French Undergraduate Courses

French 41, F41W. French and Francophone Literatures in Translation. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: English 110.  (LIT); (PLAS: RL ET LIT)
Readings in English translation of some outstanding works of French and Francophone literature from its beginnings to the twenty-first century, illustrating a variety of genres. The specific works to be considered will vary from semester to semester and will be announced in advance. May be repeated for credit provided the topic is different. ACTFL CAEP standards 2a, 2b

French 45, F45W. French and Francophone Cultures and Thought. 3 hr.; 3 cr. (WCGI) (PLAS: CV ET)
This course will deal with the nonliterary aspects of French culture, such as music, the visual and performing arts, and the history of ideas. The specific topics to be considered will vary from semester to semester and from section to section and will be announced in advance. Readings and class discussion examine major trends in the cultural life of present-day French society.

Topics such as politics, religion, the visual arts, education, etc. will be discussed and may vary from semester to semester. May be taken more than once for credit provided the topic is different. ACTFL CAEP standards 2a, 2c

FREN 250, 250W. French and Francophone Film and Media. 4 hr.; 3 cr. (CE) (PLAS: AP ET)
The course will deal with the various elements of French and Francophone cinema: historical, cultural, aesthetic, political, technical, etc. Particular courses may deal with a certain tendency (such as the “New Wave”), period, or individual director (such as Renoir, Cocteau, Godard, Varda, or Sembene). Lectures and work will be done in English; films will be shown in the original language with subtitles. May be taken more than once for credit provided the topic is different. ACTFL CAEP standards 2a, 2c

FREN 111. Elementary French I. 4 hr.; 4 cr.
Intended for students with no previous training in French. Designed to establish correct pronunciation, to teach the elements of grammar, to enable students to read, to understand spoken French, to become familiar with cultural aspects of French-speaking countries, and especially to establish a good basic vocabulary. Class hours include use of the language laboratory. Fall, Spring (LANG)

FREN 112. Elementary French II. 4 hr.; 4 cr.
Prereq.: French 111 or two years of high school French. This course is a continuation of French 111. A graded reader is introduced to present literary and cultural aspects of French-speaking countries, and to offer topics for simple exercises in composition. Class hours include use of the language laboratory. Fall, Spring When circumstances warrant, the department may offer a course of Intensive French 111 and 112 for eight credits. Fall, Spring (LANG)

FREN 203. Intermediate French I. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 112 or three years of high school French. Grammar review, conversation, and readings in literary and cultural materials at an intermediate level. Fall, Spring (WCGI, LANG).

FREN 204. French Grammar and Composition I. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 203 or four years of high school French. Grammar review, conversation, and a variety of written assignments will allow students to improve their mastery of spoken French and refine their writing skills. (WCGI, LANG)

FREN 205. Introduction to Literary Analysis. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 204 or permission of department. An introduction to reading and analyzing literary works, with special emphasis on critical terminology and development of writing skills in French. The course will concentrate on shorter works from the major genres of literature in French, and prepare students for the future study of literature. Required for majors and others planning to take elective courses in the department. (WCGI, LANG, LIT)

FREN 206. Introduction to French Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 204 or permission of department. Reading, discussion and analysis of representative works from the Middle Ages to the contemporary period. Required for majors and for others planning to take elective courses in the department. 

FREN 223. Advanced Conversation and Phonetics. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 204 or permission of the department. Advanced preparation for students who want to perfect fluency in spoken French. The course will involve intensive practice in both impromptu and prepared conversation and in the study of both phonetics and diction. May not be taken by students with native fluency in spoken French (WCGI, LANG)

FREN 224. Advanced French Grammar. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 204 or permission of department. Extensive review of grammatical structures, idiom patterns, and common difficulties of the French Language. (LANG)

FREN 225. French Grammar and Composition II. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 204 or permission of the department. Intensive work in composition, grammatical analysis, and stylistics, further developing writing skills in French. Students will practice different forms of writing (narrative, journalism, literary composition, essay, business correspondence). (LANG) 

FREN 228. Advanced Literary Analysis. 3hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 205 or permission of the department. Provides training in the in-depth analysis of literary works. Training in the in-depth analysis of literary works. Students will be introduced to critical writing on literature, and sharpen their own techniques of literary analysis. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different. 

