French 426-001 Spring 2004 TR 2:00-3:15 FAC 254
Instructor:
Nathan Love, Ph.D. (I.U.) FAC 282 Office hours: M-F
8:00-9:00
e-mail:
nathan.love@wku.edu Web page:
http://edtech.wku.edu/~nlove
Office 745-5909 Home 781-4128 Blackboard: http://ecourses.wku.edu
Required books: Huis Clos / Les mouches (Sartre, Jean-Paul), L'existentialisme
est un humanisme (Sartre, Jean-Paul), Les jeux sont faits (Sartre,
Jean-Paul), Les mains sales (Sartre, Jean-Paul), L'étranger
(Camus, Albert), L'exil et le royaume (Camus, Albert), La peste
(Camus, Albert), Le mythe de Sisyphe (Camus, Albert)
F426 French Literature of the 20th Century counts toward fulfilling the French minor and major literature distribution requirement. Through coursework, experience abroad, and other cultural encounters, the Modern Languages Program cultivates communicative skills and cultural awareness that prepare students at Western Kentucky University to be more knowledgeable and sensitive citizens of the global community.
The course goals, listed in order of priority are:
Familiarity with literature of the 20th-century in France:
especially literature falling
into the broad thematic
category of existentialism
Reading French prose, essay and fiction with discernment and critical
understanding:
students will gain an understanding of currents of
thought as expressed in
philosophical writing from the 17th through the 20th
centuries in French as demonstrate how to discern the extent to which those
currents inform the fiction of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus.
Speaking, comprehension and pronunciation:
students will learn to speak and
understand expository
French by preparing oral presentations concerning either aspects of the works on the
program or secondary literature bearing on the authors or philosophical currents that fall
within the scope of the course.
Writing:
students will learn to write essays in French which
explore the interplay
between thought and
fiction.
Preparation:
become prepared linguistically to take more
advanced French
Exposés:On
vous demande de faire au moins deux exposés, dont un sur Camus et un deuxième
sur Sartre.
Vous écrivez une présentation qui ne dépasse pas cinq minutes, c'est tout!
Vous expliquez un passage littéraire, commentez un personnage ou un thème;
et, de toute façon, vous m'en parlez - ou mieux encore, vous me le montrez
avant de le présenter en cours.
Tests: There
will be no make up tests.
If you anticipate a problem with
taking an exam when it is scheduled, or if you should miss an exam, contact
me at your earliest opportunity! Le premier examen portera sur la première partie du programme. Il s'agit
simplement de manifester une compréhension de ce qui se passe en cours,
surtout. Le deuxième examen portera sur Camus, et le troisième portera,
à la fois, sur Sartre et Camus. Il sera question, aussi, du rapport entre
leurs oeuvres strictement littéraires et leurs essais.
Participation and
attendance: class
participation is essential; speaking
French at every opportunity will help a student with his/her oral
practice. Class attendance is not optional. Class attendance is
a necessary condition for class participation. Students are to log in to the
Blackboard site for the course: Blackboard: (http://ecourses.wku.edu) and
stay abreast of announcements, assignments and changes in the syllabus at
least three times each week. There will be questions or assignment posted
on Blackboard between meetings to be answered in writing in French before the
next class. Students are expected to come to class prepared, to
contribute to class activities, to arrive on time, to avail themselves of
resources (see next page), and to seek help from instructor when
appropriate. Cell phones must be turned off during class; they must
remain out of sight during all graded activities. I will come
well-prepared, provide opportunities for you to hear, speak, write and read
French. I will be available during stated office hours.
Expectations in summary
are as
follows. Students
are expected 1) to attend and participate in class sessions,
2) to study in preparation for class meetings,
3) to demonstrate knowledge and language skills
acquired, 4) to work on pronunciation,
listening comprehension and recognition of spoken vocabulary, 5) to submit by deadlines work required,
6) to meet with the instructor for practice or
explanation, as necessary, 7) to turn in
for a grade the student's own work and, of course, not to permit work to be
used by another for his/her graded assignments. 8)
Students are to log in to the Blackboard site for the course: (http://ecourses.wku.edu)
and stay abreast of announcements, assignments and changes in the syllabus at
least three times each week. There will be questions over each reading
assignment posted on Blackboard between meetings to be answered in writing in
French before the next class. The instructor
is expected 1) to be prepared for teaching
each class session, 2) to offer clear
examples and explanations, 3) to encourage
participation from students, 4) to offer as
much oral practice in class as possible, 5)
to meet with students outside of class, as requested, 6) to be fair-minded at all times, 7)
to respect students, and their beliefs and opinions, 8)
to challenge students to meet the course goals as fully as possible.
Read some French every day
without exception and you will discover why language courses used to meet
daily. The best way to learn, to meet course objectives and to maximize
benefits derived from study of French is without a doubt to study some French
every day.
Resources available
include the
textbooks, consultations and help (esp. on exposés) during office hours. I
can find more resources for anyone needing more than these, and would be
pleased to do so. For additional resources for individuals,
click here.
Course Grade -- sources & weights: