the bachelor of arts in french provides opportunity for students to study the language, literature and culture of france and francophone countries. students gain a respectable measure of competence in reading, writing and oral/aural skills in the french language. to help gain proficiency, students can attend a weekly french coffee hour. a conversation course sometimes involves speaking to people in france live via teleconferencing. students can take upper-division french courses abroad, either through kent's own year-long program with the university of bordeaux or with any accredited study abroad program offered by another university.