Course Offerings Fall 2011
FRENCH & FRANCOPHONE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR FALL 2011
GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR INCOMING STUDENTS
For all placement questions, please contact the French & Francophone Studies Coordinator Prof. Pacini [[gxpaci]] or our placement advisor Prof. Kulick [[kmkuli]].
Our general rule of thumb is that one year of high school French translates into one semester of college French. So if you have taken:
- less than one year of high school French, enroll in 101 this fall (not offered this spring)
- 1 year of high school French, enroll in French 102 next spring (not offered this fall)
- 2 years of high school French, enroll in 201 this fall (not offered this spring)
- 3 years of high school French, you may enroll in either 201 this fall or 202 this spring (note that 201 is not offered in the spring)
- With 4 years of French under your belt, you should take either 210 or 212 (they are taught more or less at the same level). Either one of these (but not both) will count for a French major.
- 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 discussion-intensive seminars: French 151 (“Paris is Burning,” a freshman seminar) or 290 (“The French Revolution”). Both count for the major.
- If you have taken 5 or more years of French, definitely consider taking French 304 or French 305. Both count for the major.
Do not hesitate to talk to the instructor if you have doubts about your level and these courses.
Consult the course catalog for AP and IB credit questions.
2. OTHER GENERAL GUIDELINES
- If you are currently in French 202, take French 210 or 212 next.
- If you are currently in French 206, 210, or 212, take French 290, 304, 305, or 306 (when it is offered). 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 306, 314, or 315 next. You should not take any more 200-level courses.
- After you have taken 314 or 315, you may take any 300- or 400-level course in any order, regardless of their specific course numbers.
IMPORTANT: there is no difference in level between, say, 321 and 392.
- The senior seminar French 450 is only guaranteed in the spring semester. And yes: you may take a 300-level course after having taken 450.
DESCRIPTIONS OF TOPICS COURSES FOR FALL 2011
(please consult a current course catalog for general descriptions of 101, 102, 201, 202, 206, 210, 212, 305, and 306).
French 151: Freshman seminar. Topic for Fall 2011 “Paris is Burning”
Prof. St.Clair
This course proposes to examine the relationship between literature, history and society by focusing on the theme of violence in Paris (this history will span from the various upheavals in the 19th-century capital of modernity to the 2005 uprisings in the banlieues). Readings will include: short stories, journalism, caricature, poetry, photography, painting, and a film.
French 290: Topic for Fall 2011: “The French Revolution”
Prof. Pacini
This seminar studies the history and importance of the French revolution through the analysis of different media. We will investigate the ways in which the revolutionaries defined French identity, patriotism, and political authority, and 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) and therefore discuss late eighteenth-century debates on race and slavery.
French 304: French Phonetics and Diction
Prof. Kulick
This course is designed especially for students who would like to improve their pronunciation in French, but have not yet had the opportunity to spend a semester or year in a Francophone country. The goal is for students to gain a better understanding of the French sound system as well as an opportunity to improve their own pronunciation. The course is both theoretical and practical. It involves readings in linguistic theory, as well as practice in corrective phonetics. Topics include: articulatory phonetics, intonation, stress patterns, liaisons, and more. Time permitting, there will be a brief overview of language variations within France (regional & socio-economic) as well as varieties of French spoken beyond the Hexagon.
FREN 314 Introduction to French Cultural Studies (GER 4a, 5)
Pr. Leruth
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.
FREN 315 Literature in its Cultural Context (GER4A; GER5)
Pr. Medevielle
French Literature in Its Cultural Contexts In addition to reading masterpieces from the French canon, this course will examine the material, social, legal, economic, and ideological forces that shaped France's literary culture over the centuries.
French 361: Culture in Context 1, Art and Ideas.
Prof. Leruth.
We will be looking at French art in its social, political, and cultural context throughout history, with a particular emphasis on modern and contemporary.
French 385: Francophone African Literature.
Topic for Fall 2011: “Women Write Back.”
Prof. Compan
This course examines texts by women from around the Francophone World. We will look at how women from different cultures and countries narrate their lives through literature, film and art. The texts we will explore reveal vital insights into the history, culture, social realities, and politics of francophone cultures. While our course theme centers on questions of gender, the texts we will explore also raise important issues of race, social class, religion, colonialism and post-colonialism.
