Foreign Languages

Name
Francine Conley-Scott, Ph.D.

St. Kate's Connection
Assistant Professor of French
Chair, French Department

Most Notable Accomplishment
Besides the birth of my son in 2007, I have written, produced and performed six one-person plays, the most recent being Lost and Found performed at The O'Shaughnessy as part of the 2006 Women of Substance Series.

The Values of Foreign Languages
Learning a foreign language helps us understand who we are in relation to ourselves and to the international world. Beyond the immediate gratification of learning a new way of speaking, a foreign language also expands job opportunities, because it prepares us to live or work abroad.

I want students to see language as an opportunity to break boundaries in their thinking and cultural assumptions. I have witnessed the profound effect French has had on our St. Kate's French majors who have learned to apply French to diverse areas of study, including business, medicine, international relations, politics, art and theater.

Favorite Activities
Rehearsing, performing, writing and producing shows. I am a founding and active member of a Franco-American theatre troupe (chandelleverte.com) that tours and performs on American college campuses.

Best St. Catherine Memory
Winning the 2007–08 Denny Prize for Distinction in Writing for a manuscript of poems I have been trying to publish called A Dress of Shreds and Beads. I was about to throw the manuscript out the window when I got the news. It was a welcome moment of needed encouragement.

Francine Conley-Scott, Ph.D.

PHOTO BY TONY NELSON