The Whitman academic calendar is based on a 14-week semester system. Beginning and intermediate language courses meet for 4 hours a week; advanced language courses and literature courses meet for 3 hours a week. Classes average between 10 and 15 students. Film courses have a weekly screening in addition to the normally scheduled class time. The numbering system for courses in the French department corresponds to the level of difficulty of the course material, and breaks down as follows:
World literature courses do not
follow the same numbering system as courses in the French department. A
300-level course in World Literature would correspond to a 400-level course in
the French department in its degree of difficulty and expectations.
Courses in French are designed to develop proficiency in speaking, writing, and
reading the language and to acquaint the student with French literature and
culture.
Courses in world literature in translation (cross listed as World
Literature) and taught in English, address special topics in French literature,
history, culture, and film for both students of French and students with no
knowledge of French language.
Placement in language courses: Students with previous foreign language experience should consult
the statement on placement in language courses in the Foreign Languages and
Literatures section of the college catalog.
The Foreign Languages and Literatures/French major: Thirty-four credits in French language and
literature beyond the intermediate level (206, 210, or equivalent). These 34
credits may include up to 12 credits at the 300-level or their equivalent; up
to 12 credits transferred from approved study abroad programs or other colleges
or universities; and up to eight credits from courses taught in English and
dealing with French or Francophone material, chosen with the consent of the
French faculty. World literature courses will count as 400-level courses,
despite their 300-level numbering. Advanced language courses taken on study
abroad or transferred from another college or university will count as
300-level courses. Independent studies may not count toward the 34 credits
required for the major.
Senior Assessment: All French majors are
required to pass written and oral examinations the second semester of their
senior year based on the departmental reading list.
The Foreign Languages and Literatures/French minor: A minimum of 18 credits beyond the intermediate level (French 205/206 or equivalent). Those 18 credits must include French 315 (or equivalent) and at least one 400-level (or equivalent) literature course taught in French.
Note: At least 12 of the 18 credits for the minor must be completed on-campus at Whitman. None of the credits may be taken P-D-F once the minor has been declared. Courses taken P-D-F prior to the declaration of the language minor will satisfy course and credit requirements for the minor. Independent studies may not be used to satisfy the minor. AP credits do not count toward the fulfillment of the major or minor requirements in French.
105, 106 Elementary French
4, 4 Staff
For students who have had little or no formal contact with the language. The ultimate aim is reasonable mastery of the four skills: speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. Only French will be spoken in class. Grammar is taught with a view to generating fluency rather than as an end in itself. Four classroom meetings are required each week. Students who have previous work in French are required to take a departmental placement examination for entrance.
205, 206 Intermediate French
4, 4 Zalloua
A yearlong comprehensive review of spoken and written French. Only French will be used in the classroom in daily drills and discussions. Short compositions are required once a week. Four classroom meetings are required each week. While this course stresses grammar, it also will include weekly readings in French literature. Prerequisite: French 106. Students who have not taken French at Whitman previously are required to take a departmental placement examination for entrance.
210 Intensive Intermediate French
4, x Simek
This accelerated course will allow motivated students who place at the high-intermediate level to advance to the 300-level courses after only one semester. It is offered as an alternative to the standard two-semester second-year language sequence (French 205-206). Work will focus on development of the four basic linguistic skills — speaking, listening, writing and reading — through structured grammar practice, communicative activities, and selected readings. Prerequisite: placement exam or consent of the instructor.
305, 306 Advanced French
4, 4 Simek, Staff
Students will expand and perfect their ability to function accurately and appropriately in written and oral French. These courses develop advanced grammar, composition, and discussion skills around primary sources, including literary and popular texts and electronic media. They may include frequent compositions, advanced grammatical exercises, active discussion, theatrical exercises and student projects and presentations. Strongly recommended for French majors. Prerequisites: Any one of the following: French 206, 210, any other 300-level French course, placement exam, or consent of instructor.
315 Introduction to French Literature
4, 4 Fall: Hurlburt; Spring: Zalloua
This course provides an introduction to the major historical periods and literary authors of French civilization from medieval times through the mid-20th century. We will develop the student’s ability to read closely and analyze texts in French through selected excerpts and shorter works by authors such as Villon, Montaigne, Molière, Voltaire, Flaubert, Baudelaire, and others. A final exam, short papers, oral presentations and active participation are required. The course will be conducted in French. French 315 is required for a French minor and can be counted for the French major. Prerequisites: Any one of the following: French 206, 210, any other 300-level French course, placement exam, or consent of instructor.
