Courses Offered

Course offered for Spring 2010

French 102, 150W, 151, 202, 210, 212, 305, 306, 310, 314, 315, 321, 385, 390

General guidelines for Spring 2010 registration

If you are currently in French 202, please take French 210 or 212 next.

If you are currently in French 210 or 212, please take French 305 and/or 306. If you don't feel ready to move up, you can take French 210 or 212. Please note that French 306 will initially be reserved for students currently in french 210 and 212.

If you are currently in French 305, please take French 314 or 315 next.

Please consult a current course catalogue for complete information on specific offerings each semester.

 

French 101. Elementary French I.

Fall 2009

An introduction to the French language designed to develop basic communicative competence in speaking and writing skills, and basic listening and reading comprehension of cultural materials. Preliminary introduction to selected aspects of the Francophone world. Four classes hour.           

French 102. Elementary French II.

Spring 2010

French 150W: Freshman Seminar in English

Intended for freshmen who wish to satisfy the Freshman writing requirement with the exploration of a specific topic in literary or cultural studies.

Topic for Spring 2010: France and its colonial past 

Prof. Médevielle

Contemporary French identity is defined largely by its postcolonial status: many debates about "immigrants", "Violent youth", racism, acceptation of rejection of Islam - to name a few- are haunted by France's colonial past. This class will endeavor to present different aspects of this rich and often ignored colonial past.

France has had two successive colonial empires: the first one was a project of the French monarchy; it was established in the seventeenth century, was based in the Americas and lasted until the French Indian wars and the French revolution- at its core was the institution of slavery; the second, mostly a creation of the nascent French republic in the 1880s, was present on five continents and grew out to be the second largest colonial empire of the world. These successive empires have always been linked to some core aspects of the evolving French identity.

We will explore in this course successive discourses on the colonies by using a wide range of medium: maps, movies and other iconographical representations, novels, legal texts, critical essays... and will try to understand how the colonies have served to define these successive French identities from the Renaissance to the mid-twentieth century. This is a writing intensive course, conducted entirely in English. No French is required. 

 

French 151: Freshman Seminar in French

Topic for Spring 2010: " 'Telle figure que l'on veut' : Africa through French eyes (1530-1960)

Prof. Médevielle

In "Les Nègres", written at the eve of the decolonization of Sub-saharan Africa (1959), playwright Jean Genet asked: "Mais, qu'est-ce que c'est donc un noir? Et d'abord, c'est de quelle couleur?" This class would like to give some elements of answer to this question by looking back at the literary construction of the "Africans" by French writers from the time of the first direct contacts to the end of colonization. What does it say in return about French self-definitions? We will base our discussions and writing exercizes on documents ranging from early Renaissance traders' accounts to novels, movies, maps and articles from popular French newspapers. All readings, writings and discussions will be in French. Freshman students with 4-5 years of high school French or a strong AP score are encouraged to enroll.

 

French 202: Intermediate French II.

Continued review of basic French grammar through development of writing, speaking and comprehension skills, with additional emphasis on cultural and literary readings. Four class hours.

 

French 206: Upper-Intermediate Conversation

A course beyond the College's foreign language requirement proficiency level stressing the cultural and linguistic notions of oral discourse in developing communicative ability in the language. Practice in stimulated cultural contexts through discussion and student presentations on themes in contemporary French culture.

French 210: Introduction to Writing and Reading (GER 5)

Spring 2010. Prof. A.Leruth

Continued development of all four language skills, with a special emphasis on reading and writing. This course will incorporate work with applied grammar, interactive video, film, and French and Francophone readings.

 

French 212: Cross-cultural Perspective on the Francophone World (GER 4C)

Spring 2010. Prof.Compan

An introduction to comparative cultural studies of the Francophone world. An exploration of the rich cultural exchanges among Francophone communities with an emphasis on their geographical, historical and social contexts. Sustained attention to oral and written expression.

 

French 304: French Phonetics and Diction

Intensive study of concepts in articulatory phonetics and phonology in modern standard French. Readings in phonetic theory. Diagnostic evaluation of each student's pronunciation. Corrective phonetics.

French 305: Advanced Writing

This course is designed to develop the art of writing in French in more sophisticated prose than in lower level courses. You will focus on improving your writing proficiency in French in different modes of expression (narration, description, argumentation, exposition, etc.). Writing assignments will include a wide range of topics (architecture, nature, the environment, portraits, autobiographical writing, etc.) and each will be supported by specific activities to develop and refine appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures. Through practical exercises and peer-editing, as well as reflection and revising, you will focus on writing French in coherent, extended discourse with lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills, and style.

 

French 306: Advanced Conversation

Spring 2010. Prof A.Leruth

Intensive oral-aural training, with class discussions and oral presentations focusing on relevant issues in contemporary French and Francophone society and culture as presented in a variety of texts and media.  BY INSTRUCTOR'S PERMISSION ONLY. PRIORITY GIVEN TO STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING FRENCH 210 OR 212 IN FALL 2009.

 

FRENCH 310: French Cinema 

Spring 2010. Prof. Fauvel 
 Ce cours (entièrement en français) présentera l'histoire du cinéma français (depuis les Frères Lumière et Méliès jusqu'à Kassovitz et Denis) -pour ainsi couvrir le GER 4 A, mais offrira aussi des outils pour analyser des films de manière critique, et finalement donnera l'occasion de réaliser un court métrage en équipe.  

 

French 314 - Introduction to French Cultural Studies (GER 4a, 5)

This course will introduce students to the field of French Cultural Studies through an analysis of evolving constructs of French national identity. As it examines different aspects of France's history, literature, politics, cinema, visual and material culture, FR 314 will familiarize students with French texts and objects for analysis, as well as with the critical concepts and methodologies associated with interdisciplinary cultural studies. Organized around key moments in the elaboration of the French national idea, each unit will focus on a representative figure or text in which the shifting borders of French identity can be read.

 

French 315: Introduction to French Literature (GER4A; GER5) 

Prof. Pacini 
 Topic for Spring 2010: "Jeux de Plume, Lettres de Bataille" 

This course will trace a history of reading, writing, and publication practices from the Renaissance to the present. Topics of discussion will include: the history of the book; theories and practices of writing and authority; different forms censorship; the history of intellectual property; definition and characteristics of the literary field; the many functions of literature. In other words, we will examine the material, social, legal, economic, and ideological forces that shaped and often destabilized France's literary culture, while also raising questions about the ways in which this literature and specific reading, writing, and publication practices affected individuals and society as a whole. 

French 321: Early Modern French Theater

Prof. Pacini 

 

To what extent could one say that early modern French culture was fundamentally spectacular? What role did performance and spectacle play in the social and political scenes of this period? What debates were played out on the stage and in the contemporary discourse about acting and theater-going? Why did people believe that plays could corrupt the soul? 

This course will study the impact of theater and theatrical performances at court, in the city, in fairgrounds and in the streets of Paris. In addition to reading critically or popularly acclaimed literary masterpieces, we will examine essays that describe or theorize the effects of theater on the evolution of moral, social and political conventions. Specific sub-topics for the course are therefore: the history of the Comédie Française, the Théâtre Italien, the Opéra and the foires; the evolution of the physical stage; the classical rules of dramaturgy; early modern ideas about the pedagogical function of the theater; the history of pantomime and innovative eighteenth-century uses of gestural languages; the censorship of plays and debates about censorship; the life and particular status of actors and actresses; early modern arguments about the value or dangers of theater-going; different forms of spectator behavior; the political importance of the pit or parterre; the role of revolutionary festivals; the theatricalization of politics. In class we will watch filmed performances to discuss questions of casting, staging and acting styles. If students are interested, an element of performance will be included in this program. 

 

French 331: Topics in Eighteenth-Century French Literature and Culture. 

Studies in the literature, history and visual culture of eighteenth-century France. Topics will vary. This course may be repeated for credit if topics differ.

French 350: Modern French Poetry

From the post-romantic poets to the present with special emphasis on Baudelaire, the Symbolists and the Surrealists.

French 351: Twentieth-Century French Literature I

Colette, Gide, Proust, Breton, Sartre, and Camus: you shouldn't consider yourself well-educated unless you've read them!

In the social novels, the Surrealist récit, the psychological narratives, and the thought-provoking of texts of the Existentialists, the city plays as much of a role as do its inhabitants. Come and get a view of France as you have surely never seen it.

