French

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2017-18 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The undergraduate major in French is designed to allow students to acquire a considerable degree of competence in the written and spoken language as well as a familiarity with the literature and culture of France and the French-speaking world. It aims to develop the student’s critical appreciation of texts in French in both literary and cultural contexts. The department thus offers a large selection of courses in different periods and criticism, as well as courses in composition, stylistics, translation, and linguistics. Furthermore, it encourages interdisciplinary studies in French through courses emphasizing the relation between literature and the other arts and between literature, history, and society. Particularly attractive for many students is the opportunity for the historical and critical study of French film. Most courses are conducted in French, and majors are expected to write papers and examinations in that language.

Given the breadth of its program, the French major may interest students desiring a general humanistic education based on the language and literature of the French-speaking world; students planning to teach French at the elementary or secondary level; students who intend to pursue graduate work in preparation for teaching and research at the college level; and students preparing for careers in such areas as international law, business, or government service, which require both training in a major foreign language and/or a general background in a humanistic discipline.

Declaring the Major

Students may declare the major at any point in their French studies, provided they have completed a minimum of 30 units of general college-level coursework. To declare a major in French, students complete the departmental application form and provide specific documents with the completed application. The form is available in the French Department Undergraduate Office in 4209 Dwinelle Hall. Applications to the major are accepted during the fall, spring and summer semesters. 

Students who are considering a major in French should consult with the undergraduate adviser before declaring the major for help in deciding whether this major is appropriate for their academic goals, and for referrals to others who can assist in this decision. If a decision to major in French is reached, the undergraduate adviser will aid in planning the undergraduate program. The department strongly urges all majors to establish contact early with the undergraduate adviser to get answers to a broad range of questions regarding the French major and other issues related to completing the bachelor’s degree at Berkeley.

Honors Program

Senior French majors with both an overall grade point average of 3.5 and a grade point average (GPA) in French of 3.5 may apply to the honors program in French. Students meeting these criteria may obtain the application from the undergraduate adviser in 4209 Dwinelle Hall. After verification of GPA and proof that the student is in the final two semesters at Berkeley has been submitted to the undergraduate adviser, students prepare and submit a written proposal to both the major adviser and the supervisor of the thesis detailing the subject of the thesis. Upon admission to the honors program, students undertake research on an approved topic of their choice. The results of this research constitute an honors essay.

FRENCH H195A-FRENCH H195B is a two-semester sequence (2 units each semester); credit and grade are awarded upon completion of the sequence. Students should therefore begin the sequence no later than the semester before their final semester at Berkeley

The honors program is taken in addition to the eight upper division course, 32 upper division unit requirement for the major and does not count toward these minimums. The thesis may not be used as a paper or thesis for any other class or department.

Minor Program

The Department of French offers a general minor in French. For information regarding prerequisites and minor requirements, please see the Minor Requirements tab at the top right of this page.

Unlike a major, there is no formal “declaration of intent" to minor in French. However, students who intend to complete the minor in French should fill out an informal checklist once they have begun upper division work in French (FRENCH 102). The checklist is available from the undergraduate adviser in French. Students should keep in contact with the undergraduate adviser as they complete coursework for the minor in order to keep their checklist updated.

To complete the minor, students download and fill out the top section of  a “Petition for Confirmation of Minor Program Completed." This petition is necessary for the official notation of the French minor to appear on students’ transcripts. Students are responsible for the timely completion and submission of these forms. All petitions are reviewed by the undergraduate adviser who then forwards them to the appropriate campus units.

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Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Please note that a maximum of four approved study abroad equivalent courses can be applied toward the major requirements.

Lower Division Preparation

FRENCH 1Elementary French5
FRENCH 2Elementary French5
FRENCH 3Intermediate French5
FRENCH 4Advanced Intermediate French5

