Self-Writing in French

Subject FREN20014 (2015)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2015.

Credit Points: 12.5
Level: 2 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2015.

Time Commitment: Contact Hours: A 1-hour lecture and 1 x 1.5 hour tutorial per week
Total Time Commitment:

Total of 170 hours.

Prerequisites:

French 4 or French 6 or French Language and Culture 1B or French Intermediate Language & Culture B or equivalent.

Corequisites:

none

Recommended Background Knowledge:

none

Non Allowed Subjects:

Students who have completed Self-Writing in French at Level 3 may not enrol in this subject.

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Subject Overview:

There are many possible genres of self-writing. Autobiography and autofiction are the most read at present. Studying them opens up the relation between literature and histroy, fact and fiction in life narratives. This subject will study the tradition of French autobiography and autofiction from the 20th and 21st centuries. It will invole an exploaration of the evolution of these modes of writing in contemporary French literature. Students will learn how to read these texts , and to what end. They will also have the opportunity of a "hands on" study of the strategies of writing the self by engaging in a creative writing exercise.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this subject, students will:

  • be able to demonstrate a familiarity with the recent tradition of autobiographical writing in French, and an ability to discern strategies of representing the self and its evolution, its relation with its context, as well as to understand the transformations in such strategies;
  • be able to interpret, analyse and perform a close reading of literary texts (both orally and writing) in the specific genre of autobiographical writing;
  • gain a clear understanding of models of the genre and adapt them to one's own writing practices in French;
  • appreciate French and Francophone culture and history by studying various authors from the French-speaking world;
  • gain the confidence and competence in conducting independent small research projects in the field of French Studies, using learning and research technologies in French and English;
  • gain an appreciation of academic French through listening and reading and the use of oral and written French at level B2/C1 of the Common European Framework for Languages.
Assessment:
  • 2 research projects or one project and a 10-minute oral presentation euivalent to 2000 wrds during semester [50%]
  • 1 written test during semester equivalent to 1000 words [25%]
  • A 2 hour written exan during the examination period [25%]

This subject has the following hurdle requirements:

  • Regular participation in tutorials is required with a minimum of 75% attendance.
  • All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day and in-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Prescribed Texts:

You will be advised of prescribed texts by your lecturer.

Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • to extrapolate from the methods of analysis to the analysis/critical reading of any non-fiction text.
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: French
French
French
French

Download PDF version.