A photo of Laurence Denié-Higney

Laurence Denié-Higney

Senior Lecturer

E-mail: laurence@humnet.ucla.edu Office: Royce Hall 222B

Office Hours: Tues, 10:00am-12:00pm via Zoom

Fields of interest: Second Language acquisition; hybrid teaching; Mohammed Dib; History and literature

Laurence Denié-Higney earned a DEA (Master’s) in International Relations from Université de Nantes in 1992, a Master’s in French from the Catholic University of America in 1995, a doctorate in International Relations from Université de Nantes in 1999 and a Ph.D. in French literature from the Catholic University of America in 2007. Before joining the faculty at UCLA in 2000, she was a lecturer in French at the Catholic University of America. Her research and teaching encompass a variety of topics in pedagogy, second language acquisition, hybrid teaching as well as the Algerian writer Mohammed Dib. She has published several articles on Mohammed Dib and his works. Professor Denié-Higney is also the advisor to le Cercle Francophone, the Department’s French Club.

Education

  • Ph.D. in French literature, the Catholic University of America
  • Doctorate in International Relations from Université de Nantes
  • Master’s in French from the Catholic University of America
  • DEA (Master’s) in International Relations from Université de Nantes

Featured Works

Courses commonly taught

  • Intermediate French (FR 4, FR5, FR6)
  • Introduction to Study of French and Francophone Literature (FR 12)
  • Written Expression: Techniques of Description and Narration. (FR 100)
  • Advanced Expository Writing: Techniques of Argumentation. (FR 101)
  • Contemporary Culture: Les Barricades. A study of the Paris Barricades Through the 19th and 20th centuries. (FR 130)

Honors and Awards

  • Distinguished Educator Award, AATF-Southern California, December 2015
  • AAP Faculty Recognition Award, UCLA, January 2008

Community Engagement

Le Cercle Francophone is the French Club on campus run by students guided by Professor Denié-Higney. The purpose of the club is to give students the opportunity to develop leadership and organizational skills while exploring the French and Francophone cultures. Le Cercle Francophone is open to the entire UCLA community, including current and former students. The club organizes weekly language circles, allowing students to practice their French regardless of their skills. Twice a quarter, le Cercle invites the UCLA Francophone and Francophile community to attend the screening of a French-speaking movie. Refreshments are served to encourage a more relax setting and allow conversation about the movie. Le Cercle also organizes several annual activities: World Language Day at the beginning of the fall quarter, Immersion Day in the winter quarter, and Francophone Day in the spring quarter. Finally, le Cercle arranges field trips for its members so they can attend plays, master classes at the COLCOA French Film Festival, and musicals, to name a few.