Careers in French Quick Time Movie | Career Options in French
Degree Program | Courses | Current Course Descriptions | Study Abroad

COURSE OFFERINGS IN FRENCH
Spring 2012

FREN 1010: Elementary French 1 [4 credits]
Instructor: Staff

Paris

Beginning oral-aural study; attention to grammar. Four class periods and scheduled oral practice each week. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

FREN 1020: Elementary French 2 [4 credits]
Instructor: Staff

Chenonceaux, near Tours, France

FREN 1010 continued. Four class periods and scheduled oral practice each week. Prerequisites: FREN 1010 or one year of French in high school. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

FREN 2010: Intermediate French 1 [3 credits]
Instructor: Staff

l'Etang de Thau, Languedoc

Grammar review; development of the four skills. Three class periods and laboratory practice each week. Prerequisite: FREN 1020 or two years of French in high school. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

FREN 2020: Intermediate French 2 [3 credits]
Instructor: Dr. A.-S. Nicolas

FREN 2020 is the second semester of the intermediate French sequence.  This course is designed to build and expand upon the communication skills and cultural background acquired in 2010.  It includes oral and written exercises, practice in reading, dictation, pronunciation, and vocabulary to work towards proficiency in conversational and written French. Cannot be taken for credit if credit for FREN 2120 has been received. Cannot be taken concurrently with FREN 2120. Prerequisite: FREN 2010 or three years of French in high school. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

FREN 2120: Reading French [3 credits]
Instructor: Staff

Festival créole, les Antilles

This course will teach students the knowledge, strategies, and techniques for reading French at the intermediate level. Readings in French; class conducted in English. Prerequisite: FREN 2010 or three years of high school French. Does not count as prerequisite for 3000-level class. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

FREN 2200: Language and Culture through Community Living [2 credits/Grading system: satisfactory/unsatisfactory]
Instructor: Dr. A.-S. Nicolas

la Maison Française

This course for French House residents is designed to improve conversational French and cultural awareness about French-speaking countries. Prerequisite: must be a French House resident. May be repeated up to 8 hours

"Cybervoyage"

As the French House is one of Bowling Green State University’s Living-Learning Communities, FREN 2200 is designed to strengthen and ensure the learning, which occurs in this unique setting. Throughout their residency, residents of the French House practice and promote the French language and the awareness of all Francophone cultures through activities emphasizing diverse cultural phenomena. These activities are organized around virtual exploration, a “cybervoyage.”  Each resident is responsible for the discovery and exploration of one Francophone country or region of the world, which she shares with the French House and the BGSU campus communities through organized activities such as:  cultural discussions, cultural dinners, etc. At the end of the term, the residents bring their “cybervoyage” findings together in a collective travel log/scrapbook. Participation in house activities is required to earn a grade of Satisfactory.  
Interested in la Maison Française? Check out our website:    http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/rocs/frenchhouse/index.html

FREN 3000: Preparation for Study in France and Burkina-Faso (1 credit)
Instructor: Mrs. C. Whipple, AYA Director & Ms. Ana Jimenez

Villandry, near Tours

Limited to participants in AYA/France-Burkina Faso (year, semester, summer) programs. Readings and discussions to encourage and facilitate student preparation for upcoming study abroad experience. Course conducted during last six weeks of spring semester, following program application deadline. Does not count toward French major or minor. Conducted in English. Graded S/U

Mosque, Burkina Faso

FREN 3560: Skills for Oral Proficiency
Instructor: Dr. D. Schocket

French 3560 is designed to build upon your acquired language skills with a special emphasis on oral proficiency—both your own oral expression and your comprehension of spoken French.  The course is structured around a series of themes designed to stimulate conversation, including family and relationships, the presence of media and technology in our lives, nature and the environment, and society.  Each unit will feature a provocative short film by a contemporary filmmaker from a French-speaking country and will also include vocabulary and targeted grammar review designed to give you the tools you need to converse more fluently and at a more advanced level. While the primary focus of this course is to improve your conversation skills in French, you will also have opportunities to strengthen your reading, writing, and socio-cultural competence. Prerequisite: FREN 2020 or 4 years of high school French.   

FREN 3570: Skills for Effective Writing
Instructor: Dr. D. Schocket

Johannes Vermeer, "A Lady Writing", circa 1665

The main focus of this course is to help students become more proficient in their written expression in French, while continuing to develop conversation, reading, and listening skills.  It includes a grammar review that especially targets structures that will help students write more complex sentences, as well as work with techniques and expressions to help students write more authentically and with increased sophistication.  Writing is a multi-stage process in which students revise their compositions several times, improving their French by learning to correct their own errors and by receiving feedback from both peers and the instructor.  We read a variety of literary and cultural texts and study a film as a basis for class discussions and writing assignments. Prerequisite : FREN 2020 or 4 years of French in high school.

