Foreign Languages Faculty
B.A., French and Women's Studies, 1994, Dartmouth College
M.A., French, 1998, Duke University
Ph.D., French, 2003, Duke University
I had no intention of majoring in French, much less pursuing a career in it, until I spent my first semester abroad as an undergraduate. Needless to say, I am a fervent supporter of study abroad. I lived three years in Paris during which time I taught English at a high school in the 6th arrondissement, worked for a study abroad office, and volunteered at a vet’s office. I believe most cultural differences can be discerned by studying how people interact with animals.
I enjoy teaching Guilford students because they are inquisitive and politically aware. Our students are engaged in what is happening in the Francophone world and they are eager to draw connections to how the U.S. impacts Francophone regions. Guilford is large enough that I can provide my students a broad range of courses but small enough to give each of them individualized attention.
My primary field of study is eighteenth-century theater. I love discovering long lost manuscripts by virtually unknown playwrights, comparing their works to canonical texts, and analyzing why one became celebrated while the other did not. The answer is not always self evident!
Maria teaches:
- FREN 101: Communicating in French I
- FREN 201: Intermediate French
- FREN 220: Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis
- FREN 310: Contemporary France
- FREN 311: The Francophone World
- FREN 315: French and Francophone Cinema
- FREN 365: Literature and Culture: Period
- FREN 375: Literature and Culture: Theme
- FREN 385: Literature and Culture: Genre
- FREN 400: Senior Seminar
- FYE 101: The Birth of Science Fiction
- IDS 450: Paris
Contact Maria at mbobroff@guilford.edu.