French (B.A.)

Group A Courses

* FREN 110a, Elementary and Intermediate French I  Staff

Intensive training and practice in all the language skills, with an initial emphasis on listening and speaking. Emphasis on communicative proficiency, self-expression, and cultural insights. Extensive use of audio and video material. Conducted entirely in French. To be followed by FREN 120. For students with no previous experience of French. Daily classroom attendance is required.  L1  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

* FREN 120b, Elementary and Intermediate French II  Staff

Continuation of FREN 110. Open only to students who took FREN 110 (L1) at Yale. Conducted entirely in French. Only after FREN 110. To be followed by FREN 130.  L2  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 9:25am-10:15am

* FREN 121a, Intermediate French  Staff

Designed for initiated beginners, this course develops all the language skills with an emphasis on listening and speaking. Activities include role playing, self-expression, and discussion of cultural and literary texts. Emphasis on grammar review and acquisition of vocabulary. Frequent audio and video exercises. Conducted entirely in French. Daily classroom attendance is required. Placement according to placement test score. Online preregistration required; see french.yale.edu for details.  L2  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

* FREN 125a, Intensive Elementary French  Constance Sherak

An accelerated course that covers in one term the material taught in FREN 110 and 120. Practice in all language skills, with emphasis on communicative proficiency. Admits to FREN 145. Conducted entirely in French. For students of superior linguistic ability. No preregistration required.  L1, L2  RP  2 Course cr
MTWThF 9:25am-10:15am

* FREN 130a or b, Intermediate and Advanced French I  Staff

The first half of a two-term sequence designed to develop students' proficiency in the four language skill areas. Prepares students for further work in literary, language, and cultural studies, as well as for nonacademic use of French. Oral communication skills, writing practice, vocabulary expansion, and a comprehensive review of fundamental grammatical structures are integrated with the study of short stories, novels, and films. Admits to FREN 140. Conducted entirely in French. After FREN 120, 121, or a satisfactory placement test score.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

* FREN 140a or b, Intermediate and Advanced French II  Staff

The second half of a two-term sequence designed to develop students' proficiency in the four language skill areas. Introduction of more complex grammatical structures. Films and other authentic media accompany literary readings from throughout the francophone world, culminating with the reading of a longer novel and in-class presentation of student research projects. Admits to FREN 150. Conducted entirely in French. After FREN 130 or a satisfactory placement test score.  L4  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

* FREN 145b, Intensive Intermediate and Advanced French  Staff

An accelerated course that covers in one term the material taught in FREN 130 and 140. Emphasis on speaking, writing, and the conversion of grammatical knowledge into reading competence. Admits to FREN 150. For students of superior linguistic ability. Conducted entirely in French. After FREN 120, 121, or 125. No preregistration required.  L3, L4  RP  2 Course cr
MTWThF 9:25am-10:15am

* FREN 150a or b, Advanced Language Practice  Staff

An advanced language course intended to improve students' comprehension of spoken and written French as well as their speaking and writing skills. Modern fiction and nonfiction texts familiarize students with idiomatic French. Special attention to grammar review and vocabulary acquisition. Conducted entirely in French. After FREN 140, 145, or a satisfactory placement test score. May not be taken after FREN 151. Online preregistration required; see for details.  L5  RP
HTBA

Group B courses are conducted entirely in French. Courses numbered from 160 to 199 are open to students who have passed FREN 150 or the equivalent, and to others with consent of the department. Courses numbered from 200 to 449 are open to students who have passed FREN 170, or with permission of the instructor. Students who have taken a course at the 200 level or higher may not ordinarily take a 100-level course for credit, with the exception of advanced language courses numbered 185 or higher. Students may take 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses in any order. Courses in the 200–299 range are devoted to general fields; courses in the 300–449 range are devoted to specific topics.

* FREN 160a or b, Advanced Culture and Conversation  Staff

Intensive oral practice designed to further skills in listening comprehension, speaking, and reading through the use of videos, films, fiction, and articles. Emphasis on contemporary French and francophone cultures. Conducted entirely in French. Prerequisites: FREN 150, 151, or a satisfactory placement test score, or with permission of the course director. May be taken concurrently with or after FREN 170.  L5  RP
HTBA

* FREN 170a or b, Worlds in French: An Introduction to French and Francophone Literatures  Staff

Introduction to close reading and analysis of literary texts written in French. Works by authors such as Marie de France, Molière, Balzac, Hugo, Baudelaire, Duras, Proust, and Genet. May not be taken after FREN 171.  L5, HU
HTBA

* FREN 181a, Applied Grammar Workshop  Constance Sherak

In-depth study of grammar and discourse strategies. Advanced grammar exercises, linguistic analysis of literary selections, and English-to-French translation. Intended to improve students' written command of French and to prepare them for upper-level courses; recommended for prospective majors. After FREN 150 or higher, or a satisfactory placement test score. May be taken after courses in the 200–449 range.  L5
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm

