FCH 101 | BASIC FRENCH I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
First quarter of beginning French. Listening, speaking, reading and writing French in a cultural context for the beginning student. This course is an introduction to the study of the French language and the culture of Francophone countries. Its methodology is based on two assumptions. The first assumption is that language and culture are inseparable. As students learn the French language, they will also gain insights about the French and Francophone people and their culture. The second assumption is that language is for communication. Studying a foreign language does not mean memorizing grammar rules, but internalizing these rules so that learners can use them as guidelines when they attempt to express themselves in spoken and written French. The course also centers on the explanation of cultural aspects of French life, especially as they differ from American life. In-class work is devoted to intensive communication practice, so that students are able to put the rules they study to use in talking about themselves and their personal interests in French.
FCH 101S | BASIC FRENCH I FOR SUMMER | 6 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
(Covers the equivalent of FCH 101 and the first half of FCH 102.) The first half of beginning French. Listening to, speaking, reading, and writing French in a cultural context for the beginning student.
FCH 102 | BASIC FRENCH II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Second quarter of beginning French. Continued emphasis on the four skills in culturally-authentic situations. This course is a continued introduction to the study of the French language and the culture of Francophone countries. Its methodology is based on two assumptions. The first assumption is that language and culture are inseparable. As students learn the French language, they will also gain insights about the French and Francophone people and their culture. The second assumption is that language is for communication. Studying a foreign language does not mean memorizing grammar rules, but internalizing these rules so that learners can use them as guidelines when they attempt to express themselves in spoken and written French. The course also centers on the explanation of cultural aspects of French life, especially as they differ from American life. In-class work is devoted to intensive communication practice, so that students are able to put the rules they study to use in talking about themselves and their personal interests in French.
FCH 103 | BASIC FRENCH III | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Third quarter of beginning French. Completion of the basic elements of the French language, spoken as well as written, with due regard to the cultural context of French expression. This course completes the introduction to the study of the French language and the culture of Francophone countries. Its methodology is based on two assumptions. The first assumption is that language and culture are inseparable. As students learn the French language, they will also gain insights about the French and Francophone people and their culture. The second assumption is that language is for communication. Studying a foreign language does not mean memorizing grammar rules, but internalizing these rules so that learners can use them as guidelines when they attempt to express themselves in spoken and written French. The course also centers on the explanation of cultural aspects of French life, especially as they differ from American life. In-class work is devoted to intensive communication practice, so that students are able to put the rules they study to use in talking about themselves and their personal interests in French.
FCH 103S | BASIC FRENCH III FOR SUMMER | 6 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
(Covers the equivalent of the second half of FCH 102 and all of FCH 103.) The second half of beginning French. Further work on the basic elements of the French language, spoken as well as written, with due regard to the cultural context of French expression.
FCH 104 | INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
First quarter of intermediate French. Intensive practice in the use of French through listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and continued enhancement of the cultural awareness intrinsic to those skills. This course emphasizes language as communication. It stresses the further development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. It is designed to reinforce the students' knowledge of French grammar and vocabulary in realistic contexts. The course also incorporates information on many aspects of contemporary French/Francophone society since cultural awareness is essential for true communicative competence. All the material presented has a functional purpose so that it can be easily used in real-life language situations. Class activities are structured to give students the practice they will need in order to perform authentic communicative functions in real life. FCH 103 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 104S | INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I FOR SUMMER | 6 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This intensive course covers the equivalent of FCH 104 and the first half of FCH 105. Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing French in a cultural context for the intermediate-level student.
FCH 105 | INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Second quarter of intermediate French. More concentration on the four language skills in an authentic cultural context. This course emphasizes language as communication. It stresses the further development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. It is designed to reinforce the students' knowledge of French grammar and vocabulary in realistic contexts. The course also incorporates information on many aspects of contemporary French/Francophone society since cultural awareness is essential for true communicative competence. All the material presented has a functional purpose so that it can be easily used in real-life language situations. Class activities are structured to give students the practice they will need in order to perform authentic communicative functions in real life. FCH 104 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 106 | INTERMEDIATE FRENCH III | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Third quarter of intermediate French. Developing more fluency in speaking, understanding, reading and writing French with a concomitant heightened awareness of the cultural dimensions of the French language. This course emphasizes language as communication. It stresses the further development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. It is designed to reinforce the students' knowledge of French grammar and vocabulary in realistic contexts. The course also incorporates information on many aspects of contemporary French/Francophone society since cultural awareness is essential for true communicative competence. All the material presented has a functional purpose so that it can be easily used in real-life language situations. Class activities are structured to give students the practice they will need in order to perform authentic communicative functions in real life. FCH 105 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 106S | INTERMEDIATE FRENCH III FOR SUMMER | 6 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This intensive course covers the equivalent of the second half of FCH 105 and all of FCH 106. Focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing French in a cultural context for the intermediate-level student.
