Hamilton Courses

Fall Courses

Advanced Grammar and Composition. Systematic review of grammar and style designed to improve students' written textual analysis and argumentation required by French universities. The course helps students develop vocabulary and organization which will be useful beyond their experience as French students in a variety of fields. Fall and Spring. May be taken either or both semesters with the permission of the instructor. HiF. One credit.

Phonetics and Diction. Theoretical rules of spoken French and phonetic transcriptions, individual correction of pronunciation (phonemes, stress and intonation) and auditory training in a relaxed but rigorous environment. Fall and Spring. Can normally not be repeated. HiF. One credit.

The Arts of Theater. The focus/theme of this very original class is based on plays staged in Paris theaters each semester: thus the syllabus changes every semester. Students read and examine plays and attend five to six productions in various theaters in Paris including national theaters such as Comédie française and Odeon, and independent theaters. Students also get acquainted with the historical and social significance of theater and the living arts in France. Final individual research paper. May be repeated, space permitting, with permission of the instructor. HiF. One credit.

Text Analysis: Utopia and Dystopia in XVIII-XXIst-Century Texts. Study of this popular topic in French literature and film since the Enlightenment to today. The course will focus on eco-criticism, political and social development of urban centers, the question of literary representations. This course can serve as an introduction to literature, or for more advanced requirements. It contains pre-modern texts. HiF. One credit.

History of French Painting: 1815-1914. Modernity, Technology and the Question of the Subject. This course, which meets alternatively in class and in various museums in Paris, offers students a panoramic vision of painting in the context of the tremendous social, technological and political development at the end of the nineteenth-century, in France and in Europe. HiF. One credit.

Françafrique. Political history of the relation between France and various countries in Africa from the colonial period to "the independence" period. This course focuses on the major moments, themes, debates and actors that have marked the history of political relations between France and its former colonies and the relevance of this history in current political affairs. Fall. HiF and Smith. One credit.

France Today: Democracy in Danger? While France is one of the founders of the "Human Rights," candidates of the extreme right have become serious contenders in recent elections, and soon to be presidential elections. This course will examine the political history of France and the roots of current divisions which are, at least on the surface, destabilizing democracy. HiF and Smith. Fall. One credit.  

Writing Methodology. (tentative depending on student enrollment in university) Overview of research and analysis methods employed in French university courses. Terminology, structure and development of critical arguments. Practice both oral and written presentations. May be taken as a complement to certain university courses (mandatory complement for certain university courses) or as courses. Fall and Spring. HiF. 1/2 credit taken individually; mandatory, no extra credit as a complement for other courses.

Tutorials. Mandatory (no additional credit) for some classes in the sciences, social sciences, philosophy, and university courses. The Academic Director determines which courses need a tutorial or not, and which shape the tutorial will take.  

Internships  

Spring Courses

Advanced Grammar and Composition. Systematic review of grammar and style designed to improve students’ written textual analysis and argumentation common in French universities. The course helps students develop vocabulary and organization which will be useful beyond their experience as students in France in a variety of fields. Fall and Spring. May be taken either or both semesters with the permission of the instructor. HiF. One credit.

Phonetics and Diction. Theoretical rules of spoken French and phonetic transcriptions, individual correction of pronunciation (phonemes, stress and intonation) and auditory training in a relaxed but rigorous environment. Fall and Spring, may be taken once. HiF. One credit.

The Arts of Theater. The focus/theme of this very original class is based on plays staged in Paris theaters each semester: thus the syllabus changes every semester. Students read and examine plays and attend five to six productions in various theaters in Paris including national theaters such as Comédie française and Odeon, and independent theaters. Students also get acquainted with the historical and social significance of theater and the living arts in France. Final individual research paper.  May be repeated, space permitting, with permission of the instructor. HiF. One credit.

Paris Architecture: Private and Public Space. Introduction to the history of Paris urban development, taking into account the socio-political and environmental contexts in which the city was and is developed. This course requires some exploring/walking as it alternates sessions in class and visits to significant neighborhoods and monuments in Paris relevant to the content of the course. Spring. HiF. One credit.

Europe: Contemporary Challenges. This course offers an overview of the history of the European Union as a basis for an in-depth examination of recent and current political and social difficult situations including Brexit, Covid, and the ongoing war in Ukraine which is creating new divisions between various countries. Spring HiF and Smith. One Credit. 

NEW spring 2024: From Exile to Ex-Island: Roaming Caribbean Literatures. This course on exile and roaming (errance) in Francophone Caribbean literature, philosophy and film focuses on questions of displacement, movement and uprooting.: from slavery to abduction to more recent histories of immigration to Europe and North America. Spring. HiF. One credit. 

NEW spring 2024: Speaking Out: A History of Political Discourse from the French Revolution to Present Days. Speaking out has a long history in France, from political speeches to other visual or embodied forms of speech such as public demonstrations, political caricatures, songs and graffiti. This course explores all these different “prises de parole” as a lens through which to understand the political history of modern France. Spring. HiF/Smith. One credit. 

NEW spring 2024: French Thought in Context. This class examines key texts in French philosophical and political thought on modernity (many of which are used in the U.S.). The course will simultaneously explore sites in Paris that inspired these texts. No philosophy or political theory required, but good walking shoes. HiF. One credit.

Tutorials. Mandatory (no additional credit) for some classes in the sciences, social sciences, philosophy, and university courses. The Academic Director determines which courses need a tutorial or not, and which shape the tutorial will take.  

Internships