In the Department of French and Italian
Unless otherwise specified, all courses are conducted in French.

Chair, Associate Professor Suellen Diaconoff

Professors Jonathan Weiss, Jane Moss, and Arthur Greenspan; Associate Professors Diaconoff and Adrianna Paliyenko; Assistant Professors Dace Weiss and Andrè Siamundele; Visiting Assistant Professor Alexandre Dauge-Roth; Teaching Assistant Claire Wrobel; and in Italian, Instructor Arthur Figliola

Achievement Test: If a student offers a foreign language for entrance credit and wishes to continue it in college, that student must either have taken the College Board SAT-II test in the language or take the placement test during orientation. The Colby Placement Test only places the student in the appropriate level; it does not satisfy the language requirement.

Both the French literature and French studies majors are grounded in continued study and pursuit of mastery of the French language. Students in either major will be expected to demonstrate advanced language skills and proficiency in the French language. The choice between the two majors will be determined by the student's interests and goals. A major in French literature focuses on the literature and culture primarily of France, whereas the major in French studies requires the student to choose a concentration on France, Quebec, or Francophone Africa.

In the senior year, students in the two majors will take the same required senior seminar, which will serve as an integrating and capstone experience.

The department strongly recommends that all majors spend one academic year studying in a French-speaking country at the junior level. It requires a minimum of one semester's study abroad at the junior level or the equivalent. A minimum grade point average of 2.7 is required for admission to study abroad. All study-abroad plans must be approved in advance by the Department of French and Italian.

Requirements for the Major in French Literature The major in literature promotes the acquisition of superior language skills and explores the richness of French literature while developing the critical and analytical skills that enhance the appreciation of literature.

A minimum of nine courses in French is required. Students choosing this option are normally required to take French 231, 252, and 493, plus at least six additional courses at the 200 and above level, four of which must be in literature at the 300 or above level.

The student is encouraged to study the literature of all periods and genres and to complement the language and literary studies with appropriate courses in the culture and history of France. It is recommended that students plan their programs so that they can also take advantage of the upper-level courses in language. Potential majors in French literature should consult with the department during orientation to determine the appropriate sequence of courses.

Requirements for the Major in French Studies
The French studies major combines solid training in the language and culture of France with the option of further study in the culture of other Francophone countries. Upon declaring the major in French studies, the student will choose to concentrate on France, Quebec, or French-speaking Africa and will study abroad in the country of the chosen concentration.

Students who select this major must plan their program of studies in consultation with the chair of the department, whose approval for all courses taken outside the department is required.

The major requires nine courses, beginning at the 200 level. Within the Department of French and Italian, students will normally be required to take French 231, 232, 233, and 493, plus five other courses, three of which will be related to the area of francophone concentration. These courses, which must be approved by the department, may be taken abroad, or at Colby when departments such as Art, Government, and History offer courses with substantial material concerned with France or francophone countries.

The following statements also apply:
(1) The point scale for retention of the major is based on all French courses numbered above 127.
(2) No major requirements may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
(3) No more than the equivalent of four semester courses of transfer credit may be counted toward the major.
(4) All majors in the department must take at least one course in the major approved by the major advisor each semester until graduation. For students returning from foreign study, these courses must be numbered 300 or higher.
(5) No more than one French literature course given in English may be counted toward the French literature major. Majors must take at least one course given in French each semester.
(6) An exemption or waiver from a required course must always be confirmed in writing, but in no event does the waived course reduce the number of required courses for the major; neither does it carry any hour credit toward either the major or graduation requirements.

Honors in French
Students majoring in French literature or French studies may apply during the junior year for admission to the honors program. Permission is required; guidelines are established by the department. Successful completion of the work of the honors thesis and of the major will enable the student to graduate "With Honors in French."

COURSE OFFERINGS

125fs    French I    First in a sequence that develops communication skills in a careful progression over three semesters. In addition to working on the four traditional skills of language acquisition--speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing--students will also be introduced to the cultural contexts of the francophone world. Use of audio and video taped material is an integral and required part of the classwork. Students are placed in the appropriate level by their score on the College Board French SAT-II test, a placement test during fall orientation, or through consultation with a member of the faculty in French. Four credit hours.    DIACONOFF, PALIYENKO

126fs    French II    Second in a sequence that develops communication skills in a careful progression over three semesters. In addition to working on the four traditional skills of language acquisition--speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing--students will also be introduced to the cultural contexts of the francophone world. Use of audio and video taped material is an integral and required part of the classwork. Students are placed in the appropriate level by their score on the College Board French SAT-II test, a placement test during fall orientation, or through consultation with a member of the faculty in French. Four credit hours.    DAUGE-ROTH, MOSS, SIAMUNDELE

[126-7]    French-Plus    French-Plus is an intensive language-learning course for strongly motivated students who wish to accelerate their acquisition of basic language skills--speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing. The course will meet two hours a day, four days a week, and will include substantial work in the Language Resource Center with audio, video, and computer materials. The course is especially geared to those interested in continuing their study of French beyond the requirement, studying in a French-speaking country, or pursuing interests in French studies or international studies. Prerequisite: A grade of A or A- in French 125 or a score of 48-51 on the fall placement test. Eight credit hours.    

