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| 101 & 102. Elementary French I &
II 1 course unit each An introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary of, as well as communication skills in French within its cultural contexts. Students will use a variety of authentic text and media resources to acquire and enhance linguistic skills. The first semester is designed for students with no knowledge of, or with a weak background in French, the second—for students with limited, but residual previous exposure to French. Assignment by placement test. Four class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments. 203 & 204. Intermediate French I & II 1 course unit each An accelerated review of basic French grammar through speaking, reading, writing and other linguistically appropriate activities. The introduction of more advance grammatical structures and a variety of authentic text and multimedia resources will enhance the students’ linguistic skills and sociocultural awareness of the French speaking world. The development of functional skills and communicative ability is emphasized. Students also acquire the linguistic tools needed to continue learning French as it pertains to their fields of interest. Assignment by placement test. Three class hours per week plus Language Learning Center assignments. 301, 302. French Conversation & Composition Intensive practice in spoken and written French with emphasis on correct usage and facility of expression. All aspects of the course, including vocabulary acquisition, grammar and idiom review, compositions, readings, oral presentations and comprehension exercises using audio/visual media are presented through a topical approach to everyday French life and contemporary issues. Prerequisite: FRN 204 Intermediate French II Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 302. 303, 304. Advanced French Conversation & Composition A continuation of FRN 301, 302 French Conversation & Composition, but with more emphasis on formal writing skills: description, narration, opinion, analysis. Through the study of examples of each genre, students learn the stylistic and linguistic devices appropriate to each before writing their own essays. Advanced grammar study, translation and vocabulary building are additional aspects of this course, since many of the errors students at this level make in their speaking/writing stem from inaccurate translations from English. During the second half of the course, students will read and discuss a contemporary novel dealing with family and social issues in contemporary France for conversational practice as well as an examination of the previously studied genres in the first half of the course. Prerequisite: FRN 301, 302 French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 304. 310, 311. Business French Practice in oral and written French at an advanced level. Compositions, dictations, oral reports and readings emphasizing French business vocabulary (banking, importing, exporting, shipping, stock market, etc.). Offered in alternate years (fall semester). Prerequisite: FRN 204 Intermediate French II Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 311. 320, 321. French Civilization Beginning with the prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux and ending with the present Fifth Republic, this course traces the major periods in the civilization of France through a survey of its geographical, historical, social, literary and artistic heritage. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FRN 301, 302 French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement H (and W which applies to 321 only). 330, 331. Francophone Cultures of Africa & the Caribbean An introduction to the diverse cultures of the francophone world, specifically of the French-speaking African and Caribbean countries. Beginning with the period of French colonization, students will explore the development of various historical, social, political and artistic aspects of contemporary francophone culture through film, literature, magazines, the internet, and other multi-media materials. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FRN 301, 302 French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement C (and W which applies to 331 only). 410. Origins of Love in Medieval & Renaissance France In this course we will consider how love was “invented” in Europe beginning with the 11th century. We will consider how nascent views of love influenced gender relations as well as how they intersected with the institution of marriage and social attitudes about marriage. We will learn how our ideas about love are not universal but rather an historical product. We will also be able to see where some of our ideas about relationships between the sexes come from and wonder about how it is they have endured. We will primarily look at literary texts such as courtly love lyric, the courtly romance and the later fabliaux and farces that introduce a much “earthier” element into the question of love. We will also study some historical events and consider conduct manuals or theological treatises bearing on social institutions such as marriage. Along the way, we will consider the relationship between historical and literary documents as well as what it meant to be a medieval “author.” Taught in French. Prerequisite: FRN 303, 304 Advanced French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement L. 411. The French Classical Age The reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, has become the symbol of absolute monarchy, with two cultural centers: le château de Versailles for the court and Parisian salons for the bourgeoisie. This course will emphasize literary and philosophical influences of the 17th century, both before and during the reign of Louis XIV. How are the great questions about human nature—its glories and foibles—addressed in the form of tragic and comic plays, fables, the historical novel and the philosophical essay? We shall explore these questions through textual study of great writers: Corneille, Racine, Molière, La Fontaine, Madame de Lafayette, Descartes and Pascal. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FRN 303, 304 Advanced French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement L. 412. The Enlightenment in France The 18th century begins with the demise of Louis XIV, the king who represents France’s past glory; it ends with the French Revolution, the cataclysmic event which heralds a new and different society, as France looks toward the future. What is the individual’s place in society and in the universe? How do we and should we live together as social beings? Such questions are central to this Age of Enlightenment. Our study focuses on les Philosophes, especially on Montesquieu, Diderot, Voltaire and Rousseau. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FRN 303, 304 Advanced French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement L. 413. French Romanticism & Realism Reading and discussion of works of poetry and prose which examine the rise of the Romantic movement in nineteenth-century French literature and the subsequent Realist and Naturalist movements which accompanied the socioeconomic rise of the bourgeoisie and the Industrial Revolution. Taught in French. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: FRN 303, 304 Advanced French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement L. 414. Origins of Modern French Literature Reading and discussion of works which reflect modernist preoccupations of form and content in later nineteenth and early-to-mid twentieth century French literature. Special emphasis on Symbolism, Surrealism, and literature of the belle époque and pre-World War II France. Taught in French. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: FRN 303, 304 Advanced French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement L. 415. Immigration & Identity in Contemporary French Literature Reading and discussion of works which reflect trends in French literature since the 1940’s with emphasis on fiction and the theatre, beginning with the Absurd and the concept of literature as revolt, and continuing through contemporary explorations of the relationship of literature and art to society. Taught in French. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: FRN 303, 304 Advanced French Conversation & Composition Meets general academic requirement L. |
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