Books of the Silk Roads 3 s.h.
Manuscripts and global manuscript cultures from a comparative, interdisciplinary perspective; history of the book in the East and West; diverse material supports, physical formats, and written layouts of manuscripts of the 1st to 19th centuries, including social and cultural contexts; manuscript traditions of particular cultural spheres (Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, India, East Asia) and historical processes of diffusion, remediation, and obsolescence. Taught in English.
World Language and Cultural Exploration
Exploring the Deaf World 3 s.h.
Language, Power, and Multilingual Education introduces students to the disciplines of Socio and Educational Linguistics and their applications to multiracial, multicultural, and multilingual education. This course provides an overview of the theories, research findings, and policies impacting the education of diverse learners in schools. The course begins with a foundational review of the theories of first and second language acquisition. The focus then shifts to how linguistic, cultural, and racial diversity impact educational opportunity in schools and society and the educational programs that have been created to improve the education of diverse learners. Students will examine the historical and political processes that have marginalized students and those that have promoted social justice and equal educational opportunity. We will reflect critically on our own school experiences, impacted by our unique social, linguistic, and cultural identities. While the primary focus will be on K-12 contexts in the United States, we will also examine language, power, and multilingual education in other parts of the world.
This is a World Language and Cultural Exploration course and can be taken as part of the World Language Requirement pathway. Students explore how cultural and linguistic diversity impact educational opportunity for students in the United States and around the world. Students examine the role of language in social interactions, cultural environments, and identity formation. We will make connections among the languages, cultures, and identities that help shape the educational experience of minoritized language users in schools. We will examine how educational policy has both included and ignored (or attempted to erase) linguistic and cultural diversity.
Topics include: Language and Gender, Language Policy, Sociolinguistics, Dual Language Bilingual Education, African American Language, Indigenous Language Education, Intercultural Communication, Language Socialization, and Language Ideology.
World Language and Cultural Exploration
An imaginary trip across the French-speaking countries of Europe—Belgium, France, and Switzerland—focusing on the language, culture, and history of different cities and regions; taught in English.
This course provides a broad introduction to the history, cultures, and languages of the different regions of French-speaking European countries through an imaginary trip that students undergo with their instructor. The journey is divided into three units, each lasting approximately five weeks: Paris and its Surroundings, Regions of France, and Belgium and Switzerland. For the first unit on Paris, students will learn about the history of the city and its layout and study important landmarks such as the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, Louvre Museum, and Versailles Palace. For the second unit, students will learn about the cultural and linguistic diversity that exists within the Hexagon (mainland France), including its historical origins for places such as Burgundy, Brittany, Normandy and Alsace-Lorraine. Finally, students will cross the eastern borders of France into Belgium and Switzerland, in order to learn about the cultures and regions of these countries, especially internal divisions related to different languages spoken (French, Flemish, German, Italian and Romansh) in cities such as Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges for Belgium; and Zurich, Lucerne, Bern, Lausanne, and Geneva for Switzerland.
During our time in each place, we will discuss the history, language(s) and culture of the area. Class activities will involve lectures to introduce students to the material; discussions of readings and films; interactive, social activities such as bingo and identifying landmarks in videos; virtual reality tours of certain sites; and optional tastings. The class will meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and usually consist of lectures for the first 30 minutes, followed by 45 minutes of discussion and interactive activities.
You will be expected to prepare for every class period by watching the videos, completing the readings, and occasionally browsing websites to learn about the cities or regions and their main attractions. There will also be a quiz due at class time that is meant to confirm that you have completed the assigned readings and/or viewing. Course requirements include active participation in class discussions and activities, assignment quizzes, journal entries, three non-cumulative exams, and a final project.
No prior knowledge of French is necessary or expected to complete this course.
Learning Objectives
Acquire the ability to research, plan, and undertake international travel on their own.
Understand the basic geography of Western Europe
Analyze the linguistic and cultural diversity of French-speaking European countries.
Compare the linguistic and cultural aspects of regions of Belgium, France and Switzerland.
Improve the ability to relate and interact with inhabitants of the various regions of Western Europe.
This course provides a basic introduction to the language, history, and culture of German-speaking Europe through the study of food; topics include popular and well-known foods, regional dishes, food-focused celebrations, the history of food, and the importance of food in the history of German-speaking Europe; German food vocabulary, regional language and culture, the geography of German-speaking Europe, the influence of immigrant communities and diversity in the German-speaking countries, and the history of German-speaking immigrants in the Midwest will also be considered; taught in English, no knowledge of German is needed.
World Language and Cultural ExplorationOverview of two thousand years of German cultural history, with an emphasis on well-known medieval architectural monuments and musical compositions from the 18th century onward.
World Language and Cultural ExplorationThis course (taught in English) provides an interdisciplinary introduction to Latin American Studies through a series of integrated discussions of issues from the history (particularly intellectual and cultural history) of the region with examination of how those issues are represented in cultural production (literature, cinema, music, the arts). Focus will be on 20th and 21st century Latin America.
