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 offers an intensive review of grammar rules and their application to oral and written communication. Short readings in French will provide a context for discussion, writing, and grammar practice. Students will be graded on short quizzes, dictations, compositions, a mid-term, and a final exam. The course is conducted in French.

  FREN 332 THE WRITING AND READING OF TEXTS

Prerequisite: French 331. This course is a prerequisite for all undergraduate courses on a higher level except French 333 and French 339.

Ce cours est une introduction à la lecture critique et à l'analyse de textes. Il est à la fois un atelier d'écriture intensive, car le travail de lecture attentive sera accompagné de courts essais de deux à trois pages visant à interpréter les textes. Pour cela, on devra acquérir un minimum de vocabulaire technique spécifique à chaque genre littéraire (qu'il s'agisse de textes de prose, de poésie ou de théâtre) et un lexique analytique générique. Bien entendu, la qualité du français écrit et parlé sera une composante importante de l'évaluation du travail : il convient donc de continuer de prendre la grammaire très au sérieux.

  FREN 333 ORAL AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 232 or equivalent. Permission of instructor for those
having completed only FREN 202. Students having completed French 332 are excluded
from this course and MUST enroll in French 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, including but not limited to politics, economics, education, language, and entertainment), including some articles 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 instructor 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.

1400-1450 MWF Ms. Stuart

  FREN 334 ADVANCED ORAL AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION IN FRENCH (3)

Prerequisite: Students must have completed FREN 331 and 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.

1100-1215 TR Mr. Ratte
1400-1515 TR Ms. Yence

  FREN 339 FRENCH PHONETICS

This course, conducted in French, is designed to introduce basic concepts in phonetic theory and to teach students techniques for improving their own pronunciation. We shall examine the physical characteristics of individual sounds, the relationship between sounds and their written representations, the rules governing the pronunciation of "standard French", and the most salient phonological features of selected regional varieties (e.g. le français méridional). Working independently and regularly with audiotapes in the language laboratory, and as a group with the instructor in the classroom, students will have opportunities for oral practice in the production of French sounds (in isolation, in syllabic combinations, in rhythmic groups and in phrases). Requires much memorization. Basis of evaluation: 3-4 quizzes, final exam, 'travaux pratiques' (homework assignments), and daily in-class performance.

1000-1050 MWF Ms. Saunders
1100-1150 MWF Ms. Saunders

  FREN 343 LITERATURE OF THE 19TH & 20TH CENTURIES

Prerequisite: French 332 or equivalent

Introduction to literary texts of 19th- and 20th-centuries. Close textual analyses of individual texts within broader literary and cultural contexts. Examination, among others, of sensibility and aesthetics of modernity (Baudelaire), the fantastic and the dream/ fulfillment of prophecy (Flaubert), "feminine" expression (Colette), notions of the absurd and finality (Beckett), and relation between words and things (Ponge).

1400-1515 MW Ms. Lyu

  FREN 344 TOPICS IN FRENCH CINEMA - INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH CINEMA

Prerequisite: French 332

A chronological survey of French films, genres, and directors, from the Frères Lumière to the Nouvelle Vague. The course is conducted in French and includes: daily quizzes, weekly one-page essays, two short papers, a mid-term, and final examination.

1400-1515 TR Ms. Krueger

  FREN 345 TOPICS IN CULTURAL STUDIES (3) - L'Immigration en France

L'immigration est un sujet de l'actualité quotidienne en Europe et en France en particulier; c'est aussi un sujet polémique au coeur du débat politique et social. Par ailleurs, le fait que la majorité de l'immigration récente vienne d'Afrique du Nord et se revendique de l'Islam entraîne des interrogations sur l'identité nationale et sur les principes fondateurs de la République comme celui de la laïcite. En abordant le thème de l'immigration maghrébine, on traite divers aspects de la France d'aujourd'hui: l'histoire à laquelle ce fait est lié, ses conséquences sociales, culturelles, économiques, politiques et parfois humanitaires.
Des oeuvres littéraires, des articles de presse et des films illustreront le cours.

Lectures: Gerard Noiriel, Population, immigration et identite nationale en France; Driss Chraibi, Les Boucs; Jean-Marie LeClesio, Poisson d'or; Michel Tournier, La goutte d'or.

