Fall 2023

  • FREN 100: Balloons and Cultures: Graphic Novels of the French Speaking World

    Can everyone read graphic novels? Of course; however, their accessibility doesn’t mean they are simple. In this course, students will learn to read graphic novels as cultural products generated by artists, places, and institutions. Coming from French-speaking countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, these texts argue for different (and sometimes contradictory) definitions of the genre; but also bring to the fore political and societal issues at stake in the francophone world. Using the tools of contemporary theory, students will draw connections between art and cultural representations. Conducted in English. Texts in translation.

     6 credits; Argument and Inquiry Seminar, International Studies, Writing Requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Sandra Rousseau

  • 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 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2023 · Anthony Revelle, Sarah Anthony

  • 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 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2023 · Anthony Revelle, Sarah Anthony

  • 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 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2023 · Anthony Revelle, Sarah Anthony

  • 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 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Cherif Keita, Sarah Anthony, Stephanie Cox, Anthony Revelle

  • 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 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024 · Eva Posfay, Anthony Revelle, Cherif Keita

  • 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 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024 · Eva Posfay, Anthony Revelle, Cherif Keita

  • 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 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024 · Eva Posfay, Anthony Revelle, Cherif Keita

  • 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 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024 · Eva Posfay

  • FREN 280: Argue! Practicing Eloquence

    Eloquence has been described as being able to say what is necessary and not say what is not. The idea of “speaking well” has changed over time and continues to evolve in French society. Can one speak well with an accent, with grammatical mistakes, with slang, or with curse words? How has France fabricated its language as a sacred treasure, and how has this vision excluded native and non-native French speakers? The history of eloquence will be complemented by its practice as students learn to master different registers of French language and learn to argue effectively.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or the equivalent 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Fall 2023 · Sandra Rousseau

  • FREN 308: France and the African Imagination

    This course will look at the presence of France and its capital Paris in the imaginary landscape of a number of prominent African writers, filmmakers and musicians such as Bernard Dadié (Côte d’ Ivoire), Ousmane Sembène (Senegal), Calixthe Beyala (Cameroun), Alain Mabanckou (Congo-Brazzaville), Salif Keïta (Mali) and others. The history of Franco-African relations will be used as a background for our analysis of these works. Conducted in French.

     Prerequisites: One French course beyond French 204 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Fall 2023 · Cherif Keita

  • FREN 400: Integrative Exercise

    During their senior year, students expand and deepen an essay in French from one of their advanced courses in the major. Normally, but not always, the director for this project will 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 deliver an oral presentation (in English) summarizing their work. Seniors may choose either of the following: 1) A substantial individual essay, or 2) An individual essay that complements work done in a second major (subject to approval by the Department). Further details are available on the Department’s website.

     3 credits; S/NC; offered Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024 · Eva Posfay

Winter 2024

  • 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 2024, Winter 2024, Winter 2024 · Stephanie Cox, Sarah Anthony, Cherif Keita

  • 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 2024, Winter 2024, Winter 2024 · Stephanie Cox, Sarah Anthony, Cherif Keita

  • 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 2024, Winter 2024, Winter 2024 · Stephanie Cox, Sarah Anthony, Cherif Keita

  • 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 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024 · Eva Posfay, Anthony Revelle, Cherif Keita

  • 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; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Winter 2024 · Sandra Rousseau

  • 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 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024 · Eva Posfay

  • FREN 243: Food in French Fiction

    What does “eating together” mean in France–and for whom? Through works of fiction, we will investigate cultural representations of food from the Middles Ages to the present day and address the following topics: the construction of a so-called “national gastronomy”; the social significance of food for Caribbean and African communities in France; the link between food and collective memory; women’s writings’ relationship with food in colonial and postcolonial masculinist contexts; the Rabelaisian disruptive potential of bodily pleasures; and contemporary ethical issues, such as the rise of veganism and animal rights activism.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or equivalent 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Winter 2024 · Anthony Revelle

  • FREN 360: The Algerian War of Liberation and Its Representations

    Over fifty years after Algeria’s independence from France, discourses and representations about the cause, the violence, and the political and social consequences of that conflict still animate public life in both France and Algeria. This class aims at presenting the Algerian war through its various representations. Starting with discussions about the origins of French colonialism in North Africa, it will develop into an analysis of the war of liberation and the ways it has been recorded in history books, pop culture, and canonical texts. We will reflect on the conflict and on its meanings in the twenty-first century, and analyze how different media become memorial artifacts.

     Prerequisites: One French course beyond French 204 or instructor permission 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Winter 2024 · Sandra Rousseau

  • FREN 400: Integrative Exercise

    During their senior year, students expand and deepen an essay in French from one of their advanced courses in the major. Normally, but not always, the director for this project will 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 deliver an oral presentation (in English) summarizing their work. Seniors may choose either of the following: 1) A substantial individual essay, or 2) An individual essay that complements work done in a second major (subject to approval by the Department). Further details are available on the Department’s website.

     3 credits; S/NC; offered Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024 · Eva Posfay

Spring 2024

  • 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 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Cherif Keita, Sarah Anthony, Stephanie Cox, Anthony Revelle

  • 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 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Cherif Keita, Sarah Anthony, Stephanie Cox, Anthony Revelle

  • 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 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Cherif Keita, Sarah Anthony, Stephanie Cox, Anthony Revelle

  • FREN 208: French and Francophone Studies in 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 2024 · Scott Carpenter

  • 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 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024 · Eva Posfay

  • FREN 244: Contemporary France and Humor

    This class is an overview of France’s social, cultural, and political history from 1939 onwards. The core units of this class (WWII, decolonization, May 1968, the Women’s liberation movement, the rise of the National Front, globalization, and immigration) will be studied through their comic representations. Sources for this class will include historical, political, literary and journalistic texts as well as photographs, paintings, videos, blogs, and music. The contrast between comical and non-comical texts and objects will highlight the uses and functions of humor in communicating about history, and illustrate the impact of comic discourses in everyday culture. In French.

     Prerequisites: French 204 or equivalent 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Sandra Rousseau, Anthony Revelle

  • FREN 254: French and Francophone Studies in 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; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Scott Carpenter

  • FREN 255: French and Francophone Studies in 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 2024 · Scott Carpenter

  • FREN 259: French and Francophone Studies in 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; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Scott Carpenter

  • FREN 359: French and Francophone Studies in 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; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Scott Carpenter

  • FREN 391: Independent Study

    1-6 credit; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Anthony Revelle

  • FREN 391: Independent Study

    1-6 credit; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2024, Spring 2024 · Anthony Revelle

  • FREN 400: Integrative Exercise

    During their senior year, students expand and deepen an essay in French from one of their advanced courses in the major. Normally, but not always, the director for this project will 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 deliver an oral presentation (in English) summarizing their work. Seniors may choose either of the following: 1) A substantial individual essay, or 2) An individual essay that complements work done in a second major (subject to approval by the Department). Further details are available on the Department’s website.

     3 credits; S/NC; offered Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024 · Eva Posfay