French Studies

• As students learn and master the French language, they gain the ability to listen and speak articulately; read and analyze texts, cultural artifacts and digital media critically; and write clearly.

• As they explore French and Francophone cultures, society, history, institutions and thought, they develop historical and comparative depth of perspective.

• As they take courses in other departments and/or programs, they build an interdisciplinary framework to develop a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the French and Francophone world.

• As they engage with communities beyond Smith through study, internships, volunteer and other work opportunities abroad, they become global citizens who value tolerance, appreciate diversity and thereby become prepared to face the challenges of living in a rapidly changing world.

Advisers

Eglal Doss-Quinby, Dawn Fulton, Martine Gantrel, Jonathan Gosnell, Ann Leone, Mehammed Mack, Janie Vanpée and Hélène Visentin.

Requirements

Ten 4-credit courses or the equivalent at the 200 level or above, including the following:

1. The basis for the French studies major: FRN 230;
2. One language course at the advanced level (270, 385, or equivalent taken abroad);
3. One course on literature or culture before 1900;
4. Three additional 4-credit courses in French studies at the 300 level or higher, of which two must be taken in the senior year.

In consultation with her major adviser, a student may count toward the major up to two 4-credit courses taught in English provided they are related to French studies, and up to two 4-credit courses in fields unrelated to French studies provided they are taught in French.

All students are encouraged to fulfill requirement #3. It will be in effect beginning with the class of 2020.

No more than one course counting toward the major may be taken for an S/U grade. Students considering graduate school in the humanities are encouraged to take CLT 300 Literary Theory and Literary Practice: Conflicts and Consensus.

The Department of French Studies offers an online placement exam to test students' proficiency in reading, writing and understanding spoken French. The exam is accessible on Moodle and is open through the registration period. To access the test after registration, please email Dawn Fulton.

Students who have taken at least one year of French but have not taken the ETS French Achievement or Advanced Placement tests should take this exam. Even if you have taken those tests, we encourage all students to take the placement exam; it helps the department in advising students about course selection.

French Placement Test Instructions

French Placement Test Instructions

To evaluate how well students are achieving departmental learning goals, the Department of French Studies developed a series of assessment activities undertaken at different stages of a student’s career at Smith as follows:

• Under the guidance of their major adviser, students are asked to self-assess their proficiency in French, using tools created by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an internationally recognized set of guidelines used across Europe to describe foreign language proficiency in listening, reading, speaking and writing according to reference levels from A1 to C2.
• Students enrolled in the Smith Program Abroad in Paris are required to take the TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français, the equivalent of the TOEFL for English speakers) in the spring semester prior to their departure and at the end of their junior year abroad. The TCF is an official French language test administered by the French Ministry of Education, which evaluates student proficiency from A1 to C2 according to the CEFR standard. Students enrolled in the Smith Program Abroad in Geneva take a similar test upon their arrival in Geneva and before their departure.

Director

Eglal Doss-Quinby

430d Thesis (8 credits)
Full-year course offered each year

431 Thesis (8 credits)
Offered fall semester each year

The honors program is for French studies majors who desire to conduct independent research on a specific aspect of French or Francophone literature or culture during their senior year. Students are eligible to apply for the honors program either at the completion of the second semester of their junior year or before the end of the second week of classes in September of their senior year.

Eligibility

A student who applies to do honors work must have a 3.5 GPA in French studies. Honors students work closely with a faculty adviser to conceptualize and carry out study that culminates in a paper of about 50-80 pages in length or an equivalent project; this work is done either as FRN 430d (a full-year, 8 credit course, with thesis or project due by mid April of the senior year) or FRN 431 (a fall-semester, 8-credit course, with thesis or project due on the first day of the second semester of the senior year).

Presentation

The thesis or project may be presented in either English or French; the choice of language must be approved by the thesis adviser and the director of honors. FRN 430d or FRN 431 may substitute for one of the two 300-level French courses required in the senior year to complete the French studies major.

