Courses
Fall 2016 – French Course Descriptions
Please note:
Under-enrolled sections (fewer than six students) of language classes (levels 1-22)
may be cancelled during the first two weeks of the semester.
French 0001 – Elementary French 1
A – Block A
B – Block B
C – Block C
D – Block F
E – Block H
– Brenna Heitzman
– Anne-Christine Rice
– Kerri Conditto Miller
– Anne-Christine Rice
– Anne Poncet-Montange
This course introduces the fundamental grammatical structures and vocabulary of French. Through the
development of basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, it promotes the practical
use of language in a variety of social settings. Online lab work is required. Conducted in French. No
prerequisites
Texts: Mitchell, Promenades 2e w/Supersite Plus Access Code (ISBN: 9781618571007)
Recommended: Harper Collins, Harper Collins French Dictionary – French English (ISBN: 9780061260476)
French 0002 – Elementary French 2
B – Block F – Nancy Kelly
C – Block H – Carrie O'Connor
D – Block ImwHf – Marie Gillette
A continuation of French 001, the course advances the study of basic grammar structures, fosters the
development of vocabulary, and broadens the range of situations in which the student can understand and
impart information. Multimedia materials provide the cultural context for linguistic activities. Online lab work
is required. Students are required to register for a recitation section that consists of a weekly 40-minute
conversation group. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 001 or consent.
Texts: Mitchell, Promenades 2e- Loose w/Supersite Plus Access Code (ISBN: 9781618576880)
French 0003 – Intermediate French 1
A – Block A – Kerri Conditto Miller
B - Block C – Nancy Kelly
C – Block D – Kerri Conditto Miller
D – Block E – Brenna Heitzman
E – Block G – Brenna Heitzman
G – Block J – Carrie O'Connor
A review and extension of French grammar and vocabulary with attention to developing all four skills:
reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course aims to foster fluency and the functional use of
language. Class discussions will be based on conversations and short literary texts and readings about
French society. Regular listening work, lab assignments and frequent compositions are required. Conducted
in French.
Prerequisite: French 002 or consent.
Texts: Muyskens, Bravo! 8e w/ Quia iLrn Access Card, (ISBN: 9781305121720)
French 0004 – Intermediate French 2
A – Block A – David Pauling
B – Block F - Viola Thomas
C – Block G – David Pauling
D – Block ImwHf – Anne Taieb
The course continues the grammar review begun in French 003, introduces the use of more advanced
structures, and promotes the acquisition of a large active vocabulary. It aims to develop language
proficiency sufficient to converse about practical concerns and to narrate in past, present, and future time.
Readings from several different types of prose develop sensitivity to tone and style. Course work consists of
regular lab assignments, compositions and class discussion. Students are required to register for a recitation
section that consists of a weekly 40-minute conversation group. Conducted in French.
Prerequisite: French 003 or consent.
Texts: Muyskens, Bravo! 8e w/ Quia iLrn Access Card, (ISBN: 9781305121720); Kessel, L'Evasion: FR –
0004 Supplement (ISBN: 2818740138482)
French 0021 – Composition and Conversation 1
A – Block C – Anne-Christine Rice
B – Block D – David Pauling
C – Block G – Marie Gillette
D – Block J – Anne Poncet-Montange
This course aims to develop the student's ability to speak and write French, with special emphasis on oralaural skills and a focus on contemporary French culture. A review of more advanced grammar structures
promotes correct expression. Lab assignments and readings, in the form of cultural texts and short fiction,
serve to expand vocabulary and provide subjects for class discussions. Given the focus on oral expression,
active participation in class is essential. Course work includes regular oral and written assignments,
compositions, oral presentations, film discussions, and exams. Students are required to register for a
recitation section that consists of a weekly 40-minute conversation group. Conducted in French.
Prerequisite: French 004 or consent.
