French
The subjects below are taught in French and include offerings in language, literature, and cultural studies.
The indication of prerequisites for specific French offerings does not apply to students who have already completed equivalent work. For further placement advice, consult one of the field advisors in French.
Fundamental Language Subjects
21G.301 French I
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(Subject meets with 21G.351)
Prereq: None
Units: 3-1-8
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/language-placement-proficiency/
 Lecture: MWF10 (1-375) or MWF11 (1-375) Lab: TBA
Introduction to the French language and culture with emphasis on the acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical concepts through active communication. Conducted entirely in French. Exposure to the language via a variety of authentic sources such as the Internet, audio, video and printed materials which help develop cultural awareness as well as linguistic proficiency. Coordinated language lab program. For graduate credit see 21G.351. Limited to 18 per section.
I. Nicholas
Textbooks (Fall 2024)
21G.302 French II
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(Subject meets with 21G.352)
Prereq: 21G.301 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-1-8
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/language-placement-proficiency/
Lecture: MWF11 (14E-310) or MWF1 (14N-221) Lab: TBA
Continuation of introductory course to the French language and culture with emphasis on acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical concepts through active communication. Conducted entirely in French. Exposure to the language via a variety of authentic sources such as the Internet, audio, video and printed materials which help develop cultural awareness as well as linguistic proficiency. Coordinated language lab. For graduate credit see 21G.352. Limited to 18 per section.
L. Rezvani
Textbooks (Fall 2024)
21G.303 French III
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Prereq: 21G.302 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-1-8
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/language-placement-proficiency/
Lecture: MWF11 (14N-221) or MWF12 (14N-221) Lab: TBA
Third subject in the French language sequence. Systematic work on grammar and vocabulary expands skills in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in French. Intercultural exploration through a variety of authentic materials, such as music, videos, films, newspapers, and excerpts from literary texts. Limited to 18 per section.
A. Culot
Textbooks (Fall 2024)
21G.304 French IV
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Prereq: 21G.303 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-1-8
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/language-placement-proficiency/
Lecture: MWF11 (14N-225) or MWF9 (14N-221) Lab: TBA
Fourth subject in the French language sequence. Focuses on language and intercultural understanding. Students work with a variety of materials such as surveys, newspapers, commercials, films and music. Systematic work on grammar and vocabulary expands students' skills in understanding, speaking, reading and writing. Limited to 18 per section.
E. Dessein
Textbooks (Fall 2024)
21G.306 French: Communication Intensive I
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Prereq: None. Coreq: 21G.308, 21G.310, 21G.311, 21G.312, 21G.315, 21G.320, 21G.321, or 21G.322; permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-0
TBA.
Intensive tutorial in writing and speaking for majors. Provides students with enhanced linguistic and cultural fluency for academic or real-world purposes. 21G.307 builds on writing and speaking skills acquired in 21G.306. Conducted entirely in French. Preference to French majors.
Fall: C. Clark
Spring: C. Clark
No textbook information available
21G.307 French: Communication Intensive II
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Prereq: None. Coreq: 21G.308, 21G.310, 21G.311, 21G.312, 21G.315, 21G.320, 21G.321, or 21G.322; permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-0
TBA.
Intensive tutorial in writing and speaking for majors. Provides students with enhanced linguistic and cultural fluency for academic or real-world purposes. 21G.307 builds on writing and speaking skills acquired in 21G.306. Conducted entirely in French. Preference to French majors.
C. Clark
No textbook information available
Intermediate Subjects in Language, Literature, and Culture
These subjects (21G.308-21G.315) are designed for students who have completed French IV or its equivalent. They serve as a transition between language study and more advanced subjects in literature and culture. Although each subject has a different emphasis, all provide students with additional practice in reading, speaking, and writing.
Native speakers of French who have studied French literature at a high-school level must obtain permission of the instructor to enroll in any of these subjects.
21G.308 Writing (Like the) French
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Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
For students who wish to continue with language study before taking upper-level subjects in literature or culture. Emphasis on development of reading and writing skills, review of the basic concepts of French grammar, and acquisition of precise vocabulary through the use of printed materials, short stories, and poems. Taught in French.
