Course Offerings

Classiques de la littérature française en livres de poche, salon du livre 2002 (Paris, porte de Versailles) Photo : Frédéric de La Mure / M.A.E.

Classiques de la littérature française en
livres de poche, salon du livre 2002
(Paris, porte de Versailles) Photo:
Frédéric de La Mure / M.A.E.

Current Semester Course Offerings

One hundred-level courses focus on language proficiency in cultural context. Two hundred-level courses consolidate language skills while beginning a more systematic study of French literatures and civilizations. A year or semester in France provides direct experience in the French culture. Three hundred-level courses focus on specific topics in literature, civilization, and cultural studies.

Language

101. Discovering French (Elementary level I) (I; 4, 0)

Beginning language skills. Practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing; elementary grammar; and introduction to French civilization.

102. Exploring French (Elementary level II) (II; 4, 0)

Continuation of language skills. Practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing; grammar; readings in literature and civilization. Prerequisite: FREN 101 or one year of secondary school French.

103. Building Proficiency in French (Intermediate level I) (I; 4, 0)

A review of basic grammar emphasizing all four language skills and culture. Prerequisite: FREN 102 or equivalent (three years of secondary school French).

104. Communicating in Context (Intermediate level II) (I and II; 4, 0)

Continuing review of basic grammar emphasizing all four language skills and culture. Prerequisite: FREN 103 or four years of secondary school French.

150. Posing and Composing in French (I and II; 3, 0)

Application of major linguistic functions learned so far through a series of contextualized writing assignments based on a simulation of life in France . Acquisition of skills essential for 200-level courses: textual analysis, argumentative essay, film review, plus oral and multi-media enhanced presentations. Prerequisite: FREN 104 or five years of secondary school French.

201 and 202. Intermediate French Conversation I and II (I and II; 2, 0) Half courses.

Not open to students who have studied in France or other French-speaking countries. Concentration on development of speaking skill. Conducted entirely in French by native speaker. Intended for students enrolled in 200-level courses. Prerequisite: FREN 104 or equivalent. (Cannot be applied toward the French major or minor.)

215. Advanced Intermediate French I (I or II; 0, 5)

Intensive French language study during the student's first month in Tours . Offered only in Tours , required of all students their first semester there. Prerequisite: FREN 150.

216. Advanced Intermediate French II (I and II; 0; 2) Half course.

Guided practice for the improvement of written and spoken French at the advanced intermediate level, and preparation for the DELF French proficiency exam. Offered only in Tours , required of all students their first semester there. Prerequisite: FREN 215.

301 and 302. Advanced French Conversation I and II (I and II; 2, 0) Half course.

Advanced conversation for students who have studied in France or other French-speaking countries. Conducted entirely in French by native speaker. May not be taken by native speakers of French. (Cannot be applied toward the French major or minor.)

Intermediate Literature, Culture, and Society


L´Assemblée Nationale (Paris)
Photo : Frédéric de La Mure / M.A.E.

200-level courses offered by the French and Francophone Studies Program assume a general unfamiliarity with any literary or cultural history outside of the Anglophone tradition. As a result, these courses aim to give students a broad introduction to a specific aspect of French/Francophone literature or culture by providing a general overview of specific literary and cultural trends pertinent to French-speaking populations.

230. French Literature I (I; 3, 0)

Introduction to history of French literature through the 18th century and to methods of critical reading. Prerequisite: FREN 150.

231. French Literature II (II; 3, 0)

Introduction to history of French literature of the 19th and 20th centuries and to methods of critical reading. In French. Prerequisite: FREN 150.

235. The French Speaking World (I or II; 3, 0)

Culture and literature of different areas of the French-speaking world. Prerequisite: FREN 150.

236. Topics in Francophone Literature and Culture (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Study of the literature, language, geography, history, music, and film of a particular Francophone region (French Caribbean, Quebec , West Africa, Maghreb , etc.) for the entire semester. Prerequisite: FREN 150.


Un cinéma, place de l´Odéon à Paris
Photo : Frédéric de La Mure / M.A.E.

255. Introduction to French Cinema (I or II; 3, 0)

Introduction to French cinema from a cultural and historical perspective. Students will familiarize themselves with major cinematic movements and with methods of critical reading. The course also includes discussions of the relationships between film, literature, and other visual arts. Prerequisite: French 150.

