2021-2022 French Courses

SUMMER 2021 FRENCH COURSES

French 3: Introductory French III at C (McConnell)

French 8: Exploring French Culture and Language at D (McConnell) Practice in the active use of the language combined with an introduction to major aspects of French society. Each week students will write papers and participate in discussions based on books, articles, and films emphasizing social and historical concepts.  In the event that French 8 isn't offered, you may take French 10, with the understanding that your next French course will be French 8.  Dist:SOC; WCult:W

French 10.19: A la recherche du bonheur at J (Beasley): What is happiness?  How has this concept changed over the centuries?  How has its conception and treatment been influenced by social events, gender, and class?  Is there a form of happiness that is particularly French?  In this course we will explore such questions using texts from the Middle Ages to the 21st century and study the role that the quest for happiness has played in French culture.  Dist:LIT WCULT:W

French 25: Introduction to French Literature and Culture IV: Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries at C (Hollister): This course examines the radical transformations of literary form and vision that characterize twentieth-century France with its two World Wars, its colonial conflicts, and the challenges to French identity posed by immigration and globalization. We will use lyric poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography, and film to explore literary movements such as surrealism, existentialism, the new novel, the theater of the absurd and écriture féminine, as well as the recent impact of immigrant and minority writers. Readings and films may include works by Proust, Breton, Colette, Beauvoir, Sartre, Camus, Robbe-Grillet, Duras, Delbo, Cixous, Sebbar, Resnais, Malle, and Kassovitz.

French 80: Culture and Cuisine: L'Art de la Gastronomie at K (Beasley): Over the past 300 years the world has come to associate France with the gastronomic arts. In 2010 UNESCO named "le repas gastronomique des Français" to its list of the world's "intangible cultural heritage" sites.  This "meal" is much more than the food that is served.  It is an art form that engages all five senses.  We will explore the origins of French gastronomy and how France's relationship to food culture became an art and model for the world.  Particular attention will be paid to the way that words create, reflect, and transmit this art in France and to the world.     

If you have taken French 10 and are experiencing technical difficulties enrolling in French 80 please email Faith.Beasley@Dartmouth.edu. This course counts toward the pre-19th century requirement for majors/minors. It can also serve as a subsitution for French 22 or 23 with permission from Professor Beasley. Please contact her with any questions about this course.

FALL 2021 FRENCH COURSES

French 1: Introductory French I 

Section 1- Kane at 11

Section 2- McConnell at 9L

French 2: Introductory French II 

Section 1 - Mefoude at 9L

Section 2 - Mefoude at 2

Section 3 - McConnell at 8L

French 3: Introductory French III 

Section 1 & 2 - Mosenthal at 9L & 10

Section 3 & 4 - Lerme at 9L & 12

French 8: Exploring French Culture and Language at 2 (Hollister)

Practice in the active use of the language combined with an introduction to major aspects of French society. Each week students will write papers and participate in discussions based on books, articles, and films emphasizing social and historical concepts.  In the event that French 8 isn't offered, you may take French 10, with the understanding that your next French course will be French 8.  Dist:SOC; WCult:W

French 10: Introduction to French Literature

French 10.08: Living in Paris/Habiter Paris at 12 (LaGuardia): Living in Paris has generated an enormous amount of writing since the middle ages. This course will examine diverse narrative, poetic, propagandistic, memorial, historical, and anthropological texts that describe the difficulties and the joys of living in the French capital. Works by Perec, L'Estoile, Prévost, Baudelaire, Mercier, Sue, Balzac, Augé, Modiano, Colette, Barthes, Gary, Duras, and others.

