The University operates on the basis of modular degrees and teaching is divided between two semesters. The Department, which is strongly research based, and which was awarded a 5 in the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise, comprises two Professors, one Professorial Research Fellow, one Reader, two Senior Lecturers, and seven Lecturers along with a number of part-time staff and four Foreign Language Assistants. The School of Modern Languages, of which the Department of French Studies is a constituent member, is also currently engaged in a programme of postgraduate recruitment and has recently restructured its MA in European Literature and Culture, in which the Department plays a major part. The research environment is enhanced by financial support available from two endowed funds and by the excellent holdings of the John Rylands University Library, both on campus and at Deansgate in the city centre, the site of the University s special collections. The Department enjoys a close relationship with the Manchester branch of the Alliance Fran aise, and with the local D l gation Culturelle de l Ambassade de France.
Some courses are currently under review.
Liaison with the Language Centre will be an essential part of the post-holder s responsibilities. Administrative duties will not extend beyond the areas of first and second year language teaching and liaison with the Language Centre. The person appointed should be of native or near-native competence in French, and should have appropriate experience of language teaching. Experience of innovative methods of teaching French as a foreign language and appropriate qualifications in this field will be a major advantage. Experience co-ordinating language teaching and curriculum development will also be welcomed.