270. La France actuelle (I or II; 3, 0)

Introduction to contemporary France from historical, sociological, anthropological, and symbolic perspectives. The study of French attitudes, lifestyles, conceptions of society, social and political structures, and of France and French in a post-colonial context. Prerequisite: FREN 150.

271. La France artistique (I or II; 3, 0)

Introduction to French music, literature, and fine arts from the Middle Ages to the present. Focus on selected artists, writers, or works from each period, rather than a comprehensive survey. Prerequisite: FREN 150.

295. Topics in French Studies (I or II; 3, 0)

Topics vary but permit study of one or several subjects in French literature, culture, and civilization. Prerequisite: FREN 150 and permission of the instructor.

Advanced Literature, Culture, and Society


Culture de la canne à sucre (Ile de la Réunion)
Photo : Frédéric de La Mure / M.A.E.

300-level courses offered by the French and Francophone Studies Program assume a general familiarity with French and Francophone literary traditions and also a general knowledge of the cultural and historical contexts in which both literary and visual texts are produced. As a result, these courses focus in depth on specific aspects of French/Francophone literatures and cultures and students are expected to acquire more than simply a superficial understanding of how literary, visual and aural texts operate in a particular cultural or historical moment. Students are expected to move to a more sophisticated level of interpretation and analysis by developing the following skills and capacities:

322. Medieval and Renaissance Studies (I or II; 3, 0)

Examination of the literature of the medieval and Renaissance periods emphasizing the analysis of themes, ideas, and styles as well as cultural and historical contexts. Prerequisites: FREN 230 and 231.

324. Seventeenth-century Studies (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Examination of literary works including theatre, novel, and essay, as well as letters of the period. Analysis of the social underpinnings and philosophical implications of the classical aesthetic. Prerequisites: FREN 230 and 231.

325. Eighteenth-century Studies (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Topics vary, but deal with aspects of the literary, artistic, and intellectual manifestations of the decline of the Ancien Regime and the liberation of thought initiated by the pre-Revolutionary philosophes. Prerequisites: FREN 230 and 231.

326. Nineteenth-century Studies (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Topics vary from year to year, but will inevitably focus on the interaction of Romantic imagination and Realist observation that characterizes the 19th century in France . Prerequisites: FREN 230 and 231.

327. Twentieth-century Studies (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Topics will vary from year to year. The course could focus on a period, a genre, a group of major writers, or a theme. Emphasis is on discussion and writing. Prerequisites: FREN 230 and 231.

330. Topics in Literature (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Advanced study of themes or topics in French and/or Francophone literature. Prerequisites: FREN 230 and 231.

335. Literature and Culture of Quebec (AI or II; 3, 0)

Study of the literature, film, politics, and society of Quebec . Prerequisite: FREN 230, 231, 235, 270, or 271.

336. Francophone Africa (AI or AII; 3, 0)

Study of literature, film, politics, and society of Francophone Africa. Prerequisite: FREN 230, 231, 235, 270, or 271.

370. Topics in Civilization (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Advanced study in themes, topics, or periods in French history or civilization. Prerequisite: FREN 270.

371. Topics in the Arts (I or II; R; 3, 0)

Advanced study in themes, topics, or periods of French art history. Prerequisite: FREN 271 or permission of the instructor.

390. Independent Study (I and II; R) Half to full course.

Subject to be selected by student in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

395. Seminar in French Studies (I and II; R; 3, 0)

Topics vary but permit detailed study of any one of innumerable subjects in French literature and civilization. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Courses offered only in Tours (Bucknell en France Program)

For a full listing of courses offered in Tours , click here.

217. Advanced French I (II)

Intensive French language study during first month of second semester in Tours . Offered only in Tours . Prerequisite: FREN 215.

218. Advanced French II (II; 3, 0) Half course

Guided practice for the improvement of written and spoken French at the advanced intermediate level, and preparation for DELF French Exam. Offered only in Tours .

Prerequisite: FREN 216.

219. Le Français juridique (I or II; 3, 0)

Introduction to the vocabulary and concepts of French law. Offered only in Tours . Prerequisite: FREN 150.

276. Tours Artistique (I and II; 2, 0) Half course.

The many faces of Tours as reflected in the arts. Offered only in Tours .

285. Internship in France (II)

Internship in French business, government, or education. Offered only in Tours . Prerequisite: FREN 216 or equivalent.

290. Independent Study (I or II; 3, 0)

Independent study in French for students enrolled in the Bucknell en France program. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor and enrollment in the Bucknell en France program.