French

This course presents the aesthetic changes and new artistic currents experienced in French painting in the 19th century. It provides an introduction to and analysis of neo-classicism with the presentation of two artists: David and Ingres; romanticism seen through the works of Géricault and Delacroix; realism in France through the study of works by Courbet; the impressionists presented first by the influence of Manet, then by the analysis of works by Monet and Renoir; and post-impressionism through the presentation of four precursor painters of the 20th century painting movements: Cézanne, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Gauguin.

This course provides a systematic view of French foreign policy and foreign policy debate since the end of the Second World War. French diplomacy played an extremely important role in the world right from the beginning of international politics in the 17th century. Against that backdrop, the period since 1945 is usually seen as a decline in French international power and influence, in favor first of the United States and then of Europe. Topics include France in international relations since World War II; decolonization; France’s Africa policy; the Cold War and NATO; French initiatives for European integration; and the history of the European Union, between economic cooperation and political sovereignty. The latter being central to French international policy, the course devotes a good deal of discussion to European affairs.

This course provides the necessary keys for deciphering the structure of contemporary French society as well as the issues that divide it. A multi-part focus on economic and demographic data, social systems, social issues and problems, and the societal importance of culture provides an insider's perspective on and knowledge of French society. This course in turn contributes to the overall purpose of the IFE preparatory session to prepare students to participate as fully as possible in French professional life and social and political discussion. It is a companion course to THE FOUNDATIONS OF FRENCH POLITICS, POLICIES AND INSTITUTIONS, YESTERDAY AND TODAY. The course introduces the forces that have shaped French society in the modern era, the structure and main tenets of that society, and recent phenomena and emerging trends. The first part of the course examines French society first by looking at three important structuring elements: the economy and work, education, and family; second, by providing an understanding of several key social issues. Readings and outside discussion feed class-time debates. The second part of the course takes a detailed and analytic look at the role of culture in France. This brief history of French art and culture focuses on the relationship between the arts and the State, from Renaissance kings who were patrons of the arts to contemporary public cultural policy.

This fifteen-week beginning conversation and grammar course immerses students in the French language and culture through bi-weekly class sessions and occasional instructor-led site visits. The course includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing with a focus on communication. Students have the opportunity to use everything they learn in class as they go about their daily activities. Students can expect to be able to talk about daily life, food, travelling, Paris, and a wide variety of activities. While students are learning how to speak the language, they continue their introduction to the culture of the French-speaking world. To immerse students in the language, only French is spoken in class. Although students are not expected to understand every word, they should try to follow the gist by paying attention to the context. Students find their comprehension increasing as the course progresses. By the end of the course, students are able to understand, perform, and possess the following at a level appropriate to a novice-mid learner. Understand the basic structures of French grammar and use the present and use occasionally the past and near future of high-frequency regular and irregular verbs, use reflexive verbs to talk about their daily routines, use occasionally the imperative and polite conditional moods, as well as use subject and object pronouns, articles, prepositions, possessive and demonstrative adjectives, interrogative expressions, expressions of quantity, and time and weather expressions. Possess a basic working vocabulary and engage in short conversations with a sympathetic interlocutor in French, using simple sentences and basic vocabulary, with occasional use of past and near future tenses, on familiar topics (such as the academic environment, family, food, and the home environment, habitual activities and hobbies, going out, memories, travelling, etc.) and express their basic everyday needs. Understand information on French and Francophone culture on the following topics: greetings, leisure activities and sports, vacation time, family structures, schooling and values of the French Republic, cuisine, grocery shopping and eating habits, the workplace, café life, multiethnic society, youth culture, and the geography, music, and cuisine of the francophone world. Read, understand, and discuss short, highly contextualized, and predictable texts, containing cognates and borrowed words, on familiar topics. Write with some accuracy on well-practiced, familiar topics using limited, formulaic language in simple French. Understand basic French spoken by someone who is sympathetic to non-native and beginning students of French on familiar topics, using context and extra-linguistic support to determine meaning. Reflect upon basic cultural differences as reflected in a variety of French and Francophone contexts, such as varying levels of familiarity/formality, etiquette, cuisine and dietary habits, family structures, commerce and the professional world, etc., as well as in cultural products such as film, performances, and music.