***This is a semester class and will run from January 10 through May 8.***

Wednesdays 5:00-6:25 via Zoom

Class Description: This class is an introduction to French and Francophone cinema. Its main objective is to introduce participants of intermediate or advanced levels to cinematographic universes different from the one to which they are generally accustomed. Through films (long and short films) or documentary films, we will see, on the one hand, how French cinema deals with the major social, political, cultural and artistic questions that have agitated society between the 1960s and 2000s. Works such as “Jean de Florette” (Marcel Pagnol, 1952 and Claude Berri, 1986), “Mouchette” (Robert Bresson, 1967), “Chocolate” (Claire Denis, 1988) or “ Le diner de cons" (Francis Veber, 1998) all address, each in its own way, subjects as varied as provincial particularism, colonization, social classes, boarding schools in France, the question of education with "Being and have" (Nicholas Philibert, 2002) or even the burning question of young French people from African immigration with "Hate" (Matthieu Kassovitz, France 1995), "Between the walls" (Laurent Cantet, France 2008, Palme d' Gold at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival) to gender issues with “Chouchou” (Merzak Allouache, Algeria/France 2002). Secondly, we will extend this retrospective to French-speaking cinema, which is most often the product of French colonization. Thus, we will analyze the following films: "Bab El Oued City" (Merzak Allouache, Algeria 1993), "Life on Earth" (Abderrahmane Sissako, Mali 2000) but also the linguistic question with "The Wall" (Alain Berliner, Belgium 2000). Readings: We will read together extracts from literary works or newspaper articles directly related to our subject. These readings will help us to better situate the issues of the films viewed. It is essential that these readings be done before the start of the course. Useful information a) Viewing of films: All films, (except for scenes or short sequences), must be viewed outside the classroom. All movies will have the “English Subtitles” app. b) Class objectives: - Technical analysis of the image (division into shots, scenes) - Familiarization with cinematographic language - Mastery of the constituent elements of a cinematographic story (music, sets, costumes, staging, sound effects, light, special effects, length of sequences, etc.) Work to be done: 1- Short readings 2- Oral presentation: technical analysis of a scene or groups of scenes and their division into shots.

Number of students: 9-12

Tuition: $200.00

Prerequisites: French 5 or equivalent

Books/Materials: no special text or materials required

Class Description:  This is an introductory course designed for students who have never studied French before or who studied it many years ago. The goal of this class is to provide members with a basic knowledge of French, to facilitate comprehension and to encourage communication through in-class work, dialogue, and at-home preparation. Cultural aspects of French society are an integrated part of this course.

Course Outline: Lessons will include these aspects of French grammar:

§ Alphabet

§ Accents and pronunciation

§ Numbers

§ Time

§ Date

§ Formality and levels of language (vous and tu) 

§ Noun gender

§ Use of present tense and immediate future 

§ Negative sentence structures 

§ -er verbs 

§ Etre, aller and avoir verbs 

§ Pronoun “on” 

§ Stress pronouns (moi, toi, lui, etc) 

§ Indefinite and definite articles (un, une, des, le, la, l’, les)

§ The expression « Il y a »

§ Placement and agreement of adjectives 

§ Asking and responding to questions (est-ce que)

§ Irregular descriptive adjectives

By the end of this class members will be able to:

§ Greet people appropriately and conduct basic introductory conversations

§ Tell time and ask about dates 

§ Describe everyday objects, basic activities and likes/dislikes

§ Describe oneself and others

§ Converse about work, home and leisure activities 

§ Engage in register-appropriate basic conversations 

Number of students: 10-20

Tuition: $390

Prerequisite: The typical French 1 student has never before studied French or has not used or studied the language for so long that it’s necessary to start over.

Book/Materials:  Contacts -- Langue et culture françaises by Jean-Paul Valette and Rebecca M. Valette; Eighth Edition -- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; Student Edition: ISBN: 0-618-39578-4

Class Description:  This is a continuation of French 1A. The goal of this class is to review basic grammatical concepts in French, to improve comprehension and to encourage communication through in-class work, dialogues, dictations and at-home preparation.