French 10.10 Du Mal at 10A (St. Clair) This course proposes a look at "evil" in French literature, art, and film (1665-1966). What does "evil" designate? A concept, or an ethical category?  A limit of the thinkable and sayable? The proof of human freedom? Is there a semiotics of evil? Can it be represented, or does its excess necessarily elude our attempts to pin it down (as when something "hurts," or "fait mal")? What is its relationship to the violence of history (from the death of God to the ravages of time passing by)? How does literature challenge us to think about what it means to be a witness to evil?  Plays by Molière; novels, short-stories or essays by Voltaire, Balzac, Maupassant, Sartre; poems by Baudelaire, Musset, Verlaine, Hugo, Louise Michel; paintings and caricature by Daumier, Caillebotte, Manet, Meissonnier. Film by Gillo Pontecorvo (La Bataille d'Alger). Excerpts of readings from Hannah Arendt, Terry Eagleton, Georges Bataille, Raymond Williams, Sigmund Freud, Cathy Caruth. DIST:LIT; WCult:W

French 24: Introduction to French Literature and Culture III: 19th Century at 2A (St. Clair): This course examines the nineteenth-century renewal of literary form and vision from the French Revolution to the First World War. We will study the social and historical developments of French culture as they are reflected in various literary genres (narrative, poetry, dramatic theory and practice), literary criticism, philosophy, historiography, and the other arts. Emphasis will be placed on France's growing self-awareness as a nation and on the analysis of aesthetic and intellectual issues represented in the major literary movements of this period including romanticism, realism, symbolism, art for art's sake, naturalism, fin de siècle decadence, and modernism. Readings may include works by such authors as Chateaubriand, de Staël, Stendhal, Hugo, Musset, Sand, Balzac, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Michelet, Zola, and Huysmans.

French 40.06: Selfies: Autobiographie, autoportrair, autofiction at 10A (Kritzman): A study of three forms of writing about the self and their generic distinctions. Autobiography, a practice of self-understanding deals with the construction of one's life story across time; self-portraiture does not attempt to rejoin the past by the construction of a self that is temporally constructed. The autoportraitist presents a self apprehended in the present of writing through a montage of disparate images. Autofiction, on the other hand,  deals with a form of fictionalized autobiography that uses fiction in the service of the search for self.  Subjects to be examined include: rhetoric, politics, history, and gender.  Texts: Rousseau, Chateaubriand, Sartre, Beauvoir (autobiographies,); Montaigne, Sevigne, Barthes (autoportraits);  Colette, Modiano, Ernaux (autofictions).

French 70.02: Francophone Literature at 2 (Elhariry): This course will involve the study of Francophone literature outside Europe. This may include the literature of Africa, the Caribbean, Québec and Southeast Asia. A comparative study of urban and globalized Francophone cultures (Port-au-Prince, Dakar, Algiers, Tangiers, Saigon, Brussels, Paris), the attendant challenges and effects of globalization, including immigration, national politics, gender, sexuality, as well as ecology and economics, and how the literary or filmic imagination captures these issues. Readings by Kane, Sembène, Beyala; Lê, Lefèvre; ben Jelloun, Allouache, Chraibi; Chauvet, Ollivier, Étienne, Césaire, Glissant. Walker.

French 87: Independent Reading and Research (Arranged, all terms) A program of individual study directed by a member of the staff. Open only to French, French Studies and Romance Language Majors. By special permission this course may be taken more than once. A proposal, signed by the faculty advisor, must be submitted to the Departmental Committee on Independent Studies and Honors Theses for approval by the fifth day of classes of the term.

French 89: Honors Seminar (Arranged, all terms) Honors students will arrange a program of study and research during any term of the senior year on a tutorial basis with individual faculty members. A thesis, written in French, and a public presentation are the normal culmination of this course. A proposal, signed by the faculty advisor, must be submitted to the Departmental Committee on Independent Studies and Honors Theses for approval by the fifth day of classes of the term. For information about application procedures, please review the Honors Program section.

