French and Francophone StudiesFrench 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 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 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 134 Intermediate French: Accelerated
Staff
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/COML 200 The Fantastic Voyage from Homer to Science Fiction
Prof. Francis
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
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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 Advanced French Composition and Conversation
Prof. Philippon-Daniel
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Entitled Contemporary French society through its media, 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
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French 222-401 Perspectives in French Literature: The Individual and Society
Prof. Goulet
This basic course in literature acquaints students with major French literary trends through the study of representative works from each period. Students learn to situate and analyze literary texts. They are expected to take an active part in class discussion in French. French 222 has as its theme the Individual and Society.
French 222-402 Perspectives in French Literature: The Individual and Society
Prof. Francis
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Spanish American narrative of the 1960s and 70s enjoyed unprecedented popular and critical success. A region that had previously garnered little literary attention suddenly began producing one international bestseller after another. What accounts for this explosion of interest? Who were the major writers of the boom generation? What themes and stylistic features and distinguish their writing? In this course we will address these questions as we read important works of narrative fiction by Cortázar, Donoso, Fuentes, García Márquez, and Vargas Llosa. We will also read select works of literary criticism that shed light on the phenomenon of the boom.
French 222-404 Perspectives in French Literature: The Individual and Society
Prof. Prince
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This introductory literature course acquaints students with major French literary trends through the study of representative works from the Middle Ages to the present. Students learn to analyze texts and are expected to take an active part in class discussion in French. The course has as its theme the Individual and Society.
French 227 Modern France: 1789-1945
Prof. Peron
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French cultural and social history from the Revolution of 1789 to the liberation of Paris in 1944. Readings in primary and secondary sources. Movies include Danton, Les Fragments d'Antonin, L'Armee des Ombres.
Required for majors, also of particular interest to majors in History, International Relations. The course is taught is French.
French 229 Le Francais dans le Monde/French in the World
Prof. Degât
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Where and how is French spoken in the world? Which variety (or varieties) of French represents “good” or standard language use? What does it mean to have an accent or to experience linguistic insecurity? To what extent have political forces and movements historically affected the evolution of French? How do language attitudes differ among French- and English-speaking regions of the world and what is the status of French in an era of globalization? In what ways does language shape our identities?
Le Français dans le monde / French in the World examines these questions by providing a survey of the sociolinguistics of the French language in the contemporary world. We will explore how societal changes influence the manner and the contexts in which the French language is spoken. Case studies focus on various parts of the Francophone world, including Europe (Belgium, Switzerland), New World (Quebec, Caribbean, Louisiana), Africa (North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa), etc. Readings and class discussions will be conducted in French.
French 300-401 Paris Then and Now
Prof. Goulet
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Paris, Ville-Lumiere, has long been renowned for its urbanity, architecture, and city design. This course will trace the people, ideas, and projects that contributed to that reputation, through an exploration of the city's built environment as expressed in literature and urban planning projects of the 19th and 20th centuries. The class will analyze literary readings, including texts by Hugo, Baudelaire, Zola, and Breton, in conjunction with historical and visual materials covering works from Viollet-le-Duc to Napoleon III and Haussmann to Mitterrand and Sarkozy.
This seminar has four goals:
This inter-disciplinary course, which brings together the humanities and the design professions, has been designated a Penn Global Seminar. With the support of the Provost's Office, the class will include a week-long seminar in Paris during Spring Break. The required on-site seminar will have several objectives including visiting the sites recorded in the literature and tracing the city’s physical development over time, as reflected in the extant built environment. The overall goal is to understand how this place has enduringly responded to the needs of various generations and how artistic and literary representations have interacted with planning decisions to create a shifting Paris – imagined and real. We will query the role of public and private decision-makers in making the adaptations that have allowed Paris to remain a global city in the 21st century. INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL REQUIRED
French 311 French Thought After 1968
Prof. Zhuo
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In American academia, French thought after May ’68 is often referred to as “French Theory,” a heterogeneous corpus of philosophical and critical texts compacted into a set of poststructuralist premises, first introduced by and grew within humanities departments, then identified as a luxury by-product of the “literary” people. This course proposes to unpack the notion of “French Theory” and re-anchor it into its original social/historical background. We will read some of the most influential texts of its key figures, study how a post May 68 revolutionary energy is transformed into various innovative but also destabilizing ways of rethinking power relations, gender, language and subjectivity, and finally, consider in what capacities and limits these diverse critical approaches go beyond the simple label of “post-structuralism” and relate to our own epoch and personal experiences. The readings and discussions will be divided into four axes: 1. Philosophy of Desire (Lacan, Deleuze/Guattari); 2. Sexual Revolt and Body Politics (Foucault, Hocquenghem, Barthes); 3. Deconstruction and Its Impact on Feminism (Derrida, Cixous, Irigaray); 4. Consumer Society and Society of the Spectacle (Lipovetsky, Baudrillard, Debord). Several documentaries and feature films will be shown outside class time. Taught in English. Reading knowledge of French is welcome but not required.
