Undergraduate Courses in French
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100- and 200-Level Language and Culture Courses
300-Level Courses in Language, Literature and Civilization
400-Level Courses in Language, Literature and Civilization
Courses for Graduate Reading Knowledge
F100 Elementary French I ( 4 cr.) - Introduction to French language and selected aspects of French civilization and culture. Credit given for only one of F100, F115, or F491.
F115 Accelerated Elementary French ( 4 cr.) - P: Consent of department. An accelerated treatment of material covered in both F100 and F150 designed for superior students and students with previous training in another foreign language. Credit given for only one of F115 or F100; credit given only for one of F115 or F150.
F125 Studies in French Culture (3 cr.) - A & H. Introduction to French culture through the study of a particular topic in the arts and humanities, such as film, literature, fine arts, and music. Taught in English. No credit in French major. May be repeated with a different topic for a total of 6 credit hours.
F126 Studies in French Civilization (3 cr.) - S & H. Introduction to French civilization through the study of a particular topic in the social or historical sciences, such as the French Revolution, history of colonialism, World War II, the student movements of 1968. Taught in English. No credit in French major. May be repeated with a different topic for a total of 6 credit hours.
F150 Elementary French II: Language and Culture (4 cr.) - P: F100. Basic structures of the French language and selected topics of French civilization and culture. Credit given for only one of F115, F150, F169, or F491.
F169 Elementary French II: Reading and Writing (4 cr.) - P: F100. Introduction to French structures necessary for reading selected texts of a general nature. Not intended for students who wish to develop aural comprehension or to speak French. Cannot be used in French major. Credit given for only one of F115, F150, F169, or F491.
F200-F250 Second-Year French I-II: Language and Culture (3-3 cr.) - P: F150 or equivalent. Grammar, composition, conversation coordinated with the study of cultural texts. Credit given for only one of the following third-semester courses: F200, F205, or F219; and for only one of the following fourth-semester courses: F250, F255, F265, or F269.
F205-F255 Second-Year French I-II: Communicative Skills (3-3 cr.) - Continued study of grammatical structures with emphasis on active skills: speaking and writing. Readings and reports on contemporary cultural topics. Recommended for French majors. Credit given for only one of the following third-semester courses: F205, F200, or F219; and for only one of the following fourth-semester courses: F255, F250, F265, or F269.
F219-F269 Second-Year French I-II: Reading and Writing (3-3 cr.) - P: F169 or F150. Continuation of F169, with reading of additional texts and review of grammatical structures and vocabulary; written work including translation and résumés. Cannot be used in French major. Credit given for only one of the following third-semester courses: F219, F200, or F205; and for only one of the following fourth-semester courses: F269, F250, F255, or F265.
F251: Service Learning Practicum in French Teaching (1 cr.) - P: F200. Students will develop and teach basic French lessons in area elementary schools under the guidance of their instructor. Requirements include four school visits, five planning meetings, and four written reflective statements. Graded on a pass/fail basis.
F265 Accelerated Second-Year French (3 cr.) - An accelerated treatment of material covered in both F200 and F250. Grammar, composition, and conversation coordinated with readings of short texts. Open only to incoming freshmen and to students who have completed F115. Students who complete F265 cannot also receive credit for F200, F205, F219, F250, F255, or F269.
F296 Foreign Study in France (1-6 cr.) - P: Acceptance into an approved IU overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in French language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
300-Level Courses
F300 Reading and Expression in French (3 cr.) - A & H - P: F250, F255, F265, or consent of department. This course introduces students to different levels of style and expression and to written argumentation in French. Texts representing various periods and literary genres provide the basis for in-class discussion and for exercises designed to develop oral and written fluency. Conducted in French.
S300 Reading and Expression in French-Honors (3 cr.) - A & H - P: F250, F255, F265, or consent of department. This course introduces students to different levels of style and expression and to written argumentation in French. It is a version of F300 for honors students. Credit given for only one of F300 or S300.
F303 Theater and the Essay: Form, Themes, and Ideas (3 cr.) - A & H - P: F250, F255, F269, F300, or equivalent. Dramatists such as Corneille, Racine, Molière, Beaumarchais, and Sartre; essayists and philosophes such as Descartes, Pascal, Voltaire, Divert, and Camus. Readings in French. Lectures and discussion in English. No credit for French major concentration area. Credit given for only one of F303 or F305.
F304 Novel and Poetry: Form, Themes, and Ideas (3 cr.) - A & H - P: F250, F255, F269, F300, or equivalent. Novelists such as Balzac, Flaubert, and Proust; readings in anthologies stressing sixteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century poetry. Readings in French. Lectures and discussion in English. No credit for French major concentration area. Credit given for only one of F304 or F306.
F305 Théâtre et essai (3 cr.) - A & H - P: F300 or equivalent. Drama and literature of ideas. Dramatists such as Corneille, Racine, Molière, Beaumarchais, and Sartre; essayists and philosophes such as Descartes, Pascal, Voltaire, Diderot, and Camus. Lectures and discussion in French. Credit given for only one of F305 or F303.
F306 Roman et poésie (3 cr.) - A & H - P: F300 or equivalent. Novel and poetry. Novelists such as Balzac, Flaubert, and Proust; readings in anthologies stressing sixteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century poetry. Lectures and discussion in French. Credit given for only one of F306 or F304.
F310 Topics in French Literature in Translation (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - Readings in English translation of novels, plays, essays, and poetry or other works that reflect a specific topic chosen by the instructor. No credit in French.
F311 Contemporary France: Film and Culture (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - Political, social, and cultural aspects (including film) of contemporary France. No credit in concentration area for French majors. Credit given for only one of F311 or F461.
F313 Advanced Grammar (3 cr.) - P: F250. Intensive study of French grammar including in-depth review and exploration of advanced topics such as the passive, the causative, and indirect discourse.
F314 Advanced Composition (3 cr.) - P: F250 or equivalent. Designed to improve command of written French and build vocabulary through intensive writing. Students gain familiarity with a variety of literary, expository, and communicative writing styles. Preparation for 300-level literature classes.
F315 Phonetics and Pronunciation (3 cr.) - P: F250. Five meetings per week: three lectures on problems of pronunciation and phonetic transcription, and two oral practice sessions.
F316 Conversational Practice (3 cr.) - P: F250 or F255. Three meetings per week plus optional listening comprehension and oral practice in the language laboratory. Development of communicative and speaking skills.
F317 French in the Business World (3 cr.) - S & H - P: F250 or equivalent. Study of the language of business activities in France, with an introduction to the structure and functioning of various aspects of French economic life. Useful for students preparing for the proficiency examinations of the Chambre de Commerce de Paris.
F333 Intensive Writing in French Culture (3 cr.) - CSB - Emphasis on one topic, genre, or period. Fulfills both foreign culture and intensive writing requirements. No credit in French.
F350 The Writer and Public Issues in Twentieth-Century France (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - The modern writer's view and treatment of issues such as anti-Semitism, feminism, colonialism, capital punishment, criminal justice, Marxism, militarism, and pacifism. No credit in French.
F361 Introduction historique à la civilisation française I (3 cr.) - A & H, CSA - P: F300 or equivalent. Readings related to the political and social development of France; background to a further study of French society and literature up to the French Revolution.
F362 Introduction historique à la civilisation française II (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - P: F300 or equivalent. Readings related to the political and social development of France; background to a further study of French society and literature from the French Revolution.
F363 Introduction à la France moderne (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - P: F300 or equivalent. The development of French culture and civilization in the twentieth century, with an emphasis on the events that shaped modern France, illustrative works of literature, the problem of Paris, and the structure of daily life.
F375 Thèmes et perspectives littéraires (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - P: F300 or equivalent. Study of a specific subject or theme, such as society and the individual, the tragic hero from the seventeenth to the twentieth century, comedy, and satire. All work in French. May be repeated once for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
F396 Foreign Study in French (1-6 cr.) - P: Acceptance into an approved IU overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in French language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
F399 Reading for Honors (12 cr. max.) - P: Approval of departmental honors advisor.
400-Level Courses
Prerequisites for 400-level courses in literature or civilization: two courses chosen from F305, F306, F361, F362, F363, and F375. For work in literature, however, at least one of these must be F305, F306, or F375. For other 400-level courses, see individual listings.
F401 Structure and Development of French (3 cr.) - Introductory description of the structure of present-day French, including problems of social and geographical variation. Discussion of the highlights of the development of the French language from its formative period to the present.
F402 Introduction to French Linguistics (3 cr.) - P: F313 or F314 or consent of instructor. Introduction to the structure of the French language: phonology, morphology, and syntax.
F410 French Literature of the Middle Ages (3 cr.) - A & H, CSA - Introduction to Old French language and major literary works. Readings may be broadly representative of the period or reflect a particular thematic concern.
F413 French Renaissance (3 cr.) - A & H - Rabelais, Montaigne, the Pleiade, and others.
F423 Seventeenth-Century French Literature (3 cr.) - Esthetic and intellectual traditions such as the Baroque, libertinage érudite, preciosity, the moralists, and classicism. Genres include poetry, fiction, theater, the epistle, memoirs, and the essay.
F424 Ideas and Culture in Seventeenth-Century France (3 cr.) - Study of political ideology and theory, images and text, scientific and philosophic innovation, social mores, or social and religious institutions. Focus on absolutism, religious controversies, social and intellectual status of women, or other issues.
F435 Enlightenment Narrative (3 cr.) - A & H - Narratives in the form of letters, memoirs, dialogues, and tales. Writers such as Marivaux, Prevost, Voltaire, Diderot, Mme de Charrière, Constant, Chateaubriand. Social, political, and cultural interchange between the writer and his/her world, from classicism to romanticism.
F436 Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau (3 cr.) - A & H - Three great writers of the eighteenth century; their versatility, sensitivity, and appeal; their relations with each other and their society; their pan-European impact. Voltaire: action, tale, and satire. Diderot: knowledge, dialogue, and vitality. Rousseau: idealization, testimony, and vision.
F443 Great Novels of the Nineteenth Century (3 cr.) - A & H - Novelists such as Stendhal, Balzac, Flaubert, and Zola.