 

WINTER 2022 FRENCH COURSES

French 1: Introductory French I

Section 1 - McConnell at 10

French 2: Introductory French II 

Section 1 - Mefoude at 10

Section 2 - Mosenthal at 9L

Section 3 - Mosenthal at 10

French 3: Introductory French III 

Section 1 - Lerme at 9L

Section 2 - Lerme at 10

French 11: Intensive French at 9L (McConnell): This 1-credit course is designed for students who have studied French for one to three years in high school, or those who have been exposed to French through family ties or have spent some time in a Francophone environment. It is also suitable for students with little or no knowledge of the French language, but who have a strong background in another Romance language (i.e. Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Portuguese, Catalan, and also Latin).  French 11 is an accelerated course that combines French 1 and 2 in one term, offering an exciting and fast-paced atmosphere in which to learn French. The course will have a web-based component, which, through cultural, grammar and multimedia learning activities, will complement face-to-face work and prepare students for in-class work. Students will learn to talk about familiar events in the present and the past, as well as formulate plans for the future. Weekly cultural videos will situate in context the grammatical content of the course, making it relevant and meaningful. Students will be actively engaged in a variety of creative written and oral activities that will help them develop their language skills. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to sign up for French 3 or apply for our French LSAs in Lyon or Toulouse. With the goal of facilitating the acquisition of the target language, this course will be conducted entirely in French.

Prerequisite: One year or equivalent of university level instruction in a Romance Language or Latin; or three high school years of instruction in a Romance Language or Latin; or native speaking proficiency in a Romance Language; or permission of instructor.

French 07.06: First Year Seminar: Reimagining the Myth: Paris in Literature and Film at 2 (Kane): In the Western imagination, the idea of the city of Paris is almost always linked to romance. While couples dream of future Parisian honeymoons or vacations, in reality, living and becoming in the "city of love" are a good deal more complicated than the romanticized version with which we are so familiar. What does it mean to live in Paris, to have a "Parisian" identity? In what ways might history (the trauma of World War II, for example, or the French wars of decolonization) play a role in the construction of these identities? What roles do gender, culture, immigration, and economic status play in incubating these identities in this particular, almost mythically idealized place? Students will concentrate on three formal writing assignments, including one close reading or sequence analysis, then learn to incorporate these readings into longer literary analyses. They will also work on incorporating secondary sources into their final papers.

French 8: Exploring French Culture and Language at 2 (Mefoude) Practice in the active use of the language combined with an introduction to major aspects of French society. Each week students will write papers and participate in discussions based on books, articles, and films emphasizing social and historical concepts.  In the event that French 8 isn't offered, you may take French 10, with the understanding that your next French course will be French 8.  Dist:SOC; WCult:W

French 10.23: The French Atlantic at 10 (Sanders) - This course is a survey of French literature that focuses on one topic: the Atlantic world. As we read texts from each period, we will discover different versions of the Atlantic world, one that exists between many French Atlantic spaces: Caribbean, North American, African, and European. Across these representations, the Atlantic exists as a prism through which authors investigate cross-cultural romance, cultural practices, and the relative notions of beauty. The Atlantic also emerges to prominence during France's first empire. Before the eighteenth century, the Mediterranean, as an imaginary space of empire and cross-cultural contact, eclipses the Atlantic. As the first and then the second French Empire grows, the Atlantic world takes on a stronger presence in the French imaginary.    

French 20: Interpreting French Cultures: The Art and Influence of Conversation at 10A(Beasley) - In "De l'esprit de conversation," Germaine de Staël identified Paris as "the city in the world where the spirit and taste for conversation are the most widespread." French culture has long been associated with the art of conversation.  We will explore how France became the capital of conversation, the forms these conversations took, and how the love of conversation shaped literary forms, architectural spaces, and the history of thought, l'histoire des mentalités.  We will examine conversation as an art form used not only to transmit ideas but to create them.  What forms does this art adopt today?  Social networks are one new form.  How are these new types of conversations shaping thought and knowledge today? What is the language of global conversations?  Does it matter?

