French (FRE)
Major: A minimum of eight course credits in French at or above the 300 level, which include FRE 301, 303, 311, and 411. A maximum of two elective upper-level courses in other areas, approved beforehand by the Department as relevant to the major, may be substituted for two of the elective French courses.
Teaching Major: A minimum of nine course credits, to include FRE 301, 303, 311, and at least four course credits in French at or above the 300 level; LAL 308 (Language Teaching Methodology); and one additional course at or above the 300 level which may be in another field if approved in advance by the Department as relevant to the major. It is strongly suggested that students complete FRE 411 within their program of study. In addition to the foregoing requirements, prospective teachers must also apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program (preferably at the start of their sophomore year) and complete coursework leading to secondary certification described under Education. Prospective teachers should request a current list of the specific course requirements from the Education Office.
Minor: A minimum of five course credits in French at or above the 300 level, which include FRE 301, 303, and 311.
Study Abroad: French majors are strongly encouraged to study abroad, and up to four course credits taken on approved programs may be substituted for required major courses.
Note: Lectures and discussions in all 300- and 400-level courses are in French.
101-102-103. Beginning French I, II, & III
Pronunciation and grammar, with stress on facility in reading, writing, and speaking French.
205. Topics in French and Francophone Cultures
Continued development of linguistic and cultural competence in French through intensive engagement with a cultural topic or theme or through interaction with native speakers. Possible topics might include immigration, national identity, and regionalism. Prerequisite: FRE 103.
206. Francophone Cultural Immersion
Taught at a Francophone destination, students will develop their knowledge of French language and Francophone culture in a classroom setting and in daily interactions with native speakers from the local community. May include a homestay. Registration entails additional costs. Prerequisites: FRE 103 and permission of instructor. Alternate years.
254. Bending Boundaries: Francophone Women in Translation
Works by representative women writers will be examined in light of contemporary views of feminism, femininity, and "female writing." All work in English. No knowledge of French required. May be counted as a 300-level course for French majors with permission of instructor. Alternate years. (Humanities) WINES
265 through 266. Topics
Topics in French or Francophone literature or culture. See Topics Courses.
280/380. Internship: see Courses 280/380.
290/390. Individual Project: see Courses 290/390.
301. Composition and Conversation
Intensive practice in speaking and writing. We will read, analyze, and discuss a variety of texts – possibly including short fiction, poetry, contemporary magazines, and essays among others – to develop vocabulary and reading skills in different genres and students will compose essays in a variety of written genres, all to help prepare them to take more advanced courses in French. The course also includes oral presentations and class discussions. Prerequisite: FRE 205 or 206.
302. Advanced Conversation and Culture Abroad
For students who wish to achieve greater fluency and an understanding of life in a Francophone country. This course will focus on oral comprehension, speaking and writing skills, and the acquisition of cultural competencies. Course assignments, readings and final research project will be tailored to the specific destination chosen. Registration entails additional costs. Prerequisites: FRE 205 and permission of instructor. Alternate years.
