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 112 Elementary French: Accelerated
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French 112 is an intensive one-semester language course for students who have not studied French, but who have met the language requirement in another foreign language. This course will provide a 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 the more difficult material 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 that will expose you to a rich input of spoken French and lead you from structured practice to free expression. You will have frequent opportunities to practice your newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures in small group and pair work that simulate real-life situations, so please prepare each day’s lesson attentively. See “Preparation for each class” below for additional details. The course will introduce you to French and Francophone culture through authentic materials including written documents, simple articles, songs, films, videos, and conversations between native speakers. Homework will consist of aural comprehension exercises in the online SAM as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world by completing an engaging, interactive project in the final stage of the semester.
By the end of this course, you should be able to meet a variety of day-to-day needs in a French-speaking setting and to handle a range of basic travel transactions. You will be able to engage in simple conversations on familiar topics such as family, lodging, daily routines, leisure activities, etc. You will begin to be able to speak and write in the past, present, and the future, make comparisons, and describe people and things in increasing detail. You will develop reading skills that should allow you to get the gist of simple articles and you will more readily discern information when you hear native speakers talking in a simple fashion about topics familiar to you.
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 studied French before but who can benefit from a complete review of elementary French. 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 more difficult material 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 that 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 that simulate real-life situations, so please prepare each day’s lesson attentively. See “Preparation for each class” below for additional details. The course will introduce you to French and Francophone culture through authentic materials including written documents, simple articles, songs, films, videos, and conversations between native speakers. Out-of-class homework will consist of aural comprehension exercises in the online SAM as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world by completing an engaging, interactive project in the final stage of the semester.
By the end of this course, you should be able to meet a variety of day-to-day needs in a French-speaking setting and to handle a range of basic travel transactions. You will be able to engage in simple conversations on familiar topics such as family, lodging, daily routines, leisure activities, etc. You will begin to be able to speak and write in the past, present, and the future, make comparisons, and describe people and things in increasing detail. You will develop reading skills that should allow you to get the gist of simple articles and you will more readily discern information when you hear native speakers talking in a simple fashion about topics familiar to you.
French 130 Intermediate French I
Staff
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In French 130, you will be “parachuted” to Paris where you will choose where you want to live and explore your chosen neighborhood in depth. Every week we will discuss a different theme of Parisian life and French culture. As you discover your arrondissement, you will share information about it with your classmates and develop a collective knowledge of the French capital. You will tell your imagined experiences through your journal and therefore as a class, we will “raconter Paris”.
130 is the first half of the intermediate sequence designed to help you attain a level of proficiency that should allow you to function comfortably in a French-speaking environment. 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, literary texts, songs, films, videos, you will deepen your knowledge of the French language and culture.
French 134 Elementary French: Accelerated
Staff
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Description coming shortly.
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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Fulfills the Arts and Letters Sector Requirement.
This course is a First-Year Seminar.
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 see how voyage narratives as seemingly distant as Homer’s Odyssey and Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes fit into a bigger tradition of speculative fiction. We will determine what the common stylistic elements of speculative fiction 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. We will also look at how films like Planet of the Apes (1968) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) or television shows like Star Trek and Futurama draw upon literary or cinematic models for their own purposes. Students will also have the opportunity to examine and present on pieces from the Mark B. Adams Science Fiction Collection at Penn’s Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts, which comprises over 2,000 volumes of science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy.
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.
This course fulfills the Sector III (Arts and Letters) distribution requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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.
French 211 French for Business I / Français des affaires I
Staff
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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: Contemporary French Society Through Its Media
Prof. Philippon-Daniel
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Subtitled “Contemporary French Society through its Media,” this course is thematically organized around individual/national identity, art and current events. It aims to: 1) enhance student understanding of contemporary French culture and thought; 2) cultivate authentic expression in the presentational, interpretive, and interpersonal modes in French; 3) promote cross-cultural understanding; 4) develop critical thinking. 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). Oral tasks comprise video blogs and group presentations on selected topics linked to current events. Written work focuses on reflective journals, genre-based writing and on Web-based collaborative research projects. The specific language functions we will target are: narration; description; offering and soliciting advice and opinions; expressing feelings; critique and analysis; argumentation. On completing this course, students will communicate with more confidence, speaking and writing effectively on a range of contemporary issues.(Recommended for students who are planning to study abroad in France).
French 217 French Phonetics
Prof. Edelstein
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French 217 is a course designed to provide students with a foundation in French phonetics and phonology. It will be devoted to both learning how to produce discourse with native-like pronunciation, rhythm and intonation as well as improving aural comprehension by examining stylistic and dialectal differences in spoken French.
French 226 French History & Culture Until 1789
Prof. Peron
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Fulfils the History & Tradition Sector Requirement.
Prerequisite(s): Two advanced courses beyond French 202 taken at Penn or equivalent. Required for majors in French.
Ce cours propose un panorama de la France des Gaulois au Siècle des Lumières fondé sur l’analyse des lieux de mémoire et de non-mémoire qui constituent le patrimoine français. Nous partirons de Vercingétorix, symbole de la résistance, pour arriver à la veille de la chute de Louis XVI. A travers les différentes dynasties, les conflits avec l'étranger mais aussiles guerres civiles, nous assisterons à la construction de la Monarchie Absolue de Droit Divin et de l’identité française.
Nous tenterons de lire les vestiges de ce riche et tumultueux passé qui nous rappellent le désir de l’homme de laisser son empreinte dans la pierre, sur la toile, sur une page. Tout au long de ce voyage, nous serons accompagnés de Grands Hommes de l'histoire de France qui ne sont heureusement pas toujours de sexe masculin.
