Undergraduate Courses in French

SPRING 2007

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

French 110 
Elementary French
(See Timetables for times)

A first-semester elementary language course for students who have never studied French before or who have taken the placement test and received a score that places them in the 110 level.  All students who have previously studied French are required to take the placement test.  Class work emphasizes the development of speaking and listening comprehension with training in reading and writing.  Work outside of class with audio and video cassettes required for additional practice and preparation.

French 120
Elementary French
(See Timetables for times)

The continuation of the elementary level sequence (French 110) designed to develop functional proficiency in the four skills.  The primary emphasis is on the development of the oral/aural skills, speaking and listening.  Reading on topics in French culture as well as frequent writing practice are also included in the course.

French 130
Intermediate French
(See Timetables for times)

The first part of intermediate level sequence designed to develop functional proficiency in the four skills.  For students who have completed French 120 or 121 or have a placement score within the range set for the 130 level.  The primary emphasis is on the development of the oral/aural skills, speaking and listening.  Review of the basic structures learned in elementary French.  Regular readings on topics in French culture as well as frequent writing practice are also included in the course.

French 134
Intermediate French: Accelerated
Staff
MWF 9-10 AM, TR 9-10:30 AM

French 140
Intermediate French
(See Timetables for times)

The continuation of French 130.  Designed to enable students to attain a functional level of proficiency in French.  Considerable emphasis is placed on developing listening and speaking skills.  There will be a review of the basic grammatical structures learned in elementary French; other structures will be introduced systematically.  Regular readings on topics in French culture as well as frequent writing practice are also included in the course.

French 180
Advanced French in Residence
Open only to residents in La Maison Francaise

French 202
Advanced French
(See Timetables for times)

French 202 is a one-semester third-year level French course designed to prepare students for subsequent study in upper level courses in literature, language, or civilization.  It is also the appropriate course for those students who have time for only one more French course and wish to solidify their knowledge of the language by continuing to work on all four skills--speaking, listening, reading, and writing-- together with a selective review of grammar.

The class will study a series of thematic units dealing with a wide variety of literary texts, films, TV shows, songs, comedy sketches, and "bandes dessinées."  Each unit takes as its theme a particular aspect of French culture, and within this context work will be done on all four skills.  Student work will be evaluated both in terms of progress in language skills and ability to handle and engage in the content areas.

French 211
French for the Professions I
Prof. Slowinski
MW 3:30-5:00

This content-based language course, taught in French, introduces economic, business, and professional terminology through the study of the following topics: the French economy and monetary policy (transition to the Euro); financial institutions (banking and postal services, stock market and insurance); specificity of the French fiscal system; business practices (business letters and resumes); advertising and the internal structure and legal forms of French companies. France's atypical system of industrial relations as well as cultural differences and their impact on the business world will also be explored.

On completion of the course, students will have the opportunity to take the test on the basis of which the Certificat Pratique de Francais Commercial et Economique is awarded. This test is administered by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Prerequisite: Intermediate-high advanced level French.

French 212
Advanced French Grammar & Composition
(See Timetables for times)

Intensive review of grammar through writing practice. A good knowledge of basic French grammar is a prerequisite (French 202 or equivalent is recommended). Conducted entirely in French, the course will study selected grammatical difficulties of the French verbal and nominal systems, including colloquial usage. Frequent oral and written assignments with opportunity for rewrites. There will also be a reading component (magazine and newspaper articles as well as selections from Camus's L'Etranger).

French 214
Advanced Composition & Conversation
Prof. Philippon-Daniel
MWF 10:00-11:00

This is a course aimed at improving writing and conversational skills. It is based on the study and discussion of short extracts from a variety of texts (literary, journalistic, advertising, etc.) used as models for writing and as a base for oral discussion. Students will write frequent short compositions based on these extracts and will be asked to present a series of short oral reports. After the presentation of their oral reports, students will then lead a discussion on the report. Videos of French news broadcasts and films will be used to stimulate discussion and to improve students' comprehension of contemporary spoken French.

French 217
French Phonetics
Prof. Edelstein
TR 1:30-3:00

This course is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in French phonetics and phonology. Part of the course will be devoted to learning how to produce discourse with native-like French pronunciation, rhythm and intonation. The second half of the course will be devoted to improving aural comprehension by examining stylistic and dialectical differences in spoken French.