FCH 130 | MOLILSAP STUDY ABROAD | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is specially designed to complement the Modern Language Introductory Languages Study Abroad programs, linked to the third quarter of the first year language program. The course will be taught abroad.
FCH 197 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN FRENCH | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
See schedule for current offerings.
FCH 198 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
FCH 199 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 0.5-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
FCH 201 | ADVANCED COMMUNICATION I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
First quarter of advanced French. Developing culturally appropriate speech and writing through the study of speech acts and written documents within the context of a systematic study and review of grammar and an introduction to translation. Students will read and prepare orally all texts and questions assigned for each session. In class, time will be spent on oral communication activities. These activities will allow students to express their views and impressions with precise terminology and help students acquire greater fluency and accuracy. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 202 | ADVANCED COMMUNICATION II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Second quarter of advanced French. Focus on the differences between speech and writing with an emphasis on the latter as expressed in compositions, editing, translation, and other writing activities. This course is designed to help students develop culturally appropriate speech, writing, and translation through the study of speech acts and written documents within the context of a systematic study and review of grammar. The course introduces sophisticated syntactical patterns of the language and increases students' vocabulary, thus enabling them to write more elaborate compositions and improve their oral communication skills in a culturally appropriate manner. All students become editors of DePaul's literary French magazine, Mille-Feuille, and participate in all stages of its publication. The overarching theme of the course is the geography of France. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of France's geography, and be introduced to some of the regional characteristics of its literature and culture, economy, cuisine, music, and handicraft. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 203 | ADVANCED COMMUNICATION III | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Third quarter of advanced French. Developing a sophisticated spoken and written fluency using authentic texts as models for elaborated discourse. Written texts and writing exercises reinforce oral expression through extensive (journal) writing and intensive writing (individual and team compositions). The course includes advanced grammar work, occasional translation, and vocabulary enrichment. It utilizes Internet resources to create a simulation. Students write collaborative chapters based on their work. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 204 | ADVANCED COMMUNICATION IV | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Continued refinement of advanced speaking skills by focusing on oral texts discussed in their sociocultural context. Backup support provided through written texts and exercises. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 261E | TERROIRS DU SUD: LAND, FOOD, AND LIFE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. The term terroir, defined by Angela Murrills as "a marvelous French word that encompasses soil, sun, and rain and how they all affect what grows there" (66), is typically associated with the geography of wine. The notion of terroir, however, extends beyond the fruits of the vine to impact the lives and behavior of people. This partner course explores the concept of terroir in French culture, cuisine, history, politics, and literature. Through readings, discussion, film, and presentations, students in FCH 261E will discover the symbiotic relationship between the land of the South of France and its inhabitants. The readings will consist of firsthand narratives from Anglophone expatriates who have chosen to live in the regions of Languedoc and Provence, as well as translated fictional stories from Southern French authors. These primary texts will be supplemented by lectures, student presentations, and film. The objective of FCH 261E is for students to gain a holistic cultural understanding of land, food, and life in the South of France.
GEO 350 is a co-requisite for this class.
FCH 262E | DECOLONIAL FRENCH NARRATIVES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. In this course, students will engage with a diverse corpus of modern texts from all over the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and North America. Two common threads connect these works: they are all first-person fictional narratives, and they were all originally written in French. All primary texts in this course have been translated into English, and all authors originate from former French colonies in the Global South. These diverse voices guide their readers through an exploration of the literatures and cultures of the Francophone world in their historical contexts, with a special focus on questions of postcolonial identity, belonging, and auto-fiction. Through the critical lens of literature, students will analyze the modern-day impact of French colonialism on formerly colonized peoples.
FCH 270E | A FRENCH VILLAGE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
TAUGHT IN ENGLISH. In this class, students will watch "A French Village" (2009-2017), a French television series created under the guidance of historian Jean-Pierre Azema. Inspired by the events that took place in France during World War II, this seven-season series follows the lives of inhabitants of the fictional town of Villeneuve from the Nazi occupation of France early in the war to the immediate aftermath of the war, including trials for war crimes and genocide and struggles to survive in a devastated society. The class will focus on learning about the causes of the war, the major events that occurred in the occupied territories, and the behavior of characters that mirror actual circumstances.
FCH 297 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN FRENCH | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
See schedule for current offerings.
