French and Francophone StudiesCourses for Spring 2025
| Title | Instructor | Location | Time | All taxonomy terms | Description | Section Description | Cross Listings | Fulfills | Registration Notes | Syllabus | Syllabus URL | Course Syllabus URL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIGS 5000-301 | M.A. Exam Preparation | Eva Del Soldato | M 5:15 PM-7:14 PM | This course will provide a forum for collective preparation for the Master's exam across the three section in FIGS. Faculty will guide students in their work with their M.A. reading list(s) | ||||||||||
| FIGS 5550-401 | Queer European Cinema |
Ian Fleishman Filippo Trentin |
M 1:45 PM-3:44 PM | This graduate seminar will explore the intertwined histories of queer European cinemas, focusing on French, German, and Italian films. From the inherent queerness of early cinema's attractions (e.g., Meliès, the Lumière brothers, the Skladanowsky brothers) to the gender-bending comedies of the Weimar Republic; from the queer auteurism of new wave cinema (Visconti, Fassbinder, Pasolini, Démy) to the fluid, boundary-pushing sensibilities of more recent works by filmmakers like Akerman, Ozon, Guadagnino and Rohrwacher, this course will examine how representations of gender and sexuality emerge and evolve across different national contexts. In doing so, we will also take a transnational perspective, tracing connections and influences those cross borders and complicate traditional cinematic narratives. The seminar provides an introduction to both film history and queer studies, open to graduate students and qualified undergraduates by permission of the instructors. No prior knowledge of film or queer theory is required. | CIMS5555401, GSWS5555401 | |||||||||
| FREN 0090-401 | The Fantastic Voyage from Homer to Science Fiction | Scott M Francis | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | 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 can 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. | COML0090401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0090401 | ||||||||
| FREN 0100-301 | Elementary French I | Christine M Edelstein | MTWR 9:00 AM-9:59 AM | This course 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 the online component of the textbook (MyFrenchLab) as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0100301 | |||||||||
| FREN 0100-302 | Elementary French I | CANCELED | This course 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 the online component of the textbook (MyFrenchLab) as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0100302 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0100-303 | Elementary French I | CANCELED | This course 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 the online component of the textbook (MyFrenchLab) as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0100303 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0100-304 | Elementary French I | Eleonore Bertrand | MTWR 1:45 PM-2:44 PM | This course 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 the online component of the textbook (MyFrenchLab) as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0100304 | |||||||||
| FREN 0100-305 | Elementary French I | CANCELED | This course 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 the online component of the textbook (MyFrenchLab) as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0100305 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0200-301 | Elementary French II | Sandrine Faniry Rajaonarivony | MTWR 9:00 AM-9:59 AM | This course 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 the online component of the textbook, as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0200301 | |||||||||
| FREN 0200-302 | Elementary French II | Eleonore Bertrand | MTWR 10:15 AM-11:14 AM | This course 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 the online component of the textbook, as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0200302 | |||||||||
| FREN 0200-303 | Elementary French II | Mathias Horvath | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This course 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 the online component of the textbook, as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0200303 | |||||||||
| FREN 0200-304 | Elementary French II | MTWR 1:45 PM-2:44 PM | This course 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 the online component of the textbook, as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0200304 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0200-305 | Elementary French II | MTWR 3:30 PM-4:29 PM | This course 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 the online component of the textbook, as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0200305 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0200-306 | Elementary French II | CANCELED | This course 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 the online component of the textbook, as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0200306 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0300-301 | Intermediate French I | Rebecca Harmon | MWR 9:00 AM-9:59 AM | In French 0300, 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". French 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0300301 | |||||||||
| FREN 0300-302 | Intermediate French I | CANCELED | In French 0300, 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". French 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0300302 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0300-303 | Intermediate French I | CANCELED | In French 0300, 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". French 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0300303 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0300-304 | Intermediate French I | CANCELED | In French 0300, 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". French 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0300304 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0300-305 | Intermediate French I | Marion Nicvert | MWR 3:30 PM-4:29 PM | In French 0300, 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". French 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0300305 | |||||||||
