Fall 2022

  • FREN 101: Elementary French

    This course introduces the basic structures of the French language and everyday vocabulary in the context of common cultural situations. Students are exposed to all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Taught five days a week in French. Prerequisites: None. Placement score for students with previous experience in French 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022 · Christine Lac, Stephanie Cox, Sandra Rousseau

  • FREN 103: Intermediate French

    This course continues the study of complex sentence structures and reviews basic patterns in greater depth, partly through the discussion of authentic short stories and cultural topics. Throughout the course, students practice all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Taught five days a week in French. Prerequisites: French 102 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022, Spring 2023 · Chérif Keïta, Christine Lac, Sarah Anthony

  • FREN 204: Intermediate French

    Through readings, discussions, analysis of media, and other activities, this course increases students’ skill and confidence in French. Continuing the emphasis on all modes of communication begun in French 101-103, French 204 focuses on Francophone cultures, contemporary issues, and an iconic text in French. Taught three days a week in French.

     Prerequisites: French 103 or equivalent 6 credits; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023 · Chérif Keïta, Sarah Anthony

  • FREN 210: Coffee and News

    Keep up your French while learning about current issues in France, as well as world issues from a French perspective. Class meets once a week for an hour. Requirements include reading specific sections of leading French newspapers, (Le Monde, Libération, etc.) on the internet, and then meeting once a week to exchange ideas over coffee with a small group of students.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or instructor approval 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023 · Cathy Yandell

  • FREN 239: Banned Books

    Recent events in France have highlighted the issues of free speech and religious intolerance, among other cultural questions. Some of the most fascinating and now canonized works in French and Francophone literature were once banned because they called into question the political, religious, or moral sensibilities of the day. Even today, Francophone books deemed to be subversive are routinely censored. Through texts, graphic novels, and films by Sade, Baudelaire, Camus, Frantz Fanon, Pontecorvo, Julie Maroh, Hergé (Tintin), and others, we will explore the crucial role of forbidden works in their cultural contexts.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or equivalent 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Fall 2022 · Cathy Yandell

  • FREN 380: Comics: Sequence with Consequence

    In the Francophone world comics are known as the ninth art, a popular, legitimate–albeit contested–art form. What then differentiates this art form from others? How do comics create meaning? How do they tell stories? What stories do they tell? In this class we will develop a multilayered approach to comics by analyzing the form and content of texts, but also by questioning the place of comics in French, Algerian, and Québecois societies. Readings will include iconic texts (Asterix, Tintin), alternative comics (by Fabcaro, Louerrad, Ziadé), theoretical pieces on bandes dessinées, and conversations with working artists.

     Prerequisites: One French course beyond French 204 or instructor permission 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Fall 2022 · Sandra Rousseau

  • FREN 400: Integrative Exercise

    During their senior year students will expand and deepen an essay in French from one of their advanced courses in the major. The director for this project will usually be the professor from that course. This essay may be completed during any term, but must be finished by the end of winter term. In the spring term, students will deliver an oral presentation (in English) of their work. Senior students may choose one of the following: Option One: A substantial individual essay. Option Two: A individual essay that complements work done in a second major (subject to approval by the Department). Option Three: Creation of a group multidisciplinary project (such as those organized by Global Engagement), subject to approval by the Department. Further details about these options are available on the Department’s website. 3 credits; S/NC; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023 · Cathy Yandell

Winter 2023

  • FREN 102: Elementary French

    Building on the material covered in French 101, this course introduces complex sentences and additional verb tenses. Students apply the tools of narration in context through the reading of short literary and cultural texts. The focus of the course is on all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Taught five days a week in French. Prerequisites: French 101 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2023 · Stephanie Cox, Éva Pósfay

  • FREN 204: Intermediate French

    Through readings, discussions, analysis of media, and other activities, this course increases students’ skill and confidence in French. Continuing the emphasis on all modes of communication begun in French 101-103, French 204 focuses on Francophone cultures, contemporary issues, and an iconic text in French. Taught three days a week in French.

