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FREN3021

Francophone literatures and identities

FREN3021

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Francophone literatures and identities

Second semester

6 credits

Assessment:

100% coursework

Prerequisites:

FREN2002 or equivalent

Co-requisites:

nil

Hours per week:

2 hrs/week

Contact hours:

24 hours

Total learning hours:

120 hours

This course offers a broad introduction to leading authors from the French-speaking world outside France, with a special emphasis on Quebec, the Caribbean, the Maghreb, West Africa, and Vietnam. The discussions will be based on a selection of works involving the issues of race and minorities, identity and nationality, colonization and self-determination, native land and exile, as well as multilingualism and universality, modernity and tradition. In investigating the way these various themes appear in Francophone literary texts and essays, students shall aim to gain a better understanding of how the use of the French language as a medium of expression may facilitate creativity and reception or, on the contrary, distort or hinder cultural distinctiveness. The medium of discussion will be French, and the supporting material will be in French.

Objectives

The objectives of this course are:
1. To get acquainted with significant authors from areas in the world where the French language is used and their contributions to the local and international literary scene
2. To investigate issues pertaining to history, culture, society and identity in these areas.
3. To develop student’s appreciation of the ways the French language and its variations are used to express specific identities.
4. To expand French language proficiency in the various skills.

Learning outcomes

1. Develop an understanding of key notions regarding the literary specificities and actors of various areas of the French-speaking world.
2. Demonstrate the ability to understand, analyse critically and discuss perceptively issues related to identities, post-colonialism, social issues and usage of the French language in literary texts or essays.
3. Develop the ability to read French texts of different regions and communities.
4. Use the French language at a level of upper-intermediate proficiency consistent with level B1+/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL).

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