Note: The Department Waitlist policy for all courses is 2 – Go
to the department office to get on a waitlist, and then attend the first class meeting. Policies and procedures for handling the waitlist will be explained there.
Students wanting to begin language study, at a level other than first year, must take a placement exam to be held on January 6.
Culture Courses
250. Undergraduate Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Culture. No
knowledge of any Asian language required. (3). (HU). May be repeated
with department permission.
Section 003 – Bhagavad-Gita: The Activist View of Hinduism. This class introduces Hinduism to students through an intensive study of this single most important scriptural
text, the Bhagavad-Gita. We spend half the time going over the
text-in-translation, chapter by chapter. The other half of the
class time is devoted to critical issues relating to the text, i.e., history of the text, its transmission, its location
within the history of Hinduism, its connections with political/cultural
history, its ancient and modern interpretations. The grade is
based on class participation, two papers, and two in-class examinations.
(Deshpande)
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Times, Location, and Availability
321. Sikh History II (19th Century-Present).
(3). (HU).
The aim of this course
is to study the five phases of Sikh history (1800-Present), beginning
with the Sikh kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The emphasis will
be on religious and cultural transformation that took place under the British Raj. We will examine a series of socio-religious movements
of late 19th and early 20th centuries that gave rise to a modern
Sikh identity. Particular attention will be paid to the Singh
Sabha and the Akali movements. We will also examine the Sikh situation
between 1925 and Independence, and will end the course with the
last phase of Sikh history in independent India (1947-Present).
A particular attention will be paid to the role of the diaspora
Sikh community in establishing Sikh self-understanding and examine the issue of Sikh fundamentalism within the context of the rise
of Hindu fundamentalism in the present day India. An essay of
3,000 words will carry 30% of the course marks. There will be
two tests: a midterm worth 20% and a final worth 30%. The remaining
20% of marks will be allotted to the presentation and participation
in tutorial discussions. Texts include: The New Cambridge
History of India: The Sikhs of the Punjab by Grewal, The
History of the Sikhs, Vol II by K. Singh, and Construction
of Religious Boundaries by Oberoi. WL:2 (Singh)
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Times, Location, and Availability
420.
Hindi-Urdu Poetry from 1800 to the Present. S&SEA 206, 316, 366, or 405. (3).
(HU).
Section 001 – Urdu Poetry.
This course covers different genres of Urdu poetry from the 18th
century up to modern times. Students read, discuss, and write
about Urdu poetry in Urdu. The course explores salient features
of South Asian Muslim society. The tradition of writing and presenting
ghazals and other kinds of poetry is examined in its social context.
The course tries to answer the question 'what is poetry?' We will
examine traditional aesthetic theories and see what are defined
as important elements of poetry in South Asian poetics. We will
discuss the parda system in South Asian Muslim society
and its impact on Urdu poetry, particularly on the Urdu ghazal.
We will explore the development of the idea of the feminine in
Urdu poetry and compare poetry composed by male and female poets
to isolate salient features of both. There will be several quizzes, a midterm, and a final exam. WL:2 (Siddiqi)
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Times, Location, and Availability
S&SEA Language Courses
102. Beginning Thai. S&SEA 101. (5). (LR).
Standard Thai, the language
of Thailand, is typical of several Asian languages in its grammar
and tonal pronunciation. The focus of the course is the use of
language in everyday situations. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to conduct conversations dealing
with several survival concerns, e.g., introduction, ordering
food, transportation, banking, post-office trip, shopping, etc.
From the first day of class, students will learn Thai scripts
and will be able to read course materials and short passages in
Thai at the end of the term. Writing assignments are also assigned.
