FRENCH 275

Interdisciplinary French Studies in Paris

January 2011
Instructor:  Dr. Jolene Barjasteh (barjaste@stolaf.edu; x. 3274)

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:

  1. Students will learn about the history of Paris through lectures, readings, monuments, and museum visits.
  2. Students will be introduced to French cinema and French theatre as examples of contemporary cultural phenomena.
  3. Students will demonstrate their understanding of a contemporary, social or political issue of importance for the French through the creation of an individual project.
  4. Students will improve their listening comprehension and their oral skills in French through daily interactions with their instructor, their classmates, and the people of Paris.
  5. Students will continue to strive for grammatical accuracy in French by keeping a daily journal and preparing a written research project.

Course requirements, all in French:
The class meets daily from 9:00-11:30 AM.   Afternoons and/or evenings are spent “experiencing” Paris.  Students spend a minimal amount of time in their rooms.  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. (See attached list of required monument/museum visits.) 

            Each participant is required to:
            •Read, study, attend, and write about select plays and films
            •Keep a notebook (for notes, vocabulary)
            •Prepare oral and written assignments pertaining to the contemporary press
            •Keep a written daily reflective journal
            •Prepare for and visit a wide range of monuments, museums, etc.
•Attend a variety of cultural events (expositions, musical events, art shows, dance, films, plays, etc.)
•Carry out an independent research project (written and oral)

            Additional information regarding the academic program: 

  1. Students will read at least one daily newspaper and one weekly newsmagazine in French.  Reports on specific articles, observations and reactions 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. 
  1. Students will read and discuss a variety of texts about the history and culture of the city of Paris found in the coursepack prepared by the instructor.
  1. Students will read, discuss and attend two plays.  Before seeing each play, emphasis will be placed on comprehension of the text, with some attention to interpretation; after seeing the play, emphasis will focus on the play as literature and on aspects of the particular performance seen (interpretation of text, quality of execution, etc.)

Possible texts include:
•Molière, Le Médecin malgré lui  Classique Bordas, Paris: 1994
ISBN 2-04-028006-5
•Ionesco, La Cantatrice chauve (suivi de La Leçon)  Folio, Paris
 •Guide Michelin: Paris
•Coursepack available before departure (includes historical/cultural documents and excerpts from Julien Green’s Paris )

  1. There will be two 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 hotel 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, bath and wifi.  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).