Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Colonial and Postcolonial Cultures in the Francophone Worlds
School	Lan, Cult, Art Hist & Music
Department	Modern Languages
Module Code	09 34933
Module Lead	Dr Berny Sèbe
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1 or 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Like any global language, French has spread around the world through the means of imperial expansion. The variety of national and regional contexts outside Europe where French has emerged as the lingua franca comes in stark contrast with the common experience of having been on the receiving end of colonialism. On the European continent, French and, to a lesser extent, Belgian imperialism have been instrumental in spreading Francophone cultures on the five continents. This module explores the role the colonial experience played in the emergence of Francophone postcolonial cultures, either among the colonizers (e.g. in France, Belgium or even Switzerland, described recently as performing ‘colonialism without colonies’) or, more crucially, among the colonised countries and peoples of Africa, Asia, the Pacific, North America and the Pacific. Through the prism of the colonial past and its multiple ramifications on the present, this module charts and analyses the trajectory that has led to the emergence of numerous ‘Francophone worlds’ of their own. The language of delivery will be a mixture of English and French, as appropriate to the activities in class.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: demonstrate a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the variety of regional contexts where French is spoken around the world; Critically analyse the role the colonial experience has played in the spread of the French language throughout history; Show awareness of colonialism as an analytical tool to make sense of the present situation of the post-colonial Francophone worlds; demonstrate a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the concept of ‘Francophone postcolonial worlds’ and use it understand key ideas such a ‘francophonie’.
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 5-7 minute presentation with 3 minutes for questions (10 minutes in total) (in French, 25%); 3,000-word essay (in English, 75%). Reassessment: No resits are permitted in final year. If students miss the assessed task owing to extenuating circumstances, the failed task would be rescheduled at a later date.
Other
Reading List