French Courses
Intensive introduction to French grammar and vocabulary. Emphasis on reading and translation skills. Preparation of the French reading examination. For students in graduate programs campus-wide.
Continued study of grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on further developing reading and translation skills.
Basic research tools and techniques.
The analysis and various practical applications of selected teaching techniques.
In this course, students will explore procedures commonly used within a qualitative research framework in applied linguistics and second language studies. Students will examine a range of qualitative research methodologies, such as case study, narrative inquiry, participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, discourse analysis and experience collecting data through selected methods. We will discuss the Institutional Review Board process, the general organization of a research report and how qualitative research evidence can be evaluated. Critical examination of published research will enable students to reflect on the connection between research questions, data collection instruments, and analysis procedures. Students will develop their own research proposal using one of the qualitative research methodologies discussed in the course.
Topics vary. Analysis of major issues, theories, research findings and their implications for teaching. Examples: second language reading, classroom language acquisition. May be repeated for credit.
This course aims to introduce students to the main theories, ideas, notions, terms, and practices in Discourse Analysis. Being interdisciplinary in both content and methodology , topics of Discourse Analysis vary considerably from Discourse , Text , Communication Constraints (both system and ritual constraints), Power and Solidarity , Identity, Gender, Discourse and Culture, Voice and Ideology, Stereotyping/Political Correctness, Code-switching and Negotiation of meaning, Critical Discourse Analysis, Contextual features and text analysis, Schemata , Stylistics, Discourse and Pragmatics to co-textual relations. Applying a multidisciplinary approach, this course examines written and spoken languages/texts as a springboard to understand not only the linguistic qualities of socially situated language use but also, more importantly, the impact of surrounding discourse(s) on people’s beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, actions, interactions, and social behaviors.
Introduction to phonetic theory and corrective phonetics aimed at mastery of French pronunciation. Instruction on the articulation of the sounds of French, the phonetic transcription of French, and the correspondence between the sounds of French and its standard orthography. Frequent practice exercises.
Prominent themes of the African experience, seen through the eyes of Francophone authors and cinematographers of Sub-Saharan Africa and the diaspora.
Exploration of the political, technological, and cultural movements of post-revolutionary France from 1789 to the present through the evolution of its democratic institutions. The first half of the semester will explore the history of democratic movements and institutions in France from the Revolution until the second World War; the second half of the semester will focus on issues facing contemporary France, including decolonization, the rise of the European Union, and the current migrant crisis.
Culture, language, image, and narrative as uniquely captured and represented in French Bande Dessinée. Recognized and developed as an art form in the Francophone spaces of Europe and beyond, graphic novels and comics incorporate a wide spectrum of topics, resulting in complex representations, both factual and fictional. The development and methods of the medium, especially in France and Belgium, are highlighted, as well as the semiotics of the multimodal systems used in the creation of comics.
This course explores the diverse religious traditions of Francophone Africa, examining the cultural, historical, and linguistic contexts that shape these traditions. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will delve into the rich tapestry of beliefs, rituals, and cosmologies found in French-speaking African countries.
Focus on the reinvention of French poetry during the 16th century by poets such as Marot, Scève, Louise Labé, Du Bellay, Ronsard.
Study of 16th-century narrative and intellectual works by authors such as Rabelais, Marguerite de Navarre, Montaigne, La Boétie.
17th century French literature.
Verse writings of the 17th century including, but not limited, to the pre-classical poets (such as Saint-Amant and de Viau) and the dramatic works in verse (such as the plays of Corneille, Molière and Racine).
In this course we will study key works of the French Enlightenment, a thorough knowledge of which is essential to understanding both the modern and the postmodern intellectual scene.
Readings in poetry, theatre and prose either genre-specific or in combination, generally focusing on the first or latter half of the century in order to consider movements in literary thought. May be repeated for credit.
Major novelists of the period and their works. Reading and discussion of complete texts; lectures and reports.
