The University of Maine at Farmington’s World Languages Teacher Education: French program is designed to prepare you to teach French in K-12 classrooms and work with families from diverse language and cultural backgrounds.
With a significant shortage of fully certified language teachers in Maine and beyond, the demand for qualified educators in world languages is tremendous, and career opportunities for teaching languages are plentiful.
In fact, a Maine Department of Education World Language specialist said 100% of Maine high schools are now required to offer language learning for proficiency-based graduation requirements, and many middle schools are now expanding or trying to expand their language programs.
This program is a dual-campus collaboration between the University of Maine at Farmington and the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA).
You’ll take most of your Education coursework at or through UMF and your French language classes and some others focusing on French online from UMA.
UMF’s World Languages Teacher Education: French program will prepare you to teach French in K-12 classrooms and earn certification in these content areas.
You’ll become certified to help fill the needs of K-12 schools and ensure that world languages continue to be an important component of children’s education.
Save more than $5,500 per year in tuition. This University of Maine at Farmington program qualifies for the NEBHE Tuition Break.
Through the NEBHE Tuition Break program, students from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont receive a $5,670 tuition discount on all UMF degree programs.
What can I do with a degree in World Languages Teacher Education: French?
Data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. Median Salaries for positions in Maine typically fall below those of other New England states.
At Farmington, you’ll get experience inside a real school classroom setting early and often. In fact, your first teacher-side-of-the-desk experience will typically happen in your second (sophomore) year.
Here, we connect our World Languages Teacher Education: French students with relevant job and volunteer opportunities around the campus and in the Farmington community.
The first component of your UMF World Languages Teacher Education: French program is the First Year Experience, where you take an introductory course specific to the age group you want to work with as a professional. This allows you to gain valuable experience in the field in your very first year at UMF.
The second component is Practicum. Here, in your sophomore year, you combine coursework in teaching methodology with significant time spent working, teaching, and learning in a public school classroom.
Next, is the senior capstone experience, Student Teaching — an immersive 16-week program where you’ll work in a professional capacity in a public school setting with mentoring by UMF faculty and a mentor-teacher in the field.
Our Education students describe their senior year Student Teaching assignment as the most meaningful experience of their UMF career. It’s when they’re teamed with a mentor school teacher (often a UMF alumnus) and they get to practice in a school classroom what they’ve learned in their UMF college classes.
See World Languages Teacher Education: French student Jacqueline Gleason-Boure (included in this three-student video) on why she chose Farmington.
Finally, World Languages Teacher Education: French students participate in a Portfolio Presentation. Each UMF teacher candidate produces and presents to faculty, staff, fellow UMF students, and the public a professional portfolio of their work including lesson plans, assessments, teaching samples, and more.
Here, you will work closely with faculty and supervising mentors to help apply your classroom theory into practice. You’ll also work with nearby schools and agencies, which will provide you with enriching real-world opportunities.
Students in the World Languages Teacher Education: French Languages Education program have participated in regional and statewide professional education conferences, such as the Central Maine Educators Regional Conference. This is a wonderful networking opportunity where students present their scholarly work to education leaders from across the state.
Our campus is conveniently located in the heart of the local K-12 school district, within walking distance to the local elementary school and middle school and a short drive to the Mt. Blue Regional High School / Foster Career & Technical Center Campus.
Farmington Education grads get hired.
According to a 2020 survey of UMF Education graduates over the past three years, 83% of respondents indicated being employed in the field of education, with 85% hired within a year of graduation and 73% employed within four months of graduation.
Overall, 94.3% of respondents indicated they were Very Satisfied or Satisfied with their teacher education preparation at UMF.
This program will prepare you to be eligible for licensure in the State of Maine. Visit the UMaine System State Authorization & Licensure page to learn more about the licensure requirements in other states and territories, in addition to the contact information needed to inquire further into the licensure requirements associated with this program.
The University of Maine at Farmington is considered one of the premier teacher education programs in New England.
At our founding in 1864, the University of Maine at Farmington (then called Western State Normal School) took an innovative approach to teacher education, integrating a strong liberal arts foundation into teacher training. Our founders believed that only those with a strong background in the liberal arts could effectively teach the arts and sciences. Obvious as that may seem, it was not the rule among teacher education programs of the time.
Now, 160 years later, the University of Maine at Farmington continues to be recognized for its innovation and excellence in teacher preparation.
- UMF is one of only three nationally accredited teacher education programs in Maine
- UMF was the first in Maine to receive national CAEP accreditation (formerly known as NCATE)
- UMF received full Maine State Board of Education accreditation
- UMF full-time faculty supervise you in your off-campus practicum and student-teaching field experiences
The UMF Center for Assistive Technology is the only public or private university-based assistive technology lending and demonstration center in Maine.
Assistive Technology is any device or product that makes it easier for someone with a disability to live more independently. Here, you’ll have full access to specialized on-campus education-focused resources such as UMF’s Children’s Programs and our Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center, which includes assistive technology resources, children’s literature, and early childhood curricula.
The Best Teachers Start at Farmington
- Many UMF Education graduates have been named Maine’s Teacher of the Year
- UMF Education graduates have been named Maine Elementary School Principal of the Year
- UMF Education graduates have received the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
- UMF Education graduates have received the prestigious Milken Family Foundation Educator Award
- UMF Education graduates have been named Maine History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehman Institute of America
- UMF Education graduates received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Award
- A UMF Education graduate is an Adult Space Camp graduate and earned certification at the Google Teacher Academy in London
- A UMF Education graduate received the prestigious Apple Design Award
Contact Us
Office of Admissions
University of Maine at Farmington
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine USA 04938-1994
tel 207-778-7050
fax 207-778-8182
TYY (via Maine Relay Service) dial 711
umfadmit@maine.edu
