Courses in French

FREN 101-102 Elementary French
Continuous course; 5 lecture/recitation hours. 4-4 credits. Elementary grammar, reading and oral drill.
Course Descriptions: FREN 101 FREN 102

FREN 110 Intensive French I
Semester course; 10 lecture and lab hours. 8 credits. This intensive course combines FREN 101 and 102 into a single semester.

FREN 201 Intermediate French
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Continuation of the essentials of grammar with emphasis on achieving proficiency in aural comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. In order to complete French through the intermediate level, a student must take FREN 202.
Course Description: FREN 201

FREN 202 Intermediate French Readings
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 201 or the equivalent. Designed to increase the student’s proficiency through the study of selected cultural and literary texts.
Course Description: FREN 202

FREN 210 Intensive French II
Semester course; 6 lecture and lab hours per week. 6 credits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of FREN 101 and 102 or FREN 110. This intensive course combines FREN 201 and 202 into a single semester.

FREN 295 Gateway to the French Major/Minor
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 201 or permission of instructor. This course is composed of three different areas: 1) writing and analytical skills: enhancement of grammatical and writing skills and development of analytical techniques using a variety of texts; 2) improving students’ oral communication; 3) listening skills: extensive use of recorded material and Language Learning Center resources to improve and enhance listening skills in a variety of authentic contexts. Non-foreign language majors who wish to take one or two upper-level classes only need to complete FREN 202 or equivalent.

FREN 300, 301 Advanced Grammar and Writing
Semester courses; 3 lecture hours. 3, 3 credits. Prerequisite: French through the intermediate level or the equivalent. Conducted in French. A systematic review of French grammar with emphasis on the elements of style and vocabulary building, translation and composition.

FREN 305 Advanced Conversation
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: French through the intermediate level or the equivalent. Conducted in French. Development of advanced oral skills while conversing about topics on current French culture and society. Proficiency in listening comprehension is stressed through regular activities based on a variety of different situations of communication.

FREN 320 French Civilization and Culture I
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: French through the intermediate level or the equivalent. Conducted in French. A survey of French civilization and culture from its origins to the French Revolution. Introduction to and analysis of the most important aspects of Gallo-Roman society and of the Merovingian, Carolingian and Capetian dynasties which influenced the institutions of the Ancien Regime and still serve as cultural archetypes and icons in contemporary French culture.

FREN 321 French Civilization and Culture II
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: French through the intermediate level or the equivalent. Conducted in French. A survey of French civilization and culture from the Napoleonic era to the present. This course retraces important cultural and social traditions found during the first Empire, the Restoration, the Second Republic, the Second Empire, the Commune, the Third and Fourth Republics which influenced and continue to shape contemporary French civilization and culture of the Fifth Republic.

FREN 330, 331 Survey of Literature
Semester courses; 3 lecture hours. 3, 3 credits. Prerequisite: French through the intermediate level or the equivalent. Conducted in French. First semester: through the 18th century. Second semester: 19th and 20th centuries.

FREN 410 Explication de Textes
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Two French courses at the 300 level or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. This course provides an introduction to terms encountered in text analysis: prosody, versification, rhetorical language, narratology and genres. It presents traditional and current schools of literary criticism and applies them to an interdisciplinary selection of texts.

FREN 420 French Regional Culture
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 320 or 321 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. Focuses on the culture and civilization specific to each of France’s 22 regions. Regional history, culture, architecture as well as sociopolitical, linguistic identities, artisanal trades and folklore are presented for each region.

FREN 421 French Contemporary Culture
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 320 or 321 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. Focuses on the contemporary culture found in French society today. The individuals and events shaping current French social, political, artistic and cultural life are examined. Each theme is illustrated by current audiovisual materials.

FREN 422 French Cinema
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 320 or 321 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. Tracing French cinema from les Frères Lumière and Georges Méliès through the New Wave to new contemporary directors, this course focuses on the thematic selections and stylistic techniques particular to French cinematographic culture. The class is offered concurrently with the Annual VCU French Film Festival, thereby permitting students to directly communicate with French actors and directors participating in the festival.

FREN 425 French Media
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 305 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. Analysis of the French media: written press, radio and television. Advanced comprehension skills required and stressed through regular exercises pertaining to different journalistic discourses and styles. Proficiency in journalistic writing is developed in class through the creation of an electronic French newspaper on the Internet.

FREN 430 The Middle Ages
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 300 or 301 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. A contextualization and detailed study of a selection of texts representative of literary schools, genres and major works of the period: "Chansons de geste," Courtly literature, "Fabliaux," and poetry.

FREN 431 The 16th Century
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 300 or 301 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. A contextualization and detailed study of a selection of works representative of literary schools, genres and major works of the period: Rabelais, the Pléiade, Montaigne and the Baroque poets.

FREN 432 The 17th Century
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 300 or 301 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. A contextualization and detailed study of a selection of texts representative of literary schools, genres and major works of the period: Baroque and Classical texts including prose, poetry and drama of the authors of the reign of Louis XIV; Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyère, Corneille, Racine and Molière.

FREN 433 The 18th Century
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 300 or 301 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. A contextualization and detailed study of a selection of texts representative of literary schools, genres and major works of the period: the "philosophes" including Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot and Rousseau and readings from Marivaux, Provost and Vauvenargues.

FREN 434 The 19th Century
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 300 or 301 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. A contextualization and detailed study of a selection of texts representative of literary schools, genres and major works of the period: Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism and Symbolism.

FREN 435 The 20th Century
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FREN 300 or 301 or permission of instructor. Conducted in French. A contextualization and detailed study of a selection of texts representative of literary schools, genres and major works of the period: Surrealism, Existentialism, "Nouveau Roman" and Theater of the Absurd.

FREN 440 Commercial French
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: At least one French course at the 300 level. This course introduces students to the cultural, economic and linguistic dimensions of the Francophone commercial sector. It builds the student’s reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiencies through active engagement with business-related materials and activities.

FREN 450/INTL 450 Francophone Literatures and Cultures
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated once with permission of instructor. Prerequisite: FREN 300 or 301 and at least one additional French course at the 300 level or permission of instructor. Introduces students to the literatures and cultures of the Francophone world. Provides an overview of the Francophone world and an in-depth study of literary works written in French from Africa, the Caribbean, North America, Asia and Europe. Also explores the impact of colonial history on Francophone literatures and cultures. Conducted in French.

FREN 491 Topics in French
Semester course; Variable credit. 1-3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of nine credits. Prerequisite: Completion of six credits of French at the 300 level or equivalent. An in-depth study of selected topics in French. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topic to be offered each semester.

FREN 492 Independent Study
Semester course; variable credit. Maximum of three credits per semester; maximum total of six credits for all independent study courses in French. Open generally only to students of junior or senior standing who have six credits of upper-level French courses and/or have a demonstrated competency in the language. Determination of course content and permission of the instructor must be obtained prior to registration for the course. A course designed to give students an opportunity to become involved in independent study in a literary or linguistic area or subject in which they have an interest.

Date Last Modified: November 5, 2007