Language & Culture in Southern France (UofM Students)

A wide variety of courses are offered each semester at the University Paul Valéry (UPV). Students in the Advanced Track will be enrolled in one or more direct enroll courses.

Departments include:

• Anthropology & Ethnology
• Art History & Archeology
• Biology, Ecology & the Environment
• Communications & Media Studies
• Education
• French Literature
• Geography
• History
• International Relations, Political Science & Economics
• Linguistics
• Modern Languages: Literature & Civilization (Arabic, Chinese, English, German, Greek, Italian, Occitan, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish)
• Music
• Philosophy
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Sports
• Studio Art
• Visual Arts

Please see the Course Catalogs linked below to review courses available for the semester you plan to study abroad.  You are encouraged to discuss the course offerings with your Academic Advisor(s) and schedule a meeting with the Montpellier Program Advisor to discuss any questions you may have.

Fall Semester UPV Course Catalog
Spring Semester UPV Course Catalog

A wide variety of courses are offered each semester at the University of Montpellier (UM). Advanced track students can choose to enroll in 1 direct enroll course in French at UM. Departments include:

• Agrosciences & Biotechnologies
• Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Environment, Earth & Water Sciences
• Chemistry
• Mathematics & Informatics
• Physics and Astrophysics
• Sports Management & Marketing

Courses in these areas are available on a case by case basis. For more information about the courses available at UM, please contact the Montpellier Program Advisor.  You are encouraged to discuss the course offerings with your Academic Advisor(s).

Students from the intermediate and advanced tracks of the Language & Culture in Southern France programs can choose from a limited number of courses taught in English at University Paul Valéry (UPV).  

Please see the Course Catalog below to review courses available for the semester you plan to study abroad.  You are encouraged to discuss the course offerings with your Academic Advisor(s) and schedule a meeting with the Montpellier Program Advisor to discuss any questions you may have.

UPV English Course Catalog

This course will examine how cultural factors influence human behavior and development. Additionally, the interaction between different cultures and how to solve the difficulties that may arise during the acculturation process may be discussed. The course also studies the vision and treatment of mental disorders in different cultures, especially the differences and similarities between French and North American cultures. Mental Health systems of both countries will be also analyzed and compared.

Advanced study of grammar in context: emphasis on writing for varied communicative purposes, reading for style and content, translation. Students who have completed the equivalent of Fren 3016 (6th semester) French will select this course.

Study of French sounds and intonation and phonetic transcription.

Note: UofM students who have taken 3014 on the UofM campus cannot enroll in the Phonetics course in Montpellier.

Advanced study of French with particular emphasis on grammar review, vocabulary building, oral communication skills, and language usage in cultural contexts.

Advanced study of grammar in context: emphasis on writing for varied communicative purposes, reading for style and content, translation. Students must have completed the equivalent of Fren 3015 (5th semester).

This course examines the origins of French literature and its development during Western Europe’s first true Renaissance of the 12th and 13th centuries.

This course gives students a thorough understanding of the Arthurian tradition as it has been depicted in French in the medieval period and the present day. Students will also acquire critical thinking and analytical skills with respect to works of literature and television drama/cinema, and learn how these artistic creations function from a sociological/socio-cultural perspective.

Through the lens of cinema and documentary film, this course explores the changes in French society from the period of the Second World War to the present day. Key moments in France’s history will be examined in a range of prominent films that reflect cultural, social and political evolutions that have taken place. By examining these works from a variety of perspectives, students will develop a deeper understanding of French culture and the community in which they are immersed. Taught at the UofM Program Center. 

Through the lens of literature, this course explores the changes in French society from the period of the Second World War to the present day. Beginning with the trauma of the Nazi occupation, students will look at how French literature over the years has served as a mirror on society, reflecting cultural, social, and political evolutions. Students will examine key moments in France’s history that have left a mark: the period of Nazi occupation and the conflict between collaborators and resistance fighters (as portrayed in Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key), France in Indochina and the underpinnings of its postcolonial legacy (Marguerite Duras’s Sea Wall), the cultural revolution of May 1968 (Annie Ernaux’s The Years), evolving family models and changing visions of the world in the 1980s (Tahar Ben Jelloun’s The Sand Child), social upheaval and exclusion from the 1990s to the present day (Edouard Louis’s Ending Eddy, Michel Houellebecq’s Platform, Mounia Meddour’s Papicha). Recent texts and film will engage with an exploration of contemporary France around issues such as francophone multiculturalism, societal unrest (the yellow-jacket movement) and the terror attacks (Marie N’Diaye’s Ladivine, Jacques’s Audiard’s Un Prophète, Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables, Emmanuel Leconte’s Humour à mort—the Charlie Hebdo attacks), but also France’s continuing mission to promote literature through the Prix Goncourt. The course aims to provide students with tools for understanding a culture through an exploration of its creative artifacts.