Thai cultures, history, geography, etc., will be offered
both in the content of the language lessons and supplementary
presentations. Placement test required before registration. WL:2 (Krishnamra)
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Times, Location, and Availability
104. Beginning Indonesian. S&SEA 103. (5). (LR).
Indonesian is the national
language of Indonesia, a country noted for its rich and deep cultural
heritage as well as for its remarkable cultural diversity. With
its 180 million speakers, Indonesian is the sixth most prevalently
spoken of the world languages. The relatively simple syntactic
and grammatical structures which characterize Indonesian make
it an accessible language for native speakers of English. The
elementary course comprises a two-term sequence designed to provide the student with a basic working knowledge of the Indonesian language.
The course aims at the acquisition of the four basic language
skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – in modern
Indonesian. The class emphasizes aural-oral exercises and practice
and the learning of culture throughout the course. The text used
is keyed to a set of tapes for use in the language lab and concentrates
on practical knowledge of the language. Evaluation is based on
classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final
exam. WL:2 (Sudarsih)
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Times, Location, and Availability
106. Elementary Hindi-Urdu. S&SEA 105 or 305. No credit granted
to those who have completed or are enrolled in S&SEA 315 or
365. (4). (LR).
S&SEA 106 is the
second course in the first year sequence of Hindi-Urdu courses.
Hindi and Urdu are the respective national languages of India
and Pakistan. The course meets four hours per week in four sessions.
Only the Devanagari writing system (for Hindi) is introduced.
Nastaliq (for Urdu) comes in the second year. The course concentrates
on developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and aural
comprehension. Evaluation is based on attendance, written homework
assignments, quizzes, dictations, and examinations. WL:2 (Siddiqi)
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Times, Location, and Availability
108. Beginning Tagalog. S&SEA 107. (4). (LR).
Tagalog/Filipino is the national language of the Philippines. Beginning Tagalog is
a two-term sequence designed to give the student who has little
or no knowledge of Tagalog the necessary basis for learning to
speak it and to have an acquaintance with the cultural context
in which it functions. Tagalog is particularly interesting in the way it has integrated the broad influences of both Spanish
and English into its own syntactic and semantic systems. The oral
approach is greatly emphasized in the classroom, using questions
and answers and short dialogues to develop active use of the language
in the most natural way possible. This is complemented by the
use of taped lessons. Evaluation is based on frequent short quizzes, class performance, and a final examination. At the end of the this course, the student should be able to handle brief exchanges
in common social situations and to read and write simple dialogues
and letters in Tagalog. Text is Conversational Tagalog: A
Functional-Situational Approach by Teresita Ramos. Supplementary
readings and visual presentations will be provided when appropriate.
WL:2 (Agas Weller)
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Times, Location, and Availability
110.
Beginning Sanskrit. S&SEA
109. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in S&SEA 369. (3). (LR).
This course will work toward
developing a proficiency with the basic tools necessary to read
and write Sanskrit, the classical language of India. Lessons will
include study of the script (Devanagari), elementary grammar and vocabulary. The grade will be based on completion of regular homework
assignments, weekly quizzes, a midterm and a final exam. (Deshpande)
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Times, Location, and Availability
112. Beginning Punjabi. S&SEA 111. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in S&SEA 371. (4). (LR).
This course is the continuation
of the Beginning Punjabi. It will include reading and writing
(Gurmukhi script) as well as the spoken language. Students will
be encouraged to begin basic conversation in class. The written
aspects of language will be introduced through graded readings
and written exercises. The emphasis will be on basic constructions, composition, vocabulary development, and conversational skills.
The grammatical parts of speech and inflection will be introduced
in this term. A particular attention will be paid toward developing
a basic practical proficiency in the language. Students will be
introduced to the rich cultural heritage of the Punjab. A video
film will be shown to examine the spoken language of the Punjab.
Throughout the course the students will be encouraged to communicate
in Punjabi language. There will be two tests: a midterm worth
20%, and a final worth 30%. In addition there will be homework
assignments worth 30%. The remaining 20% of marks will be allotted
to oral communication, dictation, and instructor's own evaluation.
