The most up-to-date information about courses offered through Saint Louis University’s Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures can be found in the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Catalog.
AR 1010 : Communicating in Arabic I
This course will cover all four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and
writing) of Modern Standard Arabic, at an elementary level. Emphasis placed on active
use of the language. Students master the Arabic alphabet and basic pronunciation of
all the Arabic sounds, learn to read elementary texts and converse in day-to-day situations.
AR 1020: Communicating in Arabic II
A continuation of Arabic I. This course enables students to deepen their knowledge
of the four basic language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and further
fosters an understanding and appreciation of Arabic literature and Arabic cultures.
AR 2010: Communicating in Arabic III
A continuation of Arabic II.
AR 3930: Communicating in Arabic IV
A continuation of Arabic III.
CHIN 1010: Communicating in Chinese I
Introduction to Chinese language and culture: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Emphasis on the acquisition of communicative and intercultural skills. This course
contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
CHIN 1020: Communicating in Chinese II
Prerequisite: CHIN 1010 or placement.
Continuation of CHIN 1010. Expansion of all language skills, enabling the student
to function in simple situations related to immediate needs, personal interests and
daily life. This course contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
CHIN 2010: Intermediate Chinese: Language and Culture
Prerequisite: CHIN 1020 or placement.
Continuation of CHIN 1020. Further practice in and development of all language skills,
enabling the students to function in an increased number of areas. Materials and discussion
relating to Chinese culture. This course contains an additional, required 0 credit
hour lab.
CHIN 2020 Intermediate Chinese: Language and Culture
Prerequisite: CHIN 2010 or placement.
Continued practice in all skills. Review of more challenging grammar patterns and
extensive conversational practice. Refining of communicative strategies for accurate
expression of ideas. Readings in discussions of Chinese culture.
CHIN 3010: Oral and Written Proficiency in Chinese I
Prerequisite: CHIN 2020 or placement.
Builds on acquired knowledge of Chinese language and culture. Review and refinement
of grammar skills, development of written and oral communication skills and strategies.
Reading and discussion of authentic language materials (articles, videos, recordings,
etc.). This course contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
CHIN 3020: Oral and Written Proficiency in Chinese II
Prerequisite: CHIN 3010 or placement.
Continuation of CHIN 3010. Further development of oral and written expression leading
to the ability to handle with confidence a wide variety of social situations and writing
needs. This course contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
CHIN 3930: Special Topics: Cultural Comparison: China-U.S.
Prerequisite: CHIN 3020 or instructor permission
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the cultural comparison between
China and U.S., including: education, art and music, and social relationships. This
is appropriate for both American and Chinese students. All majors can use this course
to meet elective requirements.
FREN 1010: Communicating in French I
Introduction to French language and culture: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The course emphasizes the acquisition of communicative skills.
FREN 1020: Communicating in French II
Prerequisite: FREN 1010 or placement.
Continuation of FREN 1010. Expansion of oral and written communication skills in areas
of immediate needs, personal interests and written communication skills in areas of
immediate needs, personal interests and daily life.
FREN 2010: Intermediate French Language and Culture
Prerequisite: FREN 1020 or placement.
Continued practice in and development of all language skills, enabling the student
to function in an increased number of areas. Materials and discussion relating to
French culture.
FREN 2930: Special Topics
FREN 2980: Independent Study
Prerequisite: Prior approval required of sponsoring professor and department chairperson.
FREN 3010: Discovering the French-Speaking World
Prerequisite: FREN 2010 or placement.
Students discover varied aspect of the French-speaking world, both locally and internationally,
while raising their proficiency in French to a level at which they can communicate
with increasing ease and accuracy. Emphasis on oral expression and listening comprehension,
reinforced by writing skills.
FREN 3020: Text, Voice and Self-Expression
Prerequisite: FREN 2010 or placement.
Students discover varied aspects of the French-speaking world, both locally and internationally,
while raising their proficiency in French to a level at which they can communicate
with increasing ease and accuracy. Emphasis on oral expression and listening comprehension,
reinforced by writing skills. Lab required.
FREN 3030: 21st-century France
Prerequisite: FREN 3010
Students extend their knowledge of contemporary French and Francophone cultures, while
strengthening their communication skills and ability to talk about unfamiliar and
abstract topics. Special focus on current issues. Emphasis on oral expression and
listening comprehension. Lab required.
FREN 3040: Society, Nation, and the Arts in Pre-Revolutionary France
Prerequisite: FREN 3010, FREN 3020 or equivalent.
Through studying important historical figures, concepts, and literary movements of
French civilization from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution, students learn
to write extended analyses on abstract topics. Emphasis on mastering various writing
styles. Lab required.
FREN 4110: Language and Linguistics
Cross listed with GER 4210, RUSS 4210 and SPAN 4210. An introduction to the basic
concepts and application of linguistic studies. Presentation and discussion of three
main aspects of language: linguistic structures, language as a social dimension and
language as a mirror of cognitive processes.
FREN 4160: French for the Professional
For students interested in developing the proficiency needed in business-orientated
activities.
FREN 4170: French and the Sciences
Prerequisite: FREN 4150 or the equivalent.
Students in this course will extend their knowledge of scientific advances and issues
in contemporary French and Francophone cultures, while strengthening their communication
skills and ability to talk and write about unfamiliar and abstract topics. Students
will study current issues in science and technology, including scientific, medical,
and technological research being done in France and other Francophone countries. The
course will also discuss health issues, particularly in French-speaking Africa, as
well as other global issues. Taught in French.
