AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE: Fall 2008 Courses

Each course is worth 3 credits, unless noted otherwise. Students are expected to take 5, 3-credit courses per semester. All courses are taught in English unless noted otherwise.

NOTE: Students who have not taken any French before are required to take FRE 101 and FRE 113, plus 3 electives of their choosing.

All courses with a course number that begins with FRE are taught in French.

Click here for the Fall 2008 class timetable

ALL COURSES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

ARCHAEOLOGY
ARC 309: Ancient European Art and Archeology
Development of the European Mediterranean societies and civilizations from the arrival of the first humans, the transition from a hunter-gatherer way of life to farming, the discovery of metalworking, up to the Roman conquest of the continent. Particular emphasis on southern France, placed in a larger historical and archeological context to show the main aspects of the multiple contacts, exchanges and cultural influences with Greeks, Celts and Romans in this area. Site visits, in Quinson (Musee de la Prehistoire), Arles and Saint-Remy-de Provence, are an integral part of the archeology course and initiation to the techniques and methods of archeology by the participation in excavation and/or post-excavation work. Program changes may occur due to local archaeology office authorizations.

ART
ART 105: Drawing and Painting
A beginning course for students with little or no experience in painting and drawing (three credits). Students acquire a basic knowledge of drawing skills, color theory, oil or watercolor techniques. Technical skills are always presented as subservient to each student's vision and imagination in relation to the direct observation of nature and the human form. Individual conferences with the faculty at the beginning of the semester determine if the student will accentuate drawing or painting during the semester. Evaluations and credit are assigned accordingly. Drawing students are required to use color during the semester; likewise, painting students are assigned drawing projects as well. All students must attempt to interrelate the two disciplines in their work. Six contact hours a week. An additional $210 fee will be applied to cover the cost of painting supplies.

ART 305: Painting /Drawing
A course for students with intermediate/advanced skills. The goal of the course is to develop the student's capacity to see into the visible world and transform his/her vision into art. The student is led gradually toward a deeper understanding of the relationship between natural and artistic forms through the challenges of museum study, landscape, portraiture, model work, and still life. Instruction is individualized and adapted to each student's needs and interests. Painting and drawing are taught concurrently and are complementary. At the beginning of the semester the professor will evaluate and determine if the individual student will accentuate either drawing or painting during the semester. Three credit hours in either drawing or painting will be assigned accordingly. Six contact hours a week. An additional $210 fee will be applied to cover the cost of painting supplies.

ART 326: Ceramic Art
This new studio art course is intended for students who have already learned basic drawing and painting techniques, and who wish to apply their painting skills within the ceramic medium. The course will take place one full afternoon and evening per week in the Buffile Ceramic Studio in Aix, and will also include mandatory weekend field trips. Students will work with professional ceramicists in fashioning hand built figures, and applying paint and glaze to figures, tiles and earthenware plates. Enrollment will be limited to five students. An additional $210 fee will be applied for all students to cover the costs of materials.

ART HISTORY
ART 331: History of Western Art Survey: Prehistory to the Middle Ages
Initiation to the language and techniques of art history. A study of painting, sculpture, and architecture of Western art from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages.

ART 381: The 19th Century and French Impressionism
An historical and critical analysis of painting in the 19th Century with emphasis on the history of Impressionism. Previous course in art history recommended. Site visits and special project.

ART 416/LIT 416/PHI 416: The Tragic Vision
The idea of tragedy from classical Greek times to the present. Structured around literary, historical and philosophical texts as well as visual forms (architecture, sculpture, painting, graphic art). Aspects of the art of the 19th and 20th Centuries will be studied in the quest for redefinitions of the meaning of tragedy since Aristotelian times, in terms of changing cultural conditions and value systems.

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS
BUS 301: Introduction to International Business
The basic principles of international business and management. Emphasis on foreign exchange, risk analysis, comparative management techniques in different countries, interaction between host societies and multinational corporations, and changing government policies affecting business.

BUS 303: International Management
Globalization has arrived as one of the major challenges facing managers of the new millennium. Acting in multicultural environments, international companies develop new managerial tools to benefit from extended markets. This course focuses on marketing goods and services in a global market and managing an intercultural workforce.

ECO 301 / ES 301: International Economics and the European Union
Introduction to European economic development followed by a study of economic factors in European trade up to and since the establishment of the Common Market. A survey of the European Common Market. Prior course in Economics required.

COMMUNICATIONS
COM 307 / JOU307: Introduction to Contemporary French Media - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
Students will follow major French and international news stories as reported in French newspapers and on radio and TV. As a new French government will take office this summer, it will be an exciting time watch the French press reaction as the nation adjusts to its new president, and begins to rethink its relation to the European Union. Students will learn to read and think critically about the media, to make informed judgments about the political, economic, social and cultural life of French and the European Union, and to write about current events using the principles of formal French expository writing.

