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University of Washington

Courses in French Studies | Courses in Italian Studies

Courses in French Studies (click on course for details)

French 101: Elementary French
French 102: Elementary French
French 103: Elementary French
French 110: Basic French Review
French 201, 202, 203: Intermediate French
French 302, 303: Advanced French
French 304: French Literature: Origins to 1600
French 376: Culture, Politics, and Society in France from the Religious Wars to Revolutions
French 411: Middle Ages
French 499 C: Special Topics - The Mythical Woman in the French “Age of Revolutions” (1789-1871)
French 510 A: French Teaching Methodology (Grads)
French 593: Literary Problems - 17th Century (Grads)

Courses in Italian Studies (click on course for details)

Italian 101: Elementary Italian
Italian 201: Intermediate Italian
Italian 250: Rome
Italian 301: Advanced Grammar
Italian 327: Advanced Conversation
Italian 351: Contemporary Italian Culture
Italian 465: Contemporary Italian Narrative
Italian 470: Dante
Italian 514: Dante (Grads)
Italian 596 A: Literary Problems - 20th Century (Grads)

Course Descriptions

FRENCH 101, 102, 103: ELEMENTARY FRENCH
Daily, multiple sections and hours, 5 cr., Staff

A three-quarter introductory-level sequence. The four skills--listening, speaking, reading and writing--are stressed in a primarily oral-aural method of presentation. The course covers all major elements of French grammar. Conducted in French; language laboratory required in addition to daily class sessions. Offered quarterly.
Required texts: S.L. Difusion and H. Meyer, Rond Point (text, workbook, and answer key), Prentice Hall, 2006.
Prerequisite for French 101: No prior French, or placement
Prerequisite for French 102: French 101, or placement
Prerequisite for French 103: Frenfch 102, or placement

FRENCH 110: BASIC FRENCH REVIEW
Daily, multiple sections and hours, 5 cr., Staff

Basic French Review combines in one quarter the contents of 101 and 102. This intensive course is designed for students who have studied French for at least two years in high school but who do not feel ready for 102. Highly motivated beginners with background in other languages are also encouraged to take the course. After completing 110, students can enroll directly in French 103.
Required texts: S.L. Difusion and H. Meyer, Rond Point (text, workbook, and answer key), Prentice Hall, 2006.
Prerequisite: Placement (score of 10-30 on 100-level French placement exam)

FRENCH 201, 202, 203: INTERMEDIATE FRENCH (VLPA)
Daily, multiple sections and hours, 5 cr., Staff

A three-quarter systematic review and expansion of French grammar, development of conversational skills (listening and speaking), reading literary and cultural materials, and writing compositions. Conducted in French, the intermediate sequence encourages students to use their language skills more actively and at a more sophisticated level than the elementary sequence. French 202 not offered Autumn quarter.
Prerequisites: 103 for 201; 201 for 202; 202 for 203.
Required texts: Dietikeer, En Bonne Forme text and workbook (audio will be available online).
NOTE: French 202 is not usually offered autumn quarter.

FRENCH 301, 302, 303: ADVANCED FRENCH (VLPA, W courses)
Multiple sections and hours, 5 cr., Staff

French 301 allows students to review French grammar at an advanced level and to acquire the essentials of French composition, through the study of written and audiovisual authentic cultural material . French 302 is a continuation of French 301. French 303 is geared toward students planning to take literature classes and allows them to complete their studies of the techniques of French composition. These courses are conducted exclusively in French. French 302 not offered Autumn quarter.
Prerequisites: 203 for 301; 302 for 303, 302 for 303, or placement.
Required texts: Denise Rochat, Contrastes text & workbook (Pearson Education); William F. Edmiston, Annie Duménil, La France contemporaine (Harcourt Brace); for 301: Pascal Quignard, Tous les matins du monde (Folio Gallimard);for 302& 303: Debray, La République expliquée à ma fille (Editions du Seuil).

FRENCH 304: SURVEY OF FRENCH LITERATURE: ORIGINS TO 1600 (VLPA)
MW 10:30-12:20, 5 cr., Delcourt

Students will read and discuss masterpieces of Medieval and Renaissance literature. Medieval texts will be read in modern French translations. The following topics will receive special attention: models of gender and kinship; violence and the social order; the human body in love and death; spirituality and desire. Class will be conducted in French.
Prerequisite: FRENCH 302.
Required Texts: La Chanson de Roland (Paris: Garnier-Flammarion); Tristan et Iseut (Paris: Editions 10/19/1998); Aucassin et Nicolette (Paris: Garnier-Flammarion); Francois Rabelais, Pantagruel et Gargantua (Paris: Bordas).