FREN 4180: French and International Relations
Prerequisites: FREN 4100 and FREN 4150
This performance-based course culminates in a global simulation project of international
conferences. Learn more about international relations through the Francophone world's
lens; become familiar with key events, institutions and actors of international relations;
acquire cultural and linguistic skills to function effectively in international settings.
FREN 4200: Perceiving other U.S. and France
Prerequisites: FREN 3010, 3020, 3030, 3040, or the equivalent. Permission of the instructor.
May be taken concurrently with FREN 4150.
The study of French and American cultures. perceptions of each other and frequent
cultural misunderstandings, placed in the perspective of their development in history
and of current events. Taught in French.
FREN 4220: French and Francophone Media: Qu'est-ce qui se passe?
This course will introduce students to a variety of French and Francophone media with
an emphasis on national and regional variations. It will expand students' knowledge
and understanding of Francophone societies and cultures throughout the world through
analysis of media coverage of current and recent events. Conducted in French.
FREN 4290: Women and Global Issues
In this course, we explore globalization from various theoretical perspectives (historical,
cultural, literary and economic). Through literary and visual narratives, we examine
how the increased interconnectedness that comes with globalization affects feminist
discourses and how global culture shapes women, their experiences, their lives and
their bodies within the public/cultural spheres.
FREN 4310: Contemporary Women Writers in France and Quebec
20th Century Feminine Literature fiction in French examined in light of French and
Québequois feminist theory. De Beauvoir, Duras, Sarraute, Brossard, Maillet, Cixous,
Irigaray, Redonnet. In French.
FREN 4320: French Short Story
The study of themes, techniques, and perspectives as seen in a diversity of French
short stories. Texts may include selections from as early as the Medieval fabliau
through contemporary writings by Michel Tournier and J.M.G. Le Clezio.
FREN 4330: Studies in French Prose: Rabelais through 17th Century
Humanism, preciosity, classicism, Montaigne, Rabelais, Descartes, Pascal, Sevigné,
LaFayette and La Bruyère. In French.
FREN 4340: Studies in 18th-century French Prose
A course on society, literature, art, and revolution in 18th-century France. A focus
on how the concepts of society and social change are articulates in the novels and
essays of writers such as Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Olympe de Gouges,
Condorcet
FREN 4350: Studies in 19th-century Novel
The development of the novel in 19th century France, as seen in representative works
of the period from Romanticism to Naturalism. Authors studied may include: Chateaubriand,
Hugo, Stendhal, Balzac, Flaubert, Zola.
FREN 4360: Paris in 19th-century Literature
Paris in the 19th century was a city in transition- politically, economically, culturally.
This course deals with some of the great writers of the period who, as visionaries
of their time, were able to grasp the true meaning underlying the ever-changing Parisian
panorama. Texts include works by Hugo, Balzac, Gautier and Murger.
FREN 4370: Literature of the Fantastic
This course examines a literary genre known as the conte fantastique (fantastic short
story) that emerged in 19th century France and whose legacy is still seen in today's
literature, cinema and art. Fantastic tales by well-known authors such as Balzac,
Gautier, Maupassant, Merimee and German writer Hoffmann are analyzed from a theoretic
perspective and for the underlying questions of identity, universal values and the
unconscious that they contain.
FREN 4380: Hugo and the Misérables
Victor Hugo, celebrated poet, playwright, novelist, was also one of the most socially
and politically engaged writers of his time. This course examines Hugo's deep commitment
to society's misérables and the global implications of his monumental undertaking
to sensitize readers to problems of misery, poverty, and social justice in our own
time. At the same time, students develop a critical eye for identifying what kind
of critical strategies enable Hugo to inspire audiences throughout the world to identify
with his ideas and to appropriate the spirit of his work for the development of their
own initiatives, from art and film production to causes involving political reform
and social justice. Satisfies Global Citizenship requirement.
FREN 4390: Studies in 20th Century French Prose
Examines the new directions taken by French fiction in the 20th century. Beginning
with Proust, through the Existentialists and the post-war nouveau roman, ending with
an evaluation of recent literary trends in the light of the concepts of modernity
and post-modernity.
FREN 4410: French Poetry : Middle Ages to 17th Century
A study of the evolution of French poetry from its medieval origins through the seventeenth
century, exploring poetic techniques, devices and forms.
FREN 4420: French Poetry : Romanticism to Baudelaire
An examination of Symbolism of the Romantic period as a moment of explosive creative
activity in poetry and art during a time of profound social and economic change. Selections
may include works by Lamartine, Vigny, Hugo, Musset, Gautier, Nerval, Baudelaire.
FREN 4440: French Poetry: Symbolist to Present
Analysis of Symbolism and subsequent schools (from Naturism to Simultaneism). Apollinaire,
Aragon, Breton, Cendrars, Char, Saint John Perse, Senghor, Supervielle, Toulet. In
French.
FREN 4510: French Drama: Early Modern French Theatre
Nature of tragedy and comedy; seventeenth-century drama in the context of classical
theories and modern criticism. Corneille, Racine, and Molière. In French.
FREN 4520: French Drama: 18th Century to the Romantics
A course on theater and theatricality for Neo-Classicism to the Romantics focusing
both on the themes of the family romance and on the creation of the Artist. Text include
works by Marivaux, Beaumarchais, Hugo, Musset and Vigny.
