French and Francophone Studies (FREN)
The French major is a rigorous and interdisciplinary major consisting of nine courses. The major is best seen as a progression of linguistic-cultural study organized in four stages. The 100-level courses focus on language proficiency in cultural context. The 200-level courses consolidate language skills while beginning a more interdisciplinary study of French and Francophone literatures and cultures. A year or semester in France provides direct experience in the French culture. The 300-level courses focus on specific critical approaches to topics in literature, civilization, and cultural studies.
The major consists of nine courses. These nine courses must include at least one course in pre-revolutionary French literature or civilization, one course in post-revolutionary French literature or civilization, and one course in Francophone literature or civilization. During their time at Bucknell, majors will take at least two 300-level courses. One course outside the French and Francophone Studies Program may count toward the major upon approval of that course by the Program Director. French courses starting with FREN 101 may count toward the major.
All French and Francophone Studies majors have the opportunity to satisfy College Core Curriculum requirements by taking required courses for the major. In addition, French and Francophone Studies majors will have the opportunity to take W2 courses in the 200- and 300-level literature and civilization courses required for the major. Through thoughtfully articulated writing assignments, presentations, in-class discussions, and user education workshops in the library, French and Francophone Studies majors will hone their research and analytical skills. They will gain familiarity with discipline-specific journals and databases, and learn to evaluate information sources. As they engage in the critical interdisciplinary thinking necessary for successful completion of the major, students will lay the foundation for independent lifelong learning.
Courses Offered at Bucknell
All students who have had French in high school should take the online placement test prior to enrolling for the first time in a course at the 100-level. Instructions can be found at bucknell.edu/x939.xml
or via myBucknell.
French and Francophone Studies Major
The major in French and Francophone Studies consists of a minimum of nine courses at the FREN 101 Discovering French level or above, excluding:
| FREN 201 | Intermediate French Conversation I | .5 |
| FREN 202 | Intermediate French Conversation II | .5 |
| FREN 262 | Intercultural Communication | 1 |
| FREN 301 | Advanced French Conversation I | .5 |
| FREN 302 | Advanced French Conversation II | .5 |
These must include:
| Select at least 1 Pre-Revolution France literature and/or civilization course in French at the 200- or 300-level | ||
| FREN 230 | French Literature I | 1 |
| or FREN 322 | Medieval and Renaissance Studies | |
| or FREN 324 | Seventeenth-Century Studies | |
| or FREN 325 | Eighteenth-Century Studies | |
| or FREN 330 | Topics in Literature | |
| Select at least 1 Post-Revolution France literature and/or civilization course in French at the 200- or 300-level | ||
| FREN 231 | French Literature II | 1 |
| or FREN 255 | Introduction to French Cinema | |
| or FREN 270 | La France actuelle | |
| or FREN 271 | La France artistique | |
| or FREN 280 | Translating Food Cultures | |
| or FREN 326 | Nineteenth-Century Studies | |
| or FREN 327 | Twentieth-Century Studies | |
| or FREN 370 | Topics in Civilization | |
| or FREN 371 | Topics in the Arts | |
| Select at least 1 Francophone literature and/or civilization course in French at the 200- or 300-level | ||
| FREN 236 | Topics in Francophone Literature and Culture | 1 |
| or FREN 336 | Francophone Africa | |
| At least two courses at the 300-level | 2 | |
| Students may elect to take one course outside of the French & Francophone Studies program (e.g. in History, English, Anthropology, etc.) on a French/Francophone subject. See list of pre-approved courses on the French & Francophone Studies webpage. Students must obtain approval to "count" a course not on the list from the French & Francophone Studies Program Director. | ||
All majors will complete a Culminating Experience: During the senior year (or second semester of the junior year with permission of their adviser and the program director), majors in French and Francophone Studies will designate as their Culminating Experience one 300-level seminar on a French or Francophone topic taught by a faculty member in the French and Francophone Studies program. As part of the learning activities in that seminar, majors will undertake a paper or research project related to French or Francophone literature or culture. At the end of the semester, they will present the result, both in its final written form and as an oral presentation in French based on their research, preferably at a symposium organized by the French and Francophone Studies program on campus. These two components of the Culminating Experience (paper and presentation) must provide evidence of: 1) competency in written and oral communication through structured arguments using appropriate forms of textual, cultural and visual analysis and evidence and 2) familiarity with critical approaches, academic research and methodology in the field of French and Francophone Studies. A committee of French and Francophone Studies faculty will evaluate these Culminating Experiences to determine whether or not they meet both of these two learning objectives and thus satisfy the requirement. With the permission of the French and Francophone Studies adviser, students who are taking an independent study or pursuing honors in French and Francophone Studies may satisfy the Culminating Experience requirement through the successful completion of an Independent Study project or an Honors Thesis. However, in such cases, these students will still be required to do an oral presentation in French based on their research project or thesis in order to provide evidence for the two learning outcomes under examination, as stated above.
