French 5: La France au XXième siècle; Un évènement, un auteur
Le XX siècle restera celui de l’engagement des écrivains de des intellectuels. Ils nous a laissé quelques unes des plus belles pages de la littérature Francaise. Nous les découvrirons et les lirons ensemble.
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- Start Date: 09 Oct 2025End Date: 30 Oct 2025Thu (Daytime): 16:00 - 18:00OnlineFull fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
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What is the course about?
In these 6 sessions we will look at a major historical event in French history and how the main writers at the time talked and wrote about it.
What will we cover?
- Zola et l’affaire Dreyfus, mais aussi Péguy et Jules Vernes.
- Les écrivains de la grande guerre (1914-18); Céline, Barbuse, Génevoix
- La question coloniale; Malraux, Gide, Duras
- La résistance et la collaboration (1940-45); Vercors, Brazillac, Drieu la Rochelle
- La guerre froide; Sartre, Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, Aron
- Les structuralistes, “French studies”; Levis-Straus, Foucault, Derrida, Barthes.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Understand and explain why and how most of the French writers took a very close look at the events of their time and how the same events influenced their work.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
You should have an advanced level of French (level 4 or 5), as the class will be delivered in French. Some additional documents will be available in English. You do not need to be an accomplished historian to enjoy the course.
If you are not sure about your level, please contact Languages on languages@citylit.ac.uk or check our level assessment chart on: http://www.citylit.ac.uk/self-assess-your-level
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This is a lecture, and is therefore tutor-led. Your participation however will be requested. You might be ask to read
some short literary extracts.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Any French 4 or 5 course. If in doubt, please contact Languages on languages@citylit.ac.uk.
Frederic was born in a small village in Provence and goes back there every summer to meet his family and friends. However, aged 20, he moved to Paris and feels a bit like a "parisien". In Paris he followed courses at the Sorbonne University studiying " les humanités " ( Philosophy, psychologie and linguistic) and worked for some years as a journalist. He didn't like that job having to compromise too often with editorial and corporate lines. Frederic went on delivering courses and teaching material in refugees camps in south east Asia. There he discovered in education the human touch he missed in journalism. Back in Europe he took several teaching positions first in France then in London involving French as a foreign language and French for business with Westmister, City and Birkbeck Universities. His teaching is focused around his students' needs. For the last ten years Frederic has been delivering lectures and workshops at citylit around historical and cultural subjects such as " Versailles, Le métro de Paris, la Révolution Francaise, Napoléon, la colonisation et la décolonisation, Ch. De Gaulle ( The stateman, not the airport ) and others.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.