| FREN 0400-301 | Intermediate French II | Marie Agnes Reeb | MTR 9:00 AM-9:59 AM | French 0400 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 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. 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0400301 | |||||||||
| FREN 0400-302 | Intermediate French II | Rebaia Saouli | MTR 10:15 AM-11:14 AM | French 0400 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 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. 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0400302 | |||||||||
| FREN 0400-303 | Intermediate French II | MTR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | French 0400 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 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. 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0400303 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0400-304 | Intermediate French II | CANCELED | French 0400 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 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. 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0400304 | ||||||||||
| FREN 0400-305 | Intermediate French II | Lisa Ann Britton | MTR 1:45 PM-2:44 PM | French 0400 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 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. 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0400305 | |||||||||
| FREN 0400-306 | Intermediate French II | Agnes Arany Trichard | MTR 3:30 PM-4:29 PM | French 0400 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 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. 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN0400306 | |||||||||
| FREN 0800-301 | Advanced French in Residence | Constance Chantal Sourisse | R 6:00 PM-7:29 PM | Open only to residents in La Maison Francaise. Participants earn 1/2 c.u. per semester. Course can be taken twice for credit. | ||||||||||
| FREN 1000-301 | Advanced French | Samuel E Martin | MTR 10:15 AM-11:14 AM | French 1000 is a third-year level course aimed at better understanding contemporary French society, language and culture, with a special focus on today's young generation. What defines a generation in the first place, and how do the lives of young people in France compare to those of their American counterparts? To answer these questions, students in this course will delve into numerous aspects of French youth experience from the school system to family life, and from the workplace to the political arena, with the aid of resources including contemporary films, news articles, songs, literary texts, and the recent sociological project "Generation Quoi." In addition, they will forge connections with the French community on Penn's campus, as they embark on a journey of cultural exploration and reflexive self-discovery. While this course is not a grammar-focused course, particular attention will be given to recognizing and employing the different registers of spoken and written French. The course constitutes excellent preparation for study abroad in a French-speaking region. Prerequisite: Open to students who have completed the language requirement. Students who are continuing from French 0340 or 0400 should take French 1000 before moving on to more advanced French courses. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1000301 | |||||||||
| FREN 1000-302 | Advanced French | Lisa Ann Britton | MTR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | French 1000 is a third-year level course aimed at better understanding contemporary French society, language and culture, with a special focus on today's young generation. What defines a generation in the first place, and how do the lives of young people in France compare to those of their American counterparts? To answer these questions, students in this course will delve into numerous aspects of French youth experience from the school system to family life, and from the workplace to the political arena, with the aid of resources including contemporary films, news articles, songs, literary texts, and the recent sociological project "Generation Quoi." In addition, they will forge connections with the French community on Penn's campus, as they embark on a journey of cultural exploration and reflexive self-discovery. While this course is not a grammar-focused course, particular attention will be given to recognizing and employing the different registers of spoken and written French. The course constitutes excellent preparation for study abroad in a French-speaking region. Prerequisite: Open to students who have completed the language requirement. Students who are continuing from French 0340 or 0400 should take French 1000 before moving on to more advanced French courses. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1000302 | |||||||||
| FREN 1000-303 | Advanced French | Rebecca Harmon | MTR 1:45 PM-2:44 PM | French 1000 is a third-year level course aimed at better understanding contemporary French society, language and culture, with a special focus on today's young generation. What defines a generation in the first place, and how do the lives of young people in France compare to those of their American counterparts? To answer these questions, students in this course will delve into numerous aspects of French youth experience from the school system to family life, and from the workplace to the political arena, with the aid of resources including contemporary films, news articles, songs, literary texts, and the recent sociological project "Generation Quoi." In addition, they will forge connections with the French community on Penn's campus, as they embark on a journey of cultural exploration and reflexive self-discovery. While this course is not a grammar-focused course, particular attention will be given to recognizing and employing the different registers of spoken and written French. The course constitutes excellent preparation for study abroad in a French-speaking region. Prerequisite: Open to students who have completed the language requirement. Students who are continuing from French 0340 or 0400 should take French 1000 before moving on to more advanced French courses. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1000303 | |||||||||
