New! FSL Bursaries!

We are proud to announce that we have awarded seven FSL bursaries for the 2023-24 academic year! Congratulations to the recipients! Take a look at their testimonials!

We have twelve $3000 bursaries to give out for the 2024-25 academic year!

Eligible students must take 5 courses in French at MSVU. French must not be your first language. For more information, click here or  click on the FSL Bursary Program tab below.

 

Les 120 ans de l’Alliance française

Professeurs, étudiants et amis du département ont fêté les 120 ans de l’Alliance française lors d’une soirée remplie de musique, de discours et de bonnes bouchées!

 

El Dìa De Los Muertos – A beautiful celebration !

The celebration of Mexican origin the Day of the Dead was hosted by Ada Elvi and Wenceslao Amezcua. Explanations, costumes, altar, bread for the dead and dance : it was a colorful event!

Muchas Gracias, Ada y Wenceslao!

 

 

 

Prix Fenêtre sur la Francophonie

 

Established by faculty members from the Department of Modern Languages, the Fenêtre sur la
Francophonie award provides funding towards a one-week trip to France (or French
territory) to participate in a language and cultural program recommended and approved by
the Department. This award is presented annually to a student specializing in French who
achieves outstanding results in French courses and who has demonstrated great interest
towards French language and culture. In the summer of 2022,  Nya Urciuoli (below) went to Angers, France.

 

2022-2023 Winner:  Alyssa Evans

Angers Testimonial – Alyssa Evans

2021-2022 Winner: Nya Urciuoli

Story about Nya in Mount Media

 

MODL Awards 2022 – 2023 Congratulations to all!

 

Sister Rose Celestine Prize: Chloë MacAulay

Prix de l’Alliance française : Natalie Freeman

Prix de l’Ambassadeur de Suisse : Nya Urciuoli

Danny Weston Memorial Prize: Martine Spearns

Language Lab Prize: Jonique Higgs

MODL French Prize: Cassidy Norse, Olivia Bazot, Erin Moulton

Practical French Prize: Manuel Aguilar Cetina, Evangéline Francis Dahms, Kristyn Pollard, Daniil Zhelezniak, Gideon de Groodt

Prix Fenêtre sur la francophonie : Alyssa Evans

MODL Spanish Prize: Alison Umlah, Kevin Hudon

Spanish Embassy Prize: Corinne Gilroy

 

François-Xavier Eygun: Retirement

Dr. François-Xavier Eygun has retired in July 2023 after over 35 years in the Modern Languages Department at Mount Saint Vincent University. He is a full professor and has served as department chair on many occasions and of course on many university committees. He comes from France but has lived in Montreal, Calgary, and Winnipeg.

François-Xavier has always been popular with students for his soft-spoken manner, his sense of humour and his intimate knowledge of French literature and culture.  As for the soft-spoken manner, his lecturing voice is quiet, and the result is that students tune in and give him their full attention!

As a colleague he is good company as well, quick on the repartee, jovial, and funny. He especially pays attention to the history of the department, keeping up with other colleagues who have moved on from the Mount.

François-Xavier is a poet and an intense reader of all sorts of books. He himself has published one scholarly book on the nineteenth century French novelist and poet Barbey d’Aurevilly, along with many scholarly articles. He has published two books of poetry which largely emerge from his years in Manitoba as a PhD student and teacher, and he made his mark upon the Franco-Manitoban literary scene.

Although his principal residence has been for many years in English-speaking places, his home and family life remain thoroughly French and Francois-Xavier keeps huge ties with his country of origin. Indeed, he is fixing up a residence in Touraine[1] near the home where he grew up and he will be surely spending lots of time there in the years to come.

We will miss François-Xavier’s presence in the department, but we hope to carry on the friendship in the years to come.

[1] Birthplace of another scholarly epicurean, François Rabelais!

 

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival 2021

On September 21, we celebrated the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. A beautiful event!

Dr. Janet Fu (MODL Department) and Mahx Mason (International Office) welcomed everyone and Dr. Fu explained the origins of the celebration.

Students, Faculty and Staff enjoyed activities and mooncakes together.

A colourful celebration!

Congratulations to 2019-2020 Prize Winners!

List of 2019-2020 Modern Languages Department award winners.
Although we could not have an in-person event this year, due to Covid 19 restrictions, you are all most deserving!
  • Dr. Juliette Valcke describes tackling the question of medieval influences on francophone Canadian literature through our Modern Language department. You can read the full story here.
  • Dr. François-Xavier Eygun, along with Arnaud Decroix, reviewed the nineteenth century gold rush as a inspiration for adventure novels on CBC. You can listen to the entire segment here.
  • Dr. Larry Steele hosts a radio show called “Trois Beaux Canards”, featuring Francophone music, on CKDU 88.1 FM, every Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. Listen online live or in archives at: www.ckdu.ca. Facebook site: Trois Beaux Canards
  • Prof. Olivia Montalvo March talks about Distance Courses in Spanish.

 

 

 

2017

MODL Awards night 2017 – Congrats to our students!

2017 Modern Languages Awards Night Collage

Félicitations à Morrigan MacLean,
Récipiendaire du Prix de l’Alliance française d’Halifax 2017 !

2017 Modern Languages Awards Night Winners


2016

Congratulations to our graduates – Majors of French, Spring Convocation 2016:

Amy M. Chisholm, Kristen Renée D’Entremont, Brittany Kendell, Amanda C. Lajo, Lydia D. Lawless, Vanessa M. MacDonald, Peter Nicks, Alex W. Sweeney

Modern Languages 2016 Convocation graduates


Congratulations to all students of French, Spanish and Mandarin of 2015-2016 Award Ceremony!

Congratulaitons to our best students of French, Spanish and Mandarin of 2014-2015 academic year!