FRENCH 376: CULTURE, POLITICS, AND SOCIETY IN FRANCE FROM THE RELIGIOUS WARS TO REVOLUTIONS (VLPA/I&S)
TTH 12:30-2:20, 5 cr., Geoff Turnovsky

Studies the development of intellectual, literary, and artistic cultures in the context of the profound political and social evolutions of the Renaissance through the early 19th century in France. Taught in English.
Prerequisite: FRENCH 203.
Please see adviser about substituting this course for French 378 for major/minor requirements.
Required texts: Corneille, The Cid, Cinna, and Theatrical Illusion, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 0140443125; Voltaire, Philosophical Letters, Hackett, ISBN: 0872208818.

FRENCH 411: MIDDLE AGES - THE MYTHICAL WOMAN IN THE FRENCH "AGE OF REVOLUTIONS" (1789-1871)
TTH 9:30-11:20, 5 cr., Denyse Delcourt

Sixteenth-century literature with emphasis on poetry and the general artistic ambiance.
Prerequisite: FRENCH 303; either FRENCH 304. FRENCH 305, FRENCH 306, or FRENCH 307.
Required texts: Chretien de Troyes, Le Chevalier de la charrette; Chretien de Troyes, Le Conte du Graal; Robert De Boron, Merlin; La Mort du Roi Arthur.

FRENCH 499 C: SPECIAL TOPICS (19th Century)
TTH, 2:30-4:20, 5 cr., Holly Woodson Waddell

"If the French nation consisted only of women, what a terrible Nation it would be!"
-- Times correspondent, April 1871

Salomé, Thémis, Médée, Phèdre, Lady Macbeth, Marianne, Hérodias, Méduse. . . why are these mythical sisters ubiquitous during the French “Age of Revolutions”? What are the implications of an infanticidal, castratrating, or deadly woman heading the call to freedom and democracy? Do these rebel goddesses threaten patriarchal stability or are they, in the collective imaginary, necessary to maintain state power? These questions will inform our discussion.

Our analysis will focus on works during the historical period between the Revolution and the Commune. Despite the virility we tend to associate with war, it is the mythical woman who, in her various incarnations, embodies the spirit of these revolutionary conflicts.

The backdrop of the study will be classical French tragedies; suggested preparation includes (re-) reading Corneille’s Médée and Racine’s Phèdre. Our critical approach will draw from structuralism, feminism, and psychoanalysis. At the end of this course, we will have a deeper understanding of "La Junon de la Commune," "Madame Lamort," Marianne, and other iconic mythical figures, who, in the nineteenth century, define the motherland.

Style: Seminar, based on discussions. In English.
Work: Attendance and participation, newspaper, oral, 2 essays
Texts: Website, Basic texts; Course-pack: reviews
Prerequisite: FRENCH 303; either FRENCH 304. FRENCH 305, FRENCH 306, or FRENCH 307.

FRENCH 510 A: TEACHING METHODOLOGY
TH 3:30-5:20, 5cr., Hedwige Meyer

This class is for new Teaching Assistants in French only and is required. We will explore various teaching techniques and learn how to apply them in our classes. Students enrolled in this course also take Klaus Brandl's seminar, which meets T 3:30-5:20.
Prerequisite: Must be holding teaching assignment or permission of instructor. No text required.
STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THIS COURSE SHOULD ALSO ENROLL IN KLAUS BRANDL’S CLASS,SCAND 518, T 3:30-5:20.

FRENCH 593: LITERARY PROBLEMS- 17TH CENTURY (EARLY PROSE FICTION) - LIBERTINAGE AND ITS ADVERSARIES
W 2:30-5:20, 5 cr., Geoff Turnovsky

What was 17th-century libertinage? How did it orient intellectual debates and confront the social, political, and cultural developments of the age, such as the rise of the centralized Court and the Fronde? In this course, we explore a satirical and irreverent strain of writing in early modern France, as well as a number of key texts which sought to counter the trend. Libertinage, as the name implies, had at its core an engagement with the problem of "liberty." But what was liberty in the Classical period? Among the authors studied will be Théophile de Viau, Charles Sorel, Cyrano de Bergerac, Pascal, Descartes and Molière.
GRADIATE STUDENTS ONLY
Required texts: Charles Sorel, Histoire Comique de Francion, GF-Gallimard, ISBN: 2080703217; Cyrano de Bergerac, Voyage dans la lune, GF-Flammarion, ISBN: 2080702327; Blaise Pascal, Pensées, Seuil/Points, ISBN: 2020049791; René Descartes, Discours de la méthode, GF-Flammarion, ISBN : 2080710915; Molière, Tartuffe, Petits Classiques Larousse, ISBN: 2038716625; Dom Juan, Petits Classiques Larousse, ISBN : 2038716625.