French and Francophone Studies Minor
The minor in French and Francophone Studies consists of five courses taught in French at the FREN 101 Discovering French level and beyond, excluding:
| FREN 201 | Intermediate French Conversation I | .5 |
| FREN 202 | Intermediate French Conversation II | .5 |
| FREN 262 | Intercultural Communication | 1 |
| FREN 301 | Advanced French Conversation I | .5 |
| FREN 302 | Advanced French Conversation II | .5 |
Residence abroad is the best way to gain proficiency in the language and knowledge of the culture. Bucknell’s own study abroad program, Bucknell en France, located in Tours, can accommodate students at all proficiency levels. Internships can be arranged for advanced students. It is strongly recommended that minors participate in the Bucknell en France program in Tours.
Majors in our program will be able to:
- Speak, read, write, and understand French at an “Advanced-Low” level as defined by the proficiency criteria of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (2, 3, 7, 9)
- Demonstrate familiarity with the major Francophone writers from the Middle Ages through the Twenty-First Century, and with major trends in Francophone literatures and cultures. (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9)
- Demonstrate cultural competency in French-Francophone civilizations, including familiarity with attitudes, lifestyles, conceptions of society, social and political structures from historical, anthropological, and symbolic perspectives. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
- Demonstrate competency in written and oral communication through the production of persuasive texts and presentations supported by structured arguments using appropriate forms of textual, cultural and visual analysis and evidence. Such texts and oral presentations will respect disciplinary norms for evidence and citation. (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- Demonstrate research competency in French-Francophone literature and culture, including familiarity with major journals, critical approaches, academic research and methodology, current news from the target countries, bibliographical and other sources related to coursework, contemporary cultural sources, and interactive communicative sites. (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- Demonstrate the ability to synthesize learning from within and outside French and Francophone studies in order to develop a global view of the discipline and how the knowledge and skills it promotes can be applied beyond Bucknell. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Minors in our program will be able to:
- Speak, read, write, and understand French at an “Intermediate-High” level as defined by the proficiency criteria of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (2, 3, 7, 9)
Numbers in parentheses reflect related Education Goals .
Courses
FREN 101. Discovering French. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3,Recitation:1
Beginning language skills. Practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing; elementary grammar; and introduction to French civilization. Prerequisite: no more than two years of secondary school French or permission of the instructor.
FREN 102. Exploring French. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3,Recitation:1
Continuation of language skills. Practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing; grammar; readings in literature and civilization. Prerequisite: FREN 101 or one year of secondary school French.
FREN 103. Building Proficiency in French. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3,Recitation:1
A review of basic grammar emphasizing all four language skills and culture. Prerequisite: FREN 102 or equivalent (three years of secondary school French).
FREN 104. Communicating in Context. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3,Recitation:1
Continuing review of basic grammar emphasizing all four language skills and culture. Prerequisite: FREN 103 or four years of secondary school French.
