THE AIX CENTER - Spring 2011 Course Offerings

All students MUST get a total of 8 classes approved by their academic advisor, in case of changes in course availability or schedule conflicts. That way, if a class is full or cancelled, or if 2 of the classes you want to take meet at the same time, you'll already have back-up classes that you know your school will accept. When you pre-register for classes (this happens after you're accepted), you will have to list a total of 8 possible classes on your registration form, in order of preference.

All courses are worth 3 credits each, unless otherwise noted. 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 100 (6 credits), plus 3 electives of their choosing.

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

Click here for the Spring 2011 class timetable - use this to plan your schedule!

COURSE OFFERINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FRENCH LANGUAGE CLASSES:
FRE 100: Essentials of Elementary French I - 6 credits
Essentials of French grammar with listening, speaking, reading, pronunciation, and writing; an introduction to the basic structures and vocabulary of French. This class is for students who have never taken French before. This class is equivalent to 1st semester of college French.

FRE 105: Essentials of Elementary French II - 6 credits
Listening, speaking, pronunciation, reading, and writing; an introduction to the basic structures and vocabulary of French, continuation. This class is equivalent to 2nd semester of college French. Students should have taken the equivalent of at least one semester of college French.

FRE 200: Essentials of Intermediate French I - 4 credits
Essentials of Intermediate French I - It introduces students to a full range of structures to complete their initial study of the grammatical system; emphasizes the development of all five skills, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, and listening and cultural understanding through readings and audiovisual enrichment materials. This class is equivalent to 3rd semester of college French. Students should have taken the equivalent of 2 semesters of college French.

FRE 203: Essentials of Intermediate French II - 4 credits
A comprehensive grammar review with emphasis on oral expression and the continued development of oral, aural, reading and written skills. This class is equivalent to 4th semester of college French. Students should have taken the equivalent of 3 semesters of college French.

FRE 217: Living in France: A Conversation - 3 credits
Oral and written practice of French idiomatic expression, everyday language, and syntax. 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. This class is equivalent to 4th semester of college French. Students should have taken the equivalent of at least 2-3 semesters of college French.

FRE 300: Advanced Grammar and Usage - 3 credits
Advanced written practice and grammar review. Essay topics follow a simulation enriched by literary texts and multimedia activities. This class is equivalent to 5th semester of college French. Students should have taken the equivalent of 4 semesters of college French. If you are looking for an advanced conversation course, we recommend FRE 307, FRE 317 or FRE 357.

FRE 307: Advanced Conversation and Composition - 3 credits
Writing and discussion on current topics Oral practice through debates and discussions of current events, and role playing emphasizing cultural content. This class is equivalent to 6th semester of college French. Students should have taken at least of 4-5 semesters of college French. If you are taking FRE 316, FRE 331 and/or FRE 356 and would also like to take a conversation course along with it, FRE 307 is recommended.

FRE 317: Business French - 3 credits
Intensive training in French for business and commercial purposes, emphasizing specialized forms and vocabulary. There will be field trips to local businesses or industries and professional consultants are invited into the class. For advanced students. Offered first and second semesters, if sufficient enrollment permits.

FRE 335: Phonetics - 3 credits
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.

FRE 357 / THE 357: Using Theater to perfect your French - 3 credits
The object of this course is to improve students' oral communication, as well as their knowledge of another culture, through reading, recitation and discussions. Excerpts of certain French plays will be used. We will use a very pragmatic approach, concentrating on exercises designed to explore working on voice, reading and pronunciation via modern theatrical texts. This experience is a direct appropriation of the French language. We will learn how to adapt the works of others, how to express one's own personality through the words of another, how to place one's voice, and how to really incorporate the French language. The students will prepare certain texts: reading and comprehension, memorization of short dialogues, and expressions. For advanced students.

OTHER ELECTIVES GIVEN IN FRENCH
FRE 316: Readings in French Literature (Given in French) - 3 credits
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 19th and 20th centuries, including Lamartine, Vigny, Hugo, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Mallarme, Leconte de Lisle, Rimbaud, and Apollinaire, fiction by Maupassant, Proust and Camus, and plays by Hugo and Anouilh.

FRE 331: Contemporary French Civilization (Given in French) - 3 credits
Political, cultural, and social issues are viewed in this study of contemporary French civilization. Public health, education, employment, family life, secularism, religions, racism, minorities, French-speaking communities, French overseas departments and territories, France and globalization etc., are analyzed and compared with the American experience.

