CUL2610J, French Culture

Teaching Assistant in SU2022, Advisor:Prof. Aline Chevalier

1 Course overview

The aim of this course is to provide a stimulating and enjoyable introduction to French culture in general. Lectures are intended to provide an overview of the various aspects of French culture, spanning from all forms of arts to language and literature, while also addressing its impact on other cultures worldwide. Through their various assignments, students will have the opportunity to explore the incredibly rich and intriguing French culture.

2 Logistics

2.1 Teaching team

Instructor: Aline Chevalier (aline@sjtu.edu.cn)

Teacher Assistant: Jiayuan Rao (jy_rao@sjtu.edu.cn)

2.2 Schedule

• Tuesday (week 1-12): 12:10 – 13:50 (Online)

• Thursday (week 1-12): 12:10 – 13:50 (Online)

• Office hours: Thursday, 10:00 – 12:00 (Online)

3 Course content and objectives

3.1 Course objectives

Through lectures, personal exploration, and group discussions, the course is both intended as a practical help for those considering student exchange in France, as well as for those who are interested by the French culture and would simply like to know more. In addition to considering the most well known aspects of this culture, we will discuss contextual and historical developments that shaped the French society over time, considering notions such as the human rights, the role of art in societies, the impacts of colonization, and the interrelation between languages. In the end, students will leave the course with a greater appreciation for the French culture and, most importantly, be better equipped to visit France one day or fully benefit from an exchange program.

3.2 Detailed course content

This overview of the French culture will be conducted in a way that builds intelligible order into the wealth of names, periods and masterpieces of art, architecture, music… Most importantly, lectures will reckon with the most significant French cultural assets so as to gradually lead student to measure the importance of culture in any context and its impact on societies and national identities.

Students will actively participate in this initial learning as the course will take them to various places and consider many aspects of the French culture. Taking advantage of all the information sources available online, students will be able to build a general knowledge and a good understanding of both geographical and socio-cultural qualities of the country.

Without being a language course, basics of French, especially names pronunciation, will be introduced along the way in order to facilitate their potential stay in France.

3.3 Course materials

The following references may be used by students to complete their assignments and find information relevant to the course.

• Hewitt, Nicholas (2003) The Cambridge Companion to Modern French Culture. Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 0521791235

• Valette, Jean-Paul and Valette, Rebecca M. (2012) Contacts: Langue et culture françaises -9th edition. Cengage Learning

• Kidd, William and Reynolds Sian (2000) Contemporary French Cultural Studies, Oxford University Press Inc., New York

• Billat, Astrid A. and M. Boisseron, Bénédicte (2016) La culture Francophone: Le monde à l’écoute. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.

• Hughes, Alex and Reader, Keith (1998) Encyclopedia of Contemporary French Culture, Routledge

• Capretz, Pierre J. (1987) French in Action: A Beginning Course in Language and Culture, Yale University Press