In this course, students explore canonical French language class essays and newer forms of essayistic production (essay film, photo essay, blog, and podcast) while developing their own writing skills. From Renaissance texts like Montaigne’s Essais to the present, students will study the stylistic and formal features of this compelling genre. Students will also examine literary, technical, legal, and audiovisual essays that discuss a range of issues. The course functions as a seminar and includes presentations and short written assignments. This course satisfies the literature requirement for both the French major and minor.

Babbel

One of the most popular online language learning platforms, Babbel combines a complete curriculum with a curation of quality free resources. Lessons include speaking, listening, reading, and writing exercises and focus on grammar patterns that enhance communication. Each lesson clearly identifies learning objectives, and extras include libraries of cultural, comprehensible input, and learning advice content as well as pre-made flashcard decks with audio.

French in Action

Though it’s not designed for complete beginners, this video series by Olly Richards uses the Capretz method to help learners engage with the French language quickly. The program begins by immediately throwing learners into an easy French story, and then teaches through a “Guided Discovery” method that prompts users to repeat after different characters in the video. Each lesson also includes a brief explanation in English, dialogues, and lists of key vocabulary words. The course is a one time purchase and costs $297.