Languages and Cultures
About the Department
The Department of Languages and Cultures offers a variety of programs in languages, literatures, linguistics, and cultures. Its broad aim is to explore the linguistic, cultural, and textual forms by which human beings have constructed and interpreted reality and fictional forms.
The department prepares students to develop expertise in the following areas: literatures of the world, literary studies, cultural studies, visual culture, intercultural theory and communication/translation, eloquentia perfecta (theater, performance, writing, and public speaking), linguistics and bilingualism/multilingualism, and humanitarianism (anthropology/political science/international studies). Our students demonstrate a commitment to collaborative leadership in community-engaged learning, contact zones, and language cultures (business, health, social justice, translation).
The department offers language courses in Arabic, French, German, Hebrew (LC), Italian, Japanese (LC), Mandarin Chinese, Russian (LC), and Spanish; majors in the following languages and literatures and area studies: Chinese studies, French and Francophone studies, German, Italian, Spanish Language and Literature, and Spanish studies, and minors in Arabic, French and Francophone studies, German, Italian, Linguistics, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Spanish.
Courses at the 2000 level normally concentrate on advanced language, communication, linguistics, and cultural studies. Courses at the 3000 level normally concentrate on in-depth analysis of literature and artistic productions, intercultural theory, cultural and humanitarian studies, and linguistics. Courses at the 4000 level include Interdisciplinary Capstone Core courses, Senior Values Seminars, and courses that provide students with the opportunity to pursue faculty-mentored research either in the form of an individualized thesis, in our neurolinguistic or sociolinguistic laboratories, or in the social innovation project on water and migration in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Languages and Cultures also offers a variety of hands-on Community Engaged Learning Courses that enable students to use their linguistic and cultural skills as they work with local New York City communities on a variety of social justice minded issues in addition to LACU courses taught in English on a myriad of subject matters. The majority of our majors are double majors in a wide variety of fields of specialization including among others: communication and media studies, comparative literature, English, humanitarian studies, integrative neuroscience, international political development, international studies, philosophy, psychology, political science, and visual arts.
Program Activities
The department offers a broad range of activities for undergraduates and the broader Fordham community including weekly conversation cafés in the various languages, cultural nights and concerts, literary journals such as Le Bélier, sponsored film screenings, master classes with some of the most preeminent creators in the industry, Fordham Reads Dante, the Bronx Italian American History Initiative (BIAHI), and numerous other interventions. Invited speakers offer formal lectures, informal talks, seminars, and workshops either designed for or open to undergraduates. The French section's Concours d'éloquence in partnership with the French Office of Cultural Services offers Fordham students the opportunity to compete both internally and against students from Columbia, CUNY, and NYU.
Since summer 2020, the department has embarked on the LACU Vocab Diversity Initiative, a collaborative initiative between faculty and students which seeks to understand how language, and the way we and our textbooks present and represent language/vocabulary in the classroom, create, reinforce, and normalize certain forms of bias, stereotype, and prejudice. As a result of the ongoing roundtables and workshops devoted to the subject and various other related initiatives, LACU remains committed to the ongoing revision of our curriculum and our pedagogy to be more actively anti-racist and inclusive.
The students studying abroad at Fordham's center in Granada, Spain, publish the journal Por Granada, which collects the term papers completed in the course Spain in Context. Students taking the LACU course "Berlin Tales," which includes a study tour to Berlin over spring break, publish their research papers in the journal Kiez Kieken.
Awards and Scholarships
Each year the department bestows a number of awards and scholarships on Fordham students for excellence in the study of foreign languages, literatures, and cultures, and for outstanding commitment to promoting foreign language learning and foreign culture awareness at Fordham and in the larger community. Awards and scholarships include:
- Francis R. Favorini Italian Achievement Award (FCRH)
- French Achievement Award (FCRH)
- German Achievement Award (FCRH/FCLC)
- Anthony and Cecilia Guardiani Award (FCRH)
- Heydt French Award (FCRH)
- Heydt Spanish Award (FCRH)
- Spanish Achievement Award (FCRH/FCLC)
- Istituto Italiano di Cultura Award (FCRH)
- Arabic Achievement Award (FCRH/FCLC)
- Mandarin Achievement Award (FCRH/FCLC)
- Russian Achievement Award (FCRH/FCLC)
- Fernand and Santina Vial Scholarship (FCRH, FCLC, GSB)
In addition, honors are awarded to the student with the highest GPA in each of the minors and majors our department offers at FCLC. Students who excel in their German classes will receive a Certificate of Achievement from the German government.
Internships
Students who wish to pursue an internship and receive college credit for it should contact their major adviser and Career Services to identify internship opportunities relevant to their field of study and professional interests. Credits for internship tutorials will be granted depending upon the type of internship, the extent to which the relevant language is used in the work environment, and the significance of the experience for a student's course of study. The number of credits is contingent on the fulfillment of various requirements, such as regular meetings with the adviser, weekly written reports, and completion of a substantial final project, among others.
Below is a sample of organizations at which some of our students have done internships in past years:
- Alliance Française of New York (FIAF)
- Bayern München (the soccer club's NYC office)
- Cultural Services of the French Embassy (CALEC)
- German-American Chamber of Commerce
- Goethe Institute
- Hermès
- Kino Lorber
- Le Figaro (sports division)
- Met Cloisters
- Morgan Library and Museum
- National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW)
- New Sanctuary Coalition
- New York African Film Festival
- One Week/Un Acte
- Pergamena parchment makers
- Rare Books Collection at Columbia University Library
- Sorteer
- Theatrical production of Fragments of a Star
- Theatrical production of Les Bonnes at La Mama Theater
- Vogue
Student Clubs and Honor Societies
Languages and Cultures students are encouraged to share and develop their literary and cultural interests by becoming involved in student clubs and Honor Societies at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center. Such clubs as the following sponsor academic and social events including lectures, film series, outings and dinners to foster an understanding and appreciation of foreign languages and cultures beyond the traditional classroom setting:
- Academia Hispana (RH)
- El Grito de Lares (RH)
- Le Cercle Français (RH)
- CIAO Amici (LC)
- Deutscher Studenten Klub (RH)
- Insieme Italian Cultural Society (RH)
- La Société Française (LC)
- Honor Societies:
- Alpha Mu Gamma (foreign languages, RH)
- Gamma Kappa Alpha (Italian, RH and LC)
- Pi Delta Phi (French, RH)
- Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish, RH and LC)
Study Abroad
The faculty of the Department of Languages and Cultures believe immersive study is one of the best ways to gain linguistic and cultural fluency and encourage our students to study abroad for a semester or an entire academic year. As such, the faculty works carefully with each individual student to discover and prepare for a study abroad experience whether for a semester, year, summer, or as part of a Fordham study tour. We send students each year to Africa, China, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, and have relationships with some of the best and most academically rigorous programs in the world. In addition, Fordham maintains fall, spring, and summer study abroad programs in Granada (Spain) and at our London campus (United Kingdom). It also has exchange agreements with universities in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Colombia, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Perú, Spain, and South Korea.
Students who study abroad can rather easily become a double major in our department and usually at least two of the courses taken abroad can apply to both of the student's majors or to a major and minor. Students who opt to apply study abroad credits toward their major or minor must seek approval from their major or minor adviser in their language area prior to their going abroad. See program requirements above for accepted maximum number of courses. Additional study abroad credits accepted by Fordham University may be applied as elective credits toward graduation, but not toward the major or the minor. For further information about study abroad, interested students should contact the department and the Office of International and Study Abroad Programs (www.fordham.edu/isap).
For more information
A 2000-level course or above in a modern language other than English fulfills the language requirement. In order to achieve this level of mastery of a foreign language, a mastery that will allow students to comprehend a text of average sophistication in its oral and written form and to comment on it orally and in writing in a coherent and grammatically correct manner, the 2000-level course provides a critical analysis of selected cultural and literary texts, with composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures.
Language skills preparation: One to three courses. Students who need preparation before taking the required 2000-level course have:
- Four entry points in French and Spanish, depending upon their prior knowledge of the language:
- 1001-Introduction I
- 1002-Introduction II
- 1501-Intermediate I
- 1502-Intermediate II
- Three entry points in Arabic, German, modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Russian:
- 1001-Introduction I
- 1501-Intermediate I
- 1502-Intermediate II
All those beginning a language at the most basic level take an intensive one-semester course worth five credits in order to accelerate their progress. Other students begin with the course in which they are placed by the department and progress to the 2000-level course. Spanish-heritage speakers, who place out of levels 1001 through 1502 of the language, will take SPAN 2301 Spanish for Heritage Speakers instead of 2001 or 2201 to fulfill the language requirement. Students with advanced skills will take SPAN 2500 Approaches to Literature Incoming students seeking a substitution/waiver for the foreign language core through the Office of Disability Services must complete this process by the end of the fall semester of their sophomore year.
Exemptions: B.S. and B.F.A. students, B.A. students in PCS, and those majoring in natural science will not have a language requirement unless required for their major.
In addition, the department offers courses that fulfill the American Pluralism, Global Studies, Eloquentia Perfecta 2, 3, and 4, Advanced Literature, Interdisciplinary Capstone, and Senior Values core requirements. It also offers Community Engaged Learning Courses that integrate coursework with service in the diverse and multilingual context of New York City.
Study abroad is an integral part of the study of foreign language, literature, and culture. Students are highly encouraged to study abroad in a foreign-language-speaking country for a semester or a year.
All courses counting towards the core language requirement and the major or the minor in a modern foreign language, literature and culture must be taken for credit and a letter grade. When AP or IB credits are awarded as equivalent to the 1502 level in a language, these credits will be applied toward the core language requirement and, as elective credits, toward graduation, but they will not be applied toward the major or the minor in that language.
Language Programs' Learning Outcomes
GOAL 1 - STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE LANGUAGES AND DIVERSE CULTURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LANGUAGES
At the completion of 2001/2301:
- Students will be able to use the language of study at Intermediate Mid ACTFL level and Intermediate High level/CEFRTFL B1 as part of their ability to move between and among languages and cultures.
- Students will be able to illustrate examples of the diversity within the cultures associated with the language of study
At the completion of the minor:
- Students will be able to conduct critical analyses of written/audiovisual/cultural texts, by examining language uses as historically and contextually situated in a system informed by colonialism, ideologies, and faith traditions.
In addition, at the completion of the major:
- Students will be able to illustrate how differences are discursively constructed, recognizing some of the subtleties of how language can be used to exercise and resist power.
GOAL 2 - STUDENTS WILL REFLECT ON THEMSELVES AND ON THEIR BELONGING TO SPACES AND COMMUNITIES, THROUGH THE LENS OF MULTILINGUALISM
At the completion of 2001/2301:
- Students will be able to explore in writing and in speech how their own linguistic and cultural backgrounds enter into dialogue with the cultures and languages they study.
At the completion of the minor:
- Students will be able to examine and interpret materials in the languages they study to deconstruct nation-based notions of culture and contextualize (multi) language use.
In addition, at the completion of the major:
- Students will be able to describe how the cultural narratives, stereotypes, and perception of the language of study and of their own expanding multilingualism are shaped along the lines of power within the communities and contexts in which they live.
GOAL 3 - STUDENTS WILL REFLECT ON THE WORLD THROUGH LANGUAGE USE AND CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
At the completion of 2001/2301:
- Students will be able to articulate questions and participate in pressing social, environmental, and political conversations locally and globally, drawing from texts in the languages studied.
At the completion of the minor:
- Students will be able to articulate questions and participate in pressing social, environmental, or political conversations locally and globally, drawing from a variety of texts in the languages studied.
In addition, at the completion of the major:
- Students analyze texts and topics assuming a variety of disciplinary lenses and frameworks and critically examine the implications of this multidisciplinary approach.
At the completion of a CEL course:
- Students will be able to actively engage with the multilingual and multicultural community in and outside Fordham, building on their linguistic and cultural knowledge to be "people for others."
Linguistics' Learning Outcomes
At the end of their linguistics studies, students will be able to:
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Apply the tools of linguistic analysis to language data;
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Participate actively in discussions of language and linguistics issues;
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Demonstrate a clear understanding and professional command of what language is and how language works and is used;
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Observe and analyze how linguistic phenomena manifest in the larger world;
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Connect language and linguistics insights with social justice issues;
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Critically evaluate linguistic work, including empirical research, theoretical perspectives, and future directions; and
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Enrich their interdisciplinary expertise by engaging with diverse fields of linguistic inquiry including psycholinguistics, linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, communications, and language learning.
- Languages and Cultures (MLAL) courses
- Linguistics (LING) courses
- Arabic (ARAB) courses
- French (FREN) courses
- German (GERM) courses
- Hebrew (HEBW) courses
- Italian (ITAL) courses
- Japanese (JPAN) courses
- Mandarin Chinese (MAND) courses
- Russian (RUSS) courses
- Spanish (SPAN) courses
- Other Courses applying to language/linguistics requirements
Languages and Cultures (MLAL) courses
MLAL 1400. Introduction to Sociolinguistics. (3 Credits)
This course introduces students to the field of sociolinguistics, which studies how language and language use are shaped by social and cultural contexts. The course will provide a survey of important topics in sociolinguistics, including language variation and change; language contact and multilingualism; language standardization; and language ideologies. We will also explore the development of sociolinguistics as a discipline from first wave single-variation studies to third-wave studies on social meaning expressed through language style.
Attribute: LING.
MLAL 2025. "You talk like a ____": Language, Identity and Stereotype. (4 Credits)
What does it mean to “talk like a ____?” Can you tell where someone is from by listening to them? Can you guess their race, ethnicity, gender, or social class? This course will explore how language is used in the creation of identity and social difference. Through a variety of linguistic anthropological and sociolinguistic texts, we will look at how ways of thinking about language (language ideologies) affect ways of thinking about people who speak language. We will analyze how language and linguistic difference intersects with authority, power, identity, and performance. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ANTH.
MLAL 3005. Themes in Latina/o and Latin American Studies. (4 Credits)
This course allows students to explore ways to synthesize key topics in Latin American and Latina/o Studies (LALS) as an interdisciplinary field of study. It will compare the distinct approaches to these topics of the different disciplines represented by the LALS faculty (including History, Literature, Film Studies, Theology, Art History, Sociology, and Anthropology). Conducted in English. Coursework in Spanish for credit toward the Spanish major and minor. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, CCUS, COMC, COMM, IPE, LAHA, LAIN, LALS, SPAN.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
MLAL 3031. Chinese Cultural Concepts. (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to the complexity and diversity of China and Chinese culture through a range of topics, such as family and kinship, popular religion, women and gender, gift exchange and guanxi networks, economic and social reforms, Maoism, post-Maoism, and globalization. We will approach these issues through anthropological, sociological, and historical texts. This course aims to deepen students’ knowledge of contemporary Chinese society and provide them with a nuanced understanding of cultural differences. Conducted in English with English and Mandarin texts in translation. Coursework and readings in Mandarin for credit toward the Mandarin minor. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ANTH, CNST, COLI, GLBL, INST, ISAS.
MLAL 3057. Medieval German Literature: Potions, Passions, Players, and Prayers. (4 Credits)
This course will introduce students to the rich literary and cultural heritage of Medieval Germany. The texts will all be read in English translation, but we will go over some passages in their original languages in class to catch some of the flavor of the Medieval German. Topics covered will include pre-Christian charms, the epic of the Nibelungs, love poetry, and urban carneval plays. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, GERM, MVLI, MVST.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
MLAL 3202. Ariosto to Galileo: The Invention of Modernity in Renaissance Italy. (4 Credits)
Ariosto and Galileo represent two chronological ends of a revolutionary intellectual period in the Italian Renaissance culture. Between the years 1516 (date of the first edition of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso) and 1610 (date of edition of Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius), Italian civilization contributed significantly to the shaping of a new idea of reality. The course is dedicated to the study of this particular period in which masterpieces such as the Furioso, Torquato Tasso’s pastoral poem Aminta, and his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered, as well as Galileo’s works (Sidereus Nuncius, Copernican Letters, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems) become the founding texts of a new realism that questioned and distrusted appearances and, by doing so, prepared the intellectual background where Galileo could develop his new scientific method and discover intellectual models useful for his innovative comprehension of the natural world (with strong implications about the separation of theology and science). Recent scholarship insists on the deep influence that literary humanism had on Galileo’s mind who, no surprise, was a reader, a writer of literature and also a literary critic (for example he wrote about Ariosto and also an incomplete commentary on Tasso’s Jerusalem). The course is therefore dedicated to the study of the relationship of literature to the History of Science with close reading of the above mentioned works and also following an interdisciplinary approach devoted to the exploration of the artistic civilization around Ariosto, Tasso, and Galileo. Taught in English with coursework in Italian for credit in Italian. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
MLAL 3220. The Stage and Society. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on the social issues, class relationships, ideals and ideologies, gender issues, justice and diversity issues, and the human emotional and cultural universe as they are represented in the dramatic works of authors/playwrights from Machiavelli (Renaissance) to Dario Fo (21st century). Features of dramatic language, such as stage setting, organization of scenes, and character development, among others, will be discussed. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, ITAL, THEA.
MLAL 3535. Building the Ideal City: Ethics and Economics Foundations of Realizable Utopias. (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to the investigation of the role that economic concepts such as profit, work, utility, and exchange play in defining the ideal city as a realizable political project. Students will explore ethical and economic concepts and their interrelation in the debate on the best form of State and government that developed from antiquity to modern American utopian communities. This course includes texts from various sources - philosophical, theological, juridical, and literary. Through these readings, students will learn how theoretical and practical ideas on the best form of society developed in time and still influence modern political thought. The course also focuses on the impact of the socioeconomic doctrines of the Catholic Church in shaping the idea of a possible, realizable, ideal city. Among the texts and authors included are Plato, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Dante, Boccaccio, Thomas More, Leon Battista Alberti, Tommaso Campanella, Francis Bacon. Taught in English with coursework in Italian for credit in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ALC, AMST, APPI, ASHS, ASRP, INST, ISIN, ITAL, ITMA, ITRE, MVPH, MVST, URST.
MLAL 4005. Queer Theory and the Americas. (4 Credits)
Drawing from the often divergent traditions of Anglo and Hispanic America, this course will take an interdisciplinary approach to queer methodologies for cultural and literary studies. Students will encounter foundational queer theoretical texts (both historical and contemporary) as well as novels, plays, and films, and will explore, for themselves, what queerness means and does. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, AMST, ASHS, COLI, ICC, WGSS.
MLAL 4100. Speaking For/As the Other. (4 Credits)
What are the implications of giving voice to those who are "voiceless"? This course explores the role of writing and speaking during the encounter of black, Indian, mestizo and Hispanic cultures in Latin America and Latina/o United States. By examining these cultural encounters, the course examines the political and ethical implications of speaking for and as the other. Conducted in English with texts in Spanish and English translation. Coursework in Spanish for credit toward the Spanish major and minor. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: COLI, EP4, IPE, LAHA, LALS, SPAN, VAL, WGSS.
Linguistics (LING) courses
LING 1100. Introduction to Linguistics. (3 Credits)
An introduction to linguistics, the study of language. The course surveys the core domains of theoretical linguistics including phonology, syntax, and semantics as well as select areas of applied linguistics. Taught in English.
Attributes: CLAS, COLI, ENGL.
LING 1400. Introduction to Sociolinguistics. (3 Credits)
This course introduces students to the field of sociolinguistics, which studies how language and language use are shaped by social and cultural contexts. The course will provide a survey of important topics in sociolinguistics, including language variation and change; language contact and multilingualism; language standardization; and language ideologies. We will also explore the development of sociolinguistics as a discipline from first wave single-variation studies to third-wave studies on social meaning expressed through language style.
Attribute: MLL.
LING 1500. Introduction to Psycholinguistics. (3 Credits)
An introduction to psycholinguistics, also called the psychology of language. The course focuses on how the mind and brain acquire and process language across the lifespan and in different populations. Taught in English.
Attributes: NECG, SSCI.
LING 2025. "You talk like a ____": Language, Identity and Stereotype. (4 Credits)
What does it mean to “talk like a ____?” Can you tell where someone is from by listening to them? Can you guess their race, ethnicity, gender, or social class? This course will explore how language is used in the creation of identity and social difference. Through a variety of linguistic anthropological and sociolinguistic texts, we will look at how ways of thinking about language (language ideologies) affect ways of thinking about people who speak language. We will analyze how language and linguistic difference intersects with authority, power, identity, and performance. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
LING 2050. Pragmatics of Communication. (4 Credits)
Linguistic competence is central to being a speaker in a speech community. This class brings together readings in pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology to explore what it means to be a socially competent speaker. The course examines norms of communication, such as politeness registers and appropriateness in cross-cultural contexts, and analyzes personal and professional communication practices. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: MLL.
LING 2075. Politics of Language in China. (4 Credits)
This course examines contemporary language politics in China, including Mandarin promotion, language standardization, and the treatment of minority languages and non-Mandarin dialects. We will explore what counts as a language and what counts as a dialect, and we will look at how language has been implicated in state and nation-building projects. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: CNST, MLL.
LING 2400. Analyzing Discourse: Text and Talk in Context. (4 Credits)
During this course students will acquire basic knowledge and skills for analyzing different types of discourse, including political debates, advertisements, and media texts, in order to reveal the underlying ideas, values and opinions of language users. We will explore how language can be used to subtly convey ideas, ideologies, and value and we will focus on uncovering how language and discourse construct identities, and produce, or reproduce, stereotypical and/or xenophobic perspectives. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: CCMS, COMC, LALS, MLL.
LING 2675. Sounds of New York. (4 Credits)
There are more than 800 languages spoken in New York City. This course introduces students to the vast linguistic diversity in their own backyard. The course will pair theoretical readings with a significant hands-on research project. Students will conduct ethnographic fieldwork among language or speech communities of their choice. Students may choose to work with the Bronx Italian-American initiative. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, AMST, ANTH, LAHA, LALS, MLL, PLUR.
LING 3007. Spanish Linguistics. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on the linguistic study of the Spanish language. The course discusses the formal domains of language structure - including speech sounds and their mental representations, sentence structure and semantic meaning, as well as social realities of language use and language change across different varieties of Spanish in the world. The course is taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ASSC, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2001.
LING 3010. Bilingual Minds. (4 Credits)
Worldwide, there are more bilinguals than monolinguals. Bilingualism research has revealed dynamic social, cultural, linguistic, and psychological characteristics of the bilingual experience. This course focuses on the study of the bilingual mind; that is, how bilinguals learn and process their languages and how the bilingual experience of living with two or more languages influences linguistic and non-linguistic skills and behaviors. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: EP3, MLL, NECG, PSYC.
LING 3025. Language Endangerment. (4 Credits)
There are about 7,000 languages spoken at present, and linguists estimate that within 100 years, more than 50% of these languages will be lost. This course explores the interrelated processes of language shift, language loss, and language death, as well as efforts to preserve or revitalize endangered languages. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ANTH, GLBL, INST, IRST, ISIN, MLL.