Lower and Upper Division Requirements1

FRENCH 35Practical Phonetics and Listening Comprehension 23
FRENCH 102Reading and Writing Skills in French 34
French cultural studies and French linguistics: Select two courses from FRENCH 145-FRENCH 185 8
FRENCH 145
History of the French Language
FRENCH 146A
Introduction to French Linguistics
FRENCH 147
Special Topics in French Linguistics
FRENCH 148
Translation Methodology and Practice
FRENCH 150A
Women in French Literature
FRENCH 150B
Women in French Literature
FRENCH 151A
Francophone Literature
FRENCH 151B
Francophone Literature
FRENCH 161A
A Year in French History
FRENCH 161B
A Year in French History
FRENCH 162A
Perspectives on History
FRENCH 162B
Perspectives on History
FRENCH 170
French Films
FRENCH 171A
A Concept in French Cultural History
FRENCH 171B
A Concept in French Cultural History
FRENCH 172A
Psychoanalytic Theory and Literature
FRENCH 174
Music and Literature
FRENCH 175A
Literature and the Visual Arts
FRENCH 177A
History and Criticism of Film
FRENCH 177B
History and Criticism of Film
FRENCH 178A
Studies in French Film
FRENCH 178B
Studies in French Film
FRENCH 180A
French Civilization
FRENCH 180B
French Civilization
FRENCH 180C
French Civilization
FRENCH 180D
French Civilization
FRENCH 183A
Configurations of Crisis
FRENCH 183B
Configurations of Crisis
FRENCH 185
Literature and Colonialism
French literary/genre studies: Select two courses from FRENCH 112A-FRENCH 1268
FRENCH 112A
Medieval Literature
FRENCH 112B
Medieval Literature
FRENCH 114A
Late Medieval Literature
FRENCH 116A
Sixteenth-Century Literature: Marot to Montaigne
FRENCH 117A
Seventeenth-Century Literature
FRENCH 117B
Seventeenth-Century Literature
FRENCH 118A
Eighteenth-Century Literature
FRENCH 118B
Eighteenth-Century Literature
FRENCH 119A
Nineteenth-Century Literature
FRENCH 119B
Nineteenth-Century Literature
FRENCH 120A
Twentieth-Century Literature
FRENCH 120B
Twentieth-Century Literature
FRENCH 121A
Literary Themes, Genres, and Structures
FRENCH 121B
Literary Themes, Genres, and Structures
FRENCH 122A
Literary Criticism
FRENCH 122B
Literary Criticism
FRENCH 123
Prose Fiction
FRENCH 125A
Poetics and Poetry
FRENCH 126
Senior Seminar
Electives12
Select an additional three upper division FRENCH courses from FRENCH 103A - FRENCH 185, OR two additional upper division FRENCH courses from FRENCH 103A - FRENCH 185 plus one "outside elective" (subject to adviser approval; see below for past approved outside electives) 4, 5
1

 At least two of the required upper division courses must cover material focusing on the 18th century or earlier. If the student takes a survey course, two-thirds of the course material must focus on the 18th century or earlier (historical period requirement).

2

 Students may also satisfy the Phonetics requirement with completion of a semester (fall, spring or summer) of study abroad in a French immersion program.  Also, students with special circumstances/qualifications may have the Phonetics requirement waived by interview with the course director.

3

 FRENCH 102 is a prerequisite to all other upper division French courses (courses numbered 103 and above). Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in this course before declaring the French major in order to have a better idea of the kind of work undertaken in upper division courses. FRENCH 103A or FRENCH 103B Language and Culture may be taken concurrently with FRENCH 102 or after its successful completion.

4

 FRENCH H195A, FRENCH H195B, FRENCH 197, and FRENCH 199 cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.

5

 FRENCH 140A THROUGH FRENCH 140D (French Literature in English Translation) require prior approval  from the undergraduate major adviser to count toward the major.

Outside Electives

Examples of outside electives approved in the past are listed below, but students may propose other courses to the undergraduate adviser for approval. These elective courses are designed to allow students to pursue interests of their own within the major, e.g., a concentration in linguistic study, or certain themes in literature and civilization. It is strongly recommended that all French majors take a French history course offered by the History Department.

All outside courses, whether listed below or not, require prior approval by the undergraduate adviser to count toward the major. Please note that only one outside elective may be used to satisfy major requirements.

HISTORY 155AMedieval Europe: From the Late Empire to the Investiture Conflict 14
HISTORY 155BMedieval Europe: From the Investiture Conflict to the Fifteenth Century 14
HISTORY 163AModern European Intellectual History: European Intellectual History from the Enlightenment to 1870 14
HISTORY 163BModern European Intellectual History: European Intellectual History, 1870 to the Present 14
HISTORY 166AModern France: Early Modern France to 17154
HISTORY 166BModern France: Old Regime and Revolutionary France4
HISTORY 166CModern France4
HISTART 156AGothic Art in Northern Europe: 1150-12704
HISTART 180ANineteenth-Century Europe: Age of Revolution 14
HISTART 180CNineteenth-Century Europe: The Invention of Avant-Gardes 14
MED ST 150Studies in Medieval Culture2-4
PHILOS 170Descartes4
PHILOS 187Special Topics in the History of Philosophy 14
PHILOS 188Phenomenology4
PHILOS 189Special Topics in Recent European Philosophy 14
FRENCH 142ACThe Cultures of Franco-America4
1

 This course will only be approved for credit toward the French major when the emphasis for that term is on France or the French-speaking world.

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but they are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.
  2. A minimum of three of the upper division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
  4. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.
  5. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
  6. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which you plan to graduate. If you cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, please see a College of Letters & Science adviser.
  7. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

Please note that it is strongly recommended that students take all of their lower division French courses for a letter grade.

