Department of French
Resources
The French section of the Faculty Library is likely to provide undergraduates with most of the books they need for their studies in Part IA, Part IB and Part II. The total holdings in French are around 12,000 volumes, and multiple copies of the most frequently used books are bought where possible. However, suggestions for new books are always welcomed, and should be made to Mrs Hélène Fernandes ( hk225@cam.ac.uk), the Faculty Librarian, Dr Anne Cobby ( aec25@cam.ac.uk), or to any of the Library staff. Undergraduates are represented on the Library Committee, which meets once a term to consider issues relating to the Library. The Library also houses a number of computers, which provide access to e-mail and the World Wide Web, and an increasing stock of French films on video.
The University Library is one of the five copyright libraries in the U.K., and provides excellent facilities for French studies. Most books relating to French literature are located on North Wing 5. Finding books can take a little time, until you become used to the system. There are book-bound catalogues, for books acquired before 1978, and a computerised catalogue for post-1978 acquisitions. Within the stacks, books are arranged according to one of four sizes (a, b, c, d) as well as to subject, and bound periodicals are separated from other books.
The Language Centre,which has recently moved to new premises in Downing Place, provides access to satellite TV, as well as a very wide range of other material in French: grammatical courses, including Computer-Aided Language Learning material; pronunciation exercises; general listening and viewing material, etc. Recordings are made each evening from French TV for private viewing throughout the week. There are also copies of French films.
The Computer-Assisted Language Learning Facility opened in February 1997, for the use of all MML students and staff. Its primary purpose is to integrate computing into the language teaching and research of the Faculty. At present, there are a number of CALL programs available, as well as access to language resources on the World Wide Web. The CALL facility is there for you to use these and other programs, either as part of your coursework, or as an additional way to build up your language skills in your own time. The CALL facility is situated on the first floor of the Raised Faculty Building, and is open at regular times during term. The CALL Officer, Gavin Burnage, is responsible for the running of the Facility and will be providing introductory courses on the use of the Facility and its programs. You should attend these courses before starting work in the CALL facility. CALL is a new innovation in the Faculty, and its use is expected to increase dramatically over the next few years, as more programs are integrated into existing courses and as staff develop programs of their own. You should use the Facility to assist you in your language learning, find out more about the language and culture you are studying via the Internet and the World Wide Web, and acquire important general computing skills.
French Film Collection
The Department has a collection of some 500 French films on video available for borrowing by all staff and students in the department. Opening hours are 12.30 - 2.30 pm on Thursdays in Full Term.
The catalogue of the collection is available for consultation online.
- Catalogue of films (128K PDF)
- Download the catalogue in Word format (76K DOC)
You will need a username and password to view the catalogue; please contact Esther Palmer for this information.