FREN 150. L'Ecriture fantastique. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Application of major linguistic functions and acquisition of skills essential for 200-level courses through a series of contextualized writing assignments. Prerequisite: FREN 104 or five years of secondary school French.
FREN 1NT. French Non-traditional Study. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3
Nontraditional study in French.
FREN 201. Intermediate French Conversation I. .5 Credits.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:2; Repeatable
Concentration on development of speaking skill. Conducted entirely in French by native speaker. Not open to students who have studied in France or other French-speaking countries. Intended for students enrolled in 200-level courses. Prerequisite: FREN 104 or FREN 150 or equivalent. (Cannot be applied toward the French major or minor).
FREN 202. Intermediate French Conversation II. .5 Credits.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:2; Repeatable
Concentration on development of speaking skill. Conducted entirely in French by native speaker. Not open to students who have studied in France or other French-speaking countries. Intended for students enrolled in 200-level courses. Prerequisite: FREN 104 or FREN 150 or equivalent. (Cannot be applied toward the French major or minor).
FREN 215. Advanced Intermediate French I. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies
Intensive French language study during the student's first month in Tours. Offered only in Tours, required of all students their first semester there. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 216. Advanced Intermediate French II. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:4
Guided practice for the improvement of written and spoken French at the advanced intermediate level, and preparation for the DELF French proficiency exam. Offered only in Tours, required of all students their first semester there. Prerequisite: FREN 215.
FREN 217. Advanced French I. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies
Intensive French Language study during first month of second semester in Tours. Offered only in Tours. Prerequisite: FREN 215.
FREN 218. Advanced French II. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:Varies
Guided practice for the improvement of written and spoken French at the advanced intermediate level, and preparation for the DELF French proficiency exam. Offered only in Tours. Prerequisite: FREN 216.
FREN 220. Women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. 1 Credit.
Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Introduction to history of French literature from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution with an emphasis on women writers and women's lived experiences and/or literary representations. Provides an introduction to literary history and methods of critical reading. A comprehensive survey. Prerequisite: FREN 104.
FREN 230. French Literature I. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to history of French literature from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. Provides an introduction to literary history and methods of critical reading. A comprehensive survey. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 231. French Literature II. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to history of French literature of the 19th century to the present and to methods of literary analysis. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 236. Topics in Francophone Literature and Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Study of the literature, language, geography, history, music, and film of a particular Francophone region (French Caribbean, Quebec, West Africa, Maghreb, etc.). Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 255. Introduction to French Cinema. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to French cinema from a cultural and historical perspective. Students will familiarize themselves with major cinematic movements and with methods of critical reading. The course also includes discussions of the relationships between film, literature, and other visual arts. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 261. Traduction. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to translation. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 262. Intercultural Communication. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course is intended to provide a foundation in intercultural communication theory with specific application to the French and American cultures. Offered only in Tours.
FREN 270. La France actuelle. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to contemporary France from historical, sociological, anthropological, and symbolic perspectives. The study of French attitudes, lifestyles, conceptions of society, social and political structures, and of France and French in a post-colonial context. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 271. La France artistique. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to French music, literature, and fine arts from the Middle Ages to the present. Focus on selected artists, writers and musicians from each period. Provides a comprehensive survey. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 274. The Art of Touraine. .5 Credits.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:2
This course will focus on the arts of the Touraine region. Offered only in Tours.
FREN 275. French Economy and Business Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3,Other:2; Repeatable
In-depth study of the language, culture, politics, and economic climate of business in France. Preparation for further study of management and internships in France. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 276. Tours artistique. .5 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:2
The many faces of Tours as reflected in the arts. Offered only in Tours.
FREN 277. La France au quotidien. .5 Credits.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:1,Other:1
Introduction to the history and literary scene of the Touraine region. Offered only in Tours. Prerequisites: For second semester Bucknell en France students staying for a full year in Tours and who have taken FREN 276.