French 352: Littérature et culture du XXe siècle: Postwar, Postcolonial and Postmodern

Après la seconde guerre mondiale, la littérature française comme forme d'engagement laisse vite place à des mouvements complètement opposés, qui sont l'expression de différentes crises en littérature (rôle de la littérature remis en question, crise du roman, crise du théâtre, crise du langage, etc.). Les textes littéraires et les oeuvres culturelles sont radicalement transformés dans leur forme et les idées qu'ils transmettent. Ces crises reflètent des crises idéologiques/ philosophiques/sociales/politiques/économiques qui ont profondément transformé la vision du monde, et l'identité des Français (holocauste, l'utilisation de la bombe atomique, guerre froide, ère de la technologie et importance des sciences, développement du cinéma, société de consommation, décolonisation, âge de l'informatique, nouveaux droits pour les femmes, abolition de la peine de mort, crise du marxisme, etc.)

French 361: Culture in Context I: Art and Ideas

France has long been known as a hub of artistic production in Europe, and the great masterpieces of art and architecture that it has produced -- from the Cathedral of Chartres to the Impressionist landscapes of Monet -- are a main reason why it is today one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. This course will look behind the masterpieces to the social structures, cultural paradigms, and intellectual currents that have shaped art in France from the Middle Ages through the present.

Here are some questions that we will be asking ourselves in this course:

• What kinds of virtual reality have artists aspired to create in different periods of history?
• How was art affected by different sources of power and forces of change in France through the ages, such as religion, the state, democracy, capitalism, urbanization, technology, and the media?
• How did the social status of the artist change through time?
• What makes some art "classical," "modern," or "postmodern?"
• Does French art somehow express Frenchness?
• Whatever happened to the Parisian avant-garde and to French rayonnement?
• Can I learn to love contemporary art?
• What is happening in the French art world today?

French 362: French Culture in Context 2: The Republic

In France, the "Republic" is more than a form of government. It is also a model of society, a cultural project, an avatar of modernity, a mythical figure of collective memory, and a way of life. However, as the basis of national identity, it has not always inspired the same warm and fuzzy feeling among all French people. While some still think of it as something sacred, others-well into the twentieth century (e.g. Vichy)-have reviled it as the antithesis of the "real" France. The course will examine the multiple cultural significations of the Republic in the French context using an interdisciplinary approach that will focus four main themes:

- The key ideas that form the foundation of French political culture in the republican era: e.g. centralization, indivisibility, the rights of man, citizenship, and laicism.

- A historical overview of the process of republican nation building in France that began with the Revolution of 1789; special emphasis will be placed on the struggle to establish and maintain a republican "imaginary community" in the face of the stiff opposition and string of grave national crises that mark the period of the Third Republic (1870-1940).

- The structure of the French government and political system under the Fifth Republic.

- The controversial political and social issues of today that are prompting some observers to speak of a "crisis" of the French republican ideal: e.g. American hegemony, globalization, the transfer of sovereignty to the Europe Union, multiculturalism, racism, social injustice, the dysfunctional behavior of French institutions and the populist backlash against them.

French 385: Francophone African Literature

Prof. Compan.

Topic for Spring 2010: Islands and Identities in Francophone Literatures

The island figures centrally into western fantasies and fears, evoking notions of both paradise and isolation. The island is also a space that fosters the identity and writing of its native inhabitants. In this course we will consider the role that the island plays as myth, trope, ideal, problem, literary inspiration, and geographic reality in the formation of francophone literature. We will examine novels, plays, poems, short stories and films that reflect upon the role of the island in the formation of Caribbean and Indian Ocean identities. Thematic questions we will consider over the course of the academic term include: How do island natives write space and write themselves within that space? How does the island get transfigured from a colonial space to a space of resistance?

 

French 386: Francophone African Literature II (in English)

Past topic:  From Négritude to Créolité. Francophone Literature in Translation

This course will examine selected major novels, plays, poetry and films from Africa and the Caribbean from the early 1930s to the present. Through readings, discussion, lectures, and films, we will study some of the important personalities and historical and literary forces that have influenced Africa and its diaspora. In particular, we will examine Négritude and its critics, Antillanité, Créolization, and Créolité. We will explore this Francophone intellectual history by examining the context of literary production while pursuing these questions: What model did Négitude have to offer? What did it accomplish? What led to its renunciation? What did the proponents of Créolité have to offer? What is their relationship with Négritude?

Authors we will consider include Léon-Gontran Damas, Aimé Césaire, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Patrick Chamoiseau, Ousmane Sembene, Maryse Condé, Edouard Glissant, Frantz Fanon, Jean-Paul Sartre.