EDUCATION
EDU 301: Comparative European Education
A study of the social, historical, and cultural factors which have influenced the development of educational institutions in Europe. Emphasis on the French and British education systems. Students will participate in a weekly practicum assisting French elementary and high school students with English. Students will be required to keep a journal based on their practical experience.

FILM STUDIES
FRE 355: France as Seen Through its Movies - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
This course proposes through a varied selection of films to show the different facets of France from literary imagination to social issues, from postwar period to today.

FRENCH CIVILIZATION & CULTURE
FRE 331: Contemporary French Civilization - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
Political, cultural, and social issues are viewed in this study of contemporary French civilization. Public health, education, employment, and family life are analyzed and compared with the American experience.

IAU 401: Perspectives on French Social Issues
One credit seminar format. The obvious and subtle differences between French and American societies explored through readings, class discussions, special lectures, and attendance at cultural events. Students keep a journal of their personal growth and evolving cross-cultural understandings.

HISTORY
HIS 301: European History: 1870-1918
Major social, economic, political and diplomatic developments in European history from 1870-1918. Special emphasis on the pre-war internal political structures of the major European states, and on industrialism and the evolution of working class movements.

HIS 325: Provencal History and Civilization - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
An introduction to Provence through a study of its history. Emphasis on those factors which through the centuries have contributed to the creation of a distinct Provencal culture. In addition to political, economic, and social questions, attention is given to art, literature, and folk traditions. Site visits to local museums and historic landmarks.

LITERATURE
LIT 325: Society and the Human Condition in Modern European Novels I
Society and the human condition are explored through a close textual analysis and discussion of works of modern European writers: Thomas Mann, Albert Camus, Milan Kundera, Ivo Andric, Siegfrid Lenz, and Doris Lessing. Contemporary societal problems will be evoked as each work is situated in its historical context.Film productions are compared with the literary texts.

LIT 371/MUS 371: Literature and the Language of Music I
This course will explore several fine monuments of Classical European literature and the way or ways which it has been grafted into a musical form, opera mainly, but also lieder and chamber music. Works studied in previous classes: Moliere's Don Juan, Mozart's Don Giovanni; Melville's Billy Budd, Britten's Billy Budd; Goethe's Faust; Berlioz's Damnation de Faust; Schubert and Schumann lieders, Perrault's Barbe Bleue, Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle; Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata, Janacek 1st String Quartet; Shakespeare's Othello, Verdi's Otello New works to be announced.

ART 416/LIT 416/PHI 416: The Tragic Vision
The idea of tragedy from classical Greek times to the present. Structured around literary, historical and philosophical texts as well as visual forms (architecture, sculpture, painting, graphic art). Aspects of the art of the 19th and 20th Centuries will be studied in the quest for redefinitions of the meaning of tragedy since Aristotelian times, in terms of changing cultural conditions and value systems.

FRE 315: Readings in French Literature - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
Readings in French literature and introduction to methods of literary analysis for students with the equivalent of at least two years of college French. The course includes works by poets from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including Labe, DuBellay, Ronsard, la Fontaine, Hugo, Baudelaire, Mallarme, Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Aragon, fiction by Voltaire and Maupassant, and plays by Moliere and Anouilh.

PHILOSOPHY
PHI 301: The Art of Philosophy from the Ancient World to the Present
An introduction to one of the most misunderstood disciplines in the arena of human affairs. Neither a science nor an indefinable " way of life ", philosophy is more an art form whose elusive goal is the beauty of Wisdom and whose material is the examined self. With this in mind, Philosophy 301 varies from semester to semester, choosing topics, philosophers or thematic material in view of finding a meaningful " whole " for concerted discussion. Given the course's seminar approach, enrollment is limited. A brief letter of motivation is helpful to insure a place around the table. Reading material spans the period from the Pre-Socratic philosophers down to the present. A detailed syllabus will be available 2-3 months before the semester begins.

ART 416/LIT 416/PHI 416: The Tragic Vision
The idea of tragedy from classical Greek times to the present. Structured around literary, historical and philosophical texts as well as visual forms (architecture, sculpture, painting, graphic art). Aspects of the art of the 19th and 20th Centuries will be studied in the quest for redefinitions of the meaning of tragedy since Aristotelian times, in terms of changing cultural conditions and value systems.

POLITICAL SCIENCE
POL 303: International Relations
The objective of this course is to provide an introduction and understanding of international relations. It places an emphasis on how international relations have changed as a result of globalization. To do so requires first and foremost an historical overview concentrating on the traditional concepts of the nation-state and state-sovereignty, followed by an introduction of the theoretical approaches used in order to understand international relations today. Finally the course will study the major actors, core institutions and structures that shape international relations today, with a special focus on global issues such as security, the environment, human rights, trade and finance etc? Themes such as the possible erosion of the power of the nation-state in today's world are central to the course.

