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French and Italian at The Ohio State University

Course Information

Course Offerings Home Page  ||  Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions for Autumn 2008 Autumn || Winter || Spring || Summer

Below are the descriptions that we currently have available for Autumn quarter. However to determine if a particular course will be available during any given quarter, please check either our French 2007-2008 Yearly Schedule At-A-Glance or our Italian 2007-2008 Yearly Schedule At-A-Glance.

French CoursesItalian Courses.

101.51 Individualized Instruction Elementary French I

French 101.51 is the Individualized Instruction (II) version of French 101.01.  An Introduction to French; development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. French 101.51 is a self-paced, mastery-based program of learning French that mirrors the course (in terms of content and credit hours) offered in the classroom track version.

102.51 Individualized Instruction Elementary French II

French 102.51 is the Individualized Instruction (II) version of French 10.21.01.  Continuation of 101.51, further development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills.   French 102.51 is a self-paced, mastery-based program of learning French that mirrors the course (in terms of content and credit hours) offered in the classroom track version.

102I66 Individualized Instruction Intensive French for Review I

French 102I66 is the Individualized Instruction (II) version of French 102.66.  Review of basic structures, vocabulary, and skills needed for entry into 103. French 102I66 is a self-paced, mastery-based program of learning French that mirrors the course (in terms of content and credit hours) offered in the classroom track version.

103.51 Individualized Instruction Intermediate French I

French 103.51 is the Individualized Instruction version of French 103.01.  Continued study of French; development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills; readings based on contemporary French culture and literature.  French 103.51 is a self-paced, mastery-based program of learning French that mirrors the course (in terms of content and credit hours) offered in the classroom track version.

103I66 Individualized Instruction Intensive French for Review II

French 103I66 is the Individualized Instruction version of French 103.66.  Intensive review of basic structures, vocabulary and skills needed for entry into 104. French 103I66 is a self-paced, mastery-based program of learning French that mirrors the course (in terms of content and credit hours) offered in the classroom track version.

151 French Literary and Cultural Works in Trnslation: From Romantic Passion to Existential Doubt

The course will open with a depiction of fatal attraction in a romantic story by Balzac and the musical evocation of passionate love in a symphony of Berlioz.  A reaction to romantic excess follows in Flaubert's ironic reworking of the romantic theme and in other anti-sentimental works, such as Baudelaire's poetic celebration of a rotting carcass. An attack against conventional bourgeois values unleashed by the enfant terrible Rimbaud during the turbulent period of The Commune finds at first only a muted reflection in the hazy plays of light and dissolving boundaries of impressionist landscapes and in the ambiguous soulscapes of the poet Verlaine.

With surrealism in the twentieth century, revolutionary zeal intensifies and targets all forms and constructs, including reality itself, as typified by the story of Breton's Nadja, who wanders impulsively and surreally in a Paris of dreams and visions, testing the limits of freedom in a society that proves to be all-too-real and intolerant.  Freedom is again the subject of Sartre's portrayal of a fictitious hell to which three characters are relegated by their shirking of responsibility in an existential world where "we are condemned to be free" and ethics are essentially human, relative, and situational.

We will trace these and other paths from the romantic to the modern in major narratives, plays, poetry, films, art, and music of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  Readings, lectures, and discussions are in English.  Films include English subtitles.

201.01 Introduction to Reading of Litery and Cultural Texts

Use your French skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in this "bridge" course between required courses (101-104) and further work in language, literature and culture at the 400 level and above. Learn how to analyze a text, a skill that will prove useful in more advanced courses. Taught in French.

206 Introduction to French media and visual culture

(Required for French for the Professions Track, open to French and Culture Track majors and Culture/Film minors without credit for FR 201.) This course provides a broad overview of how French media shape everyday life through words, images and sound. A variety of media (electronic, pring, audio-visual, radio) will be presented. Taught in French.

401 French Grammar Review

In this course you will find all the information that you need to speak and write like the French. Review grammar you've seen, learn some you haven't, and practice translations in order to rid your French of those pesky anglicismes! Taught in French.

