Departmental Writing Requirements :

The following writing requirements apply to courses in which the authorized enrollments do not exceed 20 (French 331 and 332) or 25 (literature and civilization courses numbered higher than French 332) :

• FREN 331 and 332 : 10-15 pages, typically divided among 4 to 5 papers. Peer editing introduced during class and practiced outside.
• 300-level literature and civilization courses : 10-15 pages, typically divided among 2 to 4 papers. Relatively less sophisticated content than at the 400-level. Peer editing outside of class may be offered to students as an option (or requirement).
• 400-level literature and civilization courses : 15-20 pages, typically divided among 2 to 4 papers. Relatively more sophisticated content than at the 300-level. Peer editing outside of class may be offered to students as an option (or requirement).
• In all courses the quality of written French (that is, accurate use of grammar and vocabulary ) is an important factor in grading. Command of the language affects how understandable, persuasive, and impressive writing is. As students move from 300- to 400- level courses they will be expected to show greater sophistication in sentence structure, grammar, and use of idioms.

  FREN 331 INTENSIVE GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION

Prerequisite : Exemption from FREN 201 & 202 ; or a score of 3 on the AP French language exam ; or a score of at least 660 on the SAT. Required as preparation for all subsequent courses except FREN 333 and FREN 339.

This course will place emphasis on grammatical rules and their application to composition. Short readings in French will provide a context for discussion, writing, and grammar practice. Self-guided grammar exercises will be assigned as homework. Students will be graded on homework, contribution to small and whole-group discussions, short quizzes, dictations, compositions, a mid-term, and a final exam.

9 :00-9 :50 M W F Ms. Houyoux
10 :00-10 :50 M W F Ms. Barthe
12 :00-12 :50 M W F Ms. Houyoux
1 :00-1 :50 M W F Ms. Barthe

  FREN 331 INTENSIVE GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION

Prerequisite : Exemption from FREN 201 & 202 ; or a score of at least 660 on the SAT. Required as preparation for all subsequent courses except FREN 333 and FREN 339.

This course will place emphasis on understanding the different elements of the French language (classification, origins, and formation of words) and on the relationship that exists between those words (syntax). Students will be asked to apply grammatical rules to composition. Short readings in French will provide a context for discussion, writing, and grammar practice. Students will be graded on dictations (weekly), compositions (bi-weekly), three " interrogations ", and a final exam. The course will be taught in French.

11 :00-11 :50 M W F Ms. Zunz

  FREN 332 READING AND WRITING TEXTS

Prerequisite: French 331. This course is a pre-requite to all upper- division literature and culture courses in the department.

Introduction to the conventions of the principal genres of French literature from the Renaissance to the 20th century: poetry, drama, fiction. Instruction in writing expository papers in literary French on these subjects. Requirements: frequent short papers, a mid-term, and a final examination.

9 :30-10 :45 T R Ms. Barnett
10 :00-10 :50 M W F Ms. Bargach
11 :00-11 :50 M W F Ms. Bargach
11 :00-12 :15 T R Ms. Ogden
12 :00-12 :50 M W F Ms. Barthe
12 :30-1 :45 T R Mr. Arnold

  FREN 333 ORAL AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION IN FRENCH

Prerequisite : Completion of FREN 232 or equivalent. Permission of course chair for those having completed only FREN 202. Students having completed French 332 are excluded from this course and MUST enroll in FREN 334.

An intensive course designed to give students a better command of present-day spoken and written French. Conversation on topics of current events (French and international---please note that France will elect a president in Spring 2002), including some which class members choose, mastery of advanced vocabulary, weekly graded written and oral assignments including one guided short exposé, several one-two page papers, oral and written quizzes and a final exam. This course is designed for students who have not had the advantage of an extended stay in a French-speaking country. Students who have participated in semester study-abroad programs must confirm placement and transfer credit with the course chair to avoid duplication. Students who have studied in a French speaking country for a year should enroll in FREN 334. Section size is limited to 14 students. Consistent attendance and ACTIVE participation constitute 30% of the semester grade.

8 :45-9 :45 MWF Ms. Stuart

  FREN 334 ADVANCED ORAL AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION IN FRENCH

Prerequisite : Students must have completed FREN 331 and FREN 332 or their equivalent, or must be concurrently enrolled in FREN 332. Counts for major/minor credit.

