2023/24 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

FREN2210 Forms of Subversion

20 creditsClass Size: 100

Module manager: Nigel Saint
Email: n.w.saint@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

Pre-requisite qualifications

Level 1 French, ab initio

This module is mutually exclusive with

FREN2215

Forms of Subversion

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module, taught primarily in English and through a combination of fortnightly lectures and weekly seminars, uses the guiding themes of subversion and form to develop the study of the cultures, histories, literatures and societies of selected French-speaking countries that students began at Level 1. A representative sample of the forms to be explored includes poetry, fiction, painting, photography, song and film, which could be studied in the following way: an introduction to reading modern French and Francophone poetry through its formal constraints, creative innovations and subversive (or otherwise) social resonance; the 19th/20th/21st Century novel or short story, exploring forms of narrative and the subversive potential of representation; a period from 19th/20th/21st Century art and photography, looking at movements, markets and geopolitics; subversive French-language song and its engagement with colonial and/or postcolonial histories; post-1950s French cinema, through an example from the New Wave or a more recent period, exploring the power of cinema to subvert norms and present changes in French society and culture. We will also offer two study skills lectures and a tutorial designed to develop analytical skills and to prepare for the assessments. The module offers a pathway to several of the areas in French studies covered by the Final Year programme and available for further study as Final Year Projects.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an enhanced understanding of the development of selected French-speaking cultures and histories, with particular reference to those periods studied in more detail;
- analyse works from literature, cinema and other genres coherently and with due attention to questions of context and form, both orally and in writing;
- discuss aspects of the history and culture of the French-speaking world clearly and coherently in written form;
-interpret and discuss in English a source or resource in the target language, developing comprehension and analytical skills whose foundation was laid at ab initio Level 1.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an enhanced understanding of the development of selected French-speaking cultures and histories, with particular reference to those periods studied in more detail;
- analyse works from literature, cinema and other genres coherently and with due attention to questions of context and form, both orally and in writing;
- discuss aspects of the history and culture of the French-speaking world clearly and coherently in written form;
-interpret and discuss in English a source or resource in the target language, developing comprehension and analytical skills whose foundation was laid at ab initio Level 1.

Skills outcomes
Enhancing beginners’ language skills in French (reading and listening) after having already completed one year on the programme
Analysis of different genres of cultural production (poetry, film, song, fiction, painting, photography).

Syllabus

The module adopts a theme-based approach, in the first instance using the potent and multi-faceted concepts of 'form' and 'subversion' to make connections between different periods and between themes that weave through selected French-speaking cultures. The cultural forms to be explored include poetry, fiction, painting, photography, song and film, examined through the lens of their potential for the subversion of established power structures, social norms and dominant attitudes, while other themes may be used to connect the cultural forms in the future.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	12	1.00	12.00
Tutorial	24	1.00	24.00
Private study hours			164.00
Total Contact hours			36.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress is monitored by
a) participation in and immediate oral feedback on seminars;
b) written feedback on two practice assessments;
c) essay plan tutorial.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2000 words	70.00
Assignment	Review: 750 words in English, with 50% devoted to a French-language source or resource	30.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

A short formative review (350 words) will be submitted in week 9, with feedback provided by week 11. Review (summative) submitted during semester 1 exam period An essay plan (500 words max) will be submitted by week 23. The tutorial (timing flexible but by week 24) will consist of feedback on the essay plan. Essay submitted during semester 2 exam period

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 01/11/2023

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