Fall 2013 Courses

French 110
Elementary French I
Staff
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French 110 is the first semester of the elementary level sequence designed to develop functional proficiency in the four skills and gain familiarity with French and Francophone culture. The primary emphasis is on the development of the oral-aural skills, speaking and listening. Readings on topics in French culture as well as frequent writing practice are also included in the course.

As in other French courses, class will be conducted entirely in French. You will be guided through a variety of communicative activities in class which will expose you to a rich input of spoken French and lead you from structured practice to free expression. You will be given frequent opportunity to practice your newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures in small group and pair work which simulate real-life situations. The course will introduce you to French and Francophone culture through authentic materials including written documents, simple articles, songs, films, videos, and taped conversations between native speakers. Out-of-class homework will require practice with CDs as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet.


French 112
Elementary French: Accelerated
Staff
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French 112 is an intensive elementary language course covering the equivalent of French 110 and 120 in one semester. Students must have departmental permit to register. The course is normally open only to students who have no previous knowledge of French, and who have already fulfilled the language requirement in another language.


French 120 Elementary French II
Staff
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French 120 is the second semester continuation of the elementary level sequence designed to develop functional proficiency in the four skills and gain familiarity with French and Francophone culture. The primary emphasis is on the development of the oral-aural skills, speaking and listening. Readings on topics in French culture as well as frequent writing practice are also included in the course.

As in other French courses, class will be conducted entirely in French. You will be guided through a variety of communicative activities in class which will expose you to rich input of spoken French and lead you from structured practice to free expression. You will be given frequent opportunity to practice your newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures in small group and pair work which simulate real-life situations. The course will introduce you to French and Francophone culture through authentic materials including written documents, simple articles, songs, films, videos, and taped conversations between native speakers. Out-of-class homework will require practice with CDs as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet.


French 121
Elementary French
Staff
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French 121 is an intensive one-semester language course for students who have had some French before but who can benefit from a complete review of elementary French. Students with an SATII score between 380 - 440 or a placement score between 18 - 29 should enroll in French 121. This course will provide a re-introduction of the basic structures of French with intensive work on speaking and listening designed to prepare students to take Intermediate French. Due to the nature of the course, the first half will progress rapidly with much more difficult material being presented after the midterm period.

As in other French courses, class will be conducted entirely in French. You will be guided through a variety of communicative activities in class which will expose you to rich input of spoken French and lead you from structured practice to free expression. You will be given frequent opportunity to practice your newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures in small group and pair work activities which simulate real-life situations. The course will introduce you to French and Francophone culture through authentic materials including written documents, simple articles, songs, films, videos, and taped conversations between native speakers. Out-of-class homework will require frequent practice with audio and video material, and will include daily written assignments. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet.


French 130 Intermediate French I
Staff
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French 130 is the first half of a two-semester intermediate sequence designed to help you attain a level of proficiency that should allow you to function comfortably in a French-speaking environment. You are expected to have already learned the most basic grammatical structures in elementary French and you will review these on your own in the course workbook. This course will build on your existing skills in French, increase your confidence and ability to read, write, speak, and understand French, and introduce you to more refined lexical items, more complex grammatical structures, and more challenging cultural material.

As in other French courses at Penn, class will be conducted entirely in French. In addition to structured oral practice, work in class will include frequent communicative activities such as role-plays, problem-solving tasks, discussions, and debates, often carried out in pairs or small groups. Through the study of authentic materials such as articles, poems, songs, films, videos, you will deepen your knowledge of the French-speaking world. Daily homework will require listening practice with audio and video material, in addition to regular written exercises in the workbook and frequent composition practice.

Students having completed French 120, or with an SATII score of 450 - 540 or a placement score between 30 and 35 should enroll in this course.


French 140
Intermediate French II
Staff
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French 140 is the second half of a two-semester intermediate sequence designed to help you attain a level of proficiency that should allow you to function comfortably in a French-speaking environment. You are expected to have already learned the most basic grammatical structures in elementary French and will review these on your own in the course workbook. This course will build on your existing skills in French, increase your confidence and ability to read, write, speak, and understand French, and introduce you to more refined lexical items, more complex grammatical structures, and more challenging cultural material.