316 Contemporary France and the Francophone World
x, 4 Simek
An introduction to the society and culture of France and the Francophone world from the early 20th century to the present. Topics discussed include French youth, the condition of women, immigration and racism, the economy and work, Paris, the provinces and the DOM-TOM, Francophone countries, education and politics. Assignments may include readings from the French press and modern French fiction, French film screenings and radio broadcasts. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: Any one of the following: French 206, 210, any other 300-level French course, placement exam, or consent of instructor.
427 Survey of the Literature of the Middle Ages
4, x Zalloua
The medieval epic, theatre, lyric poetry, and narrative fiction, including courtly and bourgeois literature. Conducted in French. This course meets three times a week. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor. Offered in alternate years with French 429.
428 Survey of Renaissance Literature
4; not offered 2009-10
The French literary Renaissance studied principally through the works of Rabelais, Montaigne, and the Pleiade poets. Three periods per week. Conducted in French. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor. Offered in alternate years with French 430.
429 Literature of the Seventeenth
Century
x, 4 Iverson
The classical age as it developed out of the French Renaissance. Studies in the classical theatre, poetry, and novel against the background of philosophical and ethical thought expressed by such thinkers as Descartes, Pascal, LaRochefoucauld, and others. Conducted in French. Three periods per week. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor. Offered in alternate years with French 427.
430 Eighteenth Century Literature
4; not offered 2009-10
The
Age of Enlightenment. Studies in the literary genres that reflect the evolution
in ethical and aesthetic thought in such
writers as Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau,
and Beaumarchais. Conducted in French. Three periods per week. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor. Offered in
alternate years with French 428.
447 Nineteenth Century Literature
4; not offered 2009-10
A selection of novels, poetry, and plays reviewed in light of major aesthetic trends (Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, Symbolism) and socio-political influences. This course will examine the work of such authors as Chateaubriand, Hugo, Balzac, Stendhal, Baudelaire, and Zola. Conducted in French. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor.
448 Introduction to French Cinema
4, x Hurlburt
An introduction to the major authors and movements of French cinema from the 1930s to the present day. We will study works by film authors such as Renoir, Carné, Tati, Godard, Truffaut, Varda, Kassovitz and Serreau. In addition to required screenings, students will read a broad selection of critical texts introducing the technical, theoretical, cultural, political and economic forces that have shaped the French film industry from the advent of sound through to the present day. Movies will be shown in French with English subtitles. This course will be taught in two sections, one in English (RFS 368B) and one in French; the two sections will be combined in English once a week. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor.
449 Twentieth Century French Literature
x, 4 Simek
Modernism and the Age of Suspicion. We will explore the aesthetic, philosophical, and political developments of the 20th century in France through works by writers such as Valéry, Proust, Breton, Sartre, Beckett, Camus, Sarraute, and Duras. Conducted in French. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor.
450
Francophone Literatures
4;
not offered 2009-10
Reading and analysis of selected novels, poems, and plays from across the Francophone literary tradition, with a focus on the literatures of North and West Africa and the Caribbean. This course examines the major movements, issues, and critical approaches marking Francophone literatures, including Négritude, nationalism, postcolonialism, Créolité, and feminism. Conducted in French. Prerequisites: at least two 300-level French classes or consent of instructor.
487,
488 Special Topics in World Literature
4
This course focuses on one or more authors, movements, historical periods, or genres in French literature. Conducted in French or English. May be repeated for credit if topics differ. Prerequisite: none, if taught in English. If taught in French, two 300-level French courses or consent of instructor.
488
ST: Giants of the French Enlightenment: Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot
x,
4 Iverson
This course will focus on the French Enlightenment, a period that indelibly marked the development of Western social, political and scientific thought. Readings will include a broad range of primary works by Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot, including theatrical works, novels, dialogues, and philosophy and political treatises. We will also consider the particular historical and cultural circumstances that made it possible for intellectual figures to shape public opinion and influence public affairs during this time. At the conclusion of the course, we will reflect on recent (largely negative) assessments of the Enlightenment legacy. Course assignments will include papers and presentations. This course may be counted for the French major as one of two 400-level courses taught in English. Distribution area: humanities. May be elected as World Literature 388A.
491,
492 Independent Study
1-3,
1-3 Staff
Directed readings of topics or works selected to complement, but not substitute for, the regular period offerings of the French program. The proposal for independent study must be approved by the tenure-track staff. The number of students accepted for the course will depend on the availability of the staff. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
498
Honors Thesis
4,
4 Staff
Designed to further independent research projects leading to the preparation of an undergraduate thesis or a project report. Required of and limited to senior honors candidates in French. Prerequisite: admission to honors candidacy.
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