Department of Foreign Languages
West Virginia University
Chitwood Hall
P.O. Box 6298
Morgantown, WV 26506-6298
USA
Telephone: (304) 293-5121
Fax: (304) 293-7655

French (FRCH)

FRCH 100. Intensive Elementary French. 6 Hr. PR: Score of F1 on placement test or no prior study of the language or departmental consent. Equivalent of FRCH 101 and 102 combined into one course.

FRCH 101. Elementary French 1. 3 Hr. PR: Score of F1 on placement test or no prior study of the language or departmental consent. Introduction to the sound and writing systems of the language, with emphasis on listening, speaking, reading, and writing within an authentic cultural context. (Course presumes no prior knowledge of the language.)

FRCH 102. Elementary French 2. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 101 or a score of F2 on the placement test. Continuation of French 101.

FRCH 200. Intensive Intermediate French. 6 Hr. PR: FRCH 102 or FRCH 100 or score of F3 on the placement test. FRCH 203 and FRCH 204 combined into one course. Capstone course for FRCH 101 through FRCH 204. Sequence and foundation for advanced French study. Emphasis on written and oral communication within an authentic cultural context.

FRCH 203. Intermediate French 1. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 102 or score of F3 on placement test.

FRCH 204. Intermediate French 2. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 203 or score of F4 on placement test. This is the last course in the basic French curriculum sequence and serves as the foundation for advanced French study. Emphasis on written and oral communication within an authentic cultural context.

FRCH 274. Virtual Vendee. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 203. Taught on-line in conjunction with WVU-Vendee. Can count as FRCH 204 or as elective for French major/minor. French culture through podcasts, readings, and writings. Taught in French.

FRCH 293 A-Z. Special Topics. 1-6 Hr. PR: Consent. Investigation of topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses. FRCH 301. Language Through Civilization. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 204. Development of oral and written communicative skills in the context of the origins, development, and contributions of French and Francophone civilizations.

FRCH 302. Language Through Culture. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 204. Development of oral and written communicative skills in the context of contemporary values, institutions, and contributions of the French and Francophone world.

FRCH 303. Structure and Communication. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 204. Development of communicative competencies with emphasis on French language structures, speaking, and writing within an authentic cultural context.

FRCH 304. Advanced Readings. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 204 Development of communicative competencies with emphasis on authentic texts and documents from the French-speaking world.

FRCH 331. Survey of Literature 1. 3 Hr. PR: Six hours of upper-division French. A cultural and historical survey from its beginnings to the end of the eighteenth century.

FRCH 332. Survey of Literature 2. 3 Hr. PR: Six hours of upper-division French. A cultural and historical survey from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present.

FRCH 401. Oral Expression. 3 Hr. PR: Six hours of upper-division French. Intensive practice of oral skills with emphasis on discussion, debate, recitation, reading aloud, etc.

FRCH 402. Phonetics and Pronunciation. II. 3 Hr. PR: 12 Hr. of French or equiv.

FRCH 431. French Civilization. 3 Hr. PR: 6 hours of upper-division French. A survey of major themes, movements, ideas, and figures in the development of French civilization from prehistory to the twentieth century.

FRCH 432. Contemporary Culture. 3 Hr. PR: 12 Hours of French.

FRCH 450. French Cinema. 3 Hr. PR: 6 hr. of upper-division French. Film literacy, vocabulary, and technique in the context of French cinema. Emphasis may vary among origins, poetic realism, surrealism, film noir, nouvelle vague, current movements. May be repeated with permission. Taught in French.

FRCH 461. Commercial French 1. 3 Hr. PR: 6 hr. of upper-division French. Development of advanced speaking, reading and writing skills appropriate for business contexts within the French-speaking world.

FRCH 462. Commercial French 2. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 461. Continuation of FRCH 461. Development of advanced speaking, reading and writing skills appropriate for business contexts within the French-speaking world.

FRCH 470. Culture En Direct. 3 Hr. PR: 6 hr. of upper-division French. Study of French civilization through visits of cultural monuments and sites, and interaction with native informants in France. Themes covered include national and historical identity of France. Course offered only through study abroad.

FRCH 471. Communication En Direct. 3 Hr. PR: 6 Hr. of upper- division French. Development of written and oral communication skills through a series of classroom activities and/or outside of class assignments. Course work involves interaction with native informants. Course offered only through study abroad.

FRCH 472. WVU-Vendee Pre-Departure. 1 Hr. PR: Consent. Preparation for WVU-Vendee program. Teaching of cultural and technological skills necessary to participate in the program. Taught in French. (Graded pass/fail.)

Foreign Literature in Translation (FLIT)

FLIT 135 (old FLIT 113). Introduction to French Literature. 3 Hr. This course will examine major writers and representative movements in French literature. Texts and films will be presented chronologically in terms of the historical period treated by each and have been chosen specifically to allow students to explore the relationships between French literature and history. Authors on the program include Hugo, Rostand, Beaumarchais, Mérimée, Flaubert, Sartre, and Wiesel. In English. Lecture/Discussion.

FLIT 235 (old FLIT 261). French Literature in Translation I. 3 Hr. Selected French works from the Middle Ages to the end of the eighteenth century. In English. Lecture/discussion.

FLIT 236 (old FLIT 262). French Literature in Translation II. 3 Hr. Examines selected French or Francophone literary works from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present, and establishes their connection to literary trends as well as cultural, socio-historical and philosophical contexts. Works will be read in English; no other language is required. Lecture/discussion.

FLIT 237 (old FLIT 263): French Women Writers. 3 Hr. Examines selected works by women writing in French from a variety of time periods and geographical locations; introduces concepts of feminist literary criticism and draws on the connections of the author to literary, cultural and sociological trends. Works will be read in English; no other language is required. Lecture/discussion.

FLIT 238 (old FLIT 215). African Women Writers. 3 Hr. This course will examine selected works by African women writers and filmmakers. Works will all be read (or subtitled) in English; no other language is required. These texts, created originally in French, English, Portuguese, and Arabic, have been chosen specifically to demonstrate: 1) a diversity of representative styles and narrative approaches, 2) the various political and social contexts within which they were produced, and 3) numerous perspectives on both African women’s writing and African women’s roles in society. Lecture/discussion.

FLIT 239 (old FLIT 266). Introduction to Francophone Literature. 3Hr. This course will examine Francophone African and Caribbean literature within a cultural context. The works on the program have been selected to represent various genres, regions, themes, and styles. They extend chronologically from the 13th century through the colonial period to the present. Lectures and discussions will explore these works in order to identify both their African or Caribbean elements as well as those qualities that link them to other literatures. Special attention will be given to the representation of women and to the contributions of women writers. In English. Lecture/discussion.

Linguistics (LING)

LING 311. Introduction to Structural Linguistics. 3 Hr. PR: FRCH 203 or GER 203 or JAPN 203 or RUSS 203 or SPAN 203 or equivalent. Required for foreign language majors. A detailed examination of language structure (phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics) and its relation to language use (sociolinguistics.)

LING 402. Structure of Modern French. 3 Hr. PR: 18 hr. of French and LING 311 or consent. Study of phonology, morphology, and syntax of modern French together with a contrastive analysis of French and English.