Global Learning
Explore Library resources for study abroad, international learning, and countries represented by our Kirkwood students.
About France
Some facts about France, from Global Road Warrior:
- "France is located in Western Europe and is the largest European country, covering about 640,000 square kilometers (247,000 square miles). France shares borders with Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra, and Switzerland. The country has multiple coastlines, lying along the English Channel in the northwest while the southwest coast fronts the Bay of Biscay."
- "French is the official language though many languages are spoken throughout the country. Many are spoken regionally, including Catalan, Occitan, Flemish, and Breton. Also spoken within small communities of France are Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian."
- "Because of its various climates and topography, France has an exceptional amount of biodiversity. The country’s woodlands are home to mammals including brown bear, elk, marmots, ibex, wolves, and polecats. Many species of owls and birds call France home, including the pink flamingo, which is native to southern France."
- Read much more about France in Global Road Warrior!
Books and other sources about France
France in the World: A new global history by Call Number: 944 F815ISBN: 9781590519417Publication Date: 2019-04-09Bringing together an impressive group of established and up-and-coming historians, this bestselling history conceives of France not as a fixed, rooted entity, but instead as a place and an idea in flux, moving beyond all borders and frontiers, shaped by exchanges and mixtures. France in the World combines the intellectual rigour of an academic work with the liveliness and readability of popular history.
France: Eyewitness travel by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781465421760Publication Date: 2014Describes the architecture, culture, and history of France; explores the highlights of each region of the country; and recommends hotels, restaurants, shops, sights, and scenic routes.
France: The essential guide to customs and culture by Call Number: 944 T655fISBN: 9781787022683Publication Date: 2021-03-04Don't just see the sights--get to know the people. The French are "different." You'll often hear this in conversations among the "Anglo-Saxons," as the French like to call English-speakers. "Different" means charming, challenging, questioning, stylish, and doing things in their own way and to their own advantage. It gives practical advice on how to avoid faux pas and how to behave in different contexts. Culture Smart: France takes you through French history, festivals, and traditions, and describes the French at home and at work. Above all, it shows you how the French communicate, and how to get the best out of this idiosyncratic and brilliant people. Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture.
Search for books and articles on more specific topics using our WorldCat library search:
- WorldCat Discovery This link opens in a new window
- Why search here? A great place to start your research, WorldCat is an all-in-one search of the library's holdings.
- What's included? Kirkwood library books, ebooks, and article database content. Select "Libraries Worldwide" on the results screen to search books held by libraries around the country and the world.
Films available to stream:
- Educational series: Learning French - A Rendezvous with French-speaking CulturesIn Learning French: A Rendezvous with French-Speaking Cultures, you will gain a practical, in-depth introduction to a beautiful language. 30 step-by-step lectures provide you with an effective and engaging means to grasp the core building blocks of French, while adding insight into the relationship between language and culture. Perfect for an upcoming trip or an armchair tourist.
- Documentary: Too Black to be French - Racism in FranceIn this documentary film, Isabelle Boni-Claverie explores the role of race and the persistence of racism in France, as well as the impact of the French colonial past. Through an exploration of her personal family history, and interviews with historians and academics, TOO BLACK TO BE FRENCH peels back the layers of race relations in supposedly institutionally colorblind France.
- Documentary: To Be and To Have: The Successes of a Small School in Rural FranceThe one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher instructs several grades at once, is generally regarded a quaint thing of the past and a symbol of obsolete and ineffective teaching methods. However, TO BE AND TO HAVE offers an in-depth look at a small school in rural France where one remarkable man has been doing the job of a small teaching staff for 20 years, and has taught several generations of bright and capable children along the way.
- Documentary: United France - Celebrating Together[Last in an extensive series of episodes on France from The Great Courses and John Greene.] Conclude your tour with a look at some of France's great national celebrations. First, visit the Stade de France, a shrine to French sports achievements. Learn about two essential events that conclude on Paris's Champs-Elysees: the Tour de France and the Bastille Day parade. Finish with national cultural events such as the Fete de la Musique, the Fête du Cinema, and the national Heritage Days.
Many more documentaries and movies on the Library's Kanopy database.
- Kanopy Streaming Videos This link opens in a new window
- Why search here? For an extensive collection of streaming videos and films.
- What's included? Contains a wide range of films and television series, as well as documentary videos produced by PBS, BBC, Documentary Educational Resources and more.
|
Cedar Rapids Campus Library |
If you need disability-related accommodations in order to use the Library, our website, or our resources, please contact the library at library@kirkwood.edu or 319-398-5697. |