Project Plus

3 units

This Summer Institute course combines 1) a course that examines French culture as it is represented in the evocative history of French châteaux, the arts, and contemporary lifestyle; 2) the student's project; and 3) the student's experiences as part of the community abroad (excursions, visits, group discussions). In class students gain background for appreciating the primary sites of the Institute: in the Loire Valley, Paris, and Brittany. The classroom experience is discussion-oriented, with small writing assignments and readings. The project is an individual research program that students conduct with a French native on a particular aspect of French culture. In the past students have dealt with serious topics such as the deportation of the Jewish community in Amboise during World War II; with less grave subjects such as the work of a local wine grower or goat cheese producer, and the culinary repetoire of French and American families; and current topics concerning the political situation in Europe and the euro. Following weekly conferences with the teaching staff, students present a formal report on their experiences to an audience comprised of other members of the group and the students' host families. Students at the Institute are expected to speak French in all group settings. Assignments in this course level-appropriate (students enrolled in French 385 will complete longer papers and projects than those enrolled in French 202; expectations for conversations are likewise adjusted accordingly). Required of all students attending the Summer Institute in France.