French
Professors: Ibrahima Wade, Michael O’Riley; Associate Professors: Alistaire Tallent (Chair), Nene Diop; Instructor in Hebrew: Kobi Chumash
Students who have taken French, Italian, or Spanish in high school must take a computerized placement test before enrolling in a language or literature course in the Department of French. We strongly recommend that they take the 20-minute test on-line upon their arrival at the college.
Major Requirements
French
A student majoring in French has two French major options:
- French and Francophone Studies
- all required courses: 305, 306, 431 and 432
- six literature or culture courses at the 300-level
TOTAL: 10 units
- Romance Languages (French Major; Second language focus in Spanish, Italian or Portuguese)
- all required courses: 305, 306, 431 and 432
- three literature or culture courses at the 300-level;
Courses for second language focus in SPANISH:
- 305 and two Spanish culture or literature courses.
- elementary or more advanced Italian, Portuguese, or Latin.
Courses for second language focus in ITALIAN:
- 305 and two additional Italian courses from 304, 306, 309, 315, 316, 320, 321.
- elementary or more advanced Spanish, Portuguese, or Latin.
Courses for second language focus in PORTUGUESE:
305 and two additional culture or literature courses
Third Language focus
202 level in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or Latin
TOTAL: 11–12 units.
The department confers distinction based on senior thesis (432) and department work.
Students who study abroad on programs other than ºÚÁϳԹϒs must take at least two courses beyond 306, in addition to 431 and 432 at ºÚÁϳԹÏ, as well as completing the detailed major requirements described above, to receive a French degree from the college. Only two credits from any unaffiliated program abroad will be accepted into the major.
Transferring students and students who have taken the Advanced Placement (AP) examination should contact the department before taking any language or literature course, since some of the requirements for the major may be waived.
Minor Requirements
The French Language Minor (6 units beyond FR102)
The prerequisite for admission to the minor is 101 and 102 (2 units) or equivalent. Students must complete a minimum of six units, including the following: 201, 202, 305, and three courses at the 300 level. Students who initially place at the 300 level as a result of previous French must complete four CC French courses at the 300 level. College transfer credit will be accepted, but at least three 300-level French courses must be completed at ºÚÁϳԹÏ. Only one credit from an unaffiliated program will be accepted into the minor.
Study Abroad in Nice with C.C.: Students who have completed French 202 or the equivalent may complete the minor by participating in C.C’s semester program in Nice.
Courses
French
This course is designed as an introduction to the language and cultures of French-speaking (Francophone) regions of the world. In a simulated immersive environment enhanced with texts, audio-visual and internet resources, students will begin to develop competencies in listening, speaking, reading, and writing about self-generated information related to their daily lives and to life in different foreign cultural settings. Emphasis on the acquisition of basic communicative skills, i.e. naming and describing people, places, and objects in Francophone and non-Francophone cultural settings. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
This course is designed to build on skills acquired in FR101. In a simulated immersive environment enhanced with texts, audio-visual and internet resources, students will continue to develop competencies in listening, speaking, reading, and writing about self-generated information related to their daily lives and to life in different foreign cultural settings. Students will use language to complete simple tasks in specified Francophone as well as non-Francophone contexts. Prerequisite: FR101 or COI. (We strongly recommend that students take 102 within 8 blocks of 101.) 1 unit. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
Review of Elementary French. A lower-level maintenance course. Review of grammar with supervised oral practice.
Review of Elementary French. A lower-level maintenance course. Review of grammar with supervised oral practice.
(Summer only 2024-25).
This course will retrace the most important aspects of French culture from the 'entre-deux-guerres' period to the present through fiction, film , essays and plays. We will study the cultural life of this period and will explore the German Occupation, the Vichy government ideology, the Shoah, the politics of immigration. Readings will include works from Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Marguerite Duras, Patrick Modiano, Eugene Ionesco. (Not offered 2024-25).