Staff
21G.310 French Conversation: Intensive Practice
()
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/language-placement-proficiency/
Lecture: MWF10 (14E-310)
Training in oral expression including communication skills, fluency, idiomatic French and pronunciation. Discussion materials include short literary and sociological texts, recent films, varied audio and digitized video interviews and the Internet. Taught in French. Limited to 16.
L. Rezvani
No required or recommended textbooks
21G.311 Introduction to French Culture
()
Not offered regularly; consult department
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Examines major social and political trends, events, debates and personalities which help place various aspects of contemporary French culture in their historical perspective. Topics include the heritage of the French Revolution, the growth and consequences of colonialism, the role of intellectuals in public debates, the impact of the Occupation, the modernization of the economy and of social structures. Also studied are the sources and meanings of national symbols, monuments, myths and manifestoes. Documents include fiction, films, essays, newspaper articles, and television shows. Recommended for students planning to study abroad. Taught in French.
Consult C. Clark
21G.312 Basic Themes in French Literature and Culture
() 
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/areas-of-study/french-studies/
Lecture: MW3-4.30 (14N-225)
Introduction to literary and cultural analysis through the close reading and discussion of texts united by a common theme. Taught in French.
A. Culot
No required or recommended textbooks
21G.315 A Window onto Contemporary French Society
()
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Intermediate subject designed to help students gradually build an in-depth understanding of France. Focuses on French attitudes and values regarding education, work, family, and institutions. Deals with the differing notions that underlie interpersonal interactions and communication styles, such as politeness, friendship, and formality. Using a Web comparative, cross-cultural approach, students explore a variety of French and American materials, then analyze and compare using questionnaires, opinion polls, news reports (in different media), as well as a variety of historical, anthropological and literary texts. Students involved in team research projects. Attention given to the development of relevant linguistics skills. Recommended for students planning to study and work in France. Taught in French.
Staff
21G.316 Marseille Unveiled: Digital Stories and Intercultural Encounters
(New)
()
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Intermediate subject that explores contemporary French urban culture and society through a semester-long global simulation project. Students take on the role of inhabitants of an apartment building in Marseille. Focuses on the development of communicative skills through oral and written practice in a variety of styles, forms and registers. Class activities include role-play, problem-solving tasks and debates. Enhances students' abilities to interpret a variety of authentic materials. Deepens understanding of contemporary French and Francophone thought, cultures and fosters intercultural competence. Taught in French. Limited to 18 for pedagogical reasons.
Staff
Advanced Subjects in Literature and Culture
21G.320[J] Introduction to French Literature
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(Same subject as 21L.620[J])
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
A basic study of major French literary genres — poetry, drama, and fiction — and an introduction to methods of literary analysis. Authors include: Voltaire, Balzac, Sand, Baudelaire, Apollinaire, Camus, Sartre, Ionesco, Duras, and Tournier. Special attention devoted to the improvement of French language skills. Taught in French.
B. Perreau
21G.321[J] Childhood and Youth in French and Francophone Cultures
()
(Same subject as 21L.321[J])
Prereq: One intermediate subject in French
Units: 3-0-9
Studies the transformation of childhood and youth since the 18th century in France, as well as the development of sentimentality within the family in a francophone context. Examines the personification of children, both as a source of inspiration for artistic creation and a political ideal aimed at protecting future generations. Considers various representations of childhood and youth in literature (e.g., Pagnol, Proust, Sarraute, Laye, Morgiévre), movies (e.g., Truffaut), and songs (e.g., Brel, Barbara). Taught in French.
B. Perreau
21G.322[J] Frenchness in an Era of Globalization
()
Not offered regularly; consult department
(Same subject as 21H.242[J])
Prereq: One intermediate subject in French or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Approaches the question of what constitutes Frenchness in today's era of globalization through issues of memory, belonging, and cultural production. Explores the role of timeless traditions - common technologies, an internationally-spoken language, monuments open to the world, and foods such as wine and cheese - remain quintessentially French. Also covers recent scandals about France's role in the world, such as its colonial identity and Dominique Strauss-Kahn's New York debacle. Taught in French. Limited to 18.
