Department of Modern Languages, Carnegie Mellon University
Michael J. West
Senior Lecturer in French with a Courtesy
Appointment in English

Personal Statement

Since arriving at Carnegie Mellon in 1989, I have been involved with the teaching of French language and literary and cultural studies. One guiding principle of my work has been to break down the distinctions between "high" and "low" culture. I consider learning French a process involving not only the skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking and cultural awareness, but also the development of higher-level critical skills through relatively close readings and discussions of many different verbal and visual texts. Because I also believe in breaking down boundaries between teaching and research, I try to the fullest extent possible to engage students in my current research by offering upper-level courses that provide an opportunity to share the results of my interests and illustrate some of the possibilities of research in the humanities. Thus in the past I have given courses organized thematically around such topics as "imperial and occupied France", the theme of revolt in nineteenth-century French poetry, novels, music and painting, Surrealism in France and Spain, and the influence of the Parisian Expositions Universelles (1855-1937) on modern French culture.

Recent courses I have taught include one on Contemporary Spoken French and another on French and francophone folktales, fables and short stories. I am currently working on a manuscript discussing the influence of the Parisian Expositions Universelles on the formation of national cultural identity.

In addition to the topics mentioned above, my research has also examined French and francophone AIDS discourse within the larger field of gay studies in French. I have translated a number of pamphlets from the French Revolution and a previously unpublished interview with Michel Foucault.


Courses Taught

82-101Elementary French 1
82-102Elementary French 2
82-201Intermediate French 1
82-303Advanced Writing in French
82-305Contemporary Spoken French
82-409The Revolting Nineteenth Century
82-410Issues in Contemporary French Civilization
82-413Twentieth-Century French Novel
82-415/416Tale, Fable and Short Story
82-415/416Eighteenth Century: Text and Society
82-415/416Imperial and Occupied France
82-415/416ExpoCulture: the Parisian Expositions Universelles and the Formation of a National Cultural Identity, 1855-1937
82-466Surrealism in France and Spain
82-701French for Graduate Reading Knowledge


Recent Work

Resume

Contact Information

Email: mjwest@cmu.edu



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