French, Italian, and Spanish Placement Tests
If you are planning to take an elementary French, Italian, or Spanish class and you are a new student, freshman or transfer student, or you have not yet begun the elementary language sequence on the Ann Arbor campus, you must take the placement test in order to register for the correct course. You must register for the class into which you have been placed.
If you have registered for a class prior to taking the test, you will still be required to take the test in order to verify that you are in the appropriate level class.
If you have already taken French, Italian, or Spanish 101-232 on the Ann Arbor campus, or if you have already taken the placement test once, you are not eligible to take the test again. For questions regarding the LS&A language requirement, please see a general academic advisor or call POINT-10 (764-6810).
Please Note: With the reduction in the number of classrooms throughout LS&A, departments must limit the number of classes offered between 10 am and 4 pm. There will be more classes open before 10 am and after 4 pm. Please take advantage of the opportunity to register for these classes and avoid the "Lottery" (see 2b below).
1. Try to find a section that will fit into your schedule, since the Department cannot guarantee every student
a space in a section of his/her own choice.
However, do not register for a class that
you cannot attend. You will not be eligible to
override into the section of your choice if you are registered
for any section of 101-232, even if you cannot
attend that section.
2. As it states in the Time Schedule any registered
student who misses one of the first four
class meetings will be dropped from the course, thereby leaving
some open spaces for those students who have been closed out.
If there is absolutely no section open which
will fit your schedule, you should follow this procedure:
(a) Start attending the section you would like to get into on the first day of class. You will receive a Proof of Attendance form which must be signed by your instructor every day. You must attend a class every day, but it does not need to be the same section. All students must take action through T-T Registration to make sure their official schedule of courses matches the courses they are taking.
(b) On Tuesday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m., there will be a meeting in the basement of the MLB, rooms to be announced later, for each of the above courses. At these meetings, students will be assigned to remaining vacated spaces in the most fair and equitable manner possible, using a lottery system. At no time, however, will any class be allowed to exceed 25 students. Students must bring their printout of classes and the Proof of Attendance form to the meeting!
3. Please note that you will not be allowed to change sections at these meetings. Beginning Wednesday, September 11, Elementary French Language Supervisors will hear requests for section changes and fill those requests to whatever degree is possible.
4. Please ensure when adding with the override that you also add modifiers for pass/fail, etc.
Take me to the Fall Time Schedule
Elementary Language Courses
Students who intend to continue a language begun in high school must take the Placement Test to determine the language course in which they should enroll. French 102 is NOT open to students who have begun instruction in high school. It is strongly recommended that students who began French at another college or university also take the placement test. Students must check with the Course Coordinator for any exceptions to the Placement Test level.
101. Elementary French.
Students with any prior study of French must take the Placement Test. Credit is not granted for more than two courses
from French 101, 102, and 103. (4). (LR).
The sequence of French 101/102 presents the essential elements
of French grammar, vocabulary, and culture which are needed in
everyday life to understand French spoken at a moderate speed
and to be understood by sympathetic native speakers. Vocabulary
and structures are practiced in class primarily through communicative
activities stressing listening and speaking. Authentic documents
are used to develop reading skills and culture. Cultural awareness
and listening skills are further developed through listening and video materials. Classes meet four hours per week in sections
of 20-25 students. Daily homework assignments involve studying
vocabulary and grammar, writing exercises or short compositions, and practice in listening comprehension. There are several quizzes
and tests, as well as midterm and final examinations and speaking
tests. Class participation is graded. Credit is not granted for
more than two courses from French 101, 102 and 103. Cost:3
WL: See statement above. Students with any prior study of French
must take the Placement Test.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
102. Elementary French, Continued. French 101. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in 103. French 102 is NOT open
to students who have begun instruction at the high school level.
College or university transfer students who have received credit
for one term are encouraged to enroll in French 103. (4). (LR).
See French 101. French 102 is NOT open to students who have begun
instruction at the high school level. College or university transfer
students who have received credit for one term are encouraged
to enroll in French 103. It is STRONGLY suggested that transfer
students see H. Neu for advice regarding placement in the appropriate
course. French 102 is usually followed by 231. No credit granted
to those who have completed 103.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
103. Review of Elementary
French. Assignment by placement test. No credit granted
to those who have completed or are enrolled in 102. (4). (LR).
French 103 is a course for students with some prior language study
in French, and covers the same material presented in French 101/102.
