French Courses

This course corresponds to level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Students will acquire the necessary competence in the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, to use familiar words and simple phrases for concrete communication situations such as introduction of self, answering basic questions about home, family and surroundings. This course is restricted to students with little previous background in French and who have not completed grade 12 core French. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 111 or FREN 110. Three credits and a lab. 

This course is a continuation of FREN 111 and corresponds to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Students will learn to understand and communicate during easy or habitual tasks and will understand isolated phrases and common expressions that relate to areas of high personal relevance (like personal or family information, shopping, immediate environment, work). This course is recommended for students with some background in French or who have completed grade 12 Core French. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 112 or FREN 110. Three credits and a lab. 

Notes

a) The department reserves the right to refuse admission to this course to students whose knowledge of French is inadequate according to the department placement test.

b) FREN 111 and FREN 112 may not be used as credit toward a major, advanced major or honours degree. They may be used toward a minor or subsidiary in French, as part of a pair, or as electives.

c) Closed to students who have completed  200-level French courses or higher, as well as to students from French schools and French Immersion programs.

This course corresponds to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Students will acquire the necessary competence in the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, and will be able to communicate with some confidence on matters related to his/her interests and professional field. Students will be able to express thoughts on more abstract, cultural topics such as films, books, music etc. Recommended for students who have completed high school French Immersion Program, have completed FREN 112 (with a grade of at least 60), or who are placed into the course through the placement test. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 211 or FREN 115. Three credits and a lab.

This course corresponds to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Students will acquire the necessary competence to interact with fluency and spontaneity and produce detailed text on a wide range of subjects. Recommended for students who have a strong background in French, who have completed FREN 211, or who are placed into the course through the placement test. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 212 or FREN 115. Three credits and a lab.

An introduction to the language in which the French-speaking world conducts business. Students will acquire solid communication skills, including knowledge of specialized vocabulary. Practical drill in the language lab will familiarize students with commercial correspondence and professional telephone etiquette. Prerequisite: FREN 211(115) or permission of the department chair. Three credits.  

A continuation of FREN 225, this course introduces the language of specialized areas of business, such as marketing, finance, management, and teaches basic legal terminology. Students will learn the protocol of a formal business presentation in French as well as meeting procedures according to the Code Morin. Prerequisite: FREN 211 (115) or permission of the department chair. Three credits.  

A history of French language and culture, starting with its Latin, Celtic and Germanic origins, and stressing the ethnic, political, social, technological factors that have helped shape the language down through the centuries. Specifically examined are the influence of such institutions as feudalism, the monarchy, the Church, the universities, print culture, the French Academy, colonialism and so forth. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 253 and FREN 220. Prerequisite: FREN 212. Three credits.   

This course focuses on contemporary French language and culture as spoken and lived in the Francophone world. Emphasis will be on discovering cultural similarities and differences featured in literary texts, songs, cinema, legends, superstitions, beliefs, and celebrations in some of the 29 countries where French is an official language. This course may be of particular interest to current or prospective French teachers.  Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 254 and FREN 220. Three credits. 

A study in historical context and sequence of the most important works written in French from 1000 to 1600. Extracts of literary works in modern translation extending from la Chanson de Roland to Montaigne’s Essays and including, medieval romance, early poetry, plays, the works of Villon, Rabelais and Ronsard. Recommended for all French major, advanced major, and honours students. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 271 and FREN 216. Prerequisite: FREN 212. Three credits.   

A study in historical context and sequence of the most important works written in French from 1600-1900. Extracts taken from the literary works of Corneille, Racine and Molière, and including eighteenth and nineteenth century writers such as Marivaux, Voltaire, Diderot, Hugo, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Balzac, Flaubert, Daudet, Zola and Maupassant. Recommended for all French major, advanced major, and honours students. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 272 and FREN 216. Prerequisite: FREN 212. Three credits.

The focus is on complex sentence structure and writing techniques. Emphasis is on the idiomatic uses of all tenses of the indicative mood, on the correction of anglicisms, on the conjugation andmeaning of all fourtypes ofreflexive verbs, etc. Short literary texts will be discussed, analyzed in their socio-historic context. The selections aim to improve the students’ reading skills. Short compositions focus on the acquisition of vocabulary, the application of the grammar covered, and the organization of logical thought into a coherent paragraph. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 311 or FREN 215. Prerequisite: FREN 212(115) or completion of French School, or an exceptional result on the placement test. Three credits. 

The focus continues on complex sentence structure and writing techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on the uses of verb moods not studied in depth in FREN 311. Other complex grammatical structures are studied. Anglicisms will continue to be corrected. Written assignments will lead to the drafting of a coherent and logical essay on this novel: an outline, an introduction, several shorter analytical paragraphs, and conclusion. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 312 or FREN 215. Prerequisite: FREN 311(115) or permission of the department chair, or who are placed into the course through the placement test. Three credits. 

The topic for 2019-2020 is Intercultural Communication. This course presents the structure of communication from the perspective of linguistics as based in sign recognition. It defines culture as the production of institutions and artefacts in relation to language use and likens it to artistic creation. Given the structure of communication, an encounter with a culture different from one’s own cannot but challenge the cultural construct known as the subject and lead to its transformation. Readings will be chosen in linguistics, philosophy, literature, and aesthetics.  Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at 200 level or permission of chair. Three credits. 

This class offers an introduction to seventeenth century French literature with a primary focus on representative works by three major dramatists: Corneille, Molière and Racine. It explores their vision of humanity and assesses their contribution to French literature and the history of ideas. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 318 or FREN 316.  Prerequisite:  6 credits of French at the 200-level or permission of the department chair. Three credits. 

