French & Francophone Minor

Beginning French 1 and Beginning French 2 constitute the basic sequence in French for the development of overall skill in the language. Open to those with little or no background in French.

Continuation of the basic sequence in French for the development of overall skill in the language. Open to those with little or no background in French.

Provides a rapid review of basic communicative French as preparation for intermediate French. For those with previous French study but insufficient placement scores to move to the 2000 level.

Devoted to grammar review and composition as well as to the advancement of spoken proficiency, FRE 2220 and its sequel, FRE 2221, develop reading and writing skills in French.

Continued grammar review. Emphasizes practice in reading and developing vocabulary. Selected readings in French and Francophone fiction.

Systematic examination of French grammar. Practice of writing at several levels (summary of texts, descriptions, compositions). Textual analysis of literary and journalistic materials. First course of major sequence.

Develops advanced writing skills through the stylistic study of literary and journalistic texts. Writing assignments focus on development of a variety of skills, including summaries, literary analyses, argumentative essays, etc. Aspects of French grammar are highlighted along with analytical terms and key vocabulary from texts.

Develops and refines oral and comprehension skills relating to different domains. New vocabulary ranging from the colloquial to the most refined of discourses enables students to recognize and use words and expressions in the proper context; material enables students to move from discussions about themselves to situations they are likely to encounter in daily life abroad, through interviewing techniques and professional interaction.

A study of the cultures of countries or regions where French is used as the (or one of the) official language or, in a less official capacity, by a segment of the population. Study of some of the historical, conceptual, practical and problematic aspects of Francophonie. Also concentrates on one specific area (the Caribbean or West Africa or Quebec, etc., on a rotating basis). Literary samples are included. (N)

An introduction to French phonological processes, providing explanatory evidence for the production of speech sounds, for the classification of sounds, for their interrelationship with one another (gliding, nasalization, assimilation), for morphological and syllable structure, for specifically French phenomena such as liaison, elision, final consonant drop, schwa drop, and for the relationship of morphology to phonology, especially in the verb system.

Introduction to French phonological processes. Explanatory evidence: production of speech sounds, classification of sounds, and their interrelationships (gliding, nasalization, assimilation). Morphological and syllable structure. Specifically French phenomena: liaison, elision, final consonant drop, schwa drop. Relationship of morphology to phonology, especially verb system.

Study of selected masterpieces of French literature, in English translation. Works to be considered as they relate to history and as they can be read in strictly literary terms. Topic varies from year to year.

Introduction to the rich heritage of feminist traditions in France and Francophone countries through an exploration of women writers and thinkers (filmmakers, theorists), primarily of the 19th and 20th centuries. Selected topics include L'Écriture féminine (Writing the Feminine), autobiographical writing by French and Francophone women, women in French cinema, and representations of women in French film and literature. Read, discuss, and analyze a broad spectrum of primary and secondary sources from a feminist viewpoint.

Selected readings of outstanding authors of prose fiction, poetry and theatre from the 18th to the 20th century. Provides the historical context for major literary movements and authors, and trains students to read and write critically. Generally organized thematically. (N)

Rotating topics exploring the fiction, theatre or intellectual prose of the Enlightenment. Special emphasis placed on the cultural climate and productions of the ancient regime.

Rotating topics trace the development and the main tenets of latter 19th century literary, artistic, and cultural productions. Concentrates on various themes and genres, including poetry, theatre, and the novel as well as the socioeconomic and cultural matrices that fostered movements arising between 1850 and the Fin de siècle. Specific attention may be devoted to definitions of Realism, Naturalism, and Symbolism; representations of modern life and the industrialization of the literary market; the infiltration of scientific and mechanistic thought into literary productions (poetry or prose); and representations of women and the female body, of Paris and Parisian society.

Rotating topics: theater, novel, image of the Orient, Anglo-French connection, women writers of the Old Regime.

French Realism and Naturalism