Evaluation

In the second semester of the senior year, the honors candidate will take an oral examination based on her thesis or project and the field in which it was written. Evaluation of honors work for the degree with "honors," "high honors," or "highest honors" is based on the following:

• 10 percent on the oral examination
• 60 percent on the evaluation of the final thesis project by the thesis adviser and a second reader
• 30 percent on the candidate's grades in the French studies major

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I prepare to do an honors thesis?
Students contemplating honors work should begin talking to professors in their area of interest during their junior year, at the latest. Many honors projects have developed from interests fostered by course work done at Smith or on a Junior Year Abroad.

How do I find an honors thesis adviser?
Most students use course experience or consult the department website to identify professors whose research interests coincide with theirs. The departmental director of honors can also be a resource for matching student interests to faculty expertise. The next step is to contact the relevant faculty member(s) to discuss the possibility of doing an honors project.

How do I apply for honors?
Interested students should consult the departmental honors section of the class deans website for complete information on applying for honors and for information on funding resources.

Can I do honors if I go abroad junior year?
Yes. In fact, many honors projects ideas begin on a Junior Year Abroad program. You should be prepared to approach your potential Smith adviser while you are still abroad. 

What are the benefits of doing a thesis or honors project?
The honors project provides you the unique opportunity of immersing yourself in a research project to greater depth than anything else you will experience in your undergraduate studies. Your research and writing skills will develop immensely during the process. Many students derive great satisfaction from bringing an idea to full development and expression in an honors project.

What are the disadvantages to doing an honors thesis?
A thesis requires an enormous commitment of time and intellectual energy. The 8-credit thesis may mean that you take fewer courses during your senior year, which may limit your options for studying a wide variety of subjects. Some students report being intimidated by the writing commitment. However, if you think of the thesis as a related group of 3-4 papers, each 15-20 pages in length, accompanied by an introduction and conclusion, the task becomes feasible.

Please check the course catalog for up-to-date information. You can also see the Five College course schedule.

All classes and exams are conducted in French with the exception of cross-listed courses, unless otherwise indicated.

FRN 101 Accelerated Beginning French I
This elementary French course is designed to give students with no previous experience in French the opportunity to acquire the fundamentals of the French language and Francophone culture. It emphasizes communicative proficiency, the development of oral and listening skills, self-expression, and cultural insights. Classroom activities incorporate authentic French material and are focused on acquiring competency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students must complete both 101 and 103 to fulfill the Latin honors distribution requirement for a foreign language. Enrollment limited to 18 per section. Credits: 5
Ann Leone, Christiane Métral, TBA
Fall 2018

FRN 103 Accelerated Beginning French II
This second-semester French course allows students to acquire the basic elements of spoken and written French. They learn how to express themselves on a variety of topics and in everyday life situations as they connect to the Francophone world through authentic cultural material and multimedia activities. Students completing the course normally enter 220. Prerequisite: 101. {F} Credits: 5
Christiane Métral, TBA
Spring 2019

FRN 120 Intermediate French
An intermediate language course designed for students with two or three years of high school French. Its main objective is to develop cultural awareness and the ability to speak and write in French through exposure to a variety of media (literary texts, newspaper articles, ads, clips, films, videos). Students completing the course normally enter 220. Enrollment limited to 18 per section. {F} Credits: 4
Christiane Métral, TBA
Fall 2018

FRN 220 High Intermediate French
Review of communicative skills through writing and class discussion. Materials include a movie, a comic book, a play and a novel. Prerequisite: three or four years of high school French; 103 or 120, or permission of the instructor. Students completing the course normally enter 230. Enrollment limited to 18 per section. {F} Credits: 4
Jonathan Keith Gosnell, TBA
Fall 2018 and Spring 2019

FRN 235 Speaking (Like the) French: Conversing, Discussing, Debating, Arguing
A total immersion course in French oral expression using authentic cultural materials: French films and series, songs, video clips, internet resources, news reporting, televised versions of round-table discussions, intellectual exchanges and documentary reporting. Students learn how the French agree and disagree with one another, converse, argue and attempt to persuade each other. Interactive multimedia exercises, games, role playing, discussions and debates, presenting formal exposés and improving pronunciation. Prerequisite: 230, or permission of the instructor. Registration: required attendance at meeting in Fall 2018: date and location of meeting TBA. Admission by permission only. {F} Credits: 4
Christiane Métral
Interterm 2019