FREN 280. Translating Food Cultures. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to basic translation skills through contemporary texts dealing with food and culturally significant culinary practices in the French and Francophone world. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 282. Patrimoines Gastronomiques. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to food practices in France from historical, sociological, anthropological, and symbolic perspectives. Studies conceptions of society through gastronomic discourse. Prerequisite: FREN 150.
FREN 288. Global Cuisines, Local Contexts: Commensality and Conflict. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
We will consider how food both brings people together, and creates divisions between them, through an in-depth examination of the cases of French and Andean (South American) cuisines. Cuisine will be considered through aesthetic, cultural, and economic lenses as a mirror into larger social worlds. Crosslisted as ANTH 288 and UNIV 288 and LAMS 288.
FREN 290. Independent Study. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:1; Repeatable
Independent study in French for students enrolled in the Bucknell en France program. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
FREN 295. Topics in French Studies. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies
Topics vary but permit study of one or several subjects in French or Francophone literature, culture and civilization. Prerequisites: FREN 150 and permission of the instructor.
FREN 301. Advanced French Conversation I. .5 Credits.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:2
Advanced conversation for students who have studied in France or other French-speaking countries. Conducted entirely in French by native speaker. May not be taken by native speakers of French.(Cannot be applied toward the French major or minor).
FREN 302. Advanced French Conversation II. .5 Credits.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:2
Advanced conversation for students who have studied in France or other French-speaking countries. Conducted entirely in French by native speaker. May not be taken by native speakers of French. (Cannot be applied toward the French major or minor).
FREN 322. Medieval and Renaissance Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examination of the literature of the medieval and Renaissance periods emphasizing the analysis of themes, ideas, and styles as well as cultural and historical contexts. Prerequisite: FREN 230 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 324. Seventeenth-Century Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Topics deal with aspects of Louis XIV's classical aesthetic. Examination and analysis of its literary, artistic, and cultural manifestations, its socio-political and philosophical underpinnings, and its counter-culture: the salon tradition. Prerequisite: FREN 230 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 325. Eighteenth-Century Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Topics vary, but deal with aspects of the literary, artistic, and intellectual manifestations of the decline of the Ancient Regime and the liberation of thought initiated by the pre-Revolutionary philosophies. Prerequisite: FREN 230 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 326. Nineteenth-Century Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Topics vary, but inevitably focus on the interaction of Romantic imagination and Realist observation that characterizes the 19th century in France. Prerequisite: FREN 231 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 327. Twentieth-Century Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Topics vary and could focus on a period, a genre, a group of writers, or a theme from the 20th or 21st century. Prerequisite: FREN 231 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 330. Topics in Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Advanced study of themes or topics in French or Francophone literature. Prerequisite: FREN 230, FREN 231 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 336. Francophone Africa. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Study of literature, film, politics, and society of Francophone Africa. Prerequisite: FREN 230, FREN 231, FREN 236, FREN 270, or FREN 271.
FREN 370. Topics in Civilization. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Advanced study in themes, topics, or periods in French or Francophone history or civilization. Prerequisite: FREN 270 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 371. Topics in the Arts. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Advanced study in themes, topics, or periods of French art history. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: FREN 271 or permission of the instructor.
FREN 390. Independent Study. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Subject to be selected by student in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
FREN 395. Seminar in French Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Topics vary, but permit detailed study of any one of innumerable subjects in French literature and civilization. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
FREN 3NT. French Non-traditional Study. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3
Non-traditional study in French.
Faculty
Professors: Barbara K. Altmann (Provost), Philippe C. Dubois (Director), Angèle M. Kingué
Associate Professors: Logan J. Connors, Nathalie Dupont, Renée K. Gosson, John Westbrook
Visiting Assistant Professors: Anna E. Navrotskaya, Anneliese Renck