127fs    French III    Third in a sequence that develops communication skills in a careful progression over three semesters. In addition to working on the four traditional skills of language acquisition--speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing--students will also be introduced to the cultural contexts of the francophone world. Use of audio and video taped material is an integral and required part of the classwork. Students are placed in the appropriate level by their score on the College Board French SAT-II test, a placement test during fall orientation, or through consultation with a member of the faculty in French. Four credit hours.    FACULTY

128fs    French IV: Reading in Cultural Contexts    A course that aims to build reading skills and to broaden cultural background through a wide variety of readings in French. The emphasis is on the texts and contexts of culture, whether in France, Quebec, or other francophone areas such as Africa and the Caribbean. There will be continuing work in improving oral and written skills. Prerequisite: French 127. Four credit hours.    MOSS, PALIYENKO

[131]    Conversation and Composition    A course designed specifically for students wishing to develop oral skills and acquire an extensive modern vocabulary, with additional practice in writing short, weekly compositions. Prerequisite: A score of 60 on the College Board French SAT-II test or its equivalent on the placement test, or French 128. Four credit hours.    

231fs    Advanced Grammar and Composition    An advanced language course required of both majors and open to others wishing to improve their written expression in French. Intensive grammar review and frequent practice in writing French. Prerequisite: French 128 or 131. Four credit hours.    GREENSPAN

232f    Cultural History of France    Examination of the major events and movements in the cultural history of France from Lascaux to World War II, with emphasis on written documents such as laws, manifestoes, letters, and decrees and on such visual documents as maps, monuments, paintings, symbols, film, and photography. Continuing practice in improving oral and written language skills. Required for French studies majors. Also recommended for international studies students. Prerequisite: French 128. Four credit hours.  H.    DIACONOFF

233s    Contemporary France    Emphasis on the institutions, events, and culture that shape France today. Special attention to the sociopolitical fabric of contemporary France, including the class structure, the educational system, politics, popular culture and the media, the problems of ethnicity and racism, and the role of France in the European community and in the world. Required for French studies majors and recommended for international studies students. Prerequisite: French 128. Four credit hours.    DAUGE-ROTH

234s    Intensive Spoken French    Exclusively for French majors or students preparing for study in a French-speaking country. Weekly practice in oral French conducted by the French assistant under the direction of a faculty member. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Acceptance in a study abroad program in a French-speaking country. One credit hour.    WROBEL

[252]    Critical Analysis: Text and Tradition    Using selected masterpieces, the course aims to develop the tools and techniques of critical analysis and to enhance reading appreciation and interpretive skills. Students study all genres and develop their critical abilities through close study of a variety of texts, including belles-lettres, philosophy, and the essay. Significant writing component. Required of the major in French literature; recommended to majors in French studies. Prerequisite: French 128 or appropriate College Board scores. Four credit hours.  L.    

297f    Introduction to the Francophone World    Study of multiple aspects of the francophone world through examination of cultural and historical differences between francophone societies. Lectures and discussions will focus on struggles for independence, the quest for separate identities, and the building of modern societies. Topics may include family, gender, environment, political organization, educational systems, religion, current events, and popular culture. Prerequisite: French 128. Four credit hours.    SIAMUNDELE

298j    January in Morocco    Through firsthand experience and interaction with civil society activists in Morocco, students will investigate the dynamic civil society that has emerged in Morocco since the mid-1980s, paying special attention to associations focusing on public advocacy and women's issues as well as those engaged in relief humanitarian work at the grass-roots level. Participants will have the opportunity to interview leaders of the kingdom's most important women's groups, as well as journalists, academics, and representatives of international organizations. Fulfills diversity requirement if taken for three credits. Estimated cost: $1850-1900. First-cut application date: October 1. $500 deposit due by October 4. If there are still available spots, applications after October 1 will be considered and a wait-list may be established. Contact Professor Diaconoff. Prerequisite: Good understanding of spoken French and permission of the instructors. Two or three credit hours.    DENOEUX, DIACONOFF

298Bs    Research Workshop    For students who completed the JanPlan in Morocco and who will be continuing their research projects. One credit hour.    DIACONOFF

[311]    Literature of the Ancien Regime: Women's Narratives    Literary, historical, and feminist analysis of women's writing from the 15th century through the Revolution. Narratives range from the romance to fairy tales to the essay and the gothic novel and deal with subjects as modern as relations between the sexes, rape, domestic violence, and divorce in conjunction with women's social roles, language, notions of beauty, virtue, and empowerment. Non-French majors may choose to write papers and examinations in English. Four credit hours.  L, D.    