FRN 270 Language and Identity
A course in advanced composition for students who wish to improve their mastery of some of the more difficult points of French grammar, syntax and usage, as they reflect on the role of language in shaping individual and national identity, from the 16th century to the present day. Readings and discussions on topics such as linguistic policy and cultural politics, the feminization of the French language, and defending against the invasion of English by legislating the use of French within France and Quebec. Prerequisite: normally, one course in French studies beyond 230, or permission of the instructor. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Eglal Doss-Quinby
Spring 2019

FRN 385 Advanced Studies in Language
Topics Course.

Global French: The Language of Business and International Trade
An overview of commercial and financial terminology against the backdrop of contemporary French business culture, using case studies, French television and newspapers, and the internet. Emphasis on essential technical vocabulary, reading and writing business documents, and oral communication in a business setting. Prerequisite: a 300-level French course, a solid foundation in grammar, and excellent command of everyday vocabulary, or permission of the instructor. {F} Credits: 4
Eglal Doss-Quinby
Spring 2019

Please check the course catalog for up-to-date information. You can also see the Five College course schedule.

All classes and exams are conducted in French with the exception of cross-listed courses, unless otherwise indicated.

FRN 230 Colloquium in French Studies
Topics course.

A gateway to more advanced courses. These colloquia develop skills in expository writing and critical thinking in French. Materials include novels, films, essays and cultural documents. Students may receive credit for only one section of 230. Enrollment limited to 18. Basis for the major. Prerequisite: 220, or permission of the instructor.

Consumers, Culture and the French Department Store
How have French stores and shopping practices evolved since the grand opening of Le Bon Marché in 1869? In what ways have megastores and e-commerce influenced French "culture"? This course examines representations of mass consumption in literature, the press, history, and analyses of French popular and bourgeois traditions, paying particular attention to the role of women in the transactions and development of culture. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Jonathan Gosnell
Spring 2019

Dream Places and Nightmare Spaces: French Literary Landscapes
Through texts by authors from Louis XIV to Colette, we discuss questions about literary uses of landscape: Why do we flee or search for a landscape? What makes us cherish or fear a particular place? What do landscapes tell us that the narrator or characters cannot or will not tell? Other authors may include Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Chateaubriand, Maupassant, Apollinaire, Robbe-Grillet and James Sacré. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Ann Leone
Fall 2018

Paris, a Multilayered City
An exploration of the cultural and urban development of Paris across time and in space with an emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. We use an interactive digital platform to reconstruct the spaces, both real and imaginary, featured in novels, poetry, short stories, popular songs, visual documents and maps that have portrayed the city throughout its history. Works by Corneille, Hugo, Maupassant, Baudelaire, Apollinaire, Modiano, Vargas, Gavalda. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Hélène Visentin
Fall 2018

Women Writers of Africa and the Caribbean
An introduction to works by contemporary women writers from Francophone Africa and the Caribbean. Topics studied include colonialism, exile, motherhood and intersections between class and gender. Our study of these works and of the French language is informed by attention to the historical, political and cultural circumstances of writing as a woman in a former French colony. Texts include works by Mariama Bâ, Maryse Condé, Yamina Benguigui and Marie-Célie Agnant. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Dawn Fulton
Spring 2019

FRN 250 Skyping With the French: Cross-Cultural Connections
Using webcam and video conferencing technology, students have conversations in real time with French students in Paris. We examine youth culture in France and explore fundamental cultural differences between Americans and the French. Topics include cultural attitudes and beliefs, social values and institutions as well as relevant socioeconomic issues. Materials: textbooks, cultural essays, surveys, articles, films and songs. Prerequisite: 230 or higher, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 15. {F} {S} Credits: 4
Christiane Métral
Spring 2019

FRN 251 The French Media, Now and Then
Topics course.

