| BARNARD COLLEGE |
| DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH |
|
courses
|
|
The following is a list of all courses of instruction offered by the French Department. For the current semester's offerings, please see our Spring 2008 courses. For upcoming courses, please see our Fall 2008 courses. LANGUAGE COURSES
For satisfactory
completion of the language requirement, students with a C- or below average
will have to repeat the course. All courses are worth 3 points unless otherwise
noted.
FREN BC 1001x, 1002y: Elementary French (Full-Year Course)
4 pointsE. Weems, B. O'Keeffe Basic elements of French grammar. Oral, writing, and reading skills. Students may take either or both of these courses at Columbia. FREN BC 1102x: Review French Fundamentals
I. Jouanneau-FertigOral and written review of basic grammar and syntax. Readings in modern French and Francophone literature. Primarily for students who need further instruction to qualify for the intermediate course. Credit cannot be granted for both BC 1102 and BC 1002 (or its equivalent). Limited to 20 students per section. FREN BC 1203x, y: Intermediate French I
L. Lang, B. O'Keeffe, L. Postlewate, A. Rechtman, E. Roustang-Stoller, P. Usher,
E. WeemsFurther development of oral and written communication skills. Readings in French and Francophone literature. Prerequisites: BC 1001x, BC1002y, BC 1102x, C1101-1102, or an appropriate score on the placement test. FREN BC 1204x, y: Intermediate French II
B. O'Keeffe, A. Rechtman, E. Roustang-Stoller, P. UsherAdvanced work in language skills. Readings in French and Francophone literature. Prerequisites: BC 1203 or an appropriate score on the placement test. FREN BC 1205: Intermediate Oral French
I. Jouanneau-FertigIntensive oral work, vocabulary enrichment, discussions on prepared topics relating to contemporary France and the French-speaking world; oral presentations. (This course does not satisfy the language requirement.) Limited to 15 students. FREN BC 3006: Composition and Conversation
I. Jouanneau-Fertig, B. O'Keeffe, P. Usher, C. WeberDiscussions on contemporary issues and oral presentations. Creative writing assignments designed to improve writing skills and vocabulary development. Limited to 12 students. FREN BC 3007: Commercial-Economic French
I. Jouanneau-FertigThe socioeconomic language of contemporary French society. Practice of oral and written communications based on documents from the French press. Students who have completed the course may wish to take the Certificate exam given by the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris. Limited to 15 students. FREN BC 3008: Workshop on Contemporary France
I. Jouanneau-FertigAn examination of contemporary France covering a wide range of topics (history, geography, politics, economics, society, culture). France's position in the European Union and the world will also be discussed. Prerequisite: Preference given to upper-class students (juniors and seniors) with two courses of college French beyond the language requirement. FREN BC 3011: History of the French Language
L. PostlewateTransformation and evolution of the French languages from the early Middle Ages to the present are studied from a socio-historical perspective. Primary texts include literary, legal, political, scientific, administrative, liturgical, and epistolary documents. Includes consideration of French outside of France and variations on the continent in the 20th century. FREN BC 3012: Advanced Grammar and Composition
L. PostlewateSystematic study of morphology, syntax, and idiomatic expressions. Weekly writing assignments. FREN BC 3013: Advanced Writing
L. PostlewateA workshop format course to perfect writing skills in French. Writing formats that will be used over the semester include narration, portait, essai, explication de texte, dissertation, film and book reviews, and correspondence. FREN BC 3014: Advanced Translation into English
A. BoymanTranslation of various styles of prose and poetry from French to English. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or the equivalent. FREN BC 3016: Advanced Conversation
A. BoymanOral presentations and discussions of French films aimed at increasing fluency, acquiring vocabulary, and perfecting pronunciation skills. Prerequisite: At least one French course after completion of the language requirement and permission of the instructor. Limited to 12 students. FREN BC 3017: Rapid Reading and Translation
A. BoymanUsing selected texts from a variety of sources, the course aims at enhancing reading and comprehension skills through oral translation and discussions leading to increased competence in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or the equivalent. FREN BC 3019: Advanced Phonetics
A. BoymanA detailed study of the major rules of French pronunciation; theoretical linguistic concepts will be followed up with intensive oral drills. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or the equivalent. LITERATURE COURSES
For non-majors the literature courses listed in this section will count toward the general
requirement. Courses BC 3047, BC 3048, and BC 3049 are conducted in English. All courses are worth 3 points.