FCH 298 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
FCH 299 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 0.5-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
FCH 301 | THE MIDDLE AGES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an overview of medieval literature such as the Chanson de Roland and the poetry of Francois Villon. It looks at the diverse literary genres that characterize medieval literature and create its diversity. Some genres, such as the "roman courtois," are given special attention because of their singular importance. Readings are placed within the cultural context of their times in order to understand the values they convey. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 302 | SURVEY OF 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY FRENCH LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course follows themes developed across two centuries of French literature from 1600 to the end of the ancien regime. It looks at notions such as religion and disbelief as they move from philosophers like Descartes and the French moralistes to the philosophes; it presents conceptions of theater, the novel, and the essay as they evolve from the "grand siecle" to the "siecle des lumieres." It looks at the unfolding of classical French literature in a historical context that moves from royal absolutism to the demands of political and intellectual freedom that arise during the Enlightenment. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 303 | ROMANTICS, REALISTS, AND REBELS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an introduction to the writings of the French Realists and to nineteenth-century reactions against Romanticism. Readings might include works by Balzac, Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Flaubert. The course objectives are to familiarize students with Realist writers in the tradition of French literature and to examine ways in which Realism helped define French literary thought in the nineteenth century. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 304 | FRENCH CIVILIZATION I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
A survey of French civilization from its Gallic origins to the end of the ancient regime, this course focuses primarily on the history and culture of France, although it accords special attention to broader international developments such as the crusades. Beyond the tensions and exchanges between Islam and Christianity, some of the other key subjects this course addresses are feudalism, the Renaissance, the wars of religion, the centralized monarchy, and the Enlightenment. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 305 | RENAISSANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course provides an overview of the literature of the French Renaissance with strong emphasis on its most distinguished writers. These may include Rabelais (novel), Ronsard and Du Bellay (poetry), and Montaigne (essays). The course also may treat some lesser literary figures such as D'Aubigne, Marot (poetry) and Garnier (theater). The course conveys a sense of the unfolding Renaissance aesthetic and objectives, ranging from the early exuberance of Rabelais to the later skepticism and caution of Montaigne. It chronicles the self-conscious attempt of French authors to create a literature that rivaled that of Greco-Roman antiquity. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 306 | SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an overview of French literature of the classical period, i.e., the literature largely written during the reign of Louis XIV. The course approaches materials by genre covering theater (Corneille, Racine, Moliere), poetry (La Fontaine, Malherbe, Regnier, Tristan l'Hermite), the novel (Mme de LaFayette, Sorel, Furetiere), literary theory (Boileau), and the moralistes (Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyere). FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 307 | THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course presents the French Enlightenment as a period of multiple liberations: the promotion of political liberty (the revolt against the absolutist monarchy), the condemnation of human slavery (most particularly in the colonies where it was rampant), the rejection of religious authority and dogma in the secular sphere (critique of the Roman Catholic Church and the advocacy of deism and atheism in place of Christianity), the exaltation of sensuality and the passions (libertine literature and the contestation of monogamy). The course examines the new cultural ideal, the philosophe, who fills the salons of the period. The course ends with several texts from the French Revolution. Most of the readings come from key writers of the period such as Diderot, Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire, though they also include other writers of lesser magnitude. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 308 | THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is a study of the works of Lamartine, Hugo, Vigny, and Musset, all major representatives of the Romantic movement in France. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 309 | THE FRENCH NOVEL | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Topics may include: 17th- and 18th-century novel; world of Balzac; Flaubert and Stendhal; Realism and Naturalism; contemporary novelists; survey of the novel. This course examines the structures and situations that often typify the novel and asks why the genre has enjoyed such a continuous popularity among readers over so many centuries. It treats topics such as the transformation of the hero/heroine, the relationship of the greater society to the protagonist, the trials of the protagonist, the cultural ideals embodied by the hero/heroine, and the implications of the fate of the main characters. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 310 | FRENCH DRAMA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Topics include: classical drama; romantic drama; contemporary drama. This course examines theatre practices in France across several centuries looking at the various art forms that populated its stages: tragedy, comedy, existentialist theatre, theatre of the absurd and contemporary creations. In addition to reading plays spanning from the 17th to the 21st centuries and putting these in their social context, students may view filmed productions of theatre performances and attend plays if possible. Authors might include Racine, Corneille, Moliere, Beaumarchais, Musset, Ionesco, Beckett and Reza. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 311 | FRENCH POETRY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Topics include: form and substance; Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Mallarme; contemporary poets. This course is an exploration of French poetry. It provides a history of French poetry while outlining the socio-historical and intellectual context for poetic creation. The course is also an introduction to the techniques of literary analysis as characterized by "explication de texte," a close reading that looks at the various components of texts: the imagery, the style, rhyme scheme, structure, characterization, tone, etc. leading to an understanding of the overall structure and meaning of the piece. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 312 | TWENTIETH CENTURY WRITERS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course introduces students to some of the most prestigious literary figures of the earlier period of the past century, such as Proust, Gide, Malraux, Camus, Sartre, and De Beauvoir. It explores their work in the novel and, when appropriate, in other genres. The course situates the texts and authors within an historical and stylistic framework that indicates major twentieth-century concerns. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 313 | THE SURREALIST REVOLUTION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Nerval, Lautreamont, Breton, Aragon; films of Man Ray and Bunel. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the surrealist movement because the European avant-garde of the early twentieth century used all modes of expression to convey their artistic theories. The course explores surrealist writings and art of all kinds to assess the totality of surrealist modes of expression. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 314 | CONTEMPORARY FRENCH WRITERS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an exploration of texts written by French authors since the 1940's. Students are taught to analyze a series of novels and short stories as well as the themes they develop and the narrative strategies they adopt. This course will also study the theories that have shaped the period: existentialism, the New Novel, feminism, the literature of transgression, the question of being and language, and Neo-Realism. Authors might include: Bataille, Perec, Blanchot, Yourcenar, Duras, Tournier, LeClezio, Guibert, Cixous, Ernaux, Tremblay, Conde, Ben Jelloun. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 315 | CONTEMPORARY FRENCH CRITICISM | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Topics include: structuralist critics; feminist critics; post-modernist critics. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 316 | FRANCOPHONE LITERATURE OF AFRICA AND THE CARIBBEAN | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Classic and emerging writers of these regions. This course might include the contemporary Haitian writer Dany Laferriere in a multi-faceted course examining the historical, cultural, and political background of the Haitian question. Other iterations of this course might include writings of authors from Francophone Africa or the Caribbean studied within the context of their nations and of the Francophone world. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 317 | THE LITERATURE OF FRENCH CANADA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Classic and contemporary French-Canadian writers. This course is an introduction to established authors of French Canada whose works are considered classics. Authors to be read might include Louis Hemon, Gabrielle Roy, Yves Theriault, Antonine Maillet, Anne Hebert, and Michel Tremblay. While acquainting students with several forms of Canadian literature, this course intends also to familiarize them with many aspects of French Canadian culture in all its diversity. Topics covered might include the way of life in the wilderness of the Eastern Canadian forest; the disenfranchised in Montreal; Eskimo life and the Inuit culture; " le grand derangement " the removal of the Acadians from their land, now known as Nova Scotia, to Louisiana. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 319 | FRENCH/FRANCOPHONE WOMEN WRITERS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an exploration of recent texts written in French by a variety of women across the globe. It gives students a chance to discuss not only the place of these women within their own society but also the specificity of their relationship to French culture and language. From France, to Senegal, Benin, Congo, Algeria, Quebec, Egypt, Vietnam and Guadeloupe, the course will allow students to travel across socio-geopolitical borders and to explore the narrative strategies specific to these women. A few films might further contextualize the material. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 320 | FRENCH FOR BUSINESS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Advanced preparation for the use of French in the business world. This course focuses on acquiring business vocabulary, skills for dealing with French business partners, and the ability to comprehend specialized business journals and reports. It prepares students for using their knowledge of French in a business context. Extensive discussions of the role France plays in the European Union will also be included. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 321 | FRENCH TRANSLATION I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Fundamental principles of translation. The main objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental principles of translation and to help them acquire the techniques for translating a range of texts from French into English, and to a lesser extent, from English into French, thus equipping them with proficiency in translating at an advanced level. Through a variety of translation assignments, students will be able to review French grammar, work within different registers and learn appropriate vocabulary, expand their reading and writing abilities in French and develop a sense of responsibility for the text translated. This course presents a survey of the latest technologies such as web-based dictionaries, and provides an introduction to translating technical documents in medicine, law, sports, travel, and business. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 322 | FRENCH GRAMMAR AND USAGE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an examination of French grammar as a linguistic system and of notions of "standard" in written and spoken French. Recommended for future teachers and students interested in grammatical analysis. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 323 | FRENCH TRANSLATION II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Continued introduction to fundamental principles of translation. The main objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental principles of translation and to help them acquire the techniques for translating a range of texts from French into English, and to a lesser extent, from English into French, thus equipping them with proficiency in translating at an advanced level. Through a variety of translation assignments, students will be able to review French grammar, work within different registers and learn appropriate vocabulary, expand their reading and writing abilities in French and develop a sense of responsibility for the text translated. This course presents a survey of translation theory and provides an introduction to translating documents in theory, journalism, hotel management, psychoanalysis, literature, advertising, cooking and cinema. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 324 | FRENCH TRANSLATION III | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Intensive practice of French-English and English-French translation. The course includes a major portfolio project requiring collaborative work. It aims to equip students with proficiency in translating at an advanced level, to train them to locate and make appropriate use of reference material from a variety of sources, to write introductions and footnotes as needed, to help them understand the importance of familiarity with a subject matter and distinguish between various lexical fields, to teach them to comprehend and effectively manage the linguistic and cultural aspects of language transfer. Furthermore, the course provides students with an understanding of professional expectations in the field of translation. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 326 | FRENCH STYLISTICS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An intensive writing course, providing rhetorical, linguistic, and literary analysis of varied styles of writing. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 329 | FRENCH CINEMA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Topics in French film from its origins to the present day. A course on iconic French filmmakers of the last fifty years and their contributions to a creative reorientation of cinema in the context of the history of French cinema and film criticism. Topics might include: the New Wave and after, growing up in France and its colonies, love and eroticism, the representation of women in cinema, women directors and the deconstruction of female stereotypes, living on the margins, cinema of the suburbs, social renegades, the construction of the city. Through readings, class discussions, and film viewings, students gain an understanding of French films in light of their cultural and historical contexts. Directors studied might include: Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Diane Kurys, Claire Denis, Patrice Leconte, Andre Techine, Agnes Varda, Bertrand Blier, Matthieu Kassowitz and Sylvain Chomet. Students learn the basic concepts of film aesthetics necessary to an appreciation of cinema, along with a critical vocabulary in French for analyzing and discussing films. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 332 | FRENCH CIVILIZATION II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Intellectual, political and social background from the rise of Napoleon to the current time. This course describes the various political mutations of France from the Empire of the early nineteenth century to the Fifth Republic. The course presents critical social, literary, and artistic developments throughout the two centuries under consideration. A sample of cultural topics includes impressionism and cubism in art, and romanticism, realism and existentialism in literature. The course devotes significant attention to the creation of late-nineteenth century and early twentieth-century Paris (a time of French cultural pre-eminence in the West) when the city, initially under Haussmann's urban renovation projects, began to take on the physical form that so many people associate with Paris today. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 333 | PASTEUR, MICROBES AND 19TH CENTURY FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Louis Pasteur, one of the world's most important scientists, lived during a time of turmoil and explosive growth in France. A chemist and microbiologist, he is famous for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, fermentation and pasteurization. In this course, students will read his scientific writings, as well as historical documents explaining the turbulent times in which Pasteur lived and worked. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 340 | CONTEMPORARY FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an introduction to contemporary France through articles, books, films, web sites, and, when possible, direct interaction with French people via social networks. Although the course emphasizes France as is it is today, it also seeks to point out underlying cultural/historical factors that govern French responses to particular situations. The course covers numerous topics from both high and popular culture. When timely, it makes comparisons between diverging French and American cultural perspectives. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 341 | INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH LITERATURE I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
(Required of all majors.) Taught in Autumn quarter every two years on a rotating basis with FCH 342. This course is a survey of French Literature from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century (le grand siecle). It treats some of the major authors/texts of the medieval, renaissance and classical periods of French literature and offers readings from a variety of genres: poetry (epic, lay, ballad, sonnet), theater (religious, profane, farce, high drama), and prose (philosophical musings, aphorisms, essays, novel). The course provides an overview of approximately six hundred years of French literature. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended. Offered autumn quarter of even numbered years.
FCH 342 | INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH LITERATURE II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
(Required of all majors). Survey of French literature of the 18th and 19th centuries. Taught in Autumn quarter every two years on a rotating basis with FCH 341. By analyzing works and excerpts from major writings of the French canon, the course treats the progression from the Age of Enlightenment, putting an emphasis on the themes of love and virtue, to pre-Romanticism, and the libertine culture. The course then provides an overview of Romanticism and later nineteenth-century developments such as Symbolism in poetry and modernity. Authors to be read may include Rousseau, Sade, Laclos, Nerval, Hugo, Lamartine, Vigny, Balzac, Sand, Colet, Mme. d'Agouet, Mme. de Stael, and Flaubert. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended. Offered autumn quarter of odd numbered years.
FCH 345 | THE AFRICAN PRESENCE IN FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course offers a cultural studies perspective on the immigrant populations in France since the end of the colonial empire in Africa. It is designed to increase students' understanding of immigration in France as experienced by a variety of African communities. Through sociological documentaries, literature, manifestoes, legal documents, music, films and cooking, students will learn about the experiences and reshaped identities of first and second generation immigrants from both Western and Northern Africa. A brief introduction to the history of immigration in France and to the French colonization and subsequent decolonization of Africa will be provided. Countries discussed include Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroun, and Mali. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 350 | FRENCH PHONOLOGY AND PHONETICS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
(Required of all majors). An in-depth study of the language's sound system and intensive pronunciation practice. This course is designed to introduce advanced students to the structure of the sound system of the French language and--on a practical level--to help them improve their pronunciation. Lectures, discussions, practice sessions and group work are based on a main manual and various handouts as well as recordings of French speakers. FCH 106 or equivalent, including placement test or permission of instructor, is recommended.
FCH 395 | FOREIGN LANGUAGES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The two credit FLAC course allows students to enrich their experience in the co-required course through added reading, writing, listening and speaking activities in French. Students must have the equivalent of 106 or higher ability in French to take this two credit component. Please contact the Department of Modern Languages if you have questions about these courses or about language placement.
FCH 397 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN FRENCH | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
See schedule for offerings.
FCH 398 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit. Students participating in the Institute of European Studies will be allowed to count a total of three courses (semester program) or five courses (year program) towards their major or minor requirements.
FCH 399 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
FCH 401 | THE MIDDLE AGES | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is an overview of medieval literature such as the Chanson de Roland and the poetry of Francois Villon. It looks at the diverse literary genres that characterize medieval literature and create its diversity. Some genres, such as the "roman courtois," are given special attention because of their singular importance. Readings are placed within the cultural context of their times in order to understand the values they convey.