403 Intermediate French Composition

This course will prepare students for writing assignments in other French courses, both here and abroad i.e. more in course description....

404 French Pronunciation

Comment est-ce qu'on dit . . .? Practice forming French sounds, understand the connection between written and spoken French and how to transcribe a cound phonetically. Taught in French.

426 French Literature and the Self

This course studies various concepts of the self, as represented chronologically in French literature, to trace the evolution of the concept of the self through time.

440 Introduction to the study of contemporary French culture

This course examines recent social, cultural, and political trends in France and in the province of Quebec, Canada, trends that have altered traditional culture in these regions in significant ways.  Students will consider the impact of wars, decolonization, immigration, the European Union, globalization, and Canadian federalism upon these two societies through the exploration of films, short stories, popular songs, web sites, and photographs. Taught in French.

470 Introduction to French Cinema

This course is designed to provide students of French language, literature, and culture with the opportunity to study the unique contributions that French filmmakers have made to the art of the cinema.

571 Basic French for graduate students

Graduate students with no formal preparation in French will learn basic grammar and vocabulary in order to facilitate their understanding of content in current articles in students’ fields of interest.

572 French for Research I

 

Students will continue to develop their ability to read and translate French scholarly writing.  The course begins with a two-week in-class review of material covered in French 571 (including advanced translation stumbling blocks).  Then, with the aid of individual consultations with the instructor (in person or by e-mail), students will complete an independent translation project of a scholarly article from their individual areas of study.    Credit does not apply to the minimum number of hours required for the master's or doctoral degrees. more in course description....

601 Advanced French Grammar

Get the systematic review of French grammar that you need and begin tackling advanced problems through intensive written and oral exercises that focus on application of rules. Regular oral group practice and journal writing are also included. Taught in French.

653 French Literature of the Enlightenment

What is Enlightenment?" the philosopher Kant asked in 1784. This course offers students a chance to probe this question in a number of ways. We will study the Enlightenment as an intellectual and literary movement that is often credited with opening up the modern period through its sweeping critique of Old Regime beliefs and practices.

655 En(gendering) desire in 19th century French literature

In this course, we will examine how gender figures (or is configured) in 19th-century literary representations of desire.

657.02 Cross-Cultural Encounters between France and North Africa in Literature

In this course we will examine literature arising from the historical legacy of French colonialism in North Africa . The colonies of North Africa, particularly , were considered by many to be ’s most important imperialist holdings.

672 Multicultural France at the Cinema

This course will study race and ethnicity in French cinema, placing particular emphasis on some of the newest and most popular French directors in .

690 Business French Internship

While studying full-time in the Department of French and Italian, undergraduate students who identify business opportunities to use their French in a supervised training environment can set up an internship program.

716.01 Introduction to Medieval French

Old French set the European standard for romance and epic literature from the 11th to the 15th century.  It was used and imitated from to Venice .  It was a language of lyric, law, and satire. Both women and men read, wrote and commissioned works in it, in contrast with the more exclusive Latin of male scholars.

741 Sociologies

This course will be devoted to the French (and to some extent German) sociological traditions understood in a broad sense since it encompasses elements borrowed from Marxism, psychoanalysis, and cultural anthropology.

 

 

 

 

 

801 Theory, Research and Application in Communicative Language Teaching

(Required of Graduate Teaching Associates in the Department of French and Italian, or open with permission of instructor; not open to those with credit for ED-HUMS 801.01 or ED-T&P 801.01.  Hours do not count toward total needed for masters’ degree in French or Italian.)
This course examines the theory and research underlying contemporary approaches to communicative language teaching.  It includes work in developing materials and activities for the classroom.

825 Topics and problems in 18th century French literature:Voltaire and Rousseau

The course will review the thought and ideas of Voltaire and Rousseau by studying the contrasts and conflicts opposing the two most influential thinkers of the century. Course taught in French

 

 

883 Introduction to Graduate Study in French

The aim of this course is to prepare you for graduate study in French, by acquainting you with the research tools and critical perspectives required for advanced work in the field.  The course is divided into four units. 

