DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ROMANCE PHILOLOGY

The Chair of French and Romance Philology was established in 2023 following a name change from the Chair of Romance Languages, which had been created in the 2018-2019 academic year through the unification of the Chairs of French and European and Asian Languages. The department offers instruction in several languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek, and Latin. The FRB chair is a proud successor to the French chair and the second foreign language chairs (French, Italian, Spanish, Romanian) established in the 1930s.

Languages Offered

French

The Chair of French was founded in 1948, evolving from the earlier Chair of Foreign Languages, which had included a French department since 1937. During the 1949-50 academic year, the chair was led by M. Evg., a postgraduate of the Institute of Foreign Languages named after Torez. Margarita Khachaturova, who completed her PhD in Moscow, returned to Yerevan in 1949 and became chair in 1950, serving until 1977. From 1978 to 1984, Ph.D. Associate Professor Abraham Vardapetyan took over, followed by Professor Aram Barlezizyan until 2005. The chair was then led by Ph.D. Associate Professor Naira Manukyan from 2006 to 2008, and by Ph.D. Associate Professor Donara Ghazaryan in 2009-2010. In December 2010, Associate Professor Melanya Ghazaryan was appointed as the acting head, followed by Associate Professor Naira Manukyan in 2013, then Ph.D. Associate Professor Donara Ghazaryan from 2017 to 2024, with Ghazaryan resuming her role as head from October 28, 2024.

Over the years, the French department has been staffed by highly qualified specialists, many of whom received their education in France and Lebanon, including noted professors such as Alishan Bayramyan, Avetis Yeghiayan, Aram Minasyan, Gegham Shahinyan, and Gagik Vahramyan.

The department's success is reflected in the quality of its graduates, including prominent intellectuals in Armenia and beyond, such as Academician Eduard Atayan, Ph.D. Professor Arman Nazaryan, and Associate Professors Hakob Arakelyan, Norayr Santrosyan, and Martiros Minasyan.

In addition to their teaching roles, faculty members engage in research and methodological studies. Recent notable publications include A. Nazaryan's "Translation Study Manual" (co-authored with H. Baghdasaryan), N. Manukyan's monograph "Aesthetics of Poetic Sign Perception," and A. Barlezizyan's works on 19th-century Armenian-French relations.

The department is also a unique center for lexicography, producing several significant dictionaries, including A. Nazaryan's "French-Russian-Armenian Educational Dictionary of Linguistic Terms" and other trilingual works. Faculty members have also authored textbooks for various educational levels, contributing to the development of university-level materials.

Italian

The Italian language has been taught at the university since 1996 as a second foreign language and as a professional language since the 2003-2004 academic year. Currently, about 160 students are studying Italian, with 23 pursuing it as a professional language. Professors frequently receive training at universities in Perugia, Siena, and Ca' Foscari in Venice. High-performing students are awarded scholarships by the Italian government and partner universities.

Agreements exist with several Italian institutions, including the University of Perugia, Verona State University, and "L'Orientale" in Naples, facilitating professor and student exchanges. Additionally, a CELI testing center was established in collaboration with the University of Perugia, allowing students from Armenia and the Transcaucasian region to obtain language proficiency certifications.

Spanish

Spanish has been offered at BSU since 1992 as a second and third foreign language and as a professional language since the 2015-2016 academic year. Approximately 400 students are currently studying Spanish, and faculty members have training from the Cervantes Institute and various universities in Spain. The department is pursuing cooperation with international universities, including negotiations with the University of Buenos Aires and partnerships under the Erasmus Mundus program with the University of Granada.

Romanian

Romanian language courses began at BSU in 2007 as an optional subject and have been offered as a third foreign language since 2008. Currently, around 30 students are enrolled in Romanian courses. Classes are held in a specially equipped auditorium established with support from the Romanian Embassy, and a native speaker teaches at the university under an interstate agreement. Top-performing students are regularly given opportunities to study in Romania.

Greek

Greek language instruction started in 1998 with optional courses and became available as a second foreign language in 2003 and a third foreign language in 2008. Classes are conducted in a dedicated auditorium supported by the Greek Embassy, featuring comprehensive educational materials. The Greek Language Center at BSU promotes Greek culture and language and collaborates with the Greek Ministry of Education to organize qualification and certification exams. Approximately 40 students are currently studying Greek, with the best students participating in competitive summer programs in Greece.

MISSION

The department aims to provide comprehensive, high-quality professional education at both undergraduate and graduate levels, developing competitive specialists (linguists, translators) in Romance linguistics, aligned with labor market demands and employing modern teaching methods and technologies.

FUNCTIONS

The FRB chair engages in multidisciplinary educational and research activities, offering practical instruction in French, Italian, Spanish, and Romanian as primary, secondary, and tertiary languages. The department organizes theoretical courses across various disciplines in Romance linguistics, emphasizing geological, linguistic, and cultural contexts. Currently, over 50 highly qualified specialists contribute to the department's efforts to train skilled professionals while advancing research in Romance linguistics and philology.

Structural Units

1. Francophone Research Interuniversity Academic Achievement Center - Director: Ani Janikyan
2. Greek Language and Culture Center - Director: Marina Georgiadi
3. Argentine Culture Center
4. Romanian Language and Culture Center

External Connections

The department maintains collaborations with various organizations, including:

1. Embassy of France in Armenia
2. International Organization of Francophonie (OIF)
3. University Agency of Francophonie (AUF)
4. Courrier d'Erevan Francophone Press
5. Alliance Française
6. INALCO (Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations of France)
7. Paris Sorbonne University
8. IFAG (Francophone Institute of Business Administration)
9. Partnerships with RA universities and schools
10. J.-K. Cooperation with the international laboratory GRAC (Grammaire et contextualisation) founded by Beako

Under the Erasmus+ program, undergraduate and graduate students may spend their first or second semester at various international universities, including:

1. University of Lille, France
2. University of Montpellier, France
3. Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
4. INALCO (French Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations)

Additional Information

CELU Testing Center: This center certifies Spanish language proficiency through the CELU international exam, organized since 2017.

CELI Testing Center: Established in 2007, this center certifies Italian language proficiency. It offers three examination periods annually, and residents of Armenia and the Transcaucasian region can participate in the CELI certification exam across levels A1-C2.