University of Bordeaux

This seminar explores the relations between Transcendentalism and various reform movements and utopian projects of the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s, in the areas of religion, education, women's rights, socialism, pacifism, and abolitionism. It places special emphasis on three themes: the religious and philosophical roots of the idea of human perfectibility; the self-image of the age (the nineteenth-century as the Age of Progress), and its critics; and the tension between individual and collective ideals of reform.

This course consists of intensive instruction in written and oral French, taught through audio-visual method and group work with an instructor. The course strengthens comprehension and expression skills through exercises. Oral French focuses on difficult cases of spelling, vocabulary of selected fields, and sentence structure. Written work includes advanced grammar, syntax, and spelling, with a focus on academic writing for French universities. Materials used in class present contemporary regional topics.

This course focuses on major characteristics of each literary movement (Romanticism, Contemporary, and Avante-Garde) throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in France. Methodology for analyzing literary works is done mainly in a commentary format and dissertation. Furthermore, students present personal research (whether as a presentation or in writing) related to the literary movements. Discussion sections consist of analyzing works of famous French authors during the mentioned literary movements, differing depending on which discussion section is chosen, with complementary, academic readings. 

This course examines the most salient aspects of Occitan and observes how the same linguistic diasystem is realized in the form of dialects with marked tonalities and musicality. This approach makes it possible to implement and extend the phonetic skills acquired for French in the first year as well as some syntax points. This course constitutes a practical introduction to Romantic studies, as Occitan is the autochthonous Romance language covering most of Southern France and the vehicle of an abundant literature.

This course is centered on learning the manners and customs found in the country of France as well as to understand the general workings of its economic and political systems. The study of this country extends to its rich history and geography. Through the wide range of subjects studied, students are able to better understand the French culture, thereby facilitating their integration into the country.