FREN BC 3021: Major French Texts I
L. PostlewateMedieval, Renaissance, and Classical literature in their cultural context. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or the equivalent. FREN BC 3022: Major French Texts II
L. PostlewateThe Age of Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, and Symbolism. French BC 3021 may be taken for credit without completion of French BC 3022. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or the equivalent. FREN BC 3023: The Culture of France I
L. PostlewateAn historical analysis of mentalités from the Middle Ages through the reign of Louis XIV through symbol, structure, and self-presentation. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or the equivalent. FREN BC 3024: The Culture and Institutions of France II
S. GavronskyMajor cultural and institutional events in France from the 18th century to the present. Topics include the revolutionary tradition, left-right and secular-religious conflicts over the identity of France: its history, its mission, its people and policies. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or the equivalent. FREN BC 3028: Performance in France
L. PostlewateA sociohistorical survey of theatrical performance in France from the Middle Ages to the present. Course “texts” include liturgical drama, a variety of plays, ceremonies, sermons, cabaret and puppet theatre, as well as contemporary experimental performance. Discussion to include the politics and economics of French theatre in the broadest sense. FREN BC 3029: Laughter in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
L. PostlewateExplores both the traditional comic forms of early French literature (farce, sottie, fabliau, burlesque, grotesque) and comedic elements of "serious" genres such as chanson de geste, saints' lives, and romance. An investigation into the mentalites of the Middle Ages and Renaissnace through an understanding of what made people laugh. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3030: Medieval Theatre
L. PostlewateExamines a variety of kinds of theatrical representations (liturgical drama, comic farce and "sottie," court entertainments, pageants, religious mystery plays). Lectures and readings will be in English; French majors do written work in French. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3031: History, Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages
L. PostlewateDevelopment and evolution of literary expression in France from the Crusades through the High Middle Ages. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3032: Women and Writing in Early Modern France
L. PostlewateExamination of cultural and literary phenomena in 15th-17th century France, focusing on writings by and about women. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3033: Literature of the French Renaissance & the Baroque
L. PostlewateExperimentation and discovery in the arts, in science and technology, and in the understanding of the human experience. Explores how the works of French poets, prosateurs, and playwrights reflect both the vibrancy and splendor of the time, as well as the struggle of an era preoccupied with death and "rebirth." Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3034: French Baroque and Classical Literature
L. PostlewateAn interdisciplinary exploration of the literature adn culture of the "Grand Siècle." Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3035: Eighteenth-Century French Fiction
C. WeberReadings of novels and novellas by Prevost, Rousseau, Diderot, Charrière, Laclos, and Sade, with a particular focus on issues of selfhood, gender, sexuality, authority, and freedom. Prerequisites: BC 3021, BC 3022, BC 3023, BC 3024, or the equivalent. FREN BC 3036: The Age of Enlightenment
C. WeberThe challenge of traditional ideas of government, religion, ethics, and aesthetics in 18th-century France. BC 3021, BC 3022, BC 3023, BC 3024, or the equivalent. FREN BC 3037: Nineteenth-Century French Poetry
A. BoymanReadings of poems by Lamartine, Hugo, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and Mallarmé. Focuses on the turn from Romanticism to Modernism in the 19th century. Prerequisite: FREN 3021, 3022, 3023, 3024, or the equivalent. FREN BC 3038: The Nineteenth-Century French Novel
P. ConnorEvolution of the novel, aesthetics of Romanticism, Realism, naturalism, and Symbolism. Particular attention is paid to the formal problems of narrative, the rhetoric of sentiment, décadence, and issues of sexual identity. Prerequisite: FREN 3021, 3022, 3023, 3024, or the equivalent. FREN BC 3040: Twentieth-Century French Fiction
P. ConnorTopics include the theory of the gratuitous act, literature and the rise of Fascism, war and the literature of commitment, erotic violence. Prerequisite: FREN 3021, 3022, 3023, 3024, or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3041: Twentieth-Century French Thought
S. GavronskyThorough study of the major intellectual movements in France from Surrealism to post-structuralism. Particular attention given to theories of political commitment, textuality and deconstruction. Readings include works by Breton, Senghor, Sartre, Levi-Strauss, and Derrida. Prerequisite: FREN 3021, 3022, 3023, 3024, or the equivalent. FREN BC 3042: Twentieth-Century French and Francophone Poetry