Texts: Required for Section A: Grégoire, La Grammaire Progressive du Français, niveau
perfectionnement, 2012 (ISBN:9782090353594); Rice, Cinema for French Conversation, 4e (ISBN:
9781585106363); Hugo, Claude Gueux (ISBN: 9782210754034);
Required for section B, C: Barson, La Grammaire à l'oeuvre, 5e w/ Quia e – Sam Access Card (ISBN:
9780759398092); Sagan, Bonjour Tristesse (ISBN: 9782266195584)
Required for section D: Grégoire, La Grammaire Progressive du Français, niveau perfectionnement, 2012
(ISBN:9782090353594); Sagan, Bonjour Tristesse (ISBN: 9782266195584)
French 0022 – Composition and Conversation 2
A – Block E – Anne Taieb
B – Block F – Tracy Pearce
C – Block H – Viola Thomas
D – Block C – Pearce
This course, like French 021, provides an advanced grammar review and work on oral/aural skills, but its
focus shifts to written expression. Readings are drawn from contemporary French and Francophone texts. To
prepare students for upper-level courses, increasing emphasis is placed on analytical skills and on the
cogent presentation of ideas and points of view. Course work includes regular oral and written assignments,
compositions, oral presentations or creative projects, film discussions, and exams. Students are required to
register for a recitation section that consists of a weekly 40-minute conversation group. Conducted in
French. Prerequisite: French 021 or consent.
Texts: Barson, La Grammaire à l'oeuvre, 5e w/ Quia e – Sam Access Card (ISBN: 9780759398092)
French 0031 – Readings in French Literature 1
A – Block F+ - Mona El Khoury
B – Block D+ - Claire Schub
D – Block K+ - Zeina Hakim
An in depth study of selected masterworks of French literature representing significant currents of thought
and expression from the Middle Ages through the eighteenth century. The course will emphasize close
textual analysis and the improvement of critical skills. Class discussions will be encouraged. Lectures,
discussions, short papers, midterm exam, exposé(s), and final examination: Conducted in French. Not for
senior majors or for students returning from programs abroad. Prerequisite: French 22 or instructor's
consent.
Texts: (available at Schoenhofs) Tristan et Iseult, ed. René Louis (Livre de Poche); poems by Labé,
Ronsard, and Du Bellay (photocopy); Molière, Tartuffe (Classiques Larousse); Racine, Phèdre(Classiques
Larousse); Voltaire, Candide (Bordas); Rousseau, Rêveries du promeneur solitaire (Nouveaux Classiques
Larousse).
Section D: Texts: Tristan et Iseult (Livre de Poche, éd. René Louis), ISBN: 9782253004363; selected
Renaissance Poems (photocopied handouts); Molière, Tartuffe (Classiques Larousse), ISBN:
9782035859174; Voltaire, Candide (Classiques Larousse), 9782030349663.
French 0091 – Strategies of Identity in Francophone Caribbean Literature (in English)
A Block I+ - H. Adlai Murdoch
This course examines the range of literary, cultural, and political strategies framing the complexities of selfdefinition for the overseas departments of France in the post/colonial era. As the region's writers embrace
the challenge of shaping the tensions and ambiguities of identity, the myriad multiplicities of the
Francophone Caribbean emerge in these works. Readings will address and assess the varied roles
of négritude, antillanité and créolité in the temporal trajectory from the binarisms of colonization to the
modernities of the post/colonial département d'outremer. Class discussions, two five-to-six-page papers, an
oral presentation, and a final 10-page paper. Prerequisite: French 31 and 32, or consent.
Texts: Glissant, Caribbean Discourse: Selected Essays, ISBN: 9780813913735; Chamoiseau, Texaco,ISBN:
9780679751755; Conde, Windward Heights, ISBN: 9781569472163; Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks,
Revised, ISBN: 9780802143006; Schwarz-Bart, Bridge of Beyond, ISBN: 9781590176801
French 0121 – Advanced French Language 1
Block D+ - Tracy Pearce
This course offers students an in-depth review of grammar with the goal of improving and perfecting oral
and written expression. We will study contemporary language and place a particular emphasis on grammar
usage, specificity of expression and vocabulary acquisition through analysis of written and spoken French.
Readings include a contemporary novel, cultural materials, and two recent films. Active class participation is
essential. Other coursework includes regular written and oral grammar assignments, 2 exams, short papers,
and a creative project. Conducted in French. Not for native speakers or for majors who have studied in
French-speaking countries.
Prerequisite: French 21 and 22, or consent.
Texts: M. Boularès, J-L. Frérot, La Grammaire progressive du français (CLE International, 2012); M.
