Language and Culture

A comprehensive introduction to American Sign Language (ASL), beginning with a focus on the linguistic aspects of ASL, including syntax, facial expression, vocabulary, and the manual alphabet. Students progress to conversational signing and finger spelling and develop an ability to communicate on a beginning level.

Credits: 4

In this continuation of American Sign Language I, emphasis is placed on conversational signing, syntax, and facial expression. Students are introduced to classifiers and directional verbs, and develop an ability to communicate on an intermediate level.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ASL1000

For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Introduces the basics of pronunciation and of the structural and writing systems of standard modern Chinese (Mandarin Chinese).

Credits: 4

A continuation of CHI 1010. Increased time is devoted to reading and writing. Development of oral skills remains the primary object of the course.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: CHI1010

Introduces various aspects of Chinese culture (e.g., values, customs, manners, and festivals) and discusses everyday life in contemporary Chinese society.

Credits: 3

Designed for students who have completed CHI 1010 and 1020 or the equivalent. Consolidates the foundation that students have acquired through previous coursework and introduces more complex grammatical structures and background cultural information.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: CHI1020

A continuation of CHI 2010. Consolidates the foundation that students have acquired through previous coursework and introduces more complex grammatical structures and background cultural information.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: CHI2010

This course examines Caribbean literature from the 20th and 21st century to understand the creativity and vitality of the region. Course participants study how artists across the Caribbean challenge colonial narratives to assert the complexity of their community, their negotiation of home and their resistance to colonialism.

Credits: 4

“Havana is a city that has been constructed with bricks and words.” In this course, students explore the extent to which Havana has been constructed as a foundational idea of the Cuban Revolution, from 1959 until today. Students study literary, visual, and sonic texts that have contributed to the formulation of this post-revolutionary Havana imaginary.

Credits: 4

Centers on a close reading of Don Quixote, with attention to other works of Cervantes and to his importance to European narrative as a whole.

Credits: 4

For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written French by involving the student in situations that concretely represent the concepts of the language.

Credits: 4

A continuation of FRE 1010. Increased time is devoted to reading and writing. The development of oral skills remains the primary objective of the course.

Credits: 4

For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Designed to help students quickly acquire the ability to negotiate their immediate surroundings using the French language. Elements of grammar and syntax are introduced, reviewed, and complemented by readings from newspapers and other sources relevant to everyday life. Taught in French, with emphasis on the spoken language. (offered in France, Summer)

Credits: 4

For students who are already familiar with the fundamentals of spoken and written French. Through a variety of written and oral assignments and exercises, students acquire a wider range of vocabulary, review basic structures, and become more comfortable interacting in spoken French. Students are encouraged to take risks and enjoy the adventure of language acquisition in an open and relaxed atmosphere.

Credits: 4

A continuation of FRE 2010. Concentrated work to help students acquire more nuanced vocabulary, with an introduction to slang. Students gain greater ease in reading through a variety of texts of increasing difficulty. The readings also serve as a basis for discussion, composition, and grammar review.

Credits: 4

For students who are already familiar with the fundamentals of French; placement in FRE 2070 or 3070 is determined by a brief exam. Designed to help students quickly acquire the ability to negotiate their immediate surroundings using the French language. Elements of grammar and syntax are introduced, reviewed, and complemented by readings from newspapers and other sources relevant to everyday life. Taught in French, with emphasis on the spoken language. (Offered in France, Summer)

Credits: 4

Offers a stress-free learning atmosphere to help students of French move toward fluency. Starting with a brief refresher on the basics through interactive situations in the classroom, students go on to invent situations, then perform, write about, and discuss them, increasing their command of the language and their comfort level in using it.

Credits: 4

In this continuation of FRE 3015, readings, writing, and conversational exercises are used to improve fluency in the French language. A variety of media are used to stimulate discussions. To increase their comfort level and command of French, students invent dramatic situations in the classroom that they perform, analyze, discuss, and debate.

Credits: 4

For students who are already familiar with the fundamentals of French; placement in FRE 2070 or 3070 is determined by a brief exam. Uses material like television, magazines, newspapers, and literature to help students increase their knowledge of the language while introducing the various aspects of French life. Students also review and refine their knowledge of grammatical structures and work toward becoming familiar with idiomatic language and slang. Taught in French, with emphasis on the spoken language. (Offered in France, Summer)

Credits: 4

Some disconnect seems to exist between perception and production of letters, words, or sentences and spelling. French is no exception. In this course, students improve their comprehension and pronunciation skills by recognizing and applying the mechanism behind consonant and vowel sound productions. They also investigate the prosodic aspect of French language through its intonation, stress, syllabification, and rhythm patterns.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: FRE2020

Students are introduced to the theory of translation, as it has developed over time and has dealt with questions from linguists, poets, anthropologists, and gender theorists. Taken in conjunction with FRE 3735.

