FR 355: INTRODUCTION TO PROSE Francophone & French Literature of 20th and 21st Century

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1 FR 355: INTRODUCTION TO PROSE Francophone & French Literature of 20th and 21st Century Professor: YOLANDE ALINE HELM Winter 2012 Studying a Foreign Language is like building a house: if you don't have a solid foundation, it will be challenging to build up to the roof. So, reach high and aim for the top!

2 Call Number: Hours Credit: 4 Time/Days: M, T, Th, F: 1:10-2:00 Building/Room: Gordy, 207 Instructor: Yolande Aline Helm, PhD, Associate Professor of Francophone African & Caribbean Literature & Culture (I will use this website for assignments, updates etc.). Gordy 333, Phone helm@ohio.edu Office hours: M, T, Th, F, 2:00-2:30 AND BY APPOINTMENT Prerequisite: FR 354 (or special permission from 355 instructor) GRADUATE STUDENTS: Graduate students enrolled in SPAN-511, 512 or 513 will receive CR on their transcripts if their final grade is a B or above; otherwise, the letter grade earned will appear on the student s transcript. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: The Ohio University Student Code of Conduct prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. These include -but are not limited to- cheating; plagiarism; forgery; furnishing false information to the University; and alteration or misuse of University documents, records, or identification. In addition, assignments that are totally/partially taken from an external source such as published information (book, web page, etc.), produced by a translation program or by another person will receive NO credit. All forms of dishonesty will be reported to the Director of the program. Possible consequences include a grade of zero on the assignment, course failure, and/or referral to judiciaries. DISABILITIES: We are committed to ensuring equal opportunity for students with a disability. This is a collaborative process and effort among the Disability Services office, the student and the instructor. Students with disabilities should provide the instructor with written notification of their disability via Disability Student Services and make a direct request for accommodations to establish the means of providing accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids within one week of the beginning of the course. If you have any condition (physical/learning disability), which will make it difficult for you to perform class work as delineated in this syllabus or if you require special accommodations, it is YOUR responsibility to notify your instructor the first week of class. LATENESS AND DOCUMENTATION: To be fair to everyone, unless you present valid documentation, no late work will be accepted and no make-

3 up exams or quizzes will be given. If, due to illness or other emergency, you are unable to attend class on an exam day, please contact your instructor immediately in order to make arrangements. If you know in advance that you will miss class a day an assignment is due, it is your responsibility to turn it in before the due date. POLICY FOR MISSED QUIZZES AND TESTS: Without a valid excuse and proper documentation for missing class (see above), there will be no makeups for quizzes and tests missed. COPYRIGHT: The lectures, classroom activities, and all materials associated with this class and developed by the instructor are copyrighted in the name of Dr. Helm on this date November 30, CELL PHONE USE POLICY AND OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: Cell phone use (of any kind voice, text messages, etc.) and laptop use is banned during class. Please put cell phones out of sight and mute them during class time. Playing with your phone or sending text messages during class will result in warning and the participation points for that day will be lowered, two warnings will result in an absence. Grading Scale: A: , A-: B+: 87-89, B: 83-86, B-: C+: 77-79, C: 73-76, C-: D+: 67-69, D: 63-66, D-: F: 0-59 Final Exam: no final exam, but a final paper: must be handed in on Wednesday, March 14, by 5:00 p.m. (in my mailbox in DML - Gordy's mailroom, 2nd floor). Course Objectives To improve your reading of literature, and especially of contemporary novels and short stories by French and Francophone authors To appreciate the various writing styles of the authors listed To develop your speaking and listening skills through class discussions and lectures To learn French authors and authors coming from the Francophone world, such as Amélie Nothomb (Belgique) and Maryse Condé (Guadeloupe)

4 To learn the different genres within prose: fiction-autobiography (Nothomb); fiction and history (Condé), and short story (Gavalda) To learn about the History of the French Caribbean To learn some cultural elements from each author s country through their fiction, and autobiography (America, Japan, Belgium, Barbados, Guadeloupe, France) Required texts I. A good dico French/English English/French is necessary (Collins- Robert Eng-Fr/Fr-Eng) II. Novels and short stories 1) Ni d Ève ni d Adam, Albin Michel, 2007 (fiction and autobiography) By Amélie Nothomb (Belgian author). 2) Moi, Tituba sorcière... Noire de Salem, Poche, 1988 (fiction and history) By Maryse Condé (Author from Guadeloupe, French Caribbean). 3) Je voudrais que quelqu un m attende quelque part, Poche, 2001 (short stories) By Anna Gavalda (French author) Sometimes, you may find those books at Barnes & Bobles. Grade distribution Midterm exam (Take home) 20% Assignments 20% (written and oral) Final Oral pres 15% Final paper (extension of your oral presentation) 25% Participation 10% Attendance 10% Midterm (take home) 20% 1) Part factual : it will be based on: lectures by instructor

5 power points assignments (oral, written) internet sites, videos, handouts, documentaries discussions 2) Essay: a choice between two topics Assignments (written and oral) 20% Each day, you will be asked to read the assigned pages. In addition, you will have to : prepare questions, write comments write summaries prepare short oral presentations Final Oral Presentation 15%: 10 mn on a topic chosen in consultation with your instructor. What I usually recommend is that you select a theme and develop it throughout one novel (or two). Your presentation should be original and not merely a repetition of what you heard/learned during the course of the class. Final Paper 25% (extension of your oral presentation): title, name, date on a separate page: use recycled paper for that first reference page if you wish to save some trees Format : 6-page minimum ; Times, font 12 ; 1.5 spaced ; no large spaces between paragraphs ; paragraphs should at least contains 7-8 lines ; title, name, other references on a separate page Add the bibliography MLA format, or any other; just, make sure you are consistent. Due: (in my mailbox in DML - Gordy's mailroom, 2nd floor, March 14, by 5:00 p.m). Participation 10% First, remember that absences and participation are linked! If you are absent, you cannot participate! Also, daily participation is expected! An «F» will result if you don t speak during the discussions. You are encouraged to inquire about your participation grade each week. Being present does NOT mean you are participating! Here are some criteria, which I will take into consideration when assigning you a participation grade: Speak French only (cela va de soi!) with your instructor and your classmates. 1 1 Oftentimes, my students and I converse in French outside of class (in the hallways, or in my office)... That is not an obligation of course, but just see it as another opportunity to learn and to associate the learning of French within «real» situations (i.e. outside of the

