A photo of Laurence Denié-Higney

Laurence Denié-Higney

Continuing Lecturer

E-mail: laurence@humnet.ucla.edu Office: Royce Hall 222B

Office Hours: Tues, 10:00am-12:00pm via Zoom

Fields of interest: Second Language Acquisition; French for Specific Purposes; Hybrid Teaching; Environmental Humanities; Mohammed Dib

Laurence Denié-Higney is a continuing lecturer of French and Francophone Studies. Before joining the faculty at UCLA in 2000, she was a lecturer of French at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. Her research and teaching encompass a variety of topics in pedagogy, second language acquisition, hybrid teaching as well as the Algerian writer Mohammed Dib. For the past few years, she has taught a course on French in a professional environment, preparing her students for the professional world. As part of this course, her students have organized a meet-n-greet with local French-speaking companies. She has published several articles on Mohammed Dib’s works and pedagogy.

Laurence Denié-Higney is the director of the Nantes Summer Program. During 4 weeks, students meet the actors of the sustainability program in Nantes, exchange with local elementary students, explore the city, and learn about Nantes’ past. They also discover unique local ecosystems, essential for the protection of biodiversity: le Parc naturel régional de Brière and les Marais salants de Guérande.

Education

  • Ph.D. in French literature, the Catholic University of America
  • Doctorate in International Relations from Université de Nantes
  • Master’s in French from the Catholic University of America
  • DEA (Master’s) in International Relations from Université de Nantes

Featured Works

Courses commonly taught

  • Intermediate French (FR 4, FR5, FR6)
  • Written Expression: Techniques of Description and Narration. (FR 100)
  • Advanced Expository Writing: Techniques of Argumentation. (FR 101)
  • French for Professional Purposes (FR 109)
  • Eco-citizenship (FR 135)

Honors and Awards

  • Chevalier dans l’ordre des Palmes Académiques, January 2023
  • Distinguished Educator Award, AATF-Southern California, December 2015
  • AAP Faculty Recognition Award, UCLA, January 2008

Community Engagement

As the faculty advisor to Le Cercle francophone | UCLA French Club, Laurence Denié-Higney organizes Immersion Day, Francophone Day and outings to the Getty Center or a Noise Within Theater to name a few. The purpose of the club is to give students the opportunity to develop leadership and organizational skills while exploring the French and Francophone cultures. Le Cercle Francophone is open to the entire UCLA community, including current and former students. The club organizes weekly language circles, allowing students to practice their French regardless of their skills. The club arranges field trips for its members so they can attend plays, exhibits and musicals.

Since 2023, Laurence Denié-Higney is the UCLA Center of Excellence director. Housed in the European Languages and Transcultural Studies department, the center is supported by the Embassy of France and is part of a national network of centers. On the West coast, the UCLA Center of Excellence was the first to be established in 2000, followed by the USC Center in 2004, and the Berkeley Center in 2021. One of the main missions of the UCLA Center of excellence is to bring interdisciplinary events to our undergraduate and graduate students, the broader UCLA and Los Angeles community to introduce them to French and Francophone cultures or to strengthen their interest and passion for the Francophone world.