The Language Engagement Project is offering a variety of one-credit modules and courses in the fall 2020 semester. Read below to find out more about offerings focusing on languages and cultures.

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or for help registering.

Click the flyer thumbnails to see full-sized versions.

Courses

Courses are stand-alone, one-credit offerings on topics such as language learning, language for the professions, and language for travel.

110 I1 I2 Spanish for Travel Fall 2020EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES COURSE 1
SPANISH FOR TRAVEL (1 CR)
Two sections:

01:991:110:I1:19939
FULL SEMESTER, MONDAYS, 1:15-2:15 PM
CELSO SANCHEZ-INOFUENTES

01:991:110:I2:19940
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 3:00-4:00 PM
MINICOURSE, SECOND 7 WEEKS OF SEMESTER; 10/22-12/10/2020
CELSO SANCHEZ-INOFUENTES
This course is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Spanish who are interested in acquiring and improving basic communication skills in Spanish. These skills will include the acquisition of culture-specific tips that will be useful for their study-abroad stay or travel to a Spanish-speaking country. Students practice spoken Spanish in a variety of contexts and develop communicative tactics and vocabulary to improve oral expression and conversation. Taught in Spanish.

  

 

110 K2 Italian for Music Fall 2020 42EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES COURSE 1
ITALIAN FOR MUSIC (1 CR)
01:991:110:K2:07761
MONDAYS, 7:15 - 9:15 PM
MINI COURSE, SECOND 7 WEEKS OF SEMESTER; 10/26-12/7/2020
INSTRUCTOR TBA
This course is designed for Music students who are interested in acquiring basic skills in Italian that would be useful to their studies and musical practice. The course is intended for students with no previous knowledge of Italian. Students will practice spoken Italian in a variety of contexts and acquire communicative skills and vocabulary to improve oral expression and conversation. The class is conducted in Italian and it is designed to ‘expose’ the students to Italian and its culture, with special reference to musical subjects. For more in-depth study of Italian, students should consider taking it at the elementary level or a course at their appropriate level of placement during the next academic year. Taught in Italian and English.

 

 

110 K3 Italian for Travel Fall 2020 43EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES COURSE 1
ITALIAN FOR TRAVEL (1 CR)
01:991:110:K3:07762
THURSDAYS, 6:10-8:10 PM
MINI COURSE, SECOND 7 WEEKS OF SEMESTER; 10/22-12/10/2020
INSTRUCTOR TBA
This course is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Italian who are interested in acquiring and improving basic communication skills in Italian. These skills will include the acquisition of culture-specific tips that will be useful for their study-abroad stay or travel to an Italian-speaking country. Students practice spoken Italian in a variety of contexts and develop communicative tactics and vocabulary to improve oral expression and conversation. Taught in Italian and English.

 

 

  

111 02 03 East Asian Contributions to World Cuisine Fall 2020 44EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
EAST ASIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD CUISINE (1 CR)
Two Sections:

01:991:111:02:07763
WEDNESDAYS, 4:30-6:30 PM
MINI COURSE, SECOND 7 WEEKS OF SEMESTER; 10/21-12/9/2020
CHI-HOON KIM

01:991:111:03:20629
WEDNESDAYS, 4:30-6:30 PM
MINI COURSE, FIRST 7 WEEKS OF SEMESTER; 9/2-10/14/2020
CHI-HOON KIM
This course will explore the social, economic, and political dimensions of modern East Asian culture’s contribution to world cuisine. Examining how China, Japan, and Korea’s culinary heritage influence inter-regional and international relations, students will become versed in how social identities and hierarchies are produced through the production, preparation, and consumption of food. Topics will include 1) understanding cultural significance, historical background, and global circulation of East Asian culinary culture, 2) introduction to cross-cultural food practices within the political context of colonialism, cold war, and transnationalism 3) critical engagement of the homogenizing effects of globalization and diversification through globalization, and 4) the role of East Asian foods in regional and global economies. Students will also learn about the language of food, in particular, East Asia’s global linguistic and cultural impact on how we understand and share agricultural ingredients, food, taste, and cooking practices. Taught in English.