* FREN 182b, Creative and Critical Writing Workshop  Lauren Pinzka

An advanced writing course for students who wish to work intensively on perfecting their written French. Frequent compositions of varying lengths, including creative writing, rédactions (compositions on concrete topics), and dissertations (critical essays). Recommended for prospective majors. Conducted entirely in French. After FREN 150 or higher, or a satisfactory placement test score. May be taken after courses in the 200–449 range.  L5
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

* FREN 183a, Medical French: Conversation and Culture  Leo Tertrain

An advanced language course emphasizing verbal communication and culture. Designed to foster the acquisition of the linguistic and cultural skills required to evolve within a Francophone medical environment. Discussions, in-class activities, and group projects in simulated professional situations. Topics such as the hospital, family physicians and nurse practitioners, medicine in Francophone Africa, humanitarian NGOs are explored through a medical textbook, articles, video clips, radio shows, films, documentaries, and excerpts from essays and literary texts. Conducted entirely in French. Prerequisite: FREN 150 or a satisfactory placement test score, or with permission of instructor. May be taken concurrently with or after FREN 160 and FREN 170.  L5
TTh 9am-10:15am

* FREN 184b, Business French: Communication and Culture  Leo Tertrain

An advanced language course emphasizing verbal communication and culture. Designed to foster the acquisition of the linguistic and cultural skills required to evolve within a French business environment. Discussions, in-class activities, and group projects in simulated professional situations. Topics such as the liberalization of the French economy, trading in the European Union, new forms of business organizations, and globalization are explored through a business textbook, articles, video clips, radio shows, films, documentaries, and excerpts from essays and literary texts. Conducted entirely in French. Prerequisite: FREN 150 or a satisfactory placement test score, or with permission of instructor. May be taken concurrently with or after FREN 160 and FREN 170.  L5
TTh 9am-10:15am

* FREN 191a, Translation  Alyson Waters

An introduction to the practice and theory of literary translation, conducted in workshop format. Stress on close reading, with emphasis initially on grammatical structures and vocabulary, subsequently on stylistics and aesthetics. Translation as a means to understand and communicate cultural difference in the case of French, African, Caribbean, and Québécois authors. Texts by Benjamin, Beckett, Borges, Steiner, and others. Readings in French and in English. After FREN 150 and 151 or with permission of instructor. Preference to juniors and seniors.  L5, HU
W 3:30pm-5:20pm

* FREN 192b, Intermediate Literary Translation  Alyson Waters

A continuation of FREN 191 for students who wish to work on a longer project and to deepen their reading in translation theory.
Prerequisite: FREN 191.  L5, HU
W 3:30pm-5:20pm

* FREN 319a, Montaigne Beyond Skepticism: Learning to Read the Essais  Staff

Que sais-je? What do I know? This is Montaigne’s motto, engraved on a medal in 1576 at the writer's request. At the crossroad of disciplines, this seminar explores how Michel de Montaigne develops a philosophy of doubt by literary means. We see that he does not naively or theoretically subscribe to the skeptical tradition, but rather proposes a practical and singular use of a non-judgmental attitude in the writing of Les Essais—the early modern masterpiece of the French literature of the self. We read essays on topics such as: idleness, education, eroticism, imagination. These texts are coupled with short, theoretical excerpts (Sextus Empiricus, Diogène Laërce, Henri Estienne). Readings and discussion in French.  L5, HU
F 1:30pm-3:20pm

* FREN 360a, Great Novels of the Twenty-First Century  Morgane Cadieu

Why should a long book be an airport novel or an old classic? What are today’s sagas or romans-fleuves? In this seminar, we read “great” novels of the 21st-century in both senses of the word: these fictions are long and acclaimed works of art. If our current attention span is supposed to eight seconds, this course is a workshop to develop different forms of paying attention to a text. We discuss the influence of length on our reading and interpretation practices. There won’t be more pages to read every week than in any other course, just fewer texts. We read three long contemporary fictions by Marie NDiaye, Antoine Volodine, and Nina Yargekov.  L5, HU  Tr
Th 1:30pm-3:20pm

* FREN 366b / HSAR 251b, Writers and Artists in Paris, 1780–1914  Marie-Hélène Girard

Ways in which the transformation of Paris shaped the representation of artists who lived and worked in the French capital from the end of the Old Regime until the eve of World War I. The emergence of Paris as a cultural marker; the role played by the image of the bohemian or the artiste maudit. Authors and artists include David, Balzac, Delacroix, Baudelaire, Manet, Mallarmé, impressionist painters, and Picasso.  L5, HU
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

