Module FREN1051: LANGUAGE, POWER AND THE MAKING OF THE FRENCH NATION

Department: Modern Language and Cultures (French)

FREN1051: LANGUAGE, POWER AND THE MAKING OF THE FRENCH NATION

Prerequisites

• B in French at A Level (or its equivalent).

Corequisites

• Modern European Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: French Language 1(1) (FREN1011). Others: see Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The course examines the external history of the French language in the context of the political and cultural history of France.
• It will show how French has influenced, and been influenced by, other languages, how standard French developed, and the extent to which political power and dominant language go hand in hand.

Content

• We shall examine the salient features of French from medieval times to the present, showing how, in the context of the political and cultural history of France, the standard language was established.
• how it has influenced, and been influenced by, other languages.
• how it has been codified, undermined, defended.
• Topics include political power and dominant language.
• and the relationship between spoken and written language.
• We shall analyse texts from all periods: medieval and Renaissance, the seventeenth-century ideal of elegant language, centralisation from the time of the Revolution, the impact of Romanticism and industrial revolution, down to modern French besieged by anglicisms and challenged by the independent voices of 'Francophonie'.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will have an outline knowledge of the development of French, in the context of major developments in the history of France.
• Students will have a basic understanding of how one language can influence another, and how and why authority tries to control language.
• Students will be familiar with representative texts from different periods.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The lecture course (in English and French) will provide a survey of the development of France and French.
• The seminars (in English) will be used to examine and analyse texts from different periods.
• Independent learning will be encouraged by preparation for seminars and by research for the summative essay.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

None

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University