French 5: litterature et société

What is the course about?

This course will provide students with a sociological understanding of the centrality and changing importance of literature (both fiction and non-fiction) and the emergence of specific genres which reflect the changing demographics and social and political concerns of France.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

The course will examine the ways in which literary texts address the past, changing social norms, and the changing boundaries of private and public, in an increasingly diverse society. It will also look at the importance of literature in fostering social reflection, through the ways in which important moral and ethical concerns are often addressed in a variety of genres.

THEME: LES FICTIONS TRANSGRESSIVES: EN 6 PARTIES – Some of the books to be studied (extracts provided by tutor):

1. LA REALITE QUI SE DELITE : Queen Kong de Sylvain Jouty (2001) - Le Fils de Babel de Frédérick Tristan (1986)

2. LE RECIT : • Requiem pour un ange tombé du nid de Jean-Claude Bologne (2001) - Les Contes du cavalier chinois de François Coupry (1994) - • Archéologie du zéro d’Alain Nadaud (1984) - L’Univers d’Hubert Haddad (2003)

3. MYTHES ET SURNATUREL - Tobie des marais de Sylvie Germain (1998) - La faculté des songes de Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud (1983)

4. LES ARTS - Mélusath de Francis Berthelot (1999) - La Mort peut danser de Jean-Marc Ligny (1994) - Déchiffrer la trame de Jean-Claude Dunyach (1997)

5. LA CREATION D’UN MONDE - Nuit blanche en Balkhyrie d’Antoine Volodine (1997)

6. L’INDIVIDU FACE A UN CHANGEMENT POLITIQUE EXTREME - Les échappées de Lucie Taïeb (2019) - Comme un empire dans un empire d’Alice Zeniter (2020) - Les Écailles du ciel de Tierno Monénembo (1997).

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- discuss French literary texts.
- demonstrate an understanding of the changing role of literature in French society, from the 20th century to today’s France.
- demonstrate a critical knowledge of how different genres address particular social experience and concerns.
- achieve a critical understanding of some of the key texts associated with literary genres.
- critically analyse how social class, ethnicity, gender, age, and sexuality may influence how readers encounter and understand texts, in different places and at different historical moments.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

Students should have a good level of French and an interest in history, culture and society as well as in literature. They should also be able to read literary works in French, and be able to participate in discussions in French.

For further details of the specific foreign language skills required for this level, please see the languages self assessment chart at the start of the languages section of our course guide or at http://www.citylit.ac.uk/self-assess-your-level.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Our courses are characterised by spoken interaction and communication. Typical activities include pair work, group work, role plays and games. A range of resources will be used to support your learning including presentations, hand-outs, and audio-visual material.

Homework is highly recommended to consolidate learning.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

The course is based on the tutor's own material, which includes:

- literary texts (extracts), historical background material, information about specific writers: all provided by tutor.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

French 5 courses. Please enrol on the next module as soon as possible as spaces cannot be guaranteed.