LING 3035. Language, Linguistics, and Social Justice. (4 Credits)
The intersection of language, linguistics, and social justice comprises many distinct, but interrelated, disciplines in which scholars, practitioners, and communities strive to recognize and uproot core causes of social injustices, particularly regarding the impacts of language. In this course, we discuss issues at this intersection – including language and the criminal justice and health care systems, linguistic biases, language myths, speaker identities, bilingualism, and bilingual education. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ASSC.
LING 3607. Topics in Multilingualism. (4 Credits)
This course discusses the historical and contemporary underpinnings of multilingualism in the globalized world. The course content includes discussion of empirical social and cognitive research on multilingualism as well as multilingual language education and policy. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ASSC, GLBL.
LING 4015. Language and Thought. (4 Credits)
This course discusses theories and research in the study of language from a cognitive science perspective. The course elaborates on contemporary issues in the relationships between language and thought, including linguistic relativity and embodied cognition, among other areas. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ICC, NECG, NEUR, PSYC.
LING 4020. Language and Race. (4 Credits)
This class explores the role of language in the social construction of race and racism, from the use of linguistic differences to construct racial categories in the 19th century to present-day “English only” policies and the stigmatization of race-based accents and dialects. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ANTH, COLI, ICC, LAHA, LALS, PLUR.
LING 4999. Linguistics Research. (4 Credits)
Students enrolled in Linguistics Research will complete a faculty-mentored independent research project. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: MLL.
Arabic (ARAB) courses
ARAB 1001. Introduction to Arabic. (5 Credits)
This course focuses on four skills—reading, speaking, writing, and listening—that provide students with an introduction to Arabic language and culture.
Attributes: MEST, MVLA, MVST.
ARAB 1501. Intermediate Arabic I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Arabic I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Arabic language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition: reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence, using a task- and content-based Arabic learning program. Conducted in Arabic.
Attributes: IPE, ISAR, MEST, MVLA, MVST.
Prerequisites: ARAB 1001 or ARAB 1002.
ARAB 1502. Intermediate Arabic II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Arabic II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Arabic language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Arabic learning program. Conducted in Arabic.
Attributes: IPE, ISAR, MEST, MVLA, MVST.
Prerequisite: ARAB 1501.
ARAB 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
Independent study.
Attribute: MEST.
ARAB 2001. Arabic Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
This course is designed for students who have a solid knowledge of Arabic language basics, essential vocabulary, and verb forms and tenses. Through coursework, students will focus on developing and expanding their vocabulary, learning new grammatical structures and usages, developing good listening and writing skills, and applying literal and inferential comprehension skills (after reading magazines, newspapers, and short stories, and watching videos and films). Students will practice oral skills through structural exercises during class time, and they will complete written assignments to reinforce their understanding of the concepts studied in class.
Attributes: IPE, ISAR, MEST, MVLA, MVST.
Prerequisite: ARAB 1502.
ARAB 2400. Approaches to Arabic Culture. (4 Credits)
This course is based on the knowledge and skills gained in Arabic Language and Literature II. The main focus is on developing fluency and sophistication in reading, writing, and in oral communication. This course is designed to train students how to evaluate and revise their writing in Arabic, while continuing to review and refine pertinent grammatical structures. It aims to increase the students' familiarity with Arabic culture by working with selected Arabic literary texts and Arabic periodicals. The course will be conducted mainly in Arabic. Pre-req ARAB 2001 or Instructor's Permission. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, ISAR, MEST, PJRC, PJST.
Prerequisite: ARAB 2001.
ARAB 2450. The Short Story of Arabic Literature. (4 Credits)
Students will learn the history of the Arabic short story, and sample a variety of stories from diverse periods and authors. By reading these stories, students will develop their comprehension skills in Arabic, and will also broaden their knowledge of Arab-world literature. Class discussions will be in Arabic, and will focus on conversational skills in the language. Taught in Arabic. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: IPE, ISAC, MEST.
Prerequisite: ARAB 2001.
ARAB 2601. Arabic Conversation and Composition. (4 Credits)
Intensive practice of the spoken and written language with emphasis on proper use of idioms and building of vocabulary based on topics of interest and relevance. A basic course for prospective majors and minors. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: IPE, MEST.
Prerequisite: ARAB 2001.
ARAB 2602. Arabic Immersion in Morocco. (4 Credits)
Through this program, you will take an upper-level Arabic language/literature/culture course based at AMIDEAST's Study Center in Rabat, Morocco. Classes will meet for one month during Fordham's Summer Session I and will be primarily taught in Arabic. This course counts towards your requirements in the Arabic minor at Fordham University. In addition to your class work, you will participate in a number of cultural visits during your stay, including a weekend excursion to Fez. Rabat is one of Morocco’s “imperial cities,” and its modern capital. It is home to the leading educational institutions in the country and offers students opportunities to move from the shops and cafes of the “European” city to the winding alleys and exciting markets of the old “medina” in a few minutes’ walk. Students in the program live with Arabic-speaking Moroccan families and attend classes with Fordham faculty at AMIDEAST’s facilities in the bustling Agdal area of the city.
Attribute: IPE.
ARAB 2650. Business Arabic I. (4 Credits)
This course examines the norms of Arab business culture and helps prepare students for work with Arabs in the Arab world. In particular, the course focuses on improving business and speaking skills as well as appropriate forms of presentation through personalized training, role-playing, and business pitches. Beyond incorporating the essentials of business vocabulary, we will explore every aspect of public speaking and efficient communication—from grammatical accuracy and clarity to using body language and physical space. Students will prepare resumes and cover letters, conduct interviews, negotiate, and build up experience and self-confidence in handling real-life situations. Invited guests from the Arab business and entrepreneurial community in New York City will share their experiences with students and provide opportunities to practice new skills and learn more about bilingual business opportunities. This course is taught in Arabic. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Prerequisite: ARAB 2001.
ARAB 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Independent study.
Attribute: MEST.
ARAB 3000. Topics in Arabic Cultures. (4 Credits)
A broad survey of Arabic cultures through the study of some of its major literary figures and texts. The course will examine representative texts from artistic movements in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Libya, such as romanticism, realism, and postmodernism. By the end of the course students will be able to define the main characteristics of these movements. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISAC, ISME, MEST.
Prerequisite: ARAB 2400.
ARAB 3010. Human Rights in Arabic Literature. (4 Credits)
This class explores issues of race, gender, class and social justice in Arabic Literature. It focuses on the terminology and concepts related to human rights and the law, with all readings and class discussions held in Arabic. Students will also learn about sharia law and its implications for social justice. This class is especially relevant for students studying political science, Middle East studies and international studies or who wish to minor in Arabic. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISAC, ISME.
Prerequisite: ARAB 2400.
ARAB 3040. Topics in Arabic Literature. (4 Credits)
This course is dedicated to Arabic literature (al-Adab al-‘Arabī) and the Arabic renaissance, or "al-Nahda" literary production (poetry, Maqamat, epic literature, diaries, Romantic literature, Islamic scholarship, and women's literary salons and societies in the Arab world). We will focus on the most important writers, thinkers, artists, and scientists of those times (i.e., Ibn al-Muqaffa, ibn Hazm, ibn Battutah, al-Hariri, Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, Mikha'il Na'ima, Nazik Al-Malaika, Nizar Qabbani, Mahmoud Darwish, and Nawal el-Saadawi) and engage in close readings of seminal works, with the intent of uncovering and investigating the major problems engendered by the birth of Arab countries. We will also discuss the fundamental cultural, political, and social roles that courtiers, writers, and scientists play in the Arab world. Please note: This course is taught in Arabic. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, ISAC.
Prerequisite: ARAB 2400.
ARAB 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Independent study.
Attribute: MEST.
ARAB 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent study.
Attribute: MEST.
ARAB 9101. Introduction to Arabic I. (0 Credits)
ARAB 9151. Intermediate Arabic I. (0 Credits)
ARAB 9152. Intermediate Arabic II. (0 Credits)
ARAB TEST. TEST. (1 Credit)
TEST.
French (FREN) courses
FREN 1001. Introduction to French I. (5 Credits)
An introductory course that focuses on the four skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening providing students with a basic knowledge of French linguistic structures, vocabulary and culture, which studied interdependently, comprise the French Language.
Mutually Exclusive: FREN 1002.
FREN 1002. Introduction to French II. (3 Credits)
This course will enhance the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills acquired by students in Introduction to French I or from prior study. It will further promote a deeper understanding of French and Francophone cultures.
Mutually Exclusive: FREN 1001.
FREN 1501. Intermediate French I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate French I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the French language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based French learning program. Conducted in French.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 1502. Intermediate French II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate French II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the French language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based French learning program. Conducted in French.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 1501.
FREN 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
Study of a particular aspect of French literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or biweekly meetings with a faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 2001. French Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
A critical analysis of selected cultural and literary texts; composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 1502.
FREN 2100. Grammar and Phonetics. (4 Credits)
A comprehensive review of French grammar and phonetics with attention to their use in literary and cultural contexts. Intensive practice of the spoken and written language. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2001.
FREN 2300. French Translation & Grammar Review. (4 Credits)
This course is a comprehensive review of French grammar and vocabulary with attention to challenges in translation. It is open to anyone who has completed FREN 2001 or higher and who wishes to perfectionner son français. The class will involve extensive practice in reading French texts from diverse disciplines: literature; history; politics; science; art; cultural studies; etc. Attention will also be paid to how pronunciation and grammar interact. Students will be encouraged to develop a final translation project related to their major or minor outside of French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Prerequisite: FREN 2001.
FREN 2600. France: Literature, History, and Civilization. (4 Credits)
Using the modern notions of “civilization,” “culture,” and “literature” as organizing principles, this course explores political, social, and cultural changes in France since the 18th century. Critical readings of texts deploying the idea of “civilization” will help us learn about immigrant populations in France, French attitudes toward the formerly colonized, and how French identity itself was constructed. We will then analyze sociological and historical texts and films to understand how various writers and artists claimed certain ideas, tastes, and lifestyles to be representative of a unique and coherent French “culture.” The third part of the course will be devoted to several literary masterpieces and to the ways the French have politicized this patrimony. This course provides a solid foundation in French history and literature and a critical perspective on the complexities of contemporary France. (4 credits, taught in French) Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2001.
FREN 2601. French Conversation and Composition. (4 Credits)
Intensive practice of the spoken and written language with emphasis on proper use of idioms and building of vocabulary based on topics in interest and relevance. A basic course for prospective majors and minors. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2001.
FREN 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of French literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or biweekly meetings with a faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 3005. French Business Culture. (4 Credits)
The course examines the codes of French business culture and explores ways for students to prepare themselves for the French marketplace by mastery of these codes. In particular, we will focus on improving your business eloquentia perfecta – oral and speaking skills and appropriate forms of presentation through personalized training, role playing, mock interviews, and business pitches. Beyond incorporating the essentials of business vocabulary, we will explore every aspect of public speaking from grammatical accuracy, phonetics, clarity, and concision, to the effectiveness and communicating your message, your use of body language and physical space. Students will prepare CVs, cover letters, perform interviews, practice networking, and work in groups to develop sample start-up pitches. Students will build up experience and self-confidence with handling real life situations. Invited guests from the French and bi-cultural business and entrepreneurial community in New York City will share their experiences with students and provide opportunities for students to practice their new skills and learn more about bilingual business opportunities. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3006. French International Affairs. (4 Credits)
The course examines the codes of international relations and diplomacy and explores ways for students to prepare themselves for work in international organizations by mastery of these codes. In particular, we will focus on improving your eloquentia perfecta—oral and speaking skills and appropriate forms of presentation through personalized training, role playing, mock presentations, and pitches on such major international themes as diplomacy, education, health, culture, and security. Beyond incorporating the essentials of international relations, we will explore every aspect of public speaking from grammatical accuracy, phonetics, clarity, and concision to the effectiveness and communicating your message, your use of body language, and physical space. Students will build up experience and self-confidence with handling real life situations. Students will have the opportunity at the end of the semester to take the test for the professional diploma in international relations offered by the French Chamber of Commerce. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: INST, IPE, ISIN.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3030. What Is Writing? The Inscription of Culture From Page to Screen. (4 Credits)
This course examines the foundation of all literature: writing. What is the role of writing in the relation between language and thought? How has writing shaped culture? How has it been shaped by culture? And what is its future in this digital age. We will approach the cultural phenomenon of writing historically as well as philosophically. Topics will include: the transition from manuscript to printed book; the differences between orality and literacy; theories about the origin of writing; the future of reading in an age of SMS and beyond. Readings from: Marot; Rousseau; Desnos; Foucault; Derrida; Cassin; Dehaene. Class in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FFPM, FRMI, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3040. Changing Climate, Changing Culture. (4 Credits)
With the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change (French: Accord de Paris), France became forever linked to environmental activism. But this activism has a long cultural history in France and francophone communities. Changing Climate, Changing Culture is a seminar that explores this culture of activism through a survey of francophone texts that have asked: "How does climate shape culture?" and "How has culture shaped climate?" We will explore the recent turn toward the environment in literary criticism known as ecocriticism (French: écocritique) and its relation to previous theories of catastrophe, such as nuclear criticism. The corpus of texts studied will come from far away in time and space: 12th-century lyrics and romances that reflect the Medieval warming period; 14th-century texts that respond to the return of the cold and the arrival of the Black Death; and 12th- and 21st-century Pacific Island literature that writes back to environmental change brought about through tourism, nuclear tests, and global warming. Because climate and the nuclear tests have affected the francophone Pacific islands in particular, this course will serve to introduce students to a lesser known area of French and Francophone studies. Readings will include Troubadour and trouvère lyric, Bruno Latour (Face à Gaïa), and Chantal Spitz (L'île des rêves écrasés). Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FFPM, MVST.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3050. Data Humanities: Reading in the Digital Age. (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to the burgeoning field of the digital humanities by reading literary texts through the lens of two different disciplines: literary studies and data science. While digital humanities comprises many subfields, we will go beyond the digital to consider text as data, comparing this data science approach to several different literary approaches to text, from formalism to feminism. Students will gain basic skills in Python programming and the use of Jupyter Notebooks. No prior programming experience is required or expected. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3055. Language and AI (Artificial Intelligence). (4 Credits)
Has generative AI put an end to language learning? To writing literature? To reading? This course looks at the intersection of language and artificial intelligence (AI) from the perspective of francophone studies. It asks questions like: What has Descartes to do with AI? Does Cixous’s écriture féminine apply to generated text? What is the difference between natural and artificial text? What can AI tell us about political discourse in francophone countries? No programming experience required. Students will learn to explore language in R. Course taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ANLA, COLI, LING.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3060. Translation and Creative Writing in French. (4 Credits)
This course engages students in essential aspects of literary and professional translation from French to English and creative writing in French. Through critical readings of texts from a wide variety of disciplines (recent and classic Francophone literature, anthropology, postcolonial and gender studies, journalism, etc.), class discussions and workshops, and students' own sustained translating and creative writing practice, students will hone stronger writing skills by reviewing and practicing advanced French grammar and expanding their vocabulary. A strong emphasis will be placed on issues and strategies of translation and on creative writing and oral practice. By the end of the semester, students will complete a polished translation of a longer text or submit a creative writing project. No prior experience in translation or creative writing in any language is required. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3070. France Votes!. (4 Credits)
Aux urnes, citoyens! In Spring 2022, France will hold the 12th presidential election of the Fifth Republic. This course will prepare students to engage with this event by studying the history and structure of the French government and by following the election as it unfolds in real time. The first part of the course will look at the historical development of the French government, from monarchy to republic, as well as the structure of the French government (its constitution and political system) and its relation to the European Union. We will then focus on the Fifth Republic and its system of voting, with some discussion of the French contribution to voting theory and particular attention to historical limitations on suffrage. As the election heats up, we will examine France’s various political parties, reading their platforms and analyzing their debates. Readings will come from the candidates, the French media, historians of the five French republics, and apologists for a sixth republic. Course in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, ISEU, POCP.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3080. Critical Disability Studies: Perspectives in French and Francophone Literature and Film. (4 Credits)
This course begins with an overview of the field of disability studies in the context of France and the Francophone world. Critical inquiry will focus on prose, poetry, theater, and philosophical texts, as well as fictional and documentary cinematic works produced from the Age of Enlightenment to the present, to examine representations of individuals or groups with physical or developmental disabilities, regarding sight, speech, hearing, language, social behavior, or mental or physical illness. Taking an interdisciplinary approach and focusing on ethics and language, including terminology used in French equivalents for "disability" or "impairment," a central question of the course will probe into the ways in which literary figures, figurative language, and forms contribute to narratives of inclusion and anti-ableism. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, DISA, DIUL, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3100. Medieval French Literature. (4 Credits)
A survey of medieval French literary genres of the 10th-15th centuries, ranging from lyrical and didactic poetry, prose, and drama, to contemporary cinematic adaptations of medieval texts. Set within their cultural contexts, selected works may comprise courtly and/or Arthurian literature, comedic texts, spiritual and political writings, and film. An excursion to the Morgan Library and Museum or Metropolitan Museum of Art may complement our in-class discussions. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FFPM, FRME, IPE, MVLI, MVST.
Prerequisite: FREN 2001 (may be taken concurrently).
FREN 3101. Word and Image in Medieval France. (4 Credits)
This course examines the medieval French literature that illuminates some of the great cathedrals of twelfth-and thirteenth-century France.To understand medieval cathedrals we must "read" them through the literature of the age. The texts studied will be in modern French translation and will come from a variety of genres: lyric poetry; romance; epic; devotional literature; biography and autobiographical confession. These texts will be related to the stained glass, architecture, and sculpture of several French gothic cathedrals. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FFPM, FRME, IPE.
FREN 3102. Notre Dame de Paris: The Cathedral in Art, Literature, Culture, & History. (4 Credits)
This course examines the cultural importance of Paris's great gothic cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris. We will examine the cathedral through history, with a focus on its creation and significance for the Middle Ages and on its future after the devastating fire of 2019. We will read some of the medieval French literature that illuminates its stained glass windows and sculpture. Reference will also be made to some of the other great cathedrals of 12th- and 13th-century France, especially Notre Dame de Chartres. Our study of Notre Dame de Paris will include its use through history, from the Revolution and Napoleon to its presence in contemporary film and literature. In French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FFPM, FRME.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3103. Medieval Other, Modern Ethics: Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Medieval France. (4 Credits)
Was France in the Middle Ages the birthplace of a persecuting society? How were minority religious and ethnic communities perceived by France’s dominant Catholic community? What were the political and cultural institutions that regulated the interrelations of these communities? How did the art and literature of the Middle Ages capture or distort the lived realities of these communities? Medieval Other, Modern Ethics will investigate these and other questions through the lens of contemporary French ethics. Readings from Peter Abelard; Chrétien de Troyes; Marie de France; Saints’ Lives; the Lancelot-Grail Cycle; Rutebeuf; Emmanuel Levinas; Jacques Derrida; Simone de Beauvoir; Hélène Cixous; Amin Maalouf; Marc Bloch; Souleymane Bachir Diagne. Class in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FFPM, FRME, FRMO, JWST, MVLI, MVST.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3125. Mapping the Nation. (4 Credits)
How did the term l’Hexagone come to be synonymous with continental France? This course examines the hidden ideology of maps, from the burgeoning of cartographic science during the Renaissance to the question of France’s place within the European Union and subsequent responsibility during the ongoing refugee crisis. In addition to considering maps as texts, starting with Guillaume Postel’s 1578 world map with a meridian bisecting Paris, we will also consider texts as maps, attending to questions of space, mobility, and perspective in authors ranging from Montaigne and Rabelais to Proust and Butor. Of particular interest is the process by which space becomes place, and the use of geography as a tool of political ideology. We will explore Michel de Certeau’s distinction between espace and lieu, and take lessons from Mark Monmonier’s compelling essay “How to Lie with Maps.” Benedict Anderson’s idea of “imagined communities” will be useful in discussing the role of graphic and literary representations of space in crafting a sense of French nationhood. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FRME, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3130. Culture and Science in France. (4 Credits)
This course examines the history of the relations between science and culture in France, from the Renaissance to today. We will examine: the historicity of worldviews; religious and secular tensions; the literary expression of scientific ideas; the institutionalization of science by the French state. Fleadings from the works of Rabelais, Descartes, Pascal, Emilie du Chdtelet, Voltaire, Condorcet, Maupassant, Teilhard de Chardin, Duhem, Marie Curie, and Foucault. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU.
FREN 3140. Changing Climate, Changing Culture. (4 Credits)
With the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change (French: Accord de Paris), France became forever linked to environmental activism. But this activism has a long cultural history in France and Francophone communities. In this seminar, students explore this culture of activism through a survey of francophone texts that have asked how climate shapes culture and how culture has shaped climate. We will explore the recent turn toward the environment in literary criticism known as ecocriticism (French: écocritique) and its relation to previous theories of catastrophe, like nuclear criticism. The corpus of texts studied will come from far away in time and space: 12th-century lyrics and romances that reflect the Medieval Warm Period; 14th-century texts that respond to the return of the cold and the arrival of the Black Death; and 20th- and 21st-century Pacific island literature on environmental change brought about through tourism, nuclear tests, and global warming. Because climate and the nuclear tests have affected the francophone Pacific islands, in particular, this course will serve to introduce students to a lesser-known area of French and Francophone studies. Readings will include troubadour and trouvère lyric; Bruno Latour (Face à Gaïa); Joséphine de Monbart (Lettres tahitiennes); Paul Gauguin (Noa Noa); Chantal Spitz (L'île des rêves écrasés). Course taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRMO.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3175. French Renaissances. (4 Credits)
This course explores the cultural renaissances of Medieval and Early Modern France. We will compare "the" Renaissance of the 16th century to two earlier "renaissances": one at the court of Charlemagne and the other during the 12th century. We will look at the literary and artistic expressions of these re-births, why they started and what lasting impacts they had on French culture throughout history. We will read works by some of the greatest authors of French literature, including: Rabelais; Marguerite de Navarre; Louise Labé; Montaigne; Scève; Marie de France; Chrétien de Troyes; Abelard & Heloise. Course in French.