FCH 402 | SURVEY OF 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY FRENCH LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course follows themes developed across two centuries of French literature from 1600 to the end of the ancien regime. It looks at notions such as religion and disbelief as they move from philosophers like Descartes and the French moralistes to the philosophes; it presents conceptions of theater, the novel, and the essay as they evolve from the "grand siecle" to the "siecle des lumieres." It looks at the unfolding of classical French literature in a historical context that moves from royal absolutism to the demands of political and intellectual freedom that arise during the Enlightenment.
FCH 403 | ROMANTICS, REALISTS AND REBELS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is an introduction to the writings of the French Realists and to nineteenth-century reactions against Romanticism. Readings might include works by Balzac, Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Flaubert. The course objectives are to familiarize students with Realist writers in the tradition of French literature and to examine ways in which Realism helped define French literary thought in the nineteenth century.
FCH 404 | FRENCH CIVILIZATION I | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
A survey of French civilization from its Gallic origins to the end of the ancien regime, this course focuses primarily on the history and culture of France, although it accords special attention to broader international developments such as the crusades. Beyond the tensions and exchanges between Islam and Christianity, some of the other key subjects this course addresses are feudalism, the Renaissance, the wars of religion, the centralized monarchy, and the Enlightenment.
FCH 405 | RENAISSANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course provides an overview of the literature of the French Renaissance with strong emphasis on its most distinguished writers. These may include Rabelais (novel), Ronsard and Du Bellay (poetry), and Montaigne (essays). The course also may treat some lesser literary figures such as D'Aubigne, Marot (poetry) and Garnier (theater). The course conveys a sense of the unfolding Renaissance aesthetic and objectives, ranging from the early exuberance of Rabelais to the later skepticism and caution of Montaigne. It chronicles the self-conscious attempt of French authors to create a literature that rivaled that of Greco-Roman antiquity.
FCH 406 | SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is an overview of French literature of the classical period, i.e., the literature largely written during the reign of Louis XIV. The course approaches materials by genre covering theater (Corneille, Racine, Moliere), poetry (La Fontaine, Malherbe, Regnier, Tristan l'Hermite), the novel (Mme de LaFayette, Sorel, Furetiere), literary theory (Boileau), and the moralistes (Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyere).
FCH 407 | AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course presents the French Enlightenment as a period of multiple liberations: the promotion of political liberty (the revolt against the absolutist monarchy), the condemnation of human slavery (most particularly in the colonies where it was rampant), the rejection of religious authority and dogma in the secular sphere (critique of the Roman Catholic Church and the advocacy of deism and atheism in place of Christianity), the exaltation of sensuality and the passions (libertine literature and the contestation of monogamy). The course examines the new cultural ideal, the philosophe, who fills the salons of the period. The course ends with several texts from the French Revolution. Most of the readings come from key writers of the period such as Diderot, Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire, though they also include other writers of lesser magnitude.
FCH 408 | THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is a study of the works of Lamartine, Hugo, Vigny, and Musset, all major representatives of the Romantic movement in France.
FCH 409 | THE FRENCH NOVEL | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Topics may include: 17th- and 18th-century novel; world of Balzac; Flaubert and Stendhal; Realism and Naturalism; contemporary novelists; survey of the novel. This course examines the structures and situations that often typify the novel and asks why the genre has enjoyed such a continuous popularity among readers over so many centuries. It treats topics such as the transformation of the hero/heroine, the relationship of the greater society to the protagonist, the trials of the protagonist, the cultural ideals embodied by the hero/heroine, and the implications of the fate of the main characters.
FCH 410 | FRENCH DRAMA | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Topics include: classical drama; romantic drama; contemporary drama. This course examines theatre practices in France across several centuries looking at the various art forms that populated its stages: tragedy, comedy, existentialist theatre, theatre of the absurd and contemporary creations. In addition to reading plays spanning from the 17th to the 21st centuries and putting these in their social context students may view filmed productions of theatre performances and attend plays if possible. Authors might include Racine, Corneille, Moliere, Beaumarchais, Musset, Ionesco, Beckett and Reza.
FCH 411 | FRENCH POETRY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Topics include: form and substance; Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Mallarme; contemporary poets. This course is an exploration of French poetry. It provides a history of French poetry while outlining the socio-historical and intellectual context for poetic creation. The course is also an introduction to the techniques of literary analysis as characterized by "explication de texte," a close reading that looks at the various components of texts: the imagery, the style, rhyme scheme, structure, characterization, tone, etc. leading to an understanding of the overall structure and meaning of the piece.
FCH 412 | TWENTIETH CENTURY WRITERS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course introduces students to some of the most prestigious literary figures of the earlier period of the past century, such as Proust, Gide, Malraux, Camus, Sartre, and De Beauvoir. It explores their work in the novel and, when appropriate, in other genres. The course situates the texts and authors within an historical and stylistic framework that indicates major twentieth-century concerns.