This course focuses on the culture of French-speaking countries beyond the borders of France. Along with your classmates, you will explore the cities of Dakar, Fort-de-France and Marrakesh, investigating the diversity of the francophone world through film, literature and music. As in other French courses at Penn, class is conducted entirely in French. In addition to structured oral practice, work in class will include frequent communicative activities such as problem-solving tasks, discussions, and debates, often carried out in pairs or small groups. Daily homework will require researching in the library and on the Internet, listening practice with video-clips, in addition to regular written exercises in the workbook.
 

French 180
Advanced French in Residence
Staff
 

Open only to residents in La Maison Francaise


French 200
The Fantastic Voyage from Homer to Science Fiction
Prof. Francis

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Tales of voyages to strange lands with strange inhabitants and even stranger customs have been a part of the Western literary tradition from its inception. What connects these tales is that their voyages are not only voyages of discovery, but voyages of self-discovery. By describing the effects these voyages have on the characters who undertake them, and by hinting at comparisons between the lands described in the story and their own society, authors use fantastic voyages as vehicles for incisive commentary on literary, social, political, and scientific issues.

In this course, we will explore the tradition of the fantastic voyage from Homer’s Odyssey, one of the earliest examples of this type of narrative and a model for countless subsequent voyage narratives, to science fiction, which appropriates this narrative for its own ends. We will determine what the common stylistic elements of voyage narratives are, such as the frame narrative, or story-within-a-story, and what purpose they serve in conveying the tale’s messages. We will see how voyagers attempt to understand and interact with the lands and peoples they encounter, and what these attempts tell us about both the voyagers and their newly-discovered counterparts. Finally, we will ask ourselves what real-world issues are commented upon by these narratives, what lessons the narratives have to teach about them, and how they impart these lessons to the reader.

Readings for this course, all of which are in English or English translation, range from classics like the Odyssey and Gulliver’s Travels to predecessors of modern science fiction like Jules Verne and H. G. Wells to seminal works of modern science fiction like Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes, Karel Čapek’s War with the Newts, and Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris. Though this course is primarily dedicated to literature, we will also look at how films like the 1968 adaptation of Planet of the Apes and television shows like Star Trek, Red Dwarf,and Futurama draw upon literary or cinematic models for their own purposes.

This course is meant not only for SF fans who would like to become better acquainted with the precursors and classics of the genre, but for all those who wish to learn how great works of fiction, far from being intended solely for entertainment and escapism, attempt to improve upon the real world through the effect they have on the reader.


French 202

Advanced French
Staff
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French 202 is a one-semester third-year level French course. It is designed to prepare students for subsequent study in upper level courses in French and francophone literature, linguistics, civilization, cinema, etc. It is required for students who have completed 140 and recommended for those with an equivalent level, wishing to continue in more advanced French courses or preparing for study abroad.  Exceptions can be made with permission of undergraduate chair.

It is also the appropriate course for those students who have time for only one more French course and wish to solidify their knowledge of the language by continuing to work on all four skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students’ work will be evaluated both in terms of progress in language skills and of ability to handle and engage in the content areas.

This course does not include a systematic review of French grammar (that is done in French 212). Nevertheless, through the diverse writing assessments (e.g. creative writing; essays), the various textual and visual references (e.g. novels; articles; films; clips), the communicative approach, the students will play an active role in their learning process and consequently will be led to consolidate and deepen their grammatical competence. 

The class studies two thematic units dealing with a wide variety of magazine articles, literary texts, historical documents, movies, songs, etc. In the first dossier, students get a chance to expand their knowledge of French history, with one major focus on World War II and the German occupation of France. In the second dossier, students study contemporary France focusing on issues such as the modern family, education, pop culture. While touching upon issues of identity in France, the class engages the students into an intercultural dialogue which enables them to be more aware of the differences and similarities between the two countries.


French 211
French for Professions I
Prof. Ciesco
See Timetable for time
 

This content-based language course, taught in French, introduces economic, business, and professional terminology through the study of the following topics: financial institutions (banking, stock market and insurance); business practices (business letters and resumes); trade and advertising; the internal structure and legal forms of French companies. 

