Descriptions of Courses Taught at Penn State
FR 410: French Press
Prerequisite: FR 331 or FR 332
This course, taught in French, introduces students to the history and current state of French press and media (including newspapers, magazines, radio, and television) while developing their knowledge of French society and culture through media coverage of current and recent events. The course is also designed to help students advanced in all four language skills. Starting with a brief history of the press in France, including the creation of dailies such as Le Journal de Paris and the impact of some well-known journalists or writers upon events such as the Dreyfus Affair, the course quickly moves to the post-WWII period. Students are introduced to radio and television in France and to contemporary newspapers and magazines. As they become more familiar with French and Francophone press and media, students study current and recent events of the French and Francophone world, in fields such as sports, politics, culture, and economics.
FR 202: Grammar and Composition
Prerequisite: FR 003
This intermediate-level language course serves as a bridge between the Basic Language Program and more advanced undergraduate coursework in French. The course is designed to enhance knowledge of French grammar through study and discussion, and to improve skills in writing French. The primary emphasis is on writing accurately and fluently about a variety of topics in formal compositions, short written assignments, and in-class activities. The course involves grammar exercises and analysis, in-class activities to improve spoken and written fluency, and practice in such writing skills as description, narration, summary, argumentation, and exposition. This course is required for French majors and minors, and aims at developing the higher-level language skills needed for more advanced courses and for study abroad.
FR 201: Oral Communication and Reading Comprehension
Prerequisite: FR 003
This intermediate-level language course serves as a bridge between the Basic Language Program and more advanced undergraduate coursework in French. The course is designed to improve students' skills in French, with emphasis on speaking and reading through the use of written texts, videos, and multimedia to explore cultural and literary aspects of France and the Francophone world from a variety of perspectives. Through these activities, students cultivate their listening skills, expand their French vocabulary, and discuss and debate their opinions in French. Students also develop the skills to analyze literary, filmic, and iconographic texts while increasing their awareness of historical and contemporary cultural issues. This course is required for French majors and minors, and aims at developing the higher-level language skills needed for more advanced courses and for study abroad.
FR 139: France and the French-Speaking World
In this general education course taught in English, students study the artistic, social and intellectual components of the French cultural ethos to develop an appreciation of a major Western European humanistic tradition and its impact and adaptation on several continents. The notion of a national culture, which has become an international phenomenon, integrates a broad spectrum of subject areas in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The elements articulated embrace socioeconomic, linguistic, and demographic profiles; social stereotypes (internal, external, and colonial); social structures (family, gender, childhood/old age); and selected "high" and "popular" cultural themes (cuisine, architecture, dress, painting, social philosophy). Using today's metropolitan French culture as a point of departure, and its historical legacy, the course explores the consequences of French cultural hegemony in various French-speaking areas. In brief, the course introduces Penn State students to the dynamics of cultural pluralism, a crucial acquisition in today's "global village."
FR 137: Paris: Anatomy of a City
"Paris: Anatomy of a City" is an introductory survey of the history, culture, art, literature and social life of the city of Paris. Progressing chronologically from Gallo-Roman Paris to the present, the course explores continuities and changes during the past 2000 years of Parisian history. Students examine social movements, revolutions, wars, painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic art, music and literature as well as the geography and history of the city. Course readings include representative texts from every period. Through the lens of Paris, students encounter various historical, political, social, and artistic movements of broader significance in France and Europe.
FR 137: Paris: Anatomy of a City (Online)
From the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral in the 12th Century to its near‐destruction in the French Revolution, from the Eiffel Tower's beginnings as a shocking modern "eyesore" to its status today as a beloved landmark, Paris's history has been full of ups and downs, controversies and changes. Through a six‐part thematic overview, this general education course taught in English is an introductory survey of the history, culture, art, literature and social life of the city of Paris. Progressing chronologically from Gallo‐Roman Paris to the present, students explore continuities and changes in these 2000 years of Parisian history, exploring the events, people, and ideas that have contributed to Paris's status and identity today as world capital, beloved tourist destination, and quintessential symbol of French culture. Thus, students are introduced to social movements, revolutions, wars, painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic art, music and literature as well as the geography and history of the city. Students read representative texts from every period. Extensive use of technology (Internet, films, and virtual tours) exposes students to various historical, political, social, and artistic movements. Students fine-tune their analytic skills through weekly group discussion boards and apply their new knowledge in designing final projects.
FR 003: Intermediate French
Prerequisite: FR 002
French 3 is designed for students who have successfully completed French 2 or who have had three to four years of high school French or its equivalent. The focus of the course is on real-life language use, the integration of language and culture, and the development of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The methodology used is communicative and task-based, meaning that in every chapter of the book students learn language for a specific task, and by the end of the course are able to perform a variety of tasks useful to someone visiting a French-speaking country.
FR 002: Elementary French II
Prerequisite: FR 002
French 2 is designed for students who have successfully completed French 1 or who have had two years of high school French or its equivalent. The focus of the course is on real-life language use, the integration of language and culture, and the development of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The methodology used is communicative and task-based, meaning that in every chapter of the book students learn language for a specific task, and by the end of the course are able to perform a variety of tasks useful to someone visiting a French-speaking country.
FR 001: Elementary French I
French 1 is designed for students who have studied no French or who have had less than one year of high school French or its equivalent. The focus of the course is on real-life language use, the integration of language and culture, and the development of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. By the end of French 1, students are able to use the French language in a number of everyday contexts: to greet people and make introductions, to order food and beverages, to buy clothing, and to give and get directions around a city. In addition, they learn to talk about a variety of topics: their family and home, their daily routine, their plans for the immediate future, and their activities in the past. They also read and hear about cultural issues in France and the French-speaking world: attitudes toward food, families, housing, urban and rural life, and so forth.