Texts: An Intensive course in Punjabi by Bhatia, Introductory
Course in Spoken Punjabi by Bahri, and a Reference Grammar
of Punjabi by Gill and Gleason. WL:2 (Singh)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
114. Elementary Tamil. S&SEA 113. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in S&SEA 373. (4). (LR).
This course offers an
introduction to Tamil cultures, language, land, literature, and introduction to Tamil script. This is one of the two classical
languages of India and one among the Dravidian languages with
rich literary tradition dated back to 300 BC. This language is
largely spoken in Tamil nadu, which is in the southern part of
India and also in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, Mauritius, and South Africa. In this course all the basic language skills
(writing, reading, speaking, and listening) will be covered. At the end of the course the students will be able to: (1) perceive
and reproduce the sounds and their meaning full sequences; (2)
form sentences usually from given patterns and lexical itery;
(3) converse with the fellow students on specific topics under
controlled situations; (4) narrate specified events and topics
orally; (5) read simple and graded passages with comprehension;
(6) write simple complex sentences and compositions both guided
and free. WL:2 (Radhakrishnan)
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Times, Location, and Availability
116. Beginning Vietnamese. S&SEA 115. (5). (LR).
This course continues
and develops the students' proficiency in the four basic language
skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – of the only
language of more than 72 million Vietnamese speakers. The course
emphasizes aural-oral practices and vocabulary building. Supplementary
materials distributed throughout the course will provide the students
some knowledge of the Vietnamese culture. Students will be encouraged
to communicate in the target language, and classes will be largely
conducted in Vietnamese. Course evaluation will be graded on classroom
attendance and performance, home assignments, tests, and a final
examination. WL:2 (Nguyen)
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Times, Location, and Availability
202. Intermediate Thai. S&SEA 201. (4). (LR).
This course continues
and extends the four skills students developed in Thai 201. Reading
and discussion as well as written assignments from authentic materials
will be covered. Also, discussions on topics interesting to students
will be covered in order to increase speaking fluency. Class is
conducted largely in Thai. Students are required to actively participate
in class. WL:2 (Krishnamra)
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Times, Location, and Availability
204. Intermediate Indonesian. S&SEA 203. (4). (LR).
The course is aimed
at increasing the student's proficiency in the four basic language
skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – in modern
Indonesian. Although increasing emphasis is given to the development
of reading and writing skills, listening and speaking constitute
an integral part of the course which is conducted entirely in
Indonesian. Vocabulary building and instruction in matters of
cross-cultural sensitivity are of great importance. The primary
text used is keyed to a knowledge of the language. Supplementary
materials introduce the student to reading modern Indonesian literature.
Evaluation is based on classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final exam. WL:2 (Sudarsih)
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Times, Location, and Availability
206. Intermediate Hindi-Urdu. S&SEA 205. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in S&SEA 316 or 366. (4).
(LR).
Section 001 and 002 – Hindi.
This course is intended to increase students' skills and proficiency
in speaking, comprehending, reading, and writing the Devanagari
(Hindi) script. Evaluation is based on attendance, written homework
assignments, quizzes, dictations, and examinations. WL:2 (Kumar)
Section 003 – Urdu. Students are introduced to the Nastaliq
(Urdu) writing system. Evaluation is based on attendance, written
homework assignments, quizzes, dictations, and examinations. WL:2 (Bashir)
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Times, Location, and Availability
208. Intermediate Tagalog. S&SEA 207. (3). (LR).
This course is designed
to increase the student's proficiency in reading, speaking, understanding, and writing the Tagalog/Filipino language. The format will be
as follows: two class hours a week will be devoted to readings
and grammar review, one class hour a week will be devoted to guided
conversation. Readings will be assigned, and these will provide the framework for the discussion of grammatical points and question-and-answer
sessions in Tagalog on the content of the texts. There will be
quizzes, written assignments, a midterm, and a final examination.