FREN 3630: Introduction to French Literature (3 credits)
Instructor: Dr. D. Schocket

In this introductory literature course, we will work to develop your skills in reading, understanding, discussing, and writing about theater, poetry, and prose fiction in French.  You will learn critical vocabulary for talking about literature, and you will develop your analytical thinking skills through class discussions and writing assignments based on the readings.  We will focus on authors and issues in French literature primarily in the 19th and 20th centuries, but also going back to the Renaissance in poetry.  In addition to reading strategies and literary analysis, class activities and assignments will help you to improve your spoken and written expression in French.  Prerequisites: FREN 3560 or 3570, or by permission of instructor.

FREN 3760: Introduction to Francophone Civilization (3 credits)
Instructor: Dr. O. Zongo

Cross-century study of historical, social, cultural, and economic aspects of French speaking world outside France through political, social, intellectual, and artistic texts. Prerequisite: FREN 3560 and FREN 3570, or permission of instructor.

CAST 3050: Canadian Film [3 credits; meets Tues 6-8:15 & Thurs 6-7:15]

Instructor: Dr. B. Guenther

This course on Canadian cinema begins with the question: “Representing (Whose) Canada?” We will explore first how early films (1919 and 1963) represent the need to settle the land in contrast with a “First Nations” perspective on the importance of (re-)claiming that land. The second section of the course investigates the challenge of framing memory and history when one operates with two “founding cultures:” an Anglophone and a Francophone one. The course ends with an analysis of contemporary issues, considering especially how topics like migration or l’américanité are affected and transformed through a variety of genres (road movie; thriller; docudrama; magical realism; and comedy).

Please note that this spring’s Pallister speaker is Denis Chouinard and that we will have the opportunity to discuss with the film-maker his film, “L’ange de goudron” (“Tar Angel”), about Muslim immigrants in Montreal; the film opened about a month before 9/11. This course is taught in English and does not count toward the French major or minor. No prerequisites.

FREN 3950: French Workshop: La Petite Ecole (2 credits)
Instructor: Mr. G. Methner

For advanced students in French: Participate in a community-outreach program that will give you the opportunity to work with elementary school children in the Bowling Green School District. First few weeks: Hands-on practice sessions to help develop lesson plans. Six Saturdays in February and March (excluding spring break): one-hour team-taught sessions per week with a small group of schoolchildren to teach beginning French and French/Francophone culture in a playful atmosphere. Prerequisite: FREN 3560 and FREN 3570; students with concurrent enrollment in one of those classes should contact instructor if interested.   

FREN 4510: Advanced Conversation and Composition (3 credits)
Instructor: Dr. B. Guenther

In this advanced course on oral and written expression in French, students will be working extensively with ePortfolio in order to complete undergraduate research on intercultural topics through both oral and written projects. The projects, which will be informed by the “Intercultural Development Inventory,” will expect students to draw on their studies as well as on firsthand experiences of French/Francophone cultures. They can also expect to improve their linguistic skills through the analysis of short 20^th- and 21^st-century texts highlighting different genres and stylistic strategies and by reviewing some of the subtleties of grammatical structures. This course also includes the study of contemporary journalistic pieces and film. Prerequisite: French 3560 or 3570.

Sartre et de Beauvoir

FREN 4580/5380: (3 credits)

Instructor: Dr. R. Berg

An introduction to business and commercial French. The course will prepare you for the exam leading to the DFA-1 (diplôme du français des affaires, premier degré), sponsored by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris. BGSU is a centre d’examens, and the exam is given in December on campus. The exam is an option, not a course requirement.

Textbook: R. Berg, Parlons affaires! Initiation au français économique et commercial, 2^nd edition (Thomson/Heinle)

FREN 4660/5550: Francophone Theater (3 credits)

Dr. A.-S. Nicolas

This course explores the concept of “otherness” and analyzes how it translates into the writing and performing process. Written by “others,” or advocates of the others, texts discussed in class will give students a broader understanding of the subversive power of theater and its implications in the shaping of post-colonial identity. Through the study of non-western paradigms that are specific to the “Francophone” language, students will learn about textual and performing components used to either deconstruct or reconstruct history and its representations of the colonial area. The course develops a connection between theater, land, and imagination.  The first part of this class analyzes the history of anti-slavery discourse from the perspective of 18^th century French playwrights and performing artists in Haiti (former Saint-Domingue) to investigate the psychological components of racial discourse that are later discussed by modern authors from the Caribbean, North and Western Africa, Quebec, Tahiti, and France. The course also explores how Francophone theatrical performances can effectively affect representations of the “Other.”  Authors studied in this class share a common desire to use language and the performing space to express cultural differences and a global identity anchored in the poetics of the land. Student projects will include the (re)writing, directing or acting of scenes discussed in class.

