Course Schedule

FREN 101 – Elementary French I

SUN# FRE 1101 - Beginning French I

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing; an introduction to the basic structures and vocabulary of French. Does not count toward French major or minor.

FREN 102 – Elementary French II

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing; an introduction to the basic structures and vocabulary of French, continuation.

FREN 160A1 – The French-Speaking World

Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 1 Traditions and Cultures/160 · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Building Connections

This course will consider the development of the French-speaking world from the colonial period to current times. The first part of the course will present a historical perspective on the evolution and exportation of French language and culture from 1500 to 1900, during France's colonial expansion. The second part will emphasize the cultural and artistic expressions of some of the contemporary French-speaking countries and speakers from around the world.

FREN 201 – Intermediate French I

Continued skill development; further development of the four language skills.

FREN 202 – Intermediate French II

Continued skill development; reinforcement of basic language skills.

FREN 231 – Fashion and Culture in France and Italy

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Individuals and Societies · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Building Connections

The study of fashion is an important conduit for the expression of social identity, political ideas, and aesthetic taste. This course considers the history of style, fashion and dress in France and Italy from a cultural and fashion studies perspective. After a general introduction to models of interpretation and conceptual terms, FREN/ITAL 231 surveys topics in French and Italian fashion design and history from the 1300s to the present day

FREN 245 – African Literature Matters

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Humanities · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Artist

Introduction to African literature coming from the African continent and the diaspora, which explores the representation of Black experience in a variety of geographical and cultural settings. Select themes (such as liberation, oppression, identity) will invite students to reflect on current debates in historical perspective. Taught in English.

FREN 249 – Images of Africa

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Humanities · Gen Ed Attribute: Writing · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Building Connections

This course investigates how audiovisual media including feature films, documentaries, music videos, visual albums represent Africa. The emergence of digital technologies with widespread access transformed Africa's media landscape. Through this exploration of African audiovisual media, the course builds connections across the arts, social sciences, and humanities. Upon completing "Images of Africa," students will have an enhanced understanding of contemporary Africa from a variety of social positions as well as the skills to interpret audiovisual media and evaluate their significance in cultural and historical contexts by drawing on a critical repertoire across disciplines.

FREN 300 – Pandemics, Politics and Culture in France and Italy

Cross Listed · Gen Ed Attribute: Writing · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Humanist

How has humanity responded to and represented pandemics, epidemics and other episodes of contagion in history? What are the roles of race, class and gender in the shaping of disease incidence? How does infectious disease define a life? What is the nature of individual existence when touched by plague? This course considers these questions and others through the study of historical, literary and cultural representations of some of the most influential pandemics and epidemics, covering a wide range of geographical places and time periods in French and Italian history from the Black Death in Tuscany during the Middle Ages to subsequent outbreaks of bubonic plague from Milan to Marseille in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to the spread of cholera and syphilis in the nineteenth century from Paris to Provence. In addition, the course explores the AIDS epidemic in twentieth-century France and the impact of COVID-19 on Italy in the twenty-first. Students examine a variety of primary and secondary sources, fiction and memoirs from French and Italian writers including Giovanni Boccaccio, Alessandro Manzoni, Albert Camus, and Hervé Guibert among others. Taught in English.

FREN 301 – Pronunciation and Conversation

This course focuses on oral communication and is designed to enhance listening comprehension and fluency in French.

FREN 302 – Grammar, Usage and Composition

This course stresses written communication. In addition, conversation and reading are targeted as means to inform writing.

FREN 310 – Spoken French in Cultural Context

This course is focused almost exclusively on oral communication. The course fosters open-mindedness through informed discussion of commonalities and differences between American and French/Francophone cultures. It enables students to sharpen their oral communication skills.

FREN 314 – Caribbean Literature and Culture (West Indies)

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Humanities · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Humanist

The course examines how literature captures the multifaceted social, cultural, and political life of the Caribbean region.

FREN 320 – Written French in Cultural Context

This course stimulates intellectual openness and interest in other cultures. It enables students to gain familiarity, experience and confidence in reading and writing French.

FREN 373 – US & Francophone Hip-Hop Cultures

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Humanities · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity, US · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Artist

Examination of the historical, ethical, social, and political impacts and perspectives of hip-hop artistic practices and works on communities and societies in the United States and in the French-speaking world. Taught in English.

FREN 393 – Internship

Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of training and practice in actual service in a technical, business, or governmental establishment.

FREN 410 – Film and Fiction

Enhances skills to process information that promotes the understanding and interpretation of the target culture.

FREN 420 – Cultural History

A content-based course designed to help students gain advanced knowledge about French and Francophone cultures.