FRE/FLM 356: France as seen through its Movies: The 1980's to Today (Given in French) - 3 credits
A cinematic look at French society, this course provides an historical, cultural and aesthetic approach to French films produced from the 1980's to today. Students will learn to describe, question and understand the multiple representations of France proposed by its films. Each film will be approached according to its relation with the socio-cultural events of the period of its production and to its relation to France today. At the same time, the class will provide techniques for a deeper understanding of cinematic image.

FRE 412: Translation and Stylistics (Given in French) - 3 credits
The focus in Translation and Stylistics is on the translation from English to French and French to English of literary texts, with constant reference to technical and theoretical considerations. Students will expand their understanding of both English and French stylistic issues, as they work with authors representing a wide range of literary styles, including for example Camus, Pagnol, and Yourcenar in French, and Poe, Raymond Carver and J.M. Barrie in English. For advanced students.

FRE 422: Contemporary French Novel (Given in French) - 3 credits
Students will get a taste of the contemporary French literary landscape, reading and discussing (in French) works by three of France's best known 21st century writers: Amélie Nothomb's Le fait du Prince (2008), her most recent novel; Michel Houellebecq's La possibilité d'une île (Prix Interallié 2005, adapted for the screen by the author, September 2008), and Didier Van Cauwelaert, Un aller simple (prix Goncourt 1994, adapted for the screen 2001 by Laurent Heynemann).

COM 308 / JOU308: Topics in Contemporary French Media (Given in French) - 3 credits
Students will follow major French and international news stories as reported in French newspapers and on radio and TV. The course will focus on internal French politics as the Sarkozy government implements its promised reforms. There will also be close attention to the evolution of the French 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.

HIS 328: Provencal History and Culture through its Monuments (Given in French) - 3 credits
An introduction to the History of Provence and a study of its most exemplary monuments. These historic landmarks, which include the city of Aix-en-Provence, the Popes Palace in Avignon and the Roman Amphitheatre in Arles, will serve as a background to an explanation of the historical, political, economic and social questions from Antiquity to the early 20th century. The modern cultural aspect of Provence will be covered in the second half of the semester with presentations on folk traditions, provencal literature, linguistics, movies, typical provencal sports... Both aspects will allow students to understand those factors which through the centuries have contributed to the creation of a distinct Provencal culture. Site visits on Saturdays, in Marseille, Arles and the archaeological site of Glanum (Saint-Rémy de Provence), are an integral part of the Provencal History course.


ELECTIVES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH:
ARC 310: Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations - 3 credits
A general view of the Mediterranean basin and the various civilizations that flourished there. As an introduction, we will first discuss the evolution of the concept of archaeology; its aims and nature. Then, we will go on with the core of our topic with a chronological development focusing on these great civilizations: Mesopotamian in Middle-East (from the Sumerians to the Persians), Egyptian, Minoan and Mycenaean, Greek, Celtic and Roman during Antiquity. Historical, economic, cultural and artistic aspects will be studied through case studies (the dawn of writing, literature) taken from the most exemplary archaeological sites and masterpieces created by these civilizations. Site visits on Saturday, in Marseille, Arles and the archaeological site of Glanum (Saint-Remy de Provence), are an integral part of the Archaeology course.

ART 106: Drawing and Painting (Studio Art) - 3 credits
Students enhance their knowledge of drawing skills and color theory in relation to content and form (three credits). Spring semester emphasizes landscape but includes model drawing and painting, museum study and some portraiture. Students may accentuate either painting or drawing during the semester but they are required to do both and attempt to inter-relate the two disciplines. Six contact hours a week. Limited enrollment. An additional $260 fee will be applied to cover the cost of painting supplies.

ART 306: Intermediate/Advanced Painting and Drawing (Studio Art) - 3 credits
A course for students with intermediate/advanced skills. Instruction is individualized and adapted to each student's needs and interests. Painting and drawing are taught concurrently and are complementary. Students must interrelate painting and drawing throughout the semester. At the beginning of the semester the professor will evaluate and determine if the student will accentuate either drawing or painting during the semester. Evaluations and three credit hours in either drawing or painting will be assigned accordingly. Six contact hours per week. Limited enrollment. An additional $260 fee will be applied to cover the cost of painting supplies.

ART 232: Survey, History of Western Art: Renaissance to the 21st Century - 3 credits
Initiation to the language and techniques of art history. A study of painting, sculpture, and architecture from the Renaissance to the present.

ART 382: Cezanne and van Gogh - 3 credits
An in-depth study of the life and work of Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh. Previous course in art history desirable. Limited enrollment.

BUS 301: Introduction to International Business - 3 credits
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 Intercultural Management - 3 credits
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.

