Member of the Division of Humanities

Philippe Moisan, Chair, Daniel Gross, Janice Gross, David Harrison, Susan Ireland

The Department of French develops students' use and understanding of French in its language, literature, and culture courses. The department's emphasis on proficiency in speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing enables students to explore the rich history and culture of the French-speaking world. French courses also contribute to several interdisciplinary concentrations (Western European studies, linguistics, gender and women's studies, and global development studies) and independent majors. Students who study French can apply their learning in areas such as international affairs, scholarly research, the creative arts, business, and education.


The Grinnell placement test, along with consultation with the department, ensures that students begin their study of French at the appropriate level. Entering students begin with the recommended course at either the beginning (101, 102, 103), intermediate (221, 222), or advanced level (301, 303, 304, 305, 312, or 313). The foundation courses at the advanced level are 301 (Advanced Oral and Written Expression), 303, 304 (French Civilization I and II), 305 (Contemporary Francophone Cultures), 312 (Literature from the Middle Ages to the Revolution) and 313 (Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries). In addition, advanced courses are regularly offered on major literary periods and genres, architecture, social movements, and other topics related to the French-speaking world. The opportunity to carry out a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) is available as part of all seminars. All departmental courses are conducted in French. Advanced students are also eligible for French options available in courses offered throughout the curriculum.

Students of French are strongly recommended to undertake an approved semester-long or yearlong program of study abroad in a city such as Paris, Nantes, or Aix-en-Provence.

A minimum of 32 credits (not including French 101, 102, and 103), with at least 20 credits in all and a minimum of three 300-level courses (12 credits) taken in the Department of French at Grinnell. Required: French 303, 304, or 305; 312 or 313; and a seminar chosen from among the following: 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 341, 342, and 395 (special topics course offered each spring).

To be considered for honors in French, graduating seniors, in addition to meeting the College's general requirements for honors, must complete two 300-level seminars and must give a public oral presentation based on one of their seminar papers.

101 Introduction to French (Fall) 5 credits

Study of the fundamentals of spoken and written French with emphasis on communication through oral-aural practice and awareness of cultural context. Acquisition of basic grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Prerequisites: none. STAFF.

102 Introduction to French II (Spring) 5 credits

Offered only in the spring, this course is designed primarily as a continuation of French 101. Emphasizes the development of oral-aural skills and of reading comprehension by providing communicative practice and attention to cultural context. Prerequisite: French 101 or by placement or permission of instructor. STAFF.

103 Accelerated Introduction to French (Fall) 5 credits

Offered only in the fall, this course is for students with some previous study of French. Covers the equivalent of French 101 and 102 in a single semester. Emphasizes the development of oral-aural skills and of reading comprehension by providing communicative practice and attention to cultural context. Not open to students who have taken French 102. Prerequisite: Grinnell Placement Test or consultation with department. D. GROSS.

201 French Speaking (Fall or Spring) 1 credit
Conversational unit designed for both free and structured oral exchange in French. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in any 200- or 300-level French language course or permission of instructor. May be taken only once for credit. STAFF.

221 Intermediate French I (Fall or Spring) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Review of grammar with emphasis on written and oral skills. Introduction to analysis of literary and cultural texts. Prerequisite: French 102, or 103, or permission of instructor. STAFF.

222 Intermediate French II (Fall or Spring) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Review of grammar with a focus on the development of written and oral skills. Emphasis on analysis, discussion, and composition through the exploration of literature, documents, and films related to the Occupation of France during World War II. Prerequisite: French 221 or permission of instructor. STAFF.

301 Advanced Oral and Written Expression (Spring) 4 credits

Conducted in French. An integrated approach to the development of aural-oral and written skills in French, designed to prepare students for discussion and analysis at the 300 level. Prerequisite: French 222 or permission of instructor. MOISAN.

303 French Civilization I: Sites of Myth and Memory* (Fall) 4 credits

Conducted in French. An introduction to French civilization from its origins to the French Revolution through the study of historical and literary texts, paintings, and films. Prerequisite: French 222 or permission of instructor. HARRISON.

304 French Civilization II: Revolutions and Identities* (Fall) 4 credits

Conducted in French. An introduction to French civilization from the French Revolution to the present through the study of historical and literary texts, paintings, and films. Prerequisite: French 222 or permission of instructor. MOISAN.

305 Contemporary Francophone Cultures (Spring) 4 credits+

Conducted in French. Overview of contemporary France and the French-speaking world. Examines the relationship between national identity and the forces of geography, history, language, race, religion, and ethnicity. Topics include: colonization, decolonization, immigration, French-American relations, and societal values related to the family, gender, education, political organization, the state, and secularism. Uses historical, cultural, and literary texts and films. Prerequisite: French 222 or permission of instructor. J. GROSS.

