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Greetings and Welcome to Graduate Studies in French and Francophone Studies at ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ

Dear Students,

Choosing to pursue graduate studies in French and Francophone Studies at ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ is not just an academic decision—it is a commitment to contributing meaningfully to Canada’s linguistic, cultural, and intellectual landscape.

In a country that defines itself by its official bilingualism and its rich multilingual and multicultural realities and identities, the study of French-language literatures, linguistic diversity, and culturalpractices holds a critical role. Canada’s Francophonie is not monolithic; it is pluricultural, polyphonic, and shaped by centuries of language contact, migration, and social transformation. Our program invites you to explore critically this complexity—not only through traditional disciplinary lenses, but through interdisciplinary, comparative, and engaged research practices.

At Glendon, ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s bilingual campus, our Graduate Program in Francophone Studies is uniquely positioned to address these challenges and opportunities. Our faculty’s research spans multiple continents and disciplinary fields, allowing you to investigate the dynamics of cultural and linguistic contact—from Quebec to Ontario, from South Asia to Africa to the Caribbean, from Europe to the Americas.

You will engage with pressing questions about identity, translation and language rights and recognition, contributing to ongoing debates about what it means to live and communicate in diverse, bilingual, plurilingual and multicultural societies while engaging in the transmission of knowledge on francophone literary work and the evolution of ideologies relating to living and speaking in French.

Through rigorous research training and meaningful collaboration with scholars and community organizations as well as engaging with the , or any of York Organized Research Units, you will gain the critical tools needed to:

• Critically analyze Francophone literary and cultural production in all its forms;
• Investigate language practices, linguistic ideologies, and policy frameworks that shape bilingual and multilingual societies;
• Develop expertise in translation, translingual practices, and language teaching;
• Contribute to knowledge mobilization in support of educational equity, cultural inclusion, and language rights.

By joining our community, you place yourself at the heart of a transformative project—one that not only examines the past and present of Francophone cultures but also imagines their futures. Whether your goal is to advance research, influence public policy, or promote inclusive education, your voice and your research matter.

We look forward to welcoming you to our dynamic graduate community and to supporting you in your intellectual and professional journey.

Dominique Scheffel-Dunand
Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Francophone Studies

_{A photo of Professor Dominique Scheffel-Dunand}