Jean Blacker came to Kenyon College in 1985, having taught as a lecturer in French and comparative studies at the Ohio State University. She has taught language courses at all levels, as well as literature courses ranging from "Arthurian Legends in Medieval French Literature and Film," "Studies in the Early Lyric" (all texts in early period courses taught in the original Old French or Old Occitan) to "Individual and Cultural Identity in the Francophone Novel and Francophone Poetry."
Blacker's research areas include twelfth-century Anglo-Norman literary and historical texts and twelfth-century Latin histories focusing principally on Arthurian material and the Norman Conquest, and early Old French Marian literature. She has served on the Committee on Advising and Standards, the Reaccreditation Committee (2000), the Tenure and Promotion Committee and is currently serving the college as Kenyon's campus facilitator for the GLCA New Directions Initiative.
Areas of Expertise
12th-century Anglo-Norman literature and chronicles, 12th-century Latin historical narrative, Arthurian legends and the Norman Conquest.
Education
1984 — Doctor of Philosophy from Univ. of California Berkeley
1976 — Master of Arts from Univ. of California Berkeley
1973 — Bachelor of Arts from Univ of California Los Angeles
Courses Recently Taught
FREN 111Y
Intensive Introductory French
FREN 111Y
This is a yearlong course offering the equivalent of three semesters of conventional language study. Work for the course includes required practice sessions with an apprentice teacher (AT), which will be scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Class meetings and AT practice sessions are supplemented with online activities and written homework. Work in class focuses primarily on developing listening comprehension and speaking skills while reinforcing vocabulary acquisition and the use of grammatical structures. Written exercises, short compositions and elementary reading materials serve to develop writing and reading skills and promote in-class discussion. There are normally eight to nine hours of class instruction in the first semester (including AT sessions). This course is intended for students who have had no prior experience with French or who are placed in FREN 111Y–112Y on the basis of a placement exam administered during Orientation. Offered every year.
FREN 112Y
Intensive Introductory French
FREN 112Y
This course is a continuation of the first semester of intensive introductory French. During the second semester, students further the study of the fundamentals of French including literary and cultural materials, introduced with a view toward increasing reading comprehension and writing ability, expanding vocabulary, and enhancing cultural awareness. Prerequisite: FREN 111Y or permission of instructor. Offered every year.
FREN 214Y
Intermediate French
FREN 214Y
This course is the continuation of the first semester of intermediate French. Please see the description for FREN 213Y. Prerequisite: FREN 111Y–112Y or placement or permission of instructor. Offered every year.
FREN 391
Special Topic
FREN 391
Special Topic
FREN 493
Individual Study
FREN 493
This course offers an opportunity to study on an individual basis an area of special interest — literary, cultural or linguistic — under the regular supervision of a faculty member. It is offered primarily to candidates for honors, to majors and, under special circumstances, to potential majors and minors. Individual study is intended to supplement, not to take place of, regular courses in the curriculum of each language program. Staff limitations restrict this offering to a very few students. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the MLL department willing to direct the project, and in consultation with them, write up a one page proposal for the IS which must be approved by the department chair before the individual study can go forward. The proposal should specify the schedule of reading and/or writing assignments and the schedule of meeting periods. The amount of work in an IS should approximate that required on average in regular courses of corresponding levels. It is suggested that students begin their planning of an IS well in advance, so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar's deadline. Typically, an IS will earn the student 0.25 or 0.50 units of credit. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet with the instructor one hour per week. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline.
MLL 498
Senior Honors
MLL 498
This course offers independent study for senior candidates for honors, under the direction of the honors supervisor. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Normally offered in the spring semester, this course may be offered in the fall with the approval of the student's honors supervisor and the chair of modern languages and literature.