Entrance into the course is by placement or with the permission
of the course coordinator. Because students are expected to be
already familiar with some of the material, the course moves at
a rapid pace, and students will need to plan on spending at least
8-10 hours each week preparing daily lessons. The objectives and methods of instruction are similar to those of French 101/102.
Frequent quizzes (with both oral and written components) are administered
to check students' assimilation of material. There are two hourly
exams, a final and speaking tests. By the end of the course, students
will have a good working vocabulary and strong listening comprehension
skills; they should be able to express themselves in French (both
in writing and orally) using most of the basic structural patterns
in the language. (Mangiafico)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
231. Second-Year French.
French 102 or 103; or assignment by placement test.
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 112 or 230. (4). (LR).
Students whose last French course was NOT at U of M Ann Arbor
must take the placement test. The sequence French 231/232 is built
upon the work done in French 101/102. It presents intensive and comprehensive grammar review, study of finer points of French
grammar structure, and the reading of journalistic prose, short
stories, and literary excerpts. Both courses include the use of
French movies and video. The proficiency gained by the end of
French 232 should enable students to express themselves in French
on subjects of intellectual interest, to understand conversation
on such topics. Classes meet four times per week in sections of
20-25 students. Since communicative skills are emphasized daily, regular attendance and active participation are essential. Homework
consists of grammar study, writing exercises, and laboratory work, both audio and video. There are comprehensive course-wide tests, compositions, and final examinations.
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Times, Location, and Availability
232. Second-Year French, Continued. French 231; or assignment by placement
test. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 112 or 230. (4). (LR).
In French 232, we will discuss several cultural themes (problems
in society, racism, immigration, cooking, health, socialized medicine, and World War II France). You will continue to improve speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills by reviewing vocabulary
and grammar related to these themes as well as through discussion
of short weekly readings (advertisements, literary excerpts, and short stories). Throughout the term, students will listen to French
songs, see several videos (from French television) as well as
two French movies. Classes meet four times per week in sections
of 20-25 students. Since communicative skills are emphasized, daily, regular attendance and active participation are essential
and will be included in the final grade. There will be three course
wide tests, composition, and a final examination.
Section 010 – Contemporary French Culture. An introduction
to the critical reading of French literary and non-literary texts;
a review of French grammar; training in composition, conversation, and listening comprehension. We will analyze short stories, poetry, short articles on current events, and films. (Huet)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
Courses Taught in English (without language prerequisite)
240. French and Francophone
Topics in Translation. Taught in English. A knowledge
of French is not required. (3). (HU).
Section 001 – The Philosophical Novel. What can novels say
or teach about how to live? About ethical and political choices, about the pursuit of happiness and about responsibility for evil?
These are some of the central questions called for by the French-language
philosophical novels that will be read and studied in English
translation in this course. (No French is required; students who
can read French will be encouraged to do so.) We will begin with
several short works from the heyday of philosophical and critical
fiction in the years preceeding the French Revolution, then continue
with versions of the genre down to the present day. Works studied
will include Diderot, Rameau's Nephew; Graffigny, Letters
of a Peruvian Woman; Laclos, Dangerous Liaisons;
Denon, No Tomorrow; Balzac, The Wild Ass' Skin;
Camus The Fall; and Kundera, Slowness. Three
essays or experimental writing projects of moderate length; one
oral or written examination (depending on class size). Cost: 2
WL: 1 (Paulson)
Section 002 – The Computer and the Rainbow: Science and Literature. This discussion course will move from the infinitesimal
world of DNA and genetic replication to the measureless realms
of the expanding universe and explore many scientific concepts that occur in literature, as well as consider differences between
`science' and `literature'. Science explores and discovers `external
reality' while literature deals with the world of creation and imagination. Is it true that science discovers that which already
exists while literature creates that which does not (or might
never) exist? Chance plays an important role in science and we
will explore literary texts where chance and other scientific
images are an important theme. The course will be in English and there are NO SCIENTIFIC PREREQUISITES. Those wishing to read the
texts in French will be encouraged to. Grade based on regular
and active class participation, oral presentation and term paper.
(Maxwell)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
342. French and Francophone
Film Taught in English. Taught in English. A knowledge
of French is not required. (3). (HU). Laboratory fee ($35) required.