C. Clark
21G.323[J] French Literature and the Goncourt Prize
(New)
()
(Same subject as 21L.323[J])
Prereq: One intermediate level subject or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
A study of contemporary French literature and classics through the participation in the US Goncourt Prize jury. "Le Goncourt" is the most prestigious literary prize in France. Students study and rank books from the Goncourt shortlist. Prepares students to serve as representatives of MIT on a prize jury at Villa Albertine in New York and choose the winner along with students from Princeton, Duke, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Virginia. Students write a press article to present their experience as a jury. Special attention is devoted to the improvement of French language skills, oral and written. Taught in French. Limited to 18 for pedagogical reasons.
Staff
21G.325[J] New Culture of Gender: Queer France
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(Same subject as 21L.324[J], WGS.233[J])
Prereq: One intermediate subject in French
Units: 3-0-9
Addresses the place of contemporary queer identities in French discourse. Discusses the new generation of queer authors and their principal concerns. Introduces students to the main classical references of queer subcultures, from Proust and Vivien to Hocquenghem and Wittig. Examines current debates on post-colonial and globalized queer identities through essays, songs, movies, and novels. Authors include Didier Eribon, Anne Garréta, Abdellah Taïa, Anne Scott, and Nina Bouraoui. Taught in French.
B. Perreau
21G.326 Global Africa: Creative Cultures
() 
Not offered regularly; consult department
(Subject meets with 21A.136[J], 21G.026[J])
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Examines contemporary and historical cultural production on and from Africa across a range of registers, including literary, musical and visual arts, material culture, and science and technology. Employs key theoretical concepts from anthropology and social theory to analyze these forms and phenomena. Uses case studies to consider how Africa articulates its place in, and relationship to, the world through creative practices. Discussion topics largely drawn from Francophone and sub-Saharan Africa, but also from throughout the continent and the African diaspora. Taught in English with a project that requires research in French. Limited to 18.
A. Edoh
21G.328 African Migrations
()
Not offered regularly; consult department
(Subject meets with 21A.137[J], 21G.028[J])
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Examines West African migration to France and to the United States from the early 20th century to the present. Centering the experiences of African social actors and historicizing recent dynamics, students consider what migration across these three regions reveals about African projects of self-determination, postcolonial nation-building, and global citizenship. Students also comparatively analyze the workings of contemporary French and American societies, in particular, the articulations of race and citizenship in the two nations. Taught in English with a project that requires research in French. Limited to 18.
A. Edoh
21G.341 Contemporary French Film and Social Issues
()
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 2-2-8
Issues in contemporary French society as expressed through movies made in the 1990s. Topics include France's national self-image, the women's movement, sexuality and gender, family life and class structure, post-colonialism and immigration, and American cultural imperialism. Films by Lelouch, Audiard, Doillon, Denis, Klapisch, Resnais, Rouan, Balasko, Collard, Dridi, Kassovitz, and others. Readings from French periodicals. Films shown with English subtitles. Taught in French.
C. Clark
21G.342 French Pop Music
()
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Lecture: R EVE (7-10 PM) (14N-313)
Studies the literary, political and social traditions of "la chanson française" from the early 20th century to the present. Discusses the influences of world music on both French and francophone songs. Students investigate individual musicians' careers, as well as generational phenomena, such as cabaret songs, yéyés, and French rap. Examines the impact of social media on the music industry in France, the role of television and cinema, and the influence of dance and living art. Taught in French. Limited to 18.
B. Perreau
No required or recommended textbooks
21G.344[J] French Feminist Literature: Yesterday and Today
()
Not offered regularly; consult department
(Same subject as 21L.621[J], WGS.321[J])
Prereq: One intermediate subject in French or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Explores feminist literary voices in France throughout the ages. Discusses the theory that the power of feminist writing lies in its ability to translate dominant language into a language of one's own. Studies lifestyles, family norms, political representation, social movements, as well as the perception of the body. Investigates how feminist genealogies redefine the relationship between belonging and knowledge through a dialogue between several generations of women writers. Taught in French. Limited to 18.