An intensive course designed to improve more advanced students' oral and written language skills. Assignments include discussion on topics of current interest, presentations, translations, and compositions. All materials are French- or Francophone-related. The course focuses on language development in a Francophone cultural context, so students can get familiar with French and Francophone cultures and comfortable in expressing their viewpoints in French. A good preparation for more advanced classes in French. Consistent attendance and active participation are essential.

1 :00-1 :50 M W F Mr. Barreyre

  FREN 342: LE VOYAGE

Ce cours est une invitation au voyage. Un voyage dans le temps d'abord, puisque ce sont des œuvres de la littérature classique du 17ième et du 18ième siècle que nous étudierons. Un voyage dans l'espace ensuite, puisque ces œuvres nous emmènerons dans divers lieux : en France évidemment, mais également en Espagne, en Amérique, en Perse…

A partir d'un récit de voyage, nous aborderons les questions importantes qui se rattachent au thème du voyage : relations entre les autres et soi, franchissement de frontières, etc. Certains textes étudiés par la suite raconteront un voyage fictif ou imaginaire et transporteront le lecteur d'un endroit à l'autre, au gré des aventures d'un ou de plusieurs personnages. D'autres se rapprocheront davantage du voyage intérieur et relateront le parcours personnel d'un homme, sa vie, s'apparentant ainsi à de l'introspection. D'autres, enfin, prendront comme prétexte l'évocation de rencontres avec d'autres hommes et d'autres cultures pour évoquer et souvent critiquer la société française de l'époque.

Parmi les auteurs examinés : Thevenot (Relations de divers voyages curieux qui n'ont point este publiées) Corneille (Le Cid), Voltaire (Candide), Pascal, Madame de Sévigné, Montesquieu (Lettres Persanes) et Rousseau (Rêveries du Promeneur Solitaire.)

La note finale sera déterminée en fonction de la participation, de trois compositions, d'un partiel et d'un examen final.

12:00-12:50 M W F Ms. Barthe

  FREN 343 LITERATURE OF THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY

Prerequisite : satisfactory completion of FREN 332

Poetry and fiction since the Romantic movement ; principal developments in the lyric and prose fiction. Requirements : frequent short analytical papers in literate French, a mid-term, and a final exam.

3 :30-4 :45 T R Mr. Arnold

  FREN 345 TOPICS IN CULTURAL STUDIES : CROISADE ET CULTURE: LA FRANCE ET L'ISLAM AU MOYEN AGE (3)

La croisade : terme du Moyen Age, terme d'actualité, évoquant aussi bien le choc des cultures que l'idée de guerre sainte. Quelles sont les structures politiques, les conditions de vie, les pratiques religieuses de croisés et de ceux qu'ils ont choisis pour ennemis ? De quelles idéologies les croisades se sont-elles autorisées ? Quelles littératures, quels mythes "l'esprit de croisade" a-t-il engendrés en France, tant aux débuts qu'au cours du Moyen Age ? Nous tenterons des réponses à ces questions en situant le "pèlerinage de Jérusalem" et l'Islam médiéval dans leurs contextes d'époque. Pour ce faire, il sera nécessaire de fixer un certain nombre de faits (noms, lieux, idées, dates) au moyen d'interrogations de type traditionnel.

11 :00-12 :15 TR Mr. Cook

  FREN 345 TOPICS IN CULTURAL STUDIES : LA FRANCE FACE AUX RELIGIONS

Comment la France, à travers sa littérature, son histoire et son quotidien, vit-elle le fait religieux? Le Catholicisme, le Judaisme, le Protestantisme et l'Islam ont suscité tour à tour en France autant d'analyses que de débats contradictoires.
Quelles sont les réalités et les limites de la laicité française? Des oeuvres, des extraits, des articles de presse ainsi que des films illustreront le cours.

Liste provisoire de lecture (dont extraits):

Zola, J'accuse; Sartres, Réflexions sur la question juive; Voltaire, Candide; Diderot, La Religieuse; Bauderot, Une haine oubliée: l'antiprotestantisme avant le pacte laique; Fabre, Les Protestants en France depuis 1789; Bencheikh, Marianne et le Prophète; Etienne, Une grenade ouverte.

Travaux: examen partiel et examen final, 5 essais de deux à trois pages et un projet de recherche par équipe.