A broad overview of the different media and their histories in the French and Francophone world as well as an overview of French social, economic, political and cultural issues. Students acquire essential tools for media analysis: identifying political orientation, detecting bias, tracking controversies over time, putting quotes in context, and identifying missing voices in the narrative. Students can expect to read the leading newspapers every week and grapple with events as they happen. Prerequisite: 230, or permission of the instructor.

The French Press Online
A study of contemporary French social, economic, political and cultural issues through daily readings of French magazines and newspapers online such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération. {F} {S} Credits: 4
Jonathan Gosnell
Fall 2018

FRN 252 French Cinema
Topics course.

An introduction to the study of French and Francophone film. Readings in film criticism. Papers and attendance at weekly screenings required. Course taught in French. Prerequisite: 230, or permission of the instructor. Course may be repeated for credit with a different topic.

Cities of Light: Urban Spaces in Francophone Film
From Paris to Fort-de-France, Montreal to Dakar, we study how various filmmakers from the Francophone world present urban spaces as sites of conflict, solidarity, alienation and self-discovery. How do these portraits confirm or challenge the distinction between urban and non-urban? How does the image of the city shift for “insiders” and “outsiders”? Other topics to be discussed include immigration, colonialism and globalization. Works by Sembène Ousmane, Denys Arcand, Mweze Ngangura and Euzhan Palcy. {A] {F} {L} Credits: 4
Dawn Fulton
Fall 2018

Paris on Screen
Paris is often portrayed by filmmakers as the quintessential romantic setting. Starting with the French New Wave, this course examines films that look at France's capital city differently, as a place where various urban, cosmopolitan, and/or diasporic subcultures live side by side, often unbeknownst to one another. Films by directors such as Truffaut, Godard, Varda, Sautet, Rohmer, Denis, Assayas, and Klapisch. {A] {F} {L} Credits: 4
Martine Gantrel
Spring 2019

FRN 253 The Lady, the Knight and the King
An introduction to the main cultural and literary currents that shaped Medieval France, a period whose values and concept of “literature” were dramatically different from our own. We focus on the rise of courtliness and the invention of romantic love, the legend of King Arthur and the transmission of Celtic themes, adultery and madness, magic and the chivalric quest, and the ribald humour of the fabliaux. Readings from The Romance of the Rose, Tristan and Yseut, Marie de France’s Lanval, Chrétien de Troyes’ Yvain, troubadour and trouvère lyric, and selected fabliaux. Prerequisite: 230. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Eglal Doss-Quinby
Fall 2018

FRN 295 French Translation in Practice
Practicum in French; must be taken concurrently with CLT 150. Students read short texts in translation theory, study translation techniques and strategies, compare versions of translated texts, and produce their own translations of French texts. Readings and discussions conducted in French. Prerequisite: two courses above 230, or permission of the instructor. This 2-credit course does not count as preparation for the Smith Programs Abroad in Paris and Geneva. {F} {L} Credits: 2
Carolyn Shread
Spring 2019

Please check the course catalog for up-to-date information. You can also see the Five College course schedule.

All classes and exams are conducted in French with the exception of cross-listed courses, unless otherwise indicated.

Prerequisite: two courses in French studies above 230 or permission of the instructor. Course numbers reflect chronological periods and not the level of difficulty.

FRN 320 Women Defamed, Women Defended
What genres did women practice in the Middle Ages and in what way did they transform those genres for their own purposes? What access did women have to education and to the works of other writers, male and female? To what extent did women writers question the traditional gender roles of their society? How did they represent female characters in their works and what do their statements about authorship reveal about their understanding of themselves as writing women? What do we make of anonymous works written in the feminine voice? Readings include the love letters of Héloïse, the lais and fables of Marie de France, the songs of the trobairitz and women trouvères, and the writings of Christine de Pizan. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Eglal Doss-Quinby
Fall 2018

FRN 340 Topics in 17th- and 18th-Century Literature
Topics course.