6 When I ask you a question, answer! If you don t know the answer, just say «je ne sais pas» ; «pourriez-vous répéter s il vous plaît?» ; «je suis désolée mais je n ai pas compris» etc. Never say «What», or «Hein»: it is rude. It is strongly recommended to volunteer for answers : do so by raising your hand (the accuracy of your answers although important will weigh less than your willingness to try)... However, «ne dites pas n importe quoi, n importe quand...»! Have a good attitude : from day one, and you will be amazed at what it can do for the overall atmosphere of the class. Be patient! You and your peers will be at various levels in your knowledge of French. Remember that you are there to learn and that you should be courteous to one another. Always be prepared for class: do the reading assigned and/or the written exercises before each class. NOT ALLOWED: Speaking any English at all in class, sending or reading text messages, looking at your schedule book (a typical one!), reading the paper, using a computer or any other devise, or engaging in anything other than French class activities during class time will also adversely affect your participation grade. Attendance 10% No more than 3 absences are allowed, yet, not encouraged: No absence = 10%; 1= 9,9 % ; 2 = 9,8% ; 3= 9,7% ; 4 = 8% ; 5 = 7% ; 6 = 0% You are responsible for obtaining information regarding missed assignments and/or exams. Make-up tests are not permitted unless you have a legitimate excuse (i.e. illness, authorized university activity, hospitalization, medical care, death in the family): I reserve the right to request written proofs for those absences. Week one T Jan 3 Schedule Présentations et introduction au cours "DEVOIRSNOTHOMB.doc": DEVOIR 1 ( Rubrique FR 355) Th Jan 5 Amélie Nothomb, Ni d Ève ni d Adam, 7-81 («...ne pas te raconter et te laisser découvrir») French classroom!). I also encourage you to attend the French table at Casa (usually on Tuesday night. TBA).

7 DEVOIR 2 F Jan («... Ses jambes endolories ne le portaient plus») DEVOIR 3 Week two M Jan («... me dis-je») DEVOIR 4 T Jan («... qui les unit en moi») Th Jan 12 F Jan (la fin) Histoire de la Caraïbe Française DEVOIR 1 (Moi, Tituba... Sorcière... noire de Salem Week three M Jan 16 T Jan 17 Martin Luther King Day offices closed, no classes Moi, Tituba sorcière... Noire de Salem Les Sorcières de Salem et Tituba I.1 DEVOIR 2 Th Jan 19 I.2 DEVOIR 3 F Jan 20 I.3 DEVOIR 4 Week four M Jan 23 I.4, I.5 DEVOIR 5 T Jan 24 I.6, I.7 DEVOIR 6 Th Jan 26 I.8, I.9 DEVOIR 7 F Jan 27 I.10

8 DEVOIR 8 Week five M Jan 30 Take Home Midterm Exam (you will receive it via on Saturday morning Jan 28), and will have to hand the paper copy in class on T Jan 31) T Jan 31 I.11, I.12 Midterm due (no electronic copies please) DEVOIR 9 Th Feb 2 II.1, II.2, II.3 DEVOIR 10 F Feb 3 Week six M Feb 6 T Jan 7 Th Feb 9 F Feb 10 II.4, II.5, II.6 DEVOIR 11 II.7, II.8, II.9 DEVOIR 12 II.10, II.11, II.12 DEVOIR 13 II.13, II.14, II.15 DEVOIR 14 Conclusion Week seven For each Gavalda story read, the "devoir" will be: find a theme that is striking to you in that particular story and develop it in a paragraph of about half a page (what other novel, story, film does it remind you of etc.). M Feb 13 Présentation, Anna Gavalda Je voudrais que quelqu un m attende quelque part T Jan 14 "Petites Pratiques germanopratines", 7-17

9 Th Feb 16 "Permission", F Feb 17 "I.I.G.", Week eight M Feb 20 "The Opel touch", T Jan 21 "Le fait du jour", Th Feb 23 "Junior", F Feb 24 "Cat Gut", Week nine M Feb 27 "Pendant des années, T Jan 28 "Clic-clac", " Th Mar 1 Epilogue F Mar 2 Présentations orales Week ten M Mar 5 T Mar 6 Th Mar 8 F Mar 9 Présentations orales Présentations orales Présentations orales Présentations orales Final Exam: no final exam, but a final paper: must be handed in on Wednesday, March 14, by 5:00 p.m. (in my mailbox in DML- Gordy's mailroom, 2nd floor). No electronic copies accepted. Cyberdicos (dictionnaires en ligne)

10 1) Français-argot, argot-français 2) dico français-anglais, anglais-français et dico multifonctions (définitions, synonymes, conjugaisons, style) Maryse Condé Biographie/bibliographie/histoire et culture en Guadeloupe Entretien video Frantz Fanon (F) (F) Césaire et Fanon (Cherki) Amélie Nothomb Bio Amélie Entretien (interview) vidéo d un entretien sur Ni d Eve ni d Adam Anna Gavalda AG et l orthographe Entretien avec Anna Gavalda : DICTIONNAIRES :

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