All coursework is to be written in French. FRENCH 140A - FRENCH 140D (French Literature in English Translation) requires prior approval from the French department to count toward the minor. 

FRENCH H195A, FRENCH H195B, and FRENCH 199 do not count toward the minor.

Students may not receive upper division course credit toward the minor for AP language and Literature exams.

Lower Division Prerequisite
FRENCH 4Advanced Intermediate French (or equivalent) 15
Upper Division
FRENCH 102Reading and Writing Skills in French 24
Select four upper division French courses, numbered between FRENCH 103A - FRENCH 185 3
1

Students must complete FRENCH 4 or its equivalent before beginning upper division work in French. Additionally, FRENCH 4 must be completed with a grade of B- or better before a student can enroll in FRENCH 102. Any student who receives a grade of C+ or lower in FRENCH 4 will need Instructor permission before enrollment in FRENCH 102 is finalized. Conversation courses (FRENCH 13  and FRENCH 14) cannot be substituted for FRENCH 4.

2

Students wishing to request waivers of FRENCH 102 based on previous equivalent coursework should contact the undergraduate adviser in French, 4209 Dwinelle Hall. If a waiver is granted by the department, the student will still need to complete a total of five upper division French courses.

3

Only one course from the series FRENCH 103A and FRENCH 103B can be applied to the French minor.

College Requirements

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters & Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide.

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Attain solid (though not flawless) proficiency in reading, writing, understanding, and speaking French.
  2. Possess some understanding of the history and sociology of the French language.
  3. Be aware of a variety of ways in which the histories of French and Francophone literature and culture have traditionally been accounted for within French studies.
  4. Recognize and understand features of a variety of genres and modes in French and Francophone writing (the novel, poetic forms, short fiction, autobiography, film, etc.,), as well as of the vocabulary commonly used to describe them (i.e., narratology, vocabulary of versification or of film studies, etc.,).
  5. Have some familiarity with key rhetorical terms.
  6. Acquire a basic familiarity with some of the techniques of cultural analysis within French and Francophone studies.
  7. Be able to articulate specific connections between texts and cultural, artistic, social, and/or political contexts.
  8. Gain an understanding of literature and of other written texts in interdisciplinary and multicultural contexts.
  9. Be aware of debates about the nature of literature.
  10. Be widely read in French literature.

Skills

  1. Develop the ability to interpret and analyze any given text from the French and Francophone domains using a variety of methods, both in isolation and together (such as close reading, linguistic analysis, theoretical analysis, historical and cultural contextualization, etc.,).
  2. Be capable of interpreting culture and cultural artifacts in the French and Francophone domains.
  3. Formulate a well-organized, well-supported argument both orally and in writing.
  4. Write essays in standard academic French, using appropriate vocabulary whenever needed to discuss precise examples in specific texts.
  5. Begin to acquire independent research skills on a given topic or text and know how to make use of secondary sources. (For instance, know how to read and analyze a scholarly article or how to compile a bibliography.)
  6. Observe ethical, precise and accurate citation practices in both oral and written work.

Academic Opportunities

Study Abroad

The Berkeley Study Abroad Program offers opportunities for study in France for one semester, for one year, or for the summer.

The majority of students in the French major and minor programs at UC Berkeley complete some portion of their undergraduate study abroad through the Berkeley Study Abroad Program. Given the increasing globalization of the world, living abroad helps expand students' understanding of diverse, culturally rooted attitudes and behaviors. Studying abroad enhances cross-cultural awareness, competency, and adaptability. Students find that living and studying abroad expands their perspective, improves critical thinking, increases independence and better prepares them for a career in an increasingly competitive world.

Interested students should obtain the relevant information early in the semester preceding the one in which they plan to go abroad from the Berkeley Study Abroad office, located in 160 Stephens Hall, 510-642-1356, studyabroad@berkeley.edu.

Students should consult with the undergraduate adviser before going abroad (whether through Berkeley Study Abroad or through non-UC sponsored programs) in order to determine whether their program of study will count toward their French major or minor.

Applying Study Abroad Coursework toward French Major/Minor Requirements

When determining equivalent coursework for Berkeley Study Abroad courses, it is a question of equivalent content at an equivalent level. Courses must correspond in content and level to UC Berkeley upper division French courses required for the major or minor.

Criteria for determining if coursework is equivalent:

  1. Course must be taught in French.
  2. Content of the course must be equivalent to upper division French courses offered at UC Berkeley. This means most courses in French Literature, French Linguistics, French Film, and Advanced French Language Study will be good candidates.

  3. Course hours must be (approximately) equivalent to upper division French courses offered at UC Berkeley (about 4 semester units).