1300-1350 MWF Ms. Bargach

  FREN 345 TOPICS IN CULTURAL STUDIES (3) - Le Rire

An analysis of the role of laughter in French literature from medieval times to the present. We will analyze universals of the comic tradition, the role of laughter, stock characters, and recurrent techniques in texts drawn primarily but not exclusively from dramatic literature and studied within the historical and social context.
Reading will be chosen from such authors as Rabelais, Moliere, Marivaux, Beaumarchais, Beckett, and Ionesco.

Two papers, a mid-term and final exam.

1300-1350 MWF Ms. Sapir

  FREN 346 AFRICAN LITERATURE AND CULTURES

This course will explore aspects of African literatures and cultures. It will focus on selected issues of special resonance in contemporary African life. Oral literature and its continuing impact on all other art forms. Key issues in French colonial policy and its legacy in Africa: language, politics, education. The course will examine the image of the postcolonial state and society as found in contemporary arts, painting, sculpture, music, and cinema. Selections from painters and sculptors like Chéri Samba (Zaire), Ousmane Sow, Younousse Sèye (Senegal), Wéréwéré Liking (Cameroun), including such popular icons as Mamy Wata and forms such as Souwere glass painting; from musicians like Youssou Ndour (Senegal), Cheb Khaled (Algeria), Seigneur Rochereau, Tchala Muana (Zaire), Salif Keita (Mali), and Cesaria Evora (Cape Verde); from Mande, Peul, and Kabyle oral literature in French translation; from filmmakers D. D. Mambety, O. Sembène, G. Kaboré, Dani Kouyaté, Moussa Sène Absa. Students should keep in mind that in addition to the reading assignments, a class visit to the National Museum of African Art in Washington will be required. The final grade will be based on contribution to discussions, a mid-term exam, a paper, and a final exam.

Selections from the following texts will feature among the required reading list:
Wéréwéré Liking - Statues colons
A. Sow - La Femme, la Vache, la Foi
D.T. Niane - Soundjata ou l'épopée mandingue
Amadou Hampaté Ba - Koumen
Mouloud Mammeri - Poèmes Kabyles anciens

1400-1515 TR Mr. Dramé

  FREN 401 TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE - 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).

1100-1215 TR Ms. Ogden

  FREN 409 TOPICS IN 20th CENTURY LITERATURE - Littérature d'aujourd'hui

The course will focus on significant literary works produced since the mid-twentieth century by such authors as Beauvoir, Camus, Duras, Ernaux, and Zobel. Concepts of gender and the gendered text will be examined in relation to both fiction and autobiography. Success in this course requires a reasonable level of cultural competence (measured by completion of at least two FREN 300-level literature courses with a grade of B or better) and the ability to speak and write literary French correctly. Students' grades will be computed as follows: participation in class, including collaborative oral presentations (1/3), a midterm and a final exam (1/3), and a substantial research paper (1/3). Motivated students from other departments and programs such as English and Comparative Literature are encouraged to enroll if they have the requisite language skills. The course will be taught in French.

1400-1515 TR Mr. Arnold

  FREN 435 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES OF TRANSLATION

Pending

1230-1345 TR Mr. Réthoré

  FREN 436 CULTURE OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Pending

0930-1045 TR Mr. Réthoré

  FREN 438 FRENCH SOCIETY AND CIVILIZATION

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 economic 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 the 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 jhorne@virginia.edu.

1400-1515 MW Ms. Horne

  FREN 493 TOPICS IN FRENCH LITERATURE AND CIVILIZATION - Realism and Reality

In theoretical formulations in the Western tradition from Plato and Aristotle on, literature has been assumed to reflect reality to some degree as one of its central aims. At the same time, literature and art in general were for centuries charged with an idealistic moral function. As a result, and because of political, social, and esthetic upheavals, the 19th century saw a lengthy and violent debate in France over the place of depictions of various aspects of everyday life in literature, an ongoing controversy which then gave way to a privileging of previously unacceptable matters in 20th-century literature in France and elsewhere. This course will trace the history of such representations and the debates around them, with particular attention to the ways in which 19th-century realism paved the way for 20th-century modernism. We will concentrate on novels by Stendhal (Le Rouge et le noir), Balzac (Le Père Goriot), Flaubert (L'Éducation sentimentale), Zola (L'Assommoir), and Maupassant (Pierre et Jean); alongside these we will read critical and theoretical texts addressing the problem of mimesis from various perspectives, from the classical tradition through late 20th-century approaches. The course will be taught in French and all texts will be read in French.

1530-1800 W Ms. Ladenson

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