FCH 413 | THE SURREALIST REVOLUTION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Nerval, Lautreamont, Breton, Aragon; films of Man Ray and Bunel. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the surrealist movement because the European avant-garde of the early twentieth century used all modes of expression to convey their artistic theories. The course explores surrealist writings and art of all kinds to assess the totality of surrealist modes of expression.
FCH 414 | CONTEMPORARY FRENCH WRITERS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is an exploration of texts written by French authors since the 1940's. Students are taught to analyze a series of novels and short stories as well as the themes they develop and the narrative strategies they adopt. This course will also study the theories that have shaped the period: existentialism, the New Novel, feminism, the literature of transgression, the question of being and language, and Neo-Realism. Authors might include: Bataille, Perec, Blanchot, Yourcenar, Duras, Tournier, LeClezio, Guibert, Cixous, Ernaux, Tremblay, Conde, Ben Jelloun.
FCH 415 | CONTEMPORARY FRENCH CRITICISM | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Topics include: structuralist critics; feminist critics; post-modernist critics.
FCH 416 | FRANCOPHONE LITERATURE OF AFRICA AND THE CARIBBEAN | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Classic and emerging writers of these regions. This course might include the contemporary Haitian writer Dany Laferriere in a multi-faceted course examining the historical, cultural, and political background of the Haitian question. Other iterations of this course might include writings of authors from Francophone Africa or the Caribbean studied within the context of their nations and of the francophone world.
FCH 417 | THE LITERATURE OF FRENCH CANADA | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Classic and contemporary French-Canadian writers. This course is an introduction to established authors of French Canada whose works are considered classics. Authors to be read might include Louis Hemon, Gabrielle Roy, Yves Theriault, Antonine Maillet, Anne Hebert, and Michel Tremblay. While acquainting students with several forms of Canadian literature, this course intends also to familiarize them with many aspects of French Canadian culture in all its diversity. Topics covered might include the way of life in the wilderness of the Eastern Canadian forest; the disenfranchised in Montreal; Eskimo life and the Inuit culture; "le grand derangement" the removal of the Acadians from their land, now known as Nova Scotia, to Louisiana.
FCH 419 | FRENCH WOMEN WRITERS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is an exploration of recent texts written in French by a variety of women across the globe. It gives students a chance to discuss not only the place of these women within their own society but also the specificity of their relationship to French culture and language. From France, to Senegal, Benin, Congo, Algeria, Quebec, Egypt, Vietnam and Guadeloupe, the course will allow students to travel across socio-geopolitical borders and to explore the narrative strategies specific to these women. A few films might further contextualize the material.
FCH 420 | FRENCH FOR BUSINESS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Advanced preparation for the use of French in the business world. This course focuses on acquiring business vocabulary, skills for dealing with French business partners, and the ability to comprehend specialized business journals and reports. It prepares students for using their knowledge of French in a business context. Extensive discussions of the role France plays in the European Union will also be included.
FCH 421 | FRENCH TRANSLATION I | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Fundamental principles of translation. The main objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental principles of translation and to help them acquire the techniques for translating a range of texts from French into English, and to a lesser extent, from English into French, thus equipping them with proficiency in translating at an advanced level. Through a variety of translation assignments, students will be able to review French grammar, work within different registers and learn appropriate vocabulary, expand their reading and writing abilities in French and develop a sense of responsibility for the text translated. This course presents a survey of the latest technologies such as web-based dictionaries, and provides an introduction to translating technical documents in medicine, law, sports, travel, and business.
FCH 422 | FRENCH GRAMMAR AND USAGE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is an examination of French grammar as a linguistic system and of notions of "standard" in written and spoken French. Recommended for future teachers and students interested in grammatical analysis.
FCH 423 | FRENCH TRANSLATION II | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Continued introduction to fundamental principles of translation. The main objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental principles of translation and to help them acquire the techniques for translating a range of texts from French into English, and to a lesser extent, from English into French, thus equipping them with proficiency in translating at an advanced level. Through a variety of translation assignments, students will be able to review French grammar, work within different registers and learn appropriate vocabulary, expand their reading and writing abilities in French and develop a sense of responsibility for the text translated. This course presents a survey of translation theory and provides an introduction to translating documents in theory, journalism, hotel management, psychoanalysis, literature, advertising, cooking and cinema.
FCH 424 | FRENCH TRANSLATION III | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Intensive practice of French-English and English-French translation. The course includes a major portfolio project requiring collaborative work. It aims to equip students with proficiency in translating at an advanced level, to train them to locate and make appropriate use of reference material from a variety of sources, to write introductions and footnotes as needed, to help them understand the importance of familiarity with a subject matter and distinguish between various lexical fields, to teach them to comprehend and effectively manage the linguistic and cultural aspects of language transfer. Furthermore, the course provides students with an understanding of professional expectations in the field of translation.
FCH 426 | FRENCH STYLISTICS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
An intensive writing course, providing rhetorical, linguistic, and literary analysis of varied styles of writing. Cross-listed with FCH 326.