French 313 French for Professions II
Staff
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French 325 Advanced French Translation
Prof. Philippon-Daniel
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This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of translation and is designed to help foster a critical understanding of differences between French and English syntactical and lexical patterns. It will introduce students to theoretical concepts and problems of translation, with the ultimate goal being to improve their ability to communicate in more authentic-sounding French. Students will have the opportunity to practice translation individually and to work with their peers on a variety of projects (advertising, journalistic and literary texts, movie and broadcast news subtitling) and to engage in critique and discussion of others’ translations. This course will help students refine their language skills and navigate more proficiently between these cultures and language systems.
(Designed for students who already have a solid foundation in French and English grammar)
French 360 The Enlightenment
Benjamin Franklin Seminar
Prof. DeJean
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Books have many powers. All too rarely, however, do they shape public opinion and change history.
The greatest works of the Enlightenment are perhaps the most striking exception ever to this rule. Our seminar will attempt to understand what the Enlightenment was and how it made its impact. We will read above all the works of the three individuals who, more than anyone else, defined the age of Enlightenment: Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau. We will see, for example, how Voltaire used his works to teach Europeans to believe in such concepts as brotherhood and the fraternity of man. We will retrace Rousseau’s invention of autobiography and his redefinition of education. And we will explore the construction of perhaps the most characteristic of all Enlightenment masterpieces, the Encyclopédie edited by Diderot and d’Alembert.
We will pay particular attention to the risks each of these authors ran in making such controversial works public: they were constantly threatened by censorship from both church and state; Voltaire was exiled; Diderot was sent to prison. The seminar will meet on the 6th floor of Van Pelt Library so that we can have access during our meetings to the original editions of many Enlightenment classics. We will thus be able to discuss both ways in which these works were shaped by the fear of censorship and techniques devised by their authors to elude censorship.
We will also consider topics such as what the Enlightenment meant for women and the Enlightenment’s global influence in the 18th century, particularly on the founding fathers of this country. We will thus read works by the greatest women authors of the age, as well as the most read author in the colonies, Montesquieu.
The seminar will be taught in English. Students who wish to receive French credit will do the reading in French.
French 385-301 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.
FREN 386 Paris in Film
Prof. Met
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Latter-day examples like Christophe Honoré’s Dans Paris, Cédric Klapisch’s Paris or the international omnibus Paris, je t’aime (with each director paying homage to a distinctive “arrondissement” of the capital), not to mention American blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code and Inception or Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, are there to remind us that there is something special – indeed, a special kind of magic – about Paris in and on film. Despite the extreme polarization between Paris and provincial France in both cultural and socio-economic terms, cultural historians have argued that Paris is a symbol of France (as a centralized nation), more than Rome is of Italy and much more than Madrid is of Spain or Berlin of Germany, for example. The prevalence of the City of Lights on our screens, Gallic and otherwise, should therefore come as no surprise, be it as a mere backdrop or as a character in its own right. But how exactly are the French capital and its variegated people captured on celluloid? Can we find significant differences between French and non-French approaches, or between films shot on location that have the ring of “authenticity” and studio-bound productions using reconstructed sets? Do these representations vary through time and perhaps reflect specific historical periods or zeitgeists? Do they conform to genre-based formulas and perpetuate age-old stereotypes, or do they provide new, original insights while revisiting cinematic conventions? Do some (sub)urban areas and/or segments of the Parisian population (in terms of gender, race or class, for example) receive special attention or treatment? These are some of the many questions that we will seek to address… with a view to offering the next best thing to catching the next non-stop flight to Paris!
Please note: This course follows a Lecture/Recitation format. The Lecture (FREN/CINE 386-401) is taught in English. For French credit: please register for both FREN 386-401 (lecture) and FREN 386-402 (recitation); the FREN 386-402 recitation section is conducted in French. For Cinema Studies credit: please register for CINE 386-401 (lecture) and CINE 386-403 (recitation); both are taught in English.
FREN 391 Global France
Prof. Richman
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The primary goal of this course is to challenge the image of French culture as confined to its hexagonal borders. In fact, the history of ideas and the arts reveals a long-standing engagement among its major thinkers, painters, and writers that mirrors the western discovery of new peoples as well as of its archaic past.Evidence for a global consciousness can be traced to the 16th century essays of Michel de Montaigne, followed by the revolutionary ideas of philosophes who adopted his model for examining one’s own society through the lens of another. Their critical perspective would resonate throughout modern history, prompting this course to concentrate on the innovative social, political, literary and artistic accomplishments of the ethnographic detour in the 20th century.
From Brittany’s ancient megaliths to Oceania and China, Africa to Spain, the Pacific Northwest and Sumer, the unusual trajectories of global modernists such as Paul Gauguin and Victor Segalen, Michel Leiris and Georges Bataille, led to meditations about death, sexuality, politics, religion, economics, and the place of art in modern life. Texts by such influential social anthropologists as Marcel Mauss and Claude Lévi-Strauss will also be included.
Student reports will update the state of global France today: Has the spirit of openness been foreclosed by post-colonial realities? To what extent has France become a multi-cultural society?
As an enhancement to readings, we will visit the remarkable collections in thePenn Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology.
Conducted entirely in French. Requirements: 221 or 221; 226 or 227, or an equivalent; short papers on readings; one research project (5-7 pages).