French

Courses

Below you will find a list of our current or recent offerings. See the course catalog for descriptions and updated information.Widget: Course Descriptions

  • 11-144 French I: Intro Language and Culture
    This course builds listening, speaking, reading, writing, critical thinking and cultural literacy skills. Students learn to communicate effectively both within personal areas of interest and relative to French and Francophone cultures. Emphasis is placed on student participation, self-expression and the ability to create with language. Students develop novice level proficiency. (Fall)
  • 11-154 French II: Intro Language and Culture
    This course continues to build listening and speaking skills and particularly enhances reading, writing, critical thinking and cultural literacy skills. Students gain an understanding of contemporary life in the French-speaking world through the textbook and supplementary film units, including as related to global contexts. Students develop novice level proficiency. Prerequisite: French 11-144, or equivalent placement. (Spring)
  • 11-164 French III: Intrmd Language and Culture
    This course blends grammar review with readings and viewings in literature and culture as well as broader vocabulary practice. Students develop intermediate level proficiency, strengthen their intercultural skills regarding cultural contexts, norms and viewpoints in the French-speaking world, and practice narration and description orally and in writing. Students enhance their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, and apply them through conversation, textual analysis and cultural analysis. Prerequisite: French 11-154, or equivalent placement. (Fall)
  • 11-204 Conversation and Culture
    This course strengthens conversation as well as intercultural skills. Students learn informal vocabulary and slang, discuss contemporary cultural contexts, norms and perspectives analyze everyday culture . Students acquire in-depth awareness of everyday French culture and language, and they practice casually spoken French daily in small groups or more structured role plays. Students improve their reading, writing and critical thinking skills. Develops intermediate and advanced oral and written proficiencies. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: French 11-164, or equivalent placement. (Spring) (H) (WA
  • 11-314 World War II France
    This course deals with the collapse of human rights that followed the Nazi occupation of France. It focuses on the collaborationist stance of those French people who chose to cooperate with the Nazis and the resistance movement of the French people who decided to fight both the Nazis and the collaborators. The course goes beyond traditional representations that focus on the role that white French men played in the conflict by including diverse marginalized groups who were targeted by the Nazis. Students will closely analyze these topics in acclaimed films and texts of various genres. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: French 11-204, or equivalent placement. (H) (WA)
  • 11-334 French Cinema
    This course provides an introduction to French cinema. It closely analyzes films from the period 1900-present. Topics encourage students to make interdisciplinary connections regarding social, political and cultural issues. Students refine their critical thinking and cultural literacy skills, sharpen their linguistic facility and accuracy, and expand their awareness of the French and Francophone world. The course also includes practice of essay writing skills as related to contemporary film. Offerings alternate between French Cinema and Women in/on Film. Develops intermediate and advanced oral and written proficiencies. May be repeated with change in topic. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: French 11-204, or equivalent placement. (H) (WA)
  • 11-344 Francophone Lit From Africa Clnztn & Ind
    This course provides an introduction to francophone literature and film. It closely analyzes works from the period 1900-present. Topics encourage students to grasp colonial and postcolonial conceptions of identity, gender, and religion, and to track historical patterns of economic suffering, resistance to colonial rule, racism, and migration. Students refine their critical thinking and cultural literacy skills, sharpen their linguistic facility and accuracy, practice their writing and presentation skills, and expand their awareness of francophonie in Africa. Develops intermediate and advanced oral and written proficiencies. May be repeated with change in topic. Contributes to International Studies, and Race and Ethnicity Studies/Group-Theme Course. Prerequisite: French 11-204, or equivalent placement. (H) (WA)
  • 11-354 Topics in French Culture
    This course closely analyzes French and/or Francophone identities as voiced in authentic materials including text, images, video, films and music. Focused topics encourage students to make interdisciplinary connections regarding social, political and cultural issues. Develops intermediate and advanced cultural proficiencies. Offerings alternate between French Civilization 1: History of French Culture, French Civilization 2: Contemporary French Culture, and French Civilization 3: French Food Culture. May be repeated with change in topic. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: French 11-204, or equivalent placement. (H) (WA)
  • 11-364 Translation and Culture
    In this course conducted in French, students learn translation techniques and apply them to media articles, web content, marketing material, film and literature. Students increase their familiarity with contemporary French popular culture and current sociocultural trends. They gain practice in interpreting French concepts and relating them to American equivalents, as well as in analyzing and applying advanced French grammar. Develops intercultural skills, critical thinking skills and related oral and written proficiencies at the intermediate to advanced level. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: French 11-204, or equivalent placement. (H) (WA)
  • 11-514 Studies in French Literature
    This course studies selected texts from the modern period, as related to French social, cultural and literary history. Intensive work supports the development of advanced proficiency. May be repeated with change in topic. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: One upper-level French course. (Spring) (H) (WA)
  • 11-604 Topics in Literature and Culture
    This course focuses on single authors, movements or themes. Offerings include Paris/Cities/Parisians, and Plural France. Intensive work supports the development of advanced proficiency regarding social, cultural and literary contexts. May be repeated with change in topic. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: One upper-level French course. (Spring) (H) (WA)
  • 11-614 Texts/Contexts
    This course focuses on situating texts relative to specific periods or fields of study, including Pre-Revolutionary Literature. Intensive work supports the development of advanced proficiency. May be repeated with change in content. Prerequisite: One course from French 11-314, 11-334, or 11-354. (H) (WA)
  • 11-934 Capstone Seminar
    This course fulfills the capstone requirement in French. As an integrative experience, the capstone challenges students to interrelate knowledge, insights and perspectives gained in their French studies and in their undergraduate experience. Students will be guided through independent research and writing that demonstrates advanced proficiency. They will produce an extended formal research paper and deliver a formal oral presentation introducing their project and its original analysis to a French-speaking public. (Spring) (H) (WA)