FREN 434 – Business French II

The basic workings of the French economy and the essential vocabulary and style specific to French business.

FREN 443 – Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema

Designed to help students gain a better sense of the Francophone world's diverse histories, cultures, and societies. Graduate-level requirements include more emphasis on research, theory, and criticism, and more substantial assignments in terms of length and quality.

FREN 461A – French Linguistics

Cross Listed

This course will introduce the study of French from a linguistic point of view. The area to be covered will be chosen from: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, dialect and social variation, pragmatics, discourse analysis.

FREN 498 – Senior Capstone

The senior capstone is designed to offer majors the opportunity to synthesize learning accumulated in the major and to demonstrate that they have met the Major program's stated learning outcomes in Communications, Cultures, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities. Students will learn how to show and tell their story for professional advancement. In addition, students will participate in workshops that are intended to create a bridge between your senior year and life post-college, such as CV/Resume work, graduate application review, gap year planning, panel of past majors, networking, etc).

FREN 498H – Honors Thesis

Honors Course · Writing Emphasis Course

An honors thesis is required of all the students graduating with honors. Students ordinarily sign up for this course as a two-semester sequence. The first semester the student performs research under the supervision of a faculty member; the second semester the student writes an honors thesis.

FREN 101 – Elementary French I

SUN# FRE 1101 - Beginning French I

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing; an introduction to the basic structures and vocabulary of French. Does not count toward French major or minor.

FREN 102 – Elementary French II

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing; an introduction to the basic structures and vocabulary of French, continuation.

FREN 201 – Intermediate French I

Continued skill development; further development of the four language skills.

FREN 202 – Intermediate French II

Continued skill development; reinforcement of basic language skills.

FREN 230 – Introduction to French Culture

Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Individuals and Societies · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity, US · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Building Connections

This gateway course introduces students to French thought and culture through multiple perspectives and disciplines including history, philosophy, law, literary traditions and cultures, gender and sexuality, film, art and cultural studies among others. By the end of the course, students will have acquired a broad historical understanding of French culture and a deeper sense of the interdisciplinary perspectives that contribute meaning to individual and collective French identities. Taught in English.

FREN 231 – Fashion and Culture in France and Italy

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Individuals and Societies · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Building Connections

The study of fashion is an important conduit for the expression of social identity, political ideas, and aesthetic taste. This course considers the history of style, fashion and dress in France and Italy from a cultural and fashion studies perspective. After a general introduction to models of interpretation and conceptual terms, FREN/ITAL 231 surveys topics in French and Italian fashion design and history from the 1300s to the present day

FREN 300 – Pandemics, Politics and Culture in France and Italy

Cross Listed · Gen Ed Attribute: Writing · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Humanist

How has humanity responded to and represented pandemics, epidemics and other episodes of contagion in history? What are the roles of race, class and gender in the shaping of disease incidence? How does infectious disease define a life? What is the nature of individual existence when touched by plague? This course considers these questions and others through the study of historical, literary and cultural representations of some of the most influential pandemics and epidemics, covering a wide range of geographical places and time periods in French and Italian history from the Black Death in Tuscany during the Middle Ages to subsequent outbreaks of bubonic plague from Milan to Marseille in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to the spread of cholera and syphilis in the nineteenth century from Paris to Provence. In addition, the course explores the AIDS epidemic in twentieth-century France and the impact of COVID-19 on Italy in the twenty-first. Students examine a variety of primary and secondary sources, fiction and memoirs from French and Italian writers including Giovanni Boccaccio, Alessandro Manzoni, Albert Camus, and Hervé Guibert among others. Taught in English.

FREN 314 – Caribbean Literature and Culture (West Indies)

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Humanities · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Humanist

The course examines how literature captures the multifaceted social, cultural, and political life of the Caribbean region.

FREN 373 – US & Francophone Hip-Hop Cultures

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Diversity Emphasis · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Humanities · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity, US · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Artist

Examination of the historical, ethical, social, and political impacts and perspectives of hip-hop artistic practices and works on communities and societies in the United States and in the French-speaking world. Taught in English.

FREN 375 – Franco-American Relations

Cross Listed · Gen Ed: Tier 2 Humanities · Gen Ed Attribute: Diversity and Equity, US · Gen Ed Attribute: World Cultures and Societies · Gen Ed: Exploring Perspectives, Humanist

The course's main purpose is to examine Franco-American relations, and more specifically the mutual perspectives on their respective nations offered by French and American citizens throughout the years. This interdisciplinary course addresses Franco-American relations in a global way through assigned interdisciplinary readings and films. The course's ultimate goal is to come up with reasons why such close and at times tumultuous relations exist between the United States and its oldest ally, France. Taught in English.