Fall 2013 French Language Courses - Faculty
Pierre Bras
After earning a Ph.D in Law from the Université de Montpellier, Dr. Pierre Bras went to study in the United States, where he received a Ph.D in French from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has taught French language and civilization classes at the UC Paris French and European Studies program, as well as French literature and French language classes at all undergraduate levels at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and at Centre College (Kentucky), where he worked as a Visiting Assistant Professor. His dissertation, entitled Law and its Diversions in Modern and Contemporary French Literature, addresses the works of Honoré de Balzac, Marcel Proust, and Albert Cohen. Dr. Bras is also interested in the works of Simone de Beauvoir. In 2011, he edited the proceedings of the International Conference on “Simone de Beauvoir et la psychanalyse” which was held in Paris in March 2010. More recently, he has developed his passion for contemporary art by collaborating with the Spanish artist Pilar Albarracin, with whom he published a catalogue, Le Duende Volé [The Purloined Duende], in 2012. Course taught: French 16.
Caroline Benedetto
Caroline Benedetto has taught the French language, her mother tongue, to numerous students and professionals, abroad and in the Paris region. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the Université Paris Diderot and a Master in Language Didactics from the École normale supérieure (ENS), with a specialization in Linguistics. A former Fulbright scholar, fluent in English and Italian, Caroline had the opportunity to broaden her knowledge of foreign cultures while strengthening French instruction at American universities. Caroline has taught French language and culture classes, at all levels, at the following universities: Whitworth University, Texas A&M, Parsons College or Art (Paris), The University of Chicago (Center in Paris). Prior to teaching French as a foreign language, Caroline has worked as a freelance translator since 2007 with prestigious organizations such as the UNESCO in Paris, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Cannes International Film Market. Course taught: French 12.
Sylvie Clemence
Sylvie Clémence has taught French language courses at the UC Paris Center Program since its inception in 2002. After graduating in English and American Literature, Methodology, Phonetics and Grammar, at the Université de Picardie and Université de Paris Sorbonne, she co-founded a training company, organized and conducted intensive training programs for managing directors and expatriates in different industrial worldwide companies. One of her main interests has always been the study of cross cultural issues and how to make people feel at home and autonomous in France using techniques and tools adapted to professionals and students. Along with her teaching for UC Paris, Sylvie teaches at ESCP EUROPE, one of the top business schools in Paris, which welcomes students from all over the world. Course taught: French 12.
Véronique Du Parc
Véronique Du Parc holds a DEA in linguistics for teaching French as a foreign language from the University of Paris Sorbonne III. Her PhD at the University of the Antilles-Guyane UAG is in progress. Since the 1990s, she has taught French language and civilization and literature courses for American university programs in Paris, such as the UC Paris Program, San Diego State University, the University of Wisconsin (Madison and Milwaukee), and Lake Forest University. A lover of literature and foreign languages, she is currently learning Mandarin. In 2007, she published a children’s book, Mystère à Guérande, set in Brittany. Course taught: French 15.
Mona El-Khoury
Mona El Khoury is a PhD candidate in Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University, where she has taught French language and literature classes for three years. A native French speaker, born and raised in Paris, Mona has lived in the United States for six years. After completing her Masters in Philosophy from Paris Sorbonne, she spent a year at Middlebury College in Vermont. She developed a special interest in Francophone literatures and postcolonial theories and decided to pursue her studies in a graduate program in the US. Mona holds a Master in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard University, and she is now completing her PhD dissertation on contemporary Franco-Algerian literature. Her research has brought her back to her native Paris, where she is delighted to teach French language to University of California students. Course taught: French 13.
Claudia Fontu
Claudia Fontu received her M.A. in French Literature and her M.A. in American Literature from the University of Paris Sorbonne III in 2006. Her PhD at the University of Paris Sorbonne III is in progress. She has taught French language and civilisation classes at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and has taught French language classes at the UC Paris Center program, at Franklin and Marshall College in Paris, at University of Florida in Paris, as well as French literature classes at the University of Southern California in Paris. Since 2010 she has also taught French language courses and is a teacher trainer at the Department of French Language Didactics at the Institute of Linguistics, Paris. A former journalist, she translated three books of Romanian poetry into French. She is also a painter. Course taught: French 12.
Ioana Mercey
Ioana Mercey received her M.A. in French Literature from the University of Limoges in 2004 and her M.A. in Foreign Language Pedagogy at the University of Paris Sorbonne III in 2006. She has taught French language classes at the French Institute in Santiago de Chile and at the Alliance française in Paris. Since 2008 she has also taught French language and civilisation classes to North American students for the MICEFA academic exchange program in Paris. Fond of cinema, she organized a film festival in Paris, in 2010 and teaches a French Film course (La société française à travers le cinéma). Course taught: French 15.
Sabrina Petitjean
Sabrina Petitjean received her M.A. in applied linguistics and phonetics from the University of Paris Sorbonne in 2004. She followed this degree with a year of specialization in didactics in languages and cultures. Since 2004, she has taught French language and civilization, as well as phonetics, in many international academic programs. She has had the opportunity to teach students from many American universities such as UC, Yale, Harvard, and Georgetown. She is also a trainer in argumentative techniques and teaches writing to advanced students, studying at French universities. Since 2006, she teaches French for specific purposes (business, diplomacy, media and culture) to international business schools such as H.E.C. In 2008 she joined the teaching staff of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris and is now a member of the jury's assessment of French language exams, such as TEF. Course taught: French 14.
Pierrette Sansone-Barès
Pierrette Sansone-Barès received her M.A. in teaching French as a foreign language from the University of Grenoble III in 2004. She is currently pursuing a second M.A. in Didactique du FLE et Interculturalité at the University of Paris V René Descartes. She taught French language and civilization courses in the United States, Japan and Canada for twelve years. Since her return to France, she has taught French language and civilization courses for the Columbia-Penn program in Paris and at the Hollins Abroad in Paris program. She has also taught French language and culture courses at the UC Paris Center program and at Sarah Lawrence College. Course taught: French 13.