Renée Norrell

Professor of French

Office:

Berte Humanities Building309

Contact Information:

Box 549029
Birmingham-Southern College
900 Arkadelphia Rd
Birmingham, AL 35254
Office Phone: (205) 226-4976
Office Fax: n(205) 226-3089
E-mail: rnorrell@bsc.edu

Personal Web Page

Brief Career Background:

Homewood High School: 1978-1979
Birmingham-Southern College: 1979-1988 Adjunct Faculty
Birmingham-Southern College: 1988-present Full-time faculty

Educational Background:

B.M.E (1972) University of Montevallo
M.A. (1975), Ph.D. (1981) University of Alabama

Areas of Academic Interest:

19th and early 20th century French poetry and art song
French cultural history
Québécois culture and literature

Courses Taught:

FR 101 Elementary French I (1)
An introduction to the sounds and structure of the language as well as to the culture of French-speaking peoples. Skills emphasized are reading, writing, speaking, and oral comprehension. Prerequisite: consent. Fall.

FR 102 Elementary French II (1)
A continuation of FR 101. Prerequisite: FR 101. Spring.

FR 201 Fundamentals of French Grammar (1)
A review of the fundamentals of grammar designed primarily for students who have had only one or two years of language on the high school level. Prerequisite: consent. Fall, Spring.

FR 220 Intermediate French (1)
A course built on beginning French that thoroughly reviews basic grammar concepts, builds vocabulary, and further develops all four language skills. Prerequisite: FR 102, 201, or consent. Fall, Spring.

FR 270 Conversation française (1)
Instruction and practice in oral comprehension and speaking. Conversation is based on realia (newspapers, magazines, videos). The course increases oral proficiency and awareness of modern culture. Prerequisite: FR 220 or consent. Fall.

FR 280 Approches de lecture (1)
An introduction to French literature as well as to the skills and methods needed to read literature in the French language. This course provides practice in and application of these skills using a variety of genres. The course increases reading proficiency and prepares students for 400-level literature courses. (Does not satisfy general education requirement in literature.) Prerequisite: FR 220 or consent. Spring.

FR 300 French Phonetics and Conversation (1)
A study of French phonetics with extensive conversational training. Prerequisite: FR 270 or consent. Fall 2004.

FR 315 Advanced Grammar and Composition (1)
A detailed analysis of grammar and intensive practice in composition. Prerequisite: FR 270, 280, or consent. Fall 2005.

FR 360 Quebec: Life and Letters (1)
A study of the culture of French-speaking Canada with emphasis on the development of its literature. All lectures, discussions, and readings are in French (an IC designated course). Prerequisite: FR 270, 280, or consent. Spring 2007.

FR 401 Survey of French Literature I (1)
A study of the evolution of French literature from its beginning through the eighteenth century (an IC designated course). Prerequisite: FR 280 or consent. Fall 2005.

FR 402 Survey of French Literature II (1)
A continuation of FR 401 emphasizing French literature in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (an IC designated course). Prerequisite: FR 280 or consent. Spring 2005.

FR 410 Twentieth-Century Literature (1)
A study of major themes and currents in twentieth-century francophone literature. The focus of this course may vary each time it is offered: for example, existentialism, nouveau roman, théâtre de l’absurde, gender in contemporary fiction, francophony. With the permission of the French faculty, students may enroll more than once for credit, provided that the reading list is different (an IC designated course). Prerequisite: FR 280 or consent. Spring 2006.

FR 420 Nineteenth-Century Literature (1)
Creative writings from Romanticism to Symbolism with attention to the theories of the important genres (an IC designated course). Prerequisite: FR 280 or consent.

FR 460 Major Authors (1)
A focused study of the life and works of a major francophone author. Future offerings include Baudelaire, Voltaire, Roy, Hébert. Prerequisite: FR 280 or consent.

FR 470, 471 French Seminar (1)
An in-depth study of a faculty-selected topic in literature, either from France or from other francophone countries. Topics emphasize thematic approaches to the literature of a particular era or genre (an IC designated course). Prerequisite: FR 280 or consent.