F445 Nineteenth-Century Drama (3 cr.) - Survey of the important movements in the nineteenth-century theatre: romanticism, realism and naturalism, symbolism.
F446 Great Poetry of the Nineteenth-Century (3 cr.) - A & H - Poets such as Hugo, Desbordes-Valmore, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and Mallarmé.
F450 Colloquium in French Studies: Tradition and Ideas (3 cr.) - P: Two of the following: F305, F306, or F375; or consent of the instructor. Emphasis on one topic, author, or genre. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours for any combination of F450 and F451.
F451 Colloquium in French Studies: Literature and Arts (3 cr.) - P: Two of the following: F305, F306, or F375; or consent of the instructor. Emphasis on one topic, author, or genre. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours for any combination of F451 and F450.
F452 Capstone Course for French Majors (3 cr.) - Through the study of contemporary France, this course solidifies the writing and speaking skills of French majors as they conduct research, write a substancial paper, and give a presentation on a topic of their choice. Sample topics include politics, fine arts, literature, and history. Conducted entirely in French.
F453 Le Roman au vingtième siècle I (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - Ecrivains tels que Gide, Alain-Fournier, Proust, Colette, Bernanos, Céline, Sartre, Malraux.
F454 Le Roman au vingtième siècle II (3 cr.) - Ecrivains tels que Camus, Queneau, Butor, Robbe-Grillet, Vian, Duras.
F456 La Poésie au vingtième siècle (3 cr.) - A & H - Richness and diversity of twentieth century French poetry: poets such as Chédid, Apollinaire, Valéry, les surréalistes, Ponge, Saint-John Perse.
F459 Le Théâtre au vingtième siècle (3 cr.) - A & H, CSB - Precursors of the non-realistic theater; playwrights to be included are Jarry, Apollinaire, and Cocteau. Surrealism; plays by Vitrac. Theater of ideas; playwrights are Anouilh, Giraudoux, Sartre. Theater of the absurd; playwrights are Beckett, Adamov, Arrabal, Ionesco, and Genet. Lectures and discussions in French.
F460 La Francophonie nord-américaine (3 cr.) - History of the different French-speaking communities of Canada and the United States. Study of the different manifestations of their cultures: their language, music, traditions, cuisine, literature, and cinema. Also examines the impact these cultures have had on the surrounding English-speaking communities.
F461 La France contemporaine: cinema et culture (3 cr.) - CSB - France since 1945: political, social, economic, and cultural aspects (including film). Course conducted in French. Credit given for only one of F311 or F461.
F463 Civilisation française I (3 cr.) - CSA - French civilization from medieval period through seventeenth century: art, architecture, music, thought.
F464 Civilisation française II (3 cr.) - CSB - French civilization from eighteenth century to contemporary period: art, architecture, music, thought.
F467 French Beyond the Hexagon (3 cr.) - Introduction to the literature, film, and popular culture of one or more French-speaking zones – Québec, the Antilles, the Indian Ocean Islands, Southeast Asia, North Africa, or sub-saharan Africa. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
F472 Contrastive Study of French and English (2 cr.) - P: F313-F314. A systematic study of the differing ways in which French and English express a given thought or relationship.
F474 Thème et version (3 cr.) - P: F313-F314. Translation of selected passages, alternating between English and French, to teach students to write with precision and clarity in both languages. May be taken by graduate students in preparation for F574.
F475 Le Français oral: cours avancé (2 cr.) - P: F316 or equivalent.
F495 Individual Readings in French (1-3 cr.) - P: Consent of department. May be repeated. Does not count as F400-level course in residence for major or minor. May be repeated with different topics for a total of 9 credit hours.
F496 Foreign Study in French (3-8 cr.) - P: Consent of chairperson. Course involves planning of research project during year preceding summer abroad. Time spent in research abroad must amount to at least one week for each credit hour granted. Research paper must be presented by end of semester following foreign study. May be taken once only. Does not count as F400-level course in residence for major or minor.
F499 Reading for Honors (12 cr. max) - P: Approval of departmental honors committee. Does not count as F400-level course in residence for major or minor.
Courses for Graduate Reading Knowledge
F491 Elementary French for Graduate Students (4 cr.) - Introduction to structures of the language necessary for reading, followed by reading in graded texts of a general nature. Open with consent of the instructor to undergraduates who have already completed the language requirement for the B.A. in another language. Credit given for only one of F491 or any French course at the 100 level.
F492 Readings in French for Graduate Students (4 cr.) - P: F491 or consent of department. Continuation of language and reading development from F491. Open with consent of the instructor to undergraduates who have already completed the B.A. language requirement in another language. Credit given for only one of F492 or any of the following: F150, F169, F200, F205, or F219.
For more information
Please visit the rest of our website for course descriptions, faculty information, and semester office hours.
The Department of French and Italian, Ballantine Hall 642, is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Please feel free to call (855-1952) or e-mail (fritdept @indiana.edu), if you have any questions.
Our Undergraduate Advisor in French is: Professor Emanuel Mickel, Ballantine Hall 621, or email: mickel @indiana.edu