FREN 4540: French Drama: 20th Century
Theatre of commitment, art, the absurd, cruelty, and alienation. Taught in French.
FREN 4550: Writers of Memory
Personal memory, family memory, cultural memory, Holocaust memory, colonial memory,
anthropological memory, genetic memory, etc. What surfaces today in French literature
(as well as in other domains, such as cinema and art) is a resurgence of multiple
forms of memory, often read as challenging the longstanding predominance of historical
memory. This course explores the reasons for the surge of memory narratives, as well
the various kinds of memory that they conjure up and the various forms that they take
in current French literature. Offered periodically.
FREN 4610: French Cinema
A history of French Cinema by movements and authors. Bunuel, Vigo, Gance, Renoir,
Clouzot, Cocteau, Tati, Truffaut, Godard, Rohmer. In French.
FREN 4620: The Prose Literature of Quebec
Examines 20th century Quebecois Literature, focusing on the genres of the tale, the
short story, and the novel. Brulotte, Ducharme, Hebert, Godbout, Ferron. In French.
FREN 4630: Themes in French or Francophone Literature
FREN 4640: Studies in Francophone Literature
An overview of Francophone literature of Africa and the Caribbean. Focusing on themes
of imperialism, de-colonization, and negritude as seen in the words of authors such
as Césaire, Senghor, Ba, Schwartz-Bart.
FREN 4650: French Cinema II ‘80s-’90s
A look at French cinema since 1980 as indicative of a French identity and value crisis.
Examines new genres: Ciné du look, memory films, heritage films, post-modern parody
and satire. Directors studied include young directors (Besson, Carox), older directors
(Truffaut, Malle) women (Varda, Kurys), minority (Kassowitz) and foreign directors
(Kieslowski).
FREN 4660/5660: Nation, Identity and Culture
This course promotes an understanding of the dynamics at play in contemporary French
culture by examining how the State has shaped society from the Revolution of 1789
to now. Through various texts and films, students explore the shifting notions of
Nation, Identity, and Culture during this period. (Offered occasionally)
FREN 4670/5670: Postcolonialism and Violence
After examining socio-political conditions that produced violence in individual francophone
cultures and countries, we will analyze ways in which texts (novels, plays, life narratives
and testimonies) and films arouse horror, discomfort, denial, or connection in readers
and spectators. (Offered occasionally)
FREN 4700/5700: Love and Honor in Early Modern France
An exploration of the evolution of the concept of honor, as well as the depiction
and expression of romantic love, in French literature throughout the early modern
period. Students analyze the literary representation of the heroic figure and examine
the voice and the depiction of the beloved, considering the relationship in terms
of gender and power.
FREN 4710/5710: Women and Writing in Early Modern France
An examination of the role of women in early modern French literature as symbol/image
and as writer. Students explore the representation of identity and power, gender differences
in writing, and the textual strategies underpinning these considerations.
FREN 4850: Seminar on Molière
This seminar endeavors through a thorough analysis of Molière's plays, to recapture
the time, the life and the literary theories of one of the world's best playwrights.
Video cassettes make it possible to first view the plays, then analyze them in light
of Aristotelian and modern criticism.
FREN 4900: Film Series Internship
FREN 4930: Special Topics
FREN 4960: Senior Inquiry - Research Project
FREN 4980: Advanced Independent Study
GR 1010: Communicating in German I
Introduction to German language and culture: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Emphasis on the acquisition of communicative and intercultural skills. This course
contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
GR 1020: Communicating in German II
Prerequisite: GR 1010 or placement
Continuation of GR 1010. Expansion of all language skills, enabling the student to
function in simple situations related to immediate needs, personal interests and daily
life. This course contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
GR 2010: Intermediate German: Language and Culture
Prerequisite: GR 1020 or placement
Continuation of GR 1020. Further practice in and development of all language skills,
enabling the students to function in an increased number of areas. Materials and discussion
relating to German culture. This course contains an additional, required 0 credit
hour lab.
GR 2980: Independent Study
GR 3010: Oral and Written Proficiency in German I
Prerequisite: GR 2010 or placement
Builds on acquired knowledge of German language and culture. Review and refinement
of grammar skills, development of written and oral communication skills and strategies.
Reading and discussion of authentic language materials (articles, videos, recordings,
etc.). This course contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
GR 3020: Oral and Written Proficiency in German II
Prerequisite: GR 3010 or placement
Continuation of GR 3010. Further development of oral and written expression leading
to the ability to handle with confidence a wide variety of social situations and writing
needs. This course contains an additional, required 0 credit hour lab.
GR 3200: German Culture Studies I
Prerequisite: GR 3020 or instructor permission
A survey of German cultural history from the Germanic Tribes, with an emphasis on
the Middle Ages through the Enlightenment as reflected in German literature and other
cultural artifacts. Taught in German.
GR 3250: German Culture Studies II
Prerequisite: GR 3020 or instructor permission. A survey of German cultural history
from the Enlightenment through the present day as reflected in German literature and
other cultural artifacts. Taught in German.
GR 4010: Fluency in German
Prerequisite: GR 3020 or instructor permission
Use of authentic language materials in German culture, special fields and in topics
of particular interest to enable the student to achieve oral and written accuracy
and fluency. Taught in German.
GR 4110: Language and Linguistics
Crosslisted with FREN 4110, RUSS 4110, and SPAN 4110. Introduction to the basic concepts
and application of linguistic studies. Presentation and discussion of three main aspects
of language: linguistic structures, language as a social dimension, and language as
a mirror of cognitive processes. Taught in English.
