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French
The modern language curriculum is designed to give students an opportunity to become conversant in one or more languages from linguistic, literary and cultural perspectives. We encourage serious students to examine the social, philosophical and aesthetic themes in literature and to acquire fluency and sensitivity to structure and style in the languages offered which include French, German, and Spanish.
Careers in such fields as government, law, business, medicine, social service, journalism, or education are enhanced by the knowledge of foreign languages. Many graduate programs require proficiency in a foreign language.
Majors are offered in French, German, and Spanish, and also in modern languages and literatures (the study of three languages). Students should spend their junior year in an approved program of studies abroad, or participate in an approved program of summer studies. Minors are offered in French, German, and Spanish. In cooperation with other academic departments, the department also participates in programs providing a major in German Studies and a minor in Latin American Studies. The programs are designed to encourage the student to combine her interests in a language with other disciplines. The student considering such a program, or planning to study abroad, should consult the department chair as soon as possible to assure proper preparation.
A student who chooses one of these majors is expected to achieve a reading, writing, and speaking knowledge of the language (or languages) in which she concentrates. The foreign language is used exclusively in all advanced courses and as much as possible in the others. Not more than one approved course given in English may be credited toward the major. The department recommends participation in a Junior Year Abroad program or a residence of six weeks or more in a summer school where the exclusive use of the foreign language is required. Courses taken in programs abroad must be evaluated and approved by the appropriate departmental faculty before credit is granted toward the major. A student who has begun the study of a language in college will still find it possible to fulfill the major requirement in the language by arranging her courses in consultation with her major professor.
The Department of Modern Languages does not approve credit for online courses taken at any level. No course being counted toward the V.3 general education knowledge area may be taken on a P/CR/NC grading option.
The French Major
The French Minor
Teacher Licensure French
Course Descriptions
The French Major
(33 semester hours)
Required:
FREN 213 (3) Studies in French Literature I
FREN 214 (3) Studies in French Literature II
FREN 232 (3) Thematic Survey of Culture and Civilization: Middle Ages-World War I
Senior Exercise:
FREN 452 (3) Senior Seminar
Choose 1 three-credit course in advanced French culture from the following:
FREN 323 (3) Beyond Paris: The Regions of France and the French-Speaking World
FREN 325 (3) Literary Art Criticism
FREN 327 (3) France Today: Media Texts and Social Contexts
FREN 329 (3) Semiotics of French Culture
FREN 331 (3) Representations of the French Revolution
FREN 333 (3) Existentialism and Postmodernism
Choose 2 three-credit courses in French literature at or above the 300-level.
Choose 4 additional three-credit courses in French numbered 204 or above.
Note: A French major is expected to take at least one course in French each term during her junior and senior years.
The French Minor
(18 semester hours)
Required:
FREN 213 (3) Studies in French Literature I
FREN 214 (3) Studies in French Literature II
Choose 1 three-credit course in French literature at or above the 300-level.
Choose 3 additional three-credit courses in French numbered 204 or above.
Teacher Licensure French
(33 semester hours in addition to required professional courses in education)
Required:
FREN 213 (3) Studies in French Literature I
FREN 214 (3) Studies in French Literature II
FREN 232 (3) Thematic Survey of Culture and Civilization: Middle Ages-World War I
FREN 315 (3) Literatures of the French-Speaking World
FREN 452 (3) Senior Seminar
Choose 1 of the following courses:
FREN 216 (3) France in the 2000s: Society, Government, and Technology
FREN 217 (3) Francophone Cinema
FREN 233 (3) Contemporary French Culture
Choose 1 three-credit course in advanced French culture from the following:
FREN 323 (3) Beyond Paris: The Regions of France and the French-Speaking World
FREN 325 (3) Literary Art Criticism
FREN 327 (3) France Today: Media Texts and Social Contexts
FREN 329 (3) Semiotics of French Culture
FREN 331 (3) Representations of the French Revolution
FREN 333 (3) Existentialism and Postmodernism
Choose 2 three-credit courses in French literature at or above the 300-level.
Choose 2 additional three-credit courses in French numbered 204 or above.
Recommended: The student is encouraged to spend a full year’s or a term’s study in an environment where French is the principal language spoken. Degree credit is granted for participation in an approved program abroad.
FREN 101
Elementary French I
CR:
3.0 A study of the essentials of grammar, the development of a simple, practical vocabulary, and readings based on present-day French life.
FREN 102
Elementary French II
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 101. A continuation of FREN 101.
FREN 201
Intermediate French I
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 102 or placement. Formal study and practice in speaking, reading, writing, and understanding French. Regular laboratory attendance is required.