This course studies a selection of primarily prose and poetry works from the classical period that was 17th century France. It includes a study of works by Pascal, Descartes, La Rochefoucauld, La Fontaine, Boileau, Mme de Lafayette, and La Bruyère. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 319 or FREN 316.  Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

A study of France’s unique contribution to the seventh art, starting with the Frères Lumières’ moving pictures in 1895 and covering the history of French cinema. Emphasis will be placed on such masterpieces as La Grande Illusion and Les Enfants du Paradis. Prerequisite: FREN 212 (115) or permission of the department chair. Three credits. 

An introduction to 18th-Century French theatre. This course focuses on the evolution of the field of theater during the Enlightenment. Presented in chronological sequence, the course gives special attention to works by Lesage, Voltaire, Marivaux, Diderot and Beaumarchais. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 322 or FREN 326. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level, completed or concurrent or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

An Introduction to the 18th century French novel, this course gives special attention to works by Lesage, Montesquieu, Prévost, Voltaire, Marivaux, Diderot, Rousseau and Bernardin de Saint-Pierre. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 324 or FREN 326. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

An introduction to the techniques of composition through the study and practice of appropriate sentence structure. This course is designed to improve students’ expression of complex thought and to familiarize them with the idiomatic use of French language in a variety of contexts. The course combines vocabulary enrichment, detailed analysis of texts and a variety of writing activities: descriptions, portraits, narrations, and correspondence. Emphasis is on describing and narrating. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits. 

A critical survey of French children’s literature. Authors to be studied include La Fontaine, Perrault, Ségur, Daudet, Cendrars, Aymé, Gripari, Sempé et Goscinny, PEF, Tournier. Prerequisites: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits. 

This presents 19th century texts in the context of events, ideas and schools of thought that shaped this period, events such as the French Revolution, the Napoleonic era, and the Franco-Prussian war. Major currants of thought of this period involve Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism and Symbolism. Readings will include extracts from well-known authors of the period. Credit will be granted only for one of FREN 331 or FREN 347/348. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

This course proposes to present literary texts in the context of events, ideas and schools of thought that shaped 20th Century French literature, events such as the two world wars, and ideas associated with movements such as phenomenology, surrealism, communism, existentialism, and feminism. Readings will include extracts from texts of the period. Credit will be granted only for one of FREN 332 or FREN 347/348. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

An introduction to linguistics, this course presents the major concepts used in linguistics and outlines the phonetic structure of the French language as revealed in word formations and in sentence structures. It includes pronunciation exercises. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 341 and FREN 340.  Prerequisite:  one of FREN 115, 211 or 212 or higher-level French course. Three credits. 

This course presents three of the major branches of contemporary linguistics, morphology, or word form, syntax, or sentence structure, and semantics, or word meanings. Students will acquire an understanding of linguistic concepts and linguistic analysis through the student of practical examples. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 342 or FREN 340. Prerequisite: one of FREN 115, 211 or 212 or higher-level French course. Three credits. 

This course develops theoretical and practical knowledge specific to the field of translation. Students will be initiated to the techniques and instruments of translation in order to reflect upon the notions of comparative stylistics and accordingly understand the fundamental differences between the English and French languages. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

A critical description of the historical, socio-cultural, linguistic, and literary significance of Acadian writing. Consideration will also be given to stylistic evolution, from oral literature to poetry, novels, and short stories.  Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 361 or FREN 376. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits. 

This course will examine the current linguistic situation in the Acadian communities of the Atlantic provinces. Students will study the cultural, social and historical circumstances which have influenced and contributed to the distinct cultural identity of the Acadian people. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 362 or FREN 376. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits. 

An introduction to the study of Québécois literature since the Quiet Revolution. Through a sampling of works representing the major literary genres, this course focuses on the role of literature in Quebec’s political and social affirmation as a society. Special attention is given to the works of Marie-Claire Blais, Pierre Vallières, Michel Tremblay, Gaston Miron and Gabrielle Roy. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

A study of the major literary forms and authors of French Canada from the beginning of the colony to the Révolution tranquille (ca. 1960). Emphasis is placed on a structural and thematic approach to narrative, set against a background of cultural and ideological influences. Prerequisites: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

A study of literary genres from the chanson de geste, courtly romance, and the novels of chivalry to early French poetry covering the five hundred year period from 1000-1500.  Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 410 or FREN 400. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

A study of the Renaissance period in literature and language through the works of Marot, Rabelais, Du Bellay, Ronsard, Montaigne and the poets of the baroque. The century’s concern with the French language provides a convenient introduction to the study of the development of modern French. Credit will be granted for only one of FREN 415 or FREN 400. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

The objective of this course is to introduce the field of French literary criticism and to illustrate several analytical methods based on current schools of literary theory. After establishing a socio-historical background, the class will focus in detail on five major schools of textual analysis, springing from the concepts of structuralism and post-structuralism: narratologie, sémiotique, psychocritique, thématique, and sociocritique. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

A study of major French poets beginning with the Symbolist Movement at the end of the 19th century and concluding with current trends in poetry. Authors include: Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Valéry, Guillaume Apollinaire, Pierre Reverdy, Francis Ponge, Paul Claudel, Andre Breton, Henri Michaux, Francis Jammes, Blaise Cendrars, Jules Supervielle, Paul Eluard, René Char, Jacques Reda. Prerequisite: 6 credits of FREN at the 200 level or permission of the department chair. Three credits.

An in-depth study of an area of French or French-Canadian literature chosen by the student as the basis for his or her thesis. Working under the supervision of a chosen professor, students will research and write a thesis in French of approximately 4,000 words for an advanced major and 6,000 words for an honours student. Professor and student will meet once a month to review progress. Required for all advanced major and honours students in their final year of study. Three credits.