GR 4150: Berlin
Prerequisite: GR 3250 or instructor permission
Excursions into the cultural development of Berlin from its very beginnings in the
13th century up to the present day. Focus on the period after 1871. Berlin as a microcosm
for the cultural, socio-historical and ideological development of Germany as a whole.
Taught in German.
GR 4200: Modern German Prose
Prerequisite: GR 3250 or instructor permission
Analysis and discussion of modern German prose by such authors as Alfred Andersch,
Max Frisch, Heinrich Böll, Günther Grass, Martin Walser, Christa Wolf among others.
Taught in German.
GR 4250: Business German
Prerequisite: GR 3020 or instructor permission
Development of advanced language skills (reading, writing listening comprehension
and speaking) pertaining to German business and economy.
GR 4350: German Film
Prerequisite: GR 3250 or instructor permission
An introduction to film theory, analysis and cinema history within the German cultural
context. Includes film viewings from the Weimar Republic to the present day. Taught
in German.
GR 4500: Courtly Love and Life Portrayed Through Medieval German Literature
Prerequisites: GR 3200 or instructor permission
As an introduction to medieval life and its literature, this course takes a brief
look at political, social and religious structures that shaped medieval "Germany."
This course studies several classics from medieval German literature that are representative
for aspects of medieval life: e.g. Hartmann Der arme Heinrich, the Nibelungenlied,
Eschenbach's Parzival, Straßburg's Tristan, and courtly love lyrics. The course will
be taught in German.
GR 4550: History of the German Language
Prerequisites: GR 3200 or instructor approval
History of the German language will study the development of German from its earliest
forms to contemporary German. Students will become familiar with linguistic terminology
along with major linguistic and cultural changes that happened from Indo-European
to Germanic to Old and Middle High German to contemporary German. This course will
be taught in German.
GR 4600: Beginning Middle High German
Prerequisites: GR 3200 or instructor permission
Students will become proficient in Middle High German grammar and pronunciation, as
well as learn to translate Middle High German texts into English in addition to an
introduction to manuscript studies and discussion of the role of memory in oral culture,
the use of standardized-edited vs. authentic manuscript language. This course is taught
in English, but knowledge of German required.
GR 4650: Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival: Gender, Race and Otherness
Prerequisites: GR 3200 or instructor permission
In this course, students will read and critically reflect on Wolfram von Eschenbach's
Parzival (ca. 1220). They will read the text in modern German. While this text is
fictional, it is grounded in ‘reality' and reflects upon its times and its discourses
on politics, religion, race, gender, and otherness, the focus of this course. This
course is taught in German, therefore knowledge of German required.
GR 4700: The Culture of the Weimar Republic
Prerequisites: GR 3250 or instructor permission
This course examines the various forms of rich artistic production that emerged in
Germany during the 1920s. Topics covered include literary, filmic, and visual representations
of war, urban landscape, the modern woman, as well as influential artistic movements
such as German Expressionism, cabaret, Dada, New Objectivity, Bauhaus, and Ausdruckstanz.
Taught in German.
GR 4750: The German Press: Creating a Foreign Language Newspaper
Students will produce a print and online German newspaper that focuses on current
events in German-speaking countries as well as German-American communities and cultural
sites in and around St. Louis. They will work together in small groups to produce
a video documentary that is thematically connected with topics covered in the publication.
Taught in German. Prerequisites: GR 3020 or instructor permission.
GR 4960: Senior Inquiry: Research Project
GR 4930: Special Topics
Check with instructor for prerequisite.
Special topics might include Introduction to the Literature of the German Democratic
Republic, The Experience of the "Wende," Translation of Technical German, German Phonetics,
Medieval German Literature and Culture, or German Drama. All taught in German.
GR 4980: Advanced Independent Study
ITAL 1010: Communicating in Italian
Introduction to Italian language and culture. Emphasis on acquiring communicative
skills.
ITAL 1020: Communication in Italian II
Prerequisites: ITAL 1010 or instructor's consent
Expansion of oral and written communication skills in areas of daily life and personal
interest.
ITAL 2010: Intermediate Italian Language and Culture
Prerequisites: ITAL 1020 or instructor's consent.
Continued practice in all skills. Readings and discussion of Italian Culture.
ITAL 2980: Independent Study
Prerequisites: Prior approval required of sponsoring professor and department chairperson.
ITAL 3010: Written Communication in Italian
Prerequisites: ITAL 2010 or instructor's consent.
Reading and analysis of authentic language materials to develop written expression.
Refining of communicative strategies for accurate expression of ideas.
ITAL 3010: Oral Communication in Italian
Prerequisites: ITAL 2010 or instructor's consent
Development of fluent oral expression through communicative activities stressing listening
comprehension, structural accuracy and systematic approach to vocabulary expansion.
ITAL 3020: Italian Cinema
A survey of Italian Cinema from neorealism to the present. The course will cover both
formal and thematic trends in the films of directors such as Rossellini, Visconti,
Fellini, Antonioni, Wertmueller, Benigni. Film screenings will be in Italian with
English subtitles. Lectures and course work will be in English.
ITAL 3300: Italian Women’s Studies
An introduction to the work of Italian women writers, thinkers, filmmakers, and artists
through the lens of gender and feminist theory. Emphasis on the study of women's changing
roles and experiences in Italian history, and of class, ethnic, and racial differences
among Italian women. Taught in English.
