Professor of World Studies

PhD, U North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 1974
MA, U of Rochester, 1971
BA, Smith College, 1970

Email - pcummins@vcu.edu
Phone - 804.827.0958
Fax - 804.828.0127

Office - Lafayette Hall, Rm 112
            312 N. Shafer St.
            Richmond, VA 23220

Business French & the EU
French & Multicultural Literature
Lang & Intercultural Communication
Teaching
Research
Summary of Professional Activity

Global Language Portfolios


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Dr. Patricia W. Cummins teaches French language, literature, and civilization, as well as interdisciplinary courses on the European Union, intercultural communication, and language and identity. She has hosted summer workshops for teachers of French and Spanish, and she has hosted American Language and Civilization Workshops. In her current role as Chair of the AATF Commission on Colleges and Universities, she plays a leadership role nationally in the Global Language Portfolio (GLP) project, which is modeled on the European Language Portfolio. GLP takes into account the standards of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages as well as the national standards developed by ACTFL and other American language organizations. Dr. Cummins’ first two books were focused on medieval literature, and her second two books on business French. She has published over 40 articles on medieval literature, business French, and second language acquisition. Her current research interests focus on the European Union and its language, culture and education policies. Dr. Cummins’ professional service has included national offices in several organizations, including the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, and several other organizations.  

Extended Biography