This course is part of the Latin American Studies certificate; more info about the certificate is on the LAS website.
World Language and Cultural ExplorationExploring Italy 3 s.h.
Il bel paese (the beautiful country), la bella lingua (the beautiful language), la dolce vita (the sweet life). Narrative tropes have associated Italy and Italian culture with the idea of beauty. How has Italy become the quintessential of charm? How does this image affect a deep understanding of contemporary Italian society? This course will introduce students to diverse aspects of Italian culture and society. It will begin with a discussion of the notion of Italy and move to an analysis of the country’s government, institutions, and social norms. It will investigate the dynamics of national unity and regional diversity and the role of language in shaping national and regional identities. It will consider the intertwining of tradition and modernity by examining how the country’s centuries-long cultural heritage has influenced today’s education system, innovations, industrial production, lifestyle, etiquette, and protocol. As the image of Italy has been shaped by the country’s interactions with the world – from the tourists who have been visiting the peninsula for centuries to the international distributions of Italian products – this course will also reflect on Italy’s position in the global context.
World Language and Cultural ExplorationWorld Englishes 3 s.h.
Explore the diversity of Englishes within the United States and around the world; consider language contact, language change, language mixing, dialects, accents, and various Englishes with a focus on the geographic, cultural, and political forces that have driven this linguistic diversity; develop an understanding of linguistic concepts and principles that apply to all human language.
World Language and Cultural ExplorationRussian Childhood Culture 3 s.h.
Introduction to Russian language and culture through the lens of children's literature, film, music, and games. Examines how childhood culture shapes the Russian mindset and national identity, considering parallels and contrasts between Russian and American (or other native) childhood experiences. Study the creators of cultural works and explore the historical and political contexts that influenced their production. Taught in English.
Introduction to Russian language and culture through the lens of children's literature, film, music, and games. Examines how childhood culture shapes the Russian mindset and national identity, considering parallels and contrasts between Russian and American (or other native) childhood experiences. Study the creators of cultural works and explore the historical and political contexts that influenced their production. Taught in English.
World Language and Cultural ExplorationIntroduction to representative fiction and non-fiction texts from Latin America. Exploration of historical and contemporary themes from multiple regions and cultures. Readings in English translation. Taught in English.
Read award-winning authors from Latin America in beautifully rendered English translations. In this class, you'll analyze the works of Latin American writers in their historical and cultural contexts. You'll deepen your understanding of the breadth and variety of Latin American cultures. And, you'll assess the significance of Spanish and/or Portuguese language features in English translation. Authors may include Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia, 1927-2014) and Clarice Lispector (Brazil, 1920-1977). No background in Spanish or Portuguese is required. All readings are in English, and the course is taught in English. Assignments include readings, short in-class and outside-of-class writing assignments, and an end-of-semester group presentation.
World Language and Cultural Exploration
Introduction to the rich and diverse languages and cultures of East Africa. GE: World Language and Cultural Exploration.
Have you ever wondered how individuals in Africa manage to speak at least three or more languages? Have you ever thought of the dynamics of countries with numerous languages interacting, understanding each other, and collaborating effectively? If you have responded affirmatively or are still contemplating these questions, the course "Exploring East African Languages and Cultures" is for you. This course explores the intricacies of languages and cultures in East Africa, examining various aspects of East African societies, including language profiles, the impact of colonialism, family values, culinary traditions, the education system, clothing, music, and pop culture, among other intriguing topics. By the end of this course, you will develop a profound appreciation for the diversity and richness of East African languages and culture, while acquiring practical phrases from East African languages.
World Language and Cultural Exploration
Introduction to translation in several humanistic modes including anthropology, linguistics, film, philosophy, poetry, fiction, comics, memoir, history, religion, the digital humanities, sign languages (including ASL), and the retranslation of classic works. Students learn to view translation approaches as tools for their own life-long linguistic and cultural exploration. No language background or prior exposure to translation required.
How do translations work? Why do literary classics have so many retranslations? How are films subtitled? What’s new in the multibillion-dollar translation industry? What are the uses and limitations of computer translations? Do translators have an ethical code? How are adaptations different to translations? How does translation appear in Literary Studies, World Languages, Area Studies, Anthropology, History, Musicology, Philosophy, Film, English, or the Classics?
Explore these and related questions in TRNS:2578, our introductory course to translation in the humanities!
“Translation in the Humanities” is a core course in the Translation major and counts toward the Translation and Global Society minor.
Student progress will be evaluated throughout the semester, as opposed to a single term paper or exam. Along with mini-quizzes and short assignments (some creative, some analytical), there will be one 3-4-page essay, and a brief final assignment in which students can choose either to subtitle a YouTube video or to postedit a machine translation.
The course textbook is Jeremy Munday’s Introducing Translation Studies. All other readings will be made available on ICON, including essays by translators and theorists, as well as fictions by Homer, Ovid, the Beowulf author, Ted Chiang, Ivan Vladislavić, and Jorge Luis Borges.