Prerequisite: FREN 3660.

FREN 6980: Reading for Final Project (3 credits)
Instructor: Dr. B. Guenther

Bibliothèque, la Sorbonne

A program of individual readings and research established in consultation with the graduate coordinator. Available in the semester the final project is to take place.

FREN 6990: Thesis Research (1-12 credits)
Instructor: Dr. B. Guenther

Bibliothèque Nationale de France, rue de Richelieu

Credit for thesis study. Enrollment in excess of six hours acceptable for Plan I master's degree, but no more than six hours creditable towards degree; minimum acceptable total for degree is three hours. Graded S/U

Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Bibliothèque François Mitterand)

COURSE OFFERINGS IN FRENCH
Fall 2011

Tours, FRANCE                     Quebec City, CANADA

Ouagadougou, BURKINA-FASO

FREN 1010: Elementary French 1 [4 credits]
Instructor: Staff

Beginning oral-aural study; attention to grammar. Four class periods and scheduled oral practice each week. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

Chenonceaux, near Tours, France

FREN 1020: Elementary French 2 [4 credits]
Instructor: Dr. H. Souleyman

FREN 1010 continued. Four class periods and scheduled oral practice each week. Prerequisites: FREN 1010 or one year of French in high school. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

l'Etang de Thau, Languedoc

FREN 2010: Intermediate French 1 [3 credits]
Instructor: Dr. R. Berg

Grammar review; development of the four skills. Three class periods and laboratory practice each week. Prerequisite: FREN 1020 or two years of French in high school. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

FREN 2020: Intermediate French 2 [3 credits]
Instructor: Dr. D. Schocket

FREN 2020 is the second semester of the intermediate French sequence.  This course is designed to build and expand upon the communication skills and cultural background acquired in 2010.  It includes oral and written exercises, practice in reading, dictation, pronunciation, and vocabulary to work towards proficiency in conversational and written French. Cannot be taken for credit if credit for FREN 2120 has been received. Cannot be taken concurrently with FREN 2120. Prerequisite: FREN 2010 or three years of French in high school. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

Festival créole, les Antilles

FREN 2120: Reading French [3 credits]
Instructor: Staff

This course will teach students the knowledge, strategies, and techniques for reading French at the intermediate level. Readings in French; class conducted in English. Prerequisite: FREN 2010 or three years of high school French. Does not count as prerequisite for 3000-level class. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

Villandry, near Tours

FREN 2200: Language and Culture through Community Living [2 credits/Grading system: satisfactory/unsatisfactory]
Instructor: Staff

This course for French House residents is designed to improve conversational French and cultural awareness about French-speaking countries. Prerequisite: must be a French House resident. May be repeated up to 8 hours

As the French House is one of Bowling Green State University’s Living-Learning Communities, FREN 2200 is designed to strengthen and ensure the learning, which occurs in this unique setting. Throughout their residency, residents of the French House practice and promote the French language and the awareness of all Francophone cultures through activities emphasizing diverse cultural phenomena. These activities are organized around virtual exploration, a “cybervoyage.”  Each resident is responsible for the discovery and exploration of one Francophone country or region of the world, which she shares with the French House and the BGSU campus communities through organized activities such as:  cultural discussions, cultural dinners, etc. At the end of the term, the residents bring their “cybervoyage” findings together in a collective travel log/scrapbook. Participation in house activities is required to earn a grade of Satisfactory.  

Interested in la Maison Française? Check out our website:    http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/rocs/frenchhouse/index.html

la Maison Française

FREN 2220: French Culture [3 credits]
Instructor: Staff

Does this man represent French culture to you? If you want to know why he shouldn't, then this course is for you. In French 222, we will focus on the problem of Franco-American relations within a variety of contexts: cultural, historical, political, economic, social, etc. We will discuss various contributors to Franco-American cooperation (harmony) and conflict (discord), both currently and historically, both individually and collectively. We will also explore the impact of mass media, major international events, and changing power structures on each society's perception of the other. The goal of this course is to help students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the United States' relationship with France, beyond the simplified version often portrayed by some media sources and propagated by common stereotypes. By the end of this course, students will have considered this complex relationship from multiple perspectives and will have acquired knowledge helpful in shaping their arguments. Readings and class in English. Does not fulfill language requirements or count toward the major or minor in French. Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

FREN 3000: Preparation for Study in France and Burkina-Faso (1 credit)
Instructor: Mrs. C. Whipple

Limited to participants in AYA/France-Burkina Faso (year, semester, summer) programs. Readings and discussions to encourage and facilitate student preparation for upcoming study abroad experience. Course conducted during last six weeks of spring semester, following program application deadline. Does not count toward French major or minor. Conducted in English. Graded S/U