Attributes: ALC, FFPM, FRME, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3225. Hollywood's Holy Grail: Medieval French Literature on the Screen. (4 Credits)
This course examines the foundational texts about King Arthur and the Holy Grail that have made their way into American and French films. Why do these thirteenth-century stories about the fourth century continue to fascinate us today in the twenty-first century? Why do they remain so successful as sources for compelling narratives? We will explore the cultural adaptation of these stories to their times and in particular changes made to the role gender plays in them. Topics covered will include: gender; folklore; high and low art; adaptation of text to screen; translation; the political use of the past. Course in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ALC, AMST, COLI, FFPM, FRME, IPE, MVST.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3230. Podcasts en tous genres. (4 Credits)
Ubiquitous across media platforms as stand-alone programs, companion features for TV series, and features of traditional radio programming, podcasts exist in a wide range of formats and cover countless topics, embraced by celebrities, radio professionals, academics, and audio documentarians alike as effective means of communication and entertainment. Focusing on a curated selection of popular, innovative, and thought-provoking podcasts recorded in French, this course allows students to deepen their oral and written communication skills and intensively practice them at an advanced level as they consider the structural specificities and content qualities of various podcasts’ episodes and series intended for native French speakers. By the end of the semester, students will conceive, design, write, and produce a podcast episode with peers in French. This course is taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3250. Du scandale au chef d’oeuvre: Art that Shocks, Offends, and Endures. (4 Credits)
This course examines canonical French works from the early modern period to the present that have incurred censorship and/or widespread criticism for their scandalous nature. The analysis of these works will serve as a departure point from which to discuss the historic–political contexts that give rise to their offensive nature. From the theological underpinnings of the notion of scandal in the works of Rabelais, we will continue to explore how certain enduring works were perceived as threats to social order and to the very notion of what constitutes art. Among the varieties of scandal in our corpus will be art of a sexual/scatological nature (Rabelais’ Gargantua, Jarry’s Ubu Roi), art that offends morality or religious dogma (in the work of Voltaire and Baudelaire), art that undermines political authority (the films La Grande Illusion and La Bataille d’Algers), and the very notion of what art should be (the literary quarrels of the 17th century). We will consider how recent French literary and artistic scandals inform our understanding of contemporary French politics and society, and interrogate how the notion of scandal itself is relative to a given historical moment or cultural milieu. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FRME, FRMI.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3253. Moliere: From Page to Stage. (4 Credits)
This course taught in French explores French Theatre and offers the opportunity to engage in the creative process from page to stage. Students will have the opportunity to participate in different capacities, such as performers, designers, dramaturgs, and stage managers. This course emphasizes the importance of working collaboratively. Students enrolled in the French and Theatre Programs will share their strengths and learn from each other. We will combine reading, theory, and analysis of a single play by Moliere, and put what we learn into practice in rehearsal. The semester will end with a public performance. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, THEA, THPL.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3265. Writing for Theatre. (4 Credits)
This course encourages students to become playwrights and to improve their fluency in French. This is a creative writing course for theater with an opportunity to produce and perform an original short play. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 3270. Écocritique: Francophone environments and cultures. (4 Credits)
This course engages students in essential aspects of ecocriticism (écocritique), the study of Francophone literature, film, and art from the perspective of environmental issues expressed through a variety of disciplines and genres—from Francophone philosophy, anthropology/sociology, and critical animal studies to science fiction, poetry, and the visual arts. We will examine how rapidly changing environmental conditions bear not only on artistic expression and on our way of understanding the world but also on how past and present environmental crises inform expressive practices in French. We will concentrate on the human, animal, and environmental effects of French colonialism and its aftermath in postcolonial countries as well as on key environmental anticolonial practices in modern-day Francophone countries. This course is taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ENST, ESEL, ESHC, FREN.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3275. Documentary and Storytelling in the Francophone World. (4 Credits)
Focusing on Francophone works, this course engages in reflection on the documentary genre, its many forms, and its relationship to truth, objectivity and subjectivity, fiction and factuality, as well as narrative and storytelling. Nudged by filmmakers' endless efforts to reclaim the fictional and subjective dimension of documentary cinema, creative engagements with documentary pursuits are also found in other media, from print (graphic novels) to sound (podcast and audio documentaries) and interactive works (webdocs, virtual reality). This course thus aims at questioning common assumptions about "documentary" as a category or genre, all the while considering how "documentary forms" have effectively been mobilized to produce certain types of knowledge, experiences, relations, and critical scrutiny of, and resistance to, such intervention. Taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3280. French Documentary in Action. (4 Credits)
In this course, students work together to develop English subtitles for a recent French documentary, screened at Fordham at the end of the semester. To this end, students will conduct background research to understand the film's subject and any sociocultural, political, and historical references informing the film. Screenings and discussions of French documentaries from different periods will help students situate the film within a long and rich national tradition and to reflect on the specific structure and tone used by the filmmakers. Finally, students will become familiar with the contemporary economy of documentary filmmaking in France. Multiple opportunities to engage with the filmmakers/producers (via skype, email, or potentially in person) will allow students to discuss the progression of their ongoing collaborative research project and to produce a booklet of materials distributed at the screening. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRAN, FRMO.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3290. Early Authors Modern Theory. (4 Credits)
This course explores French writers from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through the lens of 20th- and 21st-century French thinkers. We will read both original texts and later commentaries to interrogate how our modern theories have shaped our understanding of early French literature and culture, and consequently of the French canon. This juxtaposition will allow us to ask: How have the ideas of the author and of the text changed over time? Do modern theories help reveal aspects of early writers? Or are we merely reworking them in our own image? The early authors we will study may include, from the Middle Ages: Marie de France, Chrétien de Troyes, Christine de Pisan, François Villon; from the Renaissance: Rabelais, Marguerite de Navarre, Montaigne, Rabelais, Ronsard, Du Bellay, Labé. Among the modern theorists: Bon, Barthes, Foucault, Butor, Deguy, and Cerquiglini. Conducted in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FFPM, FRME, FRMO, IPE.
FREN 3292. French Revolutions (1789-present). (4 Credits)
This course endeavors to engage students in major episodes of French political and social history, literature, and art through the plural notion of French Revolutions. These major episodes integrate the following historical moments, some actual revolutions, some that ask us to question the very notion of “revolution”: (1) 1789, (2) 1830, (3) 1848, (4) 1870-71, (5) 1940, (6) 1962, (7) 1968, (8) 2015, and more. All of these revolutionary moments entailed major changes in popular relationships to institutions of power; some meant reenvisioning power as such; all of them involved changes in rhetorical and artistic practices that created differences in popular perspectives on what it means to be a leader, part of a “nation,” a people, a peasantry, or an immigrant in France. In all cases, the popular imagination has been drawn upon to account for the revolutions—whether major or minor—that their leaders, and the people behind them, intended to carry out. In this course, we will draw on a wide variety of documents (novels, rap/song, films, art, etc.) and examine those voices that have called for revolution but whose revolutions have remained unheard. Course taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, HIST, INST, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3300. The Enlightenment. (4 Credits)
The main currents of the French 18th-century Enlightenment: works by Montesquieu, Marivaux, Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau and Laclos. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FRMI, IPE.
FREN 3301. France and Global Enlightenment. (4 Credits)
In this course, we will study the Enlightenment in France and beyond. As philosophes and others in France began radically to question the basic epistemologies that grounded notions of reason, faith, physical bodies, and one’s relation to another, data poured in from all over the world to confirm, contest, or undermine long-held truths. But these transactions with Asia, the New World, Africa, and other parts of Europe were not just unidirectional; they involved far more than the mere cataloguing and discussion of artifacts in the Royal Academies or the elegant exchanges and commentaries in the Republic of Letters and other emerging public spheres. Moreover, these transactions were far from innocent. They were imbricated in questions of empire, national conflicts, racial and ethnic superiority, commerce, and patriarchy, among other things. To address this global Enlightenment and its complexities, we will be reading literary, historic, scientific, philosophic, and travel writings written both in France and around the globe. As such, students should gain a much more expansive and transnational understanding of that famous question posed by Kant, “What is an Enlightenment?” Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FFPM, FRMI, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3333. Tableaux: Art and Theater: 1700s. (4 Credits)
This course examines the changing articulation of the 'tableau' and how it informed important aesthetic developments in 18th century theater and painting. Students will read theoretical texts on the theater, such as Diderot's De la poesie dramatique and Mercier's De theatre, theoretical works by Marivaux, Voltaire, Diderot and Beaumarchais, in addition to critical texts on the French salons. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FFPM, FRMI, IPE.
FREN 3340. Amazones, Salonnières, and Révolutionnaires: Women writers in Ancien Régime France. (4 Credits)
This course examines women writers in Ancien Régime France (17th and 18th centuries) and the various movements, events, literary genres, groups, and institutions their writing incited, such as the Amazones (the military women of the Fronde), the Précieuses, the Salonnières, the Republic of letters, epistolary novelists, and Revolutionnaries, etc. The women studied in this course include: Madame d’Aulnoy, Madame de Scudéry, Madame de Lafayette, Madame Riccoboni, Madame du Deffand, La Comtesse de Genlis, Madame d’Epinay, Madame de Charriere, Olympe de Gouges, Madame de Roland, and Madame de Staël. This course is taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FFPM, FRME, FRMI, IPE, WGSS.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3350. Thinkers and Moralists. (4 Credits)
The class reads work by great French thinkers, among them the essayist Montaigne, the theologian Pascal, the humorist Moliere, the satirist LaBruyere and the salon star La Rochefoucauld, the social commentator Alexis de Toqueville, the food writer Brillat-Savarin. We will elucidate the nature and influence of French thinking about many aspects of culture thoughout the early modern period and its effects to the present day. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRME, FRMI, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2001 (may be taken concurrently).
FREN 3360. French Autobiography. (4 Credits)
How the French recount their lives, form themselves and interact with others. Three male and three female-authored texts: Montaigne, Rousseau, Grde de Beauvoir, Yourcenar, Kaplan. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FRMI, FRMO, IPE.
FREN 3450. Writers and Lawbreakers. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on the complex relationship that existed between literature and the law in 19th- and 20th-century France. We use prison literature, adventure novels, memoirs, poetry, and plays to discuss societal perceptions of criminals, views of normative behaviors, literal and figurative crimes, and the aesthetic decisions made by artists caught between unacceptable narratives and respect for the literary canon. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, EP3, INST, IPE, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3453. The Flaneur in Paris. (4 Credits)
Why does the figure of the flâneur appear in literature and art in the first decades of the 19th century? What changes (political, economic, social, urban, technical, aesthetic, and poetic) occur that facilitate this new type of urban wanderer? What’s the difference between the 17th- and 18th- century promeneur and the flâneur? Why is the concept of the flâneur impossible until the 19th century? And why does the flâneur disappear as Walter Benjamin argues toward the end of the 19th century? Why is the flâneur predominantly a male category? And is there a descent of the flâneur in the 20th and 21st centuries? In this course we examine the figure of the urban wanderer and flâneur from the last years of the 18th century to the first decade of the 21st century. We examine this figure in the literary and aesthetic works of Mercier, Retif de la Bretonne, Balzac, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Zola, Colette, Apollinaire, Debord, Roubaud, Calle as well as in the philosophical works of Benjamin and other critical texts and films. While we will not be able to walk in Paris, we will explore some of these questions by using New York as our ambulatory laboratory. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FFPM, FRMO, INST, IPE, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3456. 20th-Century France: A Blast from the Past. (4 Credits)
The France of today is a product of yesterday. It’s a blast from the past: a nuclear bomb, the separation of church and state, the railroads, an occupation, high fashion, dance, opera, the first glance of internet, two world wars, the many faces of immigration, race and racism, jazz, gentrification, existentialism, rap, and AIDS. Colonialism, anticolonialisms. In this course, we will study the history of the 20th century in France, review its politics and cultural scenes, and discuss its preeminence, for better or worse, on the world stage. We will read two-plus Francophone novels, watch two-plus Francophone films, read poetry, watch videos, and listen to music. In addition to refining their vocabulary and grammar in French, students will be asked to write a lengthy final project, present it, and contribute regularly to class discussion in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, HIEH, HIST, HIUL, INST, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3460. Postcolonial Representations. (4 Credits)
This course examines the impact of colonization on Francophone cultural and artistic productions from the 1830s to the present. It begins with a discussion of the ways in which colonialism fostered modes of perception of the self and the “other” that went far beyond the artistic sphere. Newspaper articles, postcards, documentary films, as well as exhibitions and even culinary trends produced during the colonial era have each in their own way justified colonization. The ideologies and behaviors they spread all over the world survived decolonization and the great waves of immigration to France. The second part of the course examines how North African artists have dealt with this burden. While the inherently violent system of representation they inherited, be they born during colonial times or after independence, has shaped their work, it did not stifle their creativity. The third part of the course is a case in point: It focuses on young francophone Algerian women writers to show how and why the daughters of immigrants have found a particularly powerful voice to memorialize their silenced fathers. Taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, EP3, FRAN, FRMO, IPE, MEST.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3464. French Films d'Auteur. (4 Credits)
In this course, you will study French cinema history by focusing particularly on the "Auteur theory" and the work of world-renowned French filmmakers. Taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRMO, IPE, WGSS.
FREN 3465. Women on the Margins. (4 Credits)
The course explores the roles and identities available to women in nineteenth-century France and the ways in which women expanded the boundaries of those constraints. Through readings of literary and non-literary texts as well as films, paintings, drawings, and fashion plates, we consider such institutions and conditions as female education and conduct, marriage, motherhood, prostitution, sainthood, rebellion, and creativity. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, EP3, FRMO, IPE, WGSS.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3466. Discovering French Cinema. (4 Credits)
With over 2000 movie theaters, an average of 200 feature films produced annually and over 50 international co-production agreements, France’s film culture and industry remain strong. Every year, major international film festivals feature French films and filmmakers. But what is French cinema? What defines its “Frenchness”? This course examines how and why French cinema successfully positioned itself as a lasting international reference, looking at the work of a few iconic and revolutionary filmmakers. It also aims at questioning the conscious (re)construction of “Frenchness” in and through cinema over time. To that end, we will consider the role various social, cultural, political, and industrial forces have played in defining, establishing, and promoting a certain idea of French cinema. We will also discuss filmmakers who have used cinema to question such reifications, by continuously re-imagining its contours, reclaiming narratives, and challenging expectations. You will have opportunities to enjoy NYC’s francophile and cinephile culture since high-profile annual French film festivals take place in the city every Spring, including Animation First at FIAF/Alliance Française and Rendez-vous with French Cinema at Film at Lincoln Center. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FITV, FRMO, INST, IPE, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3470. Francophone North Africa. (4 Credits)
If the colonial past has imposed a number of artistic chanllenges on the contemporary North African artists, it has also obliged many of them to be linguistically innovative. In this class, we will explore how North African francophone writers have experimented with French literacy genres, as well as with bilingualism, in their struggles to fashion suitable creative spaces within the colonizer's language. We will use short stories, novels, poetry, memoirs, and films to analyse this relatively new (and often subversive)literary voice, and to see how it interprets and rephrases central contemporary narratives, including those of war, exile, and immigration. Readings many include Bouraoui, Chraibi, Dib, Djebar, Feraoun, Haddad, Mokeddem and Sebbar. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, MEST.
FREN 3471. Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. (4 Credits)
This course will examine historical and contemporary migration and identities in sub-Saharan francophone Africa. Drawing on anthropology, film, literature, and theatre, we will explore migration from African perspectives. Topics covered include child trafficking, child labor, gender, religion, development and social change, and political consciousness. Readings/films will include: Le ventre de l’atlantique (Fatou Diome), Allah n'est pas obligé (Ahmadou Kourouma) Jaguar, les Maîtres fous (Jean Rouch), Femmes, greniers et capitaux (Claude Meillassoux). Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: AFAM, ALC, FRAN, FRMO, INST, IPE, ISAF.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3475. Narratives of the Sahel. (4 Credits)
This course examines Sahelian cultures and narratives as expressed through a variety of forms, including oral tradition, song, poetry, short story, the picaresque novel, detective fiction, graphic novel, and documentary and fictional film produced between the 1970s and the early 2020s. The Sahel is a vast geographical transitional expanse of land with the Sahara Desert to its north and the Savannah to its south. A transborder, transient, and fluid space spanning parts of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Sudan to name a few countries, the Sahel is where cultures, languages, and identities collide and unite. It is at once a space of disorder and contradiction, idleness and stillness, sound and silence. By consuming works by Oumar Ba, Marième Mint Derwich, Boubacar Boris Diop, Amadou Hampaté Bâ, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Aïcha Macky, Monique Ilboudo, Moussa Konaté, and Abderrahmane Sissako, among others, we will engage critically with various aspects of Sahelian culture by analyzing the roles and styles of the griot and griotte, the figure of the trickster and the interpreter; narratives of conquest and resistance; and examining religion, patriarchy, women’s agency, and ways in which the youth are increasingly changing the narrative. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction. Course taught in French.
Attributes: ALC, INST, ISAF.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3476. Conflict and Violence in Francophone African Cinemas. (4 Credits)
The development of film industries across Africa has been inextricably tied with colonial history. We will focus here on the cinematic production of former French colonies, from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in North Africa to sub-Saharan countries, including Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Tchad. Often trained in Western film schools, African and North African filmmakers started making films in the 1950s and 1960s, a time also marked by repeated struggles for independence from colonial domination. There is no single way to look at such a diverse and extraordinarily rich corpus. We will look more specifically at how different filmmakers have addressed, performed and questioned the notions of conflict and violence, both physical and psychological, literal and symbolic, at different time periods and in different regional contexts. Ousmane Sembène, Abderrahmane Sissako, Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Nabil Ayouch, Sarah Maldorore will be among the filmmakers included in our discussions. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRAN, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3478. The Essay Film. (4 Credits)
Recently called "the most vibrant and significant kind of filmmaking in the world today" by Timothy Corrigan (2011), the essay film has been embraced by filmmakers worldwide. In this course, however, we will consider primarily the works of four key Francophone filmmakers and essayists, Agnès Varda, Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Akerman, and Chris Marker. Non-exhaustive, this selective corpus allows for greater exploration of a genre that questions the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction, the declarative and the meditative, the visual and the verbal, the personal and the political. Critical interventions by Alexandre Astruc, Raymond Bellour, Phillip Lopate, Jean-Luc Godard, Timothy Corrigan and others, will help us understand and reflect on the formal integrity of a multifaceted genre, and the specific use of cinematic forms and techniques by filmmakers to convey clear political and aesthetic positions. The last month of the semester will be spent on students’ individual and collective creative experimentations with the essay video, with a special focus on pre-production and production planning and ongoing peer review critiques of each other’s works. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3479. The New Wave Arrives. (4 Credits)
This interdisciplinary course examines the “New Wave” as a broad sociocultural phenomenon that not only refers to the cinematic revolution brought about by François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda and other filmmakers in the early 1960s but one that encompasses a wide range of transformations that made 1960s Paris the epicenter of pivotal artistic trends, social transformations and political activity. In addition to the French New Wave, topics include the role of youth popular culture, urban architecture and planning, the impact of the Algerian War and decolonization wars, mass consumerism, the convergence of several social and intellectual movements (women, workers, students, immigrants) in 'May 68'. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, COMM, EP3, FITV, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3480. Francophone Caribbean Literature. (4 Credits)
This course examines a variety of literary, historical, cultural and linguistic aspects of the francophone Caribbean between 1791 (the beginning of the Haitian Revolution) and today. Topics include articulations of political sovereignty in colonial and post-colonial contexts, francophone Caribbean literary movements, alternative narratives provided by Afro-diasporic voices, and Caribbean feminisms. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ALC, AMST, ASLT, COLI, FRAN, FRMO, GLBL, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3490. Africa: Society and Culture Through Film. (4 Credits)
Africa has been the object of representations in film since the development of film technology, and Francophone African films and filmmakers have occupied a key place in African filmmaking since the 1960s. This course examines how African modernity and tradition, culture, gender, migration, and conflict are represented in films. The course will examine a wide range of Francophone African films and filmmakers, using the films as insights into understanding African topics and for reflecting on how Africa is represented in films. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: AFAM, ALC, FITV, FRAN, HCWL, HUST, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3492. Climate Change and Sustainable Development in the Francophone World. (4 Credits)
This course will examine how climate change is affecting societies, cultures, and economies in the Francophone world, with a focus on Africa. Through case studies, we will explore the challenges of environmental transformations and the solutions proposed, both by the international community and by local populations. We will examine debates surrounding solutions to climate change, as well as related issues including water scarcity, food insecurity, migration, conflict, and urbanization. Course taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: AFAM, ANTH, ENST, ESEJ, ESEL, ESHC, GLBL, HPSE, HUST, PJEN, PJST.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
Mutually Exclusive: LACU 3492, MLAL 3492.
FREN 3494. Africa: Education, Youth, and Society. (4 Credits)
Education is seen as the main motor of development and democracy in postcolonial Africa, yet many young people cannot access the education they seek. What are the reasons and the colonial legacies of education systems? How have youth and educators responded to this situation? Drawing on literature, documentary film, anthropology, and sociology, this class will analyze the relations between education and society in francophone Africa, focusing on how African nations have confronted the immense problems that education and youth face, including schooling, family, socialization, traditional education, and employment. This course is taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: FRAN, INST, ISAF.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3496. Francophone Communities in New York City. (4 Credits)
This course will examine contemporary cultural, educational, social, and human rights issues among Francophone immigrant communities from Africa and the Caribbean in New York City. Topics such as migrant trajectories, employment, gender roles, diasporic connection, relations with country of origin, youth education, solidarity, and hybrid identities will be explored. Primary source research and community engagement with migrant organizations will be emphasized. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: FRAN.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3498. Harlem Renaissance and Africa: Struggle for Freedom. (4 Credits)
From the 1920s to the 1950s, Harlem was the global center of Black politics and culture, drawing the brightest minds of the time to tackle the most difficult issues facing Blacks in the U.S., Caribbean, and Africa: subjugation, segregation, and identity. The Harlem Renaissance and the Negritude movement founded in Paris contributed immensely to describing and portraying Black identity and the political and socio-economic emancipation of Blacks. While African Americans were fighting systemic racial discrimination in the United States, in Africa, independence movements were starting to demolish the worst forms of colonial exploitation. Pan-Africanism—an ideological and political movement aimed at unifying people of African descent beyond cultural differences or geographical location was active and compelling both in Africa and Harlem. Drawing on novels, popular media, poems, historical texts, ethnography, and documentary films, this course will examine the past and present of the struggle for political freedom and civic rights in the space linking Harlem to Africa. How did the two movements inspire each other? How did they shape the relationship between African-Americans and African immigrants? Course taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: AFAM, ANTH, ISAF.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3500. French Literary Theory. (4 Credits)
French Theory became intellectual trend in the United-States thanks to the translation of works by philosophers such as Michel Foucault, Giles Deleuze and Jacques Derrida. This course focuses on that particular theoretical movement and the way it increased significantly the academic relationships between France and the United-States. It also gives students the opportunity to discover today’s main “French theories” , not only understood as coming from France, but also from Québec, Switzerland, and Belgium. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600 (may be taken concurrently).
