I. Course Listings
French Courses Offered 2021-2025
French Courses Offered Fall 2021
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:131. Intermediate French I (3 credits)
420:243. African & Caribbean Literature (3 credits) (taught in English)
420:201. Modern French Readings I (3 credits) (taught in French)
420:357. History of French Animation (3 credits) (taught in French)
French Courses Offered Spring 2022
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:132. Intermediate French II (3 credits)
420:202. Modern French Readings II (3 credits) (taught in French)
420:345. French Crime Fiction (3 credits) (taught in French)
French Courses Offered Fall 2022
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:131. Intermediate French I (3 credits)
420:203 Composition & Conversation I (3 credits)
420:392 French Fantasy & Sci-Fi (3 credits)
French Courses Offered Spring 2023
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:132. Intermediate French II (3 credits)
420:204 Composition & Conversation II (3 credits)
420:336 The Modern French Novel (3 credits)
French Courses Offered Fall 2023
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:131. Intermediate French I (3 credits)
420:391. ST. Globalization Past & Present (3 credits) (taught in French)
420:307. French Cinema (3 credits) (taught in French)
French Courses Offered Spring 2024
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:132. Intermediate French II (3 credits)
420:212. Aspects of Francophone Culture (3 credits) (taught in French)
420:360. French Civilization (3 credits) (taught in French)
French Courses Offered Fall 2024
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:131. Intermediate French I (3 credits)
420:201. Modern French Readings I (3 credits) (taught in French)
420:357. History of French Animation (3 credits) (taught in French)
French Courses Offered Spring 2025
420:101. Elementary French I (4 credits)
420:102. Elementary French II (4 credits)
420:132. Intermediate French II (3 credits)
420:202. Modern French Readings II (3 credits) (taught in French)
420:245. French Crime Fiction (3 credits) (taught in French)
II. Course Descriptions
French Language Courses
The following courses emphasize the development of linguistic skills, speaking, understanding, reading and writing French. Students with previous study of French should take a proficiency exam for placement at the proper level. These courses satisfy the general curricular requirement for foreign languages.
50:420:101 Elementary French I (R) (4)
For students with no knowledge of French or with no more than two years of high school French. Entering students with previous French study will be placed according to the results of a proficiency exam. Students with three or more years of French in high school may not take 101 for credit. Lays a foundation for speaking, understanding, reading, and writing the language. This course is taught in French.
50:420:102 Elementary French II (R) (4)
Prerequisite: 50:420:101 or equivalent. For students with little knowledge of French or with no more than three years of high school French. Entering students will be placed according to the results of a proficiency exam. Students with more than three years of French in high school may not take 102 for credit. Note that 102 (109 for evening students) is the minimum level for fulfilling the college general degree requirement in foreign languages. This course is taught in French.
Continuation of 50:420:101.
50:420:131 Intermediate French I (R) (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:102 or 50:420:109 or equivalent or sufficient score on proficiency examination. Completes the study of basic French grammar, provides an introduction to reading short prose texts, with oral practice and review. This course is taught in French.
50:420:132 Intermediate French II (R) (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:131 or equivalent. Continuation of 50:420:131. Review of French grammar, further reading of French prose texts, with practice in speaking and writing. This course is taught in French.
50:420:203, 204 French Composition and Conversation I, II (3, 3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent.
Constant practice in speaking and writing, with stress on developing an adequate vocabulary and idiom in the discussion of subjects related to French society and culture. This course is taught in French.
50:420:321 Advanced Grammar and Stylistics (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:204, or 50:420:202, or permission of instructor.
A study of advanced French grammar and continued practice in writing, with emphasis on analyzing style in representative French writers. Attention to diction, phonetics, and special problems, as required. This course is taught in French.
50:420:322 Advanced Composition and Conversation (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:204, or 50:420:202, or permission of instructor.
Conversation and composition in French on cultural, historical, literary, social and other aspects of French civilization. This course is taught in French.
