Hamilton Courses

Fall and Spring Courses

See below for courses offered only in fall or only in spring

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

The Arts of Theater. The syllabus and focus for this class change each semester as they reflect plays staged in Paris theaters each semester. Students attend, read, and examine plays; get acquainted with their literary, historical and social significance. They develop an analytical vocabulary specific to the living arts in view of a final individual research paper, in addition to shorter assignments. Requires readings of theatrical texts and mandatory attendance at current productions (approximately every two to three weeks). Fall and Spring. May be repeated, space permitting, with permission of instructor. HiF. One credit.

Writing Methodology. Overview of research and analysis methods employed in French university courses. Terminology, structure and development of critical arguments. Practice in both oral and written presentations. May be taken as a separate course or as complement to certain university courses (mandatory complement for certain university courses). Fall and Spring. HiF. 1/2 credit taken individually; mandatory complement for other courses.

Fall Courses

Advanced Grammar and Composition. Systematic review of grammar and style designed to improve students' method of written textual analysis and argumentation required by French universities. The course helps students develop vocabulary and organization which will be useful beyond their experience in France. Fall and Spring. May be taken either or both semesters. 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. 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. Students read and examine plays and attend five to six productions  in various theaters in Paris (Comédie française, Odeon, but also minor independent theaters). They 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 instructor. HiF. One credit.

Writing Methodology. Overview of research and analysis methods employed in French university courses. Terminology, structure and development of critical arguments. Practice in both oral and written presentations. May be taken as a separate course or as complement to certain university courses (mandatory complement for certain university courses). Fall and Spring. HiF. 1/2 credit taken individually; mandatory complement for other courses.

Text Analysis: Utopia and Dystopia in XVIII-XXth-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. 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.

France-European Relationship. An introduction and review of the steady but complicated France’s relations with the European Union, until Brexit and the election of Emmanuel Macron. This is a Consortium course (students from HiF, Middlebury and Smith colleges). One credit.

Françafrique. Political history of the relation of France and various countries in Africa from the colonial period to the independences. The course will also take a deep look at the current and ever-evolving situation. This is a Consortium course (students from HiF, Middlebury and Smith colleges). One credit.

Tutorials. Students enrolled in some classes in the sciences, social sciences, philosophy, for-credit Internships  and other areas may be required to attend specially-designed sessions to prepare for university assignments. The director determines which courses need a tutorial, which ones are mandatory and which are optional.

Spring Courses

***** Course lists for 2024-25 will be updated after Thanksgiving***

Advanced Grammar and Composition. Systematic review of grammar and style designed to improve students' method of written textual analysis and argumentation required by French universities. The course helps students develop vocabulary and organization which will be useful beyond their experience in France. Fall and Spring. May be taken either or both semesters. 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. 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. Students read and examine plays and attend five to six productions  in various theaters in Paris (Comédie française, Odeon, but also minor independent theaters). They 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 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 developed. This course alternates sessions in class and visits in various neighborhoods and monuments in Paris. HiF. One credit.

Rewriting France’s Colonial Past. A study of how Francophone writers represent France as a colonial and authoritarian force from slavery in the plantations to resistance, emancipation and independence. HiF. One credit.

Women’s Emancipation. Medecine, Visual Arts and Literature. This course analyzes crucial moments in the emancipation of women from the XIXth century to today from a wide range of media and perspectives especially their impact on scientific and artistic developments. The course will also discuss how societies evolve in a broader sense. HiF. One credit.

Crises in the European Union. Study of various crises that have shaped and reshaped the format and alliances of the European Union from the creation of the EU to Brexit. This is a Consortium course (students from HiF, Middlebury and Smith colleges). One credit.

The French Secular State. An exploration of what makes the notion of the secular state so central and unique in French social and political life. The course takes into consideration historical background and more current developments. This is a Consortium course (students from HiF and Smith colleges). One credit.

Tutorials. Students enrolled in some classes in the sciences, social sciences, philosophy, for-credit Internships  may be required to attend specially-designed sessions to prepare for university assignments. The director determines which courses need a tutorial, which ones are mandatory and which are optional.