ITAL 3400: Dante's Divine Comedy
Analysis of one of the most celebrated and controversial works of Western literature.
Particular emphasis on the formal aspects of Dante's poem, on the historical, philosophical
and theological background, and how it still relates to our own world. Taught in English.
ITAL 3450: Mafia and Anti-mafia in Italian Culture: Perceptions, Representations,
Experiences
A critical exploration of perceptions and representations of organized crime in Italy
and the US through the study of literary texts, films, and testimonials. Emphasis
on: history of the mafia, the antimafia movement, and the impact of gender on the
experiences of mafia victims and perpetrators. Taught in English.
ITAL 3930: Special Topics
Language and Culture
ITAL 4010: Written Communication in Italian
Prerequisite ITAL A3010 or equivalent
Description and exposition of topics of particular interest and special fields of
competence. correct form and clarity of message will be emphasized.
ITAL 4020: Oral Communication in Italian II
Prerequisite ITAL A3020 or equivalent. Accuracy and fluency in oral expression in
topics of particular interest and special fields of competence.
ITAL 4210: Language and Linguistics
Crosslisted with GR 4210, RUSS 4210, and SPAN 4210. An introduction to the basic concepts
and application of linguistic studies. Presentation and discussion of three main aspects
of language: linguistic structures, language as a social dimension, and language as
a mirror of cognitive processes.
ITAL 4960: Italian Studies Capstone
Prerequisite 21 hours in Italian Studies
In order to synthesize the Italian Studies Certificate Program, students do a research
paper. Subject and length to be specified by the department.
ITAL 4930: Special Topics
Language and Culture II.
ITAL 4980: Advanced Independent Study
Prerequisites: Prior approval required of sponsoring professor and department chairperson.
RUSS 1010: Communication in Russian I
Introduction to Russian speaking, listening, reading and writing. Emphasis on the
acquisition of communicative skills in simple situations related to personal interests
and daily and academic life.
RUSS 1020: Communicating in Russian II
Prerequisite: RUSS 1010 or equivalent, as determined by instructor
Continuation of RUSS 1010. Spring semester.
RUSS 2010: Intermediate Russian: Language and Culture
Prerequisite: RUSS 1010, RUSS 1020, and RUSS 1020 or equivalent, as determined by
instructor.
Continued practice in speaking, emphasis on functional skills, and on reading and
discussion of culture.
RUSS 2220: Russian Culture and Civilization
Understanding Russian today through a comprehensive outline of its multinational,
multicultural past: origins, geography, language; Christianization; Westernizers versus
Slavophiles; the new Soviet person; Women in Russia; Russian and the Arts; Breakup
of the Soviet Union. Readings in English. Fulfills Cultural Diversity requirement.
RUSS 2610: Russian Fairy Tales
This course represents a historical and literary introduction to witches, demons,
vampires and other dark forces in the Russian folk tradition. Examining classic fairy
tales, modern fiction, and visual representations on film and on the web, students
will gain an appreciation for the significance of this tradition in Russian culture.
RUSS 2620: A Taste of Russia
This course is designed to introduce students to Russian culture with particular focus
on Russian customs, traditions and attitudes toward food. Exploring the concept of
Russian cuisine in literature, arts, holidays, and folk traditions, students will
develop a better understanding and appreciation of Russian cultural identity and lifestyle.
RUSS 2930: Special Topics
RUSS 2980: Independent Study
RUSS 3050: Russian Conversation
RUSS 3070: Scientific Russian
Prerequisite: RUSS 1020 or equivalent, as determined by instructor
Introduction to scientific prose in Russian. Emphasis on word formation and the acquisition
of scientific terminology. No spoken Russian required
RUSS 3010: Oral and Written Proficiency in Russian I
Prerequisite: RUSS 1020 or equivalent, as determined by instructor
Extensive review and refinement of grammar skills. Continued emphasis on speaking.
Regular writing assignments.
RUSS 3020: Oral and Written Proficiency in Russian II
Prerequisite: RUSS 3010 or equivalent, as determined by instructor
Continuation of RUSS 3010.
RUSS 3200: Saints and Sinners in Russian Literature and Film: 19 Century
The course provides a concise and comprehensive survey of the development of the literary
trends in the Golden Age of Russian literature. The students will read and discuss
selected works of some outstanding Russian authors of the 19th century and compare
some of them to their screen versions.
RUSS 3230: Russian Literature: 20 Century
Comprehensive and concise survey of the development of Russian literature of the Golden
Age. The student swill learn about the the main trends in the development of Russian
literary tradition and become familiar with selected works of some outstanding Russian
authors of the century: Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov.
RUSS 3250: Russia from Peter to Putin: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Culture
Prerequisites: RUSS 3010 and RUSS 3020 or equivalent
Understanding Russia today through a comprehensive outline of its past: origins, geography,
language; Christianization; Westernizers versus Slavophiles; the new Soviet person;
women in Russia; Russia and the arts; breakup of the Soviet Union. Readings mainly
in Russian. Fulfills cultural diversity requirement. See detailed course description
here.
RUSS 3930: Special Topics
RUSS 4100: Fluency in Russian
Prerequisite: RUSS 3020 or equivalent, as determined by instructor
Further practice in speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing to achieve
fluency. Fall or Spring semester.
RUSS 4150: Topics in Russian Grammar
Prerequisites: RUSS 3010 and RUSS 3020 or equivalent, as determined by instructor
Structural review of the morphology of the verb and the nominals, syntax, and word
formation.