French 222
Perspectives in French Literature
(See Timetables for times)

This basic course in literature provides an overview of French literature and
acquaints students with major literary trends and forms through the study of
representative works from the Middle Ages to the present. The theme of French 222 is "The Individual and Society." Readings and class discussion are in French.

French 222-406
Perspectives in French Literature
Prof. Peysson-Zeiss
TR 3-4:30

The individual and society will be the focus of this introduction to French literature. We will read works that exemplify this theme from the major literary genres: a medieval song of deeds, poetry, theater, short stories and the novel. Students in the course will learn skills of reading, analyzing, and writing about texts in French, and will develop individual approaches to the material. The course will emphasize the concept of the individual as a specifically literary phenomenon—one of fundamental importance for Western culture and society—taught entirely in French, this course will make use of images, music, and film.

French 227
Modern France
Prof. Peysson-Zeiss
(See Timetables for times)

This course offers an overview of French political, cultural, and social history from the Revolution of 1789 to the present. Beginning with the French Revolution, we will explore the emergence of the modern French nation through an interrogation of a variety of written sources—including letters, literary texts and political documents — as well as visual materials, especially painting and architecture. Taught entirely in French, this course will provide students not only with a firm understanding of historical events but also with the ability to interpret the culture of different epochs within a historical framework.

French 313
French for Professions II
Prof. Slowinski
MW 2:00-3:30

The course, conducted entirely in French, emphasizes verbal communication in professional situations through four components. First, a series of in-class debates on the following socio-economic issues affecting French society:
· Influence of the European Stability and Growth Plan (euro) on the French economy
· Capitalism French style
· Future of social protection (health policy and pension reform)
· Notion of Public Service a la Francaise
· Women in the workplace
· Impact of the 35-hour workweek.
Second, students will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of authentic professional situations through the use of a video method based on interviews, meetings, strategy and negotiation sessions of businessmen and women in a variety of French companies. Third, as effective communication is based not only on linguistic proficiency but also on cultural proficiency, cultural differences mostly between Americans and French will be explored. Finally, throughout the semester, students will work in groups on the creation of their own business, association, or other organization and will be invited to present their project to the class at the end of the semester. Prerequisites: An intermediate high to advanced level of French. French for the Professions I (211) highly advisable. No business background necessary.

French 322
France and the European Union
Prof. Slowinski
TR 3:00-4:30

The following topics will be addressed:
1) A brief history of European integration: The Franco-German couple-The hesitations of Great Britain; Debate: neutrality, sovereignty and identity
2) The Community's institutions: Necessity for reform before enlargement. Debate: intergovernmental cooperation vs. federation (a European constitution?)
3) The European single market: Europe becomes the biggest market in the world (the beef and banana war with the United States)
4) Economic and monetary union: Introduction of the EURO; Debate: From an economic community to a political community?
5) Political union and defense-Relations between France, Europe and NATO; Debate: Eurocentrism vs. Atlanticism
6) Is there a social Europe? Analysis of the cultural and social European model; Debate: its future vs. American or Japanese liberalism (the unemployment problem)
7) A people's Europe: Education and training; Debate: Is there a European civilization?
8) Common programs (agriculture, fishing and environment); Debate: Impact of the common agricultural policy on France
9) The Community and its neighbors: Debate: a wider vs. a deeper Community
10) Europe and its relations with the rest of the world (US, Asia and the developing countries); Debate: Euro vs. dollar and yen
Presence and participation in class are important. Three short papers during the semester and one final paper of the students' choice are required.

French 325
Advanced French Translation
Prof. Phillipon-Daniel
MWF 12:00-1:00

This is a course on the theory and practice of translation from French into English and vice versa. Students will learn techniques of translation and will have the opportunity of translating a variety of texts: literary, historical, journal and review articles, and publicity. Students should have a good knowledge of French grammar and should have taken French 211, 212 or the equivalent in order to be well prepared to take the course.

