French Courses (FREN)

Placement: See Academic Testing section.

Related Catalog Entry: College of Arts and Sciences / Modern and Classical Languages

Related Mason Website: Modern and Classical Languages (http://www.gmu.edu/departments/fld/)

101 Elementary French I (3:3:1). Designed for students with no knowledge of French. Introduction to French, including elements of grammar, vocabulary, oral skills, listening comprehension, and reading. Lab work required.

102 Elementary French II (3:3:1).Prerequisite: FREN 101 or permission of instructor. Continuation of FREN 101. Lab work required.

105 Review of Elementary French (3:3:1).Prerequisite: Appropriate placement score or permission of department. Review for students who have studied French previously. May not be taken for credit in combination with 102 or 109. Lab work required.

109 Intensive Elementary French (6:6:2). Equivalent to FREN 101 and 102 taught in a single semester. Recommended for students who desire an intensive introduction to French. May not be taken for credit in combination with 101, 102, or 105. Lab work required.

201 Intermediate French I (3:3:1).Prerequisite: FREN 102, 105, 109, appropriate placement score, or permission of department. Further development of skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. FREN 201 and 202 must be taken in sequence. Lab work required.

202 Intermediate French II (3:3:1).Prerequisite: FREN 201, appropriate placement score, or permission of department. Application of language skills to reading, composition, and class discussion. Lab work required.

209 Intensive Intermediate French (6:6:2).Prerequisite: FREN 102, 105, 109, appropriate placement score, or permission of department. Equivalent to FREN 201 and 202 taught in a single semester. May not be taken for credit in combination with FREN 201 or 202. Lab work required.

252 Intermediate French Conversation (1:1:0). Prerequisite or corequisite: FREN 202 or equivalent. Development of oral proficiency in French. Discussion of selected topics touching on practical aspects of everyday life. Enrollment limited to 10.

300 Study Tour in France (1-6:0:0).Prerequisite: FREN 202 or permission of instructor. Directed study tour of cultural and literary points of interest in France. Briefing sessions and a reading selection are given before the trip. All papers and examinations required for credit are due by the end of the summer session.

325 Major French Writers (3:3:0).Prerequisite: ENGL 101 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. Study of the works of major French writers. Writers to be studied vary. Course work in English. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees. May be repeated for credit with permission of department.

329 Problems of Western Civilization in French Literature (3:3:0).Prerequisite: ENGL 101 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. Basic philosophical, moral, social, and political dilemmas reflected in the literature of major French writers. Course work in English. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees. May be repeated for credit with permission of department.

350 French Conversation (3:3:0).Prerequisite: FREN 202 or equivalent. Development of conversational proficiency in French. Specifically designed for French majors who need practice in the spoken language beyond the intermediate level.

351 Advanced French Grammar (3:3:0).Prerequisite: FREN 202 or equivalent. Systematic review of French grammar with emphasis on syntax, idiomatic construction, vocabulary building, and literary style. Written and oral exercises.

352 French Composition (3:3:0).Prerequisite: FREN 202 or equivalent. Development of writing skills through written reports on current events and on literary topics. Specifically designed for students concentrating in French who need practice in the written language beyond the intermediate level.

355 Phonetics and Oral Expression (3:3:2).Prerequisite: FREN 202 or permission of instructor. Intensive study of French pronunciation and diction. Practice in discriminating French phonemes and allophones and in transcribing in phonetic symbols. Recitation of poems and rhythmic prose. Enrollment limited to 15.

356 Interpretation (3:3:0).Prerequisite: FREN 202 or permission of instructor. Initial orientation and practice in the techniques of simultaneous, consecutive, and contract interpretation. Recommended for students who wish to improve language skills or intend to use them professionally.

357 Introduction to Translation (3:3:0).Prerequisite: FREN 202 or permission of instructor. Translations from French to English, English to French, of texts selected from current periodicals and newspapers in various fields. Recommended for students who wish to improve language skills.

375 French Civilization: From Ancient Gaul to the French Revolution (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 15 credits of French or permission of instructor. Study of contributions of France to world civilization; emphasis on development of ideas, arts, sciences, and institutions. Offered in alternate years.

376 French Civilization: From the Revolution to Contemporary France (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 15 credits of French or permission of instructor. See FREN 375.

377 Survey of French Literature: Middle Ages to 1800 (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 15 credits of French or permission of instructor. French literature through the centuries, with reading and analysis of representative texts of the major authors. Offered in alternate years. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

378 Survey of French Literature: 1800 to Present (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 15 credits of French or permission of instructor. See FREN 377.

381 Introduction to Literary Analysis (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 15 credits of French. A structured approach to the reading and analysis of French literary texts.

391 French for the Business World I (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 15 credits of French or permission of instructor. Introduction to study of styles used in commercial, private, and official formats for correspondence and various common business documents. Emphasis on written exercises. Designed to satisfy the needs of students equipping themselves for multinational business and foreign service.

392 French for the Business World II (3:3:0).Prerequisite: FREN 391 or permission of instructor. Continuing study of terminology used in business affairs, with attention to form and style of business documents. Oral and written practice of French used in everyday work situations. Students may use this course in preparation for the Paris Chamber of Commerce certificate in Business French.

