Department of Romance Studies

All schedule information is tentative. Please see the Registrar's site for the latest information.

For a short introduction to each of our course offerings or language levels, click on the course title below.

For more information about FREN 10-105 placement/enrollment, please see our Language Programs Placement page. If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Harder.

For students with little or no knowledge of French language. Permission required (please see instructions on our Language Programs Placement page). 

What do Montréal, Paris, and Dakar have in common? What are the rules regarding how many times one kisses a friend on the cheeks? Why is France called l’Hexagone? Learners discover the basics of French language and culture while speaking, listening, reading, and writing about everyday situations in France & Francophone countries.

Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in FREN 10a or the equivalent. Permission required (please see instructions on our Language Programs Placement page). 

How does the attitude of a French student toward family and strangers differ from the experience of an American student? How do the French view work and vacation? Learners will deepen their knowledge of French and Francophone cultures while expanding their ability to speak, read, listen, and write in French.

Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in FREN 10a or the equivalent. Permission required (please see instructions on our Language Programs Placement page). 

Did you study French in the past and need more speaking and writing practice plus a grammar review? This Intermediate French class is for you! Exploring social “controversies” related to, for example, gender identity and Smartphone addiction, it focuses on essential communication skills such as comprehension, contemporary vocabulary use, and conversational practice. Our materials include videos, music, websites, articles, and short stories, with an emphasis on Haitian culture in the final unit.

Prerequisite: A 30-level FREN course or the equivalent. Permission required (please see instructions on our Language Programs Placement page).

Students advance their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, while focusing on key elements of French and Francophone cultures. Through the study of films, comics, current events, and cultural comparisons, we explore the ways in which French speakers’ perceptions of time and space differ from our own. We also examine issues of globalization in the francophone world.

Prerequisite: FREN 104b, or the equivalent. Permission required (please see instructions on our Language Programs Placement page).

Improve your speaking skills while learning about and discussing socio–cultural issues that distinguish the French view of the world from that of Americans. Students will focus on expressing themselves better orally while continuing their work on reading, listening, & writing as they explore current topics of debate like slang usage and immigration.

Prerequisite: FREN 105a or FREN 106b or equivalent, or instructor permission.

What is a vagabond, a drifter, a flâneur or flâneuse? This course examines these figures as they appear in French and Francophone literature and film from the Romantic period up to today. Readings include works by authors ranging from Victor Hugo to Virginie Despentes, films from the Nouvelle Vague to contemporary francophone filmmakers. Usually offered every third year.

Prerequisite: FREN 105a or FREN 106b or equivalent, or instructor permission.

Invites students to examine interactions between humans and the environment in texts and images created in Francophone cultures (France, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Algeria, Morocco, Quebec, and the fictional nation of the Democratic Republic of Coto [based on the Democratic Republic of the Congo]). Students will discover key notions that have shaped ideas about nature in the Francophone world. By engaging with literary texts, films, and visual arts, they will trace, interpret, and evaluate the rapport between humans in Francophone areas and the natural world from the sixteenth century (when the French nation was established) to the present day. Usually offered every third year.