 

 

111 J1 Global Arabic Fall 2020 33EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
GLOBAL ARABIC (1 CR)
01:991:111:J1:07764
WEDNESDAYS, 10:00-11:00 AM
JAMAL ALI
Arabic is one of the world's largest languages, spoken natively by nearly 300 million people. It is spoken continuously as a native language from Iraq in the East, all the way to Morocco and to northeastern Nigeria in the west, an area covering nearly a seventh of the latitudinal distance of the globe. By strength of numbers alone Arabic is one of our most important languages, studied by scholars across many different academic fields and cultural settings. It is one of the official languages of the United Nations and has official status in over twenty nations. Arabic is also used as a religious language by the world's Muslims, who total around one billion people. Arabic is, therefore, also acquired to various levels of proficiency, as a venerated, liturgical language, by many Muslims in Africa, the Arab world, Asia, and more recently in pockets in Europe and the Americas. The Arabic script has been adopted by at least one seventh of the world’s population to write other languages -- from Urdu to Hausa, from Persian to Swahili. In the process of its development, Arabic has influenced many other languages and has given rise to new tongues, especially in the form of pidgins and creoles. This course seeks to trace the historical development of Arabic as a global language, the various meanings Arabic has come to acquire in various parts of world, and the functions it has come to serve in different periods and different global spaces. It also looks at its interactions with other languages and their sociolinguistic implications. Taught in English.

 

 

111 K1 Linking Nature to Culture Fall 2020 34EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
LINKING NATURE TO CULTURE: STRIKING PLACES IN THE FRENCH CULTURAL LANDSCAPE (1 CR)
01:991:111:K1:19904
MONDAYS, 12:35 PM - 1:55 PM
TEN WEEKS: 9/8 - 11/9/2020
ANNE-CATHERINE AUBERT, WOLFRAM HOEFER
Take a Tour de France and explore a few of the most significant landscapes that have shaped France's culture across the centuries! Designed for students in the arts, sciences, planning, and design, whose field of interest will, at one point, require some knowledge of the French language and culture. Taught in English and French.

 

 

 

 

210 D1 Exploring Seoul Through Film Fall 2020 37EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES COURSE 2
EXPLORING SEOUL THROUGH FILMS (1 CR)
01:991:210:D1:07769
FRIDAYS, 11:40 AM-12:40 PM
TEN WEEKS: 9/4 - 11/6/2020
YOUNG-MEE CHO
Korean Proficiency: 574:202 or equivalent placement is required.
Exploring Seoul Through Films is a course intended for advanced students who wish to improve their language skills and intercultural competence. Students will watch five films set in the capital city of South Korea in order to understand five characteristics of urban scenes: (1) the importance of the Han River, (2) the role of back alleys in residential neighborhoods, (3) the apartment republic a la Gangnam style, (4) comparison of Seoul with Pyongyang of North Korea, and (5) the rise of the new urban consciousness. Each film viewing will be accompanied by reading short texts to enhance sociocultural understanding. This course also enables students to understand Korean culture and history and to develop cross-cultural insights by comparing Korean society with US society. Korean history, image of Korea, and current social trends in Korea will be discussed for a solid understanding of Korean culture in which Korean language is embedded. Course materials and tasks are designed to improve language proficiency with a focus on vocabulary, cohesion and organization. Taught in Korean.

 

 

 310 I1 Spanish for the Professions Fall 2020 38EXPLORATIONS IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES COURSE 3
SPANISH FOR THE PROFESSIONS: PUT YOUR SPANISH TO WORK FOR YOUR CAREER! (1 CR)
01:991:310:I1:07770
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
MINI COURSE, SECOND 7 WEEKS OF SEMESTER; 10/22-12/10/2020
CELINES VILLALBA ROSADO
Spanish Proficiency: 940:132 or 940:139 prerequisite or equivalent placement required.
Put your Spanish to work for your career! is intended for the intermediate Spanish student who wishes to apply his or her language skills in a professional context. This course focusses on developing the cultural competence necessary for interactions in a professional setting where the use of the language is not enough to have a successful professional exchange. Modules introduce content to specific professional area and are designed to develop critical thinking by using a task/project-based approach. Course tasks will expose students to situations that will prepare them with specific 21st Century skills to successfully compete on a global scale. Taught in Spanish.

