Session 1 of the French Summer Institute (June 6-17): Monday through Friday, 8:30 am-3:30 pm.
Restricted: course approval required. Part of French Summer Institute.
This course will offer a survey of contemporary France regarding
institutions, daily life, current events, and the value system. After a
short summary of French history and an introduction on the importance
of the French language in the world, the following topics will be
addressed: geography and climate, population and immigration,
education, family, women, health issues and eating habits, urbanism and
transportation, government, political parties and elections, the
economy and the work force, the place of France within the European
Union, leisure, the media, art, and culture. Lectures and discussions
will be supplemented by readings, video sequences, and feature films.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in French beyond FREN 2050.
This course will offer a survey of contemporary France regarding
institutions, daily life, current events, and the value system. After a
short summary of French history and an introduction on the importance
of the French language in the world, the following topics will be
addressed:
• geography and climate
• population and immigration
• education
• family
• women
• eating habits
• housing and transportation
• administration, government, and political parties
• the economy and the work force
• leisure, vacation, and sports
• the media, art, and culture
• France and the world.
Textbook: Ministère des Affaires étrangères.
France (2004 French edition). Paris: La Documentation Française,
2004. ISBN 2-11-005532-4 .
The textbook will be supplemented by articles, video sequences, feature films, recordings, and French web sites.
This course will provide an excellent preparation for students who
intend to spend a semester or year in France and/or plan to teach
French.
The objective of this seminar is to show the various stages that have led to the emancipation of women in France.
1. It will first offer an overview of women's conditions in France from
the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century through the various
historical events and social movements that have enabled them to
achieve basic rights in education, contraception, civil life, work,
politics, and private life.
2. The second part of the seminar will focus on the current status of
women in France, changes in mentality, and the role of women's
associations in the implementation of equal rights.
Texts: to be announced.
Lectures and discussions will be supplemented by readings (history,
sociology, cultural anthropology, literary excerpts), films, video
sequences, and CD-ROMs.
Session 1 of the French Summer Institute (June 5-16): Monday through Friday, 8:30 am-3:00 pm.
Restricted: course approval required. Part of French Summer Institute.
This course has two objectives:
1. Provide a comprehensive review of French grammar with various
exercises, including translation. The emphasis will be on a contrastive
analysis of French and English.
2. Present a review of the French phonetic system through a study of
the phonetic alphabet and intensive practice in pronunciation. Students
will improve both their listening and pronunciation skills through
personalized exercises, including recordings on cassette tapes.
Note: This course is required for students enrolled in the master's
degree in French, as it will help them with research papers and
teaching.
Textbooks:
1. Rosenberg, Samuel, et al. Harper's Grammar of French. Harper & Row/Heinle & Heinle, 1983.
2. Dansereau, Diane. Savoir dire. Cours de phonétique et de prononciation. 2nd. ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
The textbooks will be supplemented by other materials.
* No prior knowledge in business
necessary
* Prerequisite: 6 credits in French beyond FREN 2050
Students will become familiar with basic business terminology in French
and will learn to function in a French business environment. Video
sequences and the use of web sites will be integrated in the course.
Topics will include:
* writing business letters
* the job search: employment ads, writing a resume and application letter, taking a job interview
* structure of a company with its various departments and their functions
* daily business formalities: banks, apartment rental, travel and hotel reservations, etc.
* brief overview of the French economy and objectives of the European Union
* cultural differences in the business environment: behavior patterns, women in the work place.
The course will be conducted in French. As a final project, students
will prepare a portfolio in French on a simulated job search in France.
Diploma from the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry
At the end of the semester, students enrolled in the course will have
the opportunity to take the exam leading to the Diplôme de
français des affaires 1 (DFA1) organized by the Chambre de
Commerce et d' Industrie de Paris and receive a certificate from France.
Textbook:
Berg, R.-J. Parlons affaires. Initiation au français économique et commercial. 2nd. ed. Thomson, 2006.
Academic year at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce International du Pas-de-Calais (ESCIP):
Students who have completed this course will have the opportunity to
spend an academic year at a French business school as follows:
* with a two-month internship with a French company for undergraduate students
* with a compensated teaching assistantship in English for graduate students.
* with an international scholarship from the Study Abroad Center.
This course will present an overview of Québec society and
culture since its colonial origins. After an historical survey
beginning with the discovery of Québec by Jacques Cartier, it
will analyze the changes that took place during the Révolution
Tranquille in the political, economic, social, and cultural arenas. It
will then examine the evolution of mentalities, especially the identity
crisis, ideologies, and the political agenda that led to the referenda
of 1980 and 1995 for a possible independence of Québec from
Canada. The course will also address the salient traits pertaining to
Québec culture (literature, art, film, theatre, chanson) and the
situation of Québec society today. TV sequences and films will
supplement the lectures and readings.
Major textbook:
Koop, Marie-Christine Weidmann, ed. Le Québec aujourd'hui.
Identité, société et culture. Sainte-Foy,
Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 2003.
Lectures and discussions will be supplemented by other readings, a
course pack (to be purchased at Copy Pro), video sequences, feature
films, and CD-ROMs.
Note: This course will serve as preparation for part of the
comprehensive examination in French civilization for the M.A. program.
This course will present a chronological survey of French civilization
from the origins to the end of the nineteenth century. Topics will
include political figures, major historical events, social issues,
literary movements, art history, and music history.
Textbook: To be announced.
The textbook will be supplemented by other readings and various audiovisual documents, especially the following CD-ROM:
Bonafoux, Pascal. 2000 Ans d'histoire de France (new ed.). Paris: HavasInteractive, 2000.
******************************************************************************************************************** Spring 2008
Education in France
Wednesday, 5:00-7:50 p.m.
This course will present an overview of the French educational system:
brief history of education in France; organization at all levels;
specificities of education in France; factors leading to academic
success; women and education; the "baccalauréat" as an
institution; teacher training, categories of teachers, and teachers'
concerns; recent reforms at all levels of the educational system;
public vs. private schools; current and recent issues (languages,
technology, the Muslim scarf, violence). The various themes that will
be introduced in class will provide opportunities for students to
update their knowledge of contemporary France (value system, demography
and immigration, family, women, leisure, politics, the economy, the
European Union, etc.). The various themes will be illustrated
with video sequences and feature films.
Texts to be announced.
Blended course: some sessions will be taught on line.
French-Speaking Switzerland and Belgium
June 23-July 12
Faculty-led Program Abroad
Taught at the University of Geneva and the University of Liège
Ten graduate scholarships available
After a brief introduction to Francophonie, conducted on line before
departure, the course will focus on Europe with two examples:
French-speaking Switzerland and Belgium. An overview of these countries
will be presented (language and identity, institutions, political
system, economy, social issues, education, culture, literature). Their
role in Europe, including the European Union, and in the world (United
Nations, NATO, Red Cross, World Health Organization) will also be
addressed.
While in Geneva and Liège, students will have the opportunity to
hear guest lectures by specialists and visit locations related to the
course content: museums, seats of institutions (Palais des Nations,
European Union). In addition, they will be immersed in a French
language environment and the culture pertaining to the two countries
under study. A one-day excursion to the typical village of
Gruyères (which lent its name to Swiss cheese) and the capital
city of Brussels will be included, with various guided visits and
sampling of traditional cuisine.
Evaluation will be based on presence and participation, preparation of
a portfolio on the lectures and visits, a PowerPoint presentation, and
a research project on an aspect of French-speaking Swiss or Belgian
society. This program is partially funded by Presence Switzerland, the French Community of
Belgium-Wallonia-Brussels, and the American Association
of Teachers of French (AATF).
******************************************************************************************************************* Spring 2009
FREN 5710: History of French civilization
Wednesday, 5:00-7:50 p.m.
This course will present a chronological survey of French civilization
from the origins to the end of the nineteenth century. Topics will
include political figures, major historical events, institutions, social issues (education, family, women),
literary movements, art history, and music history.
Textbook: Pierre Miquel. Histoire de la France. Paris: Fayard.
This text will be supplemented by other readings (book excerpts,
articles from historical journals) and various audiovisual documents,
especially the following CD-ROM: Bonafoux, Pascal. 2000 Ans d'histoire de France (new ed.). Paris: HavasInteractive, 2000.
************************************************************************************************************************************** Spring 2010
FREN 5720: Contemporary France
This class meets on Wednesday, 5:00-7:50 p.m. in Language Building 109
This course will offer a survey of contemporary France regarding
institutions, daily life, current events, and the value system. After a
short summary of French history and an introduction on the importance
of the French language in the world, the following topics will be
addressed: geography and climate, population and immigration,
education, family, women, health issues and eating habits, urbanism and
transportation, government, political parties and elections, the
economy and the work force, the place of France within the European
Union, leisure, the media, art, and culture. Lectures and discussions
will be supplemented by readings, video sequences, and feature films.
Textbook: Marie-Christine Weidmann Koop & Rosalie Vermette, eds. France in the Twenty-First Century: New perspectives / La France au XXIe siècle: nouvelles perspectives.
Birmingham, AL: Summa Publications, forthcoming
(http://summapub2.googlepages.com/newreleases2008). The book may be
ordered from http://summapub2.googlepages.com in late December 2009.
Additional readings will be made available on Blackboard Vista.
**************************************************************************************************************************************** Fall 2010
FREN 5730: Women in France
This class meets on Wednesday, 5:00-7:50 p.m. in Language Building 109
The objective of this course is to show the various stages that have
led to the emancipation of women in France. It will first offer an
overview of women's conditions in France from the Middle Ages to the
twenty-first century through the various historical events and social
movements that have enabled them to achieve basic rights in education,
contraception, civil life, work, and politics. The second part of the
course will focus on the current status of women in France, changes in
mentality, and the role of women's associations in the implementation
of equal rights. Readings and video sequences.
No specific textbook will be used. Various documents (articles, book
excerpts, reports) will be available on Blackboard Vista or on line.
Readings will be supplemented with video sequences, feature films, and recordings.
FREN 5740: Quebec Society and Culture
June 6-July 3 on line; July 9-24 in Quebec
This course will present an overview of Quebec society and culture
since its colonial origins. After an historical survey beginning with
the discovery of Quebec. it will analyze the changes that have taken
place since the Révolution tranquille in the political,
economic, social, and cultural arenas. IThe course will then examine
the slaient traits pertaining to Quebec culture (literature, art, film,
theatre, chanson) and the situation of Quebec society today. TV
sequences will supplement lectures and readings. This course will be
held on line (June 6-July 3) and in Quebec
(Montreal and Quebec City) July 9-24. Students will receive 3 credits
from UNT and transfer an additional 3 credits from McGill and Laval
universities combined.
Visit http://international.unt.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=986&Itemid=379
Textbook:
Koop, Marie-Christine Weidmann, ed. Le Québec aujourd'hui.
Identité, société et culture. Sainte-Foy,
Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 2003.
It will be supplemented by other documents posted on Blackboard.
FREN 5710: History of French Civilization Until 1789
Wednesday, 5:00-7:50 p.m.
This course will present a chronological survey of French civilization
from the origins to the Revolution of 1789. Topics will
include political figures, major historical events, institutions, social issues (education, family, women),
daily life at different periods, literary movements, art history, and music history.
Textbook: to be announced.
Additional documents will be posted on Blackboard.