001 – The French New Wave. This course is an in-depth exploration
of one of the most important film "movements" in French
film history: The New Wave. We will concentrate on the development
of the New Wave and the history of France from the 1950s through the early 1970s. The first two parts of the course center on the
close study of styles of individual film makers and the film "movement"
(as perceived by critics), and the last part on the New Wave's
contribution to international film culture. While the primary
emphasis throughout the course will be on the style and culture
of the film makers and critics most closely associated with the
New Wave, we will also examine this "movement's" socio-political
dimensions. Film makers studied include Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc
Godard, Francois Truffaut, Alain Resnais, Jacques Rivette, Eric
Rohmer and Agnes Varda. FR 342 fulfills the National Cinema elective
for concentrators in the Program in Film and Video Studies. This
course will be taught in English. M W 1:00-2:30 pm (lecture);
M 6:00-8:00 pm (screenings) (Yervasi)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
Cultural and Literary Studies
270. French and Francophone
Literature and Culture. French 232. (4). (HU). May
be repeated for a total of eight credits.
Section 001 – Les intellos et la politique – Un siècle
d'engagement. This course will explore the participation
of the French intellectual community in the twentieth-century
political scene by focusing on a series of petitions, beginning
with Emile Zola's defense of Alfred Dreyfus in 1898 and ending
with the support of the "sans-papiers" by sixty-six
filmmakers in 1997. Issues of nationalism, colonialism, ideology, and human rights will be examined in class discussions, debates, and an on-line discussion group. In addition to these petitions, representative works by authors on all sides of the issues will
be read to determine how different genres (i.e., petitions, manifestos, essays, poems, films, etc.) treat the same
topic. As a final project, you may choose to create two original
petitions (both pro and con) on any issue which interests you, to read and analyze a supplemental text by one of the authors
mentioned in the course, or to debate a topic of your choice with
another student. (Diehl)
Section 002 – The Eighteenth-Century Epistolary Novel.
Originating in the tradition of personal correspondence and letter
manuals of the seventeenth century, the epistolary genre, or the
novel by letters, of the eighteenth century quickly became one
of the century's most popular literary forms. Because of its ability
to incorporate multiple points of view in letters penned by many
different authors, the epistolary novel facilitated the exploration
of women's issues, the role of the "other" in French
society, the contemporary social situation, and current political
topics from various perspectives. This course will address several
representative works where the woman's voice, the voice of the
other, the voice of social scandal, and the political voice are
expressed and how letters aid this expression. (Waterouse)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
274. French and Francophone
Societies and Culture. French 232. (4). (HU). May
be repeated for a total of eight credits.
Section 001 - Faits divers. The criminal, the diabolical, the strange, the illicit, the comical, the unexpected, the ironic, such is the fascinating world of the fait divers. These
popular stories of everyday life, which fill the pages of newspapers
and feed the plots of literary works, provide a window onto the
norms, limits, preoccupations, and fantasies of members of French
society. This course will explore and analyze faits divers
in their varied forms and roles from the early-modern period to
present day. We will examine the success and criticism of the fait divers and its influence on literary and filmic
production. In addition to reading articles, short stories, and excerpts from novels, students will compose a dossier of current faits divers, write brief responses to readings and discussion, prepare a short presentation of a text, write two short essays
and several creative pieces, and collaborate in the creation of
a faits divers publication. (Dauge-Roth)
Section 002 – Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Century French
Detective Fiction From 1828. To 1907. This course will trace the development of nineteenth and early twentieth detective fiction
from the crime story to the detective novel. All of the works
studied will be short stories except for Gaston Leroux's Mystère
De La Chambre Jaune (250 pgs. approx.). The focus of the
course will be on the French tradition of detective fiction from
Eugène Vidocq to Gaston Leroux and Maurice Leblanc. Careful
consideration will be given to the development of the genre from
a sociological as well as a literary perspective. During the course
we will try to provide answers to the following questions: What
were the precursors of detective fiction? In what type of political, sociological, historical and literary environment did the genre
develop? How was the genre defined in the nineteenth century?
How is it defined today? While the primary emphasis is on French
detective fiction, we will also read Edgar Allan Poe's Murders
In The Rue Morgue, The Purloined Letter, and Sherlock Holmes' A Study In Scarlet. Detective fiction also raises some
interesting questions concerning the role of the detective. We
will attempt to theorize the `detective' as a generalizable term that can be applied to various disciplines and explore how all
of us as students, professionals, researchers and critics share
something in common with Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin, Emile
Gaboriau's Mechinet, Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Gaston
Leroux's Rouletabille, and Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin.
There will be general discussion of the current fascination with the televised Police Drama, Court TV, the televising of live criminal
trials. One of the things you may want to think about is: How
are these programs the beneficiaries of a genre that was inaugurated
over a century and a half ago and what makes them so fascinating?