Credits: 2

COREQ: FRE3735

Students choose two works to translate throughout the semester; one from French to English, and the other from English to French. Supplemented by readings on translation theory and methodology.

Credits: 4

COREQ: FRE3730

For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language, and for students who are majoring in language and culture. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written German by involving the student in interactive situations.

Credits: 4

A continuation of GER 1010. Increased time is devoted to reading and writing. Development of oral skills remains the primary objective of the course.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: GER1010

For beginning students and those with rudimentary training in Hebrew. The course stresses reading, writing, and speaking by involving students in situations that concretely express the concepts of the language.

Credits: 4

For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written Italian by involving the student in situations that concretely represent the concepts of the language.

Credits: 4

A continuation of ITA 1010. Increased time is devoted to reading and writing. The development of oral skills remains the primary objective of the course.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ITA1010

For students already familiar with the fundamentals of spoken and written Italian. After a review of grammar through various reading assignments, students are given a context for discussion to increase vocabulary and speaking ease. Weekly compositions aid grammar review.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ITA1020

A continuation of ITA 2010. Weekly compositions serve as an aid for grammar review.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ITA2010

For students already familiar with the fundamentals of spoken and written Italian. Particular attention is given to conversation, encouraging the student to communicate in Italian. Various authentic materials (newspapers, videos, audio cassettes) are used to facilitate this process. (Offered in Italy, Summer)

Credits: 4

For students who have had at least four semesters of college Italian or the equivalent. Through selected readings on a variety of topics, students explore the more complex aspects of the Italian language. Discussions and written work based on the readings help students attain a higher level of fluency. (Offered in Italy, Summer)

Credits: 4

A survey of various teaching methods in second language instruction. Students become familiar with the theories of language learning that underlie these methodologies. Open to all students interested in second language teaching methods.

Credits: 4

An introduction to the study of linguistics, with a focus on Spanish. Students examine the theoretical aspects of numerous subfields of linguistics—phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax—and begin to apply this knowledge to the fields of dialectology and sociolinguistics. Taught in Spanish.

Credits: 4

An introduction to basic linguistic concepts, providing a background for understanding how language works and is used in everyday life. Topics include core areas of linguistics (e.g., phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics) and more applied areas of language study (e.g., sociolinguistics and second language acquisition).

Credits: 4

An exploration of literary translation for the contemporary moment. Students learn the basics of literary translation craft. Knowledge of languages other than English is not required for this course. Readings include Mary Jo Bang’s translation of Dante’s Purgatorio, Cecilia Rossi’s translations of Alejandra Pizarnik, and Victor Montejo’s translations of Jakaltek Mayan folktales. Students develop their own literary translations.

Credits: 4

For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written Portuguese by involving the student in situations that concretely represent the concepts of the language.

Credits: 4

For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written Spanish by involving the student in situations that concretely represent the concepts of the language.

Credits: 4

A continuation of SPA 1010. Increased time is devoted to reading and writing. Development of oral skills remains the primary objective of the course.

Credits: 4

For students already familiar with the fundamentals of spoken and written Spanish. Through various reading assignments, students are given a context for discussion to increase vocabulary and speaking ease. Weekly compositions serve as an aid for grammar review.

Credits: 4

Concentrated work to help students acquire more specialized vocabulary, with an introduction to slang. Students gain greater ease in reading through a variety of texts of increasing difficulty. These texts also serve as a basis for discussion, composition, and grammar review.

Credits: 4

For native speakers of Spanish who have had little or no formal training in the language. The focus is on expanding each student’s ability to read and write fluently, in preparation for the challenges of upper-level Spanish courses.

Credits: 4

Introduces students to the more complex aspects of the language, while promoting oral and written fluency through a variety of materials. Excerpts from novels, plays, poetry, periodicals, and films are used to promote classroom discussions with active student participation. Frequent oral presentations and weekly compositions required.

Credits: 4

A continuation of SPA2030. Students explore Hispanic culture and their heritage identity via discussion of films andreadings. Students learn advanced grammar, expand their vocabulary and refine their orthographic skills.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: SPA2030

This course develops students’ ability to generate and articulate fluent conversations in Spanish. Readings are selected from contemporary Hispanic print media.

Credits: 4

This theatrical translation workshop combines literary analysis and creative writing. Students read Latin American plays in Spanish, discuss them in English, and translate scenes, examining not only the words, but also gestural, visual and cultural meanings. For the final project, class collaboratively translates an entire play and stages a reading. Students should comprehend written Spanish. (Contact professor with questions.)

Credits: 4

Students learn translation theory and methodology applied to Spanish. Students practice translation techniques applied to a variety of text types, such as poetry, fiction, comics and films.

Credits: 4