Course Outline: Lessons will include these aspects of French grammar:

§ Expressions of possession (possessive adjectives, possession with de, être à)

§ Irregular descriptive adjectives

§ Interrogative adjectives (quel, quelle, quels, quelles) 

§ Demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) 

§ Prepositions of place

§ Asking and responding to questions (inversion)

§ Comparatives and superlatives

§ Introduction to -ir and -re verbs 

§ Introduction to imperative verb form

§ Past tense (passé compose)

By the end of this class members will be able to:

§ Ask for and give directions 

§ Engage in conversations about the weather, themselves, their families and their hobbies

§ Easily use numbers for dates and years

§ Read easy texts

§ Ask questions in several different ways

§ Describe events that happened in the past

§ Speak with good pronunciation

Number of students: 9-15

Tuition: $390

Prerequisite: French 1B students should have completed French 1A at La Causerie or possess equivalent levels of proficiency from other pathways.

Book/Materials:  Contacts -- Langue et culture françaises by Jean-Paul Valette and Rebecca M. Valette; Eighth Edition -- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; Student Edition: ISBN: 0-618-39578-4

Class Description:  This is a continuation of French 1A. The goal of this class is to review basic grammatical concepts in French, to improve comprehension and to encourage communication through in-class work, dialogues, dictations and at-home preparation.

Course Outline: Lessons will include these aspects of French grammar:

§ Expressions of possession (possessive adjectives, possession with de, être à)

§ Irregular descriptive adjectives

§ Interrogative adjectives (quel, quelle, quels, quelles) 

§ Demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) 

§ Prepositions of place

§ Asking and responding to questions (inversion)

§ Comparatives and superlatives

§ Introduction to -ir and -re verbs 

§ Introduction to imperative verb form

§ Past tense (passé compose)

By the end of this class members will be able to:

§ Ask for and give directions 

§ Engage in conversations about the weather, themselves, their families and their hobbies

§ Easily use numbers for dates and years

§ Read easy texts

§ Ask questions in several different ways

§ Describe events that happened in the past

§ Speak with good pronunciation

Number of students: 10-20

Tuition: $390

Prerequisite: French 1B students should have completed French 1A at La Causerie or possess equivalent levels of proficiency from other pathways.

Book/Materials:  Contacts -- Langue et culture françaises by Jean-Paul Valette and Rebecca M. Valette; Eighth Edition -- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; Student Edition: ISBN: 0-618-39578-4

Course Description: This class builds upon the foundations established in Level 1. The goal of the class is to enable students to achieve a higher level of understanding and ability to communicate in French while covering some of the more intricate aspects of French grammar. Comprehension and communication are achieved through in-class work and dialogue as well as at-home preparation. Cultural and social aspects of French society are an integrated part of this course.

Course Outline :  We will study Leçons  15-26 in the required textbook.  Lessons will include these concepts of French grammar and culture :

·        Irregular verbs including venir, prendre, mettre, sortir, partir, dormir,vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, suivre, voir, connaître, savoir, ouvrir, lire, dire, écrire

·        « Depuis » and the present tense

·        Distinction among the definite (le, la, les, l’), indefinite (un, une, des) and partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, des)

·        Expressions of quantity

·        Idiomatic expressions with être, avoir, aller, faire

·        Use of “il faut”

·        Direct / Indirect object pronouns (le, la, les, lui, leur, me, te, nous, vous)

·        Pronouns « y » and « en »

·        Affirmative and negative expressions ( souvent, encore, deja, ne…jamais, ne…plus, ne…rien, ne…pas encore)

·        Passé composé with être and avoir

·        The imperfect tense

·        Use of the passé composé and imperfect in past narrative

·        Reflexive verbs

·        Irregular adjectives

·        Tourism and entertainment in France

·        Eating habits and shopping for food

·        University studies

·        Attitudes and values of the French people

By the end of this class members will be able . . .

·         to converse more easily using the concepts reinforced from French 1

·         to narrate events in the past—a vacation, one’s childhood, last weekend, an accident

·         to communicate in a variety of situations such as buying food in the supermarket, ordering in a restaurant, talking about themselves and family, making introductions, making appropriate responses in social situations, describing where one lives, discussing various forms of entertainment.

Number of students: 10-20

Tuition: $390.00

Prerequisites: French 1A and 1B at La Causerie or equivalent.