1 :00-1 :50 M W F Ms. Bargach

  FREN 345 TOPICS IN CULTURAL STUDIES : SLEEP AND DREAM IN MODERN FRANCE

Why do we sleep and why do we dream ? Do dreams have a meaning ? What is the relationship of sleep and dream to waking life ? Who are we during this absent third of our lives ? Despite the twentieth-century discoveries of REM sleep and circadian rhythms, sleep still mystifies and intrigues, as it did over a century ago in French culture. Nineteenth-century France witnessed an explosion of writing on sleep and dream that flourished across the disciplines of science, literature, philosophy and history. Questions about sleep and dream intersect with a variety of issues and anxieties of the time period, including the nature of mind and body, madness and death. This course proposes an exploration of modern France's fascination with sleep and dreams through representative literary, historical and scientific texts. Course work will include several short writing assignments, oral presentations, papers and exam.

2 :00-3 :15 M W Ms. Fay

  FREN 346 LITTÉRATURE AFRICAINE

Ce cours est une introducion à la littérature francophone d' Afrique noire, en particulier le roman. Après quelques présentations, développant les contextes historique et idéologique de cette littérature, des exercices collectifs de lecture et d'analyse conduiront à des travaux et présentations de groupe. L'évaluation étant permanente, une présence assidue et participation active sont impératives ; l'examen final est remplacé par l'analyse thématique d'un roman.

10 :00-10 :50 M W F Ms. Houyoux

  FREN 399 TOPICS IN FRENCH LINGUISTICS
Le français dans l'espace francophone

Prerequisites : a course in phonetics (FREN 339 or other) ; reading and writing proficiency in French, at least through FREN 332 ; and an interest in linguistics or linguistic-related subjects. Course (taught in French) counts for major credit in French and in linguistics.

In this course we shall deal with the linguistic and sociolinguistic situation of "la francophonie". The specific formes (or varieties) of French spoken in the diverse francophone communities will be examined, and we shall attempt to understand the general situation of the French language in the given community (the demographic force ; the problems of bilingualism, plurilingualism, etc. ; the vitality of French ; the speakers' attitudes toward French ; institutional support, etc.). The first few class meetings will be devoted to a general presentation (or global overview) of the "monde francophone". The remaining classes will then be devoted to detailed discussions (linguistic and sociolinguistic in nature) of selected francophone "zones" (areas in which French is reputed to play an incontestable social role, such as la francophonie aux Amériques, dans l'Océan indien, en Europe, en Afrique, au Maghreb, aux Indes,…). Required readings will include works on "la francophonie" by such authors as Baggioni, Mougeon, Valdman, Chaudenson, Manessy, Poirier, Calvet… ; and some texts dealing with linguistic and sociolinguistic approaches (in order to provide background on problems of bilingualism, language transfer, languages in contact, linguistic variation, linguistic norms, linguistic systems, language hierarchy, etc.) Course project : Students will be divided into small groups. Each group will be assigned a francophone zone, and will prepare a research project focusing on that particular zone. The project will entail a written data-oriented analysis, an annotated bibliography, and an oral presentation. In addition to this project (worth 50% of the grade), there will be a final exam, and frequent homework assignments (based on required readings)-some written, some oral.

2 :00-3 :15 T R Ms. Saunders

  FREN 428 HISTOIRE DE LA LANGUE FRANÇAISE

Prerequisites : FREN 339 ; good reading, writing and speaking ability in French. Previous course in linguistics and the ability to analyze and interpret language data helpful. Course( taught in French) counts for major credit in French and in linguistics.

This course looks at some of the ways in which the French language has changed through time (from its Indo-European/Latin origins to the modern period). It attempts to answer questions such as the following : Quand a-t-on commencé à parler français ? Pourquoi le français ne cesse-t-il d'évoluer ? D'oú viennent le féminin et le masculin ? Comment s'exprimaient les rois de France ? Pourquoi l'imparfait du subjonctif est-il en voie de disparition ? Pourquoi les Français sont-ils si attachés à leur orthographe ? Pourquoi le français moderne a-t-il une série de voyelles antérieures et arrondies ?… Assignments will include : two exams ; an oral report ; a final project. Required texts : Michèle Perret, Introduction à l' histoire de la langue française (1998) ; Peter Machonis, Histoire de la Langue : du latin à l'ancien français (1990).

12 :30-1 :45 T R Ms. Saunders

  FREN 430 GRAMMAIRE ET STYLE

Prerequisite B+ average in FREN 331 and FREN 332.

