Last updated: August 17, 2020 @ 08:59AM
French Studies
This program is offered through the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Chair
Carmela Colella
Academic Advisor
Liz Hay
General Information
Administrative Assistant
Violetta Clitheroe
905-688-5550, extension 3312
Mackenzie Chown A240
brocku.ca/modernlanguages
The Department aims to provide students with a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of spoken and written French, as well as French and Francophone literatures and cultures. In addition to the courses taught in French, the Department offers a series of courses taught in English (designated MLLC) that may be acceptable for credit toward a degree in French Studies.
The Department favours and facilitates participation by students of French at all levels in Spring/Summer French immersion programs offered in France and Québec.
The Department does not recognize challenge for credit nor on-line or distance education courses offered by other institutions.
Program Notes
- Students with Ontario 4U/M standing or equivalent in French take FREN 1F90, and may not take FREN 1F00 or 1F50 without permission of the Department. Permission is granted only in the most exceptional cases. Students whose first language is French and who obtained a minimum of 75 percent in Grade 12 French at a francophone school register in FREN 2F00 and FREN 2F03; francophone students whose average is lower than 75 percent in Grade 12 French at a francophone school register in FREN 1F90.
- Students without Ontario 4U/M standing or equivalent take FREN 1F00 or 1F50 according to their background. Students with Ontario grade 9 French or equivalent or less take FREN 1F00. Those with Ontario grade 10/11 or equivalent take FREN 1F50. Those with FREN 1F00 who intend to take FREN 1F90 take FREN 1F50.
- FREN 1F00 and 1F50 are introductory language courses. Students who register in any of these courses must submit an official high school transcript to the instructor as proof of their level of competence in order to receive Departmental confirmation of registration before the end of the second week of classes (see Undergraduate Academic Calendar). Failure to do so will result in deregistration from the course.
- Unless otherwise stated in the course description, courses numbered 2(alpha)00 or above are taught in French while courses numbered 1F90 and below are taught in French to the extent possible.
- FREN 1F00 and 1F50 may be taken for degree credit, but cannot be used to meet requirements for major programs in French. However, FREN 1F50 may be included in a minor program in French.
- French courses numbered 1F00, 1F50, 1F90, 2F00, 3P03 and 4P03 constitute a sequence. Once credit has been obtained in one of these courses, students are not allowed to take for credit a course in this sequence with a lower number. Students may not take two courses at different levels in the sequence during the same term. This regulation also applies to courses taken at other institutions.
- Departmental courses noted as given in English may be included in major programs. Single Honours programs may include no more than one and a half credits in such courses; single Pass programs may include no more than one-half credit in such courses; combined Pass programs may include no more than one credit in such courses. Combined Honours programs may include no more than one and one-half credits in such courses. If both combined Honours programs are chosen from French Studies, Hispanic and Latin American Studies or Italian Studies, one-half credit in each language is allowed.
- The Department reserves the right to refuse admission to and/or credit for any of its language courses to a student who has, in the view of the Department, a level of competence unsuited to that course.
- In the fall of year 3, students pursuing a major program need to submit the Application to Year 4 Studies which must be signed by the Humanities Academic Advisor.
- In 20 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; at least three credits must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
In 15 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
In some circumstances, in order to meet university degree and program requirements, more than 15 or 20 credits may be taken.
Honours Program
Year 1
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FREN 1F90 (see program note 1) |
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one Sciences context credit |
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one Social Sciences context credit |
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two elective credits |
Year 2
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FREN 2F00 and 2F03 |
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one FREN or MLLC credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above (see program note 7) |
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two elective credits |
Year 3
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FREN 3P03 |
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two and one-half FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above (see program note 7) |
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two elective credits |
Year 4
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FREN 4P03 |
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one FREN or MLLC credit numbered 3(alpha)00 or above (see program note 7) |
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two and one-half FREN or MLLC credits numbered 4(alpha)00 or above (see program note 7) |
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one elective credit |
Concurrent BA (Honours)/BEd
The Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures and the Faculty of Education co-operate in offering a Concurrent six-year BA (Honours)/BEd program. The French Studies BA (Honours)/BEd program combines the BA Honours program with the teacher education program for students interested in teaching at the Intermediate/Senior level (grades 7-12.) Refer to the Education - Concurrent BA (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) program listing for further information.
