Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

University of Delaware

Student Friendly Course Descriptions

Level 200 and Above – Spring 2012 Courses

Arabic

Chinese

Classics

FLLT

German

Hebrew

Italian

Japanese

Portuguese

 French

Russian

Spanish

Arabic

ARAB  200:  Advanced Intermediate Arabic    (3 credits)

Ikram Masmoudi

A continuation of ARAB 107. Emphasis is on reading and viewing authentic materials from Arab media, in order to improve reading and listening skills, and to increase knowledge of Arab culture.

Chinese

CHIN  201:  Advanced Intermediate Chinese I    (3 credits)

Renee Dong

This course is part of a two-course series, designed to further consolidate the knowledge students have learned from CHIN200. Learning activities include oral, reading and writing exercises on selected topics. Students will learn to use various grammatical forms to convey different nuances in the Chinese language.

CHIN  267:  The Art of Chinese Caligraphy    (3 credits)

Maria Tu

This course introduces students to the rich art of Chinese calligraphy. In this course students will learn about the evolution of Chinese characters, the aesthetics of Chinese calligraphy, and the relation between Chinese calligraphy and philosophy and painting. Students will first learn how to use brush pen to practice Chinese calligraphy. Then students will learn some basics of Chinese painting and be able to paining simple objects such as birds, fishes, and flowers.

CHIN  355:  A Multimedia Course in Chinese Culture and Society    (3 credits)

Chung-Min Tu

This course is designed to further improve students' integrated language of listening, speaking, reading and writing through spoken dialogues, original television programs, and films. Students will develop their abilities to comprehend authentic language materials, understand the distinguishing features of spoken and written Chinese, and produce paragraph-level Chinese on familiar topics. Besides language objectives, the class also helps students to expand their knowledge of contemporary Chinese society and culture.

CHIN  467:  Advanced Readings in Chinese Literature and Culture    (3 credits)

Haihong Yang

This course aims to improve students' reading and writing proficiency through rigorously reading and responding to literary works and essays related to the issues facing Chinese intellectuals. Students will have chance to develop their skills to accomplish abstract reasoning in addition to being able to narrate and describe. The selected essays will provide an intensive look at some of the most important social and cultural issues in modern and contemporary China. The course may have a dual-track approach, requiring the completion of both class-wide and individually designed projects.

Classics

GREK  202:  Intermediate Ancient Greek    (3 credits)

Lynn Sawlivich

Greek 202/302 introduces students to Ancient Greek poetry, with special emphasis on reading poetry aloud in correct meter. Topic for Spring 2011: either lyric poetry or Hesiod's Works and Days. Greek 202 and Greek 302 meet jointly; the students in 302 do additional translation assignments, along with a 5-7 page paper.

GREK  302:  Advanced Intermediate Ancient Greek    (3 credits)

Lynn Sawlivich

Greek 202/302 introduces students to Ancient Greek poetry, with special emphasis on reading poetry aloud in correct meter. Topic for Spring 2011: either lyric poetry or Hesiod's Works and Days. Greek 202 and Greek 302 meet jointly; the students in 302 do additional translation assignments, along with 5-7 page paper.

FLLT

FLLT  322:  Greek Tragedy    (3 credits)

Annette Giesecke

Love and lust; murder and madness; violence and vengeance; incest and incantations; witches and warriors; prophets and princes; gods, ghosts, and goddesses...ancient Greek tragedy has all this and more.

This course is a survey of ancient Greek tragedy and the society that produced it. Among the topics covered will be: the cultic origins of theatrical performances, the nature of Greek theaters and ancient theatrical production techniques, religion and drama, women in tragedy, tragic heroism, myth and tragedy, and the relation of tragedy to (ancient) contemporary politics. Plays to be read include the Bacchae, Medea, Oedipus the King, and Antigone.

FLLT  330:  (Homo)Sexualities in History: Europe Pre-1800    (3 credits)

Gary Ferguson

Was Shakespeare gay? or Michelangelo or Julius Caesar? The answer is not simple. What do we know about love, sex, and even marriage between women and men in pre- and early modern Europe? Based on textual evidence from France, England, and Italy spanning the Middle Ages to the 17th century, as well as from Ancient Greece and Rome, this course will examine the representation of gender and sexuality, and in particular the multiple expressions of the homosexual and the homoerotic. Taking as our starting point Michel Foucault's thesis that the homosexual came into being as "a species" only in 19th-century medical discourse, we will read texts from the earlier period in order to explore how their portrayal of gender, sexual roles, and various forms of same-sex relationships differ from and/or are similar to our ideas today. Authors studied may also include Sappho, Plato, Ovid, Lucian, Boccaccio, Ronsard, Brantôme, Montaigne, Donne, and Behn.

FLLT  330-011:  Representation of the Female Boday in Chinese Literary and Cultural Production    (3 credits)

Haihong Yang

This course will explore the representation of the female body and the construction of the femininities in Chinese literary and cultural production throughout the history. We will examine how the female body is imagined and represented in historiographies, conduct books, poems, short stories, novels, and films, how the discursive and visual representations participate in the construction of sexuality in a specific social and historical context, and how representations diachronically and synchronicallly interact with each other. Students will gain a familiarity of how social-historical contexts, basic philosophical concepts and genres have shaped the understanding of female sexuality in pre-modern, modern and contemporary China. Primary texts will be available in both the original Chinese and in English. Our discussions of these works will be informed by secondary readings on social and historical contexts, and theories of cinema and gender studies, and complemented by in-class viewings of magazines, paintings, and photographs.