Major trends in 20th and 21st Century French poetry , theater, essays, and history of ideas. Seminar including lectures and reports.
A study of the history, culture and literature of Québec and French Canada, with emphasis on the modern period.
Linguistics theory applied to the analysis and description of French phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical systems. Tendencies of change in contemporary French. Dialect areas.
Study of the problems of translation and of translation strategies addressing them, in connection with relevant theoretical approaches.
In depth study of French or Francophone literature, linguistics, civilization, or a combination. Emphasis on research and analytic skills. May be repeated for credit.
This course is a study of selected topics and resources in Economic Development which provides an in-depth examination of the economic challenges, opportunities, and strategies related to the development of African countries. The course explores the complex factors that have shaped the economic landscape of the African continent, including historical, political, social, and environmental dimensions. Throughout the course, students will study the diverse economies of African countries, analyzing key economic indicators, development theories, and policy frameworks. Students will explore the major sectors driving economic growth, such as agriculture, industry, and services, and examine the role of natural resources and international trade in Africa's economic development.
This course is a study of selected topics and resources in professional skills development, including an introduction to critical approaches, scholarly writing, access to US academia job market and issues in the profession. Designed as an introductory course for new graduate students as well as a preparatory course for ABDs.
Critical study of motion pictures produced in French with emphasis on student research and presentations. Film screenings are a necessary part of this course.
This course is a graduate seminar that focuses on writings on immigration in the context of all movement of immigrants in the French-speaking world, not just the French metropole and its immigrant neighborhoods. Writings cover a range of experiences and social classes, from an elite class of immigrants to clandestine immigration. Interdisciplinary critical theory is an important tool in literary analysis for this course.
Special topics in relation to French or Francophone literature, linguistics, civilization, or a combination. Emphasis on research and analytic skills. May be repeated for credit.
Directed Readings / Directed Study.
No description available.
No description available.
May take the form of either a graduate seminar or individual research, as circumstances warrant. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
This course is designed to allow students to pursue independent exploration of a particular field or topical area, under the guidance of an advisor, leading to the production of a prospectus for the doctoral dissertation. Material covered will be of an advanced nature aimed at providing students with an understanding of current developments within the field. Discussion and advisor guidance will be focused on readings and methodologies that allow students to develop their research capacity, independent thought, and the ability to interpret professional and/or research materials in their field. Credit hours may vary in accordance with a number of factors, but typically the doctoral candidate must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 credit hours every fall and spring semester until the dissertation has been successfully defended and submitted to the Office of the Graduate School.
No description available.
German Courses
Introduction to German grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on developing basic reading and translation skills.
Continued study of grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on further developing reading and translation skills.
The relationship to Indo-European and to the other Germanic dialects; linguistic development from the earliest times to the present.
Analysis of basic concepts and practical applications of foreign language teaching and learning.
Introduction to the language and literature of the Middle High German period.
Advanced introduction to various levels of historical language change. Variety of language used for examples.
Works from the Renaissance (including literature from the Reformation and Humanism) and the Baroque (17th century).
Includes the German Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, Weimar Classicism, and the Romantic movement.
Special Problems / Directed Readings.
Special topics chosen by students in conference with the instructor.
Students will normally give reports and write at least one research paper.
Students will normally give reports and write at least one research paper.
No description available.
Latin Courses
No description available.
Romance Languages Courses
In this course, students will explore procedures commonly used within a qualitative research framework in applied linguistics and second language studies. Students will examine a range of qualitative research methodologies, such as case study, narrative inquiry, participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, discourse analysis and experience collecting data through selected methods. We will discuss the Institutional Review Board process, the general organization of a research report and how qualitative research evidence can be evaluated. Critically examination of published research will enable students to reflect on the connection between research questions, data collection instruments, and analysis procedures. Students will develop their own research proposal using one of the qualitative research methodologies discussed in the course.
