A travers cinéma, chansons et littérature / Through Cinema, Songs, and Literature (1 unit)

Through the examination and use of authentic French materials we will discuss current topics in French society (Hexagone and DOM-TOM, laïcité vs. religions, etc.) and focus on oral language (pronunciation, communication…). Aural and visual materials will include feature-length films (On connaît la chanson and Les choristes), songs and literary texts (poetry, drama, and short
story).

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Level Three is for students who have had significant previous instruction in French and who are already able to function independently in full immersion. Typically, students at this level demonstrate textual/writing ability beyond the sentence level. The individual components of the program are designed to complement one another, and all include intensive study of the language. Students will also arrive at a broader appreciation of French and Francophone cultures and literatures. N.B. All four courses are required.

The four course segments share the following common objectives:

* Develop aural/oral proficiency through use of video and audio-based media, theater, movies, songs, and TV programs. Students will be invited to express themselves in real-life conversations and through drama activities. Emphasis will be placed on pronunciation, intonation and sentence rhythm;

* Integrate the characteristics of non-verbal language into communication in French (gesture, posture, facial expression, voice inflection, etc.);

* Review selected grammatical structures in close coordination with topics and activities taught in class;

* Provide a broad introduction to French and Francophone culture and literature through the study of articles from the press, plays, short stories, poems, and excerpts from novels.