The discussion in class will be in French. There will be four
or five very short position papers (written in French, typed, double spaced, no longer than three pages) on a topic that will
be discussed in class. Films will be shown if available. (Ross)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
362. Quebec and French
Canadian Studies. French 232, and 8 credits in courses
numbered between French 250 and 299. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – A Nation within a Nation: Québécois
Literature, Culture, and Identity. We shall read Québécois
literary and other cultural texts as articulations of Québécois
national identity. We shall consider these texts in their historical
and political contexts. Special attention will be devoted to the
writing of history through literary forms (particularly in the
form of combat literature), the role of the Catholic church (which
had a monopoly on the Québécois school system until the 1960s) as a stronghold of the French language and Québécois
culture, the unorthodox ways catholicity is lived on a day-to-day
basis, and the importance of sexuality (in particular, non-normative
sexualities) in Québécois identity (often in contradictory
cohabitation with the religious aspects of national culture).
We shall also examine the specific forms Québécois
feminism has taken, the role of intellectuals in public culture, and the implications of incorporating joual, or the popular
Québécois dialect, into literary texts. One midterm
paper, one final paper, and class presentations. (Hayes)
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Times, Location, and Availability
364. African Studies
(Maghreb). French 232, and 8 credits in courses numbered
between French 250 and 299. (3). (Excl).
This course will examine a number of novels and films from the
Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) written in French from the
interdisciplinary approach of Cultural Studies. We shall begin
with the childhood narratives that mark the birth of a Francophone
Maghrebian literature distinct from the literature of Metropolitan
France. In the aftermath of World War II, this new literature
coincided with the consolidation of national identity producing the nationalists movements that would end French colonial rule
in the Maghreb. We shall consider examples of "combat literature,"
which articulated this resistance to colonialism in the form of the novel. And finally, we shall consider how Maghrebian literature
reflects on the post-independence conditions of the Maghreb, what
some have called the postcolonial condition, particularly through
consideration of the connection between gender and sexuality and national identity. There will be two papers and class presentations.
(Hayes)
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Times, Location, and Availability
367/368/369 Introduction to French Literature.
The objective of this series of courses is to acquaint students with significant literary works and literary theories drawn from the entire range of French literature. Each work is analyzed (in French) individually for its own merit and is then placed within the context of its period. Students are asked to read carefully the assigned works, to reflect on them, and to express their reactions and ideas in class. The instructor holds class discussions, points out the artistic values of the work, and attempts in many cases to show the evolution of literature as it reflects various external factors. Grades may be based on discussions, papers, and a midterm and/or final examination.
378. Studies in Genre.
French 232, and 8 credits in courses numbered between
French 250 and 299. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of
six credits.
Section 001 – Short Genres. One focus of this course is on
short genres (sonnets, fables, short stories, prose poems-but
also: proverbs, dictionary definitions, postcards, comic-strips, magazine ads, TV commercials, etc.). Why is brevity the
"soul of wit"? Why does short writing make for long
reading? The other focus is on what can be learned from short
genres about using French as a foreign language. The speaker of
a foreign language needs wit, resourcefulness, and flexibility
(special forms of creativity and dibrouillardise) that
go way beyond the so-called skills of speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. The skill we'll be interested in is the
skill of "savoir faire" and "making do" (faire
avec). Expect plenty of practice in reading (long) and writing
(short), but also in using your wits linguistically. All reading
and writing and most class work in French; midterms by interview
with instructor. No finals. Textbooks (for purchase): Julie Doucet, Ciboire de Criss!; Jean de la Fontaine, Fables;
Guy de Maupassant, Contes du jour et de la nuit; Francis
Ponge, Le parati pris des choses. Course pack (anthology
of sonnets and other short texts) (Chambers)
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Times, Location, and Availability
384. Origins of Contemporary
France: From the Gauls to de Gaulle. French 235.
(3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of 9 credits.
Section 001 – Cultural History of France: From the Middle-Ages
to the Revolution. A survey of French civilization: literature, history, art, and society. We will discuss Romanesque and Gothic
art, the role of women in medieval society, witchcraft and the
Church, Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the centralization
of power, and the emergence of absolutism. Slides and films will
complement lectures, reading, and discussions of monuments, events, and social structures. Conducted in French. (Huet)
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Times, Location, and Availability
450(460). Special Studies.
Three courses in French numbered 300 or above. (3).
(Excl). May be repeated for credit.