Topics vary. Analysis of major issues, theories, research findings and their implications for teaching. Examples: second language reading, emotions in second language acquisition. May be repeated for credit.
Advanced introduction to various levels of historial language change. Variety of language families used for examples.
In this course students are introduced to statistical methods that are commonly used in quantitative linguistics research, with examples drawn from a variety of languages and dialects. In doing so, they will gain an understanding of the types of computations involved, as well as a familiarity with some of the software currently used in statistical analysis. Students will also gain experience in how to interpret and explain statistical findings in relation to data sets. The goals of this course are to prepare students to be conversant in basic statistical methods in order to understand published research findings in linguistics, to discuss research design with statistical consultants, and to conduct their own field research projects, targeting any language or dialect, according to common data collection techniques. The course if repeatable for credit when curriculum varies.
A critical component of any research is making sure that it is centered upon a sound methodological base. When it comes to studying languages and the speakers of those languages, there are many challenges that are specific to researching bilingualism, and it is important to take into account all the unique considerations. This course serves as a general overview of common issues and best practices in bilingualism research, and it also provides hands-on training for how to go about designing an experimental study on bilingualism, collecting quantitative data, and analyzing the results both descriptively and using statistical tests.
Study and critical application of literary theory.
Topics may be in literature, linguistics, civilization, or a combination. Topics may pertain solely to one or more of the Romance Languages or to an array of languages including one or more of the Romance Languages. May be repeated for credit.
Topics may be in literature, linguistics, civilization, or a combination. Topics may pertain solely to one or more of the Romance Languages or to an array of languages including one or more of the Romance Languages. May be repeated for credit.
Broadly defined, pragmatics is the study of the use of language in context, including interlocutors, the time, place, and topic of the communication situation, and shared community rules for performing in an appropriate way according to the above parameters. During this graduate level introduction to pragmatics, some of the typical topics explore main theories around relating to others in socially and contextually appropriate ways, politeness, relevance, cooperation and taking turns in conversation, and cross-cultural and sociocultural variation.
The majority of the world speaks more than one language. This linguistics course explores the myths and realities of being bilingual. Areas of study include how to define the term, bilingual first language acquisition, and other cognitive and/or psycholinguistic aspects regarding individuals who speak more than one language. This course also touches upon the best methods for conducting research on bilingualism.
Non-thesis research.
Thesis research.
Topics may be interdisciplinary or language-specific. Topics may include literature, linguistics, culture or a combination. A special topics course in Italian or Italian studies is offered on occasion. May be repeated for credit.
This independent study course is designed to allow students to pursue independent exploration of a particular field or topical area, under the guidance of an advisor, leading to the production of a prospectus for the doctoral dissertation. Material covered will be of an advanced nature aimed at providing students with an understanding of current developments within the field. Discussion and advisor guidance will be focused on readings and methodologies that allow students to develop their research capacity, independent thought, and the ability to interpret professional and/or research materials in their field. Credit hours may vary in accordance with a number of factors, but typically the doctoral candidate must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 credit hours every fall and spring semester until the dissertation has been successfully defended and submitted to the Office of the Graduate School.
Dissertation research.
Spanish Courses
In-depth analysis of fundamental concepts in foreign language learning and teaching. Topics include grammar and vocabulary acquisition, classroom discourse, reading and listening comprehension, writing and principles of language testing.
Introduction to Spanish grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on developing basic reading and translation skills.
In-depth study of texts from the colonial period, with emphasis on colonialism and the role of writing in colonization and decolonization. Readings may vary. May be repeated for credit when the content varies substantially.
In-depth study of major literary works of the period, with emphasis on Romanticism, social Romanticism, and Romantic realism. Readings may vary. May be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of complete texts representative of the literary movements of the period; lectures and reports.