405 French Literature of the Renaissance (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Development of the humanistic tradition in France during the 16th century, especially as reflected in the works of Rabelais and Montaigne. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

413 French Literature of the 17th Century: Classical Drama (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Study of the dramatic literature of the 17th century. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

414 French Literature of the 17th Century: Prose and Poetry (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Reading and analysis of representative texts of major authors. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

421 French Literature of the 18th Century: Montesquieu and Voltaire (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Study of Montesquieu, Voltaire, and other writers of the first half of the century. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

422 French Literature of the 18th Century: Diderot and Rousseau (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Study of Diderot, Rousseau, and other writers of the second half of the century. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

431 French Literature: 1800-1850 (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Poetry, theater, and novels of the Romantic and Parnassian movements. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

432 French Literature: 1850-1900 (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Poetry, theater, and novels of the Realist, Naturalist, and Symbolist movements. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

441 Twentieth-Century Prose Fiction (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Principal literary trends in contemporary French literature; emphasis on evolution of the novel from Proust and Gide to Beckett and the "Nouveau Roman." May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

442 Twentieth-Century Drama and Poetry (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. French drama from Surrealism to the "Nouveau Theater." French poetry from Symbolism to contemporary poets. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

451 Writers of French-Speaking Africa and the Caribbean (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Study of selected poems, plays, tales, and novels expressing the culture and aspirations of the peoples of Africa and the Caribbean. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees. May also be taken to meet the non-Western requirement.

452 French-Canadian Literature (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Study of the Francophone literature of Canada with emphasis on contemporary works. May be taken toward fulfillment of the general requirement in literature for baccalaureate degrees.

460 Advanced Oral and Written Expression (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Intensive course designed to help students obtain fluency in oral and written French. Development of conversational skills and mastery of vocabulary. Class discussions, oral and written reports on current topics.

461 Linguistic Structure of Modern French (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Descriptive analysis of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of modern standard French. Optional lab work.

462 Stylistics (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Analysis of the more complex aspects of the French language and of various stylistic processes. Development of writing skills through readings, discussion, and composition.

480, 481 Special Topics (3:0:0), (3:3:0).Prerequisite: 18 credits of French or permission of instructor. Study of a selected literary theme, topic, period, or genre. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.

490, 491 Independent Study (1-3:0:0), (1-3:0:0).Prerequisites: French majors with 90 credits and permission of chair. Research and analysis of a selected problem in literature or linguistics in consultation with a member of the department. Only six credits of independent study may be applied to fulfillment of requirement in the concentration.

497, 498 Senior Honors Tutorial (3:0:0), (3:0:0).Prerequisites: French majors with 90 credits, a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and 3.0 in the major field. Students who meet these requirements are admitted to candidacy upon submission of a letter of application to the departmental Honors Committee in the second half of the junior year. A faculty recommendation and an interview by the Honors Committee are also required. The first semester involves weekly meetings with a faculty member to discuss readings from a comprehensive list prepared by the French faculty. The second semester requires independent research and completion of an honors essay under the supervision of a member of the French faculty.

515 Medieval French Literature (3:3:0). Intensive study of the outstanding literary works of the Middle Ages. Course work in French.

517 Studies in 17th-Century Literature (3:3:0). Selected writers, works, themes, or trends of French literature in the classical era. Content varies. Course work in French.

518 Studies in 18th-Century Literature (3:3:0). Selected writers, works, themes, or trends of French literature in the 18th century. Content varies. Course work in French. May be repeated for credit with permission of department.

519 Studies in 19th-Century Literature (3:3:0). Selected works, themes, genres, and authors of 19th-century French literature. Content varies. Course work in French. May be repeated for credit with permission of department.

525 Studies in Modern French Literature (3:3:0). Selected writers, works, themes, or trends of French literature in the modern era. Content varies. May be repeated for credit with permission of department. A maximum of six credits may be earned. Course work in French.

550, 551 Special Topics (3:3:0), (3:3:0). Specialized topics relating to French culture and literature. Content varies. Course work in French.

560 History of the French Language (3:3:0). Evolution of the French language from Latin to present-day French.

561 Old French (3:3:0). Study of Old French phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon, aimed at preparing students to read medieval French literature in original versions. Linguistic study complemented by reading of Old French verse and prose texts from the 9th through the 13th centuries.

571 Applied French Linguistics (3:3:0). Contrastive linguistic analysis of French and English, suggesting pedagogical strategies for correcting problems of interference between the two languages. Special attention to phonology and morphology.

575 Grammatical Analysis (3:3:0). Study of characteristic features of contemporary French. Examination of spoken and written French, including syntactic analysis, distributional analysis, and generative-transformational grammar. Emphasis on problem areas for the American learner.

576 Advanced Translation (3:3:0). Advanced work in translation of topics selected from the social and political sciences and the humanities. Comparative terminology, sight translation, and precis writing. The importance, function, and techniques of documentation in translation. Translations from French to English and English to French.

580 Contemporary French Society and Culture (3:3:0). Study of structure and evolution of the society and culture of contemporary France.

798 Directed Reading and Research (3:0:0).Prerequisite: Open only to degree students who have completed at least 18 credits. Reading and research on a specific project under the direction of a department member. Oral or written report required.

799 Thesis (1-6:0:0). Students who take FREN 798 and then elect the thesis option receive three credits for FREN 799 upon completion of the thesis. Students who do not take FREN 798 receive six credits for FREN 799 upon completion of the thesis.

800 Studies for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (varied credit). Prerequisite: Admission to the Ph.D. in Education program to study in French. Program of study designed by the student's discipline director and approved by the student's doctoral committee that prepares the student to do research and writing in the current area of interest of the discipline. Enrollment may be repeated as required.

Also see FRLN listing.