Expansion of fundamental notions and presentation of elaborate structures, present, past and future tenses and different modes. Enriched opportunities to explore Italian culture and develop intercultural skills. Aligned with CEFR level A2 objectives.
Language of instruction: Italian
Recommended prerequisite: ITAL 201
Italian 201 (3) and Italian 202 (3) are the second-year continuation of Italian 102.
The primary aim of the courses is to consolidate students’ oral and written proficiency, to improve their reading and comprehension skills and to promote their awareness of Italian culture. To serve that purpose, the courses are complemented by an interactive approach to the review of the main Italian grammatical points, an introduction to and discussion on cultural topics, such as stereotypes on Italian people and on Italy, Italian society, Made in Italy, principles in Italian cuisine, sport and health. Both courses are based on the guidelines provided by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. In particular, upon successful completion of Italian 201 course, students “understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance such as basic personal and family information, communicate in routine tasks and describe aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters of immediate need”, and are working toward achieving the A2 language level.
The various assessments and evaluation methods which include vocabulary and grammar tests, peer reading exercises, 2-stage oral exams, peer writing, blogs and group videos are tied to overall course goals and objectives and are meant to help the students assess their own progress in all four language skills and on their cultural competency as well. Students prepare the assigned material prior to coming to class and are also expected to complete the online exercises for additional practice and to further interactively their cultural competency. Grammar in class will be covered briefly in order to clarify concepts already studied by students on their own and tested to evaluate accuracy.
At the end of the semester, students will be able to use Italian to talk about themselves, their life, dreams and interests, to describe their likes and dislikes, and to express their thoughts on complex topics. This course includes a number of authentic readings, interviews and videos; it also emphasize vocabulary acquisition and oral and written interactions with the instructor, with other native speakers and classmates. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to talk in Italian about present, past, and future events, understand complex real-life conversations among native speakers and be able to write on a variety of topics.
Note: One section of ITAL 201 will be offered in Hybrid format, which includes a few asynchronous classes.
The department also offers a blended/hybrid version of this course, which includes both face-to-face lessons one or two times a week and a blended/hybrid self-paced component to be completed online. This blended Italian Intermediate Language and Culture course provides students with an interactive learning experience that combines high academic standards with the goal of language comprehension and proficiency. The combination of online and face-to-face activities are engaging and challenging and complement each other. The course is organized in thematic online modules, each focusing on contemporary Italian culture which is explored and discussed through a variety of media, including video interviews, newspaper articles, radio programs and short stories and literary excerpts by some of the best 20th and 21st century Italian writers. Lexicon and grammar reviews and quizzes complement the course and allow students to practice independently. According to the course schedule students are expected to self-direct their learning of the online material for at least two hours a week and complete the assigned homework before attending the one per week face-to-face activities. Time in class will be spent to help students review some of the cultural or communicative aspects, which were presented online and practice their language skills, in small groups of 15 students max. The various assessments and evaluation methods which include vocabulary and grammar tests, video and audio comprehension tests, 2-stage oral exams, and blogs are tied to overall course goals and objectives and are meant to help the students assess their own progress in all four language skills and on their cultural competency as well. All activities and class discussions are conducted in Italian. By the end of the course students are expected to “understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance such as basic personal and family information, communicate in routine tasks, describe aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters of immediate need, write short compositions and messages, handle short social exchanges” (CEFR, A2 language level).
Language of instruction: Italian
Recommended pre-requisite: ITAL 102 or successful completion of CEFR Level A1.
Preparazione 20%
Partecipazione 25%
Quizzes (3) 15%
Prove Orali (2) 15%
Esame Finale Scritto 25%
M. Naddeo, E. Orlandino, Dieci A2, Lezioni di italiano. Alma Edizioni, Firenze, 2019, ISBN 978-88-6182-633-5
Benvenuti to Italian 101, the introductory course to Italian language and culture.
ITAL 101 is the first of a series of language and literature courses offered by the FHIS Department that introduces students to the fundamentals of the Italian language and expands on all language skills (i.e., reading, listening, writing and speaking), (inter)cultural knowledge, and communicative capacity. Throughout the semester, learners develop the ability to listen to, discuss, read and write about themselves and their family, their everyday activities and routine, common pastimes and likings, and learn about and compare their own experiences with those of contemporary Italians. A part from discussing some basic structures and lexicon of Italian language during this course we will also explore a number of interesting cultural topics on contemporary Italy and work through the first level of language acquisition, level A1 or ‘Basic user’, as defined by the Common European Framework (CEFR).
This ITAL course is largely based on the flipped model and it includes a number of learning activities that learners are expected to complete before coming to the in-person classes as a way to ‘prepare’ them to learn more effectively and be ready to engage and practice your newly acquired knowledge through a series of individual and small group activities in class. By asking them to engage independently with relevant activities and exercises before joining a session, we want to help our students recall what they may already know, work at their pace and review the material as many times as they need and ultimately, make better use of your time spent in class.
