French

Requirements for Majors

French majors are required to take at least 36 credit hours in French and Francophone Studies courses above the 100 level. FREN-251 and 252 and at least one 400-level W course are required, as well as a study abroad experience as approved by the department. French majors can fulfill the requirement for an oral presentation in the major and the capstone requirement by taking FREN 440W or 492W.

Secondary School Certification:

Students planning to obtain certification for secondary-school teaching in French must take a minimum of 24 credit hours in French at the 200, 300 and 400 levels. The following courses are required: FREN-251; 252, 317, 328, and at least two 300- or 400-level courses. In addition to the course requirements, students are required to pass a qualifying examination before they will be admitted to candidacy for certification and a competency examination before being certified.

These tests will examine students’ linguistic competence, orally and in writing, testing phonetics, conversation, grammar and composition. The exit exam will also check their knowledge of French literature and culture, including the arts, history and geography. Students and their advisers should consult the Ursinus College Education Department. Language majors and students preparing for certification are required to supplement their work at Ursinus by spending a summer, a semester or an entire year in a foreign country with a program approved by the department. Exceptions to this policy may be made by petition to the department chair.

Requirements for Minors

A minor in French consists of 20 credits. Required of all minors are FREN-251 or FREN-252. The remaining credits can come from intermediate-level courses (FREN-111, 112), and any FREN courses at the 200-, 300-, or 400-levels.

FREN-101. Introduction to French Language and Francophone Cultures I

Development of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Designed for beginners. Four hours per week plus plus one hour with interactive technologies or in teaching-assistant-led conversation. Four semester hours. (L.)

FREN-102. Introduction to French Language and Francophone Cultures II

Continuation of FREN-101. Four hours per week plus one hour of work with interactive technologies or in teaching-assistant-led conversation. Four semester hours. (L.)

FREN-103. Intensive Beginner Studies of French Language and Francophone Cultures

This course is intended for students who have previous experience in the language, but who lack the foundational knowledge for the intermediate level. It is designed to be an intensive review that covers the entire beginning sequence seen in FREN-101 and 102 in one semester. The course combines development of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) with a grammar review. It is followed by FREN-111. Four hours per week plus one hour with interactive technologies or in teaching-assistant-led conversation. Four semester hours. (L.)

FREN-111. Intermediate Studies in French Language and Francophone Cultures I

Conversation and vocabulary development; grammar review, written work and discussions are based on cultural, social and literary selections. Prerequisite: FREN-102, FREN-103, or the equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour with interactive technologies or in teaching-assistant-led conversation. Four semester hours. (L.)

FREN-112. Intermediate Studies in French Language and Francophone Cultures II

Continued emphasis on comprehension and speaking. Reading of literary and cultural texts and longer writing assignments. Introduction to elementary Francophone literature. Prerequisite: FREN-111 or the equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour with interactive technologies or in teaching-assistant-led conversation. Four semester hours. (L.)

FREN-201. Communicating in French

How is the world shaped by the language we speak? To explore this question, students engage in conversations on a range of French and Francophone cultural themes, while developing their ability to understand authentic spoken French in its many varieties. Prerequisite: FREN-112 or the equivalent. Four hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-202. Storytelling in French

How is the world shaped by written language? To explore this question, students practice formal, informal, and creative writing (short essays, short stories, poetry) while developing strategies for incorporating previously learned grammar into written and oral expression. Prerequisite: FREN-112 or the equivalent. Four hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-251. Exploring Literature in French from the Middle Ages to the Present

How does literature help us understand the world? What role does literature have in our life together? To reflect on these questions, students read and analyze a selection of major literary works written in French from the Middle Ages to the present. Special attention will be given to the socio-cultural context from which the narratives emerged. Prerequisites: FREN-202 or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L, GN.)

FREN-252. Living Together in the Francophone World

What is the Francophone World? What does it mean to live in it? By examining the global interconnections created by a variety of French-language authors and filmmakers from around the globe, this course invites students to question how we should live together in a world haunted by past traumas such as French colonialism. Students consider the role of literature and cinema in everyday life together, reflecting on how language constructs identity and community. Prerequisite: FREN-202 or permission of instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, GN, L.)

FREN-255. Investigating French and Francophone Cultures

A thematically driven course in which students investigate how we should live together by analyzing the operation of privilege as it relates to diversity and inequality within the political, social, economic, and cultural history of France and the Francophone World from the Revolution of 1789 to the present day. Themes may include the Haitian Revolution, France during the World Wars, or a critical interrogation of the French motto: “liberté, égalité, fraternité.” FREN-202 or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

Note: This course will be offered in the spring term of even-numbered years and will alternate with FREN-252. All 300-level courses are offered in rotation.