POL 307 / ES 307: The European Union: Integration, Enlargement, Unity
The objective of this course is to provide an understanding of the historical evolution, the institutions and the policies of the European Union. The significance and challenges of European integration will be put into context with an overview of European diplomatic history from the advent of the nation-state to the growing interdependence among member states today. Dealing with such themes as nationalism, state-sovereignty, supranational governance, democratic accountability and enlargement, this course seeks to address the key debates surrounding European integration today.

POL 371: European Welfare States
This class focuses on the development and functioning of European welfare states with emphasis on health care, France, and contemporary problems and issues.

PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 304: Human Development in Cultural Contexts
The comparative context will be that of a European academic approach to Human Development in contrast with a North American one. Thus human development will be studied from a psychodynamic perspective and the course will draw extensively on the theories of such psychoanalytic thinkers as Freud, Melanie Klein, Wilfred Bion and Donald Winnicott, amongst others. Overall the emphasis will be on identity formation and the attainment of a "mind of one's own."

THEATRE
FRE 357 / THE 357: Theater and Expression in French (Given in French for Intermediate level or higher)
Inspired by methods used in the drama school of Jacques Lecocq, this course offers a dynamic, interactive 'hands on' approach to language acquisition. Through exercises in memorization, pronunciation, diction and a wide variety of creative exercises, this course is conducive to reinforcing the linguistic confidence and competence of participating students. Contemporary authors are the source of the texts used: Eugene Ionesco, Jean Tardieu, Jacques Prevert, Jacques Roubaud, etc. This course is open to students at the 200 level or above who wish to improve their practical use of the French language.

FRENCH LANGUAGE
FRE 101: Beginning French I
An intensive practical introduction to French for those who have little or no previous training. Students learn the basic structures and vocabulary of French through a variety of exercises and communicative situations. In real-life acts of communication, students are able to interact within the classroom and then in their daily lives. Students enrolled in FRE101 must be enrolled in FRE113 also.

FRE 102: Beginning French II
An intensive practical study of more advanced components of the French language for those who have the equivalent of one semester of college French. They learn more advanced structures and vocabulary of French through a variety of exercises and communicative situations. In real-life acts of communication, students are able to interact within the classroom and then in their daily lives.

FRE 113: Beginning Conversation and Culture I
This course is intended for students with little or no previous knowledge in French, and is designed to be taken in conjunction with FRE 101. Students begin to acquire a real understanding of oral French through the use of video segments and cassettes. The course takes a conversational approach to contemporary French culture. Students enrolled in FRE113 must be enrolled in FRE101 also.

FRE 114: Beginning Conversation and Culture II
This course is intended for students with the equivalent of one semester of college French, and is designed to be taken in conjunction with FRE 102. Students continue to develop a real understanding of oral French through the use of video segments and cassettes. The course takes a conversational approach to contemporary French culture.

FRE 201: Intermediate French I
This course, intended for students who have completed a year of college level French, is designed to permit to students to continue to develop their competence in reading, writing, speaking and understanding spoken French. There is a strong emphasis in the course on elements of grammar and sentence structure necessary to improve written and spoken French, as well as on reading comprehension, conversational French and pronunciation.

FRE 202: Intermediate French II
This course, intended for students who have completed three semesters of college level French, is designed to permit to students to continue to develop their competence in more advanced elements of reading, writing, speaking and understanding spoken French. As in FRE 201, there is a strong emphasis in the course on elements of grammar and sentence structure necessary to improve written and spoken French, as well as on reading comprehension, conversational French and pronunciation.

FRE 213: Intermediate Conversation and Culture I
In this course designed for students who have completed the equivalent of one year of college French, students will read and discuss texts designed to enrich their understanding of French culture, and will be expected to attend local cultural events. The course is organized around themes including food, leisure activities, politics, popular culture, the media, and holidays. Students will write short papers and make presentations in class. The course is designed as a complement to FRE 201, but can also be taken independently.

FRE 214: Intermediate Conversation and Culture II
In this course, designed for students who have completed the equivalent of three semesters of college French, students will read and discuss texts designed to enrich their understanding of French culture, and will be expected to attend local cultural events. The course is organized around themes including food, leisure activities, politics, popular culture, the media, and holidays. Students will write short papers and make presentations in class. The course is designed as a complement to FRE 202, but can also be taken independently.

FRE 301: Advanced French I
This course, intended for students who have completed the equivalent of two years of college French, includes a systematic review of fundamental grammatical structures with a special study of the use of verb tenses in a given context in order to develop an appreciation for the subtleties of the language. Special attention is given to the development of writing skills and orthography.