Section 001 – Women's Cinema: Film, Event, and Community.
This undergraduate/graduate seminar is organized around contemporary
representations of gender and society in film. We will focus our
discussion on the themes of community and event in film. Throughout the term we will question the notions of community and event:
what constitutes them? what maintains them? what regulates them?
We will study, among other topics, the relationship of gender
to family, to friendship, and to communities based on race and ethnicity from the 1960s to the present. The course will place
emphasis on films that address the roles of women in society and the category of gender (femininity and masculinity) in relation
to community formation/maintenance at "eventful" moments
in contemporary history. Readings will address social movements, feminism, and film theory and criticism. Some of the films, among
others, to be studied are by directors Chantal Akerman, Claire
Denis, Assia Djebar, Martine Dugowson, Marguerite Duras, Nelly
Kaplan, Diane Kurys, Euzhan Palcy, Coline Serreau, and Agnes Varda.
This course will be offered in French. (Yervasi)
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Times, Location, and Availability
465(455). Literature
of the Nineteenth Century. Three courses in French
numbered 300 or above. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – Literature, History, and Revolutions. The French
nineteenth century was an era of intense political and social
change, punctuated by the revolutions of 1830, 1848, and 1871, all of which could be described as the aftershocks of the French
Revolution of 1789-1799. History and revolution loom large in
French fiction and poetry of the period, both as overt subject
matter and as points of reference for writing about everything
from politics to private life. In this course, we'll study short
stories, novels, poems, and a brief "Introduction to Universal
History" by the romantic historian Jules Michelet; our aim
will be to understand better the culture and history of France
and the relations between literature and history. Authors studied
will include Madame de Duras, Stendhal, Balzac, Sand, Flaubert, Hugo, Baudelaire, and Rimbaud. Two papers (6-8 pages); active
participation in class activities; one oral examination. Cost:
2 WL: 4 (Paulson).
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Times, Location, and Availability
Other Language Courses
111. First Special Reading
Course. French 111 and 112 are designed for juniors, seniors, and graduate students interested in gaining a reading
knowledge of the language. Completion of French 111-112 does not
satisfy the LS&A language requirement. May not be elected
for credit by undergraduates who have received credit for college
French. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 101, 102, or 103. (4). (Excl).
This course is for undergraduate and graduate students who would
like to gain a good reading knowledge of French in one term. The
essentials of French grammar as well as vocabulary and idioms
are presented for passive recognition, followed by translation
and sight-reading exercises on materials taken from both humanities
and sciences. The skills gained in the course should enable students
to read technical writings of moderate difficulty. Toward the
end of the term students select a short article or a chapter of
a book in their field of interest for outside reading. Classes
meet four times per week in sections of 25 students. There are
weekly quizzes as well as course-wide midterm and final examinations.
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Times, Location, and Availability
235(361). Advanced Practice
in French. French 232. (3). (Excl). May not be included
in a concentration plan in French.
In this course we will be dealing with some of the issues and problems facing today's French/Francophone society through readings
(press and textbook articles), videos (documentaries, news program
exposes, film) and Cds: What is the "French Republic?"
France and "the crisis of authority"; The European Union
(Transparency and opacity of the governing powers); Unemployment
and exclusion; The "family" (traditional and new models);
Young people (suicide, violence, AIDS); Women (American and French
feminisms; a "backlash" for women in France?); Colonization
and its sequels (the "immigrants", France and Sub-Saharan
Africa, Islam in France, the Algerian tragedy); Racism and xenophobia;
Fighting racism ("SOS Racisme", hardcore Rap ). This
"cultural" approach will offer us a jumping-off point
for oral and written communication (respectively 50 % and 50 %
of the final grade). Four individual oral presentations, a number
of short essays. Active class participation and regular attendance
are expected. (Viers)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
438(428)/Rom. Ling. 456/Educ. D456. Topics in Learning and Teaching French. French 232, and 8 credits in courses numbered between French 250 and 299. (3). (Excl).
The purpose of this course is to present methods of teaching
secondary level foreign languages. The course is designed for
prospective middle and high school teachers who are competent
in their language skills and now seek to focus that competency
into a personal teaching style in a foreign language classroom.
Issues such as curriculum development and instructional models
of teaching will be addressed. Throughout the course, student
will actively and reflectively practice their teaching skills
in preparation for effective student teaching. Please note that this course should be taken by students enrolled in the teacher
certification program at the school of Education, and preferably the term just prior to student teaching. (Mangiafico)
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Times, Location, and Availability
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