Pass Program
Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.
Combined Major Program
Students may take a combined major in French Studies and a second discipline such as Canadian Studies. For requirements in the other discipline, the student should consult the relevant department/centre. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option.
Honours
Year 1
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FREN 1F90 (see program note 1) |
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one credit from the co-major discipline |
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one Sciences context credit |
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one Social Sciences context credit |
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one elective credit |
Year 2
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FREN 2F00 and 2F03 |
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two credits from the co-major discipline |
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one elective credit |
Year 3
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FREN 3P03 |
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two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above (see program note 7) |
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two credits from the co-major discipline |
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one-half elective credit |
Year 4
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FREN 4P03 |
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one FREN or MLLC credit numbered 3(alpha)00 or above (see program note 7) |
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one FREN or MLLC credit numbered 4(alpha)00 or above (see program notes 7 and 10) |
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two credits from the co-major discipline |
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one-half elective credit |
Pass
Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.
Certificate in Business French and Translation
The Certificate in Business French and Translation is designed for persons who already have a degree or do not wish to pursue a degree. Students may therefore not be concurrently registered in a certificate program and a degree program. All credits earned in a certificate program are transferable to a degree program.
Students may obtain a Certificate in Business French and Translation by completing the following courses, taught in French (not open to French Majors):
FREN 1F90,2F00,3P05 and 3P06
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one credit from FREN 2P10, 2P55, 2P57, 2P65, 3P20 |
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one credit from FREN 4P04, 4P05, 4P07 |
Minor in French Studies
Students in other disciplines may obtain a Minor in French within their degree program by completing the following courses with a minimum 60 percent overall average:
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FREN 1F90 and 2F00 |
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one FREN credit (see program note 5) |
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one FREN literature and/or culture credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above |
Course Descriptions
Note: not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.
# Indicates a cross listed course
* Indicates primary offering of a cross-listed course
Prerequisites and Restrictions
Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.
FREN 1F00
French I
Basic grammar; acquisition of fundamental reading, writing, oral expression and comprehension skills.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Note: for students with limited or no background in French. Students with Ontario grade 10, 11, 4U/M French or equivalent, may not take this course.
FREN 1F50
French II
Grammar study; development of reading, writing, oral expression and comprehension skills.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): Ontario Grade 10 French, Grade 11 French, FREN 1F00 or permission of the course co-ordinator.
Note: students with 4U/M French or equivalent may not take this course.
FREN 1F90
French III
Grammar review; literary, cultural and journalistic readings; practice in reading, writing, oral expression and comprehension.
Lectures, 3 hours per week; 1 hour oral practice per week.
Prerequisite(s): one of FREN 1F50, 4U/M French, Français, French immersion or equivalent or permission of the course co-ordinator.
Note: students must obtain a minimum 65 percent in FREN 1F90 in order to enroll in Year 2 French courses. Not open to Francophones (first language is French and attended a Francophone school) who obtained a minimum of 75 percent in Grade 12 French.
FREN 1P93
French Grammar Review and Practice
Grammar review and practice at the French III Level.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Corequisite(s): FREN 1F90.
Note: may be offered online. Not open to students with a minimum 72 percent in FREN 1F90.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 1Y91 and 1Y92.
FREN 2F00
Grammar and Composition
Intensive grammar review; literary expression; composition; critical written and oral expression.
Lectures, 3 hours per week; 1 hour oral practice per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 1F90 (minimum 65 percent).
FREN 2F03
Literature and Culture: The French-Speaking World
Literature from 1800 to the present in its cultural contexts. Works from different genres, historical periods and cultural traditions. Dissertation, technical vocabulary, rhetorical terminology and interpretative concepts.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 1F90 (minimum 65 percent).
Corequisite(s): FREN 2F00.
Note: students may not concurrently register in FREN 2F03 and any French literature and culture course numbered 3(alpha)00 or above.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in any French literature course numbered 3(alpha)00 or above.