FREN 3510. Translation: Theory and Practice. (4 Credits)
This course considers the question of translation theory and practice from a variety of perspectives: literary, philosophical, and historical. Students will become familiar with the problems most commonly encountered in translation, as well as solutions that have worked or failed. We will examine how these practices of translating into and from French have shaped French cultural and literary history, and since rare is the theorist of translation who is not also a practitioner, we will not only critique existing translations, but also create our own translations. Readings will include literary, philosophical, historical, and cultural texts, by authors like: Christine de Pisan, Du Bellay, de Meziriac, Flaubert, Baudelaire, Beckett, Kristeva, Derrida. Taught in French. (Groups ll, lV) Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3550. In Search of Lost Time: Modernity, Temporality, and the Self in 20th Century French Literature. (4 Credits)
A fundamental construct of Modernity is that it posits a particular relation to time, where the present is defined through a break with the past. This class examines how, for modern writers, a sense of self is indissociable from a broader reflection on the ways in which time structures who we are, and how we perceive the world. Themes include: memory and childhood, the invention of the everyday, day and night, timelessness and the unconscious, measuring time in science. Authors and firms include: Proust, Beckett, Sarraute, Ducharme, Godard (taught in French).
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3555. Man: Beast or Machine. (4 Credits)
This course explores what it means to be human, from the early modern period to the present, through a survey of francophone texts dealing with humankind's relationship to animals and machines. We will look at Renaissance humanist texts that argue for man's superiority to animals, which we will compare to their classical atecedents. We will investigate Enlightenment perspectives on the distinction between men, beasts and machines from Descartes, Diderot, and La Mettrie. Theoretical approaches from animal studies and postmodern anti-humanism will be applied to consider how modern society defends and critiques anthropocentrism through art, and how writing reflects our apprehension that machines are a threat to humanity. Course in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRMI, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3564. French Theatre and Performance (Taught in French). (4 Credits)
This course explores French theatre and offers students the opportunity to engage in the creative process from script to rehearsal to a full public performance at the end of the semester. It teaches students how to express themselves more effectively in French, and it helps them develop the ability to communicate thoughts and feelings to others. We will combine acting, history, reading, theory, and analysis of major modern playwrights. Invited guests from the French and bicultural theatre community in New York City will share their experiences and provide opportunities for students to practice their new skills. Taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3565. French Contemporary Novel. (4 Credits)
This course examines some formal and narrative experiments that have been central to the renewal of the French novel since the 1980's, in particular the popularity of fragmented stories and micro-fictions. This fragmentation can take various forms beyond textual productions, including the turn for many writers to graphic novels, radio narratives, and other types of cross media explorations. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3566. French Contemporary Theater. (4 Credits)
This course examines French theater focusing on the performative theatrical art of confession and, in particular, "la déclaration d'amour." Special attention will be granted to the relationship between text and performance or to how the word becomes action on stage and how staging affects our perception of the word. Readings include classical and contemporary plays as well as workshops and invited guests. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 3600. France Today. (4 Credits)
This course will explore the various “crises” affecting current French society. Questions of immigration, race, gender, economic inequality, and security, among others, have marked social discourse for the past 20 years. These microphenomena reveal trends and realities of a society facing various challenges. For each particular debate, we will bring in historical and sociological perspectives in order to better understand the implications. This course will concentrate primarily on a study of the press but also works of literature and film. We will learn to read the press with a critical lens in order to understand it not only as a fourth power but also as a shaper of dominant discourse. Taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: INST, IPE, ISEU.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3605. Cultural and Literary History of Journalism. (4 Credits)
This course examines not only the history of the practice of journalism in France from the rise of mass media in 1830 to the present day, but also the cultural and literary representations of journalism and journalists. Particular attention will be paid to the figure of the grand reporter and the practice of reportage from 1890-1950. Students will read primary sources from the period in question and will be introduced to various theoretical approaches to the study of media. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3612. Cinemas of Quebec. (4 Credits)
This course examines the cinematic production made both in Quebec and abroad, by Quebec-based and Quebec-born filmmakers, hence the title “Cinemas of Quebec” rather than “Québécois cinema.” This broader perspective allows for a more complex interrogation of cinema’s contributions to the refashioning of Quebec’s social and political history over time, from the affirmation of Québécois identity to First Nations’ demands for recognition and reparations. It also invites considerations of Quebec’s lasting contributions to (world) cinema. The list of films and filmmakers discussed will evolve with each iteration of the course to accommodate thematic inquiries, specific critical questions, and emerging trends. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, FITV, FRAN, FRMO, INST, ISIN.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3630. Francophone Voices From North Africa. (4 Credits)
Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRAN, IPE, MEST.
FREN 3631. North African France. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on young twenty-first century writers of North African descent whose recent literary debuts shocked the French media and literary establishment. An analysis of their public personae as well as a close reading of their works help us understand how French society negotiates volatile political issues such as religion, patriarchy, racism, violence, and sexuality. It also brings a thorough understanidng of the socio-cultural taboos that emerged after decolonization, notably those connected to the French acceptation of the public sphere. Last but not least, it provides a forum to discover and discuss some of the most powerful new voices of contemporary literature. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, FRAN, IPE, MEST.
FREN 3637. Francophone Middle East. (4 Credits)
This course explores the historical and cultural ties between France and the Middle East between 1798 and today. Topics include: Napoleon's campaign in Egypt; Egyptian intellectual diasporas in Paris (1880-1930); francophone poetry in 1920s Syria; francophone writings of the Lebanese civil war; identity politics in contemporary francophone Lebanese theater and cinema. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, EP3, FRAN, FRMO, GLBL, INST, IPE, ISEU, ISIN, ISME, MEST.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3640. Postcolonial Representation. (4 Credits)
Novels and essays written in French and published in the 1980's that reflect cultural identities. Authors viewed as interpreters of the postcolonial condition whose works have been redefining traditional conceptions of history and culture, literature and identity. Authors may include Sebbar, Conde, Glissant, Chamoiseau, Confiant. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, GLBL, IPE, MEST.
FREN 3666. The Francophone Graphic Novel. (4 Credits)
Graphic novels constitute an important part of French literary production. Their artistic value is widely recognized, and they represent a significant portion of the book market. Robustly subsidized by the government, the French comics and graphic novel market grows by about 9% every year. This course shows why the genre is so celebrated today by exploring how graphic novel artists have carved out a unique space to discuss complex social questions. In the past 15 years in particular, graphic novelists have not shied away from difficult topics such as French Islam, radical Islam, colonial crimes and postcolonial silences, immigration, racism and discrimination, gender inequality, unsustainable working conditions, climate change, and COVID-19. Because of its unique ways of representing social justice issues, the genre can provide fresh ideas to imagine a collective future, and more than occasionally offer forward-thinking political options. Not only that, but the graphic novel also empowers numerous minority artists to share their experience––be they Korean adoptees struggling to remain in Belgium, practicing French Muslim creators for whom drawing living beings is not an option, or the children of trauma-ridden Lebanese parents. While the course explores how the genre’s multimodal nature allows for nuanced explorations of urgent issues, it also focuses on its reception: today, two graphic novels out of three are geared toward readers who are under 30 years old, young men and women who want to be entertained as well as learn about new ways to live in a brutal world. Taught in French. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, EP3.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3675. America! French and Francophone Perspectives. (4 Credits)
Drawing from a wide-ranging selection of literary texts, films, critical essays published or released at different time periods, this interdisciplinary course will examine Francophone constructions of "America." We will thus question the extent to which "America" is a neutral term. Does it refer to a geographical territory or to a site of cultural and political projections, aspirations or criticism? This course will examine how Francophone explorers, artists, intellectuals and politicians have contributed to the production and re-signification of this trope over time. Taught in French. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ALC, AMST, FRAN, FRMO, IPE.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3676. Fashioning the Empire. (4 Credits)
Western fashion, at its core, is a colonial enterprise. In spite of the emergence of what is now called “ethical fashion” and of a relative awareness in the industry of the importance of selling responsibly manufactured products, most of what we wear is made in the Global South and replicates the oppressive structures imposed by European powers for centuries. Familiar to scholars of colonialism, the dire working conditions imposed on factory workers, the offloading of used garments to the developing world (15 million used garments are shipped to Ghana per week, for instance, 40% of which are unusable), the lack of diverse representation in fashion magazines, and the generalized appropriation of culturally-specific styles must be unpacked. This course—taught in French—examines the extent to which today’s fashion production, structures, and systems are economically and symbolically linked with Western colonial history. Taking France as an example, it traces how fashion has not only followed colonial principles but also inspired and reinforced them. It begins with an in-depth analysis of the first fashion magazines to establish that their fashion plates and chronicles used race to signal superiority and linked beauty and whiteness with luxury and privilege. The next parts of the course focus on material culture, as we examine cotton, silk, wool, and finally indigo not just as material objects but as political tools of oppression. TAUGHT IN FRENCH. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, EP3, FASH, INST, IPE, ISEU, ISIN.
Prerequisite: FREN 2600.
FREN 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of French literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or biweekly meetings with a faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 4001. Reading French Theory. (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to the reading of French theory across domains (e.g., philosophy, history, feminism, theology, gender studies) in the French language. No prior knowledge of French is required. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to French grammar and vocabulary to enable research in French. This course does not fulfill the undergraduate language requirement.
FREN 4111. French and Francophone Studies Capstone Seminar. (4 Credits)
The French and Francophone Studies Capstone Seminar focuses on research methodologies and thesis writing/presentation. Students are required to formulate a research question, develop an original argument, and collect, organize, and analyze sources, both primary and secondary. The course involves theory and archival research, planning, and presenting findings. Key components of the seminar include weekly writing workshops and peer editing sessions. Students will complete an individualized research project on a specific topic, geographic area, or time period. Assignments will cover creating a bibliography, articulating a thesis statement, and outlining the research. The seminar is a collaborative effort where students contribute to shaping and editing each other's work, fostering a deep understanding of various topics related to the francophone world. By the end of the semester, students will be experts on their chosen topics and will have played a significant role in their classmates’ projects. The course is designed to be rigorous and student-centered, culminating in a senior thesis, final exhibition, or portfolio. Taught entirely in French, this required course is exclusively for senior French and Francophone Studies majors. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
FREN 4998. Senior Thesis Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent research, supervised by a faculty in the language, leading to the completion of a senior thesis.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of French literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or biweekly meetings with a faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
FREN 5001. Reading French Theory. (0 Credits)
This course introduces students to the reading of French theory across domains (e.g., philosophy, history, feminism, theology, gender studies) in the French language. No prior knowledge of French is required. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to French grammar and vocabulary to enable research in French. This course does not fulfill the undergraduate language requirement.
FREN 5090. French for Reading. (0 Credits)
FREN 8999. French for Research. (1 to 3 Credits)
A comprehensive introduction to French grammar and vocabulary to enable graduate-level research in French.
FREN 9000. GSAS Language Audit. (0 Credits)
GSAS Language Audit.
FREN 9101. Introduction to French I. (0 Credits)
FREN 9102. Introduction to French II. (0 Credits)
FREN 9151. Intermediate French I. (0 Credits)
FREN 9152. Intermediate French II. (0 Credits)
FREN 9201. French Language and Literature. (0 Credits)
FREN 9260. France: Lit., Hist., Civ.. (0 Credits)
FREN 9347. Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. (0 Credits)
German (GERM) courses
GERM 0010. German for Study Abroad. (2 Credits)
This course prepares students for studying abroad in a German-speaking country with no or little prior knowledge of German. It combines learning the basics of German with learning more about Germany, and its subtleties and specifics when it comes to culture. It is designed for undergraduate and graduate students, professionals and language learners at large, and will introduce the very basics of German grammar, vocabulary, and everyday topics (how to open up a bank account, register for classes, how to navigate the Meldepflicht, or simply order food). It aims to help you get ready for working or studying abroad, and better communicate with German-speaking colleagues, family and friends.
GERM 1001. Introduction to German I. (5 Credits)
An introductory course that focuses on the four skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening providing students with a basic knowledge of German linguistic structures, vocabulary and culture, which studied interdependently, comprise the German Language.
GERM 1501. Intermediate German I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate German I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the German language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based German learning program. Conducted in German.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisites: GERM 1001 or GERM 1002.
GERM 1502. Intermediate German II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate German II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the German language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based German learning program. Conducted in German.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 1501.
GERM 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
Study of a particular aspect of German literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
GERM 2001. German Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
A critical analysis of selected cultural and literary texts; composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 1502.
GERM 2100. Advanced German Grammar. (4 Credits)
The course is designed to help students gain more insight into the structure of the German language and to further develop and strengthen their knowledge of German grammar. Survey and practice of German grammar as well as more advanced features of German syntax and style. Course will be conducted in English with readings and exercises in German. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 2601. German Conversation and Composition. (3 Credits)
Intermediate-level conversation with some composition. Optional course for students wishing additional practice in self-expression in German. May be taken simultaneously with GERM 1502 or higher.
Attribute: IPE.
GERM 2650. Business German. (4 Credits)
Development of oral proficiency used in daily communication within the business world, preparing the students both in technical vocabulary and situational usage. Introduction to specialized vocabulary in business and economics. Readings in management, operations, marketing, advertising, banking, etc. Practice in writing business correspondence. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 2800. German Short Stories. (4 Credits)
This course follows the development of the short story as a genre in German literature with particular emphasis on its manifestation as a means of personal and social integration from the middle of the 20th century to the present day. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of German literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
GERM 3002. Dramatic Shifts: German Theater in the 20th and 21st Centuries. (4 Credits)
Theater, one of the world’s oldest art forms, might seem a bit dated in the age of Netflix and TikTok. But performance is everywhere, even if the scenes have changed. In this course, we will ask what learning about the history of German-language theater can teach us about ongoing social, political, and technological change and art’s evolving role in engaging with these transformations. In doing so, we will read and watch performances of some of the most influential German-language dramatists, including Bertolt Brecht, Max Frisch, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Elfriede Jelinek, and Sibylle Berg. This course is taught in German. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3010. Frisch Aus Der Presse: Media and Communication. (4 Credits)
Further development of language skills through analysis and discussion of current texts from a variety of sources such as German-language newspaper articles, films, songs, internet, radio and TV programs, literature excerpts. Specific topics will vary based on students' interests. Work on different types of writing like description, argumentation and creative writing. ln class activities include discussions, paired and group work, and presentations. ln German. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3015. Medienspiegel: Conversations About Current Affairs. (4 Credits)
This course, taught in German, is designed for students who wish to further develop their fluency and accuracy in German. It provides an opportunity to improve language skills through discussion and analysis of current events and texts from various German-language media sources. Specific topics will vary based on students’ interests. In-class activities include discussions and presentations. Written assignments will help improve students' writing proficiency. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3020. “The Book Was Better” — Modern German Literature from Page to Screen. (4 Credits)
When you love a book, then see it turned into a movie, it’s often a disappointment. But does it always have to be that way? Much can get lost in the translation from literature to film, but can something important also be discovered? In this course we’ll read some of the most interesting modern and contemporary German-language authors (Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann, Christa Wolf, Judith Hermann, and others) and explore the ways in which their work has been brought to the big screen – brilliantly, disastrously, or occasionally both. Taught in German. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3023. Kurz und bündig: Short German Narrative Texts. (4 Credits)
This course is designed for students who want to explore German literature in the original and simultaneously work on their language skills. This section will specifically focus on refining students' knowledge of German syntax by reading sophisticated novellas and short stories by authors such as Heinrich von Kleist, Theodor Storm, Karl May, Franz Kafka, Arthur Schnitzler, Thomas Mann, and Heinrich Böll, as well as the fairytale “Das kalte Herz” by Wilhelm Hauff. In-class activities include literary analysis, oral presentations, and discussion. Written assignments aim at improving students' writing proficiency with particular attention to syntactical accuracy and diversification. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3030. Kafka und Amerika. (4 Credits)
In this course, we will read Kafka’s works in the original German: his short stories, his novel “Amerika,” his diaries, and his correspondence with friends and family. In conjunction with the exhibition “Franz Kafka” at the Morgan Library, we will pay particular attention to Kafka’s many ties to the United States, especially New York City. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ALC, AMST, ASLT, COLI, JSHI.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3050. The Sound of Music: German Music and Musical Genres. (4 Credits)
This course traces the history of German music from the Middle Ages to Deutsche Popmusik, from German Lieder to German Schlager, New German Wave to Hip Hop. In-class activities include listening exercises, discussions, paired and group work, presentations on topics related to the music, events, and cultural foci covered. Drawn from authentic German realia, lyrics, interviews, articles, reading assignments will focus on both the music as well as its socio-political context. While engaging authentic German texts and music, it will be the goal of the course to advance stylistic and grammatical overall competence while fine-tuning listening and speaking skills in German. Taught in German. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3051. Survey of Literature I. (4 Credits)
A general survey of the history of German literature from the beginning of the 18th century. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3052. Survey of Literature II. (4 Credits)
A general survey of the history of German literature from the beginning to classicism (ca.500-1832). Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
GERM 3057. Medieval German Literature: Potions, Passions, Players, and Prayers. (4 Credits)
This course will introduce students to the rich literary and cultural heritage of Medieval Germany. The texts will all be read in English translation, but we will go over some passages in their original languages in class to catch some of the flavor of the Medieval German. Topics covered will include pre-Christian charms, the epic of the Nibelungs, love poetry, and urban carneval plays. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, GERM, MVLI, MVST.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3123. Pioneers of Modernism. (4 Credits)
Various literary movements arose in German-speaking countries in the early 20th century, including Symbolism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. While Hermann Hesse and Thomas Mann preferred to write in the traditional style of the 19th century, others favored literary experiments that have become influential for later writers: Franz Kafka with his enigmatic tales of modern man's battles against incomprehensible forces, Bertolt Brecht with his epic plays addressing their audiences' political consciousness, and Rainer Maria Rilke with his symbolist poems reflecting the complexity of existence. This course will explore these movements by reading these authors in the original German, while refining students' knowledge of German syntax, focusing on verbs and verb forms. In-class activities include literary analysis, experimental presentations, and oral discussions on cultural and historical events. Written assignments aim at improving the students' writing and speaking proficiency with particular attention to syntactical accuracy and lexical complexity and diversification. Taught In German. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3275. Grim Tales and Grimms' Tales. (4 Credits)
This course is designed for students who want to explore German literature in the original and simultaneously work on their language skills. This section will specifically focus on refining students' knowledge of German syntax by reading sophisticated novellas and short stories by authors such as Heinrich von Kleist, Theodor Storm, Karl May, Franz Kafka, Arthur Schnitzler, and Thomas Mann, as well as fairy tales and Gebrauchsprosa. In-class activities include literary analysis, oral presentations, and discussion. Written assignments aim at improving the students' writing proficiency with particular attention to syntactical accuracy and diversification. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3302. German Through the Senses. (4 Credits)
In this course, we focus on texts which read the world through the experience of one particular sense: smell , hearing or taste. Grenouille the protagonist of Patrick Suskind's novel Das Perfum (Perfum, 1985), creates a fragrance which is bottled desirability, becoming a mass murderer in the process. Similarly, the musical genius portrayed in Robert Schneider's Schlafes Bruder (1992) cannot find love in real life and chooses death, the brother of sleep, instead. Franz Kafka's "Hungerkunstler" ("A Hunger Artist," 1922) has turned starvation into an art form, whereas Bella Martha (Mostly Martha), the chef in Sandra Nettelbeck's 2001 film, can only handle her life when she is in the kitchen. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3303. Borders and Crossings. (4 Credits)
Doors, gates, walls, and other borders between inside and outside, home and society, me and you, define our daily lives. And to define means to mark off, to draw boundaries. While animals usually stayk within their confined territory, man is the animal that continually resets, violates, and strives to cross these borders. In this course, you will encounter many exciting contributions to German and Austrian literature and film in the 20th-21st centuries. Our focus will be borders and barriers-physical, ideological, intellectual, and metaphysical. Furthermore, we will discuss border/crossings between cultures, countries, identities, reality, and fiction. Throughout this course, you will be exposed to texts and films that will expand and challenge your consciousness regarding the "other" and the (im)possibilities of interpersonal and intercultural communications. Taught in German. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3307. Germany and Migration. (4 Credits)
Migrants have played a role in many countries' culture. Germans started coming to the U.S. in the 17th century, and about 17% of Americans have German ancestry. Migrants entered Germany starting around the turn of the 20th century, and today about 21% of Germany's population has a migration background. How do migrants assimilate and learn the language of their new country? What influences do migrants have on a country's culture and language? In the first part of the semester, we will examine the migration of Germans to the United States, and in the second part we will focus on migration into Germany. Taught in ENGLISH. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ADVD, ALC, AMST, ASSC, COLI, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3310. Deep in the Forest: The Pagan-Christian Enchantment of the Fairy Tale. (4 Credits)
The purpose of this course is to study how the intertwining of Germanic and Christian mythic worlds serves to create the long lasting enchantment of the Grimms' Fairy Tales. The world of myth and fairy tale will be explored from the point of view Realization theory, which emphasizes the effect which myths and stories attempts to elicit from the reader, as described by William Grimm. In contrast to the Grimms' approach to fairy tale enchantment as awakening the human heart, we will also read three tales by Tieck, where there is fear that there is danger lurking deep in the forest of enchantment. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3520. German Culture in Context. (4 Credits)
The course will examine some aspects of post-WWII German society and culture as well as further expand your reading, writing, and speaking skills with an emphasis on the German grammatical case system. Readings from a variety of sources such as literature, online sources, newspapers, and magazines, will focus on specific aspects, for example, "Vergangenheitsbewältigung", the Fall of the Wall, and migration. Taught in GERMAN. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3566. Deutschland 1968: Protest, Hippies, Und Terroristen (Taught in German). (4 Credits)
1968 stands out as a major symbolic and maybe even actual turning point in German politics and societal self-awareness. As we will learn, it is the results of both Germany’s Nazi past, perceptions of Western imperialism, and new demands for freedom by various groups throughout both Germany and the rest of the world. This course will look at various political and social protest and opposition movements in Germany since 1968. We will determine what certain groups believed in, analyze their statements and actions, and try to understand how their world acts as an important framework for understanding Germany in the twentieth century. We will investigate historical and societal conditions as well as aesthetic implications which turned political engagement into acts of terror and terrorism by looking at 20th century German literature, film, and painting. TAUGHT IN GERMAN Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
GERM 3710. Mord und Totschlag: An Introduction to the Histories of Espionage and Crime in Vienna, Austria. (4 Credits)
Taught in German, this course traces the stories and histories of "German Krimis und Spionagegeschichten," crime novels, and espionage stories situated in and around the city of Vienna, Austria. From scouting services with major consequences during the second Siege of Vienna in 1683 to the work of secret services from the east and west during the Cold War, Vienna has been a hub for spies for ages. And parallel to it, the popularity of the crime novel erupted. Early on, authors recognized the possibility of presenting circumstances and problems of their time in a contemporary way, not always as open social critique, but subliminally and particularly effectively by engaging crime stories. In this course, we will watch post-World War II crime (noir) movies. We will read about spectacular espionage cases and stories from the Cold War to present-day spying scandals. And we will engage authors and their diverse repertoire, including Helmut Zenker, Edith Kneifl, and Georg Haderer. Drawn from authentic German realia, texts, films, music, interviews, and articles, reading assignments will focus on both the literature as well as its socio-political context. While engaging in authentic German texts and films, it will be the goal of the course to advance stylistic and grammatical overall competence while fine-tuning listening and speaking skills in German. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: GERM 2001.
