French
View Department Website The Department of French offers courses in language and literature. By following a carefully designed program, French students learn to communicate; to think and write critically; and to appreciate the literary, social, and cultural traditions of the Francophone world. The department is committed to the concept of foreign study and strongly encourages students to participate in overseas programs in France, Africa, Quebec, or the French Caribbean islands.
Requirements for the French Major (8 Credits)
No more than 3 credits toward French major may be earned through off-campus or foreign study programs.
French majors are required to complete 8 credits of course work beyond the intermediate-level language courses, including the core courses, 2 credits in Literature, and 2 additional credits in electives above 300 level.
Core courses
- FREN 331 French Composition and Discussion (1)
- FREN 340 (IT) Intro to French Literature (1)
- FREN 492 (W) Research and Discussion of Selected Topics in Literature (1)
Two credits in French literature, from the following (2)
- FREN 430 Introduction to French Thought (1)
- FREN 437 Female Voices in African Literature and Film (1)
- FREN 438 French Literature and Cinema (1)
- FREN 439 Topics in French Literature (1)
Two additional credits in French
- Numbered electives at the 300 or 400 or above level (2)
Requirements for the French Minor (5 Credits)
No more than 3 credits may be earned through off-campus or foreign study programs.
Core courses
One course from the following (1)
Two additional credits in French
- Numbered electives at the 300 or 400 or above level (2)
The department strongly urges its students to improve their language competency and broaden their education through off-campus study in approved programs. Of special interest to students of French is the Willamette semester abroad in France, CIDEF in Angers and CUPA in Paris. The CIDEF (Centre International D’Etudes Françaises) is an intensive language and culture program which places students into the appropriate level courses based on their current language ability. The CUPA program (Center for University Programs Abroad) is recommended to highly motivated juniors and seniors interested in individualized programs of study at the leading Parisian universities and institutes.
Credits earned in Willamette University's off-campus study programs, or in other pre-approved foreign study programs, may be substituted for required courses in the French Department. Students should consult in advance with the Department Chair to assure such substitution.
The French Department also offers an assistant language exchange program in cooperation with the French Ministry of Education
Language students enjoy the use of a state-of-the-art Language Learning Center featuring multimedia stations, foreign language word processors, foreign television programs transmitted by satellite, and up-to-date communication technology.
Indicators of Achievement
In the French Department we expect our students to achieve three learning outcomes by the time they graduate from Willamette University.
Student Learning Outcomes for the French Major
- To reach the advanced level of proficiency as defined by the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The advanced level is characterized by the ability to understand main ideas and most details of connected discourse on a variety of topics beyond the immediacy of the situation
- To be able to initiate, sustain and bring to closure a wide variety of communication tasks, including those that require an increased ability to convey meaning with diverse language strategies
- To be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of French and Francophone literatures, history and cultures through completion of a research project in the senior year
Faculty
- Amadou Fofana, Associate Professor of French; Department Chair
- Françoise Courtin-Schreiner, Continuing Instructor of French
- Gaetano DeLeonibus, Professor of French
Part-Time and Visiting Faculty
- Erin Tremblay Ponnou-Delaffon
Course Listings
FREN 131 Elementary French I (1)
Introduction to basic skills: comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Regular assignments for laboratory work.
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Courtin-Schreiner, DeLeonibus, Fofana
FREN 132 Elementary French II (1)
Introduction to basic skills: comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Regular assignments for laboratory work.
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Courtin-Schreiner, DeLeonibus, Fofana
FREN 205 Basic Conversation in French (.25)
This course will allow students to practice conversational French with confidence in an informal and relaxed setting, leading to a stimulating exchange of opinions. They will engage with French popular culture in the form of films, news items, songs, plays, etc. Conducted in French. May be repeated for up to one credit.
- Prerequisite: FREN 131 or consent of instructor.
- Offering: Every semester
- Instructor: Language Assistant
FREN 231 Intermediate French I (1)
Development of basic skills, classroom and laboratory. Carefully selected readings in the student's special fields of interest.
- Prerequisite: Elementary French (or equivalent) or two years of high school French with satisfactory AP score.
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Courtin-Schreiner, DeLeonibus, Fofana
FREN 232 Intermediate French II (1)
Development of basic skills, classroom and laboratory. Carefully selected readings in the student's special fields of interest.
- Prerequisite: Elementary French (or equivalent) or two years of high school French with satisfactory AP score.