341f    Advanced Spoken and Written French    Intensive practice at the advanced level in the art of effective expression. Emphasis is on grammatical correctness, extending vocabulary, and development of a French style of writing. Prerequisite: French 231. Four credit hours.    DAUGE-ROTH

[350]    Francophone Literature    Readings of major texts by writers from the Maghreb, West Africa, the French Caribbean, Quebec, and other French-speaking areas. The course will provide an understanding of French colonialism and the post-colonial situation of La Francophonie in order to facilitate close textual analysis. In addition to prose, poetry, and drama, films will be studied. Special attention to issues of gender, race, religion, politics, traditions, and modernization. Four credit hours.  L, D.    

351s    French-Canadian Literature and Society    Analysis of important literary works from Quebec, focusing on problems of cultural identity, language, and the French-English conflict as seen in contemporary fiction, poetry, theater, and film. Non-French majors may choose to write papers and examinations in English. Four credit hours.  L.    MOSS

[353]    Francophone Women Writers    The female condition in the francophone world as revealed through fiction, theater, film, essays, and historical documents. The concentration is on women in areas of North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the Antilles that were once French colonies or protectorates. Topics include the role of women in colonial and post-colonial society, how traditional practices affect women's lives (polygamy, genital excision, veiling), issues related to language and education, and women's resistance to colonial and patriarachal power. Non-French majors may choose to write papers and examinations in English. Four credit hours.  L, D.    

[355]    Poetic and Artistic Relations of the 19th Century    A revisionist approach to women's poetic movement in 19th-century France, from Romanticism to Symbolism. Reading women's writing together with the works of their "strong" male counterparts, the course considers the politics of literary reputation. Literary, historical, and feminist analysis of selected texts focuses on current issues of authority, creativity, gender, and identity formation. Non-French majors may elect to write papers and examinations in English. Four credit hours.  L.    

358f    The Cultural Legacy of 19th-Century France    Through study and analysis of diverse artistic and literary representations by men and women of private and public life in 19th-century France--from the mal du siecle to the fin-de-siecle, the sacred to the profane, the domestic to the commercial, the personal to the political, the native to the foreign--an exploration of the stakes and claims of this cultural legacy as portrayed or constructed, upheld or challenged, by the creative minds it produced. Non-French majors may elect to write papers and examinations in English. Four credit hours.  L.    PALIYENKO

[374]    Film and Culture    Through study and analysis of a wide variety of film by French and francophone filmmakers, from the documentary to the historical drama to the interplay between fiction and film (including Laclos and Flaubert), the course addresses a number of central issues concerning personal vision and historical veracity, the impact of one's own or contemporary politics on artistic vision, and arguments over textual versus narrative fidelity in order to arrive at a set of criteria to use in evaluating film as a vehicle of culture. Non-French majors may write papers and examinations in English. Four credit hours.  L.    

398s    France and Africa    A comparison of how francophone Africa and Africans--spaces, objects, and subjects--are represented by French authors, and how francophone African writers consider France. These cultural and ethnic perspectives will be studied by using historical documents, critical analysis, films, and literary texts. Four credit hours.  L.    SIAMUNDELE

412s    Stylistics    Through exercises in translation and discussion of selected English-American texts to French (thèmes) and French to American texts (versions), this hands-on course aims to sensitize the advanced student to the various styles, intricacies, and nuances particular to both languages. Prerequisite: French 231 and upper-level work in French. Four credit hours.    GREENSPAN

483f, 484js    Senior Honors Thesis    The senior honors thesis will be undertaken in addition to all required courses for the major; it does not replace any part of the major. The thesis, written in French, is to be a substantial study of a carefully defined topic in literature or area studies, depending on the student's major in French, and supported by critical sources. Prerequisite: A 3.5 or higher major average at the end of the junior year and permission of the department. Two credit hours.    FACULTY

491f, 492s    Independent Study    Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Two to four credit hours.    FACULTY

493f    Culture and 'Otherness'    An integrating experience required for senior majors of both French studies and literature, allowing students, through the choice of a particular theme, to synthesize and coordinate both their academic work in the major and their experiences in French-speaking countries. The theme for 2000 is "Culture and 'Otherness.'" Four credit hours.  D.    DIACONOFF