FREN 2P10
Introduction to the Linguistic Study of French
Basic concepts of linguistics through analysis of contemporary French as it is spoken and written throughout the francophone world. Topics may include phonetics, phonology, morphology, lexicology, syntax and semantics.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 1F90 (minimum 65 percent).
FREN 2P44
Children's Literature in French: The Picture Book and Beyond
Selection of texts representative of a variety of genres, including the picture book, fairytale, short story and novel emphasizing the contemporary period. Theory of children's literature. Picture books from France and other francophone regions emphasizing the contemporary period; theory of the picture book and its use in the classroom.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Corequisite(s): FREN 2F00.
FREN 2P55
Francophone Cultures and Civilizations
Ideological, historical and cultural aspects of Francophone societies. Topics may include colonialism, issues in language, literature, the arts and gender.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Corequisite(s): FREN 2F00.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 2P95.
FREN 2P57
Phonetics and Phonology
Sound patterns of French. Articulatory, auditory and acoustic properties of human speech. Phonemic and non-phonemic (stress, intonation, rhythm) features.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 1F90 (minimum 65 percent).
FREN 2P65
Culture and Civilization of France to 1800
Art, music, architecture and aesthetics to 1800; intellectual trends; history, politics and society.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Corequisite(s): FREN 2F00.
FREN 3P03
Composition and Stylistics
Advanced grammar and stylistics of contemporary French. Applications to composition.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
FREN 3P05
Business French I
Development of oral and written skills for use of French in business transactions and communications. Developing business vocabulary, focusing on correspondence formulae and terminology.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 or permission of instructor.
FREN 3P06
Translation I
Introduction to fundamental concepts and techniques of translation.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 3P03 or permission of instructor.
Note: practice in French-to-English translation.
FREN 3P20
Oral French Workshop
Lexicon (vocabulary), fluency, style, listening skills, comprehension and production.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 or permission of instructor.
Note: class discussions and oral presentations based on themes of contemporary concerns. Multimedia tools will be used. Not open to native speakers of French.
FREN 3P21
Seventeenth/Eighteenth-Century French Literature
Baroque, Classicism and Siècle des Lumières. Authors may include Corneille, Molière, Racine, Mme de La Fayette, Montesquieu, Marivaux, Voltaire and Rousseau.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 3P81, 3P82, 3P91 and 3P92.
FREN 3P42
Nineteenth-Century French Literature
Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism and other currents. Texts chosen from various genres. Authors may include Stendhal, Musset, Balzac, Hugo, Baudelaire, Zola and Rachilde.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 3P45 and 4P44.
FREN 3P53
Twentieth-Century French Literature to 1935
Ideological and aesthetic perspectives. Texts chosen from various genres. Authors may include Proust, Gide, Claudel, Apollinaire, Breton.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
FREN 3P65
Culture and Civilization of France from 1800 to the Present
Art, music, architecture and aesthetics from the 19th century to the present.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
FREN 3P75
Canadian Literature in French up to the Révolution tranquille
Analysis of major texts chosen from various genres. Historical, sociological and ideological perspectives.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and FREN 2F03
Note: Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 3P73 and/or FREN 3P74.
FREN 3P90
Sociolinguistics of Francophone World
Introduction to sociolinguistic theories and approaches. Application to sociocultural contexts.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2P10.
FREN 3P94
Caribbean Literature in French
French-language literary works of the Caribbean. Historical, cultural, ideological and theoretical concerns. Authors may include Maryse Condé. René Depestre, Patrick Chamoiseau.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 3P84.
FREN 3P95
French Literature and Culture in Film
New Wave and popular cinema; adaptations of French novels; critical texts. Directors may include Godard, Truffaut, Resnais, Rohmer, Wargnier, Chabrol, Berri, Duras.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 3P85.
FREN 3P99
Contemporary Canadian Theatre in French
Background and traditions; analysis of selected plays and study of current directions.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 3P89.
FREN 3Q90
Postcolonial (North) African Literature in French
French-language postcolonial literary works of (North) Africa by Francophone writers from the region. Historical, cultural, ideological and theoretical concerns. Authors may include Assia Djebar, Ahmadou Kourouma, Albert Memmi and Aminata Sow Fall.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 3P83, 3P87, 3P93 and 3P97.