This course will examine the historical narratives of Haiti’s past and how they seek to explain the themes of exploitation and corruption that have characterized the country’s present. We will read about the individuals and events of Haitian history and explore the often catastrophic effects that the cultural forces of colonialism, racism, and imperialism have had on the nation’s development. From plays recounting the Haitian revolution and Toussaint l’Ouverture, to prose fiction depicting daily life before, during, and after the 2010 earthquake, we will identify how literary works—through their language and themes—speak forcefully against the dominant narratives depicting the Haitian people as willing victims of their own history. Taught entirely in English, but with some basic French and Haitian Creole language instruction where appropriate. May meet either the Critical Perspectives: Global Cultures or Social Inequality requirement. (Not offered 2024-25).
This course is designed to build on the communication skills acquired in elementary French courses. In a simulated immersive environment enhanced with French/Francophone texts, films, and Internet resources, students focus on developing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills as well as increasing their knowledge and understanding of French/Francophone cultures. Prerequisite: French 102 or equivalent. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
202 Intermediate French II. This course is designed to build on the communication skills acquired in FR 201. In a simulated immersive environment enhanced with French/Francophone texts, films, and internet resources, students focus on developing reading, writing, speaking and listening skills as well as increasing their knowledge and understanding of French/Francophone cultures. Prerequisite: French 201 or COI. 1 unit. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
Review of Intermediate French. A maintenance course for students who have taken French 201 or have an intermediate level of competence in French. A systematic review of grammar with supervised oral practice.
Review of Intermediate French. A maintenance course for students who have taken French 201 or have an intermediate level of competence in French. A systematic review of grammar with supervised oral practice.
(Summer only 2024-25).
(Summer only 2024-25).
For students who do not have time to develop the French skills necessary to take advanced literature courses, but still want to study and become familiar with well-known works from the French and Francophone literary tradition . Emphasis on historical and literary context, identifying major themes, and close readings of key passages. Authors may include: Moliere, Voltaire, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Marguerite Duras, Ousmane Sembene, and Albert Camus. (Not offered 2024-25).
The sub-Saharan African region, specifically the country of Senegal, offers a unique experience to students, from both linguistic and socio-cultural perspectives. The course for Summer Session 2006 will provide students with the unique opportunities to travel in Africa and study language (in this case intermediate French) and culture within the broader international content. It will be based primarily on perspectives on literature, history, geography, social anthropology, politics, ecology and arts and crafts as well as on a formal and total immersion in language learning. The course will be mostly an exploratory learning experience, which includes an introduction to contemporary Africa through historical perspectives: examining the diversity of African cultures and sub-cultures through their indigenous and inherited legacies, particularly the Francophone regions. The course will also investigate the geo-politics of the colonial legacies by analyzing 'the African' definition of the state within the concept of nationhood. Furthermore, the course will expose the participant students to the intricate nature of African cultures, largely through prevailing cultural norms such as notions of caste, class and governmental politics, of the local African religions and the arts, etc. In regards to the ecology, guided field trips will be organized to expose participants to the diverse and rich nature of the Senegalese savanna fauna and flora. Meets the Language Requirement requirement. (Not offered 2024-25).
(Summer only 2024-25).
Intensive study and review of basic concepts of French grammar in context: sentence structure, syntax, and syntagma. Further development of overall linguistic skills, with the goal of improving writing and speaking skills. Materials include grammar-focused materials on French/Francophone cultures, literary texts, films, and the Internet Meets the Language Requirement requirement. (Not offered 2024-25).
In a fully immersive francophone environment enhanced with French/Francophone texts, films, and internet resources, students focus on developing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills as well as increasing their knowledge and understanding of French/Francophone cultures. This course is taught in France as a part of the CC semester in France program. The level of instruction will vary with each student, and the 2-block course may be counted as FR201 and FR202, FR202 and FR290, or two blocks of 300-level French courses, in each case satisfying the language requirement for graduation. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
Taught in France.
A maintenance course for students who have taken a 300-level course or have an advanced level of competence in French. Significant supervised conversation, reading and writing practice.
A maintenance course for students who have taken a 300-level course or have an advanced level of competence in French. Significant supervised conversation, reading and writing practice.
