Professional Experience |
Catherine du ToitAssociate Professor |
Conferences |
Qualifications | Other Presentations | |
Publications | Awards | |
Research Areas | Academic & Administrative Responsibilities | |
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2013 - | Associate Professor, Department of Modern Foreign Languages, University of Stellenbosch |
2008 - 2013 | Senior Lecturer, Department of Modern Foreign Languages, University of Stellenbosch |
1998 -2008 | Lecturer in French, Department of Modern Foreign Languages, University of Stellenbosch |
1997 - 1998 | French language Instructor at the Language Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs |
1995 – 1996 | Awarded French Government Bursary for doctoral research in France |
1994 –1995 | Junior Lecturer (full-time) in the Department of Romance Languages (French Section), University of South Africa Teaching assistant (part-time) in the Department of Modern European Languages (French Section), University of Pretoria Research assistant (part-time) in the Department of Modern European Languages (French Section), University of Pretoria (research project : French-Afrikaans Dictionary) |
1992 – 1993 | Awarded French Government Bursary for post-magistral studies (D.E.A.) in France |
1992 | Junior Lecturer (full-time) in the French Department, University of Pretoria External Marker (part-time) in the Department of Romance Languages (French Section), University of South Africa Lecturer (part-time) at the Alliance Française de Pretoria |
1990 –1991 | Junior Lecturer (full-time) in the French Department, University of Pretoria |
QUALIFICATIONS
2006 | University of Pretoria: Doctor Litterarum et philosophiae (DLitt) in French. Dissertation in French and Comparative Literature: Henri-Pierre Roché. À la recherche de l’unité perdue |
1993 | Université de Nantes : D.E.A.(Diplôme d'études approfondies = post-graduated diploma taken in France before completing a PhD) in French and Comparative Literature -summa cum laude |
1989 | University of Pretoria : Baccalaureus Artium Honores (BA Honours degree) in French Language and Literature cum laude |
1988 | University of Pretoria : Baccalaureus Legum Civilium (Bachelor's degree in Law) |
PUBLICATIONS
Articles (peer reviewed)
- Houellebecq : entre mobilisation infinie et épuisement vital in L’Unité de l’œuvre de Michel Houellebecq, eds. Sabine Van Wesemael & Bruno Viard, Garnier, Paris, 2014, 447p, (pp115-124).
- Les Mécanismes de la séduction ; contrepoint et harmonie in French Studies in Southern Africa, No 43, pp 60-80, 2012 (Peer reviewed and accredited by Department of Higher Education)
- Bitterkomix: traduire, trahir, choisir in La Conquête de la langue, Fabula « Colloques en ligne / Théories : Idées, notions, catégories, June 2013, http://www.fabula.org/colloques/document2016.php
- Ageing in the 21st century in Readings in Twenty-First-Century European Literatures,eds. Michael Gratzke, Margaret-Anne Hutton, Claire Whitehead, Peter Lang, June 2013, 444p. (pp279-301)
- Vieillir ou l’érotisme de l’érosion in Germanica. L’écriture de la vieillesse dans la littérature allemande contemporaine, pp 123-140, 50/2012, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3.
- Alain Resnais et l’engagement documentaire. Une affaire de morale en trois temps. in Le sentiment de la langue : Evasion, exotisme et engagement , pp213 – 227, Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux, December 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19402
- Henri-Pierre Roché et Peter Altenberg : Une émotion qui naît de l’ellipse même in French Studies in Southern Africa, No 41, pp 80 - 100, 2011 (Peer reviewed and accredited by Department of Higher Education) http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19396
- Introduction à Don Juan et ... d’Henri-Pierre Roché. Un destin fragmentaire in Hera’s Peacock / Le Paon d’Hera, Vol. 7, pp 311-319, Décembre 2010, Éditions du Murmure, Paris
http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19395 - Primeurs : les premières productions littéraires d’Henri-Pierre Roché in French Studies in Southern Africa, No 39, 2009 (Peer reviewed and accredited by Department of Higher Education)
http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19397 - Les déboires d’un séducteur surmené. in Rencontres Internationales Jules et Jim. Autour d’Henri-Pierre Roché. (Proceedings of the first Henri-Pierre Roché conference, France, 4-6 July 2003), June 2008, pp 69 – 82.