In this course students are introduced to statistical methods that are commonly used in quantitative linguistics research, including Hispanic linguistics. In doing so, they will gain an understanding of the types of computations involved, as well as a familiarity with some of the software currently used in statistical analysis. Students will also gain experience in how to interpret and explain statistical findings in relation to data sets. The goals of this course are to prepare students to be conversant in basic statistical methods in order to understand published research findings in linguistics, to discuss research design with statistical consultants, and to conduct their own field research projects focusing on Hispanic linguistics according to common data collection techniques. The course if repeatable for credit when curriculum varies.
A critical component of any research is making sure that it is centered upon a sound methodological base. When it comes to studying languages and the speakers of those languages, there are many challenges that are specific to researching bilingualism, and it is important to take into account all the unique considerations. This course serves as a general overview of common issues and best practices in bilingualism research, and it also provides hands-on training for how to go about designing an experimental study on bilingualism, collecting quantitative data, and analyzing the results both descriptively and using statistical tests.
Reading and discussion of texts representative of the literary movements of the period. Lectures, discussions, and reports. May be repeated for credit.
This course explores texts that were created from a female perspective. A selection of short stories, novels, plays, films, and poems by Spanish women writers, artists and filmmakers are covered throughout the semester. Students will discuss representative women authors and analyze how their works represent changes in feminine preoccupations. Repeatable for credit when subject matter varies.
In-depth study of the relationship between history, memory, fiction and identity in Spain. This seminar will explore the reconstruction of the Spanish Civil War and dictatorship as depicted in literature and film.
Topics will include: National Identity, Immigration, Social Changes, Economic Crisis and Family Dynamics. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
This course offers a critical approach to Hispanic works by analyzing significant trends in cultural understandings and representations of gender in society. Repeatable for credit when topics vary.
This course offers a critical approach to an extensive corpus of representative texts belonging to the Latin American short story genre. It seeks to provide a theoretical model that understands central aspects of the genre within the context of the formation of national States, for which literature, and literary genres and movements (Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism) become agents for social change. Repeatable for credit when topics vary.
This course is a graduate seminar on Spanish literature. This interdisciplinary course examines the origins and evolution of honor in Spain throughout history, as well as the courtly archetype of masculinity that was its center. Students will discuss some of the most representative authors who write about honor issues and analyze how their work represents the creation of a societal honor code, the requisites it demands of Spaniards as well as the effects of its fulfillment – and unfulfillment – for men and women. Through these canonical works students will assess both the rigidity as well as fragility of said code, revealing how easily it may be broken, paradoxically, by following its own precepts.
Linguistic theory applied to the analysis of the Spanish language. Topics include phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language change and variation.
Students are to examine various topics related to Spanish linguistics. Specific topics may be primarily theoretical, applied or descriptive in nature, or a combination, and may be narrowly focused or may pertain to a wide variety of dialects. Weekly in-class discussions based on readings and other assigned activities prepare students for the final project, which is typically both oral and written and which involves the application of the various theoretical, critical and methodological approaches acquired in the seminar.
Students are to examine various topics related to Spanish language use in public spaces and in media, and related language attitudes. Ideologies about dialect variation, globalization, and standardization are explored. Specific topics may be primarily theoretical or descriptive in nature, or a combination, and may be narrowly focused or may pertain to a wide variety of dialects. Weekly in-class discussions based on readings and other assigned activities prepare students for the final project, which is typically both oral and written and which involves the application of the various theoretical, critical and methodological approaches acquired in the course. Repeatable for credit when topics vary.
In this course, the development of the Spanish language in a variety of contexts is considered from the perspective of language contact. That is, theoretical and methodological approaches to Spanish language contact are examined according to different geographical regions (Spain, Latin America, United States), to different languages in contact (Indoeuropean languages, autochthonous languages, indigenous languages, other language families), and to different types of outcomes of contact (regional variants, mixed languages, creoles). Both foundational research on language contact and more recent research are reviewed. Examination of internal and external factors that contribute to Spanish language variation and change are discussed.