Required Books and Materials Used: Contacts -- Langue et culture françaises by Jean-Paul Valette and Rebecca M. Valette; Eighth Edition -- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; Student Edition: ISBN: 0618395784

Optional Reference Books (not required): A French-English dictionary such as Harper Collins Robert French College Dictionary (Paperback), Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN: 0004707117 (or any HarperCollins French-English dictionaries) and 

Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer 12,000 verbes (Verb Conjugation), Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166. 

Course Description:  French 3 is an introduction to more advanced grammar and conversation.  Students will build on grammar concepts learned in French 2 and use a variety of cultural reading texts in the textbook as a basis for discussion in French.  The course is taught entirely in French with the exception of several new grammar concepts such as use of the subjunctive and conditional sentences.  Written and oral preparation outside of class is required

Course Outline:  We will study Leçons 26-33 in the required textbook.

Lessons will include these concepts of French grammar and culture:

·         Review of all object pronouns (me, te, nous, vous, le, la, les, y, en)

·         Parts of the body and expressions of health and illness

·         Review of reflexive and reciprocal verbs (present and passé composé)

·         Irregular adjective formation

·         Adverb formation and position

·         Verb + infinitive construction

·         Formation and idiomatic use of the future tense

·         Formation and use of the conditional tense

·         Introduction to conjugation and use of the subjunctive mood

·         Professions and the professional life

·         French influence throughout the world

·         Developing a world economy

By the end of this class members will be able . . .

·         to talk about lodging and living conditions

·         to discuss personal and family relationships using reflexive verbs

·         to react to judgements about world politics

·         to express opinions and feelings about certain situations using the subjunctive

·         to talk about hypothetical situations using the conditional (If ...  then...)

·         to discuss future plans using a variety of conjunctions (when, as soon as, after)

·         to converse about jobs and job responsibilities

·         to describe physical ailments (for a doctor’s visit, calling in sick to work, conversation)

Number of students: 10-20

Tuition: $390.00

Prerequisites: French 2 at La Causerie or equivalent

Required Books and Materials Used: Contacts -- Langue et culture françaises by Jean-Paul Valette and Rebecca M. Valette; Eighth Edition -- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; Student Edition: ISBN: 0-618-39578- 

Recommended Reference Books (not required): A French-English dictionary such as Harper Collins Robert French College Dictionary (Paperback), Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN: 0-00-470711-7 (or any HarperCollins French-English dictionaries) 

Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer 12,000 verbes (Verb Conjugation), Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166 

Class Description: This class builds upon the foundations in Beginning French 1, 2 and 3. It introduces more intricate aspects of French grammar, practical vocabulary, cultural, historical and social aspects of the French speaking world. The ultimate goal is to enable students to achieve a higher level of understanding and ability to communicate in French. Oral communication will be increased from the previous level. At-home preparation is expected. This course is conducted entirely in French.

Number of students: 10-20

Tuition: $390

Prerequisite: French 4 students should have completed French 1A ,1 B, 2 and 3 at La Causerie or possess equivalent levels of proficiency from other pathways.

Student Description: Students in this course should have completed French 3 or its equivalent, having attained an overall foundation in French grammar as well as a comfort level to participate in everyday conversations. Students should be comfortable in a class conducted entirely in French and have vocabulary that is broad enough to engage in class discussions.

Book/Materials: Valette and Valette, A Votre Tour: Intermediate French, 2nd edition. (Wiley, 2006) ISBN-10: 0470424230/ ISBN-13: 978-0470424230

or

Valette and Valette, A Votre Tour: Intermediate French, 2nd edition. (Houghton Mifflin, (2007) ISBN 10: 0618693157 / ISBN 13: 9780618693153

Recommended Reference Books:

A good recent bilingual dictionary (French/English- English/French):

-i.e: on paper: Collins, Robert French College Dictionary.

-i.e: online: https://www.wordreference.com

A book on French conjugation:

-i.e: on paper: Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer; La conjugaison pour tous.

-i.e: online: https://bescherelle.com/le-conjugueur-bescherelle

Class Description: This intermediate level class builds upon previous classes. It is conducted entirely in French. Selected reading and study materials are the basis for guided conversations in class. Prior to class, students should prepare by reading assigned materials and complete written exercises. During class, assignments will be reviewed and students will encouraged to participate in relevant conversations. Additional audio-visual and oral materials will be presented in class.