Grammar review through the traditional method of analyse grammaticale ; includes free composition.

9 :30-10 :45 T R Mr. Cook

  FREN 438 FRENCH SOCIETY AND CIVILIZATION : LA SOCIETE FRANÇAISE DEPUIS 1945

Prerequisite : (unless exempted by the instructor) a 300-level civilization course or its equivalent

This course focuses on the evolution of French society, politics and culture from the end of the Second World War until the present. We first examine how geography, history, and political forces have shaped contemporary France (including Charles de Gaulle's role during this period, decolonization, the economy and baby "booms"). Once this historical background is set, we then focus on major current social issues as changing family structures, the role of women, education, immigration, religion, decentralization, and France's place in European Union. We rely heavily upon the press and visual media for that purpose, and group-work and computer-based projects on the World Wide Web are important features of this course. All students must have an e-mail account set up prior to the first day of class. Questions concerning this course should be directed to the instructor at ncb8n@virginia.edu.

12 :00-12 :50 M W F Mr. Barreyre

  FREN 441 MEDIEVAL BEASTS

How are human beings related to the animal kingdom ? What distinguishes them from (other) animals ? What and how do humans and (other) animals learn from each other ? Since long before the animal rights movement, Bugs Bunny or pet psychiatrists, writers-literary, philosophical and scientific-have recorded the human struggle with these questions. In this course, we will examine French depictions of animals in bestiaries (theological/scientific encyclopedias of the animal world), fables, allegories and romances written between 1150 and 1350. We will explore medieval views on the respective places of human beings and animals in the natural world, the treatment of creatures that problematize classification(e.g., werewolves), and animal symbolism and associations that continue to the present (e.g., the lion as symbol of God, the crafty fox). Requirements for the course include active participation, three six-page essays or two nine-page essays, and three in-class tests.

2 :00-3 :15 T R Ms. Ogden

  FREN 445 ADVANCED CULTURAL STUDIES/ EIGHTEENTH CENTURY LITERATURE : THE HAREM, THE CONVENT, THE SALON, THE BOUDOIR

Closed spaces: their secrets and their rules seem to have obsessed the XVIIIth century. We will study a series of novels, all of them centered on the exploration, analysis of some of these spaces of singular sociability. Among our questions will figure: the politics of space, the constitution of public and private spaces, the definition of their borders, the rules of behavior they generate.

Works discussed will include: Montesquieu's Lettres persanes (Persian Letters), Crébillon's Egarements du coeur et de l'esprit (The Wayward Heart and Head), Diderot's La religieuse (The Nun), some of Sade's stories (partial list).

11 :00-12 :15 T R Ms. Garréta

  FREN 483 ADVANCED SEMINARS IN LITERATURE : BEING MADAME BOVARY

Prerequisite : FREN 332 (or equivalent), and two French literature or civilization courses. Restricted to French majors and minors.

A seminar for French majors and minors, on Flaubert's Madame Bovary and its reception from 1857-present.

We will study the novel and three filmic adaptations, along with secondary readings in literary criticism, film, and cultural studies.

Students will be responsible for two oral presentations, weekly writing assignments, and two formal papers.

3 :30-6 :00 T Ms. Krueger

  FREN 551 LITERATURE IN THE 19TH CENTURY : LA CRISE DE LA MASCULINITÉ EN FRANCE : DE BALZAC Á HOUELLEBECQ

De la période romantique à la Décadence, de la belle époque à l'entre deux guerres, du Nouveau roman et de Tel Quel à l'époque contemporaine, la culture française et sa littérature ont enregistré les traces, les symptômes et les expressions d'une crise récurrente de la masculinité, qui affecte les héros de romans, les narrateurs d'oeuvres intimes, et jusqu'au discours politique et social des intellectuels.

Il s'agira de replacer les épisodes de ce malaise dans leur contexte historique par l'étude d'une série de textes de genres différents (romans, essais, écritures de soi) et d'auteurs différents (Balzac, Musset, Mirbeau, Barbey d'Aurevilly, Bataille, Leiris, Sollers, Houellebecq -liste non exhaustive-).

Il s'agira d'étudier les formes que peut prendre dans l'écriture la constitution d'une identité masculine, l'utopie et la critique des relations entre les sexes, les relations entre nature et civilisation, entre le corps politique et l'individu.

3:30-6 :00 M Ms. Garréta

Home  Back  Top