The course also emphasizes verbal communication through three components:

  • In-class activities such as problem-solving tasks, discussions and debates.
  • The study of authentic materials such as newspapers and magazines’ articles, video clips, and radio shows.
  • A series of students’ presentations.

Finally, in order to use and practice the new economic and business terminology studied in this course, and to also further explore the structure, the management, and the operations of the French companies, students will work in pairs on a research project about a major French company of their choice.

One of the other goals of this course is to also prepare the students to take one of the exams offered by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry: the Diplôme de Français Professionnel, Affaires, C1. This exam will be held on campus in April.

Prerequisite: FREN 202 highly recommended. No business background necessary.


French 212
Advanced French Grammar & Composition
Staff
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Intensive review of grammar integrated into writing practice.  A good knowledge of basic French grammar is a prerequisite (French 202 or equivalent is recommended).  Conducted entirely in French, the course will study selected grammatical difficulties of the French verbal and nominal systems including colloquial usage.  Frequent oral and written assignments with opportunity for rewrites.  

 Articles from French newspapers and magazines, literary excerpts, and a novel or short stories will be used as supplementary materials in order to prepare students to take content courses in French in disciplines other than French.


French 214
Prof. Philippon-Daniel
Advanced French Composition and Conversation
See Timetable for time

This course is intended to improve speaking and writing skills by offering extensive practice in a variety of styles and forms. It will also help students better understand contemporary French culture, thought and modes of expression. The content is organized around current events and the themes of identity and art. Activities include the study, analysis and emulation of model texts as well as discussion and debates about events and social issues as covered by the French news media (television, print, internet sources).  Students will practice oral skills in a variety of ways, including video blogs and group presentations on selected current events. Written practice will comprise reflective journals, essays and collaborative work on Web projects.

The goal of this course is to help students attain the Advanced level of proficiency in speaking and writing (by ACTFL standards). The specific language functions we will work on are narration, description, offering and soliciting advice and opinions, expressing feelings, critique and analysis, argumentation.

(Recommended for students who are planning to study abroad in France)


French 217
French Phonetics

Prof. Edelstein

See Timetable for time
 


French 221-401
Perspectives in French Literature
Prof. Richman
See Timetable for time
 


French 221-402
Forbidden love

Prof. Moudileno
See Timetable for time
 

Great love stories often gather their narrative and tragic energy from their illicit nature.   Just as transgression is a prime erotic mover, forbidden passion has been an endless source of literary inspiration throughout the centuries and across genres. French literature is no exception. Rather the contrary. From Tristan et Iseult to Racine's Phèdre to Marguerite Duras's L'Amant, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's Paul et Virginie and Flaubert's Madame Bovary, the French canon teems with characters who embark on passionate affairs despite--or because of--cultural barriers of every possible type.
This course will critically assess the scope of these transgressions in a variety of contexts: within feudal society, among the aristocracy, in provincial bourgeoisie, or during the colonial period. Using fiction, poems, and plays from the Middle Ages to the Twenty-first century, the course will examine the particular codes and transgressions at play in each socio-cultural context, while trying to explain why these famous stories of love and passion retain a timeless hold on us.


French 221-403
Ideas of Love and Friendship in French Literature from the Middle Ages to the Present
Prof. Francis
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We tend to think of love when we think of France, as in the iconic 1950 photograph of the “baiser de l’Hôtel de Ville.” But when we look at how love and its corollary, friendship, are represented in French and Francophone literature, we realize that we cannot take these concepts as givens. Is love compatible with social responsibilities like marriage? How do people form ideas of perfect love, marriage, or friendship, and to what extent are their ideas shaped by stories, myths, and books? Why do poets write about love, and how do their motivations change or stay the same from the pre-modern to the modern era? What do love and sexual attraction tell us about attitudes toward religion and race? What is the difference between love and friendship, and which is stronger?

This course will answer these questions by examining a range of genres and authors, both male and female, from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. We will flesh out changing ideas of love, marriage, and friendship, as well as the literary and rhetorical strategies used to elaborate them in the works we study. Students will acquire the critical tools to analyze, discuss, and write about literary texts and films while perfecting their oral and written expression in French.