Final approval of equivalent coursework is granted after the student returns from study abroad, and the course grades and units have been posted to the student’s UC Berkeley transcript.

Coursework completed in the UCEAP Language and Culture programs is not considered equivalent to third- and fourth-year level French courses at UC Berkeley, and thus cannot be applied toward required upper division courses for the French major or minor.

Student’s equivalent courses from study abroad can be applied toward a maximum of four French major course requirements. No more than one course per semester may be taken on a P/NP basis for major/minor credit.

For additional information, contact Carol Dolcini, Undergraduate French Adviser, at frendept@berkeley.edu.

Courses

French

FRENCH 1 Elementary French 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2018 10 Week Session, Summer 2018 8 Week Session
Introduction to speaking, listening, reading, and writing in French.
Elementary French: Read More [+]

FRENCH R1A English Composition in Connection with the Reading of Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
This course is designed to fulfill the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The primary goal of this course is to develop students' reading and writing skills through a series of assignments that will provide them with the opportunity to formulate observations made in class discussions into coherent argumentative essays. Emphasis will be placed on the refinement of effective sentence, paragraph, and thesis formation, keeping in mind the notion of writing as a process. Other goals in this course are a familiarization with French literature and the specific questions that are relevant to this field. In addition, students will be introduced to different methods of literary and linguistic analysis in their nonliterary readings.
English Composition in Connection with the Reading of Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH R1B English Composition in Connection with the Reading of Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2018 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2018
This course is designed to fulfill the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The primary goal of this course is to develop students' reading and writing skills through a series of assignments that will provide them with the opportunity to formulate observations made in class discussions into coherent argumentative essays. Emphasis will be placed on the refinement of effective sentence, paragraph, and thesis formation, keeping in mind the notion of writing as a process. Other goals in this course are a familiarization with French literature and the specific questions that are relevant to this field. In addition, students will be introduced to different methods of literary and linguistic analysis in their nonliterary readings.
English Composition in Connection with the Reading of Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 2 Elementary French 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2018 8 Week Session, Spring 2018
Introduction to speaking, listening, reading, and writing in French. Continuation of French 1.
Elementary French: Read More [+]

FRENCH 3 Intermediate French 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
Building on foundation established in first year, trains students in listening, reading, writing, and speaking French. Review and refinement of grammar.
Intermediate French: Read More [+]

FRENCH 4 Advanced Intermediate French 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2018 8 Week Session, Spring 2018
Advanced training in listening, reading, writing, and speaking French. Review and refinement of grammar.
Advanced Intermediate French: Read More [+]

FRENCH 13 Intermediate Conversation 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2018 10 Week Session, Fall 2017
Intermediate French conversation. May not be repeated for credit.
Intermediate Conversation: Read More [+]

FRENCH N13 Intermediate Conversation 2 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2005 10 Week Session, Summer 2004 10 Week Session
Intermediate French conversation.
Intermediate Conversation: Read More [+]

FRENCH 14 Advanced Conversation 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2018 10 Week Session, Spring 2018
Advanced French conversation. This course may not be repeated for credit.
Advanced Conversation: Read More [+]

FRENCH N14 Advanced Conversation 2 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2005 10 Week Session, Summer 2004 10 Week Session
Advanced French conversation.
Advanced Conversation: Read More [+]

FRENCH 24 Freshman Seminars 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2014
The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to freshmen.
Freshman Seminars: Read More [+]

FRENCH 35 Practical Phonetics and Listening Comprehension 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Summer 2016 8 Week Session
This multimedia course concentrates on pronunciation and listening comprehension skills and provides a new understanding of the French language. Course Web site includes a wide variety of material--text, audio, or video, authentic or specifically recorded for the course--an audio-visual sound chart, and a multimedia reference section. International phonetic alphabet and theoretical concepts are taught as necessary. Strongly recommended before study, work, or travel in French- speaking countries, particulariy for Education Abroad Program students. Course required for French majors and minors in French Language Studies.
Practical Phonetics and Listening Comprehension: Read More [+]

FRENCH 42AC The Cultures of Franco-America 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Literary and cultural texts that emerge out of the long history of the French in North America and of Americans in France. Topics may vary from semester to semester, but the course will always take substantial account of the experiences and histories of representations of different ethnic groups. Students should consult the department's course bulletin well before the beginning of the semester for details.
The Cultures of Franco-America: Read More [+]

FRENCH 43A Aspects of French Culture 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2018 10 Week Session, Summer 2016 10 Week Session, Summer 2015 10 Week Session
Various historical and aesthetic themes and problems in the development of French civilization. In English.
Aspects of French Culture: Read More [+]

FRENCH 43B Aspects of French Culture 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
Various historical and aesthetic themes and problems in the development of French civilization. In English.
Aspects of French Culture: Read More [+]

