French (FR)

FR 1410. Beginning French I.

This course is a beginning level French course designed for students with little or no previous experience in the language. It emphasizes the development of basic communicative skills through accurate French pronunciation, essential vocabulary, and foundational grammar structures presented within a rich cultural framework. Students build communicative competence by engaging in integrated reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities that reflect everyday situations and wide-ranging French-speaking communities, preparing them to function in simple, real-world interactions.

FR 1420. Beginning French II.

This course is the second semester of beginner level French and builds on the competencies introduced in the first term. It develops students’ language skills using vocabulary and grammar structures presented within a range of ethnic, cultural, ideological, and national contexts. Students further practice the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing to communicate in French about everyday topics and to engage with information about French-speaking societies and their cultural expressions. Prerequisite: FR 1410 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 1421. Beginning French for Speakers of Spanish.

This course introduces French and Francophone language and culture through an accelerated, plurilingual curriculum designed for heritage and native speakers of Spanish. Drawing on students’ ability to navigate English and Spanish, as well as the linguistic proximity between Spanish and French, the course uses multilingual competencies to support language acquisition. Students use Spanish and French strategically throughout lessons to support comprehension and language development. Through communicative and task-based methodologies, the course covers elementary French content in an accelerated format and emphasizes connections across languages in learning.

FR 2310. Intermediate French I.

This course is a third-semester French course that continues the development and review of all language skills in a French-language framework. It supports multilingual literacy through the use and analysis of French to strengthen linguistic competence (aspect, mood, compound tenses, passive voice), communication and interactional competence (pragmatics, cultural perspectives), and metalinguistic competence (analysis of oral and written texts, dialectal variation). Students use the target language in varied interactive settings to build understanding of French-speaking cultures. Prerequisite: FR 1420 or FR 1421 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 2311. Intermediate French for Speakers of Spanish I.

This course develops intermediate French proficiency through a plurilingual approach that draws on Spanish speakers’ existing linguistic knowledge. Students refine speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills while exploring cultural perspectives from multiple French-speaking regions. Instruction emphasizes communicative, task-based, and contrastive linguistic methodologies, incorporating cross-linguistic strategies to support accuracy and fluency in French. Activities include discussions, short readings, media analysis, and structured writing tasks. This course continues the accelerated Spanish speaker track. Prerequisite: FR 1420 or FR 1421 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 2320. Intermediate French II.

This course is a fourth-semester French course that reinforces and expands students’ vocabulary, grammar structures, and their appropriate use in a range of contexts. It emphasizes engagement with culturally authentic texts to strengthen reading and writing skills such as interpreting texts, identifying main ideas and themes, and using context to understand unfamiliar vocabulary. Oral skills in speaking and listening are further developed through presentational communication. This course completes a four-semester language sequence requirement. Prerequisite: FR 2310 or FR 2311 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 2321. Intermediate French for Speakers of Spanish II.

This course advances intermediate proficiency in French through a plurilingual, Spanish speaker–centered curriculum that builds on existing bilingual skills. Students strengthen reading, listening, speaking, and writing abilities while engaging with authentic materials from diverse French-speaking regions. Instruction emphasizes communicative, task-based, and contrastive linguistic methodologies, incorporating cross-linguistic strategies to support accuracy, vocabulary development, and cultural interpretation. Coursework includes analysis of short literary and media texts, guided discussions, structured writing, and culturally informed projects. The course continues intermediate-level study within the French curriculum. Prerequisite: FR 2310 or FR 2311 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 3303. French Composition and Conversation.

This course introduces students to extended writing and conversation in French. Students will examine contemporary French and Francophone life from the everyday social, cultural, and professional perspectives. The course will also offer students opportunities to critically reflect on these perspectives through writing and speaking about them in French. Conceived as a bridge to more advanced courses in the curriculum, this course was designed for students to take prior to taking other 3000- and 4000-level literature, culture, and business courses. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "C" or better.

FR 3305. Acting French.

This course is performance based. It is designed to improve students’ spoken French, cultural fluency, and interpretive skills through theater. Students rehearse and perform scenes from French language plays, exploring character development, vocal expression, and movement while working entirely in French. Depending on the instructor’s vision, the selected play may be performed in its original form or adapted to suit the ensemble’s needs. Through collaborative workshops, textual analysis, and staged performance, students gain confidence, deepen linguistic competence, and experience francophone culture through the creative process. Corequisite: FR 2310 or FR 2311 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 3306. Masterpieces of French Literature.

This course is a survey of French texts that reflect a variety of literary traditions from the philosophical essay to the novel, from documentary fiction to prose poetry. Students continue to work on the communicative skills of speaking, writing, and listening in French, with more advanced practice in reading primary sources. The survey’s overall goal is to examine the interrelationships among historical, linguistic, and social factors that inform literary works and to develop the critical assessment of texts read from a comparative perspective. Repeatable for credit with different emphasis. (WI) Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 3308. French Translation I.