Authors studied include Marie de France, Marguerite de Navarre, Pierre de Ronsard, Louise Labé, Michel de Montaigne, Molière, Denis Diderot, Charles Baudelaire, Gustave Flaubert, Frantz Fanon, and Georges Perec. We will also watch and discuss René Clair’s Sous les toits de Paris.


French 226
French Civilization from Beginning to 1789
Prof. Peron
See Timetable for time
 

This course  introduces students to key  "lieux de mémoire" of French history from the Gallo-Roman period to the Enlightenment. 

The lecture and the readings are in French. The course is recommended for students who have already taken 2 advanced-level classes above French202.


French 230
Masterpieces of French Cinema
Prof. Met
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French 250
Marriage and the Novel

Prof. Dejean
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Historians have argued that early novels helped shape public opinion on many controversial issues.  And no subject was more often featured in novels than marriage.  In the course of the 18th and the 19th centuries, at a time when marriage as an institution was being radically redefined, almost all the best known novels explored happy as well as unhappy unions, individuals who decided not to marry as well as those whose lives were destroyed by the institution.  They showcased marriage in other words in ways certain to provoke debate.  We will both survey the development of the modern novel from the late 17th to the early 20th century and study the treatment of marriage in some of the greatest novels of all time.

We will begin with novels from the French and English traditions, the national literatures in which the genre first took shape, in particular Laclos’ Dangerous Liaisons, Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary.  We will then turn to works from other European traditions such as Goethe’s Elective Affinities and Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.  

We will begin the course by discussing the novel often referred to as the first modern novel, The Princess de Clèves.  The Princess de Clèves was also the first novel centered on an exploration of questions central to the debate about marriage for over two centuries – everything from the question of whether one should marry for love or for social position to the question of adultery.


French 380
Topics in 20th Century French art, culture, and society: “Violence and the Sacred.”
Prof. Richman
See Timetable for time
 

The purpose of this course is to understand why some of the most innovative works of the twentieth century appeared under the dual signs of violence and the sacred. Drawing from sociology and anthropology, they contend that from the foundations of social life to the appearance of art and religion, humans have instituted rituals in order to transgress their limits and confront the violence of death and desire.  Outside the norms of everyday life, most rituals fall under the purview of the sacred without implying belief in a transcendent deity.  Refusing to relegate this “left” sacred to exotic otherness, writers, intellectuals, and artists explored manifestations of trance, possession, the festival and sacrifice in their own experiences of art, writing, music, and sexuality. Ultimately, they tested the boundaries of modern individualism by seeking collective alternatives to warfare or politics.

Women figure prominently in the conjunction between violence and the sacred, both as authors and as heroines for modernity. Often derived from Biblical stories (Judith), antiquity (Lucretia, Antigone) and even prehistory (“Venus” statuettes), they defy conventional assumptions regarding female victimization. Among them we have included the famous Histoire d’ O, written by a woman, whose ritualized depiction of erotic violence is considered the predecessor to today’s Fifty Shades of Grey.

Topics include “Violence and the Foundations of the Social;” Violence and the Birth of Art; Violence, Women and Tragedy; Violence and Eroticism; Ritualized Violence of the Bullfight; Violence and the Sacred in Everyday life.

Readings will span the considerable literature on this subject by means of accessible essays or short works of fiction. Authors include Antonin Artaud, Emile Durkheim, Georges Bataille, Roger Caillois, Michel Leiris, Colette Peignot “Laure,” “Pauline Réage” [Colette Aubry], René Girard, Giorgio Agamben.

Given the convergence of this course with the Humanities Forum focus on “Violence,” we may replace a class session with an outside speaker.

Requirements: at least one course above 202; 212 or 214 or equivalent. Conducted entirely in French; several short response papers, and one longer essay [7-10 pages] on a chosen topic.


French 385
Modern French Theater
Prof. Prince
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A study of major movements and major dramatists from Giraudoux and Sartre to the theater of the absurd (Ionesco, Beckett, Genet) and its aftermath.


French 390
Francophone Postcolonial Cultures
Prof. Moudileno
See Timetable for time