GERM 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of German literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
GERM 4998. Senior Thesis Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent research, supervised by a faculty in the language, leading to the completion of a senior thesis.
Attribute: IPE.
GERM 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of German literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
GERM 5001. Graduate Reading in German I. (0 Credits)
GERM 5002. Grad.Readg.in German II. (0 Credits)
GERM 9101. Introduction to German I. (0 Credits)
GERM 9151. Intermediate German I. (0 Credits)
GERM 9201. German Language and Literature. (0 Credits)
GERM 9301. Medienspiegel. (0 Credits)
Hebrew (HEBW) courses
HEBW 1001. Introduction to Hebrew I. (5 Credits)
An Introductory course that focuses on the four skills: reading, speaking, writing, listening, providing students vocabulary and culture, which, studied interdependently, comprise the Hebrew language.
Attributes: JWST, MEST, MVLA, MVST.
HEBW 1501. Intermediate Hebrew I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Hebrew I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Hebrew language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Hebrew learning program. Conducted in Hebrew.
Attributes: IPE, MVLA, MVST.
Prerequisite: HEBW 1001.
HEBW 1502. Intermediate Hebrew II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Hebrew II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Hebrew language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Hebrew learning program. Conducted in Hebrew.
Attributes: IPE, JWST, MVLA, MVST.
Prerequisite: HEBW 1501.
HEBW 2001. Hebrew Language and Literature I. (3 Credits)
These courses are design for students who have a solid knowledge of Hebrew language basics, essential vocabulary, and verb forms and tenses. Text material and course work will focus on developing and expanding the student's vocabulary, learning new grammatical structures and usages, developing good listening and writing skills, applying literal and inferential comprehension skills (reading from magazines, newspapers, and short stories. Videos and films are also included), practicing oral skills during class time through structural exercises, and completing written assignments to reinforce the student's understanding of the concepts studied in class.
Attributes: IPE, JWST, MVLA, MVST.
Prerequisite: HEBW 1502.
HEBW 9000. 0 Credit Language Classes. (0 Credits)
HEBW TEST. TEST. (2 Credits)
TEST.
Italian (ITAL) courses
ITAL 1001. Introduction to Italian I. (5 Credits)
An introductory course that focuses on the four skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening providing students with a basic knowledge of Italian linguistic structures, vocabulary and culture, which studied interdependently, comprise the Italian Language.
Mutually Exclusive: ITAL 1002.
ITAL 1002. Introduction to Italian II. (3 Credits)
This course will enhance the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills acquired by students in Introduction to Italian I or from prior study. It will further promote a deeper understanding of Italian and its literary and cultural traditions.
Prerequisite: ITAL 1001.
Mutually Exclusive: ITAL 1001.
ITAL 1501. Intermediate Italian I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Italian I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Italian language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Italian learning program. Conducted in Italian.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 1502. Intermediate Italian II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Italian II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Italian language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Italian learning program. Conducted in Italian.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: ITAL 1501.
ITAL 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
Study of a particular aspect of Italian literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 2001. Italian Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
A critical analysis of selected cultural and literary texts; composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: ITAL 1502.
ITAL 2201. Italian Community Engaged Learning: Art and Society. (3 Credits)
This course is part of the core language sequence and corresponds to ITAL 2001, Italian Language and Literature. In this course, students develop linguistic, cultural, and intercultural skills by studying Italian texts and artifacts in their sociopolitical context, with a focus on the period after World War II. By collaborating with an Italian cultural Institution in New York state, students will examine the interplay between the local U.S. community and the institution, with a focus on representation and access, and experience and reflect on the negotiation of communication in an intercultural setting. Must have taken ITAL 1502 or placement.
Prerequisite: ITAL 1502.
Mutually Exclusive: ITAL 2001.
ITAL 2400. Acting in Italian. (0 Credits)
Course focuses on improving diction, pronunciation, expansion of vocabulary and conversational skills through the study and performance of dramatic works.
Attributes: IPE, THEA.
ITAL 2500. Approaches to Literature. (4 Credits)
A basic course in Italian literature. Close readings in the major forms, prose fiction, poetry and drama, and an introduction to the varieties of critical strategies for reading them. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
ITAL 2561. Reading Culture Through Literature. (4 Credits)
This course is designed to introduce students to different aspects of Italian cultural tradition and history by closely reading representative literary texts from the early and modern periods, in a variety of genres including poetry, narrative, and drama. Students will acquire a technical vocabulary and practice different interpretive strategies to speak to continue the study of Italian literature and culture at the advanced level. The course¿s thematic focus, and the primary texts and secondary sources may vary. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU.
ITAL 2605. Italian Conversation and Composition. (4 Credits)
Composition with emphasis on improvement of grammatical skills and facility in Italian phraseology. Recommended for those students continuing in Italian as majors or minors, whose curricula will include historical surveys of Italian literature or civilization. Emphasized skills include letter writing, descriptions and exposition. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: ITAL 2001.
ITAL 2640. Classics of Italian Cinema. (4 Credits)
In this course we will explore selected masterpieces of Italian cinema focusing on the visual techniques and narrative strategies developed by world-renowned filmmakers such as Rossellini, Fellini, Visconti, Antonioni, Wertmuller, Tornatore, Benigni, and others. We will discuss how historical events, national, cultural and gendered Italian identies, fashion, and political and social issues have been represented or constructed by means of innovative and unique cinematic languages. Conducted in Italian. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 2700. Filming the City Inside and Out: A Cinematic Journey Through Italy. (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to Italian cinema by focusing on the representation of Italian cityscapes and urban life as well as the dynamic between urban and rural cultures in modern Italy, from the so-called “economic miracle” of the late 1950s to the present. At the same time, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of Italian film analysis. Through screenings, critical readings, class discussions, and essay writing, students will develop the appropriate Italian vocabulary and analytical skills to examine a film focusing on its historical and cultural context, and the narrative, visual, and sound techniques it employs. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, ITMO, URST.
Prerequisite: ITAL 2001.
ITAL 2705. The Souths of Italy: Words, Images, and Sounds. (4 Credits)
In this course, we will explore the rich and diverse cultural production in Southern Italy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries with the purpose of challenging general assumptions and stereotypes about the "South," and breaking through the North–South divide that has plagued Italian culture since Italy's unification in the 1860s. We will discuss literary texts, visual texts, and music, focusing on the legacy of the past, gender and family relations, urban culture and rural life, the push for modernization, and regional identities versus globalization, among other topics. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU, ITMO.
ITAL 2775. Modern Italy and the Arts: Tradition and Innovation. (4 Credits)
Should art provoke or placate, politicize or popularize? These are some of the questions we will probe as we learn about the aesthetics and historical contexts that shaped movements such as Decadentism, modernism, realism, Avantgarde, and neo-Avantgarde in Italy’s nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In addition to better understanding the interconnectedness of literature and the figurative arts in modern Italian culture, students will develop and practice strategies for observing, interpreting, and analyzing literary texts, film, and works of art in written and spoken Italian. This course is taught in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ITMO.
Prerequisite: ITAL 2001.
ITAL 2800. Italy and the Arts: Politics, Religion, and Imagination in Medieval and Renaissance Italy. (4 Credits)
This course is directed to undergraduates with interests in figurative arts, literature, the history of art, and the humanities. It explores the great changes that occurred in the arts and in their political and religious role during the period of Italian Renaissance humanism. The course concentrates on the 14th and 15th centuries and presents the multifaceted reality of Italian arts within the context of a rapidly changing society at the dawn of modernity. Students will explore the central role all arts play in one of the most fascinating periods in the history of ideas and creativity through a variety of texts, including literature, figurative arts, music, architecture, and theater from Giotto to Michelangelo. Students will learn about the artists’ conceptions of art, the political role of civil as well as religious patronage, the relation between literary and visual languages, and the birth and evolution of the figure of the artist. Readings include works by Saint Francis, Dante, Boccaccio, Giotto, Petrarch, Leon Battista Alberti, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. This course includes the use of media and film. Taught in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITMA, MVST.
ITAL 2802. Lorenzo de’ Medici (The Magnificent) and the Invention of Modernity. (4 Credits)
Lorenzo the Magnificent’s power lasted 23 years (1469 to 1492) and revolutionized many aspects of Italian culture, politics, and science. What he created—while succeeding in taking under control internal dissension—was a new civilization in Florence. Everything he did was, in its essence, new, and under his leadership, Florence remained united and became the center of Italian innovation with unprecedented social mobility under the guidance of new political groups and public officials. Of course, he inherited a well-prepared path, but the ‘équipe’ of intellectuals he gathered together, and the vision Lorenzo had in mind in regard to what kind of peaceful society it was necessary to create, had not ever been seen before. In this course, we will study how politics, literature, science, and the arts (painting, architecture, and music) were at the center of Lorenzo’s cultural, political, and social revolution. We will read Lorenzo’s literary masterpieces (he was one of the greatest poets of his time) and will study his patronage and his interactions with major writers such as Angelo Poliziano and Luigi Pulci, and his connection with philosophers such as Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola, as well as musicians, scientists, and artists. Taught in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ITRE.
Prerequisite: ITAL 2001.
ITAL 2805. Gods, Demigods, and Men: Renaissance and Baroque Italian Theater. (4 Credits)
The course is designed to introduce students to the exploration of the theatrical production in Italy during the Renaissance and the Baroque, from Italian theater's rebirth in 15th century Florence to the masterpieces of ht 16th century. We will analyze the development of characters and their vision of truth, society and human relations, while investigating notions of subjectivity and gender. We will see how men, heroes, gods or half-human and half-supernatural creatures struggle against their own desire and lust (or against impediments and adverse fortune) in order to manipulate reality and resolve dilemmas. Readings will include plays by major authors such as Angelo Poliziano, Niccolo Macheavelli, Lodovico Ariosto, Torquato Tasso, Giordano Bruno, And Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Opera librettos, such as the Orfeo by Alessandro Striggio, with music by Angelo Monteverdi. Some plays will be read entirely, others as selection. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 2910. Emigration in Literature and Film 1850-Present. (4 Credits)
Between 1880 and 1920, millions of Italians left the shores of the peninsula from various regions—Veneto, Liguria, Campania, and Sicilia, to mention only a few—and headed to other parts of the world to seek work, wealth, and a new way of life. Their first destinations were Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, later the United States, and finally Canada. This course explores the causes of this mass exodus and the benefits reaped by the destination countries, as well as the conditions that immigrants found there. Narratives by De Amicis, Verga, Pirandello, Giacosa; filmmakers Crialese and Taviani; historian Colajanni; and Italian-American writers, such as Gambino, Helen Barolini, and others will be examined and discussed. The class will be conducted in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, ITMO.
Prerequisite: ITAL 2001.
ITAL 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of Italian literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 3002. The Art of Translation. (4 Credits)
The study of transferring texts from one linguistic code into another; analysis of various elements of texts, literal and figurative meaning, style, syntax, etc. will be the focus of the course as well as hands on practice working with different types of texts translating form English into Italian and vice versa. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE.
ITAL 3005. Translation: Theory and Practice. (4 Credits)
The patron saint of translators, Saint Jerome (347-420 AD)—translator of the Bible (along with some 70 other scholars), which came to be known as the Vulgate or the Septuaginta—advised that one should translate concepts and not words, a precept that he derived from Cicero (106-43 BC). But Dante (1265-1321) pointed out in "Convivio" that certain texts, especially poetic ones, cannot be "transmutati" without losing their original harmony and musicality. Benedetto Croce (1866-1952), a 20th-century philosopher and literary critic—nominated 16 times for the Nobel Prize—noted that every linguistic expression is an intuition that unites thought and speech indissolubly and therefore, translation for him is not possible because it must separate words and ideas, as the latter are transposed into another language. Ferdinand de Saussure (Geneva 1857-1913) suggested that the concept is inseparable from the words used to express it, thus leaning toward the impossibility of translation. But we also know that, somehow, translations work: They are done all the time, are useful, and are practical. But what can we conclude from the fact that one idea can be said in literally dozens of ways in another language? There are hundreds of translations of Dante in English: which "Divine Comedy" are we in fact reading when we read Dante in English? This course will deepen our understanding of translation and explore what it can and cannot accomplish. We will translate a variety of texts and see what Umberto Eco (1932-2016) meant by his book on translation, "Dire quasi la stessa cosa." Taught in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
ITAL 3011. Dante and His Age. (4 Credits)
Readings from Dante's Comedy in the light of the cultural production of his day including Proveneal and Sicilian lyric, influential philosophical texts, and economic and political changes in 13th-century northern Italy. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, MVLI, MVST.
ITAL 3012. Medieval Storytelling. (4 Credits)
"Merchants' Tales." This course introduces students to the analysis of medieval literary texts, illustrating the development of urban mercantile civilization and its ethical, social, religious, and political ideas and contradictions. Students will reflect on such concepts as wealth, profit, work, utility, and trade as they emerge in visual and written texts; professional notarial and mercantile documents and writing practices; chronicles; manuals for mercantile education; and literature produced in and for the mercantile milieu. Through the readings, students will learn how to analyze a period of great socioeconomic and political transformation, such as the one between the XI and the XV centuries. By situating these texts within the political, historical, and intellectual context of the rising mercantile society in which they were produced, students will identify ideas and values that still inform contemporary society and will be able to make connections with the contemporary world in which we live. Boccaccio, Chaucer, Petrarch, Erasmus, and Leon Battista Alberti are the authors included in this course. Taught in Italian.
Attributes: ALC, AMCS, COLI, EP3, IPE, ITMA, MVLI, MVST.
ITAL 3020. Renaissance and Baroque Novella. (4 Credits)
This course will investigate the evolution of Italian narrative prose from the Renaissance to the Baroque. Particular attention will be devoted to the tradition of the unframed short story (Novella Spicciolata), but we will also explore collections of Novelle composed by major authors such as Bandello, Straparola and Basile. Taught in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITRE.
ITAL 3021. Vice and Virtue in Medieval Italian Literature. (4 Credits)
Informed by Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Aquinas' Summa as well as by writings of Andrea Capellanus, Abeland and others, this course discusses the ethical value systems sustained in works by Jacopome, G. D'Arezzo, Donte, Petrouea, Boccaecio, as they first expressed in Poetry and Prose. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITMA.
ITAL 3030. Criminal Tales. (4 Credits)
Representation of violence in its political, organized and subversive manifestations in post-war Italy, its historical evolution, its sociological and anthropological interpretations. Films and various literature will be examined. Authors and directors: Rosi, Saviano, Wertmüller, Carofiglio, Camilleri, Mammarella, Ferrara, Salvatores, Giordana, among others. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: INST, IPE, ISEU, ISIN, ITMO.
ITAL 3050. Arts and Politics in Italian Humanism. (4 Credits)
This course analyzes the main characters of the early humanist movement in Italy. It focuses on arts and politics and presents authors such as Petrarch, Valla, Lorentl de Medres. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITMA, ITRE.
ITAL 3051. Survey of Italian Literature. (4 Credits)
This course will cover the social and cultural background of Italian literature with selected readings and analysis of some of the most representative authors of the time. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE.
ITAL 3062. Ethics and Economic Value in Medieval Literature. (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to the literary representation of economic values such as profit, work, and utility as they emerge in medieval texts. Students will analyze these values within the critical perspective of the 13th to 15th century authors as seen in their political, historical, and literary contexts. This course includes works from early European lyric poetry, and authors such as Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Erasmus, and Leon Battista Alberti. Students will learn to set their discussions in the broad perspective of European intellectual history. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITMA.
ITAL 3063. Saturian Spirits: Art and Literature in Italy. (4 Credits)
As an examination of different literary genres of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque (novella, theatre, poetry, autobiography and epic poems), this course will focus on some of the most important courts of the peninsula (Firenze, Urbino, Mantova, Ferrara, Venezia and Roma), and will explore the relation of the visual arts to the literary production of eminent writers and artists (Brunelleschi, Alberti, Pico della Mirandola, Poliziano, Boiardo, Ariosto, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Cellini, Vasari, Tasso, Striggio, Marino). In addition to engaging in close-readings of key works, students will be encouraged to investigate other art forms such as paintings, sculpture, architecture and music, in an attempt to address the questions: What role did patronage of the arts play during the Renaissance and Baroque? What did it mean to be a writer and an artist in Italy between the 15th and 17th centuries? Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE.
ITAL 3065. Lies and Liars in Medieval and Renaissance Italian Literature. (4 Credits)
In the late medieval and Renaissance periods, philosophers, writers, scientists, and artists regularly addressed the problem of how reality, truth, and untruths were strictly intertwined in contradictory ways. In this course, we will analyze the various forms of deceit in order to explore their implications with regard to freedom and power (both political and personal), sincerity or clarity and opacity of the self. We will read works written by leading authors such as Dante, Boccaccio, Leon Battista Alberti, Lorenzo Valla, Luigi Pulci, Matteo Maria Boiardo, Machiavelli, Ariosto, Galileo, Giordano Bruno, and Torquato Accetto. Taught in Italian. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ITRE.
ITAL 3111. New Italian Cinema. (4 Credits)
The representation of social and cultural issues elaborated in the dramatic, multimedia discourse of playwrights and film directors such as Pirandello, Fellini, Moretti; in works that include Six Characters, La Dolce Vita, La Vita e Bella. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU.
ITAL 3120. Renaissance Literature. (4 Credits)
A study of the principal poets and writers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITRE.
ITAL 3123. Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Renaissance: Matteo Maria Boiardo’s "Orlando in Love". (4 Credits)
This course is dedicated to the fascinating and highly entertaining chivalric poem "Inamoramento de Orlando" ("Orlando in Love"), written by Count Matteo Maria Boiardo in Ferrara, Italy, during the late Quattrocento (15th century). We will read the poem (selection) and discuss the rich ethical and moral symbolism, as well as the meaning of the numerous fantastic, magical, and supernatural episodes. Topics will include the relationship between war, duel, and love; the ambiguous dynamic between fiction, history, and oral traditions; the narrator's voice; and the sophisticated nature of Boiardo’s intertextuality. We will analyze the exemplary technique of the composition and the author’s ability to develop a plot that became a unique model of interlacement, which influenced future developments of the modern novel. Our attention will concentrate especially on folkloric traditions, the ogre, jealousy and eroticism, the short stories within the poem (from the noir story of Stella and Marchino to the courtly story of Iroldo, Prasildo, and Tisbina), the fairies and their gardens, and the trials of the knight lost in a dangerous land. We will also read and discuss the recent graphic novel about the text, published in Italy in 2022. The class will be conducted in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, EP3, ITRE.
ITAL 3125. Magnificence and Power: The Medici and Renaissance Florence. (4 Credits)
The course is dedicated to the study of the relationship between culture and politics. In particular we will discuss how the practice of power and the exercise of patronage affected Florentine writers in 15th and early 16th centuries, during the period of Medici’s supremacy. It will be central to the course to verify why the Medicean government was surprisingly far from being simply a repressive and propagandistic political regime. Indeed, Florence, during those years, became an extraordinary place for the arts and, in particular, for literature. Many Florentine masterpieces were produced in different genres (novella, theatre, poetry, autobiography, epic poems, dialogue) and were influential in the development and the shaping of 16th century European culture-at-large. This course will focus on the literary production of eminent writers and artists such as, but not limited to, Alberti, Pico della Mirandola, Poliziano, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Luigi Pulci, Machiavelli, Michelangelo. In addition to engaging in close-readings of key works, students will be encouraged to investigate other art forms such as painting, sculpture, architecture and music, in an attempt to address the questions: What role did Medici patronage of the Arts play during the Renaissance in Florence? What did it mean to be a writer and an artist in Florence between the 15th and 16th centuries? Course taught in Italian. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITRE.
ITAL 3215. Love and Honor in the Renaissance Courts. (4 Credits)
This course will focus on some of the most important courts of the Peninsula (in particular Firenze and Ferrara) and will explore the epic poems of eminent writers such as Pulci, Bolardo, Ariosto, Tasso, and Marino. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITRE.
ITAL 3280. The Italian Short Story. (4 Credits)
This course will investigate the evolution of the Italian short story from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era. Particular attention will be devoted to the unframed short story (novella spicciolata) and to the collections of novelle composed by major authors (we will also consider some cinematic renditions as well as the interplay between the novella and painting). Readings will be from writers such as Giovanni Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Matteo Bandello, Verga, Grazia Deledda, Pirandello, Italo Calvino, Natalia Ginzburg, Elsa Morante, and Alberto Moravia, among others. Weekly meetings will involve lectures and class discussions, both of which will proceed from a close reading of the texts (sometimes with the help of English translations). Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ITRE.
ITAL 3452. Italophone Migrant Literature From Africa and Beyond. (4 Credits)
In this course, we will read works written by contemporary Italophone writers, those who have adopted the Italian language initially to document their experience of migration and later to reflect creatively on their culture and country of origin as well as on Italian society and history. What stories do these writers tell? What personal and historical experiences do they describe and give voice to? What languages and narrative techniques do they employ? What is the cultural impact and political relevance of their work in contemporary Italy when considered in Mediterranean, European, and global contexts? We will consider questions of representation; gender, ethnic, racial, and religious identity; and political and cultural pluralism with a dual aim. First, to explore how Italian society has changed or resisted changing in the last decades by confronting its imperial past and current neo-colonial ambitions under the sustained pressure of mass immigration and global mobility. And second, to discuss how these original artistic voices, and the testimony they give, have enriched Italy’s literary canon and tradition while also fostering a novel understanding of Italy’s cultural history. Please note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, GLBL, INST, IPE, ISAF, ISEU, ISIN, ISME, ITMO, PJRC, PJST.
ITAL 3500. Comedy and Satire in Italian Cinema. (4 Credits)
Commedia all'Italiana or satirical comedy represents a major contribution to world cinema with a significant approach to modifying social injustice, prejudice, and abuses. A broad range of styles and film techniques provide a forum to analyze film language and visual experiences. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE.
ITAL 3530. The Stage and Society Since 1700. (4 Credits)
Social changes, traditions and reforms, love, family and economics as they are interpreted and cast on the stage by renowned playwrights such as Goldoni, Giacosa, De Filippo, Di Giacomo, Pirandello and others. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE.
ITAL 3550. Italian Unification: Film/Literature. (4 Credits)
Realism and idealism in the achievement of Italian unification analyzed in the works of filmmakers such as Blasetti and Scola, and in writers like Foscolo, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Lampedusa and others. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITMO.