303. Cultures of France and the Francophone World
Contemporary French and Francophone culture viewed through the lenses of media, cinema, literature, politics, and popular culture. Students will study the historical, political, geographic, and cultural meanings of the post-colonial term "Francophonie," and will interrogate what it means to be "French" in a globalized world. Coursework includes both formal and informal writing assignments, a mid-term examination, and a final research project with oral presentation. Prerequisite: FRE 205 or 206; FRE 301 is strongly recommended. Alternate years. (Humanities)
311. Introduction to Literary Analysis in French
Introduction to a variety of French literary genres from the Medieval period to the 20th century, including poetry, theatre, the "nouvelle," and the novel. Students will develop their skills in advanced reading and analytical writing through formal writing assignments and oral presentations. Prerequisite: FRE 301 or permission of instructor. (Humanities)
315. Medieval French Literature
In this course, students will study a variety of literary genres of the French Middle Ages, including the epic Chanson de Roland, songs of the Troubadours and Trouvères, chivalric romance, the tragic love story of Tristan and Yseut, satirical farce, the Lais of Marie de France, and Christine de Pisan’s Livre de la cité des dames. Our analysis of literature will be grounded in the political and socio-cultural landscape of the era. Course themes include feudalism, courtly love, the chivalric code of honor, sexual roles and identities, and the polemical Querelle des Femmes. Some readings are in English to provide background historical and cultural information, but all primary texts are in French. Students will develop their skills in advanced reading and analytical writing through informal and formal writing assignments and oral presentations in French. Prerequisite: FRE 311. Offered every third year. (Humanities) BATY
321. The French Renaissance: Sixteenth Century Literature
Beginning with Rabelais and ending with the best-selling serial genre of Histoires Tragiques, this course will introduce students to a variety of literary genres in sixteenth-century France, including poetry, the short story, and the essay. At a time when the choice of French as a literary language of high culture was subject to passionate debate, French writers paved the way for an emergent national literature and identity. Our analysis of literature will be grounded in the political and socio-cultural landscape of the era. Course themes include the French humanist tradition, violent religious factionalism, sexual roles and identities, the differences between court and popular culture, and the poetics (and politics) of imitation of ancient and Italian examples. French cinematic depictions of the era will also be studied. Some readings are in English to provide background historical and cultural information, but all primary texts are in French. Students will develop their skills in advanced reading and analytical writing through informal and formal writing assignments and oral presentations in French. Prerequisite: FRE 311. Offered every third year. (Humanities) BATY
331. Enlightenment: Eighteenth Century French Literature
The intellectual quest of the philosophes and the Encyclopédistes, with selected readings from Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, and Montesquieu. Development of the drama, the novel, and pre-Romanticism. Prerequisite: FRE 311. Offered subject to the availability of faculty. (Humanities)
341. Nineteenth Century I: 1800-1850
The rise of Romanticism in post-Revolutionary France, examined through poetry, novels, and essays. The Napoleonic era, the return of the monarchy, and the writers who sparked a new French Revolution. The beginnings of realism. Prerequisite: FRE 311. Offered subject to the availability of faculty. (Humanities)
342. Nineteenth Century II: 1850-1900
The Realist reaction against Romanticism–Madame Bovary and Baudelaire's poetry on trial for "indecency." The impact of industrialism on the middle and working classes as seen by Zola. The scandal of Rimbaud and Valéry, the new poetry of Mallarmé, and the ribald play Ubu roi to close the century. Prerequisite: FRE 311. Offered subject to the availability of faculty. (Humanities)
351. Contemporary Literature I: Writing as Political Action
The Surrealist movement grows out of WWI. The Négritude movement unites colonized people in Francophone Africa and the Caribbean. Camus rewrites WWII as The Plague. Wittig and the rise of feminism after the student "revolution" of 1968. Postcolonial Francophone literature. Prerequisite: FRE 311. Offered subject to the availability of faculty. (Humanities)
352. Contemporary Literature II: Writing as Psychological Analysis
Proust and Robbe-Grillet portray obsessive love and jealousy. The theater of the absurd shows the breakdown of communication and language. Québécois literature reflects upon tormented sexualities in isolated towns. Prerequisite: FRE 311. Offered subject to the availability of faculty. (Humanities)
365. Advanced Topics
Topics in French or Francophone literature or culture. See Topics Courses.
411. Seminar
The topic varies, but has traditionally focused on the in-depth study of a literary movement, genre, author, or theme. Theoretical discourses in French and Francophone studies or cultural issues are other possible foci for this course. Required of all French majors. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Alternate years.
988. There are language and culture semester programs in France or Francophone countries run by the School for International Training. See School for International Training Programs.
990. Semester in Paris
Cornell students are eligible to participate in Lake Forest College's Paris International Internship Program, a semester featuring intensive language study, culture, and an internship. For further information, see http://www.cornellcollege.edu/french/off-campus/France-LFC.shtml.
991. Semester in Paris
Cornell students are eligible to participate in Central College’s Paris program, a semester featuring intensive language study, culture, and the option of either an internship or service-learning opportunity. For further information, see http://www.central.edu/abroad/paris/.