In this course, students will read a selection of texts from Fables de la Fontaine. Jean de La Fontaine's Fables are a classic collection of 239 moral tales in verse, published between 1668 and 1694, that adapt traditional stories (from Aesop, India, etc.) into witty, satirical French poetry, using animal characters to comment on human nature, society, and politics, making them beloved by all ages for their humor and irony. 

Students will be responsible for weekly assigned readings and encouraged to share their questions and impressions on our e-learning platform. During class, the instructor will guide the discussion about the weekly reading, touching on relevant historical and cultural context, major themes, and overall impressions through general questions as well as close readings. All reading materials will be provided by the instructor.

Prerequisite:  B1.3, B1+ or B2.1 course completed, or B2.1/B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

You can buy the book here: https://amzn.to/4tPl9yC

In this course, students will read a selection of texts by Maupassant. Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a 19th-century French author, celebrated as a master of the short story and associated with the naturalist literary school of thought, depicting human lives, destinies, and social forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.

Students will be responsible for weekly assigned readings and encouraged to share their questions and impressions on our e-learning platform. During class, the instructor will guide the discussion about the weekly reading, touching on relevant historical and cultural context, major themes, and overall impressions through general questions as well as close readings. All reading materials will be provided by the instructor.

Prerequisite:  B1.3, B1+ or B2.1 course completed, or B2.1/B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

In this course, students will read selections from Orphée and La Machine Infernale by Jean Cocteau, to explore and analyze Greek mythology through a modern and poetic lens. 

Students will be responsible for weekly assigned readings and encouraged to share their questions and impressions on our e-learning platform. During class, the instructor will guide the discussion about the weekly reading, touching on relevant historical and cultural context, character development, major themes, and overall impressions through general questions as well as close readings. Students can purchase the books or receive a PDF from the instructor.

Books can be purchased here:

Le testament d’Orphée
https://a.co/d/00zzZxuW

La machine infernale
https://a.co/d/0eV3LAUK
 

Prerequisite: General French B2.1, B2.2 or B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

French Cinema B2+: Polars: Le Corbeau, Voici le temps des assassins, Compartiment tueurs

This class is a film-centered language class, dedicated to building oral comprehension and communication skills. Through film, students will enhance their knowledge of spoken French of all levels—formal, standard, and informal—as well as their French cultural literacy.

This course explores the French polar (crime thriller) as a conduit for examining sociological and political undercurrents in French society. Through a fatalist vision of corruption and social decay, we will trace the evolution of this genre from the claustrophobic paranoia of early film noir to the stylized tension of the 1950s. We will start with Henri-Georges Clouzot’s masterpiece of suspicion, Le Corbeau (1943), move to the gritty underworld of Julien Duvivier’s Voici le temps des assassins (1956) starring Jean Gabin, and conclude with the fast-paced, modern police procedural of Costa-Gavras’ Compartiment tueurs (1965).

We will read criticism and reviews of all three films to deepen your appreciation of them.

Lastly, you’ll listen to and study popular songs from the periods and artists depicted in each film.

In this course focused on oral expression and listening comprehension, students will listen to podcasts and speculate together on subjects worthy of greater debate. The instructor will guide a discussion of current events, including important moments that characterize the Anthropocene and its drifts. Students will also discuss topics related to science, societies, fauna and flora, and arts and culture, amongst others. These subjects will allow the class to reflect on and discuss the various stakes which constitute our current society. All course materials will be provided by the instructor 

Prerequisite: B2.3 or B2+ course, or B2.3/C1 result on the Level Assessment. 

In this course focused on oral expression and listening comprehension, students will listen to podcasts and speculate together on subjects worthy of greater debate. The instructor will guide a discussion of current events, including important moments that characterize the Anthropocene and its drifts. Students will also discuss topics related to science, societies, fauna and flora, and arts and culture, amongst others. These subjects will allow the class to reflect on and discuss the various stakes which constitute our current society. All course materials will be provided by the instructor 

Prerequisite: B2.3 or B2+ course, or B2.3/C1 result on the Level Assessment. 

French Télé: Of Money and Blood

Acclaimed French drama meets real-world investigation in this ten-week study of the carbon tax “fraud of the century”. Together we will watch the acclaimed 2023 series D’argent et de sang and analyze how filmmaker Xavier Giannoli translates Fabrice Arfi’s book into a gripping screen story. We will compare the show with real media reports to understand the storytelling techniques, historical interpretation, and social implications of this massive scandal.

This class is designed for students wishing to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar at the upper B1 independent level. Each week, through a study in areas such as politics and economics, literature and history, the arts, and many more, students will have the opportunity to practice and strengthen their linguistic skills in the language, review grammatical concepts, and develop their cultural understanding of France and the francophone world. No textbook required for this course. 

Prerequisite: B1.3, B1+ or B2.1 course completed, or B2.1/B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

This class is designed for students wishing to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar at the upper B1 independent level. Each week, through a study in areas such as politics and economics, literature and history, the arts, and many more, students will have the opportunity to practice and strengthen their linguistic skills in the language, review grammatical concepts, and develop their cultural understanding of France and the francophone world. No textbook required for this course. 

Prerequisite: B1.3, B1+ or B2.1 course completed, or B2.1/B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

This class is designed for students wishing to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar at the upper advanced level. Each week, through a study in areas such as politics and economics, literature and history, the arts, and many more, students will have the opportunity to practice and strengthen their linguistic skills in the language, review grammatical concepts, and develop their cultural understanding of France and the francophone world. No textbook required for this course. 

Prerequisite: B2.3 course completed or B2.3/C1 result on the Level Assessment. 

This class is designed for students wishing to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar at the upper advanced level. Each week, through a study in areas such as politics and economics, literature and history, the arts, and many more, students will have the opportunity to practice and strengthen their linguistic skills in the language, review grammatical concepts, and develop their cultural understanding of France and the francophone world. No textbook required for this course. 

Prerequisite: B2.3 course completed or B2.3/C1 result on the Level Assessment.