- Deux Anglaises et le Continent d’Henri-Pierre Roché. Des avatars et des affres de l’amour in French Studies in Southern Africa, No 37, August 2007, pp 23-47 (Peer reviewed and accredited by Department of Higher Education)
http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19398 - Don Juan et ... les souffrances d’un séducteur surmené in French Studies in Southern Africa, No 34, 2005 (Peer reviewed and accredited by Department of Higher Education)
- Curiosity, observation and love : The Roché Project in Deutsch als Herausforderung. Fremdsprachenunterricht und Literatur in Forschung und Lehre. Festschrift für Rainer Kussler. (Ed. Rolf Annas). June 2004.
- Through a glass darkly ... The image of Protestantism in francophone fiction as portrayed in works of Julien Green, Joseph Provost and Jean-Pierre Monnier in Nederduits Geref Teologiese Tydskrif, Deel 45, Nommers 1 & 2, Maart – Junie 2004 (Peer reviewed and accredited by Department of Higher Education)
- “Beyond the Mask : Maupassant in Algeria” in "Africa and Europe: En/Countering Myths" in the series "Literary and Cultural Theory" (General editor: Wojciech H. Kalaga) by Peter Lang Publishers, Germany. August 2003
http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19726 - The image of Protestantism in francophone fiction in Proceedings of the 3rd International Huguenot Conference, September 2002, Bulletin 39, pp 62-72
- “Somebody Else : Arthur Rimbaud in Africa” (Review) in Studies in Travel Writing, No 5, 2001, Nottingham Trent University Press, pp 205-208
- Lorenzaccio et l'engrenage de la violence in Approches de l'idéal et du réel, pp 41-52, Cahier 2, Université d'Angers, 1993
- Les Possédés de Dostoïevski : Stavroguine; l'iniquité des adultes in Recherches sur l'Imaginaire, pp 451-465, Cahier XXIV, Université d'Angers, 1993
Conference proceedings
- Les déboires d’un séducteur surmené. in Rencontres Internationales Jules et Jim. Autour d’Henri-Pierre Roché.
(Proceedings of the first Henri-Pierre Roché conference, France, 4-6 July 2003), June 2008, pp 69 – 82. - The image of Protestantism in francophone fiction in Proceedings of the 3rd International Huguenot Conference,
September 2002, Bulletin 39, pp 62-72
PUBLISHED TRANSLATIONS
- Tagtig gedigte en twee essays by Michel Houellebecq (translated into Afrikaans from the French with other translators), published by HOND, 2012.
- Rats et chiens by Conrad Botes (translated from the Afrikaans), published by Cornelius, 2009.
- Bitterkomix by Conrad Botes and Anton Kannemeyer (translated into French from the Afrikaans), published by L’Association, 2009.
- Pouilly-Fumé. Jewel of the Loire Valley by Jacky Rigaux (translated from the French), published by Terre en Vues, 2008, 120p.
- Burgundy Grands Crus by Jacky Rigaux (translated from the French), published by Terre en vues, 2007, 127p.
- Burgundy vintages 1846-2006 by Jacky Rigaux (translated from the French), published by Terre en vues, 2006, 122p.
- Terroir and the winegrower by Jacky Rigaux (translated from the French in collaboration with Prof. N. Morgan) published by Terre en vues, 2006, 365 p.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
- Afrique: la traduction littéraire au service du multilinguisme (Liliane Ramarosoa, Catherine du Toit et Gavin Bowd). Le français à l’université. 18/04, 2013 ; created online on 20 December 2013.
- L’Afrique francophone: Engaging all of Africa. Bridging the Language Gap. In Touch, No 1, March 2013, p.14.
- ‘n Sertifikaat in Sekswerk ? Die Burger. By. 15 June 2013, p. 9.
- Etiese erotiek. Moeder Minnaar Aarde. Die Burger. By. 7 September 2013, p. 9.
