Modern Language - French Courses

1 credit (EL)


The courses offered in France (Aix, Angers, Marseille) and Senegal (Dakar) cover a wide array of subjects, from language (including French and Wolof), culture and literature, to history, art, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, political science, international relations, etc. Many of them may count as LCs. Detailed information is available from the French faculty.

Development of vocabulary, structures, and speaking/reading/writing strategies essential to basic language use. Students practice asking and answering questions; identifying, comparing, and describing people and things; expressing wants and needs; and discussing plans. Preparation for living in a French-speaking culture. Four class hours per week. ACTFL target: Novice High. Offered fall. 4 credits.

Continuation of 101. Continued practice in reading, writing, and talking about activities, making plans and inquiries, and expressing wants and needs. Some practice in narration of present, past, and future events. Four class hours per week. ACTFL target: Intermediate Low. Prerequisite: 101. Offered spring. 4 credits.

An accelerated onesemester course that covers the material of 101 and 102. Satisfies language requirement for BA degree. For students with some previous experience in the language but not enough to enroll in 201, and for students with superior language-learning ability. Five class hours per week. ACTFL target: Intermediate Low. Offered fall. 5 credits.

Review of skills and structures described in 101 and 102. Emphasis on building a large practical vocabulary and on using it to describe and narrate. Reading and aural exercises that include authentic materials; writing exercises that include narration, exposition and dialogue. Preparation for living for an extended period in a French-speaking culture. ACTFL target: Intermediate Mid. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in 102 or 105, or placement test. Offered fall. 4 credits.

Continuation of 201, with strong emphasis on French oral and written expression through exploration of a contemporary novel, the current press, videos, and other materials selected from coverage of recent events in France. ACTFL Target: Intermediate Mid. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in 201 or placement test. Offered spring. 4 credits.

Introduction to the history and civilization of France from the early renaissance period (twelfth century) to the fall of the Monarchy. History of the constitution of a national identity through the analysis of salient political and artistic movements. Study of cultural achievements and contributions to the world; consideration of special questions inherent in dealing with other European neighbors and the world beyond. Sources include literature, historical and political writing. Conducted in English. Offered fall. 3 credits.

Introduction to the recent history and civilization of the Frenchspeaking countries from the revolution of 1848 to the present. Emphasis on the philosophical foundations of the French Republic, its evolution during the twentieth century, and the challenges that the Republican model had begun to encounter during the latter part of that century. Study of cultural achievements, artistic movements, and contributions to the world; consideration of special questions inherent in dealing with other European neighbors and the world beyond (colonialism); presentation of the Francophone world. Sources include literature, the visual arts, and contemporary historical and political writing. Conducted in English. Offered spring. 3 credits. (CS or VP or GP)

Discussion, in a historical perspective, of issues of race, religion, and the human in precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial Africa. Analysis of the categories of difference and otherness in postcolonial African thought. Conducted in English. Offered spring. 3 credits. (CS or IS)

Interdisciplinary introduction to African studies. Survey of main figures of African Studies with a particular attention to historical periods and geographic particularities, discussion of the relations between Africa and the African diaspora with an emphasis on the necessity to understand "Africans" in their proper human historical and international contexts. 4 credits. (CS or GP)

Critical analysis of tradition, colonial influences, and contemporary developments in modern African thought. Examination of the unique, sophisticated, and original conceptions of knowledge in African thought. Discussion of the particular character of an African philosophical/religious worldview through oral traditions, literature, and philosophy with a focus on African metaphysics. Conducted in English. 4 credits. (CS or GP)

Intensive practice in expository and narrative writing and in aural comprehension of video tapes. Discussion of a wide variety of topics based on literary selections. Speaking and writing practice involves hypothesizing, supporting opinions, making plans and functioning in unfamiliar situations. Review of grammar as a tool to improve writing. May be repeated once for credit with a different instructor and content. ACTFL target: Intermediate High. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in 202 or placement test. Offered fall. 4 credits. (MWI)

Introduction to Francophone literatures and cultures with main emphasis on acquisition of techniques and tools to analyze recorded oral tradition, texts, and film as cultural artifacts from various Francophone countries. May be repeated once for credit with a different instructor and content. ACTFL target: Intermediate high. Prerequisite: 301 or college equivalent. Offered spring. 4 credits. (CS or GP, WI)

Introduction to the major events and important periods of French history from the Middle Ages to 1789, including political, social, and artistic development which have marked French civilization. Examination of the way these historical periods have influenced life in contemporary France. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: 302 or equivalent. Offered fall. 3 credits. (CS or VP or GP)

Examination of various aspects of French history and culture from 1789 to the present, including the structure of French society, its institutions, social categories, patterns of work, values, and attitudes. Study of the physical geography of France and its economic and social ramifications. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: 302 or consent of instructor. Offered spring. 3 credits. (CS or VP or GP)

Critical examination of questions of representation and reality in Francophone Africa. Analysis of the image of Africa and Africans in Western media and film. Discussion, in a postcolonial perspective, of issues of race, religion, and gender in pre-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial African cinema. Re-thinking of traditional conceptions of Africa and the African subject. Analysis of the categories of difference and otherness in African cinema. Conducted in English. Offered January term. 4 credits (CS or GP)

Survey of African history from prehistoric times to the present through literature and philosophy. Analysis of African civilizations with a focus on African social, cultural and political history. Study Africa in the ancient world, medieval Africa, the era of European colonialism, the rise of nationalism and independence movements, and contemporary Africa. Conducted in English. 4 credits (CS or GP)

Explore topics in the areas of orature, literature, performance texts, film and/or other media produced in Africa. Identify authors, major themes, and major periods and genres in African literature. In-depth analysis of a particular author or a particular theme in African literature through the examination of the basic literary conventions of plot, character, setting, point of view, and theme. Conducted in English. 4 credits (CS or GP)

Study of selected topics in French literature through reading and discussion of major works. Study of literary genres and movements. Practice in literary analysis. Recent topics have included Contemporary Theater and Society, Atheism in the 21st Century French novel, Annie Ernaux's social autobiography, and The Bosnian War in Fiction. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: 302 or consent of instructor. 4 credits (CS or GP).

Selected aspects of culture and cultural change that have been especially important in determining the nature of contemporary society associated with this language. Study and discussion of printed and broadcast sources from the various humanistic and social scientific fields. Recent topics have included Multiculturalism in Contemporary France, French Culture and Society through Films of the 1990s, and Contemporary France Through its Press. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: 302 or consent of instructor. 3 credits. (GP or IS)

A flexible course suited to the needs of the individual. Reading and research on a specific topic. Prerequisite: 302 and consent of instructor. 1-5 credits.

Reading, discussion, and writing on individual literary and/or cultural topics which will vary. Culminates in the writing of a long research paper. Recent topics have included Literature of the Occupation (1940-1944), The Francophone African and Caribbean Novel, and a collaborative project on French contemporary society. Mandatory for all seniors majoring in French. Offered spring. 3 credits. (CS or GP, MWI)

Analysis of a particular theme in Africana studies from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Reading and discussion of different material in African Studies. Selection of research topic by each student and writing of a major paper. Offered spring. 4 credits. (GP)