This module has two key objectives: to extend students’ reading and listening skills in French through the study of longer texts/films than those which feature in the French Language modules; to introduce them to the study of French language texts/films as cultural products which provide important insights for the development of the range of inter-cultural competencies required to function professionally in a French-speaking environment.
The class will examine the concept of difference from the perspective of modern-day/postwar France, using a selection of written texts in French and French-language films to explore the notion and link it to its expression in both the social/historical/political and artistic domains, whilst at the same time allowing students to develop their critical, discursive and presentational skills.
Class content will reflect the research specialisms of French lecturing staff in the School of Languages, Law and Social Sciences, and the actual texts and films studied may vary from year to year to reflect student demand and staff availability, as determined by the research focus of the staff concerned. All texts/films studied will be in the original language.
The notion of identity has been with us since time immemorial, and its relevance has been particularly apparent since the start of the twentieth-century. For example, two world wars and conflicts of all sorts have served to highlight national/sectional disharmony, while in the intellectual sphere, the emergence of ‘The Other’ has proved to be an enduring development.
Focusing on specific novels (such as Patrick Modiano’s Chien de printemps, specific periods of history (such as the aftermath of the second world war) and films (such as Alais Resnais and Marguerite Duras’ Hiroshima mon amour), students will be encouraged to engage critically with the individual works, and to use the appropriate critical and theoretical apparatus in their exploration of the notion of identity.
Select novels
e.g. Patrick Modiano’s Chien de printemps,
Periods of history
e.g. aftermaths of the World Wars and the impact of French colonialism
Select films
e.g. Alain Resnais and Marguerite Duras’ Hiroshima mon amour
The class will be delivered through a mixture of lectures and seminars. Specific reading will be identified for each lecture hour, prioritised as ‘essential’ and ‘further reading’, and should require approximately 2 hours of private study/preparation. Each tutorial topic will be accompanied by a list of specific readings/questions and/or prompts. Adequate tutorial preparation should involve approximately 2 hours of private study.
E-learning: All key course information, some class materials and additional support materials will be available online, normally through Brightspace.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 50 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 50 |