FRENCH 102 Reading and Writing Skills in French 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2018 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2018
An exploration of the ways words and images structure thought, communication and interactions of the subject and society. Development of reading and writing skills leading to correct and effective expression in French.
Reading and Writing Skills in French: Read More [+]

FRENCH 103A Language and Culture 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016
Discussion and composition based on the analysis of literary and cultural texts.
Language and Culture: Read More [+]

FRENCH 103B Language and Culture 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016
Discussion and composition based on the analysis of literary and cultural texts.
Language and Culture: Read More [+]

FRENCH 112A Medieval Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2013, Spring 2012
Medieval literature from the Chanson de Roland to the Roman de la Rose.
Medieval Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 112B Medieval Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Fall 2014, Fall 2012
Medieval literature from the Chanson de Roland to the Roman de la Rose.
Medieval Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 114A Late Medieval Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2014, Fall 2009
Late medieval literature: Joinville to Villon.
Late Medieval Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 116A Sixteenth-Century Literature: Marot to Montaigne 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Summer 2015 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2014 Second 6 Week Session
Poetry and prose of the first half of the 16th century, in the context of the intellectual and aesthetic trends of the time, including humanism, evangelism, and the development of a new poetic language.
Sixteenth-Century Literature: Marot to Montaigne: Read More [+]

FRENCH 117A Seventeenth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2014, Spring 2012
Authors from the first half of the 17th century. The Baroque; its chief exponents, literary attempts to resolve the crisis in Renaissance values, formulation of new concepts in philosophy and psychology, experiments with traditional forms in poetry, fiction, and the theatre. Preciosity, Descartes, and rationalism.
Seventeenth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 117B Seventeenth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2014, Fall 2006
The concept of classicism and the development of tragedy. Jansenism, the doctrine of Port-Royal. Social satire and comedy.
Seventeenth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 118A Eighteenth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2015, Fall 2013, Fall 2012
Authors from the first half of the 18th century, with emphasis on the origins of the philosophical movement and the development of modern art forms in the theater and the novel.
Eighteenth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 118B Eighteenth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
A study of authors of the second half of the 18th century stressing the importance of the "Movement Philosophique" and the development of libertine values as well as the emergence of the pre-Romantic aesthetics.
Eighteenth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 119A Nineteenth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2014, Fall 2012
Authors from the first half of the 19th century. Romantic poetry and drama. Balzac, Stendhal and the novel. Michelet and the emergence of history.
Nineteenth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 119B Nineteenth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2015, Spring 2011
Authors from the second half of the 19th century. The various poetic movements: Le Parnasse and Symbolism. Development of the novel, realism, and naturalism.
Nineteenth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 120A Twentieth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2015, Spring 2013
The modern novel, the avant-garde, cubist poetry, Dada and Surrealism, the theatre before the Second World War.
Twentieth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 120B Twentieth-Century Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2014, Fall 2013
Development of the novel, poetry, and theatre since the Second World War. Sartre and existentialism, theatre of the absurd, nouveau roman.
Twentieth-Century Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 121A Literary Themes, Genres, and Structures 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2018 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2016, Summer 2016 Second 6 Week Session
Topics vary from year to year. Past topics have included "litterature fantastique," science fiction, autobiography, French lyric poetry.
Literary Themes, Genres, and Structures: Read More [+]

FRENCH 121B Literary Themes, Genres, and Structures 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2016, Summer 2011 Second 6 Week Session
Topics vary from year to year. Past topics have included "litterature fantastique," science fiction, autobiography, French lyric poetry.
Literary Themes, Genres, and Structures: Read More [+]

FRENCH 122A Literary Criticism 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The course will focus on literary criticism and will discuss the various options proposed as well as the relationship between criticism and fiction or philosophy in a given writer's work.
Literary Criticism: Read More [+]

FRENCH 122B Literary Criticism 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The course will focus on literary criticism and will discuss the various options proposed as well as the relationship between criticism and fiction or philosophy in a given writer's work.
Literary Criticism: Read More [+]

FRENCH 123 Prose Fiction 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2003, Summer 1997 10 Week Session
Studies in the French novel.
Prose Fiction: Read More [+]

FRENCH 125A Poetics and Poetry 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Studies in French poetry.
Poetics and Poetry: Read More [+]

FRENCH 126 Senior Seminar 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2015
Intensive study of a major author.
Senior Seminar: Read More [+]

FRENCH 138 French for Future Teachers of the Language 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2014, Spring 2013
Introduction to applied linguistics, for students planning to use their French in language teaching or related careers. In this course we will begin with a general account of the French language--its phonology, morphology, and syntax--and we will subsequently consider specific issues in the learning and teaching of French. We will also examine a variety of commonly used foreign language teaching methods. Students should have a working knowledge of both oral and written French.
French for Future Teachers of the Language: Read More [+]