Each unit is introduced and reviewed through interactive video lessons (10 to 12 video) which present or review the main topics of each unit; other videos instead, focus on grammar points or on communicative functions and are followed by short practice exercises to check students’ progress and strengthen their learning. The course is designed for prospective minors as well as for those simply seeking a first exposure to the language.
Language of instruction: Italian
Prerequisites: No prerequisites
Notes:
20% Preparation
25% Participation
15% Quizzes (3)
15% Oral Assignments
25% Final Written Exam
2% Extra credits*
Required Textbook:
C.M. Naddeo & E. Orlandino, DIECI A1 (Alma Edizioni)
Choose one of the following formats:
Students who choose the eBook-only version will soon receive a special code to purchase it at a discounted price through BlinkLearning.
More information: https://www.almaedizioni.it/en/product/dieci-a1
Instructor: Joël Castonguay-Bélanger
Language of instruction: French
Construction imaginaire d’une alternative face aux limites et aux vices du présent, description d’un espace idéal qui se serait développé dans les marges de l’histoire, l’utopie participe à la fois de la quête d’un monde meilleur et de la critique de l’ordre existant. Parce qu’elle se présente comme l’expression d’une réalité affranchie de la vérité historique, parce que ses auteurs la situent le plus généralement quelque part entre ailleurs et nulle part, l’utopie se retrouve souvent rangée sur le même rayon que celui des œuvres d’imagination.
Depuis le début du XVIe siècle, moment où Thomas More forge le mot, son écriture emprunte les artifices de la fiction. Elle donnera lieu à une riche tradition littéraire qui se déclinera sous différentes formes : récit de voyage fantaisiste, traité politique, législation imaginaire, roman d’anticipation, etc. Si le discours utopique se donne à lire comme la projection d’un imaginaire politique et social enviable, mais le plus souvent irréalisable, celui-ci reste toutefois toujours en prise avec le réel qu’il entend réformer. Nous interroger sur ce statut ambigu de l’imaginaire utopique, tel qu’il se donne à lire sous la plume de quelques auteurs des 18e et 19e siècles, est l’objectif de ce séminaire.
Une sélection de textes et d’extraits de:
Montesquieu
Étienne-Gabriel Morelly
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Denis Diderot
Condorcet
Louis Sébastien Mercier
Saint-Simon
Charles Fourier
Étienne Cabet
Note: FREN 520 may be taken twice, with different content, for a maximum of 6 credits.
Ce cours invite les étudiants à découvrir l’univers des littératures d’expression française afin de se familiariser avec les histoires, géographies et sociétés dont elles émanent. Notre itinéraire, autant transocéanique que transcontinental, nous amène au Québec/Liban, en Algérie, en Haïti, au Libéria et en Corée du Sud. L’étude détaillée du corpus se fait à la lumière d’écrits sur le postcolonialisme et la théorie littéraire. L’objectif est d’encourager une réflexion critique et nuancée sur l’écriture en français dans un contexte global ainsi que d’apprécier la beauté et la diversité des textes façonnés dans cette langue.
Language of instruction: French
Instructor: Antje Ziethen
Participation 20%
Compte rendu critique 10%
Présentation 25%
Travail de recherche 45%
Commedia dell'arte troupe by unknown artist, c. 1580; in the Musée Carnavalet, Paris.
Expect to read some of the most outstanding theatrical plays of the early modern period from a comparative perspective, bringing together texts from various literary traditions. In this course students will explore both the common themes and diverging practices of the Spanish, French, Italian, English and Novohispanic stages. The seminar will examine baroque theatricality, meta-theatricality, stagecraft and the distinct treatment of women in the performance space, while paying particular attention to the varied ways that gender, sex and sexuality are represented. Readings might include plays by Shakespeare, Cervantes, Racine and Calderón; Caro Mallén de Soto, Sor Juana and Aphra Behn; Marlowe, Molière, Machiavelli and Tirso; Lope de Vega, Corneille, Ruiz de Alarcón and Middleton, among other.
Language of instruction: Spanish
Recommended prerequisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish
Este curso se propone examinar la compleja relación entre literatura y derechos humanos en América Latina, desde la llegada de los europeos al Nuevo Mundo hasta hoy en día. Con un enfoque particular en las letras coloniales, nos preguntaremos cuál ha sido el impacto de los abusos y/o la defensa de los derechos humanos en la literatura latinoamericana y, viceversa, cuál es la contribución de la literatura a los debates sobre los derechos humanos. Más específicamente, discutiremos nociones cruciales, como el trauma, el afecto, la resistencia y la descolonización mediante análisis textuales y la lectura crítica de obras secundarias relevantes en torno a los desafíos y limitaciones de la teoría de los derechos humanos (Galeano, Quijano, Sousa Santos, Zavala, Žižek, etc.). Asimismo, recibiremos la visita de miembros de organizaciones no gubernamentales que se dedican a la implementación de los derechos humanos en las Américas.