ITAL 3553. Italy From Unification to 1945: Literature, Culture, and Society of the Modern Period. (4 Credits)
This course will focus on major cultural figures such as Carducci, Pascoli, D’Annunzio, Ungaretti, Svevo, Montale, and Calvino, among others, and will explore their relationship with and contribution to the social conditions and developments of their times. Taught in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
ITAL 3625. The Modern Italian Theater. (4 Credits)
Italian playwrights such as: Pirandello, Betti, Fabbri, Dr. Filippo Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, ITMO.
ITAL 3650. Italy at War. (4 Credits)
In this course we will read literary works—narrative, theater, and poetry—written in Italy during three key periods of its modern history, namely World War I, World War II, and the so-called "years of lead" (the late 1960s through the early 1980s). We will discuss the response of ltalian writers and intellectuals to war, fascism, and terrorism by focusing our attention particularly on the techniques that they use to represent, exalt, or denounce individual and collective violence, and to support or critique extreme ideologies, whether on the right or on the left of the political spectrum. In Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, ITMO.
ITAL 3701. Italian Women Writers. (4 Credits)
Outstanding Italian women writers such as Colonna, Morra, Deledda, Ginzburg, Morante, Maraini, Loy. Taught in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, ITMO, WGSS.
ITAL 3901. Narrative and Film. (4 Credits)
The development, trends, and interplay of literary texts and Italian film in the history of the Italian cinema from its origins to today. Films by DeSica, Visconti, Bertolucci, Pasolini, Taviani, Bellocchio, Rosi, and Tornatore. Literary works by Pirandello, Bassani, Levi, Boccaccio, Cain and Verga. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, ITMO.
ITAL 3910. Italy Today. (4 Credits)
This course explores the cultural and sociopolitical development of Italy since the end of World War II. Emphasis will be placed on multiculturalism and multilingualism, women and minorities, the impact of the media on culture, politics and society, terrorism and the Mafia, and migration to and from Italy. Classes are conducted in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, ITMO.
ITAL 3920. Words on Fire: Contemporary Italian Poetry and Society. (4 Credits)
This course examines the evolution of current Italian poetry through the analysis of the literary, cultural, and social influences on a variety of contemporary poetic works. Readings will include poems by celebrated masters, as well as by young emerging poets living in Italy and abroad. Class discussions will address the lively discourse on poetry and criticism currently unfolding in a variety of mediums, such as newspapers, magazines, literary journals (printed and online), and blogs. Authors include Eugenio Montale, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Giovanni Raboni, Antonella Anedda, Amelia Rosselli, Valerio Magrelli, Alberto Bertoni, Milo De Angelis, Maria Luisa Spaziani, Alda Merini, and Patrizia Cavalli, among others. The class will be conducted in Italian. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, EP3, ITMO.
ITAL 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of Italian literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 4800. Italian Internship. (2 to 4 Credits)
Internship.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 4998. Senior Thesis Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent research, supervised by a faculty in the language, leading to the completion of a senior thesis.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Study of a particular aspect of Italian literature or thought. Independent research and readings. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with faculty adviser. Designed for majors with permission of instructor.
Attribute: IPE.
ITAL 5090. Italian for Reading. (0 Credits)
This course provides students with the skills for reading Italian. It combines instruction of basic structures of grammar and syntax with the application of techniques in building vocabulary, reading comprehension and translation practice in a collaborative learning setting. Students will read texts from various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences and will gain practical experience in translation and research methods.
Attributes: IPE, MVSG.
ITAL 9000. 0 Credit Language Class. (0 Credits)
ITAL 9101. Introduction to Italian. (0 Credits)
Japanese (JPAN) courses
JPAN 1001. Introduction to Japanese I. (3 to 5 Credits)
An intensive introductory course that focuses on the four skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening, providing students with a basic knowledge of Japanese linguistic structures, vocabulary and culture, which, studied interdependently, comprise the Japanese language.
JPAN 1501. Intermediate Japanese I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Japanese I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Japanese language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Japanese learning program. Conducted in Japanese.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisites: JPAN 1001 or JPAN 1002.
JPAN 1502. Intermediate Japanese II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Japanese II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Japanese language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Japanese learning program. Conducted in Japanese.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: JPAN 1501.
JPAN 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
Independent Study.
JPAN 2001. Japanese Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
A critical analysis of selected cultural and literary texts; composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: JPAN 1502.
JPAN 2500. Japanese Culture and Society. (4 Credits)
This course will provide an introduction to Japanese culture and society while focusing on the continued improvement of students' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Students will develop the ability to comprehend and analyze authentic materials such as academic articles, essays, haiku, short novels, and journal or newspaper articles and further develop critical writing and speaking skills. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: INST, ISAS.
Prerequisite: JPAN 2001.
JPAN 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Independent Study.
JPAN 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Independent Study.
JPAN 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent Study.
Mandarin Chinese (MAND) courses
MAND 1001. Introduction to Mandarin I. (5 Credits)
An introductory course that focuses on the four skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening providing students with a basic knowledge of Chinese Linguistic structures, vocabulary and culture, which, studied interdependently, comprise the Chinese Language.
MAND 1501. Intermediate Mandarin I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Mandarin I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Mandarin language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Mandarin learning program. Conducted in Mandarin.
Attributes: CNST, IPE.
Prerequisites: MAND 1001 or MAND 1002.
MAND 1502. Intermediate Mandarin II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Mandarin II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Mandarin language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Mandarin learning program. Conducted in Mandarin.
Attributes: CNST, IPE.
Prerequisite: MAND 1501.
MAND 1551. Business Mandarin. (4 Credits)
Development of commmunication skills in everyday and business context with attention to vocabulary building, grammar review, conversation, and composition. Reading and discussion of literary, cultural, and business-related texts. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
MAND 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
Independent Study.
MAND 2001. Mandarin Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
A critical analysis of selected cultural and literary texts: composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures.
Attributes: CNST, IPE.
Prerequisite: MAND 1502.
MAND 2500. Approaches to Literature. (4 Credits)
How has Chinese philosophy shaped literature, aesthetic discourse, and our perception of the world? This course introduces students to a wide range of genres, including philosophic texts, aesthetic treatises, poetry, tales of the strange, classic paintings, and other visual materials. They will be studied under three interrelated sections: philosophy, aesthetics, and emotion. This course is for native speakers and for non-native and heritage speakers who have successfully completed MAND 2001. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, CNST, COLI, IPE.
Prerequisite: MAND 2001.
MAND 2601. Mandarin Conversation and Composition. (4 Credits)
This course is designed for advanced mandarin learners to improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing proficeincy. It will enable the learners to acquire up-to-date spoken Chinese by introducing contemporary TV series, mini plays, and movies. Students will also produce written texts based on the materials covered in class. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: CNST, IPE.
Prerequisite: MAND 2001.
MAND 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Independent Study.
Attribute: IPE.
MAND 3002. Topics in Chinese Culture. (4 Credits)
This course is designed for intermediate high and advanced chinese learners. The aims of the course are 1) to further develop students' language proficiency in all areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing and 2) to increase students' awareness and appreciation of Chinese culture. Students will learn various aspects of contemporary Chinese society and compare Chinese cultural practice products and perspectives with their own culture to enhance understanding of Chinese people and culture. Class discussions will be held and reading and writing assignments will be assigned regularly to help students improve their skills in articulating Chinese in spoken and written forms. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, CNST, INST, IPE, ISAS.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3015. Learning Mandarin Chinese Through Music and Songs. (4 Credits)
This course introduces to students representative songs of various genres. Through learning lyrics of the songs, students continue consolidate their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Mandarin Chinese and continue to learn Chinese culture. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: CNST, IPE.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3020. Learn Chinese Through Film. (4 Credits)
It is a course designed for advanced Chinese learners, who successfully completed Mandarin 2500 or equivalent to continue developing their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through studying Chinese films and to achieve a better understanding of Chinese culture. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, CNST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISAS.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3025. Reading Chinese Short Stories. (4 Credits)
This course will introduce students to the narrative of well-known 19th and 20th- century Chinese writers such as Lu Xun, Bing Xin and others. Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired a basic knowledge of modern Chinese literature and will have further enhanced their speaking, reading and writing skills in Mandarin Chinese. Taught in Chinese. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: CNST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISAS.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3030. Masterpieces of Chinese Film: Theory and Texts. (4 Credits)
This course provides an introduction to Chinese film, focusing on important genres, directors and movements. We will follow two parallel (often times intersecting) threads throughout the course: "politics of film" as well as "poetics of film." The former explores Chinese film's engaging dialogue with Chinese sociopolitical issues whereas the latter investigates key terms of film theory such as spectatorship, gaze, apparatus theory, and authorship. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3031. Chinese Cultural Concepts. (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to the complexity and diversity of China and Chinese culture through a range of topics such as family and kinship, popular religion, women and gender, gift exchange and guanxi networks, economic and social reforms, Maoism, post-Maoism, and globalization. We will approach these issues through anthropological, sociological, and historical texts. This course aims to deepen students’ knowledge of contemporary Chinese society and provide them with a nuanced understanding of cultural differences. Taught in Mandarin. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, ANTH, CNST, COLI, GLBL.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3032. Chinese Political Thought. (4 Credits)
In this course, students will explore political thoughts and ideologies in the times of the Republic of China and People’s Republic of China. By reading selected texts in the original Chinese, we shall understand different schools of political thought in China and their historical development. They include liberalism, socialism, communism, Confucianism, and nationalism. We will also focus on how Chinese thinkers conceptualize important political ideas such as democracy, rights, equality, merit, and the nation-state. Most readings are in modern vernacular Chinese. We may also read excerpts from classical Chinese texts and English secondary materials. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, CNST.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500 (may be taken concurrently).
MAND 3035. Confucius and the Analects. (4 Credits)
It is always said that to understand Chinese politics and philosophy one must understand Confucianism, and to understand Confucianism one must read the Analects (Lunyu). In this course we will do a close reading of selected texts from the Analects, in its original classical Chinese and modern Chinese translations. We will discuss core Confucian virtues such as ren (benevolence), yi (righteousness), li (ritual propriety), and xiao (filial piety), and how the cultivation of these virtues can lead to good governance. Students will also learn how Confucius has shaped ethical and political theory and praxis in East Asia for millennia. Readings and discussion in the course will be in Mandarin Chinese and English. Secondary materials about contemporary Confucian political theory will also be provided. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: CNST, INST, ISAS, POPT, POSC.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500 (may be taken concurrently).
MAND 3040. Topics in Mandarin Chinese Literature. (4 Credits)
This course examines the rich tradition of Mandarin Chinese literature form 1900 to present. Readings include a variety of genres in Mandarin Chinese, such as short stories, critical essays, poetry and screen plays. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, CNST, INST, IPE, ISAS, PJRC, PJST.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3045. Chinese Linguistics. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on the linguistic study of the Chinese language. Students discuss the formal domains of language structure with a focus on Chinese and discuss contemporary research and theory in Chinese linguistics. We will address key topics in Chinese linguistics, like whether Chinese has morphology or a tense/aspect system. The course is taught in Chinese. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: LING.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3050. China in the Headlines: An Advanced Newspaper Reading Course in Mandarin Chinese. (4 Credits)
This course will have students' reading skills in formal written Chinese through studying texts, such as, new reports, editorial essays, and transcripts of interviews. A variety of students will also develop listening and speaking skills through watching news clips and discussion and debate over top stories in Chinese media. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, CNST, INST, IPE, ISAS, PJRC, PJST.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3055. China and Globalization. (4 Credits)
This course is designed to further develop students’ all-around Mandarin Chinese language skills through intensive readings related to the multifaceted nature of contemporary globalization and social, political, and economic aspects of developments in the context of China. Students will solidify their advanced-level language skills and develop superior level skills, such as defending one’s view, making a hypothesis, and handling linguistically unfamiliar situations, through activities such as discussion and debate. Students are expected to reach at least advance-low level at the end of the semester. Courses in Translation. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, CNST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISAS.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3060. Contemporary Chinese Politics. (4 Credits)
This course will discuss aspects of political life in the People’s Republic of China. We will read materials in Chinese on the history of the Communist Party and Communist revolution, political ideologies of the government, the Constitution and political institutions, social movements, foreign policies, as well as timely issues such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Readings will be primary sources in modern vernacular Chinese, supplemented with academic articles in English. Discussions will be conducted in Mandarin Chinese. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ASSC, CNST, ISAS, POCP, POSC.
Prerequisite: MAND 2500.
MAND 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Independent Study.
Attribute: IPE.
MAND 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent Study.
Attribute: IPE.
MAND 9101. Intro to Mandarin I. (0 Credits)
MAND 9152. Intermediate Mandarin II. (0 Credits)
MAND 9201. Mandarin Language and Literature. (0 Credits)
Russian (RUSS) courses
RUSS 1001. Introduction to Russian I. (5 Credits)
An introductory course that focuses on the four skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening providing students with a basic knowledge of Russian linguistic structures, vocabulary and culture, which studied interdependently, comprise the Russian Language.
RUSS 1501. Intermediate Russian I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Russian I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Russian language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Russian learning program. Conducted in Russian.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisites: RUSS 1001 or RUSS 1002.
RUSS 1502. Intermediate Russian II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Russian II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Russian language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Russian learning program. Conducted in Russian.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: RUSS 1501.
RUSS 1901. Grammar Review Russia Speaker. (4 Credits)
For heritage speakers of Russian. Will improve the literacy of native Russian speakers. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
RUSS 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
RUSS 2001. Russian Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
A critical analysis of selected cultural and luterary texts; composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: RUSS 1502.
RUSS 2300. Russian From Intermediate to Advanced. (4 Credits)
This course helps students progress from Intermediate to Advanced proficiency (ACTFL) or form 1 to 2 on the ILR scale. We will develop 4 skills: 1)Engage in conversation to communicate information on autobiographical topics, as well as topics of community, national or international interest; 2)When reading, understand main ideas and supporting details of authentic narrative and descriptive texts; 3)When listening, understand main ideas and most supporting details in connected discourse on a variety of general interest topics, such as news stories, explanations, instructions, anecdotes, or travelogue descriptions; 4)In writing, use a variety of cohesive devices up to several paragraphs in length and exhibit control of the most frequently used syntactic structures and a range of general vocabulary. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: RUSS 2001.
RUSS 2301. Russian for Heritage Speakers. (3 Credits)
Harness your heritage Russian skills—formally. This course brings clarity and structure to the conversational Russian you absorbed, however imperfectly, from your upbringing. Sharpen your reading, writing, and conversation skills with an expert: study film, media, and literature to propel you toward advanced grammar and literacy. Depart with efficient language practices and renewed confidence in your Russian. Course taught in Russian.
RUSS 2500. Approaches to Literature. (4 Credits)
This course examines the masterpieces of the nineteenth-century Russian prose, using a broad selection of the excerpts from the literary works of Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov. One of the goals of the course is to analyze how these writers expanded the boundaries of the genres in which they worked, even as they exposed the acute social problems of their time. Taught in Russian. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: IPE, OCST.
Prerequisite: RUSS 2001.
RUSS 2601. Russian Conversation and Composition. (4 Credits)
Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
RUSS 2640. Russian Short Fiction. (4 Credits)
Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: IPE.
RUSS 2650. Media and the Russian State: News Outlets From 19th Century to Present Day Russia. (4 Credits)
This course consists of two primary components: 1) an intermediate/advanced Russian language study and 2) a survey of censorship in Russian and Soviet history. It is available to both intermediate and advanced students of Russian and fulfills a Russian language requirement. The language track offers Russian grammar instruction that will prepare students to read and research advanced Russian texts. The cultural component of this course offers a survey of censorship in Russian and Soviet history, spotlighting great works of art under censorship. The course takes its starting point with imperial censorship in the second half of the 19th century, including press censorship leading up to and during WWI. We continue with artists’ battles against Soviet censorship and Socialist Realism, using case studies of: writers Zamyatin, Boris Pilnyak, Boris Pasternak, and Joseph Brodsky; filmmakers Sergei Eisenstein and Aleksandr Askoldov; classical composers Shostakovich and Prokofiev; and Malevich’s Suprematism, which includes a class trip to observe MoMA’s permanent collection. Finally, we will analyze Putin’s state-sponsored news outlets and compromised freedom of expression in present day Russia. Heritage students will read original Russian texts and post responses in Russian. Scholarship and literature will be available in English for non-heritage speakers. Discussions will be in both Russian and English. Completion of 2001 or instructor approval required. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, OCST, PJMJ, PJST.
Prerequisite: RUSS 2001.
RUSS 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Independent research and reading with supervision from a faculty member.
Attribute: IPE.
RUSS 3002. Genres and Styles Russian Literature. (4 Credits)
This course will introduce students to a wide variety of genres in both sychronic as well as in diachronic aspect. It will undertake a close analytical examination of a number of types of literary and folkloric texts. These masterworks of Russian literature will be analyzed in terms of their defining features such as their intrinsic imaginative system, language devices, themes, and ethical function, which are significant for the chronologically relevant cultural tradition. The course will enable students to perceive the literary works in their multi-dimensional depths as the students will engage in a deeper analysis of each text surveyed. The course will include texts from the present day to the distant Russian literary past. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE.
RUSS 3250. Translating Russian Poetry, Music, Animation, Film, and Journalism. (4 Credits)
We will use the arts to grow our vocabulary and increase our cultural understanding. We will read and translate the poetry of Pushkin in the original Russian, hear and translate the great bards Okhudzhava and Vysotsky, watch and translate the great Soviet films "Autumn Marathon" and "Summer" and selected Soviet animations, and read contemporary journalism from modern Russian cultural magazines such as Znak, Polka, and Meduzza. Conducted in Russian.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: RUSS 2001.
RUSS 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Independent research and reading with supervision from a faculty member.
Attribute: IPE.
RUSS 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent research and reading with supervision from a faculty member.
Attribute: IPE.
RUSS 9101. Introduction to Russian I. (0 Credits)
RUSS 9151. Intermediate Russian I. (0 Credits)
RUSS 9152. Intermediate Russian II. (0 Credits)
RUSS 9201. Russian Language and Literature. (0 Credits)
Spanish (SPAN) courses
SPAN 1000. Introduction to Healthcare Spanish. (3 Credits)
In this course, the basics of Spanish language will be taught addressing the needs of healthcare providers and patients alike in the healthcare setting. The syntax and vocabulary selected aims at a practical use of language that will allow the students to set the stage for the clinical encounter and, by the end of the semester, to successfully conduct the clinical interview with the patient. Attention will also be devoted to the socio-pragmatic aspect of language, providing the students with the cultural knowledge required when interacting with Hispanic patients in a healthcare context.
SPAN 1001. Introduction to Spanish I. (5 Credits)
An introductory course that focuses on the four skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening providing students with a basic knowledge of Spanish linguistic structures, vocabulary and culture, which studied interdependently, comprise the Spanish Language.
Mutually Exclusive: SPAN 1002.
SPAN 1002. Introduction to Spanish II. (3 Credits)
This course will enhance the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills acquired by students in Introduction to Spanish I or from prior study. It will further promote a deeper understanding of Spanish and Hispanic cultures.
Mutually Exclusive: SPAN 1001.
SPAN 1501. Intermediate Spanish I. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Spanish I will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Spanish language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Spanish learning program. Conducted in Spanish.
Attribute: IPE.
SPAN 1502. Intermediate Spanish II. (3 Credits)
Intermediate Spanish II will continue introducing students to the fundamentals of the Spanish language, emphasizing the five main components of language acquisition (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence) using a task- and content-based Spanish learning program. Conducted in Spanish.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: SPAN 1501.
SPAN 1601. Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers. (3 Credits)
An overview of the fundamentals of Spanish grammar and expansion of vocabulary for students with bilingual experiences in English and Spanish, who have little or no formal instruction in Spanish. Interdisciplinary approach incorporating selected texts, music, film, and other authentic material that will build upon previous knowledge and build confidence in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and cultural competence.
SPAN 1999. Tutorial. (1 Credit)
Independent research and readings with supervision from a faculty member.
SPAN 2001. Spanish Language and Literature. (3 Credits)
Study of selected literary texts and review of pertinent grammatical structures, textual analysis, composition, and conversation. Conducted in Spanish.
Attributes: IPE, LAIN, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 1502.
SPAN 2201. Spanish Community Engaged Learning. (3 Credits)
This course fulfills Fordham’s core language requirement and serves as an alternative to SPAN 2001. The course also fulfills a requirement for the Spanish major or minor. In SPAN 2201, coursework is complemented by work in the community where students work for an average of four hours every week applying their Spanish skills in a highly contextualized environment unmatched by the classroom experience. This course covers the same grammar as SPAN 2001 and shares the same learning objectives: to understand and communicate in standard Spanish in everyday contexts; to comprehend a variety of written, visual, and sounds texts, including literary works, newspaper articles, and films; and to comment on these texts orally and in writing in a coherent and grammatically correct manner. The content of the course varies according to the sections offered in any given semester. Potential topics include Migration and Latinx Populations in NYC or Spanish for the Arts Industry.
Attributes: PLUR, SL.
Prerequisite: SPAN 1502.
SPAN 2301. Spanish for Heritage Speakers. (3 Credits)
An advanced review of grammar for students with bilingual experiences in English and Spanish. Study of selected literary texts, films, and other materials will help students strengthen and further develop their written and oral skills in Spanish.
Attributes: IPE, LAIN.
SPAN 2305. Spanish Conversation and Composition. (4 Credits)
Intensive practice of the spoken and written language with emphasis on proper use of idioms and buildings of vocabulary based on topics of interest and relevance. A basic course for prospective majors and minors, not open to Spanish native speakers. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: IPE, LAHA, LALS.
SPAN 2405. Healthcare Spanish. (4 Credits)
The course is specifically designed so that students that have never taken Spanish and students who have, or are heritage speakers, could take it. By the end of this course, students would be familiar with the vocabulary and basic grammar that would enable their understanding of Healthcare Spanish at an introductory level. The syntax and vocabulary selected for this course aims at a practical use of language that will allow the students to successfully conduct the clinical interview with the patient. Attention will also be devoted to the socio-pragmatic aspect of language, providing the students with the necessary sociocultural knowledge to succeed when interacting in a healthcare communicative context. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
SPAN 2450. Business Spanish. (4 Credits)
Business Spanish, SPAN 2650, is designed for advanced Spanish students who wish to further their linguistic abilities within the context of business. Through exposure to materials (texts, videos, class visits, etc) from a variety of countries in the Hispanic world, in this course students will become familiar with different business contexts in the Hispanic world. They will also become knowledgeable of the workings of important sectors of the economy in Spain, Latin America, and the United States, and with the regional factors (trade agreements, political circumstances, etc.) that shape them. By learning essential vocabulary and discussing different cultural practices in the Spanish-speaking professional world, students will develop an understanding and appreciation of cultural and socioeconomic diversity for effective intercultural communication. Taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: IPE, LAHA, LALS.