RUSS 4200: Topics in Russian Literature and Film
Prerequisite: RUSS 4010 or equivalent, as determined by instructor
Semester-long study of selected or one genre: short story, novel, poetry. The students
will read and discuss selected works of world famous Russian authors and compare them
to their screen versions
RUSS 4110: Language and Linguistics
Cross listed with FR-A4110, GR-A4110 and SP-A4110. An introduction to the basic concepts
and application of linguistic studies. Presentation and discussion of three main aspects
of language: Linguistic structures, language as a social dimension, and language as
a mirror of cognitive process.
RUSS 4400: Pragmatics of Conversation
RUSS 4890: Senior Inquiry: Comprehensive Examination
RUSS 4950: Senior Residency
RUSS 4960: Inter-Semester Study Abroad
RUSS 4980: Advanced Independent Study
SPAN 1010: Communicating in Spanish I
Introduction to Spanish language and culture. Prepares student to operate within areas
of immediate needs and simple situations.
SPAN 1020: Communicating in Spanish II
Continuation of SP A1010. Prepares the student to function in simple situations related
to personal interests and daily life.
SPAN 2010: Intermediate Spanish: Language and Culture
Continued practice in all skills. Review of basic grammar patterns and extensive conversational
practice. Introduction to Hispanic culture. Prerequisites: SP A1020 or equivalent.
SPAN 3010: Written Communication
Prerequisite: SPAN 2010 or equivalent
Reading and analysis of authentic language materials to develop written expression.
Refining of communicative strategies for accurate expression of ideas. (To be taken
concurrently with SPAN 3020).
SPAN 3020: Oral Communication
Prerequisite: SPAN 2010 or equivalent
Development of fluent oral expression through communicative activities stressing listening
comprehension, structural accuracy and systematic approach to vocabulary expansion.
(To be taken concurrently with SPAN 3010).
SPAN 3030: Advanced Written Communication
Prerequisite: SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020 or equivalent
Continuation of SPAN 3010. Description, narration and exposition in topics of particular
interest and special fields of competence. (To be taken concurrently with SPAN 3040).
SPAN 3040: Advanced Oral Communication
Prerequisite: SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020 or equivalent
Continuation of SPAN 3020. Accuracy and fluency in oral expression in topics of particular
interest and special fields of competence. (To be taken concurrently with SPAN 3030).
SPAN 4000: Advanced Spanish Grammar
Prerequisite: SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040 or equivalent
The objectives of the course are to identify and describe intuitive knowledge that
a native speaker of Spanish possesses and to perfect the student's knowledge of various
topics of Spanish grammar by means of theoretical explanation and solving practical
exercises. Assignments emphasize inductive reasoning as well as original language
use.
SPAN 4050: Spanish Phonetics and Phonology
Theoretical and practical approach to Spanish phonetics and phonology from the dual
perspective of the underlying representation of sound units and their pronunciation
within syllables, words, and phrases. Auditory comprehension and sound discrimination
practice, with transcription exercises and attention to correct pronunciation.
SPAN 4090: Spanish Sociolinguistics
Prerequisites are SPAN 3030 and 3040
This course aims to develop students' abilities to notice, investigate and interpret
sociolinguistic phenomena in the world around them. Topics include pragmatics, historical
changes in Spanish, and dialectical variation. Discussions will center primarily but
not exclusively around sociolinguistics of the Spanish-speaking world.
SPAN 4110: Language and Linguistics
An introduction to the basic concepts and application of linguistic studies, presentation
and discussion of three main aspects of language: linguistic structures, language
as a social dimension, and language as a mirror of cognitive processes. Taught in
English. Cross-listed with FR-A4210, GR-A4210 and RU-A4210.
SPAN 4130: Second Language Acquisition
This course reviews major theories about how second or foreign languages are learned
and what factors influence the process. We will discuss what these theories mean to
the teacher, the learner, and the policy maker, and what the theories tell us about
psychology and linguistics. Taught in Spanish.
SPAN 4160: Business and Professional Spanish
Application of language skills and cultural awareness to specific business and professional
practices. This course counts toward credit in the minor and major field.
SPAN 4180: Spanish Culture and Civilization
Presentation and discussion of significant cultural, social, economic and political
events and issues that have shaped Spain: its institutions, its cultural and artistic
developments.
SPAN 4190: Three in One: The Hispanic Experience
This course provides an understanding of the language variation, value systems, religious
beliefs and assumptions about reality of Hispanic culture in its three manifestations:
modern day Spain, Latin America, and the Hispanic groups in the United States.
SPAN 4200: Introduction to Spanish Literature
Prerequisite: SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040
This introduction to Hispanic literature will examine the different genres and representative
texts to enable the students to acquire a working knowledge both of the literary history
of the genres and the analysis of literary texts in Spanish.
SPAN 4240: Short Stories: History, Histories
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course explores the most recent Latin American societies through the lens of
short stories, short narrations and cultural production. This class’s approach works
to bridge literary texts with cultural production in order to allow for a comprehensive
view of the contemporary historical life. The authors’ work is explored in their complexity
to see how historical development and culture transform and affect people’s lives.
Taught in Spanish.
