Exploring French Song as Cultural Artifact
F05
Isabel Roche
Verbal snapshots of cultural history, songs crystallize particular moments in time in drawing attention to shared, universal sentiment. In this course, we will study the French song; yet rather than tracing an historical panorama, our goal will be to develop a deep understanding of song as the cultural artifact of specific historical periods and to examine its role (both real and symbolic) in the lives of the French. Each week, students will listen to, study, and analyze a number of songs, extracting recurring themes and trends. With regular writing assignments and presentations, emphasis will be placed on oral and written language skills such as developing ways to construct an argument, analyze texts, and support one’s ideas. Students will also undertake a research project related to the topic of the course. Conducted in French. High-intermediate level.