COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR FALL 2014
PLACEMENT GUIDELINES:
For basic information about the foreign language requirement and placement guidelines for FREN 101-202, see here.
For students in more advanced courses:
If you are currently in French 202 or 206, take French 210 or 212 next.
If you are currently in French 210 or 212, take French 303, 304, 305, or 306 next. If you don't feel ready to move up, you can take French 212 or 210.
If your most recent course was French 290 or 303, take 304, 305, or 306 next.
If you are currently in French 305, take French 304, 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 course above 305 in any order, regardless of specific course numbers. IMPORTANT: there is no difference in level between, say, 321 and 392.
The senior seminar French 450 is usually only offered in the spring. And yes: you may take a 300-level course after having taken 450.
Here follow course descriptions for this fall's topics courses (please consult the W&M course catalog for all other descriptions):
FREN 151: Rebelles et vilaines: Women in Francophone Literature
Prof. Compan
This course in French 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 read, reveal vital insights into the history, culture, social realities, and politics of francophone cultures.
FREN 303: Les présidents de la 5e République française
Prof. M. Leruth
In French. This course will examine the history, legacy, and cultural significance of the presidents of the French Fifth Republic from Charles de Gaulle (1958) to François Hollande (today). We'll examine in depth the most recent French presidential election (2012); and analyze political speeches, news footage, press articles, historians' perspectives, films, campaign propaganda, and other cultural documents.
FREN 310: French cinema
Prof. Fauvel
Le cinéma est à la fois un phénomène culturel international et une forme d’art spécifique. Après avoir situé le cinéma français dans un contexte historique global, ce cours enseignera comment analyser les éléments formels et stylistiques du 7e art (le scénario, le storyboard, et les techniques de plans divers, d’angles, de mouvements de la caméra, d’éclairage, prise de son, puis du montage et des effets spéciaux).
FREN 314: Introduction to French Cultural Studies
In French. This course will introduce students to the subject matter, conceptual foundations and methodologies of cultural studies applied to the general theme of French national identity. Sections of the course will focus on national myths and French history, urban society and culture in 19th-century Paris, multiculturalism in the postcolonial context, and the theme of national identity in a contemporary literature. Documents to be studied include comics, commemorations, film, art, architecture, poetry, and journalistic texts.
FREN 315: 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.
FREN 390: Contemporary Francophone Cultures. Film and Literature from the Francophone Cultures of the Americas.
Prof. Bourdeau
Cathos, homos et autres marginaux: littérature et films québécois depuis 1900. This course aims to serve as an introduction to Quebecois literature and films since the beginning of the 20th century, through an investigation of themes such as, family, nation, sexuality, identity, etc. Overall, this course will examine – and most significantly will urge to look for – deviances and what is at stake in the various texts, while providing a historical account of Quebec’s literary transformation.
FREN 408: Comparative Stylistcs and Translation
Prof. Kulick
Translation is the art of creating a linguistic bridge to carry ideas and cultural values across language borders
In French 408 we will focus on advanced concepts in stylistics as applied to the challenges of translation. Texts to be translated will be drawn from newspapers, professional journals, government documents, and literature as well as other sources.
This course is designed for students who have already studied the principles of French grammar and composition, and who now wish to move to the next level by examining the underlying structure, style and nuance that is essential for translation between English and French.