FRENCH 139 Creative Writing in French 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Summer 2003 10 Week Session, Summer 2002 10 Week Session
Develops students' creative writing skills in French through analysis and discussion of techniques, experimentation with those techniques, and production of various literary genres. Enables students to explore the new possibilities for creativity and self-expression that are presented by writing in a foreign language. Weekly writing assignments using a process-based approach, including peer response, group work, and classroom collaboration. Discussion of literary texts to be read outside class, and weekly time spent on writing laboratory. Students will produce four polished pieces of creative writing. Content will vary from year to year.
Creative Writing in French: Read More [+]

FRENCH 140A French Literature in English Translation 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Major texts of French literature of the Middle Ages. Readings and writing assignments in English for non-majors; in French for French majors and minors. Class discussions in English.
French Literature in English Translation: Read More [+]

FRENCH 140B French Literature in English Translation 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Spring 2009, Fall 2007
Major texts of French literature of the Ancien Regime. Readings and writing assignments in English for non-majors; in French for French majors and minors. Class discussions in English.
French Literature in English Translation: Read More [+]

FRENCH 140C French Literature in English Translation 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2015, Fall 2008, Fall 2002
Major texts of French literature of the 19th Century. Readings and writing assignments in English for non-majors; in French for French majors and minors. Class discussions in English.
French Literature in English Translation: Read More [+]

FRENCH 140D French Literature in English Translation 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2014
Major texts of modern French literature. Readings and writing assignments in English for non-majors; in French for French majors and minors. Class discussions in English.
French Literature in English Translation: Read More [+]

FRENCH 141 French Studies in an International Context 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2008, Fall 2006
An examination of a theme, issue, or concept from French literary, intellectual, or cultural history in its interrelation with non-French texts and contexts. Writing assignments and readings in English for nonmajors; writing assignments and French readings in French for French majors and minors. Class discussions in English. Topics vary from year to year.
French Studies in an International Context: Read More [+]

FRENCH 142AC The Cultures of Franco-America 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2015
Literary and cultural texts that emerge out of the long history of the French in North America and of Americans in France. Topics may vary from semester to semester, but the course will always take substantial account of the experiences and histories of representations of different ethnic groups. Students should consult the department's course bulletin well before the beginning of the semester for details.
The Cultures of Franco-America: Read More [+]

FRENCH 145 History of the French Language 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2017 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2005, Fall 2003
Mainly devoted to "external" history of French, tracing spread of Latin to what is now France, its break-up into different languages and dialects, emergence of Parisian French as standard. Influence of other languages on French vocabulary. Study of brief texts from different periods to illustrate evolution of pronunciation and grammar.
History of the French Language: Read More [+]

FRENCH 146A Introduction to French Linguistics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016
An introduction to the major branches of linguistic analysis (phonology, morphology--including word formation--syntax, and semantics) as applied to the French language.
Introduction to French Linguistics: Read More [+]

FRENCH 147 Special Topics in French Linguistics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2015, Spring 2010, Spring 2000
Topics vary from year to year.
Special Topics in French Linguistics: Read More [+]

FRENCH 148 Translation Methodology and Practice 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
In-depth knowledge of the French language and accuracy in its use are the goals of this course. A textbook and systematic exercises will be used to assist in the demanding task of translating, both from English to French and from French to English.
Translation Methodology and Practice: Read More [+]

FRENCH 150A Women in French Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2015, Spring 2014
A study of the portrayal of women in French literature and of the contributions of women to French literature and thought.
Women in French Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 150B Women in French Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2010, Spring 2005, Spring 2004
A study of the portrayal of women in French literature and of the contributions of women to French literature and thought.
Women in French Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 151A Francophone Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2011, Fall 2009
A study of Francophone literature: traditional and French influences, structure, relationship between language and message.
Francophone Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 151B Francophone Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2010, Fall 2007
A study of Francophone literature: traditional and French influences, structure, relationship between language and message.
Francophone Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 161A A Year in French History 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2013, Fall 2010
The study of a year in French history from many points of view--political, sociological, intellectual, and artistic, as well as literary.
A Year in French History: Read More [+]

FRENCH 161B A Year in French History 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2013, Fall 2011
The study of a year in French history from many points of view--political, sociological, intellectual, and artistic, as well as literary.
A Year in French History: Read More [+]

FRENCH 162A Perspectives on History 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2014, Spring 2013
This course will study both contemporary and subsequent reactions to historic events or figures. Topics vary from year to year.
Perspectives on History: Read More [+]