Prerequisite: French 10 or permission of the instructor 

French 23:  Introduction to French Literature II: Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century at 12 (Sanders): The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were a dynamic and volatile period characterized on the one hand by the rise to power of the most absolute of all monarchs, the Sun King Louis XIV, symbolized by Versailles, and on the other hand by the French Revolution. Fostered by royal patronage, literature and the arts flourished, yet many writers also used artistic expression to counter this royal power. The period saw the birth of the modern French novel and the development of a rich body of theatrical and philosophical literature. These centuries are recognized as major components of France's collective identity and their influence is still felt in France today. Authors may include Descartes, Corneille, Racine, Molière, Lafayette, Diderot, Rousseau, Voltaire, Graffigny, Beaumarchais and Laclos. Dist:LIT; WCult:W

French 78: Senior Major Workshop at 2A (Beasley): As part of this culminating experience, each major will work on an independent project, either a senior thesis or expanding upon work begun in a previous course. The independent project will be developed within the framework of this course using a selection of critical texts that can be viewed as models of literary, cultural, and historical analysis. Lectures by a variety of faculty members will supplement the readings. Students will gain mastery in literary and cultural analysis, close analytical reading skills and composition in French.  French 78 may be used to continue research on your honors thesis.  This course is open only to French and Italian Department senior majors or by petition, which is due by the fifth day of classes of Fall term.

French 87: Independent Reading and Research (Arranged, all terms) A program of individual study directed by a member of the staff. Open only to French, French Studies and Romance Language Majors. By special permission this course may be taken more than once. A proposal, signed by the faculty advisor, must be submitted to the Departmental Committee on Independent Studies and Honors Theses for approval by the fifth day of classes of the term.

French 89: Honors Seminar (Arranged, all terms) Honors students will arrange a program of study and research during any term of the senior year on a tutorial basis with individual faculty members. A thesis, written in French, and a public presentation are the normal culmination of this course. A proposal, signed by the faculty advisor, must be submitted to the Departmental Committee on Independent Studies and Honors Theses for approval by the fifth day of classes of the term. For information about application procedures, please review the Honors Program section.

LSA+ Toulouse (Elhariry)

FSP Paris (Tarnowski)

 

 

 

SPRING 2022 FRENCH COURSES

French 1: Introductory French I - Lerme @ 9L

French 2: Introductory French II - Mefoude @ 10

French 3: Introductory French III 

Section 1- Mosenthal @ 9L

Section 2- Mosenthal @ 10

French 11: Intensive French at 10 (Lerme) This 1-credit course is designed for students who have studied French for one to three years in high school, or those who have been exposed to French through family ties or have spent some time in a Francophone environment. It is also suitable for students with little or no knowledge of the French language, but who have a strong background in another Romance language (i.e. Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Portuguese, Catalan, and also Latin).  French 11 is an accelerated course that combines French 1 and 2 in one term, offering an exciting and fast-paced atmosphere in which to learn French. The course will have a web-based component, which, through cultural, grammar and multimedia learning activities, will complement face-to-face work and prepare students for in-class work. Students will learn to talk about familiar events in the present and the past, as well as formulate plans for the future. Weekly cultural videos will situate in context the grammatical content of the course, making it relevant and meaningful. Students will be actively engaged in a variety of creative written and oral activities that will help them develop their language skills. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to sign up for French 3 or apply for our French LSAs in Lyon or Toulouse. With the goal of facilitating the acquisition of the target language, this course will be conducted entirely in French.

French 08: Exploring French Culture and Language at 2 (Mefoude): Practice in the active use of the language combined with an introduction to major aspects of French society. Each week students will write papers and participate in discussions based on books, articles, and films emphasizing social and historical concepts.

In the event that French 8 isn't offered, you may take French 10, with the understanding that your next French course will be French 8.

Prerequisites: French 3 or equivalent preparation.