FREN-317. Contemporary France and Francophone Europe

This course introduces students to the culture of France, Belgium and Switzerland through the study of a number of different printed and video “texts” to discuss major social, political, economic, and cultural forces that structure life in Francophone Europe today. Students draw on a variety of disciplines (history, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science) and their interrelations in order to acquire a certain familiarity with the nature of French, Belgian, and Swiss “identities” today and the forces that are challenging those identities. Topics addressed are politics, issues of immigration and education, and regionalism. Prerequisite: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-318. French for Professional Purposes

Students perform tasks related to their future professions: writing, presentations, CVs, resumes, cover letters, interviewing skills, cultural considerations, and career development. The final project is an oral presentation of a final paper in the student’s professional field. Prerequisite: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-328. Advanced Grammar and Translation

French phonetics, morphology and syntax, with emphasis on problems related to the teaching of the language. Frequent translations focus on structural differences between French and English. Prerequisite: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Offered upon request. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-335. Independent Study in French and Francophone Studies

Individual study of topics in French and Francophone literature, cinema, and culture. May also be used in preparation for research or internship abroad. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course and permission of instructor. Two to four semester hours. (L, XLP, if 4 credits.)

FREN-341. Seminar in French and Francophone Studies

This course is for students who wish to take the senior seminar taught in the same semester but are not yet seniors. Assignments for students of FREN-341 will correspond to the workload of a 300-level course. FREN-341 is offered concurrently with FREN-440W. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Does not fulfill the capstone requirement for the French major. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-342. Gender and Sexuality Studies in French

This course explores the literary representations of gender and sexuality in France from the nineteenth century to the present. Through the interdisciplinary study of literary works, the history of sexuality and feminist theory, this course addresses important questions on the politics of queer sexuality as well as gender dynamics and sexual identities in modern French culture. The aim of this course is to bridge literature in French with gender and sexuality studies. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-345. Topics in French and Francophone Studies

This course focuses on a specific topic or theme not otherwise treated in the curriculum. Topics will vary from year to year. Previous topics have included « Regard sur/des Autres dans la société française » and « Hidden Stories of World War II ». Independent written work is required. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course or the permission of the instructor. Three hours of class per week, and in some cases two-hour film screenings per week, depending on the topic. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-352. Transnational Francophone Studies

What borders does the French language transcend? What barriers does it create? Through a study of French and Francophone literature, cinema, and culture, this course questions the relationships between nation, location, language, and identity across borders and within contexts of immigration and exile. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, O, L.)

FREN-362. French and Francophone Thought

How does thinking in French help us understand the world? What does French-language thought contribute to our reflection on the core questions of the Ursinus quest? Beginning with these broad questions, this course invites students to reflect on philosophical and theoretical texts written in French. Students also more narrowly probe how French and Francophone thinkers have theorized our obligations to others. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-372. Masterpieces of French and Francophone Literature and Cinema

In this course, students develop their advanced analytical skills by closely studying texts and/or films from significant authors and filmmakers centered around a theme, movement, person, or region. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-381. Internship

An academic work/experience under the supervision of an internship adviser and an on-site supervisor. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Contact the chair of the department for further details. Open to juniors and seniors. The term during which the internship work is performed will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the internship course number: A (fall), B (winter), C (spring), or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter I. The intern must complete a minimum of 120 hours of work. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course and approval of a faculty internship adviser. Three semester hours. (XLP.)

FREN-382. Internship

An academic work/experience under the supervision of an internship adviser and an on-site supervisor. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Contact the chair of the department for further details. Open to juniors and seniors. The term during which the internship work is performed will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the internship course number: A (fall), B (winter), C (spring), or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter I. The intern must complete a minimum of 160 hours of work. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: one 250-level French course and approval of a faculty internship adviser. Four semester hours. (XLP.)

FREN-440W. Senior Seminar in French and Francophone Studies

In-depth examination of a theme in French and Francophone Studies that invites students to reflect on their quest through the French and Francophone Studies curriculum as well as their liberal arts education holistically. Focused attention will be given to the core question of “What will I do?” within the sphere of the chosen theme. This course satisfies the capstone requirement for the French major. Prerequisites: One 300-level French course and senior status or permission of the instructor. Three hours per week, and in some cases two-hour film screenings per week, depending on the topic. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

FREN-491. Research/Independent Work

This course is open to candidates for departmental honors and to other students with the permission of the department chair. Prerequisites: one 300-level French course. Four semester hours. (XLP.)

FREN-492W. Research/Independent Work

A continuation of FREN-491. This is a writing-intensive course and at least one formal oral presentation is required. This course satisfies the capstone requirement for the French major. Prerequisites: FREN-491 and permission of the department chair. Four semester hours. (XLP.)