FRENCH 162B Perspectives on History 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Spring 2012, Fall 2009
This course will study both contemporary and subsequent reactions to historic events or figures. Topics vary from year to year.
Perspectives on History: Read More [+]

FRENCH 170 French Films 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2015
Beginning French cinema studies: the language of film.
French Films: Read More [+]

FRENCH 171A A Concept in French Cultural History 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2016, Fall 2014
An examination of certain large cultural concepts, such as "the Baroque" or "Romanticism," in French cultural history. Topics vary from year to year.
A Concept in French Cultural History: Read More [+]

FRENCH 171B A Concept in French Cultural History 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2013, Summer 2013 Second 6 Week Session
An examination of certain large cultural concepts, such as "the Baroque" or "Romanticism," in French cultural history. Topics vary from year to year.
A Concept in French Cultural History: Read More [+]

FRENCH 172A Psychoanalytic Theory and Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2014, Spring 2007
The relevance of psychoanalysis to literary texts. Concepts of fantasy, of the self, and of desire applied to texts by Racine, Balzac, Lautreamont, Rimbaud, and Proust.
Psychoanalytic Theory and Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 173 Linguistics and Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2003, Fall 2000, Spring 1996
The impact of linguistics on the theory of literature and the practice of literary criticism in recent years.
Linguistics and Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 174 Music and Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Summer 2007 10 Week Session, Summer 2007 Second 6 Week Session
A consideration of the ways in which certain writers, as well as some composers, have sought to relate what might be thought of as two manifestations of language: song and poem, or musical score and literary text.
Music and Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 175A Literature and the Visual Arts 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Fall 2012, Spring 2006
Using various works from the arts and the human sciences, this course will investigate the relations between images and written texts.
Literature and the Visual Arts: Read More [+]

FRENCH 176 Philosophy and Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017
Through engagement with the works of the French “philosophes”, a study of fundamental problems arising from the interplay of philosophy and literature.
Philosophy and Literature: Read More [+]

FRENCH 177A History and Criticism of Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2012, Spring 2009, Spring 2008
The development of French cinema. Discussions, oral and written reports will be based on the viewing of films from the work of major French film directors.
History and Criticism of Film: Read More [+]

FRENCH 177B History and Criticism of Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2014, Spring 2010
The development of French cinema. Discussions, oral and written reports will be based on the viewing of films from the work of major French film directors.
History and Criticism of Film: Read More [+]

FRENCH 178A Studies in French Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2016, Summer 2005 10 Week Session
Topics vary from year to year.
Studies in French Film: Read More [+]

FRENCH 178B Studies in French Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017
Topics vary from year to year.
Studies in French Film: Read More [+]

FRENCH 180A French Civilization 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013
Survey of French civilization: history, arts, and society, through the interpretation of literary texts. 180A: The Middle Ages; 180B: The Ancien Regime; 180C: The 19th Century; 180D: The 20th Century.
French Civilization: Read More [+]

FRENCH 180B French Civilization 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2011
Survey of French civilization: history, arts, and society, through the interpretation of literary texts. 180A: The Middle Ages; 180B: The Ancien Regime; 180C: The 19th Century; 180D: The 20th Century.
French Civilization: Read More [+]

FRENCH 180C French Civilization 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2013, Spring 2012
Survey of French civilization: history, arts, and society, through the interpretation of literary texts. 180A: The Middle Ages; 180B: The Ancien Regime; 180C: The 19th Century; 180D: The 20th Century.
French Civilization: Read More [+]

FRENCH 180D French Civilization 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2014
Survey of French civilization: history, arts, and society, through the interpretation of literary texts. 180A: The Middle Ages; 180B: The Ancien Regime; 180C: The 19th Century; 180D: The 20th Century.
French Civilization: Read More [+]

FRENCH 183A Configurations of Crisis 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2015
A study of the pressures on artistic, political, and economic structures at moments of crisis in French history. Problems of continuity and discontinuity in esthetic and social history.
Configurations of Crisis: Read More [+]

FRENCH 183B Configurations of Crisis 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014
A study of the pressures on artistic, political, and economic structures at moments of crisis in French history. Problems of continuity and discontinuity in esthetic and social history.
Configurations of Crisis: Read More [+]

FRENCH 185 Literature and Colonialism 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Fall 2013, Spring 2010
Studies in the literature developed in France at the height of the colonial era. The themes of travel, exotisme, neo-civilisation, the reaction of European countries to the discovery of Africa.
Literature and Colonialism: Read More [+]

FRENCH H195A Honors Sequence 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016
Students will write an essay on a topic relating to French literature or culture under the supervision of a member of the faculty during two semesters of their senior year.
Honors Sequence: Read More [+]

FRENCH H195B Honors Sequence 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
Students will write an essay on a topic relating to French literature or culture under the supervision of a member of the faculty during two semesters of their senior year.
Honors Sequence: Read More [+]

