkiv T. (2011). Students periodically undergo internships in France. 4th year students Bezhenar T., Grabovetska R., Dudliy S. and Tsyutsyak I. underwent internships (educational translation practice) at the University of Poitiers (June 18-27, 2018). In 2019, 3rd year student Bunzyak J. successfully completed practical training at the Center International Francophone Grand Est (Strasbourg, France) and received a certificate.
The Department of French Philology works closely with the NGO “Paris-If”, which promotes the French language in the city and region. A number of meetings with representatives of France, lectures and practical classes with native speakers were held in the framework of cooperation with the NGO “Paris-If”.