| FREN 1000-304 | Advanced French | CANCELED | French 1000 is a third-year level course aimed at better understanding contemporary French society, language and culture, with a special focus on today's young generation. What defines a generation in the first place, and how do the lives of young people in France compare to those of their American counterparts? To answer these questions, students in this course will delve into numerous aspects of French youth experience from the school system to family life, and from the workplace to the political arena, with the aid of resources including contemporary films, news articles, songs, literary texts, and the recent sociological project "Generation Quoi." In addition, they will forge connections with the French community on Penn's campus, as they embark on a journey of cultural exploration and reflexive self-discovery. While this course is not a grammar-focused course, particular attention will be given to recognizing and employing the different registers of spoken and written French. The course constitutes excellent preparation for study abroad in a French-speaking region. Prerequisite: Open to students who have completed the language requirement. Students who are continuing from French 0340 or 0400 should take French 1000 before moving on to more advanced French courses. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1000304 | ||||||||||
| FREN 1212-301 | Advanced French Grammar and Composition | Rebaia Saouli | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | Intensive review of grammar integrated into writing practice. A good knowledge of basic French grammar is a prerequisite (French 1000 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1212301 | |||||||||
| FREN 1215-301 | Advanced French: Introduction to Translation | Samuel E Martin | MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | What is translation, after all? How is it conceived, performed, received, and enjoyed, and what characterizes the translational connections between the French and English languages in particular? These are among the questions that will guide our initiatory journey into the theory and practice of translation, with French serving as both a source and a target language. We will pay special attention to forms of translation that are inherently experimental and (re)creative. Students will engage in – and comment on – translations of a wide range of materials (literary fiction, poetry, graphic novels, songs, children’s literature, and more) and reflect on practical and ethical issues in the contemporary translation world, from the role of generative AI to debates surrounding identity politics and translator representation. We will also come to understand translation as a unique mode of close reading. The course thereby aims to deepen students’ French proficiency and broaden their idiom, but also to enhance their interpretative and critical skills in both French and English. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1215301 | |||||||||
| FREN 1227-301 | French History and Culture 1789-1945 | Melanie Peron | TR 8:30 AM-9:59 AM | This civilization course presents the creation of modern France from 1789 to 1945 through the omnipresence of the myth of Perseus and Medusa in the historical narrative. The objective of the course is to introduce students to a period in France's history that begins with the French Revolution and ends with Maréchal Pétain's National Revolution. It also helps them discover the intricacies of the slow construction of modern France. In this course, students are led to reflect on contemporary French culture and society that are the result and the remnants of the Revolution, and to make connections with American history. This course is taught in French. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1227301 | |||||||||
| FREN 1227-302 | French History and Culture 1789-1945 | Melanie Peron | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This civilization course presents the creation of modern France from 1789 to 1945 through the omnipresence of the myth of Perseus and Medusa in the historical narrative. The objective of the course is to introduce students to a period in France's history that begins with the French Revolution and ends with Maréchal Pétain's National Revolution. It also helps them discover the intricacies of the slow construction of modern France. In this course, students are led to reflect on contemporary French culture and society that are the result and the remnants of the Revolution, and to make connections with American history. This course is taught in French. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1227302 | |||||||||
| FREN 1229-301 | Le français dans le monde | Christine M Edelstein | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | 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. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1229301 | |||||||||
| FREN 1232-401 | Perspectives in French Literature: The Individual and Society | Jacqueline Dougherty | MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This basic course in literature provides an overview of French literature and acquaints students with major literary trends through the study of representative works from each period. Special emphasis is placed on close reading of texts in order to familiarize students with major authors and their characteristics and with methods of interpretation. Students are expected to take an active part in class discussion in French. French 1232 has as its theme the Individual and Society. | COML1232401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1232401 | ||||||||