903 French Graduate Student Teaching Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship for advanced doctoral students to work with faculty members on the design and teaching of upper-level French language, literature, and culture courses. Please contact the faculty member teaching the course you are interested in.

990 International Business Internship

(Variable credit up to a maximum of 15 credit hours)
Graduate students who identify business opportunities to use their French in a supervised training environment can set up an internship program.  The designated academic advisor and the internship director of the training location will work with the student to identify a number of projects, each of which will require a final report leading to an internship portfolio.  This portfolio, along with telephone conferences with the advisor and the internship director, will constitute the basis for a (S/U) grade in the course.
If interested, please contact Dr. Birckbichler, Chair of the Department.

H201.01 Introduction to French Studies

Improve your French skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in this "bridge" course between required courses (101-104) and further work in language, literature and culture at the 400 level and above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italian CoursesFrench Courses.

101 Elementary Italian I

Italian 101 is the first course of a sequence (101, 102, 103, 104) that leads to fulfillment of the general education requirement (GEC). The Italian elementary language sequence is designed for students who wish to develop the skills necessary to interact in the language and learn about Italian contemporary culture and society as well as Italy’s rich history.

102 Elementary Italian II

Italian 102 is the second course of a sequence (101, 102, 103, 104 - or 111 in place of 103 and 104) which leads to the fulfillment of the foreign language requirement.

103 Intermediate Italian I

Italian 103 is the third course of a sequence (101, 102, 103, 104 - or 111 in place of 103 and 104) which leads to the fulfillment of the foreign language requirement.

104 Intemediate Italian II

Italian 104 is the fourth course of a sequence (101, 102, 103, 104 - or 111 in place of 103 and 104) which leads to the fulfillment of the foreign language requirement.

202 Contemporary Italian Society

Students will learn about a variety of aspects of Italian contemporary society and culture, while at the same time focusing on the four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Grammar will be reviewed and tested throughout the course.

206 Business Italian

Four-skill study and practice of general business Italian; introduction to current Italian commerce, business practices, terminology, business related communication skills.

221 Italian Cinema: From Neo to New: Sex and Politics in Italian Cinema

This course presents students with an overview of Italian cinema of the last seventy years. We will look in detail at films by ten seminal Italian directors. The course will touch upon major movements in Italian film history, including Neorealism, commedia all’italiana, engaged or political cinema and new Italian comedy. Topics to be addressed include: Italian fascism (including Italy’s problematic alliance with Nazi Germany and the Partisan Resistance), the so-called “economic miracle,” Italy’s not-so “Dolce vita,” regional identity and racism, gender relations, the mafia, political corruption, terrorism and immigration. Films will be screened during class. Taught in English. GEC arts and hums VPA course.

450 Theater Workshop

This course will begin by introducing the traditions of Italian theater.  Students will then begin the intensive study of a single play that will be performed in public at the end of the quarter.  Students hone speaking skills by acting in the play and directing scenes.

613 Italian Cinema Mafia Movies

In this course we will identify these protagonists of movie folklore and critically assess their relationship with history, politics and social relations. Through examining historical documents, cultural and theoretical writings, novels and films this course aims at unraveling a knot in Italian and Italian-American cultural history.

694 Gender in Italian Cinema from Casanova to Berlusconi

Italian cultural identity has time and again been bound up with legendary
images of masculinity and manliness. more in course description.....

730 The Languages of Italy

 

Language is in constant flux; new jargon emerges regularly, constructions that are considered incorrect according to grammar texts are used and accepted by Italians, and new technology results in linguistic creativity. more in course description.....

801 Theory, Research and Application in Communicative Language Teaching

This course examines the theory and research that underlie contemporary approaches to foreign language teaching. In addition, students will examine how materials and activities are developed for the Italian elementary language sequence.