|
Academics: Institute for Foreign Students—Advanced
Courses
Most classes are 1.5 credits. Students needing three credits should select two 1.5 credit courses when they register in France and confirm with their home school that the two courses will be accepted as the equivalent of one 3-credit U.S. course.
Course schedules may conflict and you may not be able to take all the courses you wish to take. Students also take classes from the Special Courses for Americans and integrated courses, and so your exact schedule cannot be known until you register in France.
Cinema (3 credits)
Is cinema a mirror for reality or does it help to forget about it? Is it a testimony for its time? Does cinema create an artificial and unreal atmosphere in order to drive its audience away from its problems? Some directors (such as Godard, Resnais, Chabrol, Rohmer…) used its emotional impact to pursue their didactic ambition to make society more understandable. Therefore, cinema can be seen as a tool to unveil reality and explore the hidden flaws of society. The class is organized as a discussion around an extract from a motion picture.
U of M French Department equivalent: FREN 3650; Civ. course requirement or elective for major/minor
Southern French Civilization (1.5 credits)
The goal of the class will be to introduce the South without excessive regionalism and to link the different aspects of French civilization. History, geography and language of the South: regions and cities, some historical figures, southern cultures. The class is organized as a series of lectures.
U of M French Department equivalent: Must be paired with another 1.5 credit course to fulfill FREN 3650 or elective for major/minor
Culture and Heritage (1.5 credits)
Study of some events and trends that landmarked the history of France: Roman legacy around the Mediterranean sea (cities, monuments, languages and culture), art and religion in the Middle-ages (the gothic cathedral in France and Europe), The UNESCO world heritage, historical symbols (French revolution artists, the Eiffel tower and industrial art)
The class is organized around the study of written and film documents.
U of M French Department equivalent: Must be paired with another 1.5 credit course to fulfill FREN 3650 or elective for major/minor
History of Art (1.5 credits)
Fall semester:
French history of painting in the 19th century; The birth of Modernity; neo-classic estheticism (David, Ingres); Romanticism (Géricault, Delacroix); realistic painting (Courbet, Manet); Monet and the impressionists
Spring semester: Estheticism and European Avant-guarde (1905-1930), Cubism; Italian Futurism; Expressionism, the influence of primal arts; pop art and new realism.
U of M French Department equivalent: Must be paired with another 1.5 credit course to fulfill FREN 3650 or elective for major/minor
Scientific French (1.5 credits)
Understanding vocabulary, syntax and organization of scientific discourse. Introduction to the DALF “Science de la vie et de la terre.” The class is organized around the themes of environment, ecology, health, and scientific innovations.
U of M French Department equivalent: Must be paired with another 1.5 credit language course to fulfill FREN 3010; elective for major/minor
Literature and Oral Expression (1.5 credits)
Oral evaluation of 19th and 20th century literary works in order to understand French society and literary techniques. The class is organized around interactive group discussions on relevant texts which may include:
Balzac, Le Père Goriot;
Duras, L’Amant;
Levy, Et si c’était vrai…;
Maupassant, La maison Tellier
Nothomb, Stupeur et tremblements
U of M French Department equivalent: Must be paired with another 1.5 credit literature course to fulfill FREN 3340 or 3350 (depending on content); second Literature course requirement or elective for major/minor
Literature (1.5 credits)
Chronological overview of French literature based on the precise study of the main themes and works. Relationship between literature and population: the people as a theme (the anti-hero, the text as a sociological study…), introduction to literature of speech (street talk, slang…) and popular culture (fairy tales, the carnavalesque…)
U of M French Department equivalent: Must be paired with another 1.5 credit literature course to fulfill FREN 3340 or 3350 (depending on content)
Southern Literature (1.5 credits)
Southern identity in literature and opposition to central French identity; text analysis; southern civilization and literature; linguistic specificities (vocabulary, syntax, pronounciation). Main themes: linguistic problems, southern clichés, tourism and rural exodus, the south today.
U of M French Department equivalent: Must be paired with another 1.5 credit literature course to fulfill FREN 3340 or 3350 (depending on content)
Last modified on August 7, 2009 |