Dist: SOC; WCult: W

French 10.02: The Heroic Heart at 10 (Tarnowski):If exceptions prove the rule, what do heroes tell us about their societies? Whether motivated by political conviction, social ambition, religious faith, or esthetic vision, heroes across the ages often reflect, and sometimes confound, society's aspirations. A cast of characters - friends, helpmeets, enemies, paramours - is always necessary to enhancing the hero's singularity. Authors read in this course may include Chrétien de Troyes, Corneille, Diderot, Musset, Stendhal, Céline and Sartre.

French 10.10: Du Mal/ On Evil at 10A (St. Clair): This course proposes a look at "evil" in French literature, art, and film (1665-1966). What does "evil" designate? A concept, or an ethical category? A limit of the thinkable and sayable? The proof of human freedom? Is there a semiotics of evil? How does literature challenge us to think about what it means to be a witness to evil?

French 21: Introduction to Francophone Literature and Culture at 12 (Elhariry): This course surveys the evolution of French language (Francophone) literature of the former French colonies and examines the social, political, and cultural issues it raises: race, colonialism, decolonization, revolution, independence, neo-colonialism, Négritude, Antillanité, Créolité, écriture féminine, mimetic desire, cultural hybridity, post-independence government and society. The survey will include novels, plays, poetry, film and essays by representative writers from the principal divisions of the Francophone world: the French West Indies, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa; Quebec, and Francophone Canada.

French 22: Introduction to French Literature I: The Middle Ages and the Renaissance at 11 (Tarnowski) France - its art, architecture, technology, philosophy and literature - exerted an unparalleled influence throughout Europe. Studying the first texts written in French, as well as the manuscripts in which they circulated, will shed light on the nature of French culture. We will examine defining issues of the period: the transition from oral to written expression, the invention of printing, debates concerning the status of women, Renaissance humanism, scientific inquiry, religious reform and conflict. Texts may include La Chanson de Roland, selected poetry, and works by Chrétien de Troyes, Christine de Pizan, Marguerite de Navarre, François Rabelais, and Michel de Montaigne. Dist:LIT: WCult:W

French 40.02: French and Francophone Poetry from Baudelaire through Césaire at 2 (Elhariry): Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Guillaume Apollinaire, Paul Eluard, André Breton, Paul Valéry, Aimé Césaire, Léon Damas, D.T. Niane and Andrée Chedid are poets of radically different backgrounds connected by abiding preoccupations of a modernist vision. These poets will be studied in order to explore the traditions and counter-traditions of French and Francophone poetry.  Prerequisite: FREN10 or permission from instructor. Dist:LIT, WCult:W

French 45.05: The Politics of Literature in C19 France at 2A (St. Clair): This course seeks to explore the hypothesis that nineteenth-century French literature and other modes of cultural and aesthetic production are situated against the backdrop of the massive political upheavals of the century, and grapple especially with the problems of contested memories and narratives of a revolutionary past that refuses to pass. In this course, then, we will link and think 19thC literature to politics and history, interpreting a variety of nineteenth-century texts, from poems to short stories, novels, paintings and revolutionary caricatures, with/against their cultural, political, historical, and esthetic contexts.

French 87: Independent Reading and Research (Arranged, all terms) A program of individual study directed by a member of the staff. Open only to French, French Studies and Romance Language Majors. By special permission this course may be taken more than once. A proposal, signed by the faculty advisor, must be submitted to the Departmental Committee on Independent Studies and Honors Theses for approval by the fifth day of classes of the term.

French 89: Honors Seminar (Arranged, all terms) Honors students will arrange a program of study and research during any term of the senior year on a tutorial basis with individual faculty members. A thesis, written in French, and a public presentation are the normal culmination of this course. A proposal, signed by the faculty advisor, must be submitted to the Departmental Committee on Independent Studies and Honors Theses for approval by the fifth day of classes of the term. For information about application procedures, please review the Honors Program section.

LSA+ in Toulouse (Sanders)

FSP in Paris (Wine)