If you want to learn the French language, Professor Mana Derakhshani can teach you.

She’ll teach you to read it, write it, speak it, and understand it. But she won’t stop there.

“It’s important to have more than one cultural perspective, and you begin to understand a culture by learning its language,” explains Professor Mana Derakhshani, associate professor of modern languages who teaches French at Saint Mary’s College. “It’s also essential for citizens of the 21st century to acquire intercultural competence, the ability to interact effectively within different cultural frameworks.”

Professor Derakhshani knows first-hand what it’s like to navigate many cultures. Born in Tehran, Iran, she grew up in Morocco. She spoke Persian at home and lived according to her Iranian culture. At school, her classes were taught in French and she took English as a foreign language. She earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in the United States, specializing in 19th-century French poetry.

She also brings a wealth of practical knowledge to the classroom. Professor Derakhshani’s ability to translate real-world experiences into classroom teaching makes her a favorite with Saint Mary’s students. Beyond papers, projects, and readings are conversations about culture—for example, how simple behaviors like personal introductions or how close you stand to someone—can make or break a business meeting.

“No culture sees the world through clear glasses. They all have a color,” says Professor Derakhshani. “Those who understand that will be more successful, and will help make this interconnected, interdependent world a better place.”