- College of Literature, 2026 Academic Year Course Catalog
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Learning Characteristics and Curriculum (Department of French Language and Literature)
CURRICULUM Learning Features and Curriculum
Curriculum Features
In Department of French Language and Literature, the curriculum for the first and second years organically combines grammar, grammar exercises, reading, composition, and conversation, providing a learning environment that is considerate of both first-time and existing French learners. In addition, Japanese and native French teachers teach in small classes, providing detailed language education for each student. In the first and second years, there are also courses to acquire basic knowledge of French literature, French linguistics, French culture including visual culture, and French society and history, allowing students to begin learning about French literature, language, and culture in parallel with their language studies.
From the second to the third and fourth years, in order to build on these foundations and broaden their knowledge, numerous seminars and lectures are arranged by members of the Japan Buddhist Association, and students are free to select and study classes in the three fields of literature, language, and culture.
Department of French Language and Literature Digital Brochure
This section provides detailed information about the curriculum, including examples of actual student timetables.
Click here for the digital brochure Department of French Language and Literature
COURSE MODELS ?
Approaches to French literature
An introductory approach to French literature begins in the first year with "Reading I & II." "Introduction to the History of French Literature I & II," offered in the second year, aims to provide an overview of the flow of French literature and introduce students to major authors from the Middle Ages to the present day. Furthermore, "Intensive Reading of French I & II" uses relatively easy literary works as texts, allowing students to enjoy the pleasures of French literature in its original language while learning French.
In the second year, "Basic Seminars I & II" are offered to further deepen students' understanding of French literature, and from the third year onwards, "Seminars I & II" are available. A major characteristic of Aoyama Gakuin University Department of French Language and Literature is that we have as many as 10 full-time faculty members in the field of literature, comprehensively covering literature, art, and thought from the Middle Ages and the 16th century to the present day, and each of these faculty members offers seminars related to their area of expertise. In addition, students can become familiar with a variety of works in "Reading Seminars I & II" and "Special Lectures on Literature I & II," and "French Literature Studies I & II" provides opportunities to learn about the characteristics of French literature on a thematic basis.
Approach to French
As for language-related specialized subjects, "Introduction to French Linguistics I & II," which provides an overview of various fields of French Linguistics, is offered from the second year, and "French Linguistics Research I & II," which studies various issues of the French language, is offered from the third year. Additionally, language-related subjects such as "French Phonetics" and "French Linguistics and General Linguistics" are also offered in the "Special Lectures" offered to second-, third-, and fourth-year students, allowing them to come into contact with the latest research results in each field.
Language-related seminars include "Basic Seminar I & II" for second-year students and "Seminar I & II" for third-year students. There are seminars such as the Kondo seminar, which uses corpora to analyze French, the Koga seminar, which examines the origins of French vocabulary, and the Havet seminar, which compares and contrasts Japanese and French.
Each course strives to clarify the essence of French from a broad perspective, including linguistics, literature, and culture, or by comparing and contrasting it with Japanese.
Approach to French culture
As the name suggests, the first-year course "French Culture and Society I and II" aims to provide a basic perspective on the climate, history, culture, politics, and society of France. In the second-year "Basic Seminars I and II," depending on the year and the instructor, various cultural themes may be covered beyond language and literature.
From the second year, "Special Lectures on French Culture I and II" are offered, which provide specialized lectures on individual issues from a current perspective in fields such as history, legal systems, and social issues. In addition, "Exercises I and II" for third and fourth year students include a seminar on modern France, which investigates and examines the most current themes in modern France.
Both courses aim to develop a spontaneous and comprehensive understanding of French culture through reports and discussions in French. Although not a specialized course, The Aoyama Standard Course "Francophone Society and Culture I and II" is also useful for learning about the acceptance and inheritance of the French language and culture on a global scale.
*The course model introduced here is just an example.
COURSE FEATURES Features of major courses
If you are studying French literature
| Subject Name | Features |
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Lecture on French Literature I and II
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This is a lecture-style class taught by experts who are conducting cutting-edge research on French literature. Each expert delves into a specific theme from an original perspective, and the lectures are given from multiple perspectives throughout the year, so the content is always full of new discoveries and stimulates intellectual curiosity.
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Research in French Literature I, II
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These lecture-style courses are taught by Aoyama Gakuin University faculty members who are experts in various periods from the Middle Ages to the present day. The topics covered are diverse, including novels, poetry, plays, philosophy, and thought, and through the study of a wide variety of authors and works, students will delve into the essence of humanity and society, contributing to the acquisition of a richer perspective.
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Basic Seminar I and II
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This is a seminar-style class on French literature taught by a full-time instructor that can be taken from the second year. Building on knowledge of elementary French, this class trains students to read French texts accurately and interpret the complex meanings contained therein, while also serving as an introduction to the academic procedures required for more advanced research.
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Seminar in French Literature I & II
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This is an advanced seminar class on French literature taught by a full-time instructor. Students will further deepen the knowledge they have acquired in "Basic Seminars I and II," and will develop advanced presentation and communication skills by preparing and delivering a presentation on a topic they have independently selected.
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If you are studying French language
| Subject Name | Features |
|---|---|
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Lecture on the French Language I and II
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Lecture-style classes are taught by experts who are conducting cutting-edge research in French language linguistics. Each expert delves into a specific topic from an original perspective, and the lectures are given from multiple perspectives throughout the year, so the content is always full of new discoveries and stimulates intellectual curiosity.
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Research in French Linguistics I, II
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This is a lecture-style class taught by leading researchers specializing in linguistics. Students will learn about "French" as a language from the perspectives of linguistics, phonetics, historical grammar, and more. Rather than being limited to linguistics in the narrow sense, students will look at linguistics from a broader perspective in relation to literature and culture, and aim to elucidate the essence of French from the perspective of comparing and contrasting it with Japanese.
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Basic Seminar I and II
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This is a seminar-style class on French linguistics taught by a full-time instructor that can be taken from the second year. Building on knowledge of elementary French, this class trains students to read French texts accurately and interpret the complex meanings contained therein, while also serving as an introduction to the academic procedures required for more advanced research.
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French Language (Seminar) I & II
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This is an advanced seminar class on French language taught by a full-time instructor. Students will further deepen the knowledge they have acquired in "Basic Seminar I and II," and will develop advanced presentation and communication skills by preparing and delivering a presentation on a topic they have independently selected.
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If you are studying French culture
| Subject Name | Features |
|---|---|
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Lecture on French Culture I and II
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Lecture-style classes are taught by experts who are conducting cutting-edge research on French culture. Each expert delves into a specific topic from an original perspective, and the lectures are given from multiple perspectives throughout the year, so the content is always full of new discoveries and stimulates intellectual curiosity.
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Research in French Culture I, II
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This is a lecture-style class taught by a specialist in French culture. Students will study French society and culture through movies, theater, fashion, art, cuisine, and other familiar things from the past to the present, comparing and contrasting them with Japanese ones. By cultivating a curiosity about "things that are different," the class aims to contribute to the development of talented people who can play an active role in the international community.
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Basic Seminar I and II
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This is a seminar-style class on French culture taught by a full-time instructor that can be taken from the second year. Building on knowledge of elementary French, this class trains students to read French texts accurately and interpret the complex meanings contained therein, while also serving as an introduction to the academic procedures required for more advanced research.
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Seminar in French Culture I & II
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This is an advanced seminar-style class on French culture taught by a full-time instructor. Students will further deepen the knowledge they have acquired in Basic Seminar I and II, and will develop advanced presentation and communication skills through the preparation and execution of presentations on themes they have independently selected.
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