Newscasts, documentaries and movies from francophone countries (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa) will be used to help you understand French as it is spoken in the real world. The variety of topics you will be asked to comment on will widen your vocabulary and increase your confidence in your speaking abilities. Objectives :Improve your listening comprehension, learn to recognize and distinguish the various accents and speaking patterns of various Francophone countries, broaden your vocabulary, especially as relates to everyday situations, develop your speaking skills through conversation on the programs viewed, discover various aspects of the Francophone cultures, familiarize yourself with issues of debate and types of entertainment in contemporary French society.

This class presents a rich overview of 5 centuries of French literature and culture from the Renaissance to contemporary authors. Students will discuss selected works from famous writers from Voltaire to Camus and Sartre. Each author will be studied in the historical and artistic light of their century. A selection of pieces will be read out loud by students in each class then discussed as a group. This class is offered to those who have a solid foundation in French and are interested in French literature and culture.

Littérature moderne et contemporaine This class examines the evolution of French literature from late 19^th century till late 20^th century; it shows how jolts and revolutions which marked the world history and science also influenced the way plays, poems and novels were written, commented, and interpreted. Examples will be taken from those who write literature (Flaubert, Sarraute, Ionesco...) as well as from those who analyze it (Jakobson, Propp, Barthes...).