Courses in French
Beginning French I (FL)
(4.0 cr; fall, every year)
An introduction to oral and written French, its basic structure, and to French culture.
Beginning French II (FL)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-1001 or placement or #; spring, every year)
Continuation of 1001
- Intermediate French I (IP)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-1002 or placement or #; fall, every year)
Review of the essential structural patterns of the French language; continued development of oral, aural, reading, and writing skills based on cultural and literary texts appropriate to this level.
- Intermediate French II (IP)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-2001 or placement or #; spring, every year)
Review of the essential structural patterns of the French language; continued development of oral, aural, reading, and writing skills based on cultural and literary texts appropriate to this level. |
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- Introduction to French Phonetics (HUM)
(2.0 cr [max 4.0 cr]; open to all students of French; course does not count toward FL requirement; offered when feasible)
Training in French pronunciation through general and French phonetics geared towards speakers of American English. Counts as an elective.
- Conversation and Composition (IP)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-2002 or placement or #; fall, every year)
Conversation, including work on sounds and sound patterns as well as vocabulary building and practice based on common situations; writing skills; and advanced grammar review.
- Reading and Analysis of Texts (HUM)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-3001 or #; spring, every year)
Introduction to representative literary works of France and the French-speaking world. Development of ease in reading French; introduction to methods for analyzing its style and meanings.
- Senior Seminar
(4.0 cr; Prereq-completion of 32 credits toward the French major; must be taken on campus; spring, every year)
A capstone experience for majors, consisting of professional development and a substantial scholarly or creative work (at the undergraduate level) within the discipline. Conducted as a seminar. Final presentation must be given in French.
Index to Upper-Division Courses (see Major Requirements for explanation)
Courses Taught in English
Early Modern Cluster
Francophone Cluster
Modern Cluster
Other Electives
Study Abroad
The following courses taught in English, as well as all clustered courses and electives, are offered on a four-year rotation. See Electives Rotation.
One cross-listed French course taught in English may be counted toward the major, provided that students complete written work for the class in French. Note that each of these courses also meets a cluster requirement for the French major.
- French Cinema (IP)
(4.0 cr; =[HUM 1302]; Prereq-#)
Same as Hum 1302. History of filmmaking in France from the Lumière brothers to the present; introduction to major trends in film theory. All films have English subtitles. Taught in English, but all papers and some reading/discussion will be in French. Meets Modern requirement in French major.
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- Paris as Text/Image/Sound (IP)
(4.0 cr; =[HUM 1303]; Prereq-#)
Same as Hum 1303. Explores how representations of Paris in literature, film, music, and photography have been a key to the construction and the lived experience of the city and how new forms of writing, image-making, and sound production have emerged from the modern metropolis. Texts by Balzac, Baudelaire, Hemingway, Stein, and others. Taught in English, but all papers and some reading/discussion will be in French. Meets Modern requirement in French major. |
- French Women Authors in Translation (IP)
(4.0 cr; =[HUM 1304]; Prereq-#)
Same as Hum 1304. French women's movements during the 20th century, the historical relationship of gender and class, and the lives of women from various ethnic backgrounds in France; the history of French women authors in a global context. Taught in English, but all papers and some reading/discussion will be in French. Meets Modern requirement in French major.
- West African Francophone Cinema (IP)
(4.0 cr; =[HUM 1311]; Prereq-#)
Same as Hum 1311. Introduction to the history of cinema in French-speaking West Africa. Students learn to read African films, to recognize and analyze political themes in the films, and become sensitive to issues facing many African nations in the postcolonial world. Taught in English, but all papers and some reading/discussion will be in French. Meets Francophone requirement in French major.
To complete a major in French at UMM, you must complete at least one course from each of three clusters: Early Modern, Modern, and Francophone. Additional clustered courses count as electives towards your major.
- Early Modern Studies: French Culture I: Medieval and Early Modern France (HIST) (4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #)
This course traces the history of French culture from the Middle Ages until the French Revolution; it examines the geography, language, and institutions of medieval and early modern France. Meets Early Modern requirement in French major.
French Literature I: Medieval and Early Modern France (HUM) (4.0 cr; Prereq-3011)
A survey of French literature from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment; a study of the successive ideals of feudalism, Renaissance knowledge and lyricism, classical reason and unreason, and the "Rights of Man." |
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- French Fairy Tale and the Fantastic (HUM)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-3011)
Study of the marvelous and the fantastic from the 17th century to the end of the 19th century. Readings from Charles Perrault, Mme Leprince de Beaumont, Mme d'Aulnoy, Guy de Maupassant, and others.Early Modern Studies: Wonder and the Marvelous (HUM) (4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #)
Examination of "le merveilleux" in French literature in medieval and early modern texts. Examples are taken from the work of Marie de France, Rabelais, Ambroise Paré, Descartes, and several baroque dramatists. Meets Early Modern Requirement in French major.
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- Francophone Studies: Francophone Worlds (IP)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #)
Readings in a variety of cultural and literary texts from among French-language writers of Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, North America, and Europe; study of issues of national identity, race, gender, and postcolonial consciousness. Meets Francophone requirement in French major.
- Francophone Studies: Contes francophones (IP)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #)
Study of the oral tale in African and Caribbean cultures. Examination of the form of these tales, their thematic structure, and how these tales have been translated into written and/or cinematographic texts. Meets Francophone requirement in French major. |
- Francophone Studies: Littérature migrante (IP)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #)
Examination of texts written by people on the move: immigrants, migrants, people in exile. How do their texts move with them? How do these movements challenge national paradigms? Meets Francophone requirement in French major.
- Francophone Studies: L'Amérique francophone (HUM)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #)
Survey of literary texts and movements in Francophone North America, including Quebec and Louisiana, as well as the history of French exploration of the New World. A discussion of the cultural tensions that have threatened and continue to shape Francophone identity in North America. Meets Francophone requirement in French major.
- Modern Studies: French Culture II: Modern and Contemporary France (IP)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #)
A study of French culture and history from the French Revolution to the present, and France’s fitful development as a modern, multicultural democracy. Meets Modern requirement in French major.
- French Literature II: Revolution, Romanticism, Modernity (HUM)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-3011 or #)
A survey of French Literature from the Enlightenment to the present: literature as the rewriting of the past and the discovery of the creative self. |
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Electives
A second course taken in one of the above clusters may also be counted as an elective towards the major.
Business French is not part of the French curriculum. However, students wishing to combine French and Economics/Management are encouraged to study abroad, and will find many opportunities for pursuing Economics/Management studies in France through the Learning Abroad Center (UMTC).
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- French Poetry: Survey, Analysis, Creation (HUM)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-3011)
A survey of French poetry from the Middle Ages to the present, with emphasis on 19th and 20th centuries. Revisiting the fundamentals of French poetry: rhyme, meter, and the evolution of poetic form. Mastery of the analyse de texte method, the arts of recitation, pastiche, and poetic creation.
- Thème et Version (HUM)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-3001 or equiv or #; offered when feasible)
The art of translation applied to everyday discourse, literary texts, and a number of professional fields: journalism, Franco-American business, and political, social, and natural sciences with a particular emphasis on specialized vocabularies and advanced grammar and syntax. |
- French and Francophone Theater (HUM)
(4.0 cr; Prereq-or coreq 3011 or #; offered when feasible)
The study of theatrical texts of France and other French-speaking countries, including the history of theater, various theatrical movements, and the political nature of theatrical texts. Some oral interpretation is included.
- Directed Study
(1.0 - 5.0 cr [max 10.0 cr]; Prereq-approved directed study form; fall, spring, every year)
An on- or off-campus learning experience individually arranged between a student and a faculty member for academic credit in areas not covered in the regular curriculum.
(See also Study Abroad in French )
Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad, but should also plan to complete a significant amount of coursework in French at UMM. Up to 9 credits for one semester abroad or 16 credits for a year abroad may count towards the French major.Students may count Fren 4991—Independent Study in French Abroad and Fren 3060—CE: July in Paris: French Language and Culture in Paris II toward the major
CE: July in Paris: French Language and Culture in Paris I (FL). (4.0 cr; summer, every year)
Beginning course for UMM July in Paris Program. Four weeks of intensive beginning French language and culture at the Sorbonne, Paris IV; guided visits to cultural and historical sites. No previous experience of French required. See also Fren 3060: CE: July in Paris: French Language and Culture in Paris II
CE: July in Paris: French Language and Culture in Paris II (IP)
(4.0 cr [max 8.0 cr]; Prereq-1002 or equiv; every summer)
Advanced coursework for UMM July in Paris Program. Four weeks of intermediate or advanced French language study at the Sorbonne, Paris IV; guided visits to cultural and historical sites. |
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- Independent Study in French Abroad (IP)
(4.0 cr [max 12.0 cr]; Prereq-2002 or #; 3022 or 3032 or 3041 recommended; fall, spring)
An independent study designed for study abroad and based on the student’s research interests in French or Francophone language, culture, history, etc. The project is defined in consultation with a French faculty person before the student leaves the United States. The faculty member guides the project via email.
Photo credits
stone doorway in Carcassonne, by Prof. Tammy Berberi as an undergraduate
scuplture at Beaubourg (Paris), by Ngoc Nguyen, UMM July in Paris participant, 2004
chapel at Versailles, by Ngoc Nguyen
baobab tree, Senegal, by Prof. Sarah Buchanan
Moulin Rouge (Paris) by Alexis Lang, UMM July in Paris participant, 2004
Notre Dame detail (gargoyle) by Alexis Lang
Notre Dame, photographer unknown, July in Paris Program 2000
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