Intermediate French I Emphasis on increased control and proficiency in the language through audiovisual, conversational, and drill methods. Readings and film enlarge the student's view of French life and culture.

Introduction to Contemporary France In this interdisciplinary course we will examine the evolving social and political landscape of France in the 21st century. How is French society reconciling contemporary challenges with deeply entrenched institutions and values?  How does everyday life reflect the evolution of long-term trends?  How are immigration, growing inequalities, and membership in the European Union challenging French identity and the notion of “Frenchness”?  We will focus our attention on demography and the family, the educational system, politics, and the French social model or welfare state. Emphasis will be on oral expression and the acquisition of specialized vocabulary.  Sources will include articles from the French and American press, documents, and film. This course is recommended for all students planning to study in France. (FREN 0209, 0210 or placement); open to first-semester first-year students with permission.)

New France: From First Contacts to First Nations When the first French explorers arrived in what would become known as “la Nouvelle France” over the 16th century, they found several distinct communities of indigenous peoples. In this course, we will explore “first  contacts” among these two groups, using a variety of resources, from travel writings and other written  manuscripts to archeological and ethnographic findings. How did these contacts change as the French “colons”  began to consider themselves the legitimate “habitants” of the land? In the second half, we will concentrate on  the history of the Abenaki First Nation and how this once nomadic people sedentarized in Québec, following  contacts with both French and English colonialists.

Beginning French This course is a continuation of FREN 0101, dealing with more complex French. Oral skills are stressed and students participate in the French language table at lunch. This course does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement.

Intensive Beginning French For students who have not previously studied French, an introduction to listening, speaking, reading, and writing in French, providing the syntactic and semantic foundation of the French language in a concentrated program of grammar presentation, drills, laboratory work, and discussion. Primary emphasis will be placed on the student's active use of the language, and weekly attendance at the French language table will be required. This course does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement. Students are expected to continue with FREN 0102 in the winter term after successfully completing FREN 0101, and with FREN 0201in the spring.

Social Mobility and France's "Transclasses" Traditionally perceived as stable and rigid, France's class stratification has evolved significantly since the 1960s. However, inequalities based on one's socioeconomic origins persist. Accordingly, the transclasses—those individuals having acquired a different class status over their lifetime—have attracted a great deal of recent attention: do they confirm the existence of social mobility or are they the “exception that proves the rule of social reproduction?” Through historical, sociological, and literary analysis we will debate this question. Sections will include: the history of socioeconomic inequality; French sociological theories that explain both continuity and change of class structure; current literary figures who embody the transclasse experience.

Toward Liberated Expression A course designed to increase and perfect the ability to express oneself in spoken and written French. Emphasis on precision, variety, and vocabulary acquisition. Sections limited to 15 students. (FREN 0201, 0203 or placement) This requirement for the major and the minor may be satisfied by placement at a higher level.

France: A Multicultural Society? The debates over "national identity" and the "niqab affair" (2009-2010) demonstrated once again just how controversial the notion of cultural pluralism remains in France. Using an historical and sociological approach, we will examine the sources of French unease over such public displays of "private" difference. We will explore France's colonial past and immigration; different forms of socio-political mobilization around ethnic, religious, and sexual "identities"; measures adopted by the French to combat ethno-racial discrimination. Sources will include sociological texts, articles from French press, websites, and films. (FREN 0221 or FREN 0230 or by waiver).

William Poulin-Deltour

Reviews and ratings for William Poulin-Deltour at Middlebury College.William Poulin-Deltour teaches Intermediate French I, Introduction to Contemp France, New France: Contacts Nations and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is William Poulin-Deltour good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

I took this class Fall 2025 and Prof Poulin Deltour is a genuinely super kind man who cares about getting to know you. There are  readings for every class and the whole class is just based on discussion and participation (but in a chill way). He often ends up digressing completely but he has a lot of insight to give and knowledge. He grades super nicely too. 

Poulin is a fun and easy going professor. The class is mainly readings and group projects, so it is not very stressful. We had to do a podcast which was my favorite part of this course because I got closer with my classmates, and it was a creative and different assignment.

0201 is definitely a big step up from 0102. If you didn't take any french classes in high school and only started in university, this course can be very stressful. Memorization is key for this class so you need to be willing to put many hours into it in order for the topics to actually stick.