FLLT  331:  Love, Death, and Gender in Chinese Films    (3 credits)

Jianguo Chen

This course introduces students to the treatment of recurring themes in Chinese films such as those related to various forms of love, death, and gender roles. Specifically, the course examines issues of love (passion, desire, and revenge), death, sexuality, masculinity and femininity in relation to those of duty (filial piety, loyalty to the state, etc.), politics and nationalism. The course will also focus on the issues of gender politics and female sexuality of various ideological persuasions and psychological dispositions and on how such issues are articulated cinematically both from historical and contemporary perspectives. The course not only introduces students to Chinese culture/society through the cinematic perspective, but acquaints them with a knowledge of Chinese film aesthetic (the cinematic language) and film making on the other. The comparative approach adopted in the course will enable students to appreciate and explore cultural differences and similarities between Chinese and Western cultures in terms of the issues to be discussed. The course counts towards Chinese Minor and also East Asian Major/Minor.

FLLT  332:  Exile and War in Iraqi Literature    (3 credits)

Ikram Masmoudi

This course explores the situations and the unique experiences of Iraqi women who witnessed war and exile. Through the investigation of novels, essays, and films by and about Iraqi women who have witnessed wars, sanctions and exile we will delve into the richness of their experiences, the trauma they suffered and the roles they are playing in the making of the history of their country.

FLLT  333:  Israeli Film    (3 credits)

Eynat Gutman

This course studies fascinating topics in Israeli film, such as the Construction and Deconstruction of the Israeli Sabra and Ethnic Groups in Israel. Israeli film encompasses decades of change and development in Israeli society, as well as the different groups this society consists of.

FLLT  360-080:  Art and Literature of the Spanish Civil War    (3 credits)

Susan Mckenna

Why does the Spanish Civil War continue to fascinate us? A brutal conflict that polarized Spain in the early decades of the twentieth century, the war became an international battleground for the forces of Fascism and Communism as the European continent prepared itself for World War II. In this course, we will examine how the war was represented—that is, interpreted and experienced—both in Spain and abroad. Through careful analysis of literature, art, film, photography, and propaganda we will consider the immediate impact of the war and its aftermath as we attempt to unravel the complex relationships linking history, ideology, and culture. Readings may include: Hemingway, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, Orwell, “Homage to Catalonia”, and poetry by Rafael Alberti, Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado, and Pablo Neruda. Films include “Land and Freedom”, Dir. Ken Loach, “¡Ay, Carmela!”, Dir. Carlos Saura, and “La lengua de las mariposas”, Dir. José Luis Cuerda. All readings in English translation. Three required essays and two oral presentations.

FLLT  375:  Topics in Russian and Soviet Culture; The Russian Peasant (in translation)    (3 credits)

Julia Hulings

Trace the image and treatment of the Russian peasant in literature, art, and politics from the dawn of Kievan Rus' through the Stalinist era of collectivization and eventual fall of the Soviet Union. Through short literary text, actual pieces of public policy, and art, we will see how the Russian upper classes, government, and socially conscious writers dealt with the "peasant problem." We will start with a historical overview of Russian serfdom from its inception until the emancipation of 1861 and its consequences, and then examine key aspects of the world of the peasant, including Orthodox Christianity, ingrained pagan superstitions, and the peasant institution of the mir [self-governing community of peasant households]. We will then discuss the 19th-century debate over the Russian peasant between the Slavophiles and Westernizers, focusing on short texts by Leskov, Nekrasov, Turgenev, and Leo Tolstoy. Once we arrive at the 20th century, we will examine the peasant role in the revolutions of 1905 and 1917. And finally we will examine the forced collectivization of agriculture and how that shaped the life of the Russian peasant of that era and of later decades.

FLLT  421/621:  Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages    (3 credits)

Ali Alalou

Interested in improving your teaching skills? Wondering how to organize your foreign language lessons more effectively? This introductory course on Foreign Language Pedagogy will give you the opportunity to study current perspectives on foreign language instruction, and extensive hands-on experience with the implementation of effective language teaching strategies. Special emphasis will be given to the enhancement of your proficiency in class planning and materials preparation, as well as the use of technology for the learning and teaching of foreign languages.

FLLT  425/625:  Technology-Enhanced Language Learning    (3 credits)

Tomás McCone

Why should any foreign-language educator or student learning a second language (L2) have any interest at all in technology given that L2 learning is such a social, if not face-to-face, process? Does technology constitute a teaching methodology in and of itself? Will technology ever replace teachers? Or is the only curricular role for technology to relieve the teacher of the more burdensome aspects of testing and rote drills, so that classroom time can be fully utilized for communication? What tools are available to teachers interested in using technology in the foreign language classroom and how are they used? Answers to these questions and many others will be explored as we survey some of the basic technical constructs of the web and the computer lab, introduce additional tools and extensions that enrich the internet’s use, and finally discuss a number of recent pedagogical approaches to web pages that are consonant with established SLA theories. This course includes a number of multimedia and other projects which will provide practical hands-on experience in using technology to enhance the foreign language learning experience.