French 330
Medieval Literature
Prof. Brownlee
TR 10:30-12:00

This course examines the extraordinary period (11th-13th centuries) during which the French literary tradition was first established by looking at a number of key generative themes: Identity, Heroism, Love, Gender. We focus on the issues of identity and authority with regard to both the protagonist(s) and the author of a key set of canonical medieval works. The issue of how gender roles are constructed and reconstructed provides a global perspective. In the Chanson de Roland we analyze the epic paradigm of heroism, with its glorification of military sacrifice. With the Vie de Saint Alexis, we move to the saintly paradigm, powerfully redefined in the post-martyrdom age. In Chrétien de Troyes's romance Lancelot, we study a different kind of hero who is defined by his capacity to love, which thus valorizes both the elegance of courtly language and the role of the courtly beloved, Queen Guenievre. In Marie de France's Lais, we study the first female-authored collection of courtly love stories, in which contradictions and tragic endings predominate at the level of plot. In Aucassin et Nicolette we see the first real emergence of a female hero, whose power is intellectual rather than military. In Christine de Pizan's Dittié de Jehanne d’Arc (1429), we come full circle in terms of the Roland, as this female-authored text celebrates the military prowess and sacrifice of the female-gendered hero Joan of Arc in the Hundred-Years War between France and England. All readings and discussions in French.

French 384
French Novel of the 20th Century
Prof. Prince
MWF 11-12

A study of the modern French novel from Proust, Gide and the existential fictions of Sartre and Camus to the New Novel and its aftermath. Readings and class discussion are in French.

French 386
Paris in Film
Prof. Met
TR 3-4:30, T 4:30-7

Recent examples like Christophe Honoré’s Dans Paris or the international omnibus Paris, je t’aime (with each director paying homage to a distinctive “arrondissement,” or district, of the capital), both released in 2006, are there to remind us that there is something special – indeed, a special kind of magic – about Paris in and on film. Despite the extreme polarization between Paris and provincial France in both cultural and socio-economic terms, cultural historians have argued that Paris is a symbol of France (as a centralized nation), more than Rome is of Italy and much more than Madrid is of Spain or Berlin of Germany, for example. The prevalence of the City of Lights on our screens, Gallic and otherwise, should therefore come as no surprise, be it as a mere backdrop or as a character in its own right. But how exactly are the French capital and its variegated people captured on celluloid? Can we find significant differences between French and non-French approaches, or between films shot on location that have the ring of “authenticity” and studio-bound productions using reconstructed sets? Do these representations vary through time and perhaps reflect specific historical periods or zeitgeists? Do they conform to genre-based formulas and perpetuate age-old stereotypes, or do they provide new, original insights while revisiting cinematic conventions? Do some (sub)urban areas and/or segments of the Parisian population (in terms of gender, race or class, for example) receive special attention or treatment? These are some of the many questions that we will seek to address… with a view to offering the next best thing to catching the next non-stop flight to Paris!

Films by such directors as Renoir, Minelli, Truffaut, Godard, Malle, Bertolucci, Losey, Rohmer, Tavernier, Carax, Kassovitz, Jeunet, Haneke.

This class will be conducted in English. Students writing their assignments in French will receive credit for the French major.

French 392
France and the New World
Prof. Richman
TR 1:30-3

The dramatic vicissitudes in Franco-American relations post 9-11 and the invasion of Iraq are but a recent reminder of the long and complex relations between Europe and the New World. The impetus for this course is to examine the major works that resulted from that contact, since they provide a fascinating record of how old world approached the so-called new one. Starting with French interactions with native peoples in Brazil in the sixteenth century to the return among their descendants by the famous anthropologist Lévi-Strauss in the twentieth, then moving to the invaluable records of Jesuit adventures among Indians in Canadian “New France” to Voltaire’s imaginary dialogue with one of them, and Tocqueville’s celebrated study of America in the nineteenth compared with the very recent recap of his journey by a contemporary Frenchman, we will trace the ways in which the models of alternative lifestyles and values have provoked self-reflection among the French. The final unit on the new century’s complex and often conflicted interactions will be determined by recent events and student research into the latest wave of works sparked in France by the role of America in today’s geopolitical and cultural configuration.

Requirements: At least one 200-level course. Written reactions to and analyses of the texts and one research project [7-10 pages] on topic of choice.