Nous appréhenderons cette histoire comme un palimpseste et étudierons comment les événements historiques prennent souvent toute leur signification et leur importance dans un mouvement rétrospectif ou anachronique.
FREN 228 Contemporary France
Prof. Martin
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In this course we will be exploring the transformations of French society since the Second World War and into the Millennium. From the legacy of decolonization to the multicultural fervor of the 1998 Soccer World Cup, from the May 1968 civil protests to the Republican marches of 2015, we'll be delving into the major historical and cultural movements that have marked the contemporary period. How did France recover from German occupation and cope with further wars in its colonial territories? How did unprecedented rates of urbanization and immigration change the face of the country over the ensuing decades? Who have been the major players on the historical stage? And what are the political, cultural, and socioeconomic challenges facing France at the outset of the 21st century? These are some of the questions that will guide our investigation into the past 70 years of French history, a period as turbulent as it is rich in cultural production, and as complex as it is fascinating.
Throughout the semester we will be especially attentive to images, in every sense of the word: the images of national identity that France projects to the world and to itself, but also pictorial representations of the country, its people and its territory. These images, and the stories they tell, will help us envision the kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation.
The course will be conducted entirely in French.
FREN 230 Masterpieces of French Cinema
Staff
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Cross listed with: CIMS 245
The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the history and scope of French cinema all the way to the present time through the analysis of key works of the French film canon.
Particular attention will be paid to successive period styles (“le réalisme poétique”, “la qualité française”, “la nouvelle vague”, “le film de banlieue”, etc.) as well as various genres (war, drama, comedy, crime, etc.) and the notion of auteurism. A variety of critical lenses will be used (psychoanalysis, socio-historical and cultural context, politics, esthetics, gender…) to better understand the specificities and complexities of these films.
This course will help you enhance your analytical skills through the in-depth study of key scenes. You will learn to identify the formal techniques specific to the film medium and inscribe their relevance within both a historical and theoretical context.
The lecture is conducted in English; students seeking French credit should register for the FREN 230-401 lecture and FREN 230-402 recitation; the latter is conducted in French. The CIMS lecture (CIMS 245-401) and recitation (CIMS 245-403) are taught in English.
FREN 231-401/402 Perspectives in French Literature: Love and Passion in French and Francophone Literature From the Middle Ages to the Present
Prof. Dougherty
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This course will investigate diverse representations of love, passion and eroticism from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century. How and why have paradigms shifted throughout the ages? In writing about love, passion and eroticism, what differences can we discern between male and female authors and the characters they create? We will consider several forms of love, including unrequited, idealized, tragic, adulterous, illicit, and of course, le coup de foudre! We will also examine the transformation of love and passion into jealousy, obsession, complacency and hatred. During the course of the semester, you will also acquire the vocabulary and critical skills required to effectively analyze, both orally and in writing, poetry, theater and prose. All readings, discussion and written work will be in French.
Ce cours portera sur les représentations diverses de l’amour, de la passion et de l’érotisme dans la littérature française et francophone du Moyen Age au 21e siècle. Comment la représentation de ces phénomènes faite par des écrivains diffère de celle des écrivaines ? Quels changements pouvons-nous discerner à travers les âges ? Nous étudierons plusieurs formes d’amour, y compris : l’amour inassouvi ; l’amour idéalisé ; l’amour tragique ; l’amour illicite, et bien sûr, le coup de foudre ! Nous examinerons aussi la transformation de l’amour et de la passion en jalousie, en obsession et en haine.
FREN 231-403 Perspectives in French Literature: Love and Passion in French Literature
Prof. Francis
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Fulfils the History & Tradition sector requirement and the Cross-Cultural Analysis foundation requirement.
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 is represented in French and Francophone literature, we realize that we cannot take the concept as a given. 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? What do love and sexual attraction tell us about attitudes toward religion and race? What is the difference between passion, friendship, and familial affection?
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 see how ideas of love, marriage, and friendship evolve over time, and we will study the literary and rhetorical strategies used to communicate 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.
This course fulfills the Sector III (Arts and Letters) requirement and the Cross-Cultural Analysis foundational approach for the College of Arts and Sciences. It also counts toward the Minor in Global and Medieval Renaissance Studies.
FREN 322 France & the European Union
Prof. Philippon-Daniel
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This course aims to provide an understanding of the European Union as a complex entity: its history, institutions, challenges and future. After reviewing the history of European integration and learning about the Community’s institutions, common programs and market, we will consider a wide variety of themes important to Europe: economics, education, immigration, the environment, social issues, national and European identities, the debate over a Federal Europe vs a Europe of nations, European social/cultural models vs American liberalism, relations between the EU and the rest of the world. Considering the acute and ongoing challenges facing the European community, we will focus on current events and discuss issues that are critical to the EU in general and to France in particular. Students will be responsible for pursuing substantive research on these and other topics and participating actively in debates. This class will be conducted entirely in French and is designed to improve cross-cultural understanding and communicative skills in the presentational, interpretive, and interpersonal modes.
FREN 385 Modern French Theater
Prof. Prince
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A study of major movements and major dramatists in modern French theater from Giraudoux, Anouilh, Sartre, and Camus to the theater of the absurd (Ionesco, Beckett, Genet) and its aftermath (Césaire, Koltès).
FREN 398 Honors Thesis
Staff
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