French 390: Topics in French/Francophone Literature.

Topic for Spring 2010 : « La Francoaméricanie » 

Prof. St Onge.

Le cours se concentre sur la colonisation et la migration des communautés francophones en Amérique depuis le seizième siècle jusqu'à nos jours.  Parmi les groupes ciblés : Cadiens et Acadiens, Québécois, Haïtiens, Vietnamiens, gens du Maghreb et du Machrek, Africains et Européens.  Fond théorique portant sur l'immigration, le post-colonialisme, la créolité et la créolisation. 

Topic for Fall 2009: An Introduction to French Colonial History

Prof. Medevielle

 The questions of postcoloniality have become prominent in contemporary political discussions in France. In order to better understand them, we will survey France colonial history from the sixteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. France has had two successive colonial empires: the first one was a project of the French monarchy; it was established in the seventeenth century, was based in the Americas and lasted until the French Indian wars and the French revolution; the second, mostly a creation of the nascent French republic in the 1880s, was mostly based in Africa and Asia. We will explore in this course successive discourses on the colonies by using a wide range of medium: maps and other iconographical representations, novels, legal texts, critical essays... and will try to understand how the colonies have served to define successive French identities.

 

French 391: Notions of the Exotic in the Age of Exploration and Empire

It is a common belief that exoticism came into the literary and cultural imagination of France during the romantic period. In this course we will study 17th, 18th, and 19th century notions of the exotic that sprung during the age of exploration and took on various forms through eras of revolution and colonial expansion. We will look at the birth of exotic notions from perspectives of cultural, social, and geographical difference, using several mediums as our texts of inquiry: literary texts, correspondences, travel journals, and theatrical works, as well as images of the exotic from maps, prints, and paintings of the era.

 

French 392: Creative Writing

It is said that to translate is to betray. In this course, you will write creatively then "betray" yourself by translating into French what you have written. Through a study of the linguistic principles involved in passing from an English text to a French version of it, you will also acquire a fuller knowledge of the techniques of translation.

 

French 410: French Philology

An introduction to French historical linguistics, including the history of the French language, historical grammar, and the study of Old and Middle French texts.

 

French 450: Senior Seminar in French/ Francophone Literature, Language or Culture

Topic for Fall 2009:  Liberté et Libertins

In this interdisciplinary seminar we will analyze philosophical, scientific, and literary masterpieces of the early modern French libertine tradition. We will investigate seventeenth- and eighteenth-century theories about the relationship of soul, mind, and body, and examine the link between free thought and unconventional behavior. Readings may include Molière's Le Festin de Pierre ou Dom Juan, Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and works by Cyrano de Bergerac, Pierre Bayle, Crébillon fils, Denis Diderot, the marquis de Sade, and Giacomo Casanova. In order to situate these texts in their broader social and cultural contexts, we will also study political pamphlets and the art of this period.

Topic from Fall 2006: A table ! 

"C'est qu'avec les sandwichs au chester et à la salade, nourritures ignorantes, je n'avais rien à dire. Mais les gâteaux étaient instruits, les tartes étaient bavardes." Marcel Proust.

"L'homme n'a pas seulement besoin de meurtre. Il a besoin aussi d'un solide repas." Alfred Hitchcock.

De l'histoire et des plaisirs de la nourriture à sa représentation dans la littérature et le cinéma français/ francophone. Quels codes, rituels et tabous aborde-t-on à travers la discussion et la représentation de la nourriture ?  Quels liens la nourriture a-t-elle avec le pouvoir, le langage, le sexe, la religion, l'identité, la classe sociale, la psychologie, ou encore la mort ?

Textes de Rabelais à Brillat-Savarin, Flandrin et Montanari, Proust, Ponge et Barthes; films de Varda, Denis, Muyl, Tati, Comolli, Renoir et Boughedir. En français.

Topic from Spring 2006: Cannibalism and the construction of identities

The term 'cannibalism,' first coined by Christopher Columbus as he was writing about the Arawaks in the Caribbean, has repeatedly been used by imperial Europe in an effort to distinguish itself from the subjects of its colonial expansion and justify the colonization of territories. Although this term was in the past used to construct differences between colonizers and colonized, it is now used to deconstruct those differences. In this class we will explore the construction of such a concept and how it has been used in literature and the arts to draw new boundaries between "us" and "other" and renegotiate identities.

MLL 346: Foreign Language Acquisition Processes: Theory and Practice