S. GavronskyAnalysis of some of the major poets in France and in Francophone countries emphasizing theories of the avant-garde and traditional interests in politics, race and gender. Poets include Cendrars, Saint John Perse, Cesaire, Depestre, Aragon, Risset, Albiach, Roubaud, and Tahar Ben Jelloun. Prerequisite: FREN 3021, 3022, 3023, 3024, or the equivalent. FREN BC 3043:Twentieth-Century French Women Writers
A. BoymanWritings by women will be analyzed in the changing philosophical and literary contexts of the 20th century. Prerequisite: FREN 3021, 3022, 3023, 3024, or the equivalent. FREN BC 3061: Marx in France
S. GavronskyExamines the persistence and transformation of the sign "Marx" in multiple aspects of 20th-century French thought. Areas covered will include ethics, aesthetics, history, philosophy, and ideologies as of Surrealism through Negritude, existentialism, structuralism and post-structuralism. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of language requirement and one advanced French course or the equivalent. FREN BC 3063: Critical Theory
A. BoymanAn introduction to the conceptual foundations of structuralism and postr-structuralism. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of language requirement and one advanced French course or the equivalent. FREN BC 3064: France on Film
S. GavronskyFilms on and of the period from the 1930s to the present, focusing on the interplay between history, ideology, and culture. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the language requirement or permission of the instructor. FREN BC 3065:
Surrealism in Painting, Film and Photography
S. GavronskyMajor surrealist paintings, films, and photographs. Included are works by Breton, Desnos, Bunuel, Clair, Fini, Ernst, Dali, Magritte, Man Ray, Molinier, Tanning, and Artaud. Critical texts by Sade, Freud, Breton, Bataille, Bellmer, Desnos, and others. FREN BC 3069: Blacks, Jews and Arabs in Modern France
S. GavronskyFrom négritude to World War II anti-semitism, to contemporary French reactions to North African immigration. FREN BC 3070: Négritude
S. GavronskyAnalysis of the theoretical and literary precursors of negritude; major figures of the movement; relations with the Harlem Renaissance; and the formulation of creolity by contemporary Caribbean writers and thinkers. Authors will include Gobineau, Maran, Price-Mars, Hughes, McKay, Cesaire, Senghor, Damas, Fanon, Sartre, Glissant and Chamoiseau. Taught in French. FREN BC 3071: Major Literary Works of the French-Speaking World
K. GloverAn introduction to major works of fiction from the French-speaking countries of the Caribbean, West Africa, North Africa and "Indochina." Considers some of the principal authors of these regions, and examines the socio-political, historical, and aesthetic considerations that have influenced Francophone literary production in the twentieth century. Prerequisite: Completion of language requirement in French or equivalent. FREN BC 3072: Francophone Fiction: Unhomely Women of the Caribbean
K. GloverThis course takes a look at the portrayal of women as unsettling figures in the Francophone Caribbean literary universe. Examining the uncanny heroines in the novels of both male and female writers, students will identify the thematic commonalities and specific configurative strategies that emerge in the fictional representation of women in the region. The symbolic import of zombies, schizophrenics, and other "disordering" characters will be analyzed as indicators of and reflections on broader social realities. FREN BC 3073: Africa in Cinema
K. GloverRepresentations of African culture by filmmakers from various cultural backgrounds. Social and ideological positions and the demands of exoticism. The constructions of the African as "other" and the responses they have elicited from Africa's cinéastes. FREN BC 3074: Women in Francophone Africa: Historical and Cultural Perspectives
K. GloverEmphasizes cultural and historical representation of Francophone women by both women and men. Works will include novels, films, and poems, by authors such as Sembéne Ousmane, Mariama Bâ, Amadou Kourouma, Camara Laye, Calixthe Beyala. FREN BC 3075: Major African Texts: Orality and Écriture
K. GloverWriting from the different parts of the continent. Focus on self-identity and the African experience as conveyed in a variety of genres: poetry, drama, the novel, and film. FREN V 3420: Introduction to French and Francophone Studies I
K. GloverConceptions of culture and civilization in France from the Enlightenment to the Exposition Coloniale of 1931. Emphasis on the issue of universalism versus relativism and the ideological foundations of French colonialism. Authors and texts will include selections from the Encyclopédie, the Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen, the Code Napoléon, Diderot, Chateaubriand, de Tocqueville, Ségalen and Drumont. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of language requirement. FREN V 3421: Introduction to French and Francophone Studies II
K. GloverUniversalism vs. exceptionalism, tradition vs. modernity, integration and exclution, racial, gender, regional and national identities will be considered in this introduction to the contemporary French-speaking world in Europe, the Americas and Africa. Authors include Aimé Cesairé, Léopold Senghor, Frantz Fanon, Maryse Condé. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the French language requirement. FREN W 3760: French Theory After 1968
C. Weber
SENIOR SEMINAR
FREN BC 3091: Senior Seminar 4 pointsS. Gavronsky |