Pardon My French: Popular Expression in France

Undergraduate / Graduate

Our journey takes us into the less formal dimensions of the French language, and starts with the history of the vernacular. Taking colloquial French as the object of our study, we examine its contrasts with standard French, and the prerogatives of the Académie française (the state-sanctioned institution that governs formal French). We consider how different aspects of French society, culture, and literature are tied to linguistic questions. Is French slang merely a product of youth culture? How does it represent the distinction or fracture between Paris and the provinces, between urban and rural spaces? We then explore newer, inclusive forms of communication, especially as used and adopted on social media and blogs. Readings offer a panorama of the various spaces and voices that use and create colloquial French, from Rabelais to the blog Boloss des Belles Lettres, and to films like "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis" and "Les Visiteurs." Topics include écriture inclusive, the Académie française, regionalism, humor, puns, youth culture, and slang.