Students are to examine various topics related to Spanish linguistics, theoretical or applied. Weekly in-class discussions based on readings and other assigned activities prepare students for the final project, which is typically both oral and written and which involves the application of the various theoretical, critical and methodological approaches acquired in the seminar.
Analysis of major issues, theories, research findings, and their implications for teaching. Examples: second language reading, classroom language acquisition, input/output, acquisition of pragmatics. May be repeated for credit.
This seminar serves an introduction the linguistic discipline of theoretical syntax. The objective will be to present the basic notions of a generative grammar. This will be accomplished by studying universal linguistic principles, while also understanding linguistic variation via the systematic options provided by such principles. Specifically, the course will cover the elementary syntactic aspects of phrase structure, the lexicon, Case theory, and movement; it will also include more advanced topics, such as covert movement, locality conditions, control, auxiliaries, ellipsis, and so on.
Detailed examination of Spanish phonetics including dialectical variations.
This course provides students with an examination of the evolution of Spanish from Latin to modern Spanish. Both internal and external factors will be addressed, including sound change, word formation, syntax and vocabulary, as well as influence from other languages. In doing so, students will be able to observe how variation in earlier forms of Spanish has led to the creation of different dialects found in modern Spanish. Students will also have the opportunity to analyze medieval and classical Spanish texts in order to trace the development of Spanish along different levels of linguistic analysis. The role of orthography at the various stages of evolution will also be addressed. Taught in Spanish.
Pragmatics is the study of the use of language in context, including interlocutors, the time, place, and topic of the communication situation, and shared community rules for performing in an appropriate way according to the above parameters. During this introduction to pragmatics, some of the typical topics explore main theories around relating to others in socially and contextually appropriate ways, politeness, relevance, cooperation and taking turns in conversation, and cross-cultural and sociocultural variation.
The majority of the world speaks more than one language. This linguistics course explores the myths and realities of being bilingual. Areas of study include how to define the term, bilingual first language acquisition, and other cognitive and/or psycholinguistic aspects regarding individuals who speak more than one language. This course also touches upon the best methods for conducting research on bilingualism.
In this course, variation in Spanish is studied from a dialectal perspective, which incorporates examination of geographic differences in Spanish at the lexical, phonological, and morphosyntactic levels. Related sociopolitical contexts in which the dialects have developed are considered. The role of dialectology in the broader analysis of language variation and change is also addressed. Research methodology in dialectology is discussed in relation to language use in the regions of origin and among the Spanish-speaking diaspora. Taught in Spanish.
In this course, the use of Spanish in the Spanish-speaking world is explored from a variety of perspectives within the field of sociolinguistics. Spanish language variation and change is examined at the sound, word, and phrase levels, along with the social factors that contribute to this change (e.g., age, education, gender, and language attitudes). The specific role of languages in contact and bilingualism within the Spanish-speaking world is also addressed. Taught in Spanish.
Special topics courses, with variable subject matter, relating to any area of Spanish language, literature, culture or linguistics/ Repeatable for credit because topics vary.
Works of Cervantes.
Reading and discussion of selected works of the period.
Reading and discussion of selected works of the period.
No description available.
No description available.
May take the form of either a graduate seminar or individual research, as circumstances warrant.
Seminar on Spanish American Literature.
This independent study course is designed to allow students to pursue independent exploration of a particular field or topical area, under the guidance of an advisor, leading to the production of a prospectus for the doctoral dissertation. Material covered will be of an advanced nature aimed at providing students with an understanding of current developments within the field. Discussion and advisor guidance will be focused on readings and methodologies that allow students to develop their research capacity, independent thought, and the ability to interpret professional and/or research materials in their field. Credit hours may vary in accordance with a number of factors, but typically the doctoral candidate must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 credit hours every fall and spring semester until the dissertation has been successfully defended and submitted to the Office of the Graduate School.
No description available.