French

This course is divided into three individual portions: the comprehension of written texts, application of the grammar and orthography systems to effectively analyze written texts, and an application of these methods to produce original texts. Comprehension of written texts is intended to build useful habits in order to examine a document, afterwards students are expected to employ good grammar and orthography in their responses.

This course focuses on translation of political documents from French to English and vice versa, providing a deeper understanding of the language.

This methodology course is designed to help UC students make the transition from the American to the French university system. For three hours a week over a course of twelve weeks, students are introduced to the essential techniques for succeeding in the typical French university class. Students acquire skills to take clear and thorough notes, compose an outline, and write a summary of materials presented in both written and oral forms. Writing skills are sharpened by learning how to conduct a stylistic analysis, develop an argument, counterargument, and a conclusion. By the end of the course, students are familiar with the expectations of French professors and their methods of assessment. The course adapts materials to target students in both literature and the social sciences. Continuous assignments allow for frequent feedback from the instructor.

The course deals with themes of Lyon's urban history (by urbanization, space, public squares, housing, architecture, places of worship, trade and commerce, the ways of life of the inhabitants and their relationship with the Rhône and Saône rivers). Comparisons are made with other cities. Finally, the course covers the city’s cultural institutions in charge of transmitting memory and urban heritage (museums, archives, etc.) and includes field study sessions. Through the approach of social history, the course presents the two-thousand-year history of the city, from its origins to the present day, with emphasis on certain particularly decisive moments in the construction of space, the transformations of urban activities, and ways of life.