Histoire de la langue française: usages, politiques et enjeux du français

Catalog description

A study of the evolution of the French language from the Middle Ages to the present. We will trace the main periods of this linguistic, social, historical and political development. Among topics to be explored: France’s encounter with English from the Norman conquest to the current so-called English “invasion,” the French Revolution’s destruction of dialects (patois), and the status of French in France’s former colonial empire. Through a variety of French and francophone texts we will investigate the transformations brought about by Feminists and by youth from the banlieues and examine the status of French outside of France. In French. Prerequisite: a course at the 600- or 700-level or equivalent proficiency. Contact the instructor to verify your proficiency if you have not taken French at Brown.