TEACHING PORTFOLIO
| 01
The End of the World
in French literature and film
Science fiction was born in the 19th century – and apocalyptic fiction was its first form, a response to Europe’s social, political and technical upheavals.
Tales of cataclysms, epidemics, earthquakes and other catastrophic scenarios still fascinate us today. They reveal our deepest fears and help us overcome them.
From early religious texts to Pierre Boulle’s Planète des Singes, and Lob & Rochette's Transperceneige, this course explores what End-of-the-World fiction really tells us about ourselves.
Class conducted in French. Link to syllabus
| 02
Circus Freaks and bad mothers -
Monsters and the monstrous
in 19th century literature
A fascination for monsters, both moral and physical, resonates through the 19th century: reviled, pitied, emulated or ostracized, they leave no one indifferent and inspire authors such as Hugo, Maupassant, Barbey d’Aurevilly and Baudelaire. From sea creatures to the first female android, this course aims at discovering just how much monstrosity lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Class conducted in French. Link to syllabus
| 03
"Not a slice of life but a piece of cake” - French Cinema & Film Analysis
“For me, cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake,” said Alfred Hitchcock. For French filmmakers, cinema can be both: it tells stories in a realistic way and offers insights on relatable character’s qualities and flaws, which makes every French movie a true slice of life. At the same time, it delivers stories enhanced by framing, lighting and editing, enriched with music, and informed by culture, making each experience a true artistic slice of cake.
Class conducted in English or French. Link to syllabus
| 04
Reading and Translation
This course is designed to introduce students to the practice of translation. It also aims to improve reading skills at the Advanced level and further introduce to French-speaking cultures. Additionally, it provides a review of key topics in French grammar in addition to boosting student’s skills in reading texts written in French.
Class conducted in French. Link to syllabus
| 05
Survey French Literature
This French Survey Literature course explores the most influential works of French Literature, from 16th-century sonnets to 21st-century slam, as well as their cultural context.
Classic plays, Libertine novels, fantastic short stories and philosophic essays are only a few of the genres on the program.
Class conducted in French. Link to Syllabus
| 06
Sustainable Development in the Francophone World.
This course analyzes current sustainability and development issues in the Francophone World, as well as policies initiated to address them.
Class conducted in French. Offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Syllabus forthcoming
| 07
Contemporary France
From World Wars to Decolonization and the feminist movement, this course examines how the 20th-century shaped France's identity. Through the study of texts, speeches, song lyrics, pictures and documentaries, TV and radio programs, magazine articles and works of arts of the time, it aims at showing the development of modern French sensitivity through cultural artifacts.
Class conducted in French. Syllabus forthcoming
| 08
Words and Bodies
Words can seduce, entice, persuade, convince. They consent, promise, seal pacts and oaths. But they also lie, deceive, influence and manipulate. One word can undo a reputation, recuse a friendship, condemn an innocent, start a war.
In libertinism, bodies and words are intricately connected: to remain in charge of one’s own body requires a complete command of the language. Lose the verbal upper-hand, and physical autonomy is soon to follow.
Class conducted in French. Link to Syllabus.
| 09
19th-century Literature
Join Baudelaire, Flaubert, Hugo, Balzac, Rimbaud, and Jules Verne, and discover the unparalleled literary productions of the 19th century!
Romantic poems
Epic novels
Realist and naturalist sagas
Science fiction productions
Fantastic short stories
Travel Diaries
Symbolist & Decadent writings
Newspaper articles, political pamphlets, faits divers
Class conducted in French. Link to Syllabus.