SPAN 4250: Early Latin American Short Story
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This is a survey course that examines a generous selection of classic Latin American
short stories (1839-1945). The texts are considered in the context of the complex
cultural transformations that swept Latin American society from Independence to the
Second World War. Literary texts are also discussed in relation to other cultural
materials (movies, art,music). Texts and materials are organized around five different
topics: Between tradition and politics; the violence of history; the many faces of
modernity; critical realisms; and founders of the present.
SPAN 4260: Latin American “Modernism”
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Survey course that examines the literary expressions of the debate on Modernity and
Modernization in Latin America in the period 1820-1920. Topics such as national identity,
the creation of modern cities, the education of women and the role of minorities will
be examined through an anthology of short stories, articles, poems, essays and comics.
SPAN 4270: Contemporary Latin American Poetry
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Survey course that analyzes a representative group of Latin American poets. Main themes
and formal characteristics of these authors will be discussed.
SPAN 4280: Early Latin American Novel
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course discusses crucial cultural concerns of nineteenth-century Latin America
through a socio-historical examination of novels written after Independence. Special
attention will be given to the construction of social norms, the creation of cultural
institutions, and the role of identity within the formation of new national cultures.
SPAN 4290: Boom, Mass Media and Utopia
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course discusses the Latin American narratives and essays and the birth of media
culture in Latin America. The cultural production discussed is implied in the political
context of the so-called cold war. Taught in Spanish.
SPAN 4300: Latin American Thinkers
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Systematic analysis of predominant themes among current Latin American thinkers.
SPAN 4310: Contemporary Latin American Drama
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Survey course that analyzes the development of Latin American theater through the
Twentieth-Century. Different schools and trends will be discussed. Occasionally this
course will focus on specific issues or group authors (i.e. women playwrights, etc.).
SPAN 4320: Afro-Hispanic Literature
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course examines the literary contributions of Afro-Hispanic writers from Spanish
America and Equatorial Guinea in order to discuss the complexity of the African experience
in the Spanish-speaking world from the colonial period to the 21st Century. In addition
to the discussion of race and class issues, the class focuses on the subject of Canon
formation and Canon exclusion in order to bridge the real and imagined gaps between
Afro-Hispanic literature and that written by canonized writers in Spanish America
and Spain.
SPAN 4330: Narratives on the End of Utopias
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course examines recent Latin American trends that broke up the traditional canon
of novel and literary conceptions based on Modernist culture. Categories based on
hegemonic discourse and hierarchies are debated. Taught in Spanish.
SPAN 4340: Latin American Film
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
An overview of Latin American Cinema, focusing on four different moments of its history:
the golden age of the Mexican melodrama; the populist comedy; the new Latin American
film movement; and the last generation. Directors included are Buñuel, Torre Nilsson,
Sanjinés, Rocha, Gutiérrez Alea, Lombardi and Ripstein. Special emphasis will be given
to the development of critical strategies to discuss film narratives and sub-genres.
SPAN 4350: Latin American Testimony
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course examines the diverse strategies used by Latin American testimonial literature
to interpret today’s realities. Through the analysis of testimonials, the students
will develop an understanding of the complexity of Latin American culture and society.
SPAN 4350/5350: Counter Hegemony Discourses
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course bridges Latin American literary and cultural productions that confront
the use and abuse of local and international power. Voiceless people speak about their
disenchanted life.
SPAN 4360: Women’s Literature in Latin America
This course introduces the students to the work of Latin American women writers from
the Colonial period to the Twentieth-Century. The discussion will focus on the history
of women’s education, concepts of beauty, the role of women in the society and the
construction of women’s identity. Prerequisite: SPAN 4200.
SPAN 4370: Latin American Literature and Film
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Survey course that examines the relationship between some masterpieces of contemporary
Spanish American Literature and their adaptations into film by some of the major directors
of Latin American cinema.
SPAN 4380: Cultural Stereotypes: Latin America
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
This course is an interdisciplinary approach which confronts stereotypes about Latin
American cultures. It involves a vast array of experiences that has established differences,
stigmas, and marginalization of Latin Americans. Taught in Spanish.
SPAN 4390: Contemporary Spanish Women Writers
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
On the edges of the canon. Introduction to a century of women’s writings from the
“Generation of ‘27” to present day authors. Analysis of novels and short stories by
contemporary women writers of Spain.
SPAN 4400: Strangers in a Familiar Land: Displacements in Latin America
This class discusses literature, films, documentaries and paintings that portray Latin
American displacement after 1950. The approach offers a multidisciplinary view of
the diverse participants in Latin American realities. We debate the dynamic of border
crossing in the global era, specifically with respect to refugees, exiles, excluded
and missing people.
SPAN 4410: Spanish Literary Culture
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
History of the merger of Christian, Arabic and Jewish influences on Spanish literary
culture.
SPAN 4420 The Short Story in Medieval Spain: Fear, Education and Humor
Required: SPAN 4200
This course explores short narrative types and their functions during the thirteenth
century up to the sixteenth century in Spain. Topics to cover are: the interplay of
different cultures, gender roles, ideological uses, and differences between medieval
and contemporary short narratives. All texts are provided in modern Spanish.
SPAN 4430: Cantar De Mio Cid, Libro de Buen Amor and La Celestina
Close reading and discussion of three medieval Spanish masterpieces, which have remained
modern throughout the ages. Insight into social, historical, literary and creative
issues
SPAN 4440: Towards the Sentimental Novel: The Mystic, The Individual and The Lover
in Medieval Spain
Required: SPAN 4200
This course explores different ways of conceptualizing and talking of and through
love by means of a selection of texts inherited from medieval Spain. The student will
be exposed to mystic love, passionate love, anti-feminist discourses, medical notions,
etc.
