Course Catalog

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Course Catalog

PHOTOGRAPHIE ET LE CINEMA (FR2450)

This course will explore the bridges between photographic imagery and cinematographic imagery. This course will focus on contemporary artists (Cindy Sherman, Sophie Calle, Jeff Wall, Gregory Crewdson, etc.) whose hybrid works deconstruct the real and dissolve identity. We will also focus on how the cinematographic eye converges with and complements the photographic eye. Conducted in French, this course combines critical analysis and practice (production of films and photographs). Prerequisites: 1000-level course (preferably in Film Studies, French Studies, Communications, or Art History). Satisfies FrenchBridge requirement.

FRENCH CONVERSATION & COMPOSITION (FR2500)

Using authentic material from various media, the students will be given systematic exercises to improve their comprehension of a large variety of francophone voices and accents recorded in different contexts daily lives, media interviews or professional presentations). The students will summarize the main points of these short oral texts and therefore improve on their logical and oral argumentative skills. The students will also concentrate on the writing of these different documents and will try to rewrite them in the “French style”. Taught in French.

FRENCH FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS (FR2630)

This course is designed for students interested in international business or who intend to work or travel for business in French-speaking countries. Students will learn about the present economic questions and climate in France and Europe, learn about practices and traditions that make French business different from its counterparts in the United States or elsewhere (according to students' interests). Taught in French.

FRENCH FILM & FICTION NOW (FR3011)

The course aims to introduce students to up-to-date literary and cinematic developments in France, and Francophonie, give students the opportunity to learn about the recent issues in French culture and society and develop their skills in oral and written French. Taught in French (presentations and papers may be written in English).

FRENCH FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (FR3028)

The French for International Affairs course is specifically designed for students willing to improve, reinforce and develop their communication skills in French - vocabulary, structures, debate skills and argumentation techniques - focusing on the field of International Relations. The main objectives of this French language course are to offer students the opportunity to:
• increase their knowledge and information,
• compare different points of view on the same past or current topic,
• express and share their point of view in a structured and convincing way,
• develop their analytical and synthesis skills as well as to reinforce their autonomy in expression.
Students with a special interest in international politics, in international relations, in European, African, Middle Eastern Studies and in environmental issues will benefit greatly from this course.
Prerequisites: FR 2100 or equivalent

DISSIDENT HISTORIES FROM THE FRANCOPHONE WORLD (FR3029)

Martinique-born poet Edouard Glissant claims that "History [with a capital H] ends where the histories of those peoples once reputed to be without history come together". Students will explore the creative works of dissident voices from Francophone Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and Europe. Students will develop critical insights into the ongoing dialogue about how who writes History.

THE MONSTROUS AND FABULOUS RENAISSANCE (FR3032)

This course is bilingual in nature and outlines the historical and literary contexts of the Renaissance from a Franco-centric perspective. Students will study texts by a range of Renaissance authors (including Erasmus, Rabelais, Marguerite de Navarre, Louise Labé, Montaigne, Marlowe and Shakespeare) while learning about earlymodern book culture, medicine, cartography, religion, colonization, magic, monsters, witchcraft and plagues. They shall also seek to comprehend how France became dominant in language and literature throughout Europe for centuries to follow.

TWO FRENCH CLASSICS (FR3046)

By promoting careful analysis of two landmarks of French literature while building skills in language and cultural semantics, oral and written communications, this course aims at helping students weave together literary meaning and cross-cultural belonging. By becoming more familiar with French literary language and mindscapes, students will further their understanding of L’Esprit français, the special relationship between literature and culture, writers and intellectual history in France.
The choice of works and pairings will differ every year according to the instructor’s interests.

(DE)COLONIAL NARRATIVES IN FRENCH (FR3052)

Embark on a journey through the French-speaking world, exploring diverse literary and cultural expressions from Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and Europe. This course surveys multigeneric colonial and postcolonial narratives, spanning continents and mediums-poems, novels, graphic novels, and films-dating from 1661 to today. We analyze how authors and directors (de)construct(neo-)colonial archives, ideologies, and stereotypes. Prerequisite: FR2100.

POLITICS IN FRANCE (FR3053)

Studies France's development from a provincial peasant society, hampered by weak governments and enduring colonial wars, to a technologically sophisticated industrial democracy and a major international power. Studies France's cultural, social, and economic contexts, evolving party system, and institutions and policy-making processes to better understand this phenomenal change and its consequences for France's role in the world. The ability to read in French will facilitate research, but is not required.