FRENCH 197 Field Studies 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2018 10 Week Session, Summer 2018 First 6 Week Session, Spring 2018
Supervised field programs involving experiences in schools and school-related activities. Regular individual meetings with faculty sponsor and written reports required.
Field Studies: Read More [+]

FRENCH 198 Directed Group Study 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018
Group study of a topic (in French language and literature) not included in the regular department curriculum. Topics may be initiated by students under the sponsorship and direction of a member of the French department faculty


Directed Group Study: Read More [+]

FRENCH 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research for Advanced Undergraduates 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
Enrollment restricted according to College regulations. Individual instruction only in areas not covered by courses.
Supervised Independent Study and Research for Advanced Undergraduates: Read More [+]

Faculty and Instructors

+ Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Faculty

Deborah Anne Blocker, Associate Professor. Early modern French literature and history.
Research Profile

+ Karl A. Britto, Associate Professor. Africa, cultural studies, the Caribbean, literature, francophone literature, colonial and postcolonial literature, Vietnam, gender and identity.
Research Profile

Eglantine L. Colon, Assistant Professor.

Suzanne Guerlac, Professor. Nationalism, literature, philosophy, 19th- and 20th-century literature, myths of literature and theory, contemporary cultural criticism.
Research Profile

+ Timothy Hampton, Professor. Culture, politics, English, comparative literature, French, renaissance and early modern European culture, the romance languages, the ideology of literary genre, the literary construction of nationhood, the rhetoric of historiography.
Research Profile

David Hult, Professor. Literary theory, medieval French literature, allegory, hermeneutics, text editing, French Studies.
Research Profile

Richard G. Kern, Professor. Literacy, second language acquisition, writing, psycholinguistics, reading, French language, French linguistics, technology and education.
Research Profile

Michael Lucey, Professor. Pragmatics, the novel, sexuality studies, comparative literature, French, French literature, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, British literature and culture, social and literary theory, cultural studies of music, studies of language in use, theories of practice, twentieth-century American literature.
Research Profile

Susan Maslan, Associate Professor. French, early modern French literary, political history, the enlightenment, human rights.
Research Profile

Mairi Mclaughlin, Associate Professor. French linguistics, Italian linguistics, romance linguistics, translation studies, history of French, History of Italian, History of the Romance Languages, language contact, History of the Press, Speech Reporting.
Research Profile

Nicholas Paige, Professor. Cinema (French New Wave), 17th- and 18th-century French literature and culture, history and theory of the novel, quantitative literary history and digital humanities, aesthetics and image theory, subjectivity and autobiography.
Research Profile

+ Debarati Sanyal, Professor. Violence, poetry, the relationship between literary form, politics in 19th-century France, the connection between performance, performativity, ethics in modernist texts.
Research Profile

Soraya Tlatli, Associate Professor. Francophone literature, colonial and postcolonial studies, literature and psychoanalysis, twentieth-century continental philosophy.
Research Profile

Damon R. Young, Assistant Professor.

Lecturers

Daniel Hoffmann, Lecturer.

Michelle Koerner, Lecturer.

Vesna Rodic, Lecturer.

Ariel Shannon, Lecturer.

Rachel Shuh, Lecturer.

Maya Sidhu, Lecturer.

Margot Szarke, Lecturer.

Nelly A. Timmons, Lecturer.

Claire Tourmen, Lecturer.

Erica Weems, Lecturer.

Emeritus Faculty

Esther Alder, Professor Emeritus.

Leo Bersani, Professor Emeritus.

Ulysse Dutoit, Professor Emeritus.

Basil Guy, Professor Emeritus.

Leonard W. Johnson, Professor Emeritus.

Thomas M. Kavanagh, Professor Emeritus.

Irving Putter, Professor Emeritus.

Walter E. Rex, Professor Emeritus.

Ann Smock, Professor Emeritus. Poetry, French, France during World War II, the Algerian War, 20th-century writing by women, relations between literature and music, Jacques Roubaud, Danielle Collobert.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Department of French

4125 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-2712

Fax: 510-642-8852

frendept@berkeley.edu

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Nicholas Paige

4212 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-2712

npaige@berkeley.edu

Academic Manager

Gail Ganino

4125 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510 642-2715

gganino@berkeley.edu

Faculty Undergraduate Adviser

Susan Maslan

4219 Dwinelle Hall

samaslan@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Student Services Adviser

Carol Dolcini

4209 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-2713

frendept@berkeley.edu

Head Graduate Adviser

Debarati Sanyal

4211 Dwinelle Hall

sanyal@berkeley.edu

Graduate Student Services Adviser

Mary Ajideh

4207 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510 642-2714

frenchga@berkeley.edu

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