r o m a n c e . l a n g u a g e s
c o u r s e . o f f e r i n g s

FRENCH

ACCELERATED FRENCH
This course is offered to students who have successfully completed at least two years of another romance language, whose experience with language learning enables them to proceed at a faster pace in assimilating the usages of French. This course emphasizes aural/oral proficiency as well as written skills.

FRENCH HS 1
This is the beginning high school French course. Students examine the fundamentals of French grammar (simple sentence structure, regular and irregular verb patterns in the present, imperative, passé composé, immediate past and future) and acquire elementary conversational skills: greetings, introductions, requests for information, and other practical language skills. Vocabulary is learned through texts and review exercises. The regular use of computer software helps students practice and retain the material. Accurate pronunciation is encouraged.

FRENCH 2
Students entering this level already possess fundamental skills of grammar and expression (as described in French 1). This course is designed to foster continued development in each of the four language skills: speaking, writing, reading, and oral comprehension. A variety of materials are used: a textbook and workbook to reinforce grammar and vocabulary, and short readings to encourage class discussion and serve as samples of written text. Cassettes are used in class to improve listening comprehension skills. Accurate pronunciation is stressed.

FRENCH 3
In French 3 the objectives are to reinforce the students’ basic grammatical concepts and to stress the idiomatic use of French. We place an emphasis on the assimilation of all major grammatical structures. Readings such as Saint Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince or Sempé and Goscinny’s Le Petit Nicolas are used to expand vocabulary and provide topics of discussion. We consider questions of content and form. Topics of class discussion serve as the basis for composition writing. At the end of this course, students should be able to speak and understand French with relative ease.

FRENCH LANGUAGE & CULTURE
This course exposes the students to a variety of materials, textual as well as audio-visual, and emphasizes communicative skills through conversation and hands-on activities. Cultural themes pertaining to the “French way of life,” as well as other relevant forms of art, are presented through French films and other appropriate material. After a careful elucidation and practice of the linguistic elements necessary for exploring these themes, the students are able to express themselves on the various topics introduced.

FRENCH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION
This course is designed (1) to help students refine their knowledge of the subtler, more complex points of French syntax, and (2) to put the students at ease with the practice of the structures learned previously, by seeing them and applying them “in context.” To that end, literary texts are used as tools to expand vocabulary and to familiarize students with increasingly difficult texts. By the end of the year, the students should have assimilated and synthesized all previously learned rules for forms of French syntax. They should also be proficient readers and writers.

FRENCH LANGUAGE & THE DOCUMENTARY FILM
In this course students examine historic and contemporary French documentaries on French history, art and culture, among which are Le chagrin et la pitié by Marcel Ophuls, Nuit et brouillard by Alain Resnais, Etre et avoir by Nicolas Philibert, Numéro zéro by Jean Eustache, Les glaneurs et la glaneuse by Agnès Varda, and Les yeux dans les bleus by Stéphane Meunier. Special attention is paid to idiomatic expressions and the way French is spoken in everyday life. Through accompanying books and articles, students refine and augment their knowledge of French vocabulary and syntax, while reviewing previously learned grammatical structures. By the end of the year, members of the class should be able to participate in fluent discussions of the various issues raised by the films.

FRENCH LITERARY TRENDS FROM THE 19 th TO THE 20 th CENTURY
The early 19 th century sees the flowering of the Romantic movement in literature, music, and art. The poets, novelists, and dramaturges of the period often incarnate the Romantic hero portrayed in their works: Lamartine, Hugo, Chateaubriand, Stendhal, Musset. With the onset of the industrial age, new writers reject l'idéalisme romantique for la réalité matérielle. The preferred genre of the realists is the novel, which comes into its own in the 19 th century: Balzac, Flaubert, Zola. Poetry flourishes with the works of Baudelaire, Verlaine, Rimbaud, and Mallarmé. The early 20 th century celebrates the marriage of philosophy and literature in la littérature engagée of Sartre, Camus, and Malraux, while the theater—Ionesco, Beckett, Anouilh—seeks its own solutions to depicting the modern condition humaine. Finally, the nouveau roman not only announces the death of character but seems to herald the demise of the novel itself: Robbe-Grillet, Duras. Other authors: Maupassant, Gide, Proust, Breton, Césaire.