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Courtin Schreiner, DeLeonibus, Fofana
FREN 241 (4th Sem Lang Req) Topics in French History Through Film (1)
This course presents a survey of French history and culture, from the Renaissance to the 20th Century, as the history and culture are represented in a major French art form, the cinema. Topics studied include: religion and marriage in the Renaissance, court life under the ancient regime, the French Revolution, Napoleon's Empire, colonialism, World War I, World War II, the Algerian War, and the student revolution of 1968. Conducted in English.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Fourth Semester Language Requirement
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: DeLeonibus, Fofana, Staff
FREN 331 (W) French Composition and Discussion (1)
Oral and written compositions based upon readings of texts emphasizing French and Francophone cultures and literary vocabulary needed in more advanced letters courses. Exercises in Syntax and introductory phonetics. Conducted in French.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing Centered
- Prerequisite: FREN 232
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: DeLeonibus
FREN 340 (IT) Introduction to French Literature (1)
Introduction to the study of French literature through reading typical works in the various genres. The course will acquaint the student with the basic vocabulary and tools of literary criticism. Required for the major. Conducted in French.
- Mode of Inquiry: Interpreting Texts
- Prerequisite: FREN 331
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: DeLeonibus, Fofana
FREN 430 (IT) Civilization and Its Critics (1)
Focusing on key texts from the 16th to the 18th century, this course proposes to examine the various philosophical tendencies that have marked French cultural, social, and political thought through the ages, and which continue to have an impact on modern thinking. Selected themes such as education, reason, progress, enlightenment, as well as their intellectual and aesthetic ramifications will be analyzed. Conducted in English and French.
- Mode of Inquiry: Interpreting Texts
- Prerequisite: FREN 331 or consent of instructor
- Offering: Alternate falls
- Instructor: Staff
FREN 431 Phonetics (1)
A practical course based on the study of the French sound system. Phonemic inventory, physiology of French articulation with emphasis on sound recognition and reproduction. Transcriptions in International Phonetic Alphabet, practice with recorded exercises and individual correction in the language laboratory. Conducted in French.
- Prerequisite: FREN 331 or consent of instructor
- Offering: Alternate years
- Instructor: Staff
FREN 432 (US) Language in Society (1)
Examination of the characteristics of language and its variations. The course introduces language within its social context and examines topics such as language definition, dialects and dialectal variations, language and social class, mother tongue, language and identity, language spread, language shift, and language loss. Conducted in English.
- Mode of Inquiry: Understanding Society
- Offering: Alternate years
- Instructor: Staff
FREN 437 (IT) Female Voices in African Literature and Film (1)
This course surveys the literature and culture produced by African men and women in the last four decades focusing on female voicing and representation. How do African feminisms deal with issues of female subjecthood and agency in local contexts where culture, politics, social institutions and language are ensconced within dominant male narratives? How do African feminist discourses negotiate the strictures and structures of feminist internationalism while maintaining a specific African inflection?
- Mode of Inquiry: Interpreting Texts
- Prerequisite: FREN 340 or consent of instructor
- Offering: Alternate springs
- Instructor: Fofana
FREN 438 (TH) Topics in Cinema (1)
This course focuses on pressing political, socio-cultural, economic and historical issues raised by French, Francophone, and African filmmakers. It examines the relationship between cinema and other forms of creative practice and expression in particular, history, literature, and the visual arts. It also explores the significance and use of cinema in juxtaposition with cultural and social development. Conducted in English. May be repeated for credit.
- Mode of Inquiry: Thinking Historically
- Prerequisite: FREN 331 (W) or consent of instructor
- Offering: Annually
- Instructor: Staff
FREN 439 (IT) Advanced Topics in French Literature (1)
An examination of one major topic in French literature, with an emphasis on the significance of the specific topic in French literature in general. Topics may be organized around a major author or comparison of authors, an idea, a genre, a literary movement, or a critical approach, such as comparative approaches to humanism: neo-classicalism; literature and nationalism; colonialism; romanticism; negritude; existentialism; post-colonialism; francophone literature; and lyric voice. This course is taught in seminar format and designed not to be introductory in nature, but rather to explore a particular topic or theme intensively and creatively. Conducted in French. May be repeated for credit.
- Mode of Inquiry: Interpreting Texts
- Prerequisite: FREN 340 or consent of instructor
- Offering: Alternate springs
- Instructor: Staff
FREN 490-491 Reading and Conference (.5 or 1)
Designed to enable a student to acquire the necessary knowledge and experience of literary periods which are not covered by courses offered at Willamette University.
- Prerequisite: FREN 331; Junior standing and g.p.a. of 3.0 or better
- Offering: On demand
- Instructor: Goeury-Richardson, DeLeonibus, Fofana
FREN 492 (W) Research and Discussion of Selected Topics in Literature (1)
This seminar course will serve to integrate the lingistic, cultural, historical and literary experiences of seniors in the language. The class will be taught in a true seminar fashion, with a flexible format to allow students to highlight their varying individual backgrounds and interests in French. The course will include a discussion of major works of French literature, the topic set by the professor according to the proposed student projects. Students must present a major research paper at the end of the semester and pass an oral defense. Both research paper and oral defense will be in French. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: This course serves as the Senior Year Experience, so it is limited to seniors or consent of instructor.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing centered
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: DeLeoinbus, Fofana, Goeury-Richardson