| FREN 1232-402 | Perspectives in French Literature: The Individual and Society | Scott M Francis | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This basic course in literature provides an overview of French literature and acquaints students with major literary trends through the study of representative works from each period. Special emphasis is placed on close reading of texts in order to familiarize students with major authors and their characteristics and with methods of interpretation. Students are expected to take an active part in class discussion in French. French 1232 has as its theme the Individual and Society. | COML1232402 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN1232402 | ||||||||
| FREN 1233-301 | Francophone Literature and Film | Corine Labridy | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course is designed to give students a basic historical and theoretical groundwork in Francophone and postcolonial studies, and to help them develop their skills in literary and filmic analysis. It will provide an introductory survey of the richly diverse literature and film of the French-speaking world, from the 1950s through to the 21st century. Beginning with the gradual breakup of the French colonial empire, we will investigate the construction of individual and collective Francophone identities in such regions as the Caribbean, Africa, and the Maghreb, while exploring an equally wide range of literary and cinematic genres. Other histories and regions such as Quebec and Lebanon will also be discussed. Throughout the course we will remain especially attentive to questions of space--public and private spheres, urban and rural topographies, borders and migrations, as well as the complex dynamics between the Francophone regions and France itself--and to the ways in which these tensions are mapped onto the textual and visual surfaces of the works studied. | ||||||||||
| FREN 2140-301 | French for Business II | Sophie E Degat | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | The course, conducted entirely in French, emphasizes verbal communication in business professional situations through three components. First, a series of student's presentations, in-class activities (using newspapers' articles, technical readings, radio shows and films), and debates on the following topics (list not exhaustive) related to France's economy and society: The role of the State in France's economy; the French fiscal system; Labor (impact of the 35-hour work week, "conges," women in the workplace, etc.); Regions of France (production); major French industries/companies/brands; France's major imports/exports; "Green business"; Business of pop culture. Second, as effective communication is based not only on linguistic proficiency but also on cultural proficiency, cultural differences mostly between Americans and French will be explored. Finally, throughout the semester, students will work in groups on the creation of their own business, association, or other organization and will be invited to present their project to the class at the end of the semester. On completion of the course, students will also have the opportunity to take the Diplome de Francais Professionnel-DFP Affaires (C1) administered by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN2140301 | |||||||||
| FREN 2180-301 | From West Africa to West Philadelphia: Creating Community in the Francophone Diaspora | Elizabeth Collins | TR 3:30 PM-5:29 PM | This course explores the immigrant experience with a focus on migration from Francophone West Africa to this country, particularly the impact it has on children and young people. Through a close partnership with young Francophone immigrants at the Lea School, we will focus on the challenges they face adapting to a new cultural and linguistic environment. We will review the Francophone context in order to understand the place of the French language in Africa; look at the immigrant and refugee experience through a variety of texts in French; examine the issues of mono-, bi- and multilingualism both on an individual and a societal basis; look at the competing meanings the French language holds for Black Americans; and study the role of foreign languages in American schools. Students will participate in the weekly Francophone Community Partnership, an after-school program with K - 8 children at the Lea School which seeks to enhance the children’s self-esteem and pride in their linguistic and cultural heritage. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN2180301 | |||||||||
| FREN 2250-301 | Paris during the German Occupation and its Places of [Non-]Memory | Melanie Peron | F 10:15 AM-1:14 PM | In this course, we will explore the dark years that characterized the Occupation of France by Nazi Germany and the Collaboration between the two countries supported by the Vichy Regime.A course to explore a past that none of us has directly lived. And not just any past. A repressed, masked, disguised past. A past inhabited by shadows. A past that is whispered. A holed memory. The myth of Marianne Resistance fascinates only for a while before the reality of the camps and the Collaboration looms up with a grimace and provokes fright in us.How to talk about what happened? With what words to recount the story of the disappeared? This was the challenge for the post-Auschwitz society. This is the challenge of this course. Paris will be our anchor point. Capital witness, capital executioner, capital victim. Its streets and walls will whisper to us the stories that were confined between two brackets at the Liberation. It is these stories that we will try to catch on the fly to give them back shape and voice while we bend to the difficult exercise of remembrance. It goes without saying that the objective will not be to judge but to try to understand a past, a past that does not pass ... Assignments include weekly creative writings, translation of survivors' testimonies into English, research in the Archives de Paris and the French press of the time as well as digital mapping and the creation of a digital timeline (no previous skills in digital tools needed). The course is conducted entirely in French. Open to students with a solid advanced level. | ||||||||||