Mosque, Burkina Faso

FREN 3560: Skills for Oral Proficiency
Instructor: Dr. D. Schocket

French 3560 is designed to build upon your acquired language skills with a special emphasis on oral proficiency—both your own oral expression and your comprehension of spoken French.  The course is structured around a series of themes designed to stimulate conversation, including family and relationships, the presence of media and technology in our lives, nature and the environment, and society.  Each unit will feature a provocative short film by a contemporary filmmaker from a French-speaking country and will also include vocabulary and targeted grammar review designed to give you the tools you need to converse more fluently and at a more advanced level. While the primary focus of this course is to improve your conversation skills in French, you will also have opportunities to strengthen your reading, writing, and socio-cultural competence. Prerequisite: FREN 2020 or 4 years of high school French.

FREN 3570: Skills for Effective Writing
Instructor: Dr. D. Schocket

The main focus of this course is to help students become more proficient in their written expression in French, while continuing to develop conversation, reading, and listening skills.  It includes a grammar review that especially targets structures that will help students write more complex sentences, as well as work with techniques and expressions to help students write more authentically and with increased sophistication.  Writing is a multi-stage process in which students revise their compositions several times, improving their French by learning to correct their own errors and by receiving feedback from both peers and the instructor.  We read a variety of literary and cultural texts and study a film as a basis for class discussions and writing assignments. Prerequisite : FREN 2002 or 4 years of French in high school.

  
Johannes Vermeer, "A Lady Writing", circa 1665

FREN 3660: Introduction to Francophone Literature [3 credits]

Instructor: Dr. B. Guenther

In this course, students can expect to explore a wide range of literary texts associated with the term, la francophonie. We will study the adoption and diverse transformations of the French language and culture in works drawn from the Caribbean, the Maghreb [in particular, Algeria and Morocco], West Africa, and Quebec. Works by Césaire, Condé, Sebbar, and Lalonde, among others, will permit us to analyze key political issues (for instance, colonialism, decolonization, gender) as well as how different genres (narrative, theatre, poetry, and film) reinforce and/or problematize such concerns. Prerequisites: FREN 356/35600 and 357/3570, or permission of instructor.

FREN 3730: Introduction to French Civilization
Instructor: Dr. R. Berg

This course is designed as an overview of contemporary France: its political institutions, parties and elections; current socio-political preoccupations such as immigration and laïcité (the French version of separation of religion and state); France’s place in Europe; French attitudes toward family, sexuality, work and free time; the French system of social protection and the “Welfare State” ; regionalism and regional languages. The course will be held in the Language Learning Center (303 University Hall) where we’ll spend quite a bit of time online studying and discussing sources from the French press and audiovisual media. 
 

Regions of France

FREN 4760/5550: Contemporary Francophone African Civilization   Instructor: Dr. O. Zongo

This course focuses on contemporary civilization of the French-speaking world.  Through our study of novels, essays, films, and documentaries, we will examine (daily) manifestations and representations of life, concerns, visions as they influence and are influenced by the social, political, economic, racial/ethnic, artistic, etc. of the French and French-Speaking worlds. We will study the history of the contact between France and its colonies, how the contact shaped the historical and contemporary realities of the peoples in the (ex-) French colonies and how they transcend or transform those realities.  Other topics include, la francophonie , immigration, xenophobia, self-representation, representation of the “Other,” intellectual, artistic, cultural,  political resistance, and post-colonialism.  We will conclude with an evaluation of the discussion of the challenges faced by and opportunities offered Francophones in the context of “la mondialisation”/globalization.

FREN 6010: Second Language Teaching Methods (3 credits)  Instructor: Dr. B. Burke

Bibliothèque, la Sorbonne

FREN 6320: Critical Approaches to Literature: Literary and Cultural Theory (3 credits)   Instructor: Dr. B. Guenther

This course will explore the relevance of theoretical approaches to the study of literature and culture. The double emphasis of the course is: (1) to introduce students to major theoretical trends [structuralism; deconstruction; psychoanalytic theory; historiography; film studies; gender studies; post-colonialism] through the analysis of critical texts by, among others, Roland Barthes, Gérard Genette, Michel Foucault, Pierre Nora; and (2) to encourage the practical application of theoretical methods to literary and cultural texts (including film). Students can expect to play an active role in exploring the different critical methods and ideologies through oral and written assignments.

FREN 6990: Thesis Research (1-12 credits)
Instructor: Dr. B. Guenther

Credit for thesis study. Enrollment in excess of six hours acceptable for Plan I master's degree, but no more than six hours creditable towards degree; minimum acceptable total for degree is three hours. Graded S/U

 
Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Bibliothèque François Mitterand)