Prerequisite: French 5 students should have completed French 1A - 4 at La Causerie or possess equivalent levels of proficiency from other pathways. Students must be proficient enough to participate in French and to complete the assignments.

Number of students: 10-14

Tuition: $390

Book/Materials: The instructor will provide copies of reading materials and exercises, and the students may also be asked to purchase one or two paperbacks during the year chosen in consultation with class members.

Recommended Reference Books:

A good recent monolingual French dictionary:

-i.e: on paper: Le nouveau petit Robert: dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique de la langue française; Le petit Larousse illustré.

-i.e: online: https://dictionnaire.lerobert.com

A good recent bilingual dictionary (French/English- English/French):

-i.e: on paper: Collins, Robert French College Dictionary.

-i.e: online: https://www.wordreference.com

A book on French conjugation:

-i.e: on paper: Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer; La conjugaison pour tous.

-i.e: online: https://bescherelle.com/le-conjugueur-bescherelle

Class Description: This is an advanced intermediate level course, and all communication in class will be in French. Authentic texts from a rich variety of sources, literary and journalistic, are used as the starting point for the illustration and explanation of key areas of French grammar in context. This course will focus on building conversation and grammar skills in French by studying and responding interactively to a wide variety of current French media sources. Students will be provided with short stories, writings, newspaper and magazine articles, video, audio, and potential Internet source, all selected to provide source material in educated, current French. Class members will have the opportunity to research assigned materials at home and prepare responses in order to come to class prepared for presentations and discussions. 

Number of students: 10-14

Tuition: $390

Student Description: Students should be relatively fluent in French and be prepared to participate in class discussions. 

Prerequisite: French 6 students should have completed French 1A - 5 at La Causerie or possess equivalent intermediate French levels of proficiency from other pathways. Students should be relatively fluent in French and be prepared to participate in class discussions.

Required Books and Materials : No specific textbook is required. The instructor will provide copies of readings, videos, conversational texts, and homework sheets. Students will be expected to access assigned French sites and sources on the Internet as part of their homework. 

Recommended Reference Books: A good mono-lingual French dictionary, either on-line or hardcopy, is much preferred at this level over a bilingual French – English dictionary; Le Nouveaupetit Robert dictionnaire de la langue française (French-

French), Publisher: Le Robert, ISBN: 2850368261. 

A mono-lingual French dictionary of synonyms would also be useful; consider a Larousse Dictionnaire des Synonymes (Paperback), Publisher: Éditions Larousse, ISBN 978-2-03-592894-8. 

Also, Bescherelle: L’Art deConjuguer 12,000 Verbes, Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166. 

Link to French Books: Click Here

Class Description: This course is an advanced level class. All communication will be in French. The goal of this course is dynamic dialogue on a variety of topics chosen either by the professor or the class members. Topics of conversation will be given by the professor in advance thereby providing members with adequate time to do any necessary research or other homework in order to come to class fully prepared to be engaged in conversation. Members are welcome to suggest topics to be discussed at a future date. Any handouts are to be given out in advance of the day of discussion to avoid the reading of materials in class thus ensuring lively conversation. 

Prerequisite: French 7 students should have completed French 1A - 6 at La Causerie or possess equivalent levels of proficiency from other pathways. Students should be quite fluent in French and be prepared to participate in dynamic class discussions. 

Student Description: Students at this level should have a good level of fluency in French. 

Number of students: 10-14

Tuition: $390

Required Books and Materials: Two to three full French & Francophone novels are read and studied each year. Books as well as movies are chosen in consultation with class members. 

Recommended Reference Books: A good mono-lingual French dictionary, either on-line or hardcopy, is much preferred at this level over a bilingual French – English dictionary; Le Nouveau petit Robert dictionnaire de la langue française (French-

French), Publisher: Le Robert, ISBN: 2850368261. 

A mono-lingual French dictionary of synonyms would also be useful; consider a Larousse Dictionnaire des Synonymes (Paperback), Publisher: Éditions Larousse, ISBN 978-2-03-592894-8. 

Also, Bescherelle: L’Art deConjuguer 12,000 Verbes, Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166. 

Link to French Books: Click Here