Social Networking in Early Modern France–A Digital Humanities Approach
How did social networks connect people who shared common interests and activities in early modern France? How did good taste, galanterie and wit, still crucial to French identity and sociability today, take root? In this course, students will examine the social practices, spaces and networks that defined French society, politically and culturally, from the height of the Ancien Régime up to the French Revolution. Students will also be exposed to digital humanities methods and theories, combining the study and praxis of these approaches, in order to reflect on how their use of digital tools and "virtual" teamwork change the ways in which they produce, share and disseminate knowledge. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Hélène Visentin
Fall 2018

FRN 363 Crossing the Divide: Love, Ambition, and the Exploration of Social Difference
This course examines famous 19th-century novels where love is used as a narrative and thematic device to explore the meaning and relevance of social difference and mobility. Authors such as Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Stendhal, George Sand, Lamartine and Alexandre Dumas, fils. Readings in relevant historical and cultural topics. {F} {L} Credits: 4
Martine Gantrel
Spring 2019

Please check the course catalog for up-to-date information. You can also see the Five College course schedule.

CLT 242 What and Where is Main Street?
Where is Main Street? What times, spaces or places does the expression conjure? Are there equivalent concepts and places in other cultures? What are the aesthetics, the life and livelihoods, the politics that we associate with it? How are images and the concept manipulated to affect us, in the arts, in environmental issues, and in public discourse? When do we treasure this landscape, and when do we flee it? We will begin by looking at American Main Streets, and then explore related concepts in British, French, German and Russian texts and other media. Prerequisite: one course in literary studies. {L} Credits: 4
Ann Leone
Spring 2019

CLT 300 Literary Theory and Literary Practice: Conflicts and Consensus
This course presents a variety of practices and positions within the field of literary theory. Approaches include structuralism, poststructuralism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, gender and queer studies, cultural studies and postcolonial studies. Emphasis on the theory as well as the practice of these methods: their assumptions about writing and reading and about literature as a cultural formation. Readings include Freud, Lacan, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, Derrida, Foucault, Bakhtin, Gramsci, Bhabba, Butler, Said, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Žižek. The class is of interest to all students who wish to explore a range of approaches and methodologies within the humanities as well to students who plan to go to graduate school in literature programs. Enrollment limited to 25. {L} Credits: 4
Anna Botta
Fall 2018

ITL/SPN/POR/FRN 299: Teaching Romance Languages: Theories and Techniques on Second Language Acquisition
The course explores the issues in world language instruction and research that are essential to the teaching of Romance languages. Special focus will be on understanding local, national and international multilingual communities as well as theories, methods, bilingualism, and heritage language studies. Topics include the history of Romance languages, how to teach grammar/vocabulary, the role of instructors, and feedback techniques. The critical framing provided will help students look at schools as cultural sites, centers of immigration and globalization. Class observations and scholarly readings help students understand the importance of research in the shaping of the pedagogical practice of world languages. Prerequisite: At least 4 semesters (or placement to equivalent level) of a Romance language taught at Smith (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or French). Enrollment limit of 16. (E) {F/S} Credits: 4
Simone Gugliotta
Spring 2019

Special studies provide a way for students to explore a particular topic or issue not taught in any course offered by the Department of French Studies and in the Five Colleges during the academic year of the proposed special studies.

Students work with a faculty adviser to create a syllabus comprising the description of the proposed special studies, a list of readings, work expectations, assignments and a timeline. The faculty adviser then brings the proposed course description and syllabus to the department for a formal vote.

The faculty adviser and the student normally meet weekly for an hour. Students are expected to write, at a minimum, a 20-page paper, or the equivalent. All work is conducted in French. Special studies carry 4 credits. The final grade is based on a separate grade to evaluate participation and preparation in addition to the grade given to the final paper.

Prerequisites: at least two 300-level courses in French studies; previous coursework on a relevant topic is strongly recommended.

In accordance with college policy, an exceptional special studies can be converted into an honors thesis. See the class deans website for information about departmental honors.

Normally, FRN 404 cannot be repeated for credit.

FRN 404 Special Studies
Admission by permission of the department; normally for junior and senior majors and for qualified juniors and seniors from other departments. Credits: 4
Members of the department