SPAN 4540: Golden Age Drama
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
The Spanish theatre of the 16th and 17th centuries. Analysis of the works of Miguel
de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Juan Ruiz de Alarcón and Pedro Calderón
de la Barca.
SPAN 4560: Don Quixote
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
A close reading and analysis of Cervantes’s masterpiece. Focus on its significance
for modern fiction. The concept of the hero and the concept of the plot.
SPAN 4590: Spanish Jewry in Medieval Spain: Life under Islam and Christianity
Prerequisites: SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040
Expulsion and diaspora from 1492 until 1700. Medieval Spanish Jewish life under Islam
and Christianity. Cultural and literary exchanges among the three groups. The tragic
events of 1391. Expulsion, 1492. Forced Baptisms of Portugal, 1497. Converso life
in Iberia and the New World. Sephardi life in the Diaspora. Fulfills the cultural
diversity requirement.
SPAN 4610: Spanish Romanticism
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Doctrinaire romanticism compared and contrasted with authentic Spanish romanticism.
SPAN 4620: 19th-Century Spanish Novel
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Costumbrism, naturalism and social revolution in Fernán Caballero, José María de Pereda,
Emilia Pardo Bazán, Juan Valera, Benito Pérez Galdós, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, and Leopoldo
Alas.
SPAN 4660: Generation of ‘98
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Modernism, politics, and language in major contemporary prose fiction writers: Miguel
de Unamuno, Pío Baroja, Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Gabriel Miró, Ramón Pérez de Ayala,
and Ramón Gómez de la Serna.
SPAN 4670: 20th-Century Spanish Thought
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Major contributors to contemporary Spanish social, philosophical, political and literary
thought: Miguel de Unamuno, José Ortega y Gasset and F.X. Zubiri, P. Laín Entralgo.
SPAN 4680: Contemporary Spanish Short Stories
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
In-depth analysis of short stories by Bécquer, Alas, Pardo Bazán, Valle-Inclán, Salinas,
and Benet, among others.
SPAN 4700: 20th-Century Spanish Poetry
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Antonio Machado, Juan Ramon Jiménez, Pedro Salinas, Aleixandre, Federico García Lorca,
and Blas de Otero: Nuances of existential dilemmas.
SPAN 4710: 20th-Century Spanish Novel
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Ideology and literature in selected novels by Camilo José Cela, Carmen Laforet, Ramón
J. Sender, Juan Goytisolo, Elena Quiroga, A.M. Matute, Miguel Delibes and Luis Martín-Santos.
SPAN 4720: 20th-Century Spanish Drama
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Themes and aesthetics of Alejandro Casona, Federico García Lorca, Alfonso Sastre,
F. Arrabal, and Buero Vallejo.
SPAN 4730 16th and 17th-Century Spanish Prose
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
A Study of prose works from Spanish Golden Age (16th-17th centuries). Analysis of
works by Jorge de Montemayor, Teresa de Avila, María de Zayas, Miguel de Cervantes
and the anonymous author of Lazarillo de Tormes. Taught in Spanish.
SPAN 4740: Peninsular Spanish Poetry 1965-Present
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Study of a selection of the most representative poetic production in Spain from 1965
to present time: novísimos, postnovísimos, el boom femenino, poesía de la experiencia.
SPAN 4750: Spanish Novel after 1970
Prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Study of the most significant directions to the Spanish novel from 1970 to the present
day. Change and continuity in society and the novel.
SPAN 4770: Spanish Women Poets
Recommended prerequisite: SPAN 4200
Historical analysis and literary interpretation of a representative selection of modern
and contemporary Spanish women poets. Authors: Carolina Coronado, Rosalía de Castro,
Concha Zardoya, Gloria Fuertes, María Victoria Atencia.
SPAN 4800 From Barrios to Borderlands: Reading Contemporary Latino/a Literature
Prerequisite for Spanish majors: SPAN 4200
This course will provide students with an introduction to the major literary works
and themes characterizing Latino/a literary production in the United States from the
mid-twentieth century to the present. Course will be conducted in English. Spanish
majors will do written work in Spanish.
SPAN 4880: Senior Inquiry: Research Project
SPAN 4890: Senior Inquiry: Comprehensive Examination
SPAN 4930: Special Topics
SPAN 4930-01: Evil in Modern Culture
Prerequisites: SPAN 4200
This course aims at scrutinizing and understanding evil as manifested and/or represented
in selected cultural artifacts and philosophical texts from the Enlightenment through
the Cold War. The so-called problem of evil, radical evil, sadism, the connection
between the ideals of the Enlightenment and evil, absolute enmity, absolute war, genocide
and imperialism are some of the topics to be discussed. Among others, the course will
explore works by Kant, Nietzsche, Tirso de Molina, Schelling, Goya, Schmitt, Unamuno,
Genet, Levi, and Semprún. Taught in English.
SPAN 4930-02: ¿Quién el otro? ¿Quién el yo?
Prerequisites: SPAN 4200
Exploration of textual and visual imagery of the foreigner in the nineteenth century,
the formative period of modern-day Latin American identities. The course will explore
novels, excerpts from novels, contemporary essays, and critical theory on the other,
foreigner, stranger and outsider Taught in Spanish.
SPAN 4950: Senior Residency
Required for graduating seniors.
SPAN 4980: Advanced Independent Study