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
Staff
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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 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
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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 202 Advanced French
Staff
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French 202 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 202 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 Génération 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 202 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.
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 communicative skills through extensive practice in a variety of styles and forms. It aims toenhance student understanding of contemporary French culture, thought and modes of expression by promoting both cross-cultural understanding and critical thinking and developing students’ communicative abilities (in the presentational, interpretive, and interpersonal modes).The specific language functions we will focus on are: narration; description; offering and soliciting advice and opinions; expressing feelings; critique and analysis; argumentation.It is organized around the themes of current events, 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). The oral work will include video blogs and group presentations on selected topics and current events. Written practice will comprise reflective journals, essays and collaborative work on Web projects. On completing this course, student will feel more confident and be able to speak and write 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 225 History, Memory, Culture
Prof. Peron
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Course has reached capacity and is closed. No more permits will be issued.
This course explores the history of the dark years of the French collaboration with Nazi Germany during WWII. In the first part, it examines the rise of the myths of an “eternal France” and the “true French” promoted by Maréchal Pétain’s National Revolution, as well as the myth of the resistance fighters that arose after the Liberation. The Holocaust and the holes left in national memory will hold a pivotal place in our reading of the national narrative. The second part of the course is dedicated to the study of literary works written by post-memory writers or survivors of the Holocaust who tried to fill in the blanks and confronted the linguistic challenge posed by Auschwitz. Paris will play a connecting role, as both witness to history and as tangible trace of the forgotten. This study of French history, its silences and (non-) memory will shed light on the legacy of the Occupation for contemporary France.
Assessment consists of a semester-long creative writing project and a final oral exam.
Reading assignments include works by Pierre Assouline, Marcel Cohen, Georges Didi-Huberman, David Foenkinos, Sarah Kofman, Marceline Loridan-Ivens, Patrick Modiano, Georges Perec.
French 227 French History & Culture 1789-1945: D’une Révolution à une Autre. Décollation, Pétrification, Fragmentation (French Civilization II)
Prof. Peron (Sections 301, 303); Prof. Dougherty (Section 302)
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Humanities & Social Science Sector. Prerequisite(s): Two advanced courses beyond French 202 taken at Penn or equivalent. Required for majors in French.
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 the contemporary French culture and society that are the result and the remnants of the Revolution, and to make connections with the American history.
The course is taught in 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 232-401 French Literature: Individual and Society
Prof. Goulet
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Prerequisite(s): Two 200-level courses taken at Penn or equivalent.
French 232 has as its theme the Individual and Society. 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.
This course fulfills the Sector III (Arts and Letters) distribution requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences.
French 232-402 French Literature: Individual and Society
Prof. Francis
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French cultural production often centers on conflicts between the individual and society in such a way as to reveal both how literature, theatre, and film are shaped by societal norms or societal change, and how it can serve to reinforce or question norms, or to effect or resist change. In other words, creative works reflect conceptions of class, race, gender, religion, and national identity across the centuries. This course will pursue this line of inquiry while introducing students to a range of genres and authors, both male and female, starting with the late eleventh-century Chanson de Roland and ending with works by authors from Quebec and the Republic of the Congo. We will also watch and discuss Jacques Tati’s film Playtime. We will situate works in their historical context while considering how they convey their message through literary or cinematographic techniques. Students will acquire the critical tools to analyze, discuss, and write about texts and films while perfecting their oral and written expression in French.
This course fulfills the Sector III (Arts and Letters) distribution requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences and counts toward the Minor in Global and Medieval Renaissance Studies.
French 232-403 French Literature: Individual and Society
Prof. Prince
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Prerequisite(s): Two 200-level courses taken at Penn or equivalent.
French 232 has as its theme the Individual and Society. 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.
This course fulfills the Sector III (Arts and Letters) distribution requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences.
French 233 Francophone Literature and Film
Prof. Martin
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French 233 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.
Course materials will include texts by Aimé Césaire, Assia Djebar, Ferdinand Oyono, Georges Schehadé, and Dany Laferrière, and films by Claire Denis, Sembene Ousmane and Abdellatif Kechiche, among others.
The course will be conducted entirely in French. Course not intended for native speakers of French.
French 308 Topics in French Culture: Humor and Comedy
Prof. Francis
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This course will trace the prominent role played by humor and comedy in French and Francophone literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era in a variety of genres and media, including farces, short stories, satirical poems, classical comedies, novels, cartoons, comics, and films. Through our exploration of this broad sampling, we will learn how humorous and comedic works reflect their historical circumstances, and we will also arrive at a deeper theoretical understanding of different kinds of humor and comedy and how they function: does comedy simply reinforce the social order, or does it challenge it? Does humor build bridges and foster mutual understanding, or does it sow division and resentment? And what makes French humor specifically French?
French 313-301 French for Business II
Prof. Degât
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In this course taught entirely in French, the overarching project will be to imagine and design your own business to be launched in France (or the French-speaking country of your choice). In order to be successful in this venture, you will first learn about the particularities of doing business in France, from the legal constraints to the mindset of the French consumer. In addition, you will refine your knowledge and understanding of the economic, social, and political climate in France. To achieve this goal, you will analyze a number of authentic documents, ranging from news articles to financial statements. You will also develop your intercultural understanding through studying marketing and advertising campaigns as well as feature-length films depicting the business relations in France. At the end of the semester, you will also have the opportunity to take the Business French Diploma (Diplôme de Français professionnel option Affaires) administered by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry and held on campus twice a year, in December and April. Completion of French 211 highly recommended.
French 325-301 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)
FREN 360 The Enlightenment
Prof. DeJean
Benjamin Franklin Seminar/Fren 360/History 360
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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 French 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 individuals who, more than anyone else, defined the age of Enlightenment: Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot, and Rousseau. We will see, for example, how Voltaire used his works to teach Europeans to believe in such concepts as the fraternity of man and above all the necessity of religious tolerance. We will explore the construction of perhaps the most characteristic of all Enlightenment masterpieces, the Encyclopédie edited by Diderot and d’Alembert. And we will end by reading Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, to consider the ways in which the Enlightenment was present for major figures in this country’s early history.
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 imprisoned. 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.
The seminar will be taught in English. Students who wish to receive French credit will do the reading and the writing in French.
French 383 French & Italian Modern Horror Cinema
Prof. Met
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This course will consider the horror genre within the specific context of two national cinemas: France and Italy. For France, the focus will be exclusively on the contemporary period which has witnessed an unprecedented revival in horror, or “New Extremity”, since the new millennium, in particular in the hands of female directors. For Italy, there will be a marked emphasis on the 1960s-1970s, i.e. the Golden Age of Gothic horror and the giallo craze initiated by the likes of Mario Bava and Dario Argento. Various subgenres will be examined: supernatural horror, slasher film, zombie film, body horror, cannibalism, necrophilia, self-mutilation, etc. Be prepared for some disturbing viewing! Issues of ethics, gender, sexuality, violence, spectatorship will be examined through a variety of critical lenses (psychoanalysis, socio-historical and cultural context, aesthetics, politics, gender, etc.).
Lectures will be delivered in English. This course will count toward the French major, minor, or certificate if all coursework is completed in French.
French 386-401 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.