B. Perreau
21G.346 Topics in Modern French Literature and Culture
()
Prereq: One intermediate subject in French
Units: 3-0-9
Lecture: M EVE (7-10 PM) (14N-313)
Close study of history and criticism of French literature, focusing on a specific group of writers, a movement, a theme, a critical or theoretical issue, or an analytic approach. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor. Taught in French.
E. Dessein
No required or recommended textbooks
21G.347 Social and Literary Trends in Contemporary Short French Fiction
()
Prereq: One intermediate subject in French or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Lecture: T EVE (7-10 PM) (14N-313)
Examines short stories and short novels published in France during the past 20 years, with emphasis on texts related to the dominant social and cultural trends. Themes include the legacy of France's colonial experience, the re-examination of its wartime past, memory and the Holocaust, the specter of AIDS, changing gender relationships, new families, the quest for personal identity, and immigration narratives. Covers a wide variety of authors, including Christine Angot, Nina Bouraoui, Herve Guibert, and Patrick Modiano. Taught in French.
B. Perreau
No required or recommended textbooks
21G.348 Global Paris
()
Prereq: One intermediate subject in French or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Investigates Paris' oversized status as a global capital by looking at the events, transformations, cultures, and arts for which the city is known. Explores Paris as a magnet for immigrants, and how their presence has transformed the city. Takes into account the city as a mythic place, dreamed of and reconstructed as far away as Bollywood and Las Vegas. Provides a deeper understanding of Paris and its current place in French and global cultures. Taught in French.
C. Clark
21G.353 Understanding Contemporary French Politics
()
Not offered regularly; consult department
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9
Credit cannot also be received for 21G.053
Examines French politics since 1958. Analyzes how politics has deeply influenced cultural and social life in France, including daily interactions. Questions public controversies and history's political cleavages, from the Algerian war to postcolonial issues, from the birth of the European construction to the Covid crisis. To explore French institutions and understand the impact of political issues in contemporary France, students "run" for the French presidency by preparing historical notes, delivering speeches, participating in a first-round presidential debate, and submitting a final political statement. Taught in French. Limited to 25.
B. Perreau
21G.356 The "Making" of Modern Europe: 1789-Present
()
(Subject meets with 21G.056[J], 21H.143[J])
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Provides an overview of European history from 1789 to the present. Explores how the ideas of "European" and "modern" have been defined over time. Explores major events and the evolution of major tensions and issues that consumed Europe and Europeans through the period, including questions of identity, inclusion/exclusion, religion, and equality. Places major emphasis on the fiction, visual culture, and films of the century as the products and evidence of political, social and cultural change. Taught in English with a project that requires research in French.
Staff
Graduate Language Subjects
21G.351 French I
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(Subject meets with 21G.301)
Prereq: None
Units: 3-1-5
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/language-placement-proficiency/
Lecture: MWF10 (1-375) or MWF11 (1-375) Lab: TBA
Introduction to the French language and culture with emphasis on acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical concepts through active communication. Conducted entirely in French. Exposure to the language via a variety of authentic sources such as the Internet, audio, video and printed materials which help develop cultural awareness and linguistic proficiency. Coordinated language lab program. Limited to 18 per section.
Staff
No textbook information available
21G.352 French II
(, )
(Subject meets with 21G.302)
Prereq: 21G.351
Units: 3-1-5
URL: https://languages.mit.edu/language-placement-proficiency/
Lecture: MWF11 (14E-310) or MWF1 (14N-221) Lab: TBA
Continuation of introductory course to the French language and culture with emphasis on acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical concepts through active communication. Conducted entirely in French. Exposure to the language via a variety of authentic sources such as the Internet, audio, video and printed materials which help develop cultural awareness as well as linguistic proficiency. Coordinated language lab. Same as 21G.302, but for graduate credit. Limited to 18 per section.
Staff
No textbook information available
For French Literature and Culture subjects offered in English, see 21G.049, 21G.052, 21G.053, 21G.054, and 21G.068.
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