In this course, you will examine the unique history and artistic form of French cinema and explore key themes of French society during the 20th Century through the lens of cinema.

This course will focus on grammar and vocabulary relevant to the fields of science and technology. It will include visits to local industry.

This course exams the process of language learning in children and the different philosophical approaches in the US and France regarding second language development.

Analysis of the French language and linguistic structures. Must be combined with either Academic Writing or Phonetics for a total of 6 credits.

Discover Southern France's ancient history and place in contemporary Europe.

This course is taught at both the intermediate and advanced levels.  

Must have completed 2 semesters of French for intermediate course or 4 semesters for advanced course.

This course accompanies the internship and reflects on work culture in France. Hours at the internship site are typically 8-10 hours per week.

Sample Placements

Examine the works and approach of modern French art masters and major art movements including surrealism, pop art, minimalism and conceptual art from from the 19^th to 21^st centuries. The course includes visits to art museums in Montpellier, Nimes and Sete.

This course is taught at both the intermediate and advanced levels.  

Must have completed 2 semesters of French for intermediate course or 4 semesters for advanced course.

Advanced conversation practice through discussions on current topics, films and articles with the class and with an assigned conversation topic.

Note: UofM students who have taken 3018 on the UofM campus cannot enroll in the Advanced Conversation course in Montpellier.

This course examines the cultural identity of France’s inhabitants in detail. After all, why do we call it la France plurielle ? What does it mean to be French? Is that even a valid question? What are the origins of the French, and specifically how might a work of literature or a film reveal the various dimensions of their cultural identity?

This course explores French contemporary society from multiple perspectives: on a national, regional, departmental, local, and international level.

This course examines the interpretation of gender roles in France as expressed through the medium of French cinema.

Analysis of the French language and linguistic structures. Must be combined with either Academic Writing or Phonetics for a total of 6 credits.

This course will examine normative physical, social, and cognitive development from the prenatal period through adolescence, bringing in the French context. The major goals include fostering an understanding of the usefulness of a developmental approach to psychological issues, familiarizing students with current research and methodology in child psychology, and engaging students in the experiences of developmental psychology through observation and analysis of child behavior.

This course will strengthen your ability to write well in French on a range of academic topics. An additional emphasis on vocabulary development will give you greater confidence to express yourself orally and in writing in an academic context.

Note: Required for UofM students on the Advanced Track who have not yet completed French 3016.

This course examines the development and current state of the European business environment from a French perspective. Topics will include the background/aftermath of the establishment of the European Union (EU) as well as institutional, political, legal and socio-cultural factors at work in the contemporary business and industry landscape. Taught in English at the Program Center.

Under the supervision of a faculty member, a student engages in 100 hours of directed research on a topic designed by the student in consultation with the on-site faculty member. Research topics must be pre-approved prior to selecting this course.

Gain a foundational understanding of what is currently known about the transformational processes that shape human development as children mature into adults. This course will review what has been learned about the biological, cognitive, and social development of adolescents in the context of their multiple worlds and the issues and challenges that adolescents confront along the way. This course will provide an overview of development in the teenage years/second decade of life looking at both the US and French perspectives.

How do children overcome hazardous experiences to succeed in life? What can be done to protect young people at risk from trauma, war, disasters, and other adversities? This course examines the global literature on resilience in children and youth. Focus on the origins, methods, findings, controversies, and future of research on how young people overcome adversity, as well as the implications of this body of knowledge for fostering resilience in children and societies.

Global Identity: Connecting Your International Experience with Your Future is an optional 1-credit online course that helps you process your international experience and apply what you've learned upon your return.  Global Identity gives you the opportunity to work individually with a trained cultural mentor, helping you articulate your newly acquired skills and differentiating you from your peers.

This course is offered at no additional cost on programs six weeks or longer. The Learning Abroad Center will email out registration instructions, or you may contact a program team member.