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 Return to: Academic Departments & Committees
Go to: Division of Literature and Languages
Faculty
Ann T. Delehanty
Early modern prose, classical theatre, medieval literature, comparative literature, philosophy and literature.
Hugh M. Hochman
Twentieth-century French poetry and prose, theories of the lyric, philosophy of language.
Luc A. Monnin
Eighteenth-century French literature and culture, history and theory of language, history of ideas, visual arts.
Catherine A. Witt
Nineteenth- and twentieth-century French literature, poetry and poetics, theories of translation, theatre, cinema studies.
Curriculum
Students majoring in French focus on acquiring both a critical appreciation of French literature and the ability to express themselves in the spoken and written language. In keeping with Reed’s general educational goals, students are expected to broaden their preparation by pursuing work in humanities, other literatures, and the fine arts.
The members of the French department cover a wide range of literary interests and critical attitudes. The course offerings, organized mostly by genre, cover the important periods and movements in French literature.
In addition to the general course offerings, the department offers seminars on special topics and can arrange independent studies. Recent seminar topics have included contemporary French narrative, French feminist theory, surrealism in literature and the other arts, Rousseau, Balzac, Flaubert, Baudelaire, and history and French cinema.
Most classes range in size from 10 to 15 students and are conducted primarily in French.
Prerequisites
Any student who wishes to enroll in a French course at any level and who has not studied French at Reed College must take the placement examination given every year during orientation. Entering students who place out of second-year language (FREN 212 ) will be advised to enroll in FREN 320-329 (FREN 320 , FREN 321 ) or another 300-level course with consent of the instructor.
Majors
Students who wish to major in French and who do not have prior experience in the language can pursue the major by completing beginning and intermediate French during their first two years at Reed, or elsewhere. During their last two years they must complete all the course requirements for the major.
Nonmajors
Students wishing to fulfill the Division of Literature and Languages requirement for third-year study in a foreign literature can do so by completing two 300-level courses numbered FREN 330 or higher.
French House
The French House on campus functions not only as a residence hall, but also as the center for a variety of extracurricular activities, including film evenings and social and cultural events, as well as gatherings with students and faculty from the entire Reed College community.
Language Scholars
Each year, Reed hosts two visiting language scholars from France. They provide contact with a native speaker and assist the department in academic and cultural matters.
Study Abroad
The French department encourages its majors to spend some time abroad, and to that end it has instituted exchange programs in France with the Université de Rennes II and several campuses of the Université de Paris. The work a student completes abroad in these approved programs is credited toward the Reed degree, and students on financial aid may apply their aid toward the costs.
ProgramsMajorsMinorsCourses
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