Barbery, L'élégance du hérisson (Folio, 2006)
French 0122 – Advanced French Language II
A – Block I+ – Isabelle Naginski
In-depth study of contemporary language with emphasis on idiomatic usage and different styles of
expression through analysis of written and spoken French. Readings include both critical and primary
historical documents and concentrate on the major theories, concepts and mythical constructs which helped
shape France between 1789 and 1848, during its Age of Revolution. Topics include: myths of revolution, the
Terror, the Third & Fourth Estates, the myth of Napoleon, Utopianism, the class struggle, myths of origin.
Grammar review; frequent written assignments and papers; explications de textes; oral proficiency through
exposés; mid-term and final exams. Active class participation is essential. Not for native speakers or for
majors who have studied in French-speaking countries. Recommendations: French 21 and 22, or consent.
Textbooks: Balzac, Le Colonel Chabert, ISBN: 9782070411184
French 0125 – Studies in French Culture: National Identity and Contemporary Challenges
A – Block L+ – Mona El Khoury
A study of French and Francophone cultural production since the end of the Second World War, with special
focus on the evolution of national identity in a context of decolonization, European dynamics, globalization,
and economic crisis. Issues include political tensions related to multiculturalism and immigration; ethical
dilemmas concerning minorities (gender, social, ethnic, religious); history and memory; education; racism;
violence. Course materials encompass essays, novels, a graphic novel, plays, films, articles from the press,
and chapters from the textbook (La France contemporaine). Group discussion, a short oral presentation,
four response papers (1-2 pages), a mid-term exam, and a final paper (10-12 pages). Prerequisites: French
21 and 22, or French 31 and 32, or consent.
Texts: William Edmiston & Annie Duménil, La France contemporaine (5th ed., 2015, coll. "World
Languages"; ISBN 978-1305251083)
French 0191-A – Business French
Block F+ – Claire Schub
This course provides a fundamental knowledge of French as used in the business world, as well as
background and information to enable students to communicate effectively in a business context in France
and other Francophone countries. We will study technical terminology and practices in such fields as
banking, government, industry, and advertising, and broaden our understanding of French political,
financial, economic, and educational institutions. There will be practical training in writing business letters,
job application letters, and résumés. We will discuss the impacts of recent and current developments such
as the environmental movement, the anti-globalization movement, and the European Union. There will be
several invited speakers who are involved in the French business world. Two films will be shown. At the end
of the semester, students may opt to take the Paris Chamber of Commerce exam for the "diplôme de
français des affaires". There will be a midterm exam, a final exam, frequent quizzes, résumés of articles,
and a final research project. Prerequisite: French 31 and 32 or consent
Texts: A. Bloomfield and B. Tauzin, Affaires á suivre (Hachette, 2001); Journal and newspaper articles.
French 0191-B – Sartre and Beauvoir: Writers, Philosophers, Lovers
Block E+ – Claire Schub
Beauvoir's "on ne naît pas femme, on le devient," and Sartre's "l'existence précède l'essence" have become
clichéd formulas, but what do they really mean? This course examines the literary and philosophical works of
Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, two legendary 20th century French intellectuals who together
defined French Existentialism and the notion of the "écrivain engagé," while Beauvoir provided the
foundation for 20th and 21st century feminist theory. They also sought to redefine the concept of the
"couple" as it evolved in Western bourgeois society to create a relationship based (in theory) on freedom
and equality.We will read short stories, plays, novels, essays, and memoirs. Course work includes 2 oral
exposés, one 5-7 page paper, and one 8-10 page final paper.
Prerequisites: FR 31 and 32, or permission.
Textbooks (all are Folio): Simone de Beauvoir: Pour une morale de l'ambiguité, La femme rompue, Une
mort très douce, Mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée. Excerpts from Le deuxième sex (I and II). Jean-Paul
Sartre: L'existentialisme est un humanisme, Le mur, Huis clos suivi de Les mouches, Les mots, La nausée.
Excerpts from Qu'est-ce que la littérature?
French 0191-D – The French Arthurian Novel
Block – H+ - Vincent Pollina
The legend of King Arthur arose in the British isles but soon became an international phenomenon. France's
greatest medieval novelist, Chrétien de Troyes, deepened and transformed the legend: Lancelot first
appeared as the adulterous lover of Queen Guinevere in Chrétien's Chevalier de la charrette, and, in his
Perceval, Chrétien infused the Arthurian material with the Celtic myth of the Grail. We shall compare these
novels with Yvain, whose hero represents another type of amorous and chivalric ideal. Two anonymous
thirteenth-century works will follow: La Quête du Saint Graal, in which earthly knighthood leads the way to
the divine, and La Mort du roi Arthur, which portrays the disintegration of the Arthurian world. All novels will
be read in modern French translation. Two films – Bresson's Lancelot and Rohmer's Perceval – will be
viewed and discussed. Class discussions, two 5-to-6-page papers, and a final exam. Counts toward the
Interdisciplinary Minor in Medieval Studies. Prerequisite: French 31 and 32, or consent.
Texts: Chrétien de Troyes, Romans, trans. Jean-Marie Fritz et al. (Livre de Poche, coll. "Classiques
Modernes"/"La Pochothèque"; ISBN 978-2-253-13131-1); [Anonymous], La Quête du Saint Graal, trans.
Emmanuèle Baumgartner (Champion, coll. "Traductions"; ISBN 978-2-7453-2193-0); [Anonymous], La Mort
du roi Arthur, trans. Monique Santucci (Champion, coll. "Traductions"; ISBN 2-7453-1304-5).
French 0191-E – Versailles and the Age of Louis XIV
Block – G+ - Zeina Hakim
Variously described as "le grand siècle" (the great century), "l'âge classique" (the classical age), and the
century of the "Roi Soleil" (the Sun King), the 17th century represents a major turning point in the history of
France, during which France led Europe in political and cultural development, and its authors expounded
classical ideas of order, clarity, proportion, and reason. In this seminar, we shall examine the thematic and
stylistic innovations of selected 17th-century literary works by exploring the chief literary forms of the time:
drama, maxims, and the novel. Readings will include texts by Molière, Racine, La Bruyère, and Madame de
La Fayette. Class discussions, two five-to-six-page papers, and a final exam. Prerequisite: French 31 and 32,
or consent.
Texts: Madame de La Fayette, La Princesse de Clèves, ISBN: 9782081229174; Molière, Tartuffe, ISBN:
9782035859174; La Fontaine, Fables, ISBN: 9782035834294; Racine, Andromaque, ISBN: 9782035839183
FR-0191-F – George Sand and Her Sisters
Block – J+ - Isabelle Naginski
While George Sand and Madame de Genlis have in recent years been "rediscovered," many women writers
of the first half of the nineteenth century remain in relative obscurity. This course attempts to retrieve their
lost voices and to study them alongside their more famous sisters. Often braving prejudice and ridicule,
these writers were reviled by critics of the day as pedantic femmes-auteurs. But they would not be silenced.
Adopting the novel genre, but also producing short stories, memoirs, plays, political and historical treatises,
George Sand and her sisters played a major role in feminizing the literary arena. Some theoretical materials
will be read (Cixous, Kristeva, B. Didier). One short paper (5-6 pages); one long paper (10-12 pages); one
exposé or take-home final exam. Active class participation is essential. Conducted in French. Counts toward
the Interdisciplinary Major in Women's Studies. Pre-requisite: French 31 and 32 or consent.
Texts: Madame de Genlis, La Femme auteur, ISBN: 9782070341665; Sophie Cottin, Claire d'Albe,ISBN
9780873529259; Constance de Salm, Vingt-quatre heures d'une femme sensible, ISBN: 9782081219830;
Daniel Stern, Nélida, ISBN: 9782011951663; Fanny Reybaud,Mademoiselle de Malepeire, ISBN:
9782868696229; Flora Tristan, Promenades dans Londres, ISBN: 9782070347735
FR-0191-G – Autobiography, History and Identity in the French Caribbean
Block – G+ - H. Adlai Murdoch
Autobiography has long been a favored form in Caribbean writing. It is a multifaceted genre that has served
historical, cultural, and discursive ends. But autobiography itself is an inherently fluid form, one in which a
range of possible strategies can promote false impressions of continuity and causality even as it incorporates
patterns of play, commentary, and misdirection to subvert the conventions of the genre. In this course,
particular attention will be paid to the multiple ways in which autobiography has been staged in recent times
in the contemporary French Caribbean territories of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Haiti.
Class discussions, two five-to-six-page papers, an oral presentation, and a final 10-page paper.
Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent.
Texts: Pepin, Coulee D Or, ISBN: 9782070638895; Chamoiseau, Enfance Creole, ISBN: 9782070339501