French 275
Interdisciplinary French Studies in Paris
January 2009
Instructor:Jolene Barjasteh (barjaste@stolaf.edu, x3274)

Brief Description:

This extended immersion experience in Paris gives students of French the opportunity to experience firsthand the Parisian way of life and to come to a better understanding of both the history of the city and the role that it plays in contemporary France .

Existing Course Description: Students will delve into advanced language work and on-the-spot investigation of French culture, past and present, including theater, film, visual arts, the French court and the medieval cathedral through background readings, visits to important monuments, and personal interviews. Students will read, discuss, see and critique plays ranging from the classical to the contemporary.

Counts toward major: French, French Education
GE: FOL-F
Prerequisite: one 250-level French course (two recommended)

Objectives of the course : Students will…

1. Learn about the history of Paris through lectures, readings, monuments, and museum visits
2. Be introduced to French cinema and French theatre as examples of contemporary cultural phenomena. (Possible authors/topics to be studied: Molière and 17 th century comedy; Musset and 19 th century romanticism; Ionesco and 20 th century theater of the absurd; Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince on stage)
3. Demonstrate their understanding of a contemporary, social or political issue of importance for the French through the creation of an individual project.
4. Improve their listening comprehension and their oral skills in French through daily interactions with their instructor, their classmates, and the people of Paris
5. Continue to strive for grammatical accuracy in French by keeping a daily journal and preparing a written research project

Course requirements, all to be completed in French:

Class meets daily from 9AM to noon. We will have at least 45 hours of formal class time in addition to time spent on excursions and/or at the theatre/the cinema. Afternoons and/or evenings are spent “experiencing” Paris . Certain visits are made in a large group, but as a general rule, students go out on their own or in small groups in order to get to know the city and its attractions. Students are given a list of monuments and museums they are required to visit during the course of the month.

Each participant is expected to:

1. Complete a series of assigned readings and accompanying study guides
2. Maintain a notebook (for notes, observations from visits, observations related to daily life in Paris , new vocabulary)
3. Prepare oral and written assignments pertaining to the contemporary press
4. Maintain a written daily reflective journal
5. Prepare for and visit a wide range of monuments, museums, etc.
6. Attend a variety of cultural events (expositions, musical events, art shows, dance, films, plays, etc.)
7. Carry out an independent research project (written and oral)

Additional information regarding the academic program:

•  Students will read at least one daily newspaper every 1-2 days and one weekly newsmagazine in French. Reports on specific articles, observations and reaction to the print media in general and to the politicization of the French press, as well as to specific articles, will be given orally in class, both informally and more formally. Students will gain some familiarity with the international and domestic political scene, with the vocabulary, structures and register required to discuss these intelligently.
•  Students will read and discuss articles about cross-cultural comparison of Americans and French. Students will receive a packet of materials from the professor prior to departure from the United States.
•  Students will read, discuss and attend two or three plays. Before seeing each play, we will concentrate on comprehension of the text, with some attention to interpretation; after seeing the play, we will focus on the play as literature and on aspects of the particular performance seen (interpretation of text, quality of execution, etc.) If circumstances make it impossible for us to obtain theater tickets, we will focus instead on contemporary French cinema.
•  There will be two day-long excursions –one to Chartres and the other to Versailles .

Grading/evaluation:

1. Participation in discussion 20%
2. Required visits/homework 20%
3. Reflective journal 20%
4. Cultural project (written/oral) 40%

Housing and meals:

  1. Students will be housed at the hôtel Claude Bernard (43, rue des Ecoles, 75005 Paris, tel: 33 1 43 26 32 52; fax: 33 1 43 26 80 56) in double, triple and quadruple rooms that include television and bath. This is a neighborhood in the Latin Quarter that is lively during the day and relatively quiet (and safe) at night.
  2. Students will take breakfast in the hotel. The daily food allowance will provide one full meal (either lunch or dinner); it may also cover a light meal (e.g. bread, fruit and cheese).