GRADUATE COURSES IN FRENCH

SPRING 2003

(Course information subject to change)
(Cross-reference with Department Roster)

French 500-301
Proseminar
Prof. Richman
R 2-4

The proseminar in French will address such issues as academic writing and presentation, the application of critical theory to textual analysis, research methods and resources. It will also provide a forum for preparation for the Master's exam.

French 630-401
Introduction to Medieval Literature: Discourse, Power, and Selfhood in Medieval French Literature
Prof. Brownlee
W 2-4

An introduction to Medieval French literature by close readings of key representative works from hagiography, chanson de geste, romance, lyric, and theater. The course will consider the creation and the functioning of these new generic forms in the French vernacular, with particular attention to questions of authority, "truth," and language. Focus will be on the first-person authorial subject, politicial and religious ideologies, and representations of gender. Texts to be studied include La Chanson de Roland, Chrétien de Troyes's Lancelot, Christine de Pizan's Cité des Dames, and François Villon's Lais.

French 660-401
Studies in the 18th Century: Theater and Theatricality in 18th Century France
Prof. Weber
T 2-4

In this course, we will examine a wide range of theatrical works from the 18th century: from the comedies of Lesage (considered in relation to Molière) and Marivaux to the "bourgeois" theatre of Nivelle de La Chaussée and Diderot; and from Voltaire's neo-classical tragedies (considered in relation to Racine and Corneille) to the theater of the French Revolution. In addition and in relation to these texts, novels constructed or written as dramatic dialogues, such as Diderot's Le Neveu de Rameau and Sade's La Philosophie dans le boudoir, will also be explored. From a formal perspective, we will trace the evolution of dramatic genres and of literary theatricality more broadly defined, with consideration paid both to the social and historical context in which these developments took place, and to both eighteenth-century and contemporary theoretical considerations of drama, performativity, and the "theatrical" (from Jean-Jacques Rousseau to J.L. Austin to Judith Butler). From a thematic point of view, we will investigate such topics as: the pedagogical and ideological position of the theater in French society; familial and social relations and institutions; political and philosophical discourses of Enlightenment; the place (or non-place) of desire and the body; and the function of pathos and the ridiculous. Reading, discussion, and course papers in French. Auditors by permission of instructor.

French 680-401
Studies in the 20th Century
Prof. Prince
M 2-4

A narratologically oriented study of the poetics of the modern French novel from Proust and Gide to surrealist "fiction" (Nadja), existential and existentialist narratives (Malraux, Celine, Sartre, Camus), and the foreshadowings of the New Novel (Queneau).

Romance Languages 690-301
Applied Linguistics
Prof. McMahon
W 4-6

Romance Languages 690 is a course required of all Teaching Assistants in
French and Italian in the second semester of their first year of teaching. It is designed to provide instructors with the necessary practical support to carry out their teaching responsibilities effectively and builds on the practicum meetings held during the first semester. The course will also introduce students to various approaches to foreign language teaching as well as to current issues in second language acquisition. Students who have already had a similar course at another
institution may be exempted upon consultation with the instructor.

Romance Languages 691-401
Technology and Foreign Languages
Prof. McMahon / Prof. Frei
T 9-10:30; R 4-5:30

(Crosslisted with German 517)

This course will introduce participants to the field of technology and foreign language teaching and learning. It will review the pertinent theoretical underpinnings for the pedagogically-sound use of technology in the teaching of languages starting with a brief overview of the historical development of the field. Students will learn to evaluate existing programs and applications with a critical eye through a systematic examination of projects that have been implemented both here at Penn and elsewhere. The course will also have weekly hands-on workshops to introduce participants to the design and development of multimedia materials, including image, video, and sound editing. The focus will be primarily on Web-based design and delivery. All participants will select a project to work on during the course of the semester; in addition they will develop an on-line teaching portfolio.