This course examines the principles and practices of translation from French to English within a linguistic and cultural framework. Students analyze a variety of French source texts, identify and apply key translation techniques, and produce English translations that reflect accuracy, clarity, and stylistic appropriateness. The course emphasizes critical comparison and evaluation of translations, along with systematic revision based on feedback and established criteria. Through guided analysis and practice, the course develops analytical, interpretive, and writing skills essential to translation. This course provides foundational preparation for advanced coursework in specialized translation and related applied language studies. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 3310. French Pronunciation and Intonation.

This course introduces students to the study of French phonetics at the sound, word, and phrase levels. Emphasis is placed on articulatory phonetics and on developing accurate pronunciation through guided listening and structured practice. Students analyze how French sounds are produced and compare these features with other varieties of French when relevant. Elements of phonological theory may be incorporated to support practical skill development. By the end of the course, students will be able to recognize and produce key phonetic features of French and apply this knowledge to both familiar and unfamiliar words. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 3330. Contemporary Issues in French Media.

This course focuses on contemporary iterations of French media—printed, broadcast, and online—from the postwar period, when French media were overhauled, to the present, when multimodal production enables students to use textual analysis to examine how media content is transformed by information modalities. Through structured, collaborative projects, students apply these analytical approaches by producing news content in French across multiple formats, such as written journalism, audio, and video, informed by examples from French news organizations. This course may be repeated for credit with different emphasis. Prerequisite: FR 2310 or FR 2311 with a grade of "C" or better.

FR 3341. Advanced Grammar in French.

This course concerns the study of more advanced grammatical and stylistic aspects of the French language. Through readings and focused activities, the course aims to strengthen knowledge of the grammatical structure of French while developing skills for more effective writing. The course will represent both a review of material encountered in 1410-2320, and a close focus on grammar-related phenomena which are known to be challenging even for more proficient students (e.g., present participle vs. gérondif, relative pronouns, long-distance morphological agreement, etc.). Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 3350. History of French Cinema I, 1895-1960.

This course introduces students to French cinema from its origins in 1895 through the late 1950s. It examines major developments in film technology and narrative, tracing key movements such as trick films, early comic genres, serials, French Impressionism, Poetic Realism, Occupationera cinema, and the postwar Cinema of Quality. Students perform close analyses of narrative form, visual style, and sound design, examining how filmmakers’ cinematic choices – framing, editing, lighting, and set design – shape meaning. The course strengthens critical thinking as students analyze films within relevant historical and cultural contexts. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Course is taught in English. (WI).

FR 3351. Cinema of the French-Speaking World, 1960-present.

This course explores cinema of the French-speaking world, with content varying according to the focus. The course may trace the evolution of French cinema beginning with the New Wave or examine the development of film in other French speaking regions. Students engage in close analysis of major movements, stylistic trends, and cultural and historical contexts through comparative study, discussion-based methodologies, and critical writing. Emphasis is placed on understanding how French-speaking cinemas function artistically, culturally, and commercially within global film history. The course is taught in English. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies. (WI).

FR 3381. Business French.

This course uses a simulation approach to business problem-solving in French, while introducing students to the ways in which Francophone business practices differ from American processes. Acting as professionals in two major areas of corporate life—marketing and management—participants investigate case studies. These concrete situations and response strategies prepare students for the Diplômes de Français Professionnel administered at Texas State University on behalf of the French Chamber of Commerce. The diploma officially acknowledges one's ability to operate in a French-speaking business environment. This is also a required course for the Certificate in French for the Professions. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4304C. Francophone Literature, Cinema, and Culture.

This course is a survey of Francophone texts, films, and art practices that reflect the variety of cultures from Africa, Canada, Europe, and Overseas France where French is spoken. Students continue to work on the communicative skills of writing and listening, with more advanced practice in reading primary sources and discussing cultural artifacts. The survey’s overall goal is to increase participants’ identification and comparative appraisal of the interrelationships among historical, linguistic, and social factors that inform the creative traditions and contemporary productions of the Francophone world. The course may be repeated for credit when emphasis varies. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4304D. Iconic Figures of the French-Speaking World.

This course introduces students to historical periods and cultural movements through the examination of iconic figures—actual or allegorical—that served as catalysts in the French-speaking world. Examples range from history to pop culture (Marie-Antoinette), from literary to political texts (Senghor), and from mythography to visual creations (the Wandering Jew). Continued sources of discussion by contemporary scholars, artists, and writers, icons summon both interdisciplinary and transhistorical approaches. By examining such figures as iconic of a given culture, students analyze the persistence of its structural features, values, and creative references. The course may be repeated for credit with different emphasis and may be stacked with Honors. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4307. Study of French Language.

This course introduces students to the scientific study of the French language through discussion of readings with examples in both English and French. Topics may include core areas of linguistic analysis including syntax, phonology, and morphology as well as the intersection of one or more of the core areas with aspects of the human social experience (e.g., the acquisition and use of native and non-native languages, etc.). Course goals include learning to recognize various linguistic phenomena and the systematic structure underlying them, and the role of these phenomena in the wider study of linguistics. (MULT) Prerequisite: FR 3310 or FR 3341 either with a grade of "C" or better.

