Spring 2026 – French and Francophone Studies in Paris

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.

Artist Showshowart, Paris - Warm Hearts, Not the Planet

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

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 both minors. French 254 counts toward the Art History major (post-1800 requirement).

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

French 256: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Politics and Cultures in Contemporary France (6 credits)

This course on French political life and society aims to facilitate students’ integration into their host country by providing them with a good understanding of France’s political culture, as well as an insight into the habits of French people. Accordingly, it covers key aspects of French political life (political regime, party system, European and foreign policy). It also offers a socio-economic overview of contemporary France, such as family, social security system, education, and addresses social issues, including social inequalities, immigration, and secularism.

Instructor: French local faculty

FREN 257: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: The Culture of Activism in France (6 credits)

This course explores the diverse cultures and practices of activism in France and Paris. Through lectures, site visits, films, and artifact analysis, students will engage with the ways individuals and collectives resist systems of domination, claim rights, and imagine alternative futures. We will examine the theories and practices that shape activism, ranging from ecological and feminist struggles to LGBTQIA+ movements, artistic interventions, and festive forms of protest. Combined conceptual readings and experiential learning will emphasize critical reflection. Students will develop tools to understand activism as political action and cultural practice that reshape identities, communities, and public space.

Instructor: French local faculty

FREN 259/359: Hybrid Paris (6 Credits)

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. Offered at both the 200 and 300 levels; coursework will be adjusted accordingly.
Instructor: Éva Pósfay

Prerequisite: French 230 or beyond, or instructor permission for FREN 359.

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.