312 Introduction to French Literature from the Middle Ages to the Revolution: From Knights to Libertines (Spring) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Readings in poetry, prose, and theatre. Topics may include: the medieval chanson de geste, Renaissance love poetry, tragedy and comedy in the age of Louis XIV, and the Enlightenment. Presents the critical terminology and analytical techniques necessary for in-depth study of the respective genres. Prerequisite: French 222 or permission of instructor. HARRISON.

313 Introduction to French Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries: Literary Revolutions (Fall) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Readings in poetry, theatre, and prose from romanticism to the theatre of the absurd and the nouveau roman. Presents critical terminology and analytical techniques necessary for in-depth study of the respective genres. Prerequisite: French 222 or permission of instructor. IRELAND.

316 Architecture and Urbanism in Paris* (Fall) 4 credits

Also listed as Art 316. Conducted in French. Major monuments and the development of the city in historical context from the Middle Ages through the transformations of Haussmann in the 19th century. Attention to the vocabulary of architectural design and structure, and to analysis of period treatises and literary texts in relation to aesthetic issues and the politics of architecture. Concludes with an overview of changes and problems of the 20th century. Prerequisite: a 300-level French course or permission of instructor. CHASSON.

327 Power and Resistance in 17th- and 18th-Century French Literature* (Fall) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Explores the relationship between writers and questions of authority from 1600-1789. Examines the representation of royal power, challenges to state authority and social conventions (such as the role of the church and the position of women in society), and the role of humor as a subversive technique. Authors studied may include La Fontaine, Pascal, Molière, Madame de Lafayette, Mme de Sévigné, Saint-Simon, Diderot, Voltaire, Laclos, and Sade. Prerequisite: French 312, or 313, or permission of instructor. HARRISON.

328 Comedy in French Literature Prior to the Revolution* (Fall) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Analyzes the notion of the comic in French literary texts written before 1789. Examines the relationship between comedy and society, using the theories of Bakhtin, Bergson, Boileau, and Freud. Focuses on the particular techniques used in different literary genres, such as the novel, theatre, and satiric verse. Works studied may include the farces of the Middle Ages, Rabelais, Marguerite de Navarre, Molière, Boileau, Voltaire, and Diderot. Prerequisite: French 312, or 313, or permission of instructor. HARRISON.

329 Literature and Society in 19th-Century and Belle Epoque France* (Fall) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Examines texts representative of Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, and post-Romantic poetry. Topics may include: realism and nature; the role of description; the expression of desire, and the relationship between the individual and society. Prerequisite: French 312, or 313, or permission of instructor. MOISAN

330 Innovation and Transgression in French from 1870 to 1945* (Fall) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Explores the evolution of literature and the rise of cinema between 1870 and 1945; examines notions such as moral and esthetic transgression and innovation. Topics to be studied may include: collage, montage, memory, war, autobiography, and sexuality in authors and film-makers such as Rimbaud, Rachilde, Colette, Méliès, Jarry, Proust, Gide, Céline, and Cocteau. Prerequisites: French 312 or 313 or permission of instructor. MOISAN.

331 Modern Francophone Theatre* (Spring) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Study of dramatic texts and their contexts since the Second World War, with reference to existentialism, the Theatre of the Absurd, and recent scenic depictions of female, postcolonial, and immigrant experiences. Examines how theatre of the French-speaking world reflects, challenges, and redefines societal, philosophical, and aesthetic values, with a focus on the relationship between text and performance. Prerequisite: French 312, or 313, or permission of instructor. J. GROSS.

341 Contemporary French Writing* (Spring) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Traces the evolution of prose fiction from the 1950s to the present and examines its relationship to biography, autobiography, feminist writing, film, and the popular novel. Prerequisite: French 312, or 313, or permission of instructor. IRELAND.

342 Orientalism Revisited* (Spring) 4 credits

Conducted in French. Examines the relations between France and the Orient as portrayed in paintings, photos, films, and prose fiction from the mid-19th century to the present. Focuses in particular on images of Oriental women, beginning with France's representation of its colonies as female. The main topics to be considered are: the depiction of interracial relationships; the effect of gender on the experience of immigration; women and war (Algeria and Lebanon); women's voices in contemporary North Africa; and the notions of tradition and modernity in relation to issues such as arranged marriages, polygamy, and excision. The Orient studied includes Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Lebanon. Prerequisite: French 312, or 313, or permission of instructor. IRELAND.


*Not offered every year.