     Prerequisites: French 103 or equivalent 6 credits; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023 · Chérif Keïta, Sarah Anthony

  • FREN 206: Contemporary French and Francophone Culture

    Through texts, images and films coming from different continents, this class will present Francophone cultures and discuss the connections and tensions that have emerged between France and other French speaking countries. Focused on oral and written expression this class aims to strengthen students’ linguistic skills while introducing them to the academic discipline of French and Francophone studies. The theme will be school and education in the Francophone world.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or equivalent 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Winter 2023 · Chérif Keïta

  • FREN 210: Coffee and News

    Keep up your French while learning about current issues in France, as well as world issues from a French perspective. Class meets once a week for an hour. Requirements include reading specific sections of leading French newspapers, (Le Monde, Libération, etc.) on the internet, and then meeting once a week to exchange ideas over coffee with a small group of students.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or instructor approval 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023 · Cathy Yandell

  • FREN 211: Songs and Stories Trailer

    This is a trailer course for LCST 250: “Songs and Stories: Music and/as Language.” In this two-credit course, we’ll deepen and extend discussion of the main content of the course, with particular emphasis on French works. Participation in this trailer is required for students wishing to count LCST 250 as a course for the French & Francophone Studies major or minors. Conducted in French.

     Prerequisites: French 204. Also requires concurrent registration in Literary and Cultural Studies 250 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement, International Studies; offered Winter 2023 · Scott Carpenter

  • FREN 347: Gender and Sexuality in the Francophone World

    Conceptions of gender and sexuality are essential to the study of Francophone cultures, as can be observed in works by the African poet Léopold Senghor and the recent recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Annie Ernaux, among many others. Through the genres of novel, film, graphic novel, and song, we will examine historical and contemporary manifestations of gender (female, male, trans, two-spirit, and others), including the intersectional questions of race and class in context. Particular attention will be given to France, Francophone Africa, and Québec. Conducted in French.

     Prerequisites: One course beyond French 204 or instructor permission 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Winter 2023 · Cathy Yandell

  • FREN 400: Integrative Exercise

    During their senior year students will expand and deepen an essay in French from one of their advanced courses in the major. The director for this project will usually be the professor from that course. This essay may be completed during any term, but must be finished by the end of winter term. In the spring term, students will deliver an oral presentation (in English) of their work. Senior students may choose one of the following: Option One: A substantial individual essay. Option Two: A individual essay that complements work done in a second major (subject to approval by the Department). Option Three: Creation of a group multidisciplinary project (such as those organized by Global Engagement), subject to approval by the Department. Further details about these options are available on the Department’s website. 3 credits; S/NC; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023 · Cathy Yandell

Spring 2023

  • FREN 103: Intermediate French

    This course continues the study of complex sentence structures and reviews basic patterns in greater depth, partly through the discussion of authentic short stories and cultural topics. Throughout the course, students practice all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Taught five days a week in French. Prerequisites: French 102 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022, Spring 2023 · Chérif Keïta, Christine Lac, Sarah Anthony

  • FREN 208: Paris Program: Contemporary France: Cultures, Politics, Society

    This course seeks to deepen students’ knowledge of contemporary French culture through a pluridisciplinary approach, using multimedia (books, newspaper and magazine articles, videos, etc.) to generate discussion. It will also promote the practice of both oral and written French through exercises, debates, and oral presentations.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or equivalent 6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Éva Pósfay

  • FREN 210: Coffee and News

    Keep up your French while learning about current issues in France, as well as world issues from a French perspective. Class meets once a week for an hour. Requirements include reading specific sections of leading French newspapers, (Le Monde, Libération, etc.) on the internet, and then meeting once a week to exchange ideas over coffee with a small group of students.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or instructor approval 2 credits; S/CR/NC; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023 · Cathy Yandell