FR 4308. French Translation II.

This course examines advanced theoretical and methodological approaches to translation and analyzes their application in specialized fields, including legal, business, financial, technical, and medical translation, as well as localization. Students analyze complex source texts, evaluate translation strategies, and produce specialized translations informed by disciplinary conventions and professional standards. Emphasis is placed on terminology research, documentation practices, and quality control processes essential to professional translation. Through critical analysis and guided practice, the course develops advanced linguistic, analytical, and technical competencies required for specialized translation and related professional contexts. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4330A. History of French Media.

This course surveys the history of French media, with emphasis on the printed press from the early modern period to the post–World War II era. It introduces the role of ideology and collective memory, press illustration, censorship, and intellectual contributions to news and opinion writing. Emphasis is placed on the Golden Age of the press from the late nineteenth century to the pre-war period, with attention to comparisons to contemporary practices. The course incorporates analysis of authentic materials, including sources from the French Online Digital Library, to support development of reading, oral, and writing skills in French. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4341. French Composition and Stylistics.

This course invites students to apply their knowledge of French grammar together with the study of French expository style in the writing of compositions in French. The writing that students study is authentic, i.e., produced by French native speakers and destined for other French native speakers. Through close examination and reverse engineering of authentic writing, students learn to identify the particular lexical, grammatical, and stylistic features of a variety of expository techniques including description, narration, argumentation, dialogue, portraits, etc. They then write original compositions of their own in the style of the writing that they examined. Course goals include reinforcing previously-encountered grammar, acquiring new vocabulary, responsibly using AI in their writing, and developing awareness of and producing different genres of writing. (WI) Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4342. French Genre Fiction.

This course focuses on the study of specific fictional works within a defined narrative genre – such as crime fiction, the fantastic, or science fiction – and examines the authors who are considered exemplars of that category. Students analyze thematic, stylistic, and cultural dimensions of the selected genre, exploring how these works reflect and shape literary traditions. The course examines how writers and readers continually redefine what a genre can be in response to changing historical and cultural forces. May be repeated once for credit with a different emphasis. Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4343. French Poetic Realist Cinema.

This course explores the rich tradition of Poetic Realist film in 1930s’ France, focusing on its use of sound technology, visual style, narrative themes, and influence on later filmmaking traditions. Students analyze the works by directors such as Jean Renoir, Julien Duvivier, and Marcel Carné, along with contributions from screenwriters including Jacques Prévert and Charles Spaak, composers such as Maurice Jaubert, and set designers including Alexandre Trauner. Taught in English, the course emphasizes film-textual analysis and incorporates original French-language clips and scholarly readings in French or translation to support critical examination of cinematic form and context.

FR 4350C. French Directors’ Series.

This course offers an in-depth study of major French film directors and the artistic, cultural, and historical contexts that shaped their work. Depending on the focus, the course may examine the career of a single filmmaker, compare directors across periods such as Poetic Realism or the New Wave, or explore stylistic and narrative innovations in French film history. The course emphasizes analysis of cinematography, set and sound design, narrative structure, and thematic development, situating films within broader cinematic traditions and cultural contexts.

FR 4370. Cultures of the French-Speaking World.

This course explores topics in the cultures of the French-speaking world (France, Belgium, Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, and former francophone colonies in Asia). Depending on the semester, themes focus on different periods or regions. Students analyze primary sources – pamphlets, newspapers, visual culture, architecture, and digital archives – complemented by secondary scholarship. Possible topics range from the sensational pamphlet culture of 18th-century France to the spectacle of Parisian world expositions or francophone cultural movements. Students develop critical tools for interpreting how French-speaking societies express identity, creativity, social values, memory, or other cultural concerns. (WI) Prerequisite: FR 2320 or FR 2321 with a grade of "D" or better.

FR 4380. Service-Learning in French.

This course provides a supervised service-learning experience in a French-speaking environment. Students engage in work within community or professional settings that serve French-speaking populations, including organizations such as community programs, schools, and cultural institutions. Activities are conducted primarily in French and involve interaction with francophone communities. The course emphasizes the application of language skills, intercultural communication, and analysis of professional practices within real-world contexts. Prerequisite: [FR 2320 OR FR 2321 with a grade of “D” or better] AND instructor approval.

FR 4390. Studies in French Culture, Language, or Literature.

This course is an individual study course in French under the direct supervision of a professor. It is generally available to graduating seniors who have completed several advanced courses or graduate students with special needs. Also, students enrolled in an education abroad program offered by the Department of World Languages & Literatures may take the course to fulfill up to two upper division elective courses in their degree plan. Students may not exceed six hours of credit in Independent Study. The course is repeatable for credit with different emphasis. (MULT) Prerequisite: Instructor approval.