SPAN 2500. Approaches to Literature. (4 Credits)
A basic course in Spanish literature. Close readings in the major forms, prose fiction, poetry and drama, and an introduction to the varieties of critical strategies for reading them. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
SPAN 2620. Spanish Phonetics. (4 Credits)
Sounds of the Spanish language. Analysis of standard Spanish pronunciation in contrast with regional varieties of the Hispanic world through transcriptions, speech analysis, and live presentations. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: LAHA, LALS.
SPAN 2655. Creative Writing in Spanish. (4 Credits)
This course will explore various modes of creative writing (journals, short stories, microcuentos, poems, etc.). Readings about the process of writing by Hispanic authors, and certain exemplary texts will serve as guide and inspiration, while a workshop format will allow for revising and developing as second language writers. Taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 2700. Hispanic Legends. (4 Credits)
This course will introduce students to fundamental myths, folktales, and fables from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries and periods. Special attention will be paid to sources, interpretation, and analysis of these stories. among topics to be considered are the types, structure and patterns of legends, the role of the hero, common devices such as personification, and orality. Written assignments include analytical essays, response papers, and creative writing. Taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 2999. Tutorial. (2 Credits)
Independent research and readings with supervision from a faculty member.
SPAN 3001. Spain: Literature and Culture Survey. (4 Credits)
This course is a survey of Spanish historical and cultural processes from the Middle Ages to the present in relation to their representation in literature and art, through analysis of canonical and non-canonical literary texts, visual arts and film. Prereq: SPAN 2500 or Instructors' Permission; Taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3002. Latin America: Literature and Culture Survey. (4 Credits)
A survey of the main topics of the various Spanish American cultures in relation to their representation in literature and art, through analysis of literary and non-literary texts, visual arts, music, film, and photography. Taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, ASLT, COLI, GLBL, IPE, LAHA, LAIN, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3007. Spanish Linguistics. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on the linguistic study of the Spanish language. The course discusses the formal domains of language structure - including speech sounds and their mental representations, sentence structure and semantic meaning, as well as social realities of language use and language change across different varieties of Spanish in the world. The course is taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ASSC, IPE, LAHA, LALS, LING.
SPAN 3066. Survey of Latin American Film. (4 Credits)
A panoramic view of the cinema of Hispanic America and Brazil, from the Golden Age of Mexican film to the present. Particular emphasis will be placed on students' use of the language itself of film studies, as well as on the connections between transnational networks of filmmakers and the emergence of pan-Latin American identities. Taught in Spanish. Prereq: SPAN 2500 or Instructor's Permission. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3072. Geographies of Power/Injustice. (4 Credits)
Throughout this course, the aim is to develop in students a critical perspective on the spatiality of social life, that is, to foster students understanding of how relations of power and dispossession are inscribed into the built environment in both urban and rural landscapes. Through in-depth study of 20th and 21st century Spanish American works of fiction and film, we will study how space (which simultaneously shapes, and is shaped by, social life)is politically produced and reproduced, thus creating structures of privilege and advantage for some, and of social control and cultural, gender and class exclusion or domination for others. Taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, AMST, APPI, INST, IPE, ISLA, LALS.
SPAN 3075. Crime in Hispanic Fiction. (4 Credits)
The point of departure for this course is a very popular genre—crime narrative (el relato policial/detectivesco)—and its literary and sociocultural particularities. Students will examine representative texts from the genre's earlier practitioners in Latin America (Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Rodolfo Walsh) and explore some of its transformations in short stories and novellas by Ricardo Piglia, Cristina Peri Rossi, Ana Lydia Vega, Marta Aponte Alsina, and Gabriel García Márquez. This course is taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, LALS, MLL.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500 (may be taken concurrently).
SPAN 3123. Questioning Race in Mexican Film and Literature. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on how Mexican cinema and literature have depicted racial relations, and how racial discourse intersects with that of class, gender, and religion. The Mexican Revolution produced a "mestizo" subject, an ideal citizen that combined indigenous and European features. But, as recent scholarship has shown, the mestizo has stood, in reality, for whiteness. We will see how film and literature have engaged with issues like social engineering, eugenics, xenophobia, and racial utopias. The course will focus on works from the 20th century, but will also include contemporary authors. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ALC, AMST, ASHS, ASLT, ASRP, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3166. Trends in Latin American Film. (4 Credits)
This course analyzes trends in Latin America’s cinematic production since the 1990s, when the neoliberal model of economic development and the politics of globalization were adopted by several countries within the region, such as Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. The political and economic changes resulted in deep cuts in state-sponsored cultural programs, including less direct investment in and incentives for the three largest-producing countries of the region: Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. In addition, as a result of the economic shortages of the post-Soviet “special period” of the 1990s, film production in Cuba—another major film producer in the region—dropped by almost half. This new economic and political context prompted significant changes in the region’s cinematic landscape and altered the very specific ways in which “Latin American film” was understood: Film now became mainly conceived as a cultural product of consumption, made possible mostly through transatlantic co-productions, and its main purpose was to conquer both local and global commercial and specialized markets (e.g., film festivals). Previous radical politics and struggles for cultural autonomy were in many ways either left behind of significantly transformed. In this course, we will explore the new conditions of film production and circulation developed since the 1990s in several Latin American countries, as well as different aesthetic and political trends both in fiction and documentary filmmaking. The analysis of specific films alongside their historical and geographical contexts will serve as case studies to discuss the changing role of film in Latin America during the past 30 years.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, COLI, GLBL, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3175. Crime Fiction in Argentina and Chile. (4 Credits)
In this course, students will examine crime fiction produced in Argentina and Chile in the 20th and 21st centuries. Following the overview of the features of the traditional modalities of the genre—the classical whodunit and the hard-boiled detective stories—the course will analyze the modifications of the genre in the aforementioned Southern Cone countries, in relation and in response to the particularities of their respective historical and sociopolitical contexts.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3210. Transatlantic Picaresque. (4 Credits)
Exploration of the origins of this uniquely entertaining genre, its most exemplary manifestation in Spain, and its transatlantic resource in the New World. Texts include Lazarillo de Tormes, El Buscon, De Don Catrin de La Fachenda, El Lazarillo de Ciegos Caminantes, and others. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3230. Sinful Business. (4 Credits)
Analysis of greed in Colonial and Golden Age writings on New World treasure. Exploration of Classical and Jungian roots of negativity toward commercial navigation. Prose and poetry by authors such as Horace, Ovid, Cabeza de Vaca, Siguenza y Gongora, Quevedo, and Gongora. Taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500 (may be taken concurrently).
SPAN 3250. God, Gold, and Glory. (4 Credits)
In-depth examination of colonial narratives of exploration and conquest. Comparative study of text and film representations of this powerful moment of Spanish imperialism. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3275. Hybrid Futures: A Panorama of Mexican Short Fiction. (4 Credits)
This course will explore the main themes of Mexican science fiction, from the late nineteenth century to today, using a panoramic approach that encompasses different forms of cultural production and media (literature, film, comics, street art, etc.). Through the science fiction lenses we will examine Mexico’s relation to technology and the processes of modernization, as well as the imagined future of labor, gender, and immigration, among other issues. We will frame Mexican science fiction as part of a larger Latin American tradition, while also discussing the connections to more mainstream (i.e. American and English) visions of the genre. All materials will be available online.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, INST, IPE, ISLA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3285. Trends in Mexican Cinema. (4 Credits)
In this course, we will examine Mexican cinema's major trends and genres. We will discuss some of Mexico's most important films and film criticism, while also paying attention to less prominent cinematic artifacts. We will study these films not only as aesthetic but also political and social works, highlighting topics such as race relations, national identity, and modernization.
Attributes: ALC, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3300. Modern Latin American Visual Culture. (4 Credits)
In this course, we will identify, follow, and compare a number of narrative and historical currents as they are represented in Latin American visual culture, from independence to the present. We will do this across a broad variety of media, including concrete poetry, performance art, photography, painting, film, television, sculpture, comics, and theater. We will focus on theoretical, historical, ethical, political, and identitarian approaches to these different disciplinary categories of visual culture. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, AMST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3301. Federico Garcia Lorca and His World. (4 Credits)
The course is an in-depth study of the works and person of Spanish author Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936) in its socio-historical, artistic and cultural contexts. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3305. Posthuman Mestizaje and the Non-Human Turn in Mexican Culture. (4 Credits)
The course will study the posthuman subjects that emerge in Mexican culture in the late nineteenth century. We will study cyborgs, zombies, and other forms of posthuman beings and their relation to modernity. Secondly, we will focus on the non-human: technological objects, artificial intelligences, commodities, and other entities that have had a life on their own. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISLA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3310. Latin American Science Fiction. (4 Credits)
This course explores Latin American science fiction as a mode of discourse that has engaged with pressing social issues in the region, including questions of modernity and technological dependence in a globalized world. At the same time, we will see how this genre is becoming a space to speculate about the future of race, class, and gender relations in Latin America. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3401. Modern Spanish Fiction. (4 Credits)
This course examines the development of Spanish narrative during the 20th century up to today. We will read and analyze representative texts from the following periods: the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939 to 1975), the transition to democracy (1975 to 1982), and the democratic era (1982 to today). We will pay special attention to the socio-historical context to see how it is reflected in the themes and narrative strategies of each text. Textual themes include migration and immigration, housing, home and belonging. Taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3402. Language and Identity in the Spanish-Speaking World. (4 Credits)
Language and Identity in the Spanish-Speaking World Descripción: This course examines the role of language in the construction of social identity in the Spanish-speaking world. We will study how much agency people have in choosing and projecting their gender, sexual, racial, ethnic, and class identities through language and how they contest the ways in which they are imagined, defined, and labeled by others. During the semester, students will learn new ways of thinking about the relationships among language, culture, and society. This course is taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ANLA, LING.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3405. Women Translators in the Spanish-Speaking World. (4 Credits)
This course examines the role of female authors (Spanish, Latinx, Latin American) using translation to publish their work or writing under male pseudonyms. We’ll explore the agency of female translators as authentic cultural contributors, discovering a hidden legacy from the indigenous translator Malinche in the Early Modern period to contemporary women writers and mediators. Readings include Isabel Correa, Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, Zenobia Camprubí, Silvina Ocampo, María Lejárraga, Nancy Morejon, or Luna Miguel, among others. Taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ALC, AMST, ASLT, IPE, LAHA, LALS, MLL.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3407. Foreignness & Translation: Multilingual Autobio Writing in Contemp Latin-Am & Latino Lit (1980-2015). (4 Credits)
This course studies manifestations of multilingualism in contemporary Latin-American and Latino literature, more particularly multilingualism that creates a tension between mother tongue and adoptive language when one of the languages is Spanish. It focuses on narratives and memoirs written by authors whose roots are in the Southern Cone (Argentina and Chile: Manuel Puig, Sylvia Molloy, Paloma Vidal, Ariel Dorfman…), the Caribbean (Pérez Firmat, Judith Ortiz Cofer…) and México (Richard Rodríguez, Gloria Anzaldúa, Ilan Stavans…). The paradoxes of multlingualism will be approached formally (categories of multilingualism: alternating between languages, self-translation, code-switching…; rhetorical patterns, central tropes), thematically (identity construction and the perception of the self, the affective function of language) and sociologically (the difficulties to publish real bilingual texts as a consequence of unequal relationships of power between North and South). Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, INST, IPE, ISLA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3456. Posthuman Body in Mexican Fiction. (4 Credits)
This course will examine how Mexican fiction (literature and film) has presented posthuman subjects, that is, entities that question normative notions of the human. We will study robots, cyborgs, zombies, and other posthuman beings, and the way they engage with questions of race, gender, capitalism, and the environment. The main goal is to see how Mexican culture has reflected on what it means to be a human, to have a body, but also whether it is possible to think beyond the human and embrace what has been called the “posthuman turn.” Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3515. New Spanish Literature: Rewriting the Public Sphere in 21st Century Spain. (4 Credits)
This course explores the emergence of a new generation of Spanish writers whose texts actively engage in the main debates of the 21st century public sphere, such as migration, sexuality, and nationalism. An analysis of these major works aims to shed light on the features that conform that generation of writers as well as on the ways they intervene, shape and question the Spanish public sphere. Authors like Najt el Hachmi, Elvira Navarro, Remedios Zafra, Sara Mesa, Alberto Conejero, Aixa de la Cruz, and Quan Zhou, among others, will be discussed. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3525. Cultures of Sexual Dissidence in Latin America. (4 Credits)
In this course, we will explore an alternative canon of Latin American and Latinx literary and cultural production, created by and about subjects whose sexualities and genders have been positioned, from the colonial period on, as divergent from the heterosexual and cisgendered “norm.” Topics to be covered include theoretical approaches to “queer” studies rooted in the region (and tensions with queerness conceived as a North Atlantic epistemological framework), alliances between radical feminism and LGBTQ movements, debates about the cultural and aesthetic representation of trans people, the pros and cons of political militancy, and the relationship between sexuality and diaspora.
Attributes: ALC, GLBL, LAHA, LALS, MLL, WGSS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3530. Excess in Spanish Lit. (4 Credits)
National identity in Spain was constructed beyond European ethics and aesthetics. This course focuses on the tragic consequences of presenting Spain as the Other, examining representations in modern literature and film. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3535. Unus Mundus: Deconstructing 'Time' Through Spanish Literature. (4 Credits)
Inspired by alchemy and quantum physics, analytical psychology and hermeneutics, environmentalism and the Eternal Return, several Spanish writers have elaborated mysterious representations of Unus Mundus, the underlying synchronicity connecting the observer and the observed in our universe. Rather than a chronological continuum of cause and effect, actions and reactions, temporality is perceived as a psychological construction that organizes experience according to deterministic narratives and cultural paradigms. This course explores literary representations that defy the nature of time associated with change and decay. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3540. Spain and Islam. (4 Credits)
Islam has been a major constant in the construction of Spanish national and cultural identity from the Middle Ages to our present day. This course will explore the nature of this Islamic constant through the different political and cultural contexts of Spanish history. Course material will include literary sources from Medieval lyric to modern fiction as well as other cultural forms, including Medieval music and contemporary cinema. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, LAHA, LALS, MEST, MVLI, MVST.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3550. Expressing the Colonies. (4 Credits)
This course will consider Colonial texts following the age of discovery and conquest. Exploration of Sor Juana, el Inca Garcilaso, Balbuena, Acosta, Vazquez, de Espinosa, and others will seek to identify how the writings contributed to the expression of the newly established colonies and institutions. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3555. Cultural Politics in Spanish Democracy (1978–2020). (4 Credits)
This is an advanced survey course on the intersections of culture and politics throughout the trajectory of Spanish democracy from its foundation in the transitional period after Franco’s dictatorship in the 1970s to the present. Once hailed as an example of spectacular modernization throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Spain was profoundly impacted by the 2008 financial crisis, which sparked a series of interrelated economic, social, political, and cultural crises. Through the analysis and discussion of a broad array of cultural productions (film and documentaries, fiction and nonfiction writing, music, social media, advertisements, political communication, etc.), this class will explore how cultural meanings have shaped collective understandings of political notions (democracy, community, nation, citizenship), the formation of political subjectivities (class, gender, race, and other identifications) and movements (labor, feminism, antiracism) and counterreactions. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3560. Reimagining the Colonies. (4 Credits)
Study of modern Latin American historical fiction (novels and short stories) set in the Colonial period. Exploration of the factors that inform contemporary authors' literary imaginations as they envision and recreate this crucial period in Latin American history. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, IPE.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3561. Representing the Gypsy. (4 Credits)
This course will explore the representation of the gypsy in Spanish literature and culture from the late Middle Ages to the present. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, LAHA, LALS, PJRC, PJST.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3578. Autofiction. Latinx Creations of the Self.. (4 Credits)
Autofiction is a construct that problematizes the tension between fact and fiction. The term autofiction is used to categorize conceptual and experimental art productions and hybrid literary practices in which the authorial self is a fundamental part of meaning. The works of Laura Aguilar, Félix González Torres, Ana Mendieta, and Josefina Báez, among others discussed in this project-based course, illuminate how many Latinx contemporary writers and visual artists have deployed their everydayness and themselves as artistic and literary subjects to destabilize notions of authenticity and the absolute truth. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3582. New York in Latinx Literature and Film. (4 Credits)
This course explores New York as represented by Spanish and Latin American exile writers and native Latinx New Yorkers. Students focus on the city as a metaphor for artistic creation in a global world, a center for a cosmopolitan Spanish and Latin American diasporic avant-garde, and as constructed by the Latinx imagination in writing and film. The course syllabus includes authors such as Martí, Lorca, Burgos, Thomas, Piñero, Arenas, Braschi, Hijuelos, and Leguizamo, and filmmakers such as Ichaso, Morales, and Troyano. This course is conducted in Spanish. Please note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, ASLT, COLI, IPE, LAHA, LALS, PLUR.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3583. New York City Latino Theatre and Performance. (4 Credits)
Explores the diversity of Latino performance styles in NYC, from theatrical performances to performance art and spoken word, by studying the works presented in NYC’s Latino repertory theaters, musical theater venues, performance art and spoken word presentations, such as El Repertorio Espanol, Teatro Circulo, the Puerto Rican Travelling Theater/Pregones Theater, and INTAR. It will study the works of performance artists such as Carmelita Tropicana and Josefina Baez, of spoken word poets such as Willie Perdomo, Edwin Torres and Caridad del la Luz, and Alberto Sandoval-Sanchez, and Diana Taylor. Conducted in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: IPE, LALS, PLUR.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3585. La Frontera: Art as Resistance. (4 Credits)
This course examines artistic practices (literature, visual arts, performance, etc.) that consider the US-Mexico border as a site of cultural identity, resistance, and inspiration. This course is conducted in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3590. Theater Against Power in Spain and Latin America. (4 Credits)
Spanish and Latin American playwrights vigorously criticized the political regimes of the 20th century. Reviewing plays of rebellion and tyrannicide, from naturalist drama to postmodern experiments of the absurd, we will explore how theater became essential to constructing democracy. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISEU, ISIN, ISLA.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3610. Children's Gaze in Latin American Literature. (4 Credits)
This course examines Latin American short stories, novels and poetry which focus on the way children and adolescents view the world and how they process their immediate socioeconomic and geographic contexts to construct their world view and find their place in society. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, COLI, GLBL, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3625. Spanish-American Short Fiction. (4 Credits)
This course will cover the short story and the short novel in Spanish America from the middle of the 20th century with an exciting selection of text by authors which may include Jorge Luis Borges, Juan Rulfo, Marta Aponte-Alsina, Julio Cortázar, Juan Carlos Onetti, Gabriel García Márquez, Rosario Ferré, Roberto Bolaño, Alexandro Zambra, Sergio Pitol, Ricardo Piglia, Elena Poniatowska, and Rosario Castellanos. The readings will provide the basis for critical and contextual discussion of different narrative techniques and forms as well as their literary and cultural meanings. The course features weekly writing assignments as well as group presentations and projects to enhance students’ ability to express complex ideas in Spanish and hone their oral skills and to encourage independent learning and invite regular class participation and collaboration. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, COLI, GLBL, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3642. Spanish-American Literature and Popular Music. (4 Credits)
The significant role of popular music such as bolero, tango, milonga in Latin American Postmodern Novel. Authors may include: M. Puig, R. Sanchez, G. Cabrera Infante, L. Otero , M. Montero, R. Ampero. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3701. Spanish-American Women Writers. (4 Credits)
Texts by Spanish-American women writers from the Colonial period to the present. Issues of female writing and representation. Evaluation of the status of writing as a woman in recent critical theory. Authors may include: Sor Juana, Mistral, Bombal, Castellanos, Poniatowska, Ferre, and Allende. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, ASLT, COLI, GLBL, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS, WGSS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3710. Contemporary Latin American Fiction. (4 Credits)
In this course we will study the major trends in Latin American fiction from the second half of the 20th Century onwards. Significant attention will be placed on writers of the 1960's "boom" generation, their technical innovations and their role as intellectuals. Major post-boom authors will then be studied focusing on themes such as migration, transnationalism, memory, end-of-the-century politics of identity, and the increasing professionalization of the Latin American writer. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3712. Literatures of the Latin American Boom and Post-Boom. (4 Credits)
We will first explore the "Boom," a time in the 1960s and 70s when certain Spanish American authors (such as García Márquez, Cortázar, Vargas Llosa, Fuentes, and Donoso) became known internationally for their sophisticated narrative techniques, engagement with politics, and re-imagining of national identity. We will then examine how more contemporary works of Spanish American fiction (by such authors as Poniatowska, Bolaño, Fuguet, and Eltit) grapple with the legacy of the "Boom." Other issues to be discussed include modernism, "magical realism," historical fiction, and works by authors transitioning between the Boom and Post-Boom (including Puig, Sarduy, and Allende). Taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3715. Latin American Cyberliterature. (4 Credits)
Latin American Cyberliterature explores the articulation of cyberspace and literature and analyzes the use of hypertexts, blogs and blognovels by Faverón, Neuman, Paz Soldán, Volpi, Rivera Garza and Pron. Taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISLA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3720. The Hispanic Transatlantic. (4 Credits)
Through the analysis of literary texts, this course explores the cultural and literary relations between Latin America and Spain from colonial times to the 21st century. We will discover unexpected relationships: What links the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors, the Cuban Alejo Carpentier, and the works of Galician authors? Or why can we consider the Argentine Jorge Luis Borges as the “father” of modern Basque literature? Reading their cultural products side by side illuminates these transatlantic dialogues and allows us to situate Latin American and Spanish works in the context of World Literature. Taught in Spanish. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3730. Writing Violence: Peru, 1980-2000. (4 Credits)
In this course we will study the different representations of violence in Peruvian narrative, poetry and film whose main subject was the armed conflict during the 1980's and 90's between the Peruvian state and subversive groups (Shining Path and MRTA). Most reading will be literary but the course has a strong interdisciplinary nature since a thorough study of historical, sociological and anthropological texts related to this period of Peruvian history and culture will be included. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, GLBL, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS, PJST, PJWT.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3770. Cultures of Memory and Post-Memory in Contemporary Chile. (4 Credits)
This course will explore artifacts and movements of cultural memory -- literature, criticism, film, photography, and other media -- that illuminate efforts in Chile to come to terms with the country’s recent dictatorial past. We will also discuss these artifacts in light of the idea of “postmemory”: how affiliations to, and representations of, this past are (re)constructed in the present and projected into the future. The course will include a week-long trip to Santiago, Chile over spring break. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISLA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3771. Cultures of Memory and Post-Memory in Contemporary Chile. (1 Credit)
This course will explore artifacts and movements of cultural memory -- literature, criticism, film, photography, and other media -- that illuminate efforts in Chile to come to terms with the country’s recent dictatorial past. We will also discuss these artifacts in light of the idea of “postmemory”: how affiliations to, and representations of, this past are (re)constructed in the present and projected into the future. The course will meet once a week during the semester, and then include an optional, one-credit, two-week-long trip to Santiago, Chile immediately after the semester ends.
