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Courses

Syllabi are for course approval and reference only. Students will receive up-to-date syllabi when their courses begin.

Students enroll in one of the following courses and the internship course. All courses are taught in French. Each course carries four Boston University credits. Students must enroll for a total of eight credits.

CAS FR 300 Advanced French Grammar Practicum
A review of the principal tools of oral and written French, this course is designed for students seeking to boost their skills, proficiency, and ease of expression in French. Grammar review and speech acts are highlighted and practiced in order to assist students with their transition to living and interning in Paris. In tandem with the internship, this course will help students to interact successfully with their colleagues, improve their writing skills, and gain confidence in their French abilities both in and out of the workplace. Recommended for students whose most recent French language course is a fourth- or fifth-semester equivalent. 4 cr. Syllabus

CAS LF 342 Paris Aujourd'hui: French Society and Civilization through the Performing Arts
This course is conceived around theatrical, cinematic, and musical events that mark the cultural calendar in Paris during the summer term. Recent selected works include plays by Ionesco and Molière, as well as contemporary playwrights, films past and present, and French songs from the 1950’s to the present. The course includes evenings at the theater to view the selected plays. Students will be introduced to the contemporary cultural and theatrical context of present-day France. 4 cr. Syllabus

CAS LF 343 La France á Paris: Paris in Literature
Using the city of Paris as a unique text, students will read its monuments and buildings and interpret selected texts devoted to the city (fiction, history, politics). The course aims to teach students not only how to critically engage with and interpret textual material, but also how to read and analyze the physical space around them. Authors include Hugo, Baudelaire, Balzac and Zola. Visits include Montmartre, Notre Dame, the Louvre, le Musée d’Orsay, as well as famous Parisian neighborhoods. Syllabus

Internship Courses

Course numbers depend on the field of specialization in which the student completes his or her internship. Placements are contingent upon the student’s past experience, language ability, and available opportunities during the summer term, so flexibility is essential.

CAS AH 505 Internship in Arts/Architecture
CAS EC 497 Internship in Business/Economics
CAS IR/PO 455 Internship in International Organization
CAS PO 451 Internship in Politics
CAS PS 495 Internship in Health/Human Services
COM CM 471 Internship in Advertising/Public Relations
COM FT 493/494 Internship in Film/Television
COM JO 411 Internship in Journalism
SHA HF 390 Field Placement in Hospitality Administration

Interns are evaluated throughout their placements by the internship supervisor, the oral defense jury, and by the faculty member monitoring the final internship paper.

Internship Areas

Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
Serve in marketing and product development, press relations, events management, or public relations. Recent placements have included Reflex Public, 2e bureau, Agence Lmdarjeeling, Business Conventions International, MEEDEX, Quartier Général and Groupe Art Actuel.

Arts/Arts Administration
Serve in museums, galleries, and related cultural institutions. Recent placements have included Sotheby's, Galerie Maeght, Atelier Lytfa Kujawski, Area Corp, Musée en Herbe and Musée Rodin.

Business/Economics
Serve in the accounting, marketing, or research departments of French or multinational corporations as well as smaller, specialized firms. Recent placements have included The International Chamber of Commerce, JPA International, Cabinet Chancellor & Associés, Franco-British Chamber of Commerce, Mediatic (cosmetic company), VirtuOz SA (provider of Virtual Agent solutions), Aperian Global (global consulting and training firm), and American Chamber of Commerce.

Film/Radio/Television
Serve in research and broadcasting for television stations, or film and production companies. Recent placements have included EICAR International Film School, Cinemarket Prod., Docside Production and European Producers Club.

Health/ Human Services
Observe and assist in hospital, rehabilitation, therapy, or educational programs. Serve in health center administration, social service departments, community care centers, or social activist organizations. Recent placements have included Hospital Pitié-Salpétriére, Hospital Armand-Trousseau, Eurochips (parent-child relations), CRIPS (AIDS and substance abuse prevention), Bureau International Catholic de l'Enfance (children's rights), Ecole maternelle (nursery school), and Secours Populaire (social center).

Hospitality Administration
Serve in the hospitality industry in such fields as hotel, event management, and tourism. Recent placements have included Hotel de Buci, Artus Hotel, Ô Chateau (The Wine Loft), and French Travel Partners.

Journalism
Serve in writing, research, design, and production for magazines, newspapers, or publishing houses. Recent placements have included Associated Press, World Association of Newspapers, Futuribles, and Speakeasy Publications (a division of the publishing house, Nathan).

Politics/International Relations
Serve in NGOs, associations, think tanks, labor unions or political parties. Recent placements have included Institut des Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, FO and CFDT (labor unions), Action Internationale Contre la Faim, Ni Putes Ni Soumises (against violence targeting women), Chaîne de l'espoir Enfants Afghans (healthcare and educational provider), AFS Vivre sans frontiéres, and Europanova.

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Faculty

All courses are taught by local French faculty or visiting Boston University faculty.

Emmanuelle Farhi holds the degree of DEA (Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies, equivalent of the ABD in the United States) from the Université de Paris IV Sorbonne in American literature, as well as an MA from the same institution. She is a staff technical translator for a number of publishing houses, notably Robert Lafont. She has taught at Simmons College, Susquehanna University as well as Boston University in Boston. She has been with the program since its inception. She teaches CAS FR 300 Advanced Grammar Practicum, and is our faculty-student facilitator.

Elisabeth Montofrt-Siewert holds a DESS (Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées; the equivalent of the ABD in the United States) from the Université de Paris III Sorbonne in “la formation des formateurs en FLE”, which gives her the status of teacher trainer. She also holds a MA in French as a Foreign language from the Université de Paris X Nanterre and a licence de Lettres Modernes (the equivalent of a BA in Modern Literature) from the same university. She has extensive teaching experience including assignments at the Sorbonne, Ott-Friedrich-Universitat Bamberg (Germany), Central College in Iowa, and the University of Chicago’s summer program. She teaches CAS FR 304 Travaux Pratiques & CAS LF 342 Paris Aujourd’hui (theater section).

Hanadi Sobh holds a Master's in French as a Foreign Language, a special teaching degree earned at the University of Paris X Nanterre and a licence de Lettres Modernes mention FLE. She teaches French and Arabic in a number of Paris-based institutions. Her work for Boston University Paris spans all of the course offerings with special emphasis on training students to prepare oral exposés, a key component of all PIP classes. She teaches CAS FR 301 French Communication Skills and CAS LF 342 Paris Aujourd’hui (film & music section).

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