FREN 231. Skills and Art of Translation. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 204 or permission of the department. Introduction to the techniques, problems, and theories of translation. The course will involve both French-to-English and English-to-French translation. (LANG) 

FREN 235. Business French. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 204 or permission of department. Introduction to the use of French in a business context with emphasis on the discussion of cross-cultural differences as well as on the acquisition of practical skills such as drafting business correspondence and developing familiarity with the vocabulary of the workplace. (LANG) 

FREN 320. Topics in Early French Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 and 228 or permission of the department. Reading, discussion, and analysis of representative works from the Middle Ages through the sixteenth century. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.

FREN 340. Topics in Seventeenth Century French Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 or 228 or permission of the department. Major literary and cultural works of the French neoclassical age. Authors studied may include Molière, Racine, Corneille, Mme. de Lafayette, Pascal, and Descartes. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.

FREN 345. Topics in Eighteenth Century French Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 and 228 or permission of the department. Reading, discussion, and analysis of major works of the Age of Enlightenment. Authors studied may include Montesquieu, Marivaux, Prévost, Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, Beaumarchais, and Laclos. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.

FREN 350. French Novel of the Nineteenth Century. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 or 228 or permission of department. The rise of the novel in the nineteenth century. Authors studied may include Hugo, Balzac, Gautier, Stendhal, Flaubert, and Zola. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.  

FREN 360. French and Francophone Novel Since 1900. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 or 228 or permission of the department. Evolution of the novel since 1900. Authors studied may include Gide, Proust, Sartre, Céline, Camus, Duras, Robbe-Grillet, Condé, Genet, and Mudimbe. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.

FREN 363. French Poetry of the Nineteenth Century. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 or 228 or permission of the department. Reading, discussion, and analysis of key works of French poetry from the Romantic era through Symbolism. Particular emphasis will be placed on the work of Lamartine, Hugo, Gautier, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and Mallarmé.

FREN 367. Topics in French and Francophone Literature since 1900. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 or 228 or permission of the department. Literary works, other than novels, written since 1900. The course may treat theatre, poetry, or a combination of the two. Authors studied may include Apollinaire, Ponge, Char, Cocteau, Genet, Beckett, and Ionesco. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different. 

FREN 370. Topics in Francophone Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 or 228, or permission of the department. Reading and discussion of major works from French-speaking West Africa, the Maghreb, the Caribbean, and Canada. Authors studied may include Senghor, Césaire, Damas, Fanon, Ben Jelloun, Djebar, Kourouma, Sembène, Hébert, Chamoiseau. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different. (WCGI, LANG, LIT) 

FREN 375. Contemporary Theory. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 228, or permission of the department. Familiarity with the literary theory necessary for a thorough understanding of the aesthetics, ethics, and politics of reading. Particularly recommended for those intending to pursue graduate studies. Topics may include structuralism, deconstruction, feminism, psychoanalysis, queer studies, and the Francophone theory. May be offered periodically in English.

FREN 380. VT: Women’s Writing in French. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: FREN 206 or 228, or permission of the department. Critical reading and discussion of major works written in French by women writers from the Middle Ages to the present. Authors studied may include Marie de France, Labé, Lafayette, Sévigné, de Staël, Sand, Colette, Duras, Cixous, Wittig, Djebar, Chédid, Roy, Condé, Sow Fall. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different. 

FREN 385. VT: Seminar. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Upper junior or senior standing; an average of B in elective courses taken in French, or permission of the department. Designed especially to give qualified students the skills of scholarly investigation in such fields as French and Francophone literature, film, civilization, or language. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.​​