* FREN 368b, Reasoning with Voltaire  Pierre Saint-Amand

An investigation of the French Enlightenment through its principal representative philosopher, Voltaire. An examination of Voltaire's preoccupations, including philosophy, religion, tolerance, freedom, and human rights. Readings include Voltaire's contes, major plays, entries from the Dictionnaire philosophique, treatises, and pamphlets. Conducted entirely in French.  L5
TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

* FREN 388b / HUMS 162b, Feminine Voices in French Literature  R. Howard Bloch

An exploration of women's voices in French literature from the Middle Ages to the mid-twentieth century. The specificity of the feminine voice, the plurality of feminine voices, love and sexuality, and social and professional identity. Authors include Marie de France, Marguerite de Navarre, George Sand, Maryse Condé, and Marguerite Duras. Readings and discussion in English.  WR, HU
W 3:30pm-5:20pm

* FREN 491a or b / FREN 492a or b, The Senior Essay  Morgane Cadieu

A one-term research project completed under the direction of a ladder faculty member in the Department of French and resulting in a substantial paper in French or English. For additional information, consult the director of undergraduate studies.
HTBA

* FREN 493a and FREN 494b / FREN 495a and FREN 496b, The Senior Essay in the Intensive Major  Morgane Cadieu

A yearlong research project completed under the direction of a ladder faculty member in the Department of French and resulting in a paper of considerable length, in French or English. For additional information, consult the director of undergraduate studies.
HTBA

Courses in this group are conducted in English; readings may be in French or English. Group C courses numbered above 100 are open to all students in Yale College.

* FREN 096b, Women's Narratives of Self in Modern French Literature  Maryam Sanjabi

The course explores women's autobiographical literature, demonstrating their uniqueness from an individual perspective and capturing the social, economic, religious, and ethnic themes of the period and their authors' intellectual standpoints. The selected books represent a variety of literary genres ranging from memoir to journal, graphic novel, and film scripts with a focus on the 20th and 21st centuries as they appear in the works of: Colette, Simone de Beauvoir, Nathalie Sarraute, Lucie Aubrac, Hélène Berr, Assia Djebar, Ken Bugul, Agnès Varda, Marjane Satrapi, Marguerite Duras, Annie Ernaux, and Camille Laurens among others. This course thus aims at a critical awareness of what modernity has meant in women's experiences and why debate about its consequences often revolves around women's lives. While some authors explore the coming of age of European gender awareness, others deal with the war and resistance and more recent non-Western voices in French pose the question of identity of the “Other.” Course readings include short theoretical essays and a number of secondary works. Conducted in French and English. Papers in French or in English. Readings in French. There is no prerequisite, but students who took FREN 170 or an equivalent will feel comfortable. Enrollment limited to first-year students. Preregistration required; see under First-Year Seminar Program.  HU
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm

FREN 216a / ENGL 154a / HUMS 134a / LITR 194a, The Multicultural Middle Ages  Ardis Butterfield

Introduction to medieval English literature and culture in its European and Mediterranean context, before it became monolingual, canonical, or author-bound. Genres include travel writing, epic, dream visions, mysticism, the lyric, and autobiography, from the Crusades to the Hundred Years War, from the troubadours to Dante, from the Chanson de Roland to Chaucer.  HU
MW 9:25am-10:15am

FREN 240b / HUMS 201b / LITR 214b, The Modern French Novel  Maurice Samuels and Alice Kaplan

A survey of major French novels, considering style and story, literary and intellectual movements, and historical contexts. Writers include Balzac, Flaubert, Proust, Camus, and Sartre. Readings in translation. One section conducted in French.  HU  Tr
TTh 1:30pm-2:20pm

* FREN 307b / LITR 302b, France by Rail: Trains in French Literature, Film, and History  Morgane Cadieu

Exploration of the aesthetics of trains in French and Francophone literature and culture, from the end of the nineteenth-century and the first locomotives, to the automatically driven subway in twenty-first century Paris. Focus on the role of trains in industrialization, colonization, deportation, decolonization, and immigration. Corpus includes novels, poems, plays, films, paintings, graphic novels, as well as theoretical excerpts on urban spaces and public transportation. Activities include: building a train at the CEID and visiting the Beinecke collections and the Art Gallery. May not be taken after FREN 306.  WR, HU
F 1:30pm-3:20pm

* FREN 369b, Deserts, Oceans, Islands: Literature of Migration & Refuge  Jill Jarvis

. A critical study of literature and film that charts different spaces shaped by intersecting—or colliding—routes of colonization and forced migration: deserts (Sahara, Sonoran), oceans (Indian, Atlantic, Mediterranean), and islands (Haiti, Martinique, Zanzibar, Mauritius, Sri Lanka). Students contribute to the Desert Futures interdisciplinary symposium to be held at Yale in spring 2020. Seminar is conducted in English