FRE 302: Advanced French II
This course, intended for students who have completed the equivalent of five semesters of college French, includes a continued review of more sophisticated grammatical structures with a special emphasis on complex sentences in order to develop an appreciation for the subtleties of the language. Attention is also given to the development of writing skills and orthography.

FRE 313: Advanced Conversation and Culture I
In this course, designed for students with the equivalent of two years of college French, students will have the opportunity to improve their command of oral and written French. They will analyze and discuss newspaper and magazines articles. Students will be expected to attend local cultural events. The course includes a special emphasis on everyday language and on linguistic practice in contemporary society. Students will write short papers and make presentations in class. The course is designed as a complement to FRE 301, but can also be taken independently.

FRE 314: Advanced Conversation and Culture II
In this course, designed for students with the equivalent of five semesters of college French, students will have the opportunity to continue to improve their command of oral and written French. They will analyze and discuss, in addition to newspaper and magazine articles, television and radio programs and advertising through all media. Students will be expected to attend local cultural events. Students will write short papers and make presentations in class. The course is designed as a complement to FRE 302, but can also be taken independently.

FRE 317: Business French
Intensive training in French for business and commercial purposes, emphasizing specialized forms and vocabulary. There will be fieldtrips to local businesses or industries and professional consultants are invited into the class. First and second semesters, if sufficient enrollment permits.

FRE 335: Phonetics
Phonetic theory illustrated by aural practice and pronunciation. Intensive practice in sound reproduction and fine-tuning the ear to new sound combinations. For advanced students. Language laboratory work at the French university. First and second semesters.

FRE 411: Translation and Stylistics I
In this course, students will work individually and in groups on the translation from English to French and French to English of business, journalistic, advertising, and some literary texts. Students will improve their understanding of the nuances of technical writing in both languages, and will also be exposed to theoretical and technical questions related to translation.

OTHER ELECTIVES GIVEN IN FRENCH
COM 307 / JOU307: Introduction to Contemporary French Media - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
Students will follow major French and international news stories as reported in French newspapers and on radio and TV. As a new French government will take office this summer, it will be an exciting time watch the French press reaction as the nation adjusts to its new president, and begins to rethink its relation to the European Union. Students will learn to read and think critically about the media, to make informed judgments about the political, economic, social and cultural life of French and the European Union, and to write about current events using the principles of formal French expository writing.

FRE 315: Readings in French Literature - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
Readings in French literature and introduction to methods of literary analysis for students with the equivalent of at least two years of college French. The course includes works by poets from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including Labe, DuBellay, Ronsard, la Fontaine, Hugo, Baudelaire, Mallarme, Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Aragon, fiction by Voltaire and Maupassant, and plays by Moliere and Anouilh.

FRE 331: Contemporary French Civilization - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
Political, cultural, and social issues are viewed in this study of contemporary French civilization. Public health, education, employment, and family life are analyzed and compared with the American experience.

FRE 355: France as Seen Through its Movies - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
This course proposes through a varied selection of films to show the different facets of France from literary imagination to social issues, from postwar period to today.

FRE 357 / THE 357: Theater and Expression in French (Given in French for Intermediate level or higher)
Inspired by methods used in the drama school of Jacques Lecocq, this course offers a dynamic, interactive 'hands on' approach to language acquisition. Through exercises in memorization, pronunciation, diction and a wide variety of creative exercises, this course is conducive to reinforcing the linguistic confidence and competence of participating students. Contemporary authors are the source of the texts used: Eugene Ionesco, Jean Tardieu, Jacques Prevert, Jacques Roubaud, etc. This course is open to students at the 200 level or above who wish to improve their practical use of the French language.

HIS 325: Provencal History and Civilization - (Given in French for Advanced level students)
An introduction to Provence through a study of its history. Emphasis on those factors which through the centuries have contributed to the creation of a distinct Provencal culture. In addition to political, economic, and social questions, attention is given to art, literature, and folk traditions. Site visits to local museums and historic landmarks.


Volunteer Opportunities

Participation in volunteer opportunities in Aix-en-Provence is an excellent way to immerse yourself in your host country's way of life while helping those in need. In effect, this will add another dimension to the study abroad experience through daily exposure and interactions, resulting in a greater understanding of the language, culture, and community of the host country.

If you're interested in volunteering, simply ask the staff at The Aix Center for details after you arrive in Aix. Please note that these volunteer opportunities are not for credit.

The following are the volunteer opportunities in which students can participate. A minimum Intermediate level of French is required to participate.

- English language tutor for schoolchildren ages 9-14
- English language tutor for adults ages 19-28 who are going back to school to try and pass their BAC
- Trimming olive trees on local farms
- Planting trees on Mte. Ste Victoire (Spring semester only because of planting season)
- Volunteering in a soup kitchen (December only)