FREN 202
Intermediate French II
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 201. A continuation of FREN 201. Regular laboratory attendance is required. V.3
FREN 204
French-English Translation
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 202 or placement. Translation of selected texts from English into French and from French into English. III.W
FREN 209
French Conversation and Composition
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 202 or placement. Practice in oral and written expression based on contemporary topics. III.O, III.W, V.3
FREN 213
Studies in French Literature I
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 202 or placement. A survey of French Literature from the Middle Ages to the 18th century at the advanced intermediate level. III.W, V.2, V.3
FREN 214
Studies in French Literature II
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 213. A survey of French Literature from the 19th century to the present at the advanced intermediate level. This is the continuation of FREN 213. III.W, V.2, V.3
FREN 216
France in the 2000s: Society, Government, and Technology
CR:
3.0 An in-depth examination of contemporary French society and government, with special emphasis on the expanding role of technology within France. In addition to books and articles, official and unofficial internet resources will be used to contrast varying views and reactions to events and changes occurring in France. Taught in English. This course will count towards the French major and minor if students do the written assignments and examinations in French. V.5, V.7
FREN 217
Francophone Cinema
CR:
3.0 Specific topics such as French directors, francophone cinema, women and the movies, will be offered according to students’ needs. Taught in English. This course will count towards the French major and minor if students do the written assignments and examinations in French. V.5, V.6a
FREN 219
French for Professionals
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 202. Development of conversational, reading and writing skills in the language used in a variety of professions. We will study specialized vocabulary and forms of communication within the workplace. III.O
FREN 232
Thematic Survey of Culture and Civilization: Middle Ages- World War I
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 202, FREN 209, or FREN 213. French society throughout the ages.Emphasis will be less on political history than on culture and the arts. Required of students minoring or majoring in French. V.1, V.3
FREN 233
Contemporary French Culture
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 202, FREN 209, or FREN 213. This course examines French society in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Emphases will be on culture and the arts. V.1
FREN 250
Masterpieces of French Literature in Translation
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: First-year students with permission. French majors may participate with permission of instructor, preparing papers and examinations in French. Close reading and analysis of major French texts in English translation. Offered alternate years. V.2
FREN 261
Directed Study
CR:
1.0 Prerequisites: One FREN course and permission of the instructor. The study of introductory level material by an individual student or by a small group of students under the immediate supervision of a faculty member.
FREN 221
Literatures of the French-Speaking World
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: Not open to students who have earned credit for FREN 315. The cultures and literatures of French-speaking countries outside Europe. Readings may include tales, novels and poetry from Africa, the Caribbean, Canada and other areas. Texts will be examined as literary works as well as keys to the understanding of the different cultures. Taught in English. May be counted toward the major or minor in French if all written assignments and examinations are done in French. V.2, V.4
FREN 321
Advanced Grammar
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: One course numbered FREN 209 or above. This course deepens the student’s understanding of French grammar at the advanced level and its application in various contemporary French language contexts, both written and oral. III.W
FREN 323
Beyond Paris: The Regions of France and the French-Speaking World
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 214 or FREN 232. This course will lead to a better understanding of the social, political, economic, and cultural diversity that is found both within France and beyond its national borders in the French-speaking world through an in-depth examination of their different regions. V.5 , V.7
FREN 325
Literary Art Criticism
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 214 or FREN 232. This course will teach students to analyze visual works of art by comparing writers’ commentaries on famous painting and architectural monuments, from the Lascaux cave paintings to the Beaubourg Center. Among writers studied, there will be literary writers such as Diderot, Baudelaire, Eluard, and Sollers; and postmodern theorists from many disciplines such as Baudrillard, Bourdieu, Foucault, Derrida, Barthes, and Michel Serres. III.W, V.6a
FREN 327
France Today: Media Texts and Social Contexts
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 214 or FREN 232. This course will help students develop a critical appreciation of France and the various social, political, and economic problems that confront French society today. The media texts to be studied will include articles from current French newspapers, magazines, and various online news sources. V.7
FREN 329
Semiotics of French Culture
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 214 or FREN 232. This course will explore French culture through the study of works by semioticians such as Barthes, Baudrillard, Bourdieu, Foucault, and Kristeva. V.5
FREN 331
Representations of the French Revolution
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 214 or FREN 232. A study of how the depiction and interpretation of the French Revolution in French literature and the arts have changed since 1789. V.1, V.2
FREN 333
Existentialism and Postmodernism
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 214 or FREN 232. This course will lead to a better understanding of the philosophical movements in 20th-century France. Students will read and analyze texts by theoreticians such as Sartre, Camus, Foucault, and Baudrillard. V.2, V.5
FREN 361
Special Study
CR:
1.0 Prerequisites: 100-level FREN course and permission of the instructor. The study of an intermediate level topic by an individual student or by a small group of students under the immediate supervision of a faculty member.
FREN 377
Internship
CR:
1.0 Prerequisites: Three credits in FREN and permission of the instructor, department chair, and dean. This course is graded P/CR/NC only.
FREN 385
Aspects of 20th-Century Literature
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: FREN 214. Crisis, experiment, and transformation in the French novel since 1945. Among the novelists to be studied are Boris Vian, Marguerite Duras and Michel Tournier. Offered alternate years. III.W, V.2
FREN 452
Senior Seminar: Topical Studies in French Literature
CR:
3.0 Prerequisite: Required of seniors majoring in French. Open to other qualified students with permission of the department. III.O
FREN 461
Independent Study
CR:
1.0 Prerequisites: One 100-level FREN course, one 200-level FREN course, and permission of the instructor. Pursuit of an upper level research project determined in advance by the student in consultation with a faculty member who will act as the sponsor.