By the end of the term, students should have acquired sufficient
competence to handle longer conversations, write letters and brief
essays, read certain plays, and (with the aid of a dictionary)
newspapers and magazines. Course text is Intermediate Tagalog, Developing Cultural Awareness Through Language by Teresita
Ramos and Rosalina Morales Goulet. Supplementary readings and visual aids will be provided when appropriate. WL:2 (Agas Weller)
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Times, Location, and Availability
214(436). Intermediate Tamil. S&SEA 213. No credit granted to those
who have completed or are enrolled in S&SEA 374. (3). (LR).
This course is designed
to further students skills in speaking and writing, and development
of vocabulary as well as increase their proficiency in reading
and comprehension. A standard textbook is used, supplemented by
HyperCard Tamil software consisting of a sequence of graded dialogues
chosen from daily conversations and Tamil movies. Evaluation is
based on classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final exam. WL:2 (Radhakrishnan)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
216. Intermediate Vietnamese. S&SEA 215. (4). (LR).
This course continues
to develop the students' four language skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing – in Vietnamese. Although emphasis is given
to the development of reading and writing skills, supplementary
materials distributed throughout the term will provide the students
with knowledge of various sociocultural aspects of Vietnam. By the end of the course, students should have acquired sufficient
competence to handle casual conversation, write short compositions, and read Vietnamese newspapers. Evaluation will be based on class
attendance and performance, home assignments, tests, and a final
examination. WL:2 (Nguyen)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
402. Advanced Thai. S&SEA 401. (3). (Excl).
In this course students
will complete the move from material written specifically for
foreign language learners to "real" Thai, including
such genres as newspaper articles, essays, and fiction. Class
discussion of the reading selections and other topics will be
in Thai, giving students the chance to acquire more sophisticated
oral skills such as those of advancing and supporting opinions
and interpretations. Written assignments will advance students'
facility at writing Thai. WL:2 (Krishnamra)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
404. Advanced Indonesian. S&SEA 403. (3). (Excl).
The course is aimed
at the further development of the students' proficiency in the
four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in modern Indonesian. The course work is designed to
improve the students' command of basic grammatical structures
as well as to build advanced vocabulary. Sociocultural orientation
will increase the student's familiarity with the important sociolinguistic
aspects of Indonesian language use. The course stresses active
manipulation of practical vocabulary for both formal and informal
language situations. Readings further the student's exposure to
modern Indonesian literature. Evaluation is based on classroom
performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final exam or
project. WL:2 (Sudarsih)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
414(536). Advanced Tamil. S&SEA 413. (3). (Excl).
This course is designed
to further the students' skills in understanding the diglossic
nature of Tamil and different styles of writing. As well, students
will continue to learn about the history of Tamil literature and the land, as well as increase their proficiency in reading novels
and modern poetry. A standard set of text books is used. Further, students will be required to listen to and comprehend graded dialogues
chosen from daily conversations, public speeches, and movies.
Evaluation is based on classroom performance, assignments, weekly
tests, and a final exam. WL:2 (Radhakrishnan)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
416(598). Advanced Vietnamese. S&SEA 415. (3). (Excl).
This course aims at
improving the students' proficiency in reading and writing, although
increasing emphasis is given to text analysis and discussion.
A wide selection of materials, ranging from literary books to
newspapers, folk stories and other economic and cultural articles, will provide the students opportunities to get acquainted with
various sociocultural aspects of Vietnam. Course evaluation will
be graded on classroom attendance and performance, homework assignments, and a final examination. WL:2 (Nguyen)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
464. Advanced Readings of Modern Indonesian
Texts II. S&SEA
404. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
The course is designed
to introduce the student to critical readings of modern Indonesian
texts. A reading and speaking knowledge of modern Indonesian is
prerequisite. With an emphasis on text analysis, the student is
required to produce critical commentaries on (and sometimes translations
of) selected passages from a variety of assigned texts. The course
is run as a seminar with discussion conducted in Indonesian. Evaluation
is based on the written assignments and classroom performance.
WL:2 (Florida/Sudarsih)
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
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