French and Francophone Studies in Paris
Spend the spring studying in a diverse and dynamic city. Choose among classes on French culture, society, Islam in France, and art history. Experience French life within and outside academia through coursework, living with a Parisian family, and travel to Provence. In the process, learn to view yourself and the world from a different perspective.
Message from Faculty Director
My name is Éva Pósfay, and I have been a member of Carleton’s French and Francophone Department since 1991. I have also been teaching courses for Cross-Cultural Studies. The 2026 Paris program will be my ninth Carleton program in France. I hope you will join me and make Paris (and Provence!) part of your career at Carleton.
This 10-week stay in Paris will give you the opportunity to spread your wings – to grow both academically and personally as you immerse yourself in French language and culture. Throughout the term, we will learn together and strive for a deeper understanding of Paris, France, and the world. You will observe, read, reflect, share, and interact in an unfamiliar environment which, with time, will likely become increasingly meaningful to you and expand your worldview in exhilaratingly new ways.
I’m very excited to lead the 2026 program and look forward to our spring term in Paris. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!
Éva Pósfay, Class of 1944 Professor of French and the Liberal Arts
Academics
Learning Goals
- To achieve greater proficiency in both spoken and written French
- To develop an increased cultural understanding of both France, Paris and its regions
- To view oneself and the world from a different perspective through linguistic and cultural immersion
- To develop a French-learner identity in various contexts
Prerequisites
French 204 or above by Spring Term 2026. The director reserves the right to require additional study in French before departure.
Course of Study
18 Credits
Students enroll in three of the four courses for a total of 18 credits. (All students enroll in French 259 or 359.) All courses count toward the major and minor in French and Francophone Studies. French 254 counts toward the Art History major (post-1800 requirement).
FREN 208: Contemporary France: Cultures, Politics, Society (6 Credits)
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.
Instructor: French local faculty
FREN 254: French Art in Context (6 Credits)
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.
Instructor: French local faculty
FREN 255: Islam in France: Historical Approaches and Current Debates (6 Credits)
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.
Instructor: French local faculty
FREN 259/359: Hybrid Paris (6 Credits)
Through cultural texts, films, music, and our own practice of 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.
Instructor: Éva Pósfay
Prerequisite: French 230 or beyond or instructor permission for FREN 359.
Program Features
Excursions
The program will explore key aspects of the historical, cultural, and artistic foundations of Paris, through both study and experiential learning in the city. Various classes include sessions in museums or other cultural destinations, and the entire group will have the opportunity to attend plays, concerts, dance and opera performances, and more. A six-day excursion to Provence will allow students to discover the more provincial side of France (where Paris is both revered and resented). Stops in Arles, Marseille, and the Provençal countryside will highlight both natural splendors and the ruins of antiquity, but also the current dynamism of the Mediterranean basin.
Housing
Students will stay with carefully selected French families in and around Paris. During the excursion to Provence they will stay in hotels.