FREN 3Q91
Medieval French Literature
Texts chosen from various genres such as chanson de geste, roman, lai, fabliau, canso, ballade, jeu. Notion of authorship. Introduction to Old French.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and 2F03.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 4P12.
FREN 4P03
Linguistic Approach to Textual Analysis
Syntax and semantics of French; theoretical applications to textual analysis of literary genres.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to FREN majors with a minimum 70 percent major average (see program note 9), FREN minors with a minimum 70 percent minor average or permission of instructor. Priority will be given to 4th-year French Majors.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03, 3P03 and one-half credit (taught in French) in literature numbered 3(alpha)00 or above.
FREN 4P04
Translation II: Applications
Lexical, morphological, syntactic and semantic interrelationships between source text and target text; application of translation methodologies to a variety of texts.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 3P03 and 3P06 or permission of instructor.
FREN 4P05
French Internship
Internship in a business where French is used. May include health care, tourism, translation, community services and business.
Tutorial, 1 hour per week plus internship placement time.
Restriction: open to FREN (single or combined) majors with a minimum 78 percent major average and permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 3P03 and 3P05.
Note: enrolment will be limited to the number of placements available. Students will be interviewed in French in order to determine suitability and appropriate placements. Students will be placed in the community for experiential learning.
FREN 4P07
Business French II
Advanced French oral and written skills for business. Includes professionalization-based modules, analyses of specific industry sectors, and experiential projects.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F00 and FREN 3P05 or permission of instructor.
FREN 4P20
Sixteenth-Century Literature
Humanism within the French Renaissance. Notions of imitation and subjectivity. Authors may include Rabelais, Du Bellay, Ronsard, Marguerite de Navarre, Montaigne.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4P40
Nineteenth-Century French Society
Thematic approaches to dominant and marginal societies in nineteenth-century France. Topics may include material and popular cultures, fashion and luxury, prostitution, dandyism, and poverty.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4P55
Twentieth-Century French Literature from 1935 to 1970
Ideological and aesthetic perspectives. Texts chosen from various genres. Authors may include Malraux, Camus, Sartre, Giraudoux, Robbe-Grillet, Beckett, Char.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4P56
French Literature after 1970
Contemporary aesthetic movements. Texts chosen from various genres. Authors may include Le Clézio, Yourcenar, Tournier, Bonnefoy, Modiano, Duras.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4P65
(Im)Migrant Identity in Bande Dessinée
Depiction of the im/migrant experience in contemporary Francophone bande dessinée. Ideological, theoretical and aesthetic aspects. May include Yvan Alagbé, Clément Baloup, Farid Boudjellal, Thierry Groensteen, Scott McCloud and Marjane Satrapi.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in FREN 4V65.
FREN 4P75
Canadian Literature in French after 1960
Texts from various genres representing major aesthetic movements.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4P79
Text and Image in Literature in French
Contemporary literary texts that include photographs. Theoretical and aesthetic aspects. May include Roland Barthes, Nicole Brossard, Sophie Calle, Annie Ernaux and Michel Tournier.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one half-credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4P80
Beur Literature and Film
Beur phenomenon in France via novels and film. Historical, cultural, ideological and theoretical concerns. Authors may include Azouz Begag, Nina Bouraoui, Mehdi Charef, Soraya Nini and Leïla Sebbar.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03, two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4P92
Research Project
Independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member.
Restriction: permission of the Department.
FREN 4P96
Critical Theory and Methodology
Approaches to literary criticism: sociological, phenomenological, psychoanalytic approaches; structuralism, semiotics, narratology, deconstruction. Bibliographical research.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.
FREN 4V21
Documentation and Terminology
Terminological research methods that help translators and scholars find and process information. Term and field-specific research. Use of terminological databases.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 3P03 and 3P06 or permission of instructor.
FREN 4V60-4V99
Special Research Topics in French Literature
Course content will vary, depending upon the research and interests of instructors.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 2F03; two FREN or MLLC credits numbered 3(alpha)00 or above, with at least one-half credit (taught in French) in literature.