FCH 429 | FRENCH CINEMA | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Topics in French film from its origins to the present day. A course on iconic French filmmakers of the last fifty years and their contributions to a creative reorientation of cinema in the context of the history of French cinema and film criticism. Topics include: the New Wave and after, growing up in France and its colonies, love and eroticism, the representation of women in cinema, women directors and the deconstruction of female stereotypes, living on the margins, cinema of the suburbs, social renegades, the construction of the city. Through readings, class discussions, and film viewings, students gain an understanding of French films in light of their cultural and historical contexts. Directors studied might include: Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Diane Kurys, Claire Denis, Patrice Leconte, Andre Techine, Agnes Varda, Bertrand Blier, Matthieu Kassowitz and Sylvain Chomet. Students learn the basic concepts of film aesthetics necessary to an appreciation of cinema, along with a critical vocabulary in French for analyzing and discussing films.
FCH 432 | FRENCH CIVILIZATION II | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Intellectual, political and social background from the rise of Napoleon to the current time. This course describes the various political mutations of France from the Empire of the early nineteenth century to the Fifth Republic. The course presents critical social, literary, and artistic developments throughout the two centuries under consideration. A sample of cultural topics includes impressionism and cubism in art, and romanticism, realism and existentialism in literature. The course devotes significant attention to the creation of late-nineteenth century and early twentieth-century Paris (a time of French cultural pre-eminence in the West) when the city, initially under Haussmann's urban renovation projects, began to take on the physical form that so many people associate with Paris today.
FCH 433 | PASTEUR, MICROBES AND 19TH CENTURY FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Louis Pasteur, one of the world's most important scientists, lived during a time of turmoil and explosive growth in France. A chemist and microbiologist, he is famous for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, fermentation and pasteurization. In this course, students will read his scientific writings, as well as historical documents explaining the turbulent times in which Pasteur lived and worked.
FCH 440 | CONTEMPORARY FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is an introduction to contemporary France through articles, books, films, web sites, and, when possible, direct interaction with French people via social networks. Although the course emphasizes France as is it is today, it also seeks to point out underlying cultural/historical factors that govern French responses to particular situations. The course covers numerous topics from both high and popular culture. When timely, it makes comparisons between diverging French and American cultural perspectives.
FCH 441 | INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH LITERATURE I | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Taught in Autumn quarter every two years on a rotating basis with FCH 442. This course is a survey of French Literature from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century (le grand siecle). It treats some of the major authors/texts of the medieval, renaissance and classical periods of French literature and offers readings from a variety of genres: poetry (epic, lay, ballad, sonnet), theater (religious, profane, farce, high drama), and prose (philosophical musings, aphorisms, essays, novel). The course provides an overview of approximately six hundred years of French literature.
FCH 442 | INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH LITERATURE II | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Survey of French literature of the 18th and 19th centuries. Taught in Autumn quarter every two years on a rotating basis with FCH 441. By analyzing works and excerpts from major writings of the French canon, the course treats the progression from the Age of Enlightenment, putting an emphasis on the themes of love and virtue, to pre-Romanticism, and the libertine culture. The course then provides an overview of Romanticism and later nineteenth-century developments such as Symbolism in poetry and modernity. Authors to be read may include Rousseau, Sade, Laclos, Nerval, Hugo, Lamartine, Vigny, Balzac, Sand, Colet, Mme. d'Agouet, Mme. de Stael, and Flaubert.
FCH 445 | THE AFRICAN PRESENCE IN FRANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course offers a cultural studies perspective on the immigrant populations in France since the end of the colonial empire in Africa. It is designed to increase students' understanding of immigration in France as experienced by a variety of African communities. Through sociological documentaries, literature, manifestoes, legal documents, music, films and cooking, students will learn about the experiences and reshaped identities of first and second generation immigrants from both Western and Northern Africa. A brief introduction to the history of immigration in France and to the French colonization and subsequent decolonization of Africa will be provided. Countries discussed include Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroun, and Mali.
FCH 450 | FRENCH PHONOLOGY AND PHONETICS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
An in-depth study of the language's sound system and intensive pronunciation practice, this course is designed to introduce students to the structure of the sound system of the French language and--on a practical level--to help them improve their pronunciation. Lectures, discussions, practice sessions and group work are based on a main manual and various handouts as well as recordings of French speakers.
FCH 491 | FRENCH FOR READING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Intensive review of basics of French grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure, for reading knowledge of scholarly articles in French.
FCH 496 | PRACTICUM IN FRENCH INSTRUCTION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Supervised practice in language instruction, paired with a mentor instructor in a beginning or intermediate language course. Students observe a class, teach a lesson or lessons, assist in assessment and lesson planning, and complete individualized assignments to develop their skills as classroom language instructors. Repeatable.
FCH 497 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN FRENCH | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
See schedule for current offerings.
FCH 498 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Variable credit.
FCH 499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-8 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Variable credit.