Approved by Faculty Senate.

 

Course Syllabus

College of Liberal Arts

Winona State University

 

Department: Foreign Languages Date of Revision: Spring 2002

Course Number: French 403 Course Title: French Literature II

Number of Credits: 3 Frequency of Offering: Every 2 years

Prerequisite(s): French 201 or equivalent Grading: Grade only

Instructor: Rosine Tenenbaum Office: Somsen 319B Phone: 457-5167

E-mail: rt101143@winona.edu

Text: XVIIe siècle by Lagarde et Michard. Bordas, France

XVIIIe siècle by Lagarde et Michard. Bordas, France

Course Description:

  1. Catalog Description

    2. 17th and 18th Century French Literature. The course is taught in French. Writers such as Corneille, Moliere, Racine, Marivaux, Voltaire, Diderot, Roseau, Beaumarchais are studied. Prerequisite: 202 or equivalent. Offered every two years.

  2. Statement of the major focus and objective of the course

The focus of the course is two-fold: acquisition of knowledge of French Literature from 1600 till 1800 and acquisition of methodology for critical text analysis.

Objectives: Students will

  1. Become familiar with the most famous texts of the most famous writers of the XVIIth and XVIIIth century in France
  2. Become familiar with the textual analysis method the French call "Explication de texte" which consists in the following:
    1. Situating the text in its historical and literary context
    2. Discern the plan of the text (i.e. its different parts)
    3. Analyze the way the author develops a theme or an idea
    4. Draw a conclusion on the qualities/objects of the text, on its importance for the understanding art and ideas of the time.
  1. Basic instructional plan and teaching methods

    2. The following teaching methods will be used:

    Lecture in French

    Questions and answers; oral and written in French

    Presentations by students in French

    Films or documents presented

     

  2. Course requirements
    1. Class Participation

For each text studied the student has to prepare, at home, the answers to a few questions asked by the teacher about this text. At the next class session, the students read their answers and a general discussion in the target language follows.

  1. Examinations

    2. There is an examination after the study of XVIIth Century is concluded and another exam after the study of XVIIIth is concluded. The exam consists of two parts 1) "an explication de texte" of a specific page studied; 2) a more general essay question dealing with specific themes or genres relevant to the time period studied.

  2. Grading

Class Participation 50%

Exam 1 (XVII Century) 25%

Exam 2 (XVIII Century) 25%

A= Excellent: when student’s work reflects a superior performance in understanding and analyzing the texts.

B= Good: when student is showing a respectable performance in understanding and analyzing the texts.

C= Satisfactory: when student fulfills the basic expectations in understanding and analyzing the texts.

D= Poor or insufficient:

F= Failure: when student does not fulfill the minimum qualifications for textual analysis and comprehension.