  • FREN 245: Francophone Literature of Africa and the Caribbean

    Reading and discussion of literary works, with analysis of social, historical and political issues, with an emphasis on cultural and literary movements such as Négritude (El Negrismo, in Cuba) and their role in shaping ideas of self-determination, Nationalism and Independence in the French colonies of the Caribbean and Black Africa. We will read works by Aimé Césaire (Martinique), Léopold Sédar Senghor (Senegal), Léon Gontran Damas (French Guiana), Jacques Roumain (Haîti), Laye Camara (Guinea), Mongo Béti (Cameroun), Simone Schwartz-Bart (Guadeloupe) and Alain Mabanckou (Congo). Conducted in French.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or the equivalent 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Chérif Keïta

  • FREN 254: Paris Program: French Art in Context

    Home of some of the finest and best known museums in the world, Paris has long been recognized as a center for artistic activity. Students will have the opportunity to study art from various periods on site, including Impressionism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. In-class lectures and discussions will be complemented by guided visits to the unparalleled collections of the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, local art galleries, and other appropriate destinations. Special attention will be paid to the program theme.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or the equivalent and Participation in OCS Paris Program 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Éva Pósfay

  • FREN 255: Paris Program: Islam in France: Historical Approaches and Current Debates

    In this course, students will explore the historical, cultural, social, and religious traces of Islam as they have been woven over time into the modern fabric of French society. Through images drawn from film, photography, television, and museum displays, they will discover the important role this cultural contact zone has played in the French experience. The course will take advantage of the resources of the city of Paris and will include excursions to museums as well as cultural and religious centers.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or the equivalent and participation in Paris OCS program 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2023 · Éva Pósfay

  • FREN 259: Paris Program: Hybrid Paris

    Through literature, cultural texts, and experiential learning in the city, this course will explore the development of both the “Frenchness” and the hybridity that constitute contemporary Paris. Immigrant cultures, notably North African, will also be highlighted. Plays, music, and visits to cultural sites will complement the readings.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or the equivalent and participation in OCS Paris program 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Éva Pósfay

  • FREN 340: Arts of Brevity: Short Fiction

    The rise of newspapers and magazines in the nineteenth century promotes a variety of short genres that will remain popular to the present day: short stories, prose poetry, vignettes, theatrical scenes. In this short course (first five weeks of the term) we’ll study short works by such authors as Diderot, Sand, Balzac, Mérimée, Flaubert, Allais, Tardieu, Le Clézio. Conducted in French.

     Prerequisites: One French course beyond French 204 or instructor permission 3 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Scott Carpenter

  • FREN 341: Madame Bovary and Her Avatars

    Decried as scandalous, heralded as the first “modern” novel, Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary (published in 1857) sparked debate, spawned both detractors and followers, and became a permanent fixture in French culture and even the French language. In this five-week course we will read the novel, study its cultural context and impact, and see how it has been variously re-interpreted in film and other media. Conducted in French.

     Prerequisites: One French course beyond French 204 or instructor permission 3 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Scott Carpenter

  • FREN 359: Paris Program: Hybrid Paris

    Through literature, cultural texts, and experiential learning in the city, this course will explore the development of both the “Frenchness” and the hybridity that constitute contemporary Paris. Immigrant cultures, notably North African, will also be highlighted. Plays, music, and visits to cultural sites will complement the readings.

     Prerequisites: French 230 or beyond and participation in OCS Paris program 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Éva Pósfay

  • FREN 400: Integrative Exercise

    During their senior year students will expand and deepen an essay in French from one of their advanced courses in the major. The director for this project will usually be the professor from that course. This essay may be completed during any term, but must be finished by the end of winter term. In the spring term, students will deliver an oral presentation (in English) of their work. Senior students may choose one of the following: Option One: A substantial individual essay. Option Two: A individual essay that complements work done in a second major (subject to approval by the Department). Option Three: Creation of a group multidisciplinary project (such as those organized by Global Engagement), subject to approval by the Department. Further details about these options are available on the Department’s website. 3 credits; S/NC; offered Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023 · Cathy Yandell