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Class Spotlight "Rendez-vous littéraire": A Unique Immersion into French Literature
- Alexandra Hauffen
- Aug 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 2
Students and French language enthusiasts, I'm pleased to introduce you to one of the favorite classes I teach at l'Alliance française: "Rendez-vous littéraire." This fall, we're exploring together La place by Annie Ernaux, a powerful work that offers a deep dive into contemporary French culture.
Why La place by Annie Ernaux?
La place is a mirror of 20th-century French society. Through the portrait of her father, a grocer turned factory worker, Annie Ernaux takes us on a journey through the social transformations of post-war France. She addresses the critical questions of social class, education, and the painful distance that can emerge between generations when social mobility separates a child from their origins.The book resonates particularly today because it touches on universal themes: How do we honor our roots while evolving? What does it truly mean to succeed? How can language, social codes, and education simultaneously liberate and alienate?
An Interactive Pedagogical Approach
Our "Rendez-vous littéraire" is not a traditional lecture course. Each week, we gather around assigned pages to create a rich and varied learning experience together. My role as a teacher is to guide our discussions, but it's the students who really bring this class to life.We will explore the text from every angle: Ernaux's distinctive writing style, the "flat writing" she advocates, the historical and social context of France's post-war boom years, and the issues of memory and transmission. We connect these themes to today's societal questions and our personal experiences.
Understanding the book through language production
What makes this class unique is the diversity of activities we can plan to revisit the book's themes. Students may be asked to organize debates about conflicting questions, conduct research on the period of the story, create presentations on their experiences related to a specific topic, or engage in creative writing inspired by the author's style. These exchanges foster intercultural richness, deepening our mutual understanding.
Not your average French Class
"Rendez-vous littéraire" will influence your relationship with the French language. It will help you develop an intimacy with the language through the beauty and complexity of major literary texts. Students learn to nuance their expression, to handle French subtleties, and to understand the cultural references that shape the French mentality. This approach also allows students to learn to argue in French (a French favorite pastime!) and familiarize themselves with the codes of French literary analysis.
Join Us!
If you want to discover Francophonie through its literature, if you wish to enrich your French while exploring universal themes, if you enjoy intellectual exchanges in a supportive atmosphere, our "Rendez-vous littéraire." is for you. We meet each week to share our reflections, discoveries, and emotions around major works of contemporary Francophone literature.
Learn more about our instructor Alexandra Hauffen and the class.
You hesitate about a whole session? You can book a trial class for $35.
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