  


Modules

One-credit modules are offered in conjunction with a required, parent three-credit course on a variety of topics.

 

121 D4 Korean Business Culture Fall 2020 35LANGUAGES AND CULTURES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM MODULE - LEVEL 1
KOREAN BUSINESS CULTURE (1 CR)
01:991:121:D4:07765
TUESDAYS, 11:40 AM - 12:40 PM
TEN WEEKS: 9/1 - 11/10/2020

YOUNG-MEE CHO
Must also register for or have previously taken 01:574:210 - Introduction to Korean Culture or 01:574:250 - Korean Language in Culture and Society
This course aims to provide knowledge of the sociocultural meanings underlying Korean business practices. In addition to Korean business customs and communication strategies, students will become familiar with social and political issues in Korea. Topics will include 1) understanding cultural values, historical perspectives, and political and economic structures in Korea, 2) introduction to cross-cultural business practices, 3) developing intercultural communication skills, 4) acquaintance with the Korea “brand” in the global marketplace. Students will also learn about fundamental socio-linguistic features of the Korean language. Taught in English.
Registration is by Special Permission. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register.

 

 


121 E1 The Language of Marx Nietzsche Freud Fall 2020 36LANGUAGES AND CULTURES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM MODULE - LEVEL 1
THE LANGUAGE OF MARX, NIETZSCHE, FREUD (1 CR)
01:991:121:E1:07766
BY ARRANGEMENT
INSTRUCTOR TBA
Must also register for 01:470:371, 01:195:374, or 01:730:344 - Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
This module focuses on the original German-language concepts and formulations in select passages relevant to the principal themes of the main course “Marx, Nietzsche, Freud.” Attention will be given to issues of translation as these influence — and historically have influenced — the understanding of these writers and their thought. Taught in English, but students must have elementary ability to navigate texts in German.
Registration is by Special Permission. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register.

 

 

 

 

121 E2 Holocaust Literature in Yiddish Fall 2020LANGUAGES AND CULTURES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM MODULE - LEVEL 1
HOLOCAUST LITERATURE IN YIDDISH (1 CR)

01:991:121:E2:21291
BY ARRANGEMENT
JEFFREY SHANDLER

Must also register for 01:195:395:01:19319, 01:470:390:01:19453, or 01:563:365:01:19335 - Holocaust Literature in Translation

This one-credit add-on course will center on directed readings of selected works in the original Yiddish that will be read and discussed in translation in Holocaust Literature in Translation (see below). Students will be expected to review readings in advance and be prepared to discuss them in synchronous online sessions, time TBD. The focus of these sessions will be on reading comprehension and examination of literary style as well as consideration of translation strategies. Holocaust Literature in Translation focuses on works originally written or performed in Yiddish, including fiction, memoir, poetry, folksong, film and video, from the eve of World War II to the turn of the twenty-first century. In examining the role of Yiddish in relation to the Holocaust, this course addresses the radical transformation of the language as a result of the mass murder of its speakers in Europe and examines the use of Yiddish as a language for responding to the genocide, remembering those who were killed during the war, and recalling their prewar way of life. Taught in English, but students must have elementary ability to navigate texts in Yiddish.
Registration is by Special Permission. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register.


 

 

121 P1 The Aztecs Nahuatl Language Fall 2020LANGUAGES AND CULTURES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM MODULE - LEVEL 1
THE AZTECS: NAHUATL LANGUAGE (1 CR)
01:991:121:P1:20979
MW 6:10-7:10PM
MINICOURSE, SECOND 7 WEEKS OF SEMESTER, 10/21-12/9/2020
CAMILLA TOWNSEND
Must also register for 01:506:391:02:06056 - HISTORICAL STUDIES
The Nahuatl (or Aztec) language is still spoken by over a million people today. Students registered for 01:506:391 Historical Studies will study the Nahuatl language for two class periods before the mid-term, as part of the class' effort to get to know a distant culture. Students who wish to explore and learn the Nahuatl language further can register for this additional 1-credit module. Taught in English and Nahuatl.
Registration is by Special Permission. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register.