French
French/Minor in French
For students wishing to develop their general understanding of French and the Francophone world and to concentrate in a particular area of French language study, we offer a minor in French.
French Course Descriptions (FREN)
In the past, these topics have included the following:
Translation and Reading in French
Translation and Reading skills. This course concentrates exclusively on the cultivation of reading and translation abilities in the French language. Classes are in English, and all work is from French to English.
Business French
The trend of internationalizing business and services forces companies to cope with cultural differences inside a company and when sending executives and their families abroad. In a foreign country, there are more than language barriers to overcome. Methods that work at home can lead to failure abroad. Likewise, the most competent manager can damage an operation if not properly prepared for his or her stay in the host country. This course is designed to help the student cross cultural boundaries, whether planning on living abroad as a student, an intern, or an employee. It is not meant to be a technical business course, but rather a course that will help increase understanding of what culture shock is and how to prepare for it.
French Philosophers
An introduction to French philosophers and the different philosophical currents that have shaped French thought and the world at large.
Majors and Minors
Major Minor
Minor in FrenchCourses
A course for beginners with intensive practice in pronunciation, essentials of grammar, and reading of simple prose.
A continuation of FREN 1101.
A continuation of FREN 1102 with additional readings.
A systematic and thorough review of French grammar, with emphasis on the production of speech. Not open to students fluent in French.
A travel-study seminar composed of preliminary academic preparation followed by contact with the culture through travel in the selected French-speaking country.
The goal of this course is to help students improve their (1) vocabulary, (2) aural comprehension / listening skills, and (3) oral production / speaking skills.
The objective of this course is to allow the participants to improve their composition skills in French. The course has three major components: grammar review and refinement; reading and analysis of various kinds of texts, both literary and journalistic; a variety of composition assignments involving such techniques as description, analysis, persuasion, and managing complicated chronologies. Participants can expect to improve their command of French grammar, to increase their vocabulary, and to develop appropriate strategies for writing good compositions.
Concentrating on political and social history, rather than on “high culture,” this course is designed to introduce the moments and personages who have defined France and what it is to be French across the centuries. Some high points include Roman Gaul, the Carolingian Renaissance, St. Louis and the high Gothic Period, Jeanne d'Arc and the Hundred Years' War, Renaissance and Reform, Louis XIV and Versailles, the Revolution, Napoléon, Revolution and Restoration in the 19th century, and France at war in the 20th century.
An introduction to representative writers from the Middle Ages to the Revolution. Attention is paid to the changing social and cultural contexts in which the literature was produced; emphasis is on enduring humanistic values.
This class seeks to improve the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills of students studying French, particularly with the goal of preparing those students who wish to study upper-division French. These four skills are integrated into the body of the course and developed simultaneously.
Topics will change, so students may repeat this course for credit.