By Hayden VanTuyl
The Scene Staff
French language courses have returned to the Forest Park campus for the first time in seven years.
St. Louis Community College is responding to increased student interest and enthusiasm for language learning, according to administrators.
An initial course called Elementary French has 11 students this fall. Plans call for higher-level courses in the future.
“I am learning very quickly in this class, and I’m so glad I decided to take French this term,” said Amari Guy, 19, a general transfer studies student.
Guy had sought out French classes at Forest Park during prior semesters because she lives nearby. She then spent time studying at the St. Louis Language Immersion School.
“My advisor and I were disappointed when French wasn’t offered last year, so I was very happy when It was listed as a course option this year,” she said.
Guy plans to enroll in French again next semester and continue to expand her skills in the language.
French was last offered at Forest Park in 2019. The college suspended the program due to waning student interest.
Adjunct French professor Martin Maillot, 39, has been tasked with kickstarting the program at Forest Park. He’s a native of northwestern France’s Anjou region.
“I’m very happy with the engagement and interest I’ve seen this semester, and I’m hopeful we’ll continue to have success going forward,” he said.
Maillot has lived in the St. Louis region since 2021 and taught various levels of French courses on STLCC’s Meramec campus since the spring of 2025.
Maillot said the level of enthusiasm at Forest Park has surpassed his expectations. He will be teaching both Elementary and Intermediate French during spring semester.
Maillot came to Forest Park at the request of Kelly Mueller, district chair for World Languages and Deaf Communications.
“We are so excited to have Professor Martin Maillot at Forest Park,” she stated in an email. “Enrollment numbers reflect a renewed interest in the French language, and we hope to see continued growth and interest.
“Dr. Maillot has expressed how happy he is to teach at STLCC-Forest Park, and he truly enjoys sharing his language and culture with students. Classes in Elementary French 101 and 102 with Professor Maillot are on the course schedule for spring 2027.”
As STLCC’s enrollment numbers steadily increase and return to levels before the COVID-19 pandemic, Mueller said administrators are seeing student demand for new and more varied learning experiences at all campuses.
The return of French to Forest Park is an example of that growth, giving students in St. Louis access to one of the world’s “iconic” languages and cultures, according to Maillot.
“Any opportunity to step into another culture and experience a different point of view is a valuable one” he said, emphasizing the importance of broad cultural understanding.
Registration for French courses in spring 2027 will open later this semester. Administrators will determine future offerings based on student feedback and demand.