Dr. Éliane McKee

Dr. Éliane McKee came to Buffalo State College in 1980 upon the completion of her Ph.D. at The Ohio State University where she studied foreign language education and French literature.

At Buffalo State College, she immediately perceived the advantage of having the education component housed in the discipline’s department. Dr. McKee believes this is the best way to prepare language students and prospective language teachers since both language skills and pedagogy can be closely monitored and appropriately intertwined. Knowledge of the student, the discipline, and the pedagogy together establishes the professional foundation for the development of facilitators of learning. Working within this model for over twenty five years, her work teaching language and pedagogy courses to French language students, French and Spanish field experience students, and student teachers brought only rewards.

Fluent in Czech, French and English, with knowledge of Spanish and Russian, Dr. Éliane McKee harbors a love for all languages. She learned Czech at home as a child where it was the sole language of communication. She was schooled in French elementary and secondary schools in Morocco, then a French Protectorate. She quickly developed a love for the English language in middle and high school and hoped to acquire a solid knowledge of the language. Having married an American Air Force soldier, she proceeded to perfect the English language through university studies. She enrolled at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where she earned her Bachelor of Art degree and continued her studies at The Ohio State University where she obtained both her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees.

While all world languages are important, she holds a particular love for French which, she believes, remains a most viable language today. French is the official working language of the UN, NATO, UNESCO, the International Olympic Committee, the European Union, and the International Red Cross. It is the second official language in two of our states: Maine and Louisiana. It is spoken or understood in 55 countries across the five continents and by over 200 million people. Most importantly, French is the language of our neighboring Québec. French has always been the gate to fine arts, music, fashion, culinary art, architecture, and enthralling literature. French also provides the base for more than 50% of the modern English vocabulary. She finds students in French or French Education at Buffalo State College to be serious, dedicated, and enthusiastic. Like she, they believe that, “French is an essential part of a well-rounded education for its undeniable academic benefits.”