Attribute: IPE.
SPAN 3800. The Spanish Diaspora. (4 Credits)
This course proposes a study of the main religious, political and intellectual Spanish diasporic waves from 1492 to 1939. By exploring different literary and cultural sources produced both inside and outside Spain it aims to determine the impact of exile and displacement in the fomation of Spanish national identity. Taught in Spanish. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500 (may be taken concurrently).
SPAN 3808. Bodies, Touch, and Affect in Argentine Film and Literature. (4 Credits)
This course explores a selection of films and literary works from the lens of the body and embodiment in Argentine culture (1871-present). This class will be structured in four blocks: desire and the body, the body in pain, touch and hapticity, and affect theory. Each section will present canonical theory and discuss tensions between the North Atlantic and Latin American epistemological frameworks. Students will analyze and compare films, poetry, and fiction that explore how bodies, sensations, and affect interact politically within their context of production. Authors included are Esteban Echeverría, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Néstor Perlongher, Lucrecia Martel, Marco Berger, Paula Markovitch, and Agustina Comedi, among others. Academic writing (research papers) will be complemented with a creative component (creative writing or short-film production). Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, ASAM, COLI, LAHA, LALS, WGSS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3809. Argentine Literature and Film. (4 Credits)
The course will examine in Argentina the fruitful dialogue between literature and film. Analysis of the writers who incorporated into their writing procedures derived from film and created new models of representing reality. Among the authors to be explored are: Manuel Puig, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortatzar, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Eduardo Sacheri, Guillermo Martinez. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, INST, IPE, ISLA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3820. Hispanic Caribbean Literature. (4 Credits)
This course covers important topics in Hispanic Caribbean literature, film, and performance such as national identity, gender, sexuality and race, colonialism, border conflicts and empire, dictatorship and resistance, revolution, migration, exile, and transnational relations between the U.S. diasporas and their home countries. Special attention will be paid to artistic response to disasters in the area. Authors will include Martí, Palés Matos, Guillén, Mir, Bosch, Carpentier, L. R. Sánchez, A. L. Vega, Santos-Febres, Rita Indiana Hernández, Padura, Junot Díaz, L. Negrón, and A. Obejas. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, ASLT, COLI, GLBL, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3850. Narrating the City. (4 Credits)
As a result of massive internal migration, Latin America is now a predominantly urban space. This course explores the various ways in which the city has been imagined in contemporary Latin American film and literature. Analyzing works from a variety of countries and cultural traditions, we will discuss how literary and filmic fiction depict how individuals interact with different configurations of urban space, and how these interactions reproduce or challenge established structures of power. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, ALC, AMST, COLI, INST, IPE, ISIN, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3851. The Neoliberal City in Post-War Central American Cultural Production. (4 Credits)
This course proposes an analysis of the neoliberal city in Central American films, short stories, and novels. Offering a critical examination of the social reality of Central American cities, alongside the historical, social, and cultural context of the region as a whole, this course will illuminate the effects that urban agglomerations have on spaces, and in particular, on the social body itself. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3908. Francoist Spain. (4 Credits)
This course focuses on cultural production during the regime of Francisco Franco (1939-1975), and examines the regime's ideological approach to the arts by studying the personalities and legislature that shaped the Francoist aesthetics. The course puts state sponsored and subversive art and dialogue with official policies and the struggle for their control to produce a more nuanced understanding of Franco's Spain. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, IPE, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3950. The Fantastic in Spanish Literature and Film. (4 Credits)
An exploration of the fantasy genre and subgenres in Spanish culture (its evolution, its social and political implications) from medieval chivalry novels and miracles to 21st century horror movies. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, INST, IPE, ISEU, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3990. Spanish Immersion in Spain. (0 Credits)
Students receive instruction at their level of language competency at the University of Granada, and engage in a number of cultural excursions and activities within Granada, a recognized World Heritage Site by UNESCO, one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a center of flamenco culture. Students will also participate in two short trips to Sevilla and Córdoba. All program activities and cultural visits are organized by the program instructors who also supervise the academic progress of all students and comment on their weekly blog reflections. NOTE: Only participants in Fordham in Granada can register for this class.
Attribute: IPE.
SPAN 3993. Advanced Spanish Immersion in Granada. (3 Credits)
Students will take an upper-level course at the University of Granada and engage in a number of cultural excursions and activities within Granada, a recognized World Heritage Site by UNESCO, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and a center of flamenco culture. Students will also participate in two short trips to Sevilla and Córdoba. All activities and cultural visits are organized by the program instructors, who also supervise the academic progress of all students and comment on their weekly reflections. NOTE: Only participants in Fordham in Granada can register for this class.
Attribute: ALC.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2001.
SPAN 3995. Spanish in Context. (0 Credits)
Students will receive instruction at their level of language competency at the University of Granada. They will also engage in a number of cultural excursions and activities within beautiful Granada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a center of flamenco culture. Students will also participate in two short trips to Sevilla and Córdoba as well as a longer trip to the Algarve. All program activities and cultural visits are organized by the program director, who also supervises the academic progress of all students. Please note: Only Fordham in Granada participants can register for this class.
Attributes: IPE, MLL.
SPAN 3997. Back to Nature: New Ruralism in 21st Century Spanish Literature and Film. (4 Credits)
The debate over rural Spain—its landscapes, history, people, traditions, and forms of sustainability—has been one of the most recurrent topics in Spanish literature and film since the beginning of the new century. The increasing public concern about climate change, the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on rural areas, or the idealization of natural life after the COVID-19 pandemic stands in the background of dozens of novels, essays, movies, and documentaries that narrate the experience of either living in or escaping to a rural area in contemporary Spain. This course proposes an exploration of the topics and lines of thought that intersect in the rural experience, narrated by a selection of those literary and cinematographic works by approaching them through the theoretical lens of ecocriticism. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 3999. Tutorial. (3 Credits)
Independent research and readings with supervision from a faculty member.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 4001. Cervantes and Don Quixote. (4 Credits)
Lectures, readings and discussion of Don Quixote. Cervantes' importance for the development of modern fiction. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ALC, COLI, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 4005. Painting the Empire: Understanding the Spanish Empire Through Art and Literature. (4 Credits)
The Golden Age of Spanish art and literature (known as the Siglo de Oro) coincided with the configuration of Spain as a global empire after the rise of the Habsburg dynasty to the Spanish throne (from around 1550 to around 1650). This course proposes a study of the main social and cultural conflicts that conformed that empire from an interdisciplinary perspective that combines the works of the empire’s most famous painters and artists (El Greco, Diego Velázquez, José de Ribera, among others) with the works of its most representative writers (Lope de Vega, Miguel de Cervantes, María de Zayas, among others). Topics such as the symbolic construction and shaping of imperial space, or the impact of the new imperial policies on gender, racial, and social relationships will be approached through a combination of visual and textual production. This course will also take great advantage of the important collections of Spanish Renaissance and Baroque painting and art held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Hispanic Society of America. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: COLI, ICC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 4018. Cuba: Revolution, Literature and Film. (4 Credits)
This interdisciplinary capstone course will study the representation of the Cuban revolutionary process in literature, history, and film. It will explore some of the major topics on the Cuban revolutionary process from the vantage point of historical, literary and cinematic accounts: the relationship of intellectuals to the state, the revision of the past as antecedent to the Cuban revolution and its policies, the place of race, gender and sexuality in revolutionary culture, the Mariel exodus and the revolution’s relationship to Cuban diasporic communities, the critique of revolutionary rhetoric during the post-Soviet “special period” and issues related to consumption, gender, sexuality, race, urban development and subjectivity during the current period of economic and cultural transition from socialism. It will use an interdisciplinary historical, literary and cinematic approach to examine the Cuban revolutionary process. Conducted in English with texts in Spanish and English translation. Coursework in Spanish for credit toward the Spanish major and minor. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: CCUS, COMC, COMM, FITV, GLBL, ICC, INST, IPE, ISLA, LAHA, LALS.
SPAN 4347. Latinx Borders. (4 Credits)
This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine the experiences of Latin Americans and Latinos. It employs literature and history to introduce students to the benefits of using multiple ways of acquiring knowledge. It then relies on other academic areas such as art and sociology to reinforce its interdisciplinarity. As a capstone course, it allows students to incorporate disciplines from their own academic foundation. It covers topics such as politics, social justice, race, gender, and identity. The course is taught in English with readings and writings in Spanish.
Attributes: ACUP, ADVD, AMST, APPI, COLI, GLBL, ICC.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 4511. Spanish Civil War. (4 Credits)
This course examines how the Spanish Civil War has been represented in Spanish Cultural Production both during the war and in the decades following Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: COLI, ICC, INST, IPE, ISEU, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 4520. Spain in Context. (4 Credits)
Focusing on the relationship between creativity and society, the course explores the literature and culture of Spain’s diverse regions. The course comprises the following elements: classes taught by Dr. Lamas, trips, cultural visits, and gatherings/workshops with prestigious Spanish intellectuals and artists (at the so-called tertulias). Students work in groups towards a final project, which will be presented in class as a Podcast, and handled to the instructor as a journal article ready for publication in the magazine Por Granada, available in print and on line. The course is offered in conjunction with Fordham in Granada. Only students enrolled in the Program can register for this class. Granada, a recognized World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is the hometown of Federico García Lorca, and a center of flamenco culture. The Alhambra Palace, the Albaicín neighborhood, the Cathedral, and the numerous Baroque churches of the city are testimonies of its rich past, which continues to be alive through its vibrant university community. Note: Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ICC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 4800. Internship. (4 Credits)
Internship.
Attribute: IPE.
SPAN 4855. Fascisms, Aesthetics and the Hispanic World. (4 Credits)
This course will explore various iterations of fascism in Spain, Latin America, and the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries. We will concentrate first on debates among historians about the definitions and origins of fascism, and then move on to its aesthetic embodiments throughout the Spanish-speaking world. We will examine primary texts that both uphold and undermine fascist ideals, as well as theoretical texts that illuminate the mechanisms by which this works. Our discussions will be informed by historical, philosophical, and literary approaches to fascism’s beginnings its transnational and transatlantic repercussions; and the persistence today of fascist rhetoric and aesthetics on three continents, particularly vis-à-vis the growing Hispanic presence in the US. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
Attributes: ICC, IPE, LAHA, LALS.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 4998. Senior Thesis Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent research, supervised by a faculty in the language, leading to the completion of a senior thesis.
Attribute: IPE.
SPAN 4999. Tutorial. (4 Credits)
Independent research and readings with supervision from a faculty member.
Attribute: IPE.
Prerequisite: SPAN 2500.
SPAN 5090. Spanish for Reading. (0 Credits)
Spanish for Reading.
Attribute: IPE.
SPAN 8999. Independent Study. (0 Credits)
The independent study is a supplement to regularly scheduled courses and enables students to pursue their individual academic interests within the context of their program. To be eligible for an independent study, students must be matriculated, in good academic standing, and have completed at least eight credits of graduate study at GSAS. Students must complete the Graduate Tutorial form, found on the GSAS Student Resources web page, and acquire the approval of the instructor, department chair/program adviser, and dean's office to register. The dean's office will review and process the registration.
SPAN 9000. GSAS Language Audit. (0 Credits)
GSAS audit.
SPAN 9101. Introduction to Spanish I. (0 Credits)
SPAN 9102. Introduction to Spanish II. (0 Credits)
SPAN 9151. Intermediate Spanish I. (0 Credits)
Intermediate Spanish I.
SPAN 9152. Intermediate Spanish II. (0 Credits)
SPAN 9305. Spanish Conversation & Comp. (0 Credits)
Other Courses applying to language/linguistics requirements
Arabic
Aside from courses with the subject code, the following courses have the ARAB attribute and count toward the Arabic minor.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
COLI 3440 | Arabic Literature in English Translation | 4 |
COLI 3624 | Music and Nation in the Arab World | 4 |
LACU 3410 | Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity | 4 |
LACU 3440 | Arabic Literature in English Translation | 4 |
LACU 3442 | Arabic Culture and the News Media | 4 |
LACU 3450 | The Arab Spring in Arabic Literature | 4 |
LACU 3475 | Oppositional Thought in Islamic Literature | 4 |
LACU 3624 | Music and Nation in the Arab World | 4 |
LACU 3822 | The Arabian Nights | 4 |
Chinese Studies
The following courses, offered in the Department and in other departments, have the CNST attribute and count towards the Chinese Studies major.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
AAST 3929 | History of Chinese in the Americas | 3 |
ARHI 2211 | The Arts and Visual Culture of China and Beyond | 4 |
COLI 3006 | Trauma Theory | 4 |
HIST 1450 | Understanding Historical Change: South Asian History | 3 |
HIST 1550 | Understanding Historical Change: Modern East Asia | 3 |
HIST 3538 | The Good Earth? | 4 |
HIST 3915 | Contemporary China | 4 |
HIST 3919 | Christianity in China | 4 |
HIST 3922 | East Asian Cities | 4 |
HIST 3929 | History of Chinese in the Americas | 3 |
LACU 3030 | Masterpieces of Chinese Film: Theory and Texts | 4 |
LACU 3043 | Aesthetics and Politics: Modern Chinese Literature | 4 |
LACU 3046 | Democracy and Democratization in China | 4 |
LACU 3047 | Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism: Chinese Thought and Literature | 4 |
LACU 3048 | Political Thought in Modern Asia | 4 |
LACU 3049 | Modern Chinese Political Thought | 4 |
LACU 3075 | Gender and China | 4 |
LACU 3110 | Anti-Racist Pedagogy | 4 |
LING 2075 | Politics of Language in China | 4 |
MAND 1501 | Intermediate Mandarin I | 3 |
MAND 1502 | Intermediate Mandarin II | 3 |
MAND 2001 | Mandarin Language and Literature | 3 |
MAND 2500 | Approaches to Literature | 4 |
MAND 2601 | Mandarin Conversation and Composition | 4 |
MAND 3002 | Topics in Chinese Culture | 4 |
MAND 3015 | Learning Mandarin Chinese Through Music and Songs | 4 |
MAND 3020 | Learn Chinese Through Film | 4 |
MAND 3025 | Reading Chinese Short Stories | 4 |
MAND 3031 | Chinese Cultural Concepts | 4 |
MAND 3032 | Chinese Political Thought | 4 |
MAND 3035 | Confucius and the Analects | 4 |
MAND 3040 | Topics in Mandarin Chinese Literature | 4 |
MAND 3050 | China in the Headlines: An Advanced Newspaper Reading Course in Mandarin Chinese | 4 |
MAND 3055 | China and Globalization | 4 |
MAND 3060 | Contemporary Chinese Politics | 4 |
MLAL 3031 | Chinese Cultural Concepts | 4 |
PHIL 3756 | Chinese Philosophy | 4 |
PHIL 3759 | Buddhist Philosophy | 4 |
PHIL 3770 | Daoist and Zen Philosophy | 4 |
POSC 3631 | China and Russia in Comparative Perspective | 4 |
POSC 3632 | China and U.S. in Global Era | 4 |
POSC 3634 | The Great Law of China | 4 |
POSC 3636 | China and the Global Economy | 4 |
POSC 4022 | Seminar: China in Global Affairs | 4 |
THEO 3723 | Tibetan Religion: Visionary Experience | 3 |
THEO 3724 | Classic Buddhist Texts | 3 |
THEO 3733 | Chinese Religions | 3 |
German
Aside from courses with the subject code, the following courses have the GERM attribute and count toward the German majors and minor.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
GERM 3057 | Medieval German Literature: Potions, Passions, Players, and Prayers | 4 |
LACU 2100 | Advanced German Grammar | 4 |
LACU 3020 | Culture and Critique: Marx, Nietzsche, Freud | 4 |
LACU 3033 | Prison Literature from Martin Luther to Martin Luther King | 4 |
LACU 3050 | Becoming Germany—German Literature, Film, and Popular Culture after World War II | 4 |
LACU 3110 | Anti-Racist Pedagogy | 4 |
LACU 3333 | Eunuchs, Dwarves and Dragon Ladies: The Universe of Game of Thrones | 4 |
LACU 3500 | Writing Under German Censorship: A Culture of Banned Books | 4 |
LACU 3504 | Study Tour: Berlin Tales: Germany's Kiez | 4 |
LACU 3515 | Food for Thought | 4 |
LACU 3600 | Women's Voices in German and Austrian Literature | 4 |
LACU 3701 | Villains, Vamps and Vampires: An Introduction to German Cinema | 4 |
LACU 3710 | Fin-De Siecle Vienna: Klimt, Cafes, and Cemeteries | 4 |
LACU 3800 | Cloisters, Castles, and Kings: Medieval Bavaria | 4 |
MLAL 3057 | Medieval German Literature: Potions, Passions, Players, and Prayers | 4 |
MVST 3057 | Medieval German Literature: Potions, Passions, Players, and Prayers | 4 |
MVST 3800 | Cloisters, Castles, and Kings: Medieval Bavaria | 4 |
Italian
Aside from courses with the subject code, the following courses have the ITAL attribute and count toward the Italian majors and minor.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
AMCS 3535 | Building the Ideal City: Ethics and Economics Foundations of Realizable Utopias | 4 |
ARHI 2341 | Medieval Desire and Devotion | 4 |
ARHI 2415 | Italian Renaissance Art | 4 |
ARHI 2432 | Renaissance Centers | 4 |
ARHI 2510 | 18th Century Art | 4 |
ARHI 3455 | Michelangelo | 4 |
COLI 3010 | Politics and Poetry in the Middle Ages: The Rise of Vernacular Culture in the Mediterranean | 4 |
COLI 3112 | Italian Neorealist Cinema | 4 |
COLI 3200 | Machiavelli's Utopia | 4 |
COLI 3220 | The Stage and Society | 4 |
COLI 3230 | Women in Italian Movies | 4 |
COLI 3535 | Building the Ideal City: Ethics and Economics Foundations of Realizable Utopias | 4 |
COLI 4016 | Rewriting the Mediterranean (20th and 21st Centuries) | 4 |
HIST 3541 | Modern Italy | 4 |
HIST 3549 | Global Italy | 4 |
HIST 3550 | Fascism from Mussolini to the Present | 4 |
HIST 4742 | Seminar: Italy Through Foreign Eyes | 4 |
LACU 2755 | Performing Dante | 4 |
LACU 3010 | Politics and Poetry in the Middle Ages: The Rise of Vernacular Culture in the Mediterranean | 4 |
LACU 3110 | Anti-Racist Pedagogy | 4 |
LACU 3116 | Social Issues in Italian Literature and Film | 4 |
LACU 3200 | Machiavelli's Utopia | 4 |
LACU 3203 | Dante and His Translators | 4 |
LACU 3250 | Culture and Society in Italian Cinema | 4 |
LACU 4010 | Anni Di Piombo/Years of Lead: Culture, Politics, and Violence | 4 |
LACU 4016 | Rewriting the Mediterranean (20th and 21st Centuries) | 4 |
MLAL 3220 | The Stage and Society | 4 |
MLAL 3535 | Building the Ideal City: Ethics and Economics Foundations of Realizable Utopias | 4 |
MVST 3535 | Building the Ideal City: Ethics and Economics Foundations of Realizable Utopias | 4 |
MVST 4006 | Dante's Cosmos: Science, Theology, and Literature | 4 |
MVST 4007 | The Medieval Foundations of Modernity: Petrarch and the Origins of Modern Consciousness | 4 |
THEA 2750 | Performing Italian | 4 |
THEA 2755 | Performing Dante | 4 |
Linguistics
Aside from courses with the subject code, the following courses have the LING attribute and count towards the Linguistics minor.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ANTH 1413 | Language and Culture | 4 |
ANTH 3726 | Language, Gender, and Sexuality | 4 |
CISC 1600 | Computer Science I | 3 |
CISC 1800 | Introduction to Computer Programming | 3 |
COMC 2111 | Theories of Human Communication | 4 |
COMC 2117 | Language, Consciousness, and Culture | 4 |
DTEM 2412 | Digital Ethnography | 4 |
DTEM 2459 | Social History of Communication and Technology | 4 |
FREN 3055 | Language and AI (Artificial Intelligence) | 4 |
LACU 3100 | History of Language | 4 |
MAND 3045 | Chinese Linguistics | 4 |
MLAL 1400 | Introduction to Sociolinguistics | 3 |
PHIL 3200 | Introduction to Logic | 4 |
PHIL 3204 | Symbolic Logic | 4 |
PSYC 2500 | Cognition | 4 |
PSYC 2710 | Adolescent and Adult Development | 4 |
PSYC 3010 | Bilingual Minds | 4 |
PSYC 3110 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 4 |
PSYC 4015 | Language and Thought | 4 |
SPAN 3007 | Spanish Linguistics | 4 |
SPAN 3402 | Language and Identity in the Spanish-Speaking World | 4 |
Mandarin
Aside from courses with the subject code, the following courses have the MAND attribute and count toward the Mandarin Chinese minor.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
COLI 3006 | Trauma Theory | 4 |
LACU 3003 | Intercultural Theory | 4 |
LACU 3030 | Masterpieces of Chinese Film: Theory and Texts | 4 |
LACU 3043 | Aesthetics and Politics: Modern Chinese Literature | 4 |
LACU 3047 | Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism: Chinese Thought and Literature | 4 |
LACU 3048 | Political Thought in Modern Asia | 4 |
LACU 3049 | Modern Chinese Political Thought | 4 |
LACU 3075 | Gender and China | 4 |
MLAL 3031 | Chinese Cultural Concepts | 4 |
Spanish
Aside from courses with the subject code, the following courses have the SPAN attribute and count toward the Spanish majors and minor.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
AFAM 4105 | Queer Caribbean and Its Diasporas | 4 |
ARHI 2257 | Modern Latin American Art | 4 |
COLI 3407 | Foreignness & Translation: Multilingual Autobio Writing in Contemp Latin-Am & Latino Lit | 4 |
LACU 3000 | Gender and Sexuality Studies | 4 |
LACU 3003 | Intercultural Theory | 4 |
LACU 3110 | Anti-Racist Pedagogy | 4 |
LACU 3525 | Cultures of Sexual Dissidence in Latin America | 4 |
LALS 3407 | Foreignness & Translation: Multilingual Autobio Writing in Contemp Latin-Am & Latino Lit | 4 |
LALS 3840 | Latin America Through Film | 4 |
LALS 4100 | Speaking For/As the Other | 4 |
LALS 4105 | Queer Caribbean and Its Diasporas | 4 |
MLAL 3005 | Themes in Latina/o and Latin American Studies | 4 |
MLAL 4100 | Speaking For/As the Other | 4 |