Department of French Literature
Department of English
Department of French Literature
Department of Art Studies
Crossing boundaries: How to move far beyond the "now" of your life
Rather than pondering what you want to do, or what you can do, another option is to boldly thrust yourself into a situation that is completely unlike your current environment. Through the experience of many new encounters, you might discover a style that is uniquely yours…
Through courses in the Department of French Literature, you will encounter a wide range of exciting figures from various periods, from medieval bards to modern painters, novelists, twentieth-century thinkers, and film directors. As you come into contact with their unexpected words and novel ideas, you will create new and different perspectives for a deeper understanding of yourself and a sharper sense of the world.
Department of French Literature
Key Features of the Department of French Literature
Point 01 A thorough language learning curriculum
Most of our incoming students will be studying French for the first time. Many students worry at first whether they will be able to keep up, but we take a slow and steady approach from the very beginning. We focus on cultivating practical skills, such as by requiring courses taught by native French speakers from the first year.
Point 02 Extensive exchange programs
In addition to year-long study abroad programs, we also offer short-term programs during the summer vacation period and a unique mid-term half-year study abroad program, which is attracting increasingly more students each year. Even when participating in study abroad, students can graduate in four years.
Point 03 Diverse entryways to French culture
Our department is characterized by its diverse entryways to the cultures of French-speaking countries, through study of language, literature, history, thought, art, and film. You are unlikely to find many examples of French literature and culture departments in other universities where you will experience such broad exposure.
Point 04 Seminars and graduation theses
All students participate in seminars in their third and fourth years, where they conduct research under a specific theme. All students are also required to write a graduation thesis, an endeavor that will undoubtedly help you develop your problem-solving, comprehension, and writing skills, all of which are necessary when entering the workforce. The sense of accomplishment upon completion of your thesis will be an invaluable joy in your university life.
Program Structure
Learning French is the first step toward understanding what French culture is all about. From the third year, students take a wide variety of specialized courses from among three subject groups and enroll in small-group seminars (exercises). Your four years of study will culminate with a required graduation thesis, through which you will learn how to persuasively develop your own theories.
Topics
Study of Stage Performance
We translate a contemporary French play into Japanese for a performance by all participants. By acting as people who differ from us, we deepen our understanding of others and rediscover ourselves.
Philosophy and Human Being
Students engage in deep reads of classic works of modern philosophy , with a focus on France. While considering the dramatic changes in society since the modern era, we reconsider how to define humanity from a modern perspective.
