Michelle Beauclair
Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies; Chair of the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics
Email: beaucm@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2092
Office: Marston Hall 220
Education: BSLA, Georgetown University, 1986; MA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1989; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1994. At SPU since 2004.
Pourquoi j'enseigne à SPU
Dr. Michelle Beauclair has taught all levels of French at SPU. Currently, she directs the French program while teaching intermediate and upper-division French, French and Francophone literature and culture, and the capstone course for majors and minors. The Francophone course series that she developed for SPU undergraduates examines the cultures, literatures, and film from France’s colonial and postcolonial periods in West and North Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia and the United States. For her commitment to effective and innovative teaching and learning, she was named the Division of Humanities’ Faculty Teacher of the Year in 2010 and 2013.
Beyond teaching on campus, Dr. Beauclair welcomes the opportunity to lead students on study abroad trips to further their proficiency in the French language and to advance their appreciation of French and francophone cultures. In 2006, she created the SPU French Language & Culture Program where students can earn credits in intensive French language and civilization while experiencing the rich cultural offerings of the City of Light. In 2017, the program expanded to include a stay in Aix-en-Provence prior to study in Paris. In addition, Dr. Beauclair has accompanied, led, and co-led SPU’s longest-running study abroad program, the European Quarter.
Since 2005, she has served as advisor for the campus French club, Le Cercle français. In addition, Dr. Beauclair has served as co-chair of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, as chair of the Faculty Development Committee, and as a member of the Exploratory Curriculum Task Force. At the present time, she is a member of the Assessment Committee and the Study Abroad Advisory Committee.
Her research interests include immigration in France, modern and contemporary French and Francophone literature, and second-language pedagogy. She is a member of the Modern Language Association, the American Association of Teachers of French, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, and the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association, among others.
In her free time, she enjoys travel and is a member of St. Joseph Parish, where she participates in providing meals for the St. Martin de Porres shelter.
Selected Publications
The Francophone World: Cultural Issues and Perspectives. Beauclair, Michelle, ed. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, January 2003.
Albert Camus, Marguerite Duras, and the Legacy of Mourning. Beauclair, Michelle. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, January 1998.
“Misinterpreting French Riots: The Need for Cultural Context.” Beauclair, Michelle. Ámbito de Encuentros, Revista de la Universidad del Este, Carolina, PR, 2009, Volume 3, Numero 1, (82–100).
Please view Dr. Beauclair’s CV (PDF) for more information.