French & Francophone Literature and Civilizations Courses
These courses are conducted in French and are open only to students with demonstrated ability in the French language. These courses satisfy the general curricular requirement of one term of a foreign language or literature, as well as that of Global Studies.
50:420:201,202 Modern French Readings I, II (G) (3, 3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132, 50:420:204, or sufficient placement exam score.
Oral and written practice continued. Extended reading of medium-length works and excerpts from French writers of the 19th and 20th centuries, with discussion of their significance. This course is taught in French.
50:420:211 Aspects of French Culture
Prerequisite: 50:420:132, 50:420:204, or equivalent. Study of significant events in contemporary France, from media to culture and politics. Special attention will be given to helping students with written expression. This course is taught in French.
50:420: 212 Aspects of Francophone Culture
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. Study of French-speaking cultures through films and literature, focusing on significant social and historical events in the Francophone world. This course is taught in French.
50:420:250 Globalization: Past and Present (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. In this course, students will engage with the history and evolution of globalization from a variety of perspectives. Beginning with the exploration of the Americas, students will investigate the modalities and consequences of discovery, conquest, (settler) colonialism, and post-colonialism. Globalization’s impact in the twentieth-century will be examined primarily through the vectors of nationalism, modernism, and warfare. Current manifestations of globalization will complete the course’s inquiry into global flows and interactions. Students will learn about cultural, philosophical, and material movements in order to understand how globalization, past and present, shapes their world.
50:420:260 Nature and Ecology (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. This course examines the convergence between nature and ecology in the literary and philosophical traditions of France. In addition, the course introduces students to many foundational elements of ecocriticism as a critical discipline.
50:420:307 The French Film in French (G) (3)
Prerequisite:50:420:132, or 50:420:202, or 50:420:204, or equivalent. May be taken as part of a minor in film studies.
Study of major French films of the 20th century, with some emphasis on the historical and cultural background. Includes filmmakers from the post-war period, the New Wave, and the postmodern era. This course is taught in French.
50:420:310 Introduction to Francophone Literature
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. Study of the French-speaking world through the diversity of its literature. From Western, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb, to the province of Quebec, the Caribbean and the former French colonies of Southeast Asia, this course offers you a panoramic vision of the world through the eyes of writers of French in a variety of sociocultural contexts and genres. This course is taught in French.
50:420:336 The Modern French Novel (G) (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent. Close reading of one major French novel of the 19th or 20th century, with some emphasis on the historical and cultural background. Includes such authors as Balzac, Gide, Colette, Sartre, and Camus. This course is taught in French.
50:420:342 The Modern French Drama (G) (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:202, or 50:420:204 or equivalent.
Study of the French theater through reading and discussion of selected plays from the 19th century to the present time including authors such as Musset, Rostand, Sartre, Ionesco, and Genet. This course is taught in French.
50:420:345 French Crime Fiction (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. Using movies and short literary excerpts, the course looks at the way crime and justice have been represented in French literature from the eighteenth century until the present. Ideas covered will include the bandit as folk hero, the aristocratic lawbreaker, the criminal as victim of society and as monstrous genius, crimes of passion, police in literature, the genre of the detective novel, courtrooms, and images of policing in modern society. This course is taught in French.
50:420:346 French Fantasy and Science-Fiction (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. Introduction to French Fantasy and Science-Fiction in conjunction with historical movements in France.
50:420:353, 354 Individual Study in French (G) (BA,BA) (1-3)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
Independent study guided by a member of the faculty, intended to provide opportunity for advanced students to investigate areas not covered in the regular curriculum. This course is taught in French.
50:420:357 French Animation (G) (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. A study of the history and evolution of French animation. This class shows why animation has become the dominant cultural product of our times, not only in France but also across the world. The course is designed for all intermediate and advanced speakers of French. The aim of this course is to develop your basic understanding of major movements in animation in France (and abroad). This course is taught in French.
50:420:360 French Civilization (G) (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. May be given in English; language announced during preregistration.
