Course Offerings Fall 2010
NOTE TO FRESHMEN, TRANSFER STUDENTS, and THEIR ADVISORS:
For all placement questions, please contact the French & Francophone Studies Coordinator [[gxpaci,Prof. Pacini]], or our placement advisor [[kmkuli, Prof. Kulick]] (tel. 221-3652).
MDLL347 Teaching English Overseas will be offered this Fall.
General guidelines for choosing your French courses:
To know what French language class you should take, please read the MLL placement information
If you are a freshman with 4-5 years of high school French or a strong AP score, we encourage you to take one of the following seminars: French 150W, 151, or 290. With 4 years of French under your belt, you could also take 210 or 212 (they are taught more or less at the same level). If you have taken 5 years or more, register for French 305.
If you are currently in French 202, take French 210 or 212 next. If you are a strong student, consider 290.
If you are currently in French 210 or 212, take French 290 or 305. If you don't feel ready to move up, you can take French 212 or 210.
If you are currently in French 305, take French 314 or 315 next.
After you have taken 314 or 315, you may take any 300-level course in any order, regardless of their specific course numbers. There is no difference in level between 321 and 392.
N.B. Our senior seminar French 450 is only guaranteed in the spring semester.
Please consult a current course catalog for complete information on specific offerings each semester.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR FALL 2010
FREN 150W, 101, 201, 210, 212, 290, 305, 314, 315, 390, 391, 393, 408, 412 , MDLL 347
FREN 150W , an intensive writing Freshman seminar in English
Prof.Médevielle: France and its Colonial past (4 credits)
Many contemporary political debates in France are hauted by the country's colonial past. This is this past we will explore during this writing intensive class.
France has had two successive colonial empires. The first one, established in the seventeenth century, after initial forays a century earlier, was a project from the French absolute monarchy. It was mainly American (Caribbean, Eastern Canada, Midwest), slavery was one of its key social institutions. The second one was mainly a project of the French republic, it was present on five continents, and survived until the early 1960s.
Using a wide range of media: maps, movies, other iconographical representations, novels, legal texts, critical essays, and others, we will explore in this course successive discourses on the colonies, colonialism and France colonial others. As it is an intensive writing class, we will also explore how to write about these discourses. The class will be conducted entirely in English. No prior knowledge of French is necessary.
FREN 101
Pr.Dima. Elementary French I.
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 class hours.
FREN 201
Pr. A. Leruth/Pr.Dima . Intermediate French I.
A review of basic French grammar through development of writing, speaking, comprehension and reading skills, with additional emphasis on cultural and literary readings. Four class hours.
FREN 210
Pr.M. Leruth. From Word to Text
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 literary readings. Prerequisite: FREN 202 or placement by Achievement Test score or by department.
FREN 212
Pr. A. Leruth. Cross-cultural Perspectives on the Francophone World
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. Prerequisite: FREN 202 or placement by Achievement Test score or by department
FREN 290 - new course, counts for the major or minor!
Prof. Pacini: Themes and Issues in the French and Francophone World
The French Revolution
A new 200-level ‘topics' course which counts for a major or minor in French! This seminar is open to students who have already taken FREN 151 or 202 at W&M, or who have taken (or received credit equivalent to) at least four years of high-school French. This fall we will explore the history and importance of the French revolution through an analysis of different media. We will investigate the ways in which the revolutionaries defined French identity, patriotism, and political authority. We will decipher some of the fundamental symbols and political narratives of this period. In the process, we will address methodological questions such as how to interpret cultural objects (i.e. revolutionary clothing) as meaningful "texts." We will also consider the international dimensions of the French revolution (in the Caribbean in particular): we will therefore discuss late eighteenth-century debates on race and slavery. Taught in French.
FREN 305
Pr.Eildert. The Craft of Writing
Applied grammar and intensive written work. French 305 is a prerequisite for upper-level French courses. Prerequisite: FREN 210 or FREN 212 or FREN 151.
FREN 314
Pr. Fauvel. Introduction to French Cultural Studies
An introduction to the field of French Cultural Studies through the analysis of evolving constructs of French national identity. Prerequisite: FREN 305
FREN 315
Pr. Pacini. French Literature in Its Cultural Contexts
In addition to readings masterpieces from the French canon, the course will examine the material, social, legal, economic and ideological forces that shaped France's literary culture over the centuries. Prerequisite or corequisite: FREN 305
MDLL 347
Pr. Kulick. Teaching English Overseas
This course is designed for students planning to teach English as a Foreign Language overseas or English as a Second Language in the United States. Among the issues we will explore in this course:
ways in which social, political, economic and cultural factors can influence the overseas classroom,
how a country’s educational and institutional structures can affect language teaching,
important elements of cross-cultural communication, and
practical strategies and techniques for effectively teaching English as a second or foreign language.
Students will design and prepare a series of lessons for a short course in ESL/EFL appropriate to the setting in which they plan to teach.
This is one of the required courses for the TESL/TEFL Minor Program (in the Dept of Modern Languages & Literatures) and for the English as a Second Language Endorsement Program in the School of Education.
For further information, contact [[kmkuli, Professor Katherine Kulick]], Dept of Modern Languages & Literatures, 205 Washington Hall
FREN 390
Prof. Médevielle: From ' France Antarctique' to Decolonization: Five Centuries of French Colonialism
The question of post-coloniality have become prominent in contemporary political discussions in France. In order to better understand them, we will survey French colonial history from the sixteenth century to the sixties. Using a wide range of media: maps, movies, pictures, novels, legal texts, critical essays, we will explore successive discourses on the colonies, colonization, France colonial others, but also Frenchness. What did French writers meant by 'savage' in the Renaissance? How come France adopted slavery in the Caribbean in the seventeenth century? How did the French revolution deal with slavery? How could the Third Republic emphasize democratization in France and constitute the second largest colonial empire? How did France deal with decolonization? This and other questions, we will explore in this course conducted entirely in French. Prerequisite: FREN 314 or 315
FREN 391
Pr.Eildert. The French Press
In addition to analyzing current and recent events in France, this course will introduce students to the history and current state of the French press and media. Course taught in French. Prerequisite: FREN 314 or 315.
FREN 393/ Film Studies 351
Pr.Fauvel. Documentaries in France: X-Rays of a Society
What is a documentary? How can we explain the outburst of documentatries in the French cinema industry since WWII? This course will teach the history of this genre and analytical tools. Students will also be expected to create mini-documentaries imitating the techniques anlyzed in class. Course taught in French. Prerequisite: FREN 305 and either FREN 310 or FREN 314
FREN 408
Prof. Kulick. Comparative Stylistics and Translation
An intensive course in writing and language analysis. Basic concepts in stylistics applied to writing in French and to the problems of translation. Prerequisite: FREN 305 or consent of instructor.
FREN 412
Prof. A. Leruth. Teaching Practicum
Instructor permission required
TENTATIVE COURSE OFFERINGS FOR SPRING 2011 (subject to change):
French 101, 102, 151, 20 1, 202, 210, 212, 290, 305, 314, 315, 331, 363, 450.