- Wine and I – an affair to remember. extra. (The Special supplement of the French Season in South Africa 2012), No 9, July 2012, pp. 28-29.
CONFERENCES
- Stavroguine : un homme perdu d’avance, « La force du mal dans l’œuvre de Dostoïevski », Brest, 23-24 January 2014.
- En quête d’un troisième espace – violences sorcières et fiction policière en Afrique, « Le goût du noir », Cerisy-la-Salle, 17-24 July 2013
- Les absents ont toujours tort, 3e rencontres Henri-Pierre Roché, Dieulefit (France), 5-7 July 2013
- Le vin et la littérature, 13e Congrès mondial FIPF, « Le monde en marche. L'enseignement du français entre mondialisation et contextualisation », 23-27 July 2012.
- Michel Houellebecq entre mobilisation infinie et fatigue, International Conference : “L’unité dans l’œuvre de Michel Houellebecq”, Université de Provence-Marseille, Marseille (France), 3-5 May 2012.
- The figure of the detective as cultural mediator in recent African crime fiction. International Symposium: “Crime and its Fictions in Africa”, Yale University, 22-23 March 2012.
- La polarisation du roman policier en Afrique, World Conference of the Conseil International d’Études Francophones, Aix-en-Provence (France), 29 May – 5 June 2011.
- Ageing in the 21st century, Conference on Twenty-first Century Literature : Mapping New Trends, University of St Andrews, Scotland, 15 - 17 September 2010.
- Dérive de la déglingue : quand le temps n’a plus de rive, XXIth International Conference of AFSSA, Pietermaritzburg, 20 - 23 September 2010.
- Journaux comparés, séduction en contrepoint, Journée d’Études Roché / Truffaut, La Cinémathèque Française, Paris, France, 3 October 2009.
- Henri-Pierre Roché, écrivain de nouvelles, Les deuxièmes rencontres Jules et Jim, Paris, France, 4 October 2009.
- Seduction in counterpoint: the diaries of Helen Hessel and Henri-Pierre Roché.
Annual Congress of the American Comparative Literature Association « Global Languages, Local Cultures. Harvard University, USA, 26 – 29 March 2009.
- Le cinéma engagé d’Alain Resnais : la guerre entre la mémoire et l’oubli. XXth International Conference of AFSSA, Gaborone, Botswana, 2-4 July 2008.
- Jules, Catherine et Jim: the diary of Helen Hessel.
Women in French 4th International Conference. “Women in the middle”, Fort Worth, USA, 10-12 April 2008.
- Soi comme tant d’autres : récit de vie et conception de soi chez Michel Houellebecq et Bret Easton Ellis
XVIIIth International Conference of AFSSA, Grahamstown, 12-14 September 2006. (Invited to chair a session on “Visage and vision”.) - •Les racines de Jules et Jim: Henri-Pierre Roché entre affinités et authenticité
World Conference of the Conseil International d’Études Francophones, Sinaïa (Romania), 25 June-2 July 2006 (also invited to chair a session on “Intercultural dialogue and francophone discourse”) - «C’est dans cette boue là que je trouverai mon or » : le Journal d’Henri-Pierre Roché Stellenbosch, 8-11 September 2004
- Don Juan et ... les souffrances d’un séducteur surmené
First international conference of l’Association Jules et Jim, Dieulefit (France), 4-6 July 2003 - Through a glass darkly ... The image of Protestantism in francophone fiction.
3rd International Huguenot Conference, Stellenbosch, 25-27 September 2002 - Beyond the mask : Guy de Maupassant in Algeria
Africa and Europe : Myths, Masks and Masquerades. International Conference hosted by the School of Literature and Languages Studies of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2-5 April 2001 - Henri-Pierre Roché : l'enseignement et l'empire des sens
XVIth International Conference of AFSSA (Association for French Studies in Southern Africa), Pretoria, 6-8 September 2000
OTHER PRESENTATIONS
- Organisation of a week long workshop on literary translation – the Jean-Joseph Rabéarivelo project – funded by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie and attended by researchers from several Indian Ocean Rim countries. Presentation of two seminars on translation in a multicultural context. Stellenbosch (December 2013).