Historical study of the people and culture of France and an examination of French values and attitudes as seen in the literature, arts, politics of the country, and in France’s relationship to the rest of the world. This course is taught in French.
50:420:391, 392 French Studies: Special Topics (3, 3)
The topic announced during preregistration treats a particular topic related to French/Francophone cultures or to a historical period. This course is taught in French.
50:420:403 History of the French Language (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:131 or permission of instructor. Development of the French language from its origins to the present; suggestions of possible future evolution. Emphasis on phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon; consideration of cultural forces influencing linguistic stability or change at crucial points in French history. Prerequisite: 50:420:131 or permission of instructor.
50:420:421 Prelude to Revolution (G) (3)
Prerequisites: 50:420:202, or 204 or permission of instructor.
Reading of major works of the classical era and their relationship to political and cultural trends, including such authors as Corneille, Molière, Voltaire, and Rousseau. Additional focus on history, painting and architecture. This course is taught in French.
50:420:441 The Age of Machines (G) (3)
Prerequisites: 50:420:202, or 204 or permission of instructor.
Focus on major literary movements of the 19th century and their relationship to political and cultural trends. Study of selected works by such authors as Hugo, Sand, Balzac, Baudelaire, Flaubert and Zola. Additional focus on history, painting and architecture. This course is taught in French.
50:420:451 Changing Times (G) (3)
Prerequisites: 50:420:202, or 204 or permission of instructor.
Study of major works of the 20th century by such authors as Gide, Giraudoux, Sartre, Camus, Duras and others. Additional focus on history, painting and film. This course is taught in French.
50:420:495,496 Honors Program in French (G) (3, 3)
Prerequisite: Permission of department chairperson.
Courses in English
The following courses are given in English translation; all readings, lectures, classes, assignments and tests are in English. These courses are open to all students, and they may be used to satisfy the general curricular requirements in Literature and Global Studies. Students must complete the English composition requirement before taking these courses. Students wanting to take these courses for credit toward a French major or minor must meet the conditions described above under Major and Minor Requirements.
50:420:240, 241 French Studies in English Translation: Special Topics (3, 3)
The topic announced during preregistration treats a particular theme or genre in French literature.
50:420:243 Francophone Literature in English Translation (3)
This course may be taken as part of a major in African-American Studies.
A study of the Francophone literature of Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. Reading and discussion of selected works in prose, poetry, and drama by representative writers of French expression in English translation. Topics include Negritude, the place of Quebec in the French-speaking world, the treatment of African women in literature, the search for minority identity, and others.
50:420:244 Women in French Literature in English Translation (3)
This course may be taken as part of a minor in Women’s Studies.
A study of major French works by and/or about women, by such writers as Molière, Balzac, De Charrière, Colette and Duras.
50:420:245 French Crime Fiction in English Translation (3)
Prerequisite: 50:420:132 or equivalent when conducted in French. Using short novels and films, the course looks at the way crime and justice have been represented in French literature from the eighteenth century until the present. Ideas covered will include the bandit as folk hero, the aristocratic lawbreaker, the criminal as victim of society and as monstrous genius, crimes of passion, police in literature, the genre of the detective novel, courtrooms, and images of policing in modern society. Reading includes works by authors such as Diderot, Balzac, Hugo, Mérimée, Mauriac, Simenon, Camus and others, and a selection of French films are shown.
50:420:305, 306 French Film in English Translation (3, 3)
These courses may be taken as part of a minor in Film Studies. Survey of the history of French cinema from its beginnings to the present day. Analysis and interpretation of selected film masterpieces by major French filmmakers.
50:420:360 French Civilization. (3)
May be given in French; language announced during preregistration.
Historical study of the people and culture of France and an examination of French values and attitudes as seen in the literature, arts, politics of the country, and in France’s relationship to the rest of the world.
50:420:391, 392 French Studies in English Translation: Special Topics (3, 3)
The topic announced during preregistration treats a particular topic related to French/Francophone culture or to a historical period.