Lecturas obligatorias:
Las siguientes lecturas estarán disponibles en Canvas:
Ayala, Guamán Poma de. El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno (pasajes)
Barrioso, Mariano, dir. En el tiempo de las mariposas (película)
Casas, Bartolomé de las. Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias (pasajes)
Cruz, Sor Juana Inés de la. Loa al Cetro de José
Dorfman, Ariel. La muerte y la doncella
León-Portilla, Miguel, ed. Visión de los vencidos (pasajes)
Menchú, Rigoberta (y Elisabeth Burgos-Debray, ed.). Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia (pasajes)
Múltiples autores. “43 poetas por Ayotzinapa” (pasajes)
Partnoy, Alicia. La escuelita
Sepúlveda, Juan Ginés de. Demócrates segundo o De las justas causas de la guerra contra los indios (pasajes)
Viscardo y Guzmán, Juan Pablo. Carta a los españoles americanos
Yupanqui, Titu Cusi. Instrucción (pasajes)
Prerequisite: SPAN 221 and SPAN 302
Note:
SPAN 470 may be taken twice for credit, with different content, to a maximum of 6 credits.
Language of Instruction: Spanish
El curso es una introducción al papel de la mujer en España desde el siglo XVIII hasta nuestros días. El énfasis, sin embargo, se pondrá en las aportaciones al discurso feminista español de algunas de estas artistas, escritoras y directoras, sin perder de vista el contexto histórico, político, social, económico y cultural español y europeo en el que se insertan.
Algunas de las preguntas que se plantearán en el curso son: ¿Qué implica ser una escritora, artista o directora de cine en el contexto social y político en el que produce su obra? ¿Cómo se enfrenta la artista a ello y cómo se posiciona en referencia a entidades como la nación y cuestiones como el nacionalismo? ¿Qué problemática específica se le plantea al sujeto femenino en situaciones de colonialismo? ¿En qué manera las mujeres transforman la literatura y el arte de la tradición? ¿Cómo se construye y reinventa el sujeto femenino? ¿Cómo se plantea la cuestión de la identidad sexual y el cuerpo?
OBJETIVOS:
El curso tiene cuatro objetivos centrales:
1) que el estudiante adquiera un visión general e introductoria de la historia de las
mujeres en España durante los siglos XVIII, XIX y XX, en el marco de la historia de las mujeres en Occidente.
2) que el estudiante adquiera una visión introductoria y general de la producción cultural femenina—artística, literaria y fílmica—en España durante esos mismos siglos.
3) que el estudiante explore en detalle la obra de alguna de las directoras de cine o escritoras más destacadas o relevantes de la cultura española:
4) que, en función de todo lo anterior, el estudiante reflexione sobre una diversidad de temas en referencia a la relación entre cultura y mujer, y principalmente desde el punto de vista de las mujeres mismas
Language of instruction: Spanish
Instructor: Dr. María Soledad Fernández Utrera
Recommended pre-requisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.
I took the little book from the angel’s hand, ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey utters John in the Bible. The ancient link between food and books is particularly significant in the Hispanic World where eating has always been essential in defining individuals, groups, cultures, and societies. Through an interdisciplinary approach to Hispanic texts and voices from a wide range of time periods (Don Juan Manuel, Lope de Rueda, Cervantes, Josep Plá, Manuel Vicent, Cabeza de Vaca, Ricardo Palma, Laura Esquivel, Martín Caparrós), this course studies food (everything ingested including liquids and medicines) as a cultural product concocted by forces such as ritualization, colonization, technology, travelling or globalization. We will pay particular attention to the intersections of food with economy, religion, social class, gender, health, and language. IN SPANISH
Prerequisite: SPAN 221 and SPAN 302
Note:
SPAN 405 may be taken twice for credit, with different content, to a maximum of 6 credits.
Language of Instruction: Spanish
Spanish 402 is the next level of language proficiency for those who have completed Span 302, 401, or have an equivalent language competence, and for bilingual students.
With an approach that is communicative and interactive, Span 402 fosters experiential learning and critical reflection through reflection, collaboration, creative writing and community engagement. It aims to refine the skills acquired in Span 302, while broadening students’ knowledge of the Spanish language and the Hispanic world. The course concentrates on key linguistic and contextual concepts, methods, and approaches of discourse analysis, as well as metalinguistic reflection and creative writing exercises.
Students will have the opportunity to consolidate and expand their language and communicative proficiency (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) skills as well as intercultural competencies and creativity. Through the exploration of complex aspects of the language from a discursive perspective, beyond the sentence level, students will delve into syntactic, morphological, and semantic resources through various discursive genres, including literature, criticism, and journalism, practice in academic writing, critical discussions of reading and audiovisual materials
Span 402 gives student the opportunity to put into practice what they learn hands on by engaging actively with the Spanish speaking community, locally and abroad, developing projects through Spanish for Community.
The reading and audiovisual materials are freely accessible online. Instead of a final exam, students will submit a portfolio showcasing best examples of their course work and self reflection. Prerequisites for the course include completion of Span 302, 401, or an equivalent level with permission from the instructor.
The course is focused on:
Learning objectives include:
Developing communication skills and critical thinking skills for addressing social issues and/or for enriching community life though community engaged language projects.
Prerequisite: SPAN 302 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.
Language of instruction: Spanish