FRENCH CLASSICISM AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT:
FROM RULE TO REVOLUTION
Open to juniors and seniors who have successfully completed the 19 th and 20 th century literature course. We begin at the golden age in France , a time of belief not only in the divine right of kings but in the divine itself. Inherent in such beliefs was the idea of the absolute—absolute power, absolute reason, and, by extension, the “absolute” work of art. In literature, perfection becomes the rule, and prescriptions for achieving it are devised. Corneille, Racine, and Molière are recognized as major craftsmen. By the 18 th century, cracks begin to appear in the bastion of Absolutism. Writers known as Les Philosophes declare war on heretofore sacrosanct tenets, with words for weapons. The French Revolution begins as a conflict of ideas eventually exploding into insurrection. “On est tombé par terre, c’est la faute à Voltaire; le nez dans le ruisseau, c’est la faute à Rousseau.” Authors are chosen from those above and from the following: Pascal, Madame de Sévigné, Madame de la Fayette, La Bruyère, La Fontaine, La Rochefoucauld, Beaumarchais, Cazotte, Diderot, and Montesquieu.

ADVANCED READINGS IN FRENCH LITERATURE
For students who have completed all other French electives. Works are selected based on students' interests and literary background.

FRENCH CONVERSATION
A course offered to juniors and seniors, and to sophomores with permission of the department chair, this class is aimed at helping students use their acquired vocabulary to express themselves more fluently. Through a variety of verbal games, paired activities, and oral reports, students build their oral/aural skills and eventually use them in a context of informal conversation on topics such as politics, education, fashion, everyday life including family life, food, amusement, and travel. We also discuss other subjects of interest to the group.

SPANISH

ACCELERATED SPANISH
This fast-paced course is open to any students who are NOT daunted by a significant amount of memorization and who have successfully completed at least two years of another romance language. Students master grammatical forms and syntax while acquiring an extensive vocabulary. Basic conversation is emphasized and simple prose is read. Throughout the year, the students familiarize themselves with the geography and culture of different Spanish-speaking countries.

SPANISH 1
In this beginning high school Spanish course, students are presented with the fundamentals of grammar. Emphasis is placed on sentence structure and oral expression. Usable vocabulary enables students to begin expressing themselves in Spanish.

SPANISH 2
Continuing the study of grammar and building vocabulary, students read and discuss short stories relevant to Spanish culture and begin to express more sophisticated ideas in writing.

SPANISH 3
Grammatical concepts are further reviewed and reinforced at this level. Students are introduced to edited literary texts, poetry, and articles on culture and current events in Latin America and Spain .

SPANISH 4
The curriculum of this course provides the groundwork for consolidation of skills acquired in earlier courses. At this level we focus on strengthening the student’s ability to speak, as reading skills (reading out loud, reading comprehension, vocabulary work) are balanced with writing skills like spelling, grammar and syntax through drills and exercises as well as written compositions. To round out the students’ familiarity and enhance their proficiency with the material, we review old vocabulary and grammar paradigms and introduce new words and idioms.

SPANISH COMPOSITION THROUGH SHORT FICTION
Based on the reading and discussion of short literary selections, this course intends to improve active command of the language. While topics of intrinsic interest to students encourage class discussion and help reinforce grammar skills, particular emphasis is given to the practice of writing descriptive and narrative prose.

INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH LITERATURE
This course is a comfortable transition from colloquial to literary language. As a vehicle for introducing students to the world of fiction in Spanish, short stories, fables, poems, and excerpts from plays are systematically read, discussed and analyzed. Some critical and much creative writing is done throughout the year. An in-depth review of grammar is offered if needed.

SPANISH & SPANISH-AMERICAN MASTERS OF THE 20 th CENTURY
The prose and poetry examined in this course—some of which students may already have read in translation—provides a comprehensive view of 20 th century Hispanic letters. Through the works of García Lorca, Borges, Unamuno, García Márquez, Matute and Neruda, among others, the course aims to stimulate the students' interest in contemporary Hispanic literature and expand their knowledge of the language and culture.

ADVANCED READINGS IN SPANISH
The beliefs and convictions, the values and concerns, the “experience” of Spanish-speaking men and women is scrutinized in this approach to the novel and drama from different periods. Cien Años de Soledad, Fiesta al Noroeste , “La casa de Bernarda Alba,” and “Don Juan Tenorio” are the backbone of this course. Systematic work leads students through different types of writing: descriptive, narrative, and argumentative prose.

SPANISH CONVERSATION
For juniors and seniors who have completed at least Spanish 3, this course develops communicative proficiency. Placing special emphasis on practical vocabulary and enhancing the interactional use of the language, we try to build each student's self-confidence and facility in speaking Spanish.