ITALIAN 101: ELEMENTARY ITALIAN
Daily, multiple hours and sections, 5 cr., Staff

The first part of a three-quarter introductory-level sequence. The four skills -- listening, speaking, reading and writing -- are stressed in a primarily oral-aural method of presentation. The course covers all major elements of Italian grammar. Conducted in Italian; language laboratory required in addition to daily class sessions. Offered primarily sequentially, Autumn 101, Winter 102, Spring 103.
Required texts: Branciforte & Grassi, Parliamo Italiano! and Parliamo Italiano! Workbook/Lab Manual/Video Manual (Houghton Mifflin Company).

ITALIAN 201: INTERMEDIATE ITALIAN (VLPA)
Daily, multiple times, 5 cr., Staff

The first part of a three-quarter, systematic review of Italian grammar and development of conversational skills (comprehension and speaking) as well as reading literary and cultural materials and writing compositions. Conducted in Italian, the intermediate sequence encourages students to use their language skills more actively and at a more sophisticated level than the elementary sequence.
Prerequisite: 103 or college equivalent or placement
Required texts: (for the ITALIAN 201-202-203 sequence): Capek-Habekovic & Mazzola, A Vicenda- Lingua, McGraw Hill, 2008.

ITALIAN 250: ROME (I&S/VLPA)
Lecture TTH 3:30-5:50, Sections vary, 5 cr., Albert Sbragia & Mary O'Neil

Focuses on Rome as an historical, intellectual, and artistic world center. Literary and historic documents, visual arts, architecture, film, and opera will be used to explore the changing paradigms of the Eternal City. In English. Offered: jointly with ART H 250/HSTEU 250.
Required text: Chris Scarre, The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome, Penguin, ISBN: 0140513299.

ITALIAN 301: ADVANCED ITALIAN (VLPA, W course)
Multiple sections, 5 cr.

The third part of a three-quarter perfection-level sequence of syntax, composition and stylistics.
Offered sequentially Autumn 301, Winter 302, Spring 303.
Prerequisite: 203 or college equivalent or placement
Required texts: Sciascia, A Ciascuno il suo (Adelphi).

ITALIAN 327: ADVANCED CONVERSATION (VLPA)
MW 10:30-11:20, 2 cr., Staff

Focus on developing advanced conversational skills--listening and speaking--to fluency and increasing vocabulary in varying situations. May be taken up to four different times (2 cr. each time, 8 maximum) for credit. Discussions are based on contemporary Italian current event articles, fiction, and essay. Conducted in Italian. Not open to students whose native language is Italian. Offered quarterly. Materials available in class.
Prerequisite: 203 or college equivalent or placement.

ITALIAN 351: CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN CULTURE
TTH 12:30-2:20, 5 cr., Claudio Mazzola

Italian culture from the 1980s to the present, with discussion of major events of the period and readings from fiction, political manifestos, song lyrics, etc. Emphasis on recent linguistic developments, changed role of women, meaning of multiculturalism in Italy, and the spread of global culture. Conducted in Italian.
Prerequisite: either ITAL 203 or ITAL 234

ITALIAN 465: CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN NARRATIVE (VLPA)
MW 2:30-4:20, 5 cr., Claudio Mazzola

Critical reading of selected modern exponents of the short story and novel. Prerequisite: ITAL 302.

ITALIAN 470: DANTE (VLPA)
TTH 10:30-12:20, 5 cr., Donna Yowell

Introduction to Dante's Commedia and minor works, conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: ITAL 302.
Required texts: Dante (trans.. Mandelbaum), Inferno, Bantam- required; Dante, Inferno, A cura di Natalino Sapegno, Nuova Italia – optional.

ITALIAN 499 A: SPECIAL TOPICS
2-5 cr,To be arranged

ITALIAN 514: DANTE
TTH 10:30-12:20, 5 cr., Donna Yowell

Introduction to Dante's Commedia and minor works, conducted in Italian.
Meets with ITAL 470.
Required texts: Dante (trans.. Mandelbaum), Inferno, Bantam; Dante, Inferno, A cura di Natalino Sapegno, Nuova Italia.

ITALIAN 596: ITALY ON THE BRINK: Italian Politics, Society and Culture during the Cold War Era (1946-1988)
TH 1:30-4:20, 5 cr., Ruggero Taradel

After the collapse of the Fascist regime, and with the birth of the Republic, Italy enters one of the most creative and turbulent periods of its history. The end the Monarchy, the new Constitution, the rise of the Democrazia Cristiana and of the strongest Communist Party in Western Europe, the unprecedented miracolo economico, the profound social changes and the Anni di Piombo are just some of the many aspects of this historical period. The course will analyze the complex, multi-faceted and often contradictory social, political and cultural issues in Italy during the Cold War Era with special emphasis on the relationship between Art, Literature and Cinema with the unresolved economic and social problems of the country and its tumultuous transformation.
Required text: Ginsborg, Paul, A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics, 1943-1988, New York, NY, Palgrave Macmillan, 2003 (paperback edition), ISBN: 1403961530.

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