FLLT  495-010:  One World: Literary Perspectives: Humanity Under Siege: War in the Global Arena    (3 credits)

Cynthia Lees

A University-approved Second Writing Course which also satisfies the Capstone requirement for foreign language majors, this course introduces students to 21st century fiction in translation from around the globe, texts that depict humanity's darkest days: suicide bombings in Jerusalem, the torture of enemy combatants at Guantanamo's prison camp, the rape of women in Bosnian death camps, the exploitation of child soldiers in Liberia, the holocaust in Belgrade, the plight of delinquent Japanese boys in a remote village, and the violent impact of colonialism in Sudan. These may be horror stories in the truest sense. This class is student-centered, and as one participant wrote last semester, "this kind of class is what being in college is all about...I found the course a very eye-opening experience and I enjoyed what I read." Please join us for an "eye-opening experience" about the world we all live in!

FLLT  622:  Language Syllabus and Materials Development    (3 credits)

Jorge H. Cubillos

Wondering how to select a textbook, or how to put together the syllabus for your next language course? Interested in creating your own teaching materials? This course will give you the opportunity to learn about the latest approaches to syllabus and materials design, while giving you extensive hands-on experience in the creation of your own classroom tasks and homework assignments.

French

FREN  200:  French Grammar and Composition    (3 credits)

Donna Coulet du Gard

This course provides a comprehensive grammar review contextualized in contemporary readings including French and Francophone literary selections. The completion of grammar exercises from the textbook and workbook foster correct usage of the French language. Students respond to question on the texts studied and write micro-themes in response to prompts to develop a polished writing style.

FREN  205:  French Conversation    (3 credits)

Edgard Sankara

This course is designed to help students improve their oral proficiency in French through discussions, debates, role-plays and short oral reports. Emphasis will be on vocabulary-building, as well as providing tools for managing conversations. Articles from French newspapers and magazines as well as video clips from current French broadcasts will be used to further develop students’ knowledge of contemporary France and the Francophone world, and improve their reading comprehension skills. Some grammar review may be included when needed.

FREN  209:  French Conversation through Film    (3 credits)

Cynthia Lees

A conversation course contextualized in recent mainstream films, animated shorts, and popular short documentaries, this class invites you to build and to practice your oral and aural skills in French while watching a variety of cinematic products from the French-speaking world. Many films are as close as your nearest laptop, and students will actively blog reactions at our class website.

FREN  211-010:  French Reading and Composition    (3 credits)

Cynthia Lees

This course includes reading and discussion of French and Francophone literature and the writing of compositions. The emphasis of this course is on improving critical reading skills and on writing formal academic essays. Therefore, a close reading of the text (in regard to character development, historical or social context, and narrative voice for example) encourages the student to move beyond the level of plot summary to analyze the works under study. Students will be introduced to literary movements such as theater of the absurd, the new novel, la négritude, and le fantastique.

FREN  211-011:  French Reading and Composition    (3 credits)

Judy Celli

This course includes reading and discussion of French literature, frequent compositions and grammar review where appropriate. The emphasis of this course is on improving reading fluency, critical reading skills, and composition. FREN 211 presents thorough readings of short stories with discussion of these readings beyond the level of plot and in conjunction with literary movements. Students will write compositions based on readings and other topics. Grammar will be reviewed when appropriate.

FREN  301:  Introduction to French Literature – Prose    (3 credits)

Bruno Thibault

You love literature, you love French, you love to read, but you're sometimes unsure how to best approach a text and formulate your thoughts about it? Then FREN 301 and FREN 302 are designed for you. They will focus on the literary genres and their evolution in the major literary movements. A close reading of the texts will enable students to develop strategies for analyzing narrative techniques, poetic forms, dramatic structure. FREN 301 will focus on prose; FREN 302 will focus on poetry and theater.

What did Montaigne have in mind when he wrote his famous Essais? Why did Rousseau pen his Confessions? Did Voltaire write anything besides Candide? What makes Chateaubriand's René a Romantic hero? Are Proust's sentences as meandrous and insidious as you've always heard they were? This course explores a few masterpieces in French prose from the Renaissance through the twentieth century. Along the way, you'll discover the science fiction of Voltaire, you'll experience le mal du siècle with Chateaubriand, you'll meet a humble servant and a colorful parrot in a short story by Flaubert, and you'll reflect on phenomenology and war in Sartre's "Le Mur." Furthermore, you will learn the various methods of literary analysis as you perform close readings and explications de texte.

FREN  302:  Introduction to French Literature: Poetry and Theatre    (3 credits)

Edgard Sankara

You love literature, you love French, you love to read, but you're sometimes unsure how to best approach a text and formulate your thoughts about it? Then FREN 301 and 302 are designed for you. They will focus on the literary genres and their evolution in the major literary movements. A close reading of the texts will enable students to develop strategies for analyzing narrative techniques, poetic forms, dramatic structure. FREN 301 will focus on prose; FREN 302 will focus on poetry and theater.

A gladiator, returning victorious from battle, slays his sister for her lack of patriotism; a young prince succumbs to the wrath of Neptune rather than betray the confidences of his evil stepmother. Enter the world of monsters, madmen, and maidens in distress! Introduction to French Poetry and Theater explores poets and dramatists from the Renaissance through the twentieth century with particular attention to the methods and language of literary analysis through close readings and explications de texte. In this course you will learn the terminology of literary criticism, employ this terminology in critical analyses of poems and plays, and discuss the recurring themes – power, love, deception, loss, patriarchy, totalitarianism – in the works studied.

FREN  314:  French Phonetics    (3 credits)

Ali Alalou

Studies the sounds of the French language (both individual phonemes and items of connected speech, such as liaison, linking, intonation, etc). Helps improve pronunciation of the language.

Do you know the difference between the pronunciation of “Louis” and “lui”? Do you still choke over your French “r”? Are you unsure of when to pronounce final consonants and when to drop them? Do Frenchmen pick you out as American as soon as you pronounce the first syllable of what you thought was their language? Then FREN 314 may be the course for you! Two hours of each week are spent learning the rules of pronunciation, practicing auditory discrimination, and transcribing French discourse, using the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet); one hour a week is given to practicing the sounds in small groups. Oral exercises to accompany the textbook are available on the Internet.

FREN  350:  Business French    (3 credits)

Bonnie Robb

For students preparing to work in the global business community, this course offers the opportunity to acquire commercial vocabulary, develop the ability to speak French in a business context, communicate effectively in writing, and intelligently consume business literature. Students become familiar with French business culture through readings, discussion, individual and team projects, and interactions with guest speakers.

FREN  423/623:  Medieval Literature    (3 credits)

Gary Ferguson

This course will focus on masterpieces of medieval literature (read in modern French translation), with an emphasis on the related phenomena of chivalry and courtly love. Beginning with the great Arthurian romances of the twelfth century, we will trace the evolution of a tradition from its original ambiguous ideals, through to the parodying or rejection of these by writers of the later Middle Ages. Particular attention will be paid to the social context within which the phenomenon of courtly love develops and later becomes a source of ridicule and mockery.

FREN  456:  French Theater Workshop    (3 credits)

Deborah Steinberger

Improve your French as you develop dramatic technique! In this workshop-style class, the emphasis will be on staging and performance as we analyze French theater of different periods and genres. works we will study include Samuel Beckett's En attendant Godot and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. Class activities will include dramatic readings, improvisation, and exercises to improve diction. The course will culminate in a public presentation of our work.

FREN  459/659:  Négritude, Antillanité, Créolité    (3 credits)

Edgard Sankara

What is the Caribbean? Does its history begin with Christopher Columbus? Should one consider the Native American component as a significant element in the construction of this region or should the Caribbean simply be called a New World which developed with slavery and the plantation system?

Are the Caribbean people Native American, Indian, European, African, Asian or are they a fascinating métissage (mix) of all these ethnicities? What are the historical, cultural and political situations of Francophone Caribbean people (Haiti and the “French Overseas Departments”) within the global Caribbean region? Why are the literary movements of Négritude, Antillanité, Créolité such an important contribution to a better understanding of the Caribbean and to the enrichment of the now flourishing subject of Postcolonial Studies?

Come and whet your intellectual curiosity about the Caribbean through the study of novels, plays, poems, critical essays and films on Aimé Césaire, Raphaël Confiant, Maryse Condé, Léopold Senghor, and more.

FREN  875:  Aspects of Contemporary French Literature (1960-1990)    (3 credits)

Bruno Thibault

A study of contemporary masterpieces of French literature, including novels, plays, essays and poetry. This literature seminar is designed and reserved for graduate students only.

It is often said that contemporary French writers are less interested in politics than their elders and more interested in subtle plots and intricate story-telling. But we will see that these sophisticated writers also attempt to reflect the profound cultural mutations of contemporary France from the 1960s to the 1990s by addressing issues such as consumerism, ecology, feminism, the end of the colonial era, the fall of communism, the European integration, globalization and immigration. Readings will include novels by Michel Tournier, Georges Perec, Marguerite Duras and J.M.G. Le Clézio as well as poems by Yves Bonnefoy.

German

GRMN  200:  German Grammar Review    (3 credits)

Lisa Thibault

Have you taken elementary and intermediate German classes but are still not sure where to place the verb? Are you still taking wild guesses on adjective endings? Do you rely a little too heavily on your imagination in order to form past participles? Then GRMN 200 may be just right for you! This course is designed to provide you with an opportunity to improve and refine your basic language skills, thus building greater confidence and proficiency. Our systematic review of grammar will include grammar exercises and activities for improving reading, writing and speaking skills. There will be quizzes, a midterm and a final exam.

GRMN  211:  German Reading and Writing    (3 credits)

Nancy Nobile

Designed as an introduction to literature for students who have developed basic German language skills, this course will enable you to read German fiction with greater ease and appreciation. In order to build confidence gradually, we’ll begin with very short stories, progressing step-by-step to longer ones. We’ll also work with contemporary music and film. On occasion, we’ll review selected aspects of grammar. There will be four short essays, two tests, and a final exam.

GRMN  325:  German Civilization and Culture    (3 credits)

Nancy Nobile

How did today’s Germany develop from the old Empire of a scant hundred years ago? In the span of a century the politics and culture of Germany have changed dramatically several times over. Some of the topics we’ll discuss include urban modernization at the turn-of-century, the Weimar Republic, the rise and fall of the Third Reich, the two Germanys of the Cold War period, Unification, and the continuing development of the European Union. To help illustrate these topics, we’ll also consider paintings, architecture, music, and films. Students will be asked to participate actively in class discussions, to write several short essays/homeworks, and to take a final exam.

GRMN  355:  Unhappily Ever After    (3 credits)

Ester Riehl

Evil stepmothers, alcoholic fathers, marriages for social and financial gain, politics invading the private sphere of the family. This is the stuff of modern soap operas, and also of German and Austrian literary social conditions, sometimes as a positive example of what society should be, and sometimes simply because the family offers a convenient framework for conflict. To understand the context of the these stories, we will look at prevailing notions of what families were supposed to be at the time the texts were written. We will read a variety of texts, starting with some short stories, then moving on to dramas and excerpts from novels from such authors as Theodor Fontane, Gabriele Reuter, Franz Kafka, Gerhart Hauptmann, and Volker Braun. Along with midterm and final exams, students will write two essays and several short assignments.

GRMN  442/642:  From Naturalism to Expressionism    (3 credits)

Monika Shafi

A dozen years ago, we entered a new century and a new millennium and the transition was loaded with anticipation and anxiety. (Anyone remember the fears surrounding Y2K?)Similar sentiments accompanied the last turn-of-the century, the period which we will study in this seminar, and art played a crucial rule in expressing this Angst and ache. Not surprisingly, the literary movements occurring at the end of the 19th and the beginning 20th century, such as Naturalism, Impressionism, Symbolism, and Expressionism, rank among the most fascinating and intriguing movements in German and European literary history. We will read and discuss texts by authors associated with these different literary trends such as Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Arthur Schnitzler, S. Freud, Franz Kafka, Gerhard Hauptmann, thomas Mann, and Else Lasker-Schüler. I addition, films, music, and photography will help us understand the art and architecture as well as the history of these alluring decades. Students will be asked to write three short papers, give an oral report and take a mid-term and final exam.

GRMN  455/655:  Die Novelle    (3 credits)

Ester Riehl

At the center of a novella stands an extraordinary event. It could be the appearance of a ghostly horse and rider, an unexpected and inexplicable pregnancy, or the invention of curry sausage. Trying to make sense of that event or deal with its consequences drives the action of the novella. In this course we will read texts from the 19th and 20th centuries and consider them within their cultural, historical and literary contexts as we try to make sense of them. Among the authors included: Kleist, Storm, Ebner-Eschenbach, Zweig and Timm. Students will write several short assignments, two essays and final exam. In addition, graduate students will give an oral report.

GRMN  875:  Critical Approaches to Poetry    (3 credits)

Nancy Nobile

This seminar will give students opportunity to consider the lyric genre in depth and detail. We will read and discuss Jahrhundertwende poetry by writers including Hugo von Homfmannsthal, Stefan George, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Else Lasker-Schüler. As preparation, we will also read poetry from earlier periods, as well as some literary history and theory. Students will be asked to give class presentations and to write a final paper.

Hebrew

HEBR  205:  Hebrew Conversation    (3 credits)

Eynat Gutman

Come and strengthen your conversational skills, learn/improve future tense, and be exposed to Israeli culture, through discussions, conversations, texts, audio and visual material – and have fun.

In this course, our main focus is perfecting our speaking and listening skills, although some emphasis is put on reading and writing. The students who come to Conversational Hebrew are expected to be proficient in the present and past tenses, and able to apply all language skills to many of the following topics: the University, food, family, body parts, aches and pains, the days of the week and time. Throughout the course, the students will carry discussions, conversations, perform pair-work, and listen to auditory and visual materials. The topics of this semester will include “the revival of Hebrew,” “my future home” and “future plans.” Grammatically, we will focus mainly on acquiring the future tense in conversation and writing. Also, the students will be coached, and then will perform a presentation of an oral report on a topic of their choice, given several options.

Italian

ITAL  200:  Italian Grammar Review    (3 credits)

Riccarda Saggese

You want to learn a second language, but you’re afraid of being bored. Then take this opportunity to change your opinion! You will be engaged in learning Italian and its grammar through stories, movies, music, debates, and many other activities. Don’t hesitate! Choose Italian. Choose Italian 200.

ITAL  205:  Italian Conversation    (3 credits)

Riccarda Saggese

You’re so close to proficiency in Italian! Consolidate your hard-earned language skills in a series of conversations and oral presentations, with grammar review and written work when appropriate. Students will discuss current events along with material from film, the Internet and other sources.

ITAL  211:  Italian Reading and Composition    (3 credits)

Meredith Ray

Let the masters of the Italian short story teach you to write! This course emphasizes vocabulary acquisition and written expression. Students will read and discuss short works of literature and film. You will improve your writing skills, add to your rich stock of conversation topics in Italian, and begin your love affair with contemporary Italian authors.

ITAL  305:  Advanced Italian Conversation and Composition    (3 credits)

Giorgio Melloni

This course teaches Italian conversation and composition through a variety of materials: Italian newspaper and magazine short articles, film, Internet research, etc. The themes of the course are content-based and will explore the crucial importance of the diverse cultural local culture of regions and dialects for contemporary Italian identity in the age of globalization. Emphasis is on improving conversational fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and listening comprehension skills as well as writing skills.

ITAL  326:  Italian Civilization and Culture II    (3 credits)

Giorgio Melloni

This course will trace the development of the modern Italian state, beginning with its roots in the Napoleonic era and continuing with its Unification in the 19th Century. Italy’s role in World War I and II will be examined, along with the rise of Fascism and Mussolini. Finally, the course will explore post-war developments, including the economic “boom” of the 1950s and ‘60s, the women’s movement of the 1970s, the years of terrorism, and the restructuring in the 1990s of the political system. Class readings will be supplemented with selections from literature, film, and the Internet.

ITAL  455:  To Hell and Back: Dante's Divine Comedy    (3 credits)

Meredith Ray

A cornerstone of Western literature, Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy raises questions that remain of urgent relevance today, from the nature and causes of political conflict to questions of morality and the role of the artist in society. In this course we will follow Dante as he makes his way through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, stopping to talk with a vibrant cast of characters drawn from his context of medieval Florence and beyond.

Japanese

JAPN  201-010/080:  Advanced Intermediate Japanese I    (3 credits)

Mutsuko Sato

This course covers the first six chapters of the Genki II text book. Students learn to use various grammatical forms to convey different nuances. Classes are conducted mostly in Japanese. Activities include oral, reading and writing exercises on various topics. About 90 additional Kanji will be introduced.

JAPN  204:  The Art of Japanese Calligraphy    (3 credits)

Chika Inoue

This is an introductory course in the art of Shodo, Japanese calligraphy. Students will learn the esthetics and styles of traditional calligraphy through exposure to works done by masters and develop basic brush technique through rigorous practice. Once the rudimentary technique is mastered, students will move on to Japanese Kana poems, such as haiku and tanka, and Chinese Kanji poems. Abstract shodo is also explored.

JAPN  209:  Intermediate Situational Japanese    (3 credits)

Chika Inoue

This is a course designed to improve fluency and expand one's own "story repertoire." The goals include acquisition of situationally appropriate language, including casual speech and honorifics. Emphasis will be on fluency, grammatical complexity and kanji vocabulary building.

Portuguese

PORT  316:  Intensive Portuguese for Spanish Students, II    (3 credits)

Carolina Correa

PORT 316 is a continuation of PORT 216. Students will continue to refine their command of the four language skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - and will complete the study of the basic grammatical structure of Brazilian Portuguese.
As in PORT 216, there will be an emphasis on Brazilian culture through films, Power Point presentations, readings, and plenty of Brazilian music.

Once again, come prepared to groove to the rhythm and lyrics of samba and bossa nova, to speak lots of Portuguese, and to have a lot of fun learning a really cool language!

PORT 316 is part of Options II and IV of the Spanish major and can count toward the Latin American Studies major and minor. It is also part of the Foreign Language Certificate in Brazilian Portuguese.

Russian

RUSS  200:  Russian Grammar Review    (3 credits)

Natallia Cherashneva

Continue your study of Russian at the 200 level, expanding on the knowledge and developing the skills acquired over previous semesters of study. Students will practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Russian through a variety of activities, using the outstanding textbook V puti. At the same time, we will systematically review and complete our study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar, building a solid foundation for further mastery of the language. All 300-level and 400-level Russian courses will build on what we cover here.

Honors credit available.

RUSS  211:  Russian Reading and Composition    (3 credits)

Natallia Cherashneva

Read entertaining and deep 20th-century Russian short stories from a variety of genres (detective fiction, satire, tales of adventure, children's literature) to improve your reading skills and expand your vocabulary. Discussions will help you improve your speaking and listening skills, while writing exercises will facilitate your mastery of the material and develop your skills in composition. Designed to be taken at the same time as RUSS 200, this course will strengthen your grasp of the grammar covered in that course while allowing you to focus on reading techniques and the construction of the complex Russian sentence. Taking the two courses together will enable you to make a significant leap forward in learning the language.

Honors credit available.

RUSS  312:  Introduction to Russian Literature II    (3 credits)

Julia Hulings

In this course students develop their reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills in Russian by studying the impact of the 1917 revolution and its aftermath on Russian literature. After examining early literary responses to the October communist takeover, we will trace literary developments through the establishment of Socialist Realism in the early 1930s to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. We will closely read and analyze brief texts by writers of all major ideological and aesthetic persuasions (including Vladimir Mayakovsky, Boris Pasternak, Anna Akhmatova, Mikhail Bulgakov, Marina Tsvetaeva, Daniil Kharms, Osip Mandelstam, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and Vasily Aksyonov), and experience first-hand the role of literature in articulating vital responses to the challenges of the age. Honors students will select one author covered in the course and, in consultation with the instructor, devise and complete a special project dealing with that author's work. Periodic short compositions and oral reports.

Spanish

SPAN  200:  Spanish Composition and Grammar    (3 credits)

Carmen Finnicum
Lee Glen
Fatima Haq
Stacey Hendr

An intensive study of selected grammatical topics (ser-estar, preterite and imperfect, present subjunctive and commands); vocabulary; grammatical exercises and short compositions. Offered with an Honors section (080).

In this course you will acquire new vocabulary, broaden and improve your knowledge of grammatical structures (agreement, verb tenses, pronouns, and much more). You will learn strategies for developing and refining your written communication skills.

SPAN  201:  Spanish Reading and Composition    (3 credits)

Lee Glen
America Martinez
Susan McKenna

This course places major emphasis on the development of reading, writing and analytical skills while studying literary selections from Spain and Latin America.

In this course the student has the opportunity to read a wide variety of Spanish and Latin American literature in three genres: poetry, narrative and drama. The student will develop reading skills as well as a solid knowledge of the literary terms and movements which will be encountered in more advanced literature classes. Compositions will be based on interpretation of the readings and will be directed towards reinforcing the use of literary terminology.

SPAN  205:  Spanish Conversation: A Cultural Approach    (3 credits)

Joan Brown
Carmen Finnicum
America Martinez

Milena Rodriguez

The goal of this course is to enable each learner to achieve increased mastery of practical spoken Spanish in its cultural context. The language will be used strategically – to accomplish objectives and resolve conflicts – in realistic situations. Linguistic and cultural topics include travel, health, geography, education, social interactions, cuisine, sports, housing, family life, entertainment, technology, and business. An array of methodologies is used to build oral competence in real-world situations. Course components include role-playing activities, vocabulary expansion, cultural readings, films and other nonprint media; oral reports, Internet research, listening activities, pronunciation practice, grammar repair and review, short compositions, and an individual final project. The Honors section features additional proficiency activities.

SPAN  300:  Grammar and Composition II    (3 credits)

This course is a comprehensive study of basic and complex grammatical structures with both oral and written practice to facilitate further mastery of vocabulary and structures. Cultural topics are explored through readings that raise awareness of the Hispanic world while building up vocabulary to express abstract ideas.

SPAN  302:  Survey of Spanish Literature    (3 credits)

Susan McKenna
Lee Glen

This course will cover Spanish literature from the 18th century to the present, including selections of representative works, discussions and collateral readings.

In this course we will explore the literature and culture of modern Spain chronologically, from the eighteenth century to the present. We will gain exposure to classic modern authors in every genre of Spanish literature. We also will sample the action, humor, wit and beauty of many other masterpieces, honing critical skills while exploring the evolution of modern Spain. Multimedia enrichment will add to our appreciation of Spanish literature and culture.

SPAN  304:  Survey of Spanish-American Literature    (3 credits)

Gladys Ilarregui
Megan McInnis-Domínguez

Phillip Penix-Tadsen

Representative works in all genres of Latin American literature in the 20th century.

A survey of Spanish-American literature that covers from the beginning of the 20th century until the most recent literary manifestations. Reading selections (excerpts) of famous writers (including Nobel Prize winners Gabriela Mistral [1945], Pablo Neruda [1973], Gabriel García Márquez [1982], and Mario Vargas Llosa [2010]) will provide a better understanding of a wide variety of peoples, cultures, and societies of those nations that we call Latin America.

SPAN  305:  Oral Communication    (3 credits)

Milena Rodriquez

For individuals with a comprehensive knowledge of Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Emphasis on refinement of expression of abstract ideas as well as mastery of practical communication.

You love Spanish. You would love to travel to Spanish-speaking countries. You can read Spanish and you can communicate but you want to be able to have meaningful Spanish conversation. This course is designed to help you speak Spanish more fluently and expand your vocabulary while learning current issues and customs in the Hispanic world. The goal is to enable you to sustain conversations and express your opinions on diverse topics. The course draws from a variety of resources, including short stories and essays, articles from the Spanish press, slides, videos, and satellite newscasts. Interactive formats such as class discussions, debates, oral presentations and scenarios will be used.

SPAN  325:  Spanish Civilization and Culture    (3 credits)

Cristina Guardiola

Survey of geography, history, art and society of Spain. This course offers a survey of the geography, history, culture, politics and society of Spain. You will study key historical events, from prehistoric times to the most recent developments, as well as cultural movements that have shaped Spanish national identity. The course is conducted in Spanish and the readings are in Spanish.

SPAN  326:  Latin American Civilization and Culture    (3 credits)

Persephone Braham

This is a student-centered class in which students will research and analyze fundamental aspects of the geography, history, politics and cultural production of Latin America from pre-Columbian times to the present. We place particular emphasis on questions of human rights, colonialism and nationalism, intervention, and globalization and migration. This is a process-oriented course, in which students are encouraged to:

• Discover the historical causes of modern-day problems in Latin America;
• Improve research and analytical skills;
• Develop independent learning skills;
• Master practical academic and presentation technologies

SPAN  401:  Advanced Spanish Grammar II    (3 credits)

Hans-Jörg Busch
Asima Saad Maura

SPAN 401 is not a systematic study of Spanish grammar (that is the purpose of SPAN 200 and 300). In this course you will practice and apply what you have learned in previous courses, as well as broaden your vocabulary through different kinds of writings (i.e.: summaries, opinion papers, narrations, feature articles, descriptions, poems, short stories, etc.), projects and class participation. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to study and practice more in-depth those structures that traditionally cause the most problems. For example: subjunctive vs. indicative, past tenses, prepositions and pronouns, reflexivity, active vs. passive, text progression, determination, word order, direct vs. indirect speech, sequence of tenses, use of complex tenses, etc. The SPAN 401 textbook contains an array of authentic readings about the culture, history, and politics of Spain and Latin America. The overall goal of SPAN 401 is to help students reach the ACTFL Language Testing Advanced-Low Level.

SPAN  415:  Latin American Literature in the Political Context    (3 credits)

Gladys Ilarregui

This class examines major writers/poets of Latin America as their work struggles to represent unequal relationships in the current situation of our countries. How did audiences respond to these revolutionary writings? What have been the major obstacles found in the process of interpreting the struggle of countries socially and ethnically divided? Students will be encouraged to develop their conversation and writing skills in the process of presenting and addressing cultural and literary works. This course emphasizes the collage of representations to assess a work of literary value in the context of fear, anguish, repression, and exile.

SPAN  439-010/080:  Postwar Spanish Narrative    (3 credits)

Joan Brown

This course explores narrative fiction from Spain, spanning through the Franco dictatorship and the democratic era. The primary goal of the course is to analyze each work as a unique entity, situating it in its literary, historical, and sociocultural contexts. An ancillary goal is the enhancement of individual critical skills in Spanish through intensive reading, writing and oral presentations. This class combines two sections: the honors section meets with the regular section.

SPAN  440/640:  Short Story, 19th-century    (3 credits)

Alexander Selimov

Storytelling is a big part of human interaction from the beginning of time, and we all like to tell and to listen to a god story. Every culture has its arsenal of written and oral narratives that have been shared for centuries for their entertainment and educational value. In this course, we will enjoy some of the best short stories written in Spain and Spanish America during the late 19th century and early 20th century. We will trace the development of the modern short story genre from its origins and will sample a variety of funny, sentimental, mysterious and even scary texts. The course grade will be based on two exams and active class participation.

SPAN  455-011:  Cuban Literature    (3 credits)

Milena Rodriquez

In this undergraduate seminar we will focus on the masterpieces of Cuban literature by several canonical authors, including: Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, José Marti, Alejo Carpentier, Nicolás Guillen, Eliseo Diego, Heberto Padilla y Reina Maria Rodriguez.

SPAN  455/655:  Colonial Latin America and Critical Thinking    (3 credits)

Gladys Ilarregui

This course/seminar is focused on major works of Colonial Latin America, such as the diary of Alvar Nunz Cabeza da Vaca, Cortes' letter to the King of Spain, Sahagún's recollection of the indigenous past, and major works that help us to understand the extraordinary Latin American past. In conjunction with lectures, graduate students will be encouraged to participate with critical theory, such as colonial and decolonial theories of major Latin American cirtics, Mignolo, Quijano, Dussel, etc., in order to analyze the tensions of our present world in a direct link with the legacies that Europeans brought to the New World.

This course examines the present through the past, in an attempt to rescue new readings in how to face Latin America, its controversial poverty, chaos and brilliance to survive.

SPAN  455/655-012:  Epic and Romance    (3 credits)

Christina Guardiola

Brave warrior, roguish youth, tender lover? In this course we study how the image of the Cid warrior has been molded through the centuries to reflect social desires and aspirations. the 13th century warrior, the swashbuckler of chivalric fiction, or the iconoclastic representations of Franco's Spain... which Cid will you like best?

SPAN  475:  Resurrecting Mexico's Dead    (3 credits)

Phillip Penix-Tadsen

Death and resurrection have been major concerns in Mexican culture throughout history, and these themes are as prevalent in Mexico today as they have ever been before. From festive Day of the Dead celebrations to the grim reality of a violent drug war, many in Mexico contemplate the concept of death on a regular basis. This course will look at how authors (Octavio Paz, Juan Rulfo, Élmer Mendoza, Elena Poniatowska), filmmakers (Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro Jodorowsky), artists (José Guadalupe Posada, José Clemente Orozco, Teresa Margolles), musicians (Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Brujería) and other cultural producers have brought the topic of death to life in their works.

SPAN  490:  Spanish capstone Experience: Hispanic World Through Literature    (3 credits)

Alexander Selimov

This undergraduate seminar focuses comparatively on serious and burlesque/ comic representations of canonical heroes and myth in Spanish and Spanish American literature and film. It is designed to serve as an integrating academic experience and to synthesize prior literary and cultural studies in Spanish. Emphasizes independent research and critical writing. Students will make several oral presentations and will write several short essays. During the last week of the semester, every student will make a longer presentation focused on his/her final paper. the course grade will be based on written essays, oral presentations and active class participation.

SPAN  491:  Capstone Seminar in Hispanic Cultures: Visiones urbanas    (3 credits)

Persephone Braham

Through intensive research and study of texts and artifacts centering on a single theme, students will integrate and focus their knowledge of Latin American cultures across three or more disciplines including political science, literature, history of art, anthropology, history, economics and geography. LAIS majors will develop an e-portfolio. Taught in Spanish; 1-2 guest lectures in English. Spring 2012 theme: Visiones urbanas.

This capstone course is designed for Spanish and Latin American Studies majors in their senior year of study.

SPAN  875:  The Contemporary Hispanic Novel: The Works of Carmen Martín Gaite    (3 credits)

Joan L. Brown

In this course we will explore the twentieth-century Spanish novel through the literature of the canonical writer whose works spanned half a century: Carmen Martín Gaite. We will focus on in-depth analysis of landmark works of fiction from the Franco period, the transition, and the democratic era, situating them in their historical, cultural, literary and critical contexts. Primary texts include El balneario, Entre visillos, El cuarto de atrás and Nubosidad variable , with additional readings from nonfiction sources including Usos amorosos de la postguerra española.

This course is a seminar in which graduate students take responsibility for independent contributions to and leadership of the group. Through intensive participation, each individual will hone his of her critical analytical skills.