COM 312: Speaking of Provence: from Myth to Media - 3 credits
The course introduces students to representations of Provence, from the Troubadours to Ridley Scott, in history, literature, media, and song. The goal is to make students aware of Provence's unique cultural identity and to sharpen their ability to interpret culture in general, through close reading, viewing of media, and through comparative analysis.

ECO 304: Economic Globalization: Growth and Development - 3 credits
Introduction to the economic analysis of development and growth policies, to familiarize students with the practices and theories of economic development. Special attention is paid on the current globalization context and on international relations. Pre-requisite: 1-2 courses in economics (macroeconomics or international economics)

EDU 301: Comparative European Education - 3 credits
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 students with English. Students will be required to keep a journal based on their practical experience. Limited enrollment.

HIS 314 /COM 314: France during the Occupation: 1939 - 1945 - 3 credits
This course explores the history as well as literature and media representations of the occupation of France in World War II. The curriculum includes the institutional history of the period, but will focus on responses of the civilian population, including collaboration and resistance.

HIS 303: France and Europe in the Cold War: Economy, Culture and Society: 1945-1989 - 3 credits
Study of the evolution of the European societies from the post-war period to the fall of the Berlin Wall through cultural history (arts, literature, architecture, alternative cultures) and social evolution (e. g. paternalistic society of the 1950’s, May 1968, social and sexual revolution, emergence of the consumer society) linked to the exceptional economic growth of the post-war period ending with the oil shocks (1970’s).

IAU 401: Perspectives on French Social Issues - 3 credits
The study abroad experience is crucial not just for understanding different cultures, but also for coming to terms with one's own. The class explores obvious and subtle differences between French and American societies through readings, class discussions, special lectures, and attendance at cultural events. Students will observe and analyze their new surroundings, keeping a journal of their growing awareness and evolving cross-cultural understandings.

LIT 375: European City in Literature and the Arts - 3 credits
Exploration of the rise and the establishment of the urban setting as the nexus of contemporary European culture and civilization through cinema, the novel, poetry, music and paintings. Typically includes an excursion to sites in Paris

LIT 372: Literature and the Language of Music II - 3 credits
Exploration of several monuments of classical European literature and their relationships to opera, lieder, and chamber music.

PHI 302: Ethics: From the Ancients to the Moderns - 3 credits
In this seminar devoted to reading and discussion, we will focus on the moral implications of the 'Eros of Identity' as represented in several stellar Greek and Roman texts. The erotic yearning, highly developed in the ancient world, to constitute a Self capable of facing the challenges of this mortal life and perhaps beyond it will be studied in Homer's Odyssey, Plato's Symposium, Phaedrus, and Phaedo, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, and Montaigne's On Some Verses by Virgil. No previous courses in Philosophy required. Sole requirement: an open and curious mind.

POL 307/ES 307: The European Union: Integration, Enlargement, Unity - 3 credits
The European Union is a very unique actor in international relations. This course is designed as a comprehensive study of the treaties, events and negotiations that led to the formation of the European Union. It will equally look at the current institutions and policies that make the European Union a global actor today. The course will examine underlying themes pertinent to the European Union such as nationalism, state-sovereignty, supranational governance, democratic accountability and the future of enlargement. Limited enrollment.

POL 308/ES 308: Geopolitics in the Mediterranean Basin: A Clash of Civilizations or a common Identity? - 3 credits
A crossroad of civilizations, the Mediterranean Basin is a zone of exchange as well as confrontation where the Occident meets the Orient. Since the end of WWII this region has been engulfed by conflicts most notably along nationalist, religious and ethnic fault lines. However, because of the strategic and economic importance of this region, its security and stability are of a world-wide interest. The objective of this course is to examine the contemporary geopolitical environment of the Mediterranean Basin in order to have a better understanding of the security issues confronting the region. Focusing especially on the post WWII era the course will direct special attention to de-colonization and the roles of ethnicity, religion, modernity, globalization and their impact on the peoples, politics and security of the region. Fundamental to the course will be an analysis of contemporary conflicts, (Israeli-Arab Wars, French-Algerian War ex-Yugoslavia etc?) and the efforts of reconciliation highlighting the dialog between the Arab world and the Occident. Finally the course will debate the roles of the United States and Europe for democratization, peace and security in the region.

PSY 304: Human Development in Cultural Contexts - 3 credits
The cultural context will highlight a European academic approach to Human Development in contrast with a North American one. Thus human development will be studied from a psychodynamic perspective. The course will draw extensively on the theories of such psychoanalytic theoreticians as Freud, Melanie Klein, Wilfred Bion and Donald Winnicott, as well as current thinkers. Overall the emphasis will be on identity formation and the attainment of a "mind of one's own."

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)