- Workshop on translation, Antsiranana, Madagascar (December 2013), Regional Doctoral School of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie
- Workshop on the preparation of funding proposals, Stellenbosch (April 2013), Regional Doctoral School of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie
- Presentation on Literature in French teaching at the meeting of Indian Ocean French Departments, organized by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, November 2012, Maputo, Mozambique.
- Presentation on Academic Project Management at the meeting mentioned above.
- Workshops on postgraduate research methodology in Moroni, Comoros (June 2012) and Antananarivo, Madagascar (October 2012). Invited by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie.
- Invited to participate in pilot programme of the Advancement Academy at Stellenbosch. March – October 2012.
- Workshop on postgraduate research methodology in Antananarivo, Madagascar (April 2011).
- Invited to present Masters seminar on the Afrikaans-French translations of Bitterkomix and other alternative comic strips at the University of Paris-Est Créteil in May 2011.
- Le rôle de la littérature dans l’enseignement du français langue étrangère
Workshop : Stage régional de français d’Epako (Educational seminar in the teaching of French as a Foreign Language in
Southern Africa) Omaruru, 22-26 November 2001 - Invited to present semester module in French for Singing students at US Department of Music (2007, 2008).
- Creation and presentation of a year module in French diction for Singers at US Department of Music (2010)
AWARDS AND BURSARIES
- 2013, Research Fellowship (Melon award), Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin.
- 2012, Researcher rated by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. (Established researcher, C2)
- 2012, Rector’s award for performance in general
- 2011, Rector’s award for performance in general
- 2007-8, Post-doctoral research fellowship (Dorot award), University of Texas at Austin.
- 2003, Rector’s award for excellence in teaching. University of Stellenbosch.
- 2001, French government grant for research in France, CFPPA (Beaune).
- 1995-1996 French Government bursary for research in France, Université d’Angers.
- 1992-1993 French Government bursary for post-magistral studies (D.E.A.) in France, Université d’Angers.
- NRF conference grants received in 2003 and 2006.
STUDIES AND RESEARCH ABROAD
- 2013, Research visit of three months, Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin.
- 2008, Research visit of three months, Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin.
- 2001, Two months research visit at the CFPPA (Centre de Formation Professionnelle et de Promotion Agricole ) at Beaune, France.
- 1995-1996 – Research in France, Université d’Angers.
- 1992-1993 – Postgraduate studies in France, Université de Nantes.
ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Chairperson of Department of Modern Foreign Languages, 2011 –
- Head of French Section of Department of Modern Foreign Languages,1998 –
- Academic Offering Committee, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, 2012-
- Programme coordinator, BA Languages and Culture, 2012-
- Association for French Studies in Southern Africa (Vice-President), 2010 –
- Association for French Studies in Southern Africa (Secretary), 2004 – 2010
- Teaching committee, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Stellenbosch (Chair), 2006 – 2009
- Member of Executive Committee, Maties Staff Forum, 2013 –
- Lecturer’s Association steering committee, University of Stellenbosch, 2005 – 2009
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie: member of the Commission d’experts régionale of the Indian Ocean Office
- Association for French Studies in Southern Africa
- Conseil International d’Études Francophones
- Association Jules et Jim
- American Comparative Literature Association
- Women in French
LANGUAGES
I speak, read and write fluent English, French and Afrikaans, have a good working knowledge of German and Dutch and a reading knowledge of Italian.
