FREN1031: Reading French Literature

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• French Language 1 (FREN1011).

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• Through the study of representative works drawn from different periods of French literature, the principal aims of the course are: to introduce students to the art and methods of reading and interpreting texts belonging to the standard generic types (poetry, theatre, fiction).
• to introduce students to the practice of close reading of literary texts through the exercise of literary commentary.

• This module, which is taught and assessed in English, offers an introduction to the study of French literary texts from a range of historical periods (medieval to contemporary) and different genres. The module is designed to improve your fluency in reading French and to introduce you to strategies for reading literature alongside critical theory: you will become familiar with techniques of literary analysis by reading the texts alongside the work of theorists such as Roland Barthes, Judith Butler, Edward Said. In so doing, you will explore questions of gender and ethnicity, as well as thinking about French culture in transnational perspective, for example by exploring interactions between France and territories that lie beyond its borders. These may include e.g. the Celtic lands in writings from the Middle Ages, or France's former colonial territories in contemporary postcolonial and francophone writing. This module introduces knowledge and skills that are central to Modern Languages and Cultures as a coherent field of study. Its design reflects a commitment to diversity in its resources and delivery, and will create opportunities for students to engage in critical analysis of different perspectives relevant to the study area.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Students will develop knowledge of different periods and genres of French literature.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Students will improve skills in reading French and in analysing literary texts.

Key Skills:

• The development of general written and oral communication skills.
• Skills in the acquisition and interpretation of information through reading and research.

• This module is taught by means of a weekly lecture and fortnightly seminar. Students are required to attend all lectures and seminars and are expected to prepare themselves for classes and participate actively in discussions.

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