Bachelor in French and Romance Languages and Literatures: General

Although graduates in French and Romance languages and literature are very often destined to become French teachers, they can put their skills to good use in many other, sometimes unexpected, professional fields.

Teaching and training

Many Romanists share their expertise and passion for French language and literature with secondary school students. But Romanists are also involved in other training contexts with a variety of audiences: they become teachers of French as a foreign language, Spanish or Italian, communication or literacy trainers, for example. They can be found in Hautes Écoles, private language centers, continuing education organizations, associations active in socio-professional integration, or sometimes within certain large companies.

Within the framework of bilateral agreements signed by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the WBI (Wallonia-Brussels International, the public administration in charge of international relations) coordinates a network of French language trainers in several European countries and even in Louisiana. Dozens of young Romanists thus spend a few years abroad as readers of French language and literature in a university or a school for translators-interpreters, as trainers in a bilingual lycée, or as French language assistants in a secondary school, helping to promote Belgium's French culture in the broadest sense (literature, history, institutional system...).

Cultural professions

Romanists can work in the full range of book-related professions, from proofreading to publishing management, promotion and literary translation. They can work in publishing houses, libraries, bookshops, documentation centers or as freelancers. Thanks to their open-minded training in the major artistic movements, some Romanists manage cultural projects in institutions such as Maisons de la culture, theaters...

Media and communication

By opening up to the socio-economic world or specializing in a particular cultural field, Romance scholars can put their skills to work in the media (television, print media...). Today, many of our graduates are journalists, literary critics or editors of company newspapers. Some go on to jobs directly linked to communications: press attachés, project managers in advertising...

I'm an account executive in a major advertising agency. My job is to act as a relay between the client and our agency. I have to make sure that the project runs smoothly. Multilingualism is an asset for working with a more diverse and larger client base.

David

Research

Some Romanists pursue research after graduation, often supplemented by teaching duties, in Belgium and sometimes abroad. Universities and public funds (e.g. FNRS) can finance the completion of a doctorate. Doctors of Philosophy and Letters then have the opportunity to teach at university. Research carried out by Romanists focuses on the history of French literature, comparative arts, Romance language didactics, language...

A social life to develop

When it comes to landing a first job, the personality of candidates is often as important as their university degree, hence the importance of keeping one's curiosity alive throughout one's studies, and building a rich social life, for example by getting involved in the associative world. Young Romanists can expect to follow a sometimes winding career path, especially in the early years...

But it's often in these detours that creative, curious personalities and those driven by an entrepreneurial spirit will discover the profession they're passionate about. Some Romanists continue their studies with further training (communications, languages, IT, management, etc.), which can facilitate their professional integration in specialized sectors of activity.