ADDITIONAL DIPLOMAS
CFPPA, Beaune :
2001 Intensive course in winemaking (with the object of creating a French language course for the wine industry)
Cape Wine Academy :
2000 Preliminary and Certificate Wine Courses
Fokus Sprachenschule, Munich :
1995 Successful completion of intensive advanced German Language course.
Alliance Française :
1991 Diplôme supérieur d'études françaises modernes / Higher Diploma in Modern French Studies (with distinction)
1990 Diplôme de langue française / Diploma in French Language (with distinction)
Trinity College of Music, London :
1985 Grade 8 (Final) in violin (with distinction)
1985 Grade 5 (Higher) in guitar (with distinction)
Technical College Pretoria :
1984-1985 First Prize in Drama and Mime
RESEARCH AREAS
My research areas encompass a fairly wide field since foreign language teachers in South Africa have to be able to transmit various and varied skills. I have concentrated on integrating literature as a functional part of French as a foreign language in the South African context. My focus areas in this respect are : identity and otherness, the representation of the self in literature, crime fiction in Africa, the representation of ageing in contemporary literature and cinema. I teach and supervise postgraduate research in French as well as comparative literature. My personal research focus for the past twenty years has been the life and times of the French author, Henri-Pierre Roché. In recent years, I have extended my research to 21st century literature, specifically in a comparative literature context. Themes I have thus far covered include the representation of ageing in 21st century literature and francophone and anglophone crime fiction in Africa. Apart from literature I am interested in creating a French language course for the wine industry over a broad spectrum (viticultural workers, winemakers, consultants, tourism. I regularly present courses in film studies where my main focus area in recent years has been the films of the French Nouvelle Vague.
POST GRADUATE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Since 1998, I have taught and developed courses for the Honours degree in French, teaching a total of 31 students. In order to prepare these students for the academic environment, I have organised student research seminars to develop skills such as the writing of an academic paper and the presentation of conference papers. Three students have completed MA degrees in French under my supervision, all obtaining a cum laude result. I supervised the thesis of the first candidate to obtain a PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Stellenbosch (degree awarded, March 2013). I co-supervised a PhD student in Translation Studies (degree obtained in December 2012) and am co-supervising another candidate in the same field. I am currently supervising two further PhD students (comparative literature and French) and am assisting two more PhD students with their research proposals for admission to the PhD programme in comparative literature under my supervision. I have acted as external examiner for several Masters and Doctoral theses from other tertiary establishments in South Africa. My input has been instrumental in regularly obtaining French Government bursaries for our students to pursue their post-graduate studies in France.
Students supervised
Marietjie Fouché | Se construire en lisant: les petits héros ordinaires de Marie Despléchin. (MA in French, Cum Laude 2008) |
Marie-Anne Staebler | Analyse des stratégies d’émancipation ou d’adaptation des personnages de romans beurs
à la réalité des marchés sociaux de l’échange. (MA in French, Cum Laude 2009) |
Wilhelm Snyman | Literature of impasse: A comparative analysis of Joseph Roth’s Radetzkymarsch, Giorgio
Bassani’s Gli Occhiali d’Oro and Henri Fauconnier’s Malaisie. (PhD in Comparative Literature, March 2013) |
Marie-Anne Staebler | Reflets narcissiques dans l’oeuvre de Jack-Alain Léger (PhD in French, In progress) |
Doret Jordaan | Die uitbeelding van Afrika woestyne in Afrikaanse, Engelse, Duitse en Franse fiksie (PhD in Comparative Literature, In progress) |
Ciska Cockrell | The representation of womanhood in African crime fiction (PhD in Comparative Literature, In progress) |
Nerisha Dewoo | Love in the 21st century (MA in French, In progress) |
Students co-supervised
Marietjie Fouché | Vertaling en die Kindervers: `n Vergelykende studie van Afrikaanse en Franse vertalings
van humoristiese Engelse kleuter- en kinderverse.
(PhD in Translation Studies, 2012) |
Johanna Steyn | Direkte vertaling vs intermediêre vertaling: ‘n fokus op kulturele oordrag, ideologie en
habitus in die Franse vertalings van twee Afrikaanse romans.
(PhD in Translation Studies, 2014) |
COLLABORATION WITH OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTES
Involvement as external examiner with the Universities of Namibia, Cape Town, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State and taught at Honours level at the University of the Western Cape. Member of external audit panel at UJ (2007) and at UFS (2009).
MISCELLANEOUS
Computer skills : MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Prezi, Adobe Audition, Adobe Acrobat and DTP.
I enjoy motherhood, bonding with my horse, reading, literary translation, music, tasting and discussing wine, travelling, cinema, theatre and photography.