| FREN 2461-301 | Women’s Writing in French: 19th-21st Centuries | Jacqueline Dougherty | MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course will focus on both canonical and lesser-studied French women’s writing (prose, theater and poetry) from the mid-nineteenth to the twenty-first century. In addition, when relevant, you will also view theatrical or cinematic adaptations. Questions to be addressed include but are not limited to gender-based oppression, gender ambiguity, the importance of social class, the portrayal of love, bodily autonomy and memory. Brief, in-class lectures will provide details on the author and literary movement or trend to which she belongs, but the primary objective of our discussions will be the exchange of ideas and interpretations of each work. All readings discussions, lectures and other assessments will be entirely in French. | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN2461301 | |||||||||
| FREN 3860-401 | Paris in Film | Philippe Charles Met | M 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | Latter-day examples like Christophe Honore's Dans Paris, Cedric 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! For French credit: Please register for both FREN 3860-401 (lecture) and FREN 3860-402 (recitation). The FREN 3860-402 recitation is conducted in French. For Cinema and Media Studies credit: Please register for CIMS 3860-401 (lecture) and CIMS 3860-403 (recitation). Both lecture and recitation are taught in English. | CIMS3860401 | |||||||||
| FREN 3905-301 | French Caribbean Thought & Literature | Corine Labridy | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This course will examine how the French Antilles, with their discrete set of sociohistorical coordinates came to constitute an ideal laboratory for the elaboration of the concept of "Tout-Monde" — a way of thinking of the world as a productive, though necessarily chaotic, maelstrom of cultural changes and exchanges. How did this cluster of small islands birth a term that offers a radically different understanding of globalization? We will first survey early ethnographies and imagery documenting the multiple immigration waves of Guadeloupe and Martinique to understand how diverse ethnicities coalesced under the banner of the République française universelle. We will then explore how this sociohistorical landscape shaped and was in turn shaped by poetry, fiction, and political and theoretical texts. We will examine images, political speeches, ethnographic texts, essays, poetry, films, and novels to open up discussions on notions of Negritude/Antillanite/Creolite/Litterature Monde, the particular and the universal; on the relationship between politics, identity politics and literary form; and on the role of the engaged author in producing and transmitting a multicultural Antillean ethos. | ||||||||||
| FREN 5110-401 | Topics in Cinema Studies | Philippe Charles Met | T 3:30 PM-5:29 PM | Please see the department's website for current course description: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/french/pc | CIMS5110401 | |||||||||
| FREN 6750-401 | France/Amérique | Andrea Goulet | W 1:45 PM-4:44 PM | Topics will vary. Please see department's website for current course description: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/french/pc | Description: This graduate seminar will study French representations of modern America from the Revolutionary Age through the 20th century, with an eye to what stereotypes of the transatlantic Other say about France’s own cultural, political, and literary shifts. From Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1830’s observations on religious freedom and penal institutions in the new democracy to Jean Baudrillard’s 1986 musings on America as the site of the “hyper-real,” French writers have displayed an ambivalent fascination with their “brother nation” across the sea. The 19th century in particular set a template of stereotypes that contrasted the dynamism of capitalist growth and technological invention in American cities with their underside of materialist corruption and cultural lack of sophistication. In addition to reading Voltaire, de Tocqueville and Baudrillard, we will explore the nuanced range of literary representations of the United States through post-revolutionary ruralism (Chateaubriand, René/Voyages en Amérique), 19th-century vaudeville theater (De Leuvan, Les Sept Péchés Capitaux; Sardou, L’Oncle Sam), satirical writing (Assolant, Un Quaker à Paris), comic journalism (Allais, “Supériorité de la Vie américaine sur la nôtre”), the scientific fantastic (Villiers, Contes cruels), science fiction (Verne, Le Testament d’un excentrique/Voyage autour du monde en 80 jours), 20th-century experimentalism (Céline, Voyage au bout de la nuit), poetry (Cendrars, Les Pâques à New York), and travel writing (Duhamel, Scènes de la vie future; de Beauvoir, Amérique au jour le jour). Secondary works will include chapters from Extrême-Occident (Mathy), Posthumous America (Hoffmann), Fascination and Misgivings (Portes), The American Enemy (Roger), L’Amérique au tournant (Dubosson et Geinoz), and Frères Ennemis (Cloonan). • Readings in French/discussions in English. Comments (INTERNAL) | COML6750401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=FREN6750401 |