Bridge course between intermediate-level and advanced language courses. Students will develop higher levels of listening comprehension, oral competence, and communicative proficiency and will acquire oral strategies of expression through the study of written and recorded cultural material dealing with a variety of aspects, issues, and realities of the Francophone world. Student activities in the course will include interactive oral presentations of selected web-based materials, of reading and recordings from targeted cultures such as: comic strips, articles, magazines, film clips, songs, etc. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
Advanced composition and conversation practice through the study of literary and cultural texts of France and the Francophone world. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
Continues the acquisition of the French language and trains students in the most important methods of critical analysis through readings in different genres. Meets the Critical Learning: AIM requirement. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
The history, art, music, and literature of French-speaking regions (outside of France), such as Quebec, French Africa, French Latin America, and parts of Asia. Taught in French. (Not offered 2024-25).
Introduction to theories of translation and a focus on techniques of translating technical, commercial, scientific, and literary texts from English into French and vice versa. Seeks to increase students’ international communication skills while building up their cultural competence in French and Francophone worlds. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
Analysis of several novels and screenplays of different periods in comparison with their film versions in order to examine various modes of interpretation of the two media. Conducted in English. Students wishing to obtain credit for the French major, or the minor, must consult the instructor at the beginning of the course. For majors, novels must be read and papers must be written in French. No prerequisite. (Not offered 2024-25).
(Taught in English). Study of an aspect of French culture not represented in the regular curriculum. Topics may include various aspects of French culture such as France’s history and its political and economic structures, as well as their interaction with art, music, film, language and literature. Students wishing to obtain credit towards the French major or minor must consult the instructor at the beginning of the course. For such students, all possible readings must be read and all papers must be written in French. Note: This course does NOT fulfill the all-college language requirement for graduation
(Taught in English). Study of an aspect of Francophone culture not represented in the regular curriculum. Areas of study may include the Caribbean, the Maghreb, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Quebec. Topics may include various aspects of these cultures such as their history and their political and economic structures, as well as their interaction with art, music, film, language and literature. Students wishing to obtain credit towards the French major or minor must consult the instructor at the beginning of the course. For those students, all possible readings must be read and all papers must be written in French. Note: This course does NOT fulfill the all-college language requirement for graduation
A critical examination of professional cultures in the Francophone world, comparative studies of Francophone economies, and practical communicative skills including appropriate vocabulary and business etiquette, the correct forms of a CV and formal correspondence in French, professional presentation skills, and practice articulating the value of a liberal arts education in a professional context. 1.0 unit
(Taught in French). Study of an aspect of French culture not represented in the regular curriculum. Topics may include various aspects of French culture such as France’s history and its political and economic structures, as well as their interaction with art, music, film, language and literature. Meets the Language Requirement requirement.
Topics in Francophone Culture (Taught in French). Study of an aspect of Francophone culture not represented in the regular curriculum. Areas of study may include the Caribbean, the Maghreb, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Quebec. Topics may include various aspects of these cultures such as their history and their political and economic structures, as well as their interaction with art, music, film, language and literature. Meets the Equity and Power: EPG requirement.
Examines the questions of identity and revolution in French and Francophone cultures. Topics may include the French Revolution, anti-colonial struggle, feminist theory, philosophical issues in relation to French/Francophone culture. Questions of individual, collective, and national identity examined through film, literature, new media and other sources. (Not offered 2024-25).
Study of various themes in the literatures of the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, or Quebec. Themes may include the politics of identity, exile, intertextuality, gender, women writers, etc. The structure and content of the course will depend on the theme and preference of the instructor. (Not offered 2024-25).
In-depth study of one aspect of modern French culture, such as philosophy, feminism, the media, forms of popular cultural expression, film, minorities in French society, etc. (Not offered 2024-25).
Meets the Critical Perspectives: Global Cultures requirement. (Summer only 2024-25).
This course will introduce students to various aspects of the Parisian world. May include 20th-century theater, prose and poetry, theater as a genre, film, the manner in which the French understand questions of gender, race and the environment; the intersection of low and high culture; the relationship of popular texts to ideology. Meets the Critical Learning: CP requirement. Meets the Language Requirement requirement. (Not offered 2024-25).
Senior majors only.
Methods of analysis and theories of literature and culture. Training in research methodology; selection of topic for senior project, portfolio, or senior thesis; research and presentation of work in progress. Required of all majors.
A final project, portfolio, or thesis (pending department approval), based on the research and preparation conducted in FR431. All students will present their finished products in a formal presentation in French.