Students will understand how French society is a dynamic
multicultural construct, as they learn about France’s changing
place in the world, the changing role of women in French society
and changing demographics, especially North African immigrants
to France through reading recent novels or short stories
representing these issues. As part of the analysis of these
works, students will study the historical dimensions of the
social phenomena and the historical reasons for the current
situation. Conducted in French.
This course introduces students to the texts and contexts of
contemporary Francophone African societies through an in-depth
analysis of geography, history, politics, music, art, cultures,
film, literature, and the media. It examines some of the
underlying reasons for French (European) interest in Central and
West Africa. It discusses historical issues such as Slave Trade,
colonialism, neo-colonialism, globalization, post colonialism,
and the role they have played in creating the discontinuities
between the African past and the present, tradition and
modernity. It will also deal with these historical events’
contribution to the shaping of the African identity or
identities and how they helped in the invention of new
traditions. We will also study the question of the French
language both as a vehicle for the dissemination of culture and
as a prison-house from whence Africans seek to liberate
themselves through the process of Africanization or
indigenization. Additionally the course deals with African
intellectual responses to historical situations above through
the study of such movements as Négritude, whose basic thrust is
a return to traditional African sources as a way to reconstruct
its past and to recapture those elements of traditions that had
been systematically suppressed by the colonialists. We will also
discuss the role of women both in the contexts of traditions and
the post-colonial society. Conducted in French.
Experience in teaching French in the classroom or with
individual students under the supervision of an instructor.
Offered on a credit/no credit basis.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
This program includes residency in the Gerstacker
International House for one semester and active participation in
weekly programs in the student’s respective language house as
well as in cultural events for all International House
residents. Students will add this course the first week of
classes, once they have moved in to the I-House.
German
GERMAN 101 (1 unit)
MWF 2:10 - 3:00pm
Elementary German
(+ a 1hr tutorial with NativeSpeaker T.A.)
CRN 6289
Global Studies
Perry Myers
Note: Students who have taken more than one year of German in
high school must take the placement test before enrolling in this
course.
The main goal of this course is for you
to achieve a basic proficiency in communicating in the German
language. You will learn to speak German as well as understand
it in spoken and written form. An equally important aspect of
the course that is connected to Albion’s goal of preparing
students to be globally competent citizens is that you will be
introduced to the political, cultural and social landscape of
German-speaking countries. Getting to know more about German
culture will enable you to reflect on similarities ad
differences between a foreign culture and your own. In this
sense the course will literally “bring the world to the
classroom” thereby allowing you a deeper and more profound
understanding of that world.
Please be aware that this course also consists of a weekly 1
hour tutorial with the Native Speaker Teaching Assistant. This
will be scheduled during the first week of class.
GERMAN 201 (1 unit) MWF 1:10 –
2:00pm
Intermediate German
(+ a 1hr tutorial with Native Speaker T.A.)
CRN 6290
Global Studies
Perry Myers
Prerequisite: German 102 or equivalent.
This class will focus on increasing students’ ability to
communicate in German. Students will participate in a wide range
of cultural and linguistic activities. In a dynamic and friendly
atmosphere students will work towards increasing their knowledge
of different aspects of German, Swiss and Austrian culture. A
key component of the class will be active student participation.
Interviews, partner-exercises and group discussions will
generate a lively, on-going conversation about contemporary
culture in German speaking countries. Analyzing different genres
such as poetry, prose, drama, as well as different forms of
media: television, radio, the internet and film will inspire you
to think of areas in German studies you would like to find out
more about. The other important goal will be to solidify your
understanding of German grammar.
Please be aware that this course also consists of a weekly 1
hour with the Native Speaker Teaching Assistant. This will be
scheduled during the first week of class.
GERMAN 301 (1 unit) MWF 1:10 – 2:00pm
German Conversation and Composition(+ a 1hr tutorial with Native
Speaker T.A.)
CRN 6291
Global Studies
Catherine Grimm
Prerequisite: German 202 or equivalent.
This course will focus on the development of comprehension,
speaking, listening and writing skills in German; selective
review of complex grammatical structures; and practice
speaking about everyday situations in different ways. Writing of
exercises and compositions will emphasize correctness of
expression, stylistic appropriateness and idiomatic usage. The
learning of specialized vocabulary and working on proficiency in
different types of writing will be emphasized.
Please be aware that this course also consists of a weekly 1
hour with the Native Speaker Teaching Assistant. This will be
scheduled during the first week of class.
GERMAN 306 MWF
10:10 – 11:00am
German Cultural History:
From Germania to Nation State
CRN 6292
Catherine Grimm
Prerequisites: none (Expected level of proficiency: German
301 or recommendation of the instructor).
This course will introduce students to pivotal moments and
figures in German cultural history from the Roman Empire to the
creation of the first German nation-state in 1871. Students will
learn about people and places connected to German history and
culture and their engagement with these concepts will provide
them with an overview of the different time-periods, events and
people. This will allow students to not only develop a deeper
understanding of German-speaking culture and society but it
will also allow them to understand the constructed nature behind
all forms of national identity.
GERMAN 398 (.5 unit) TBA
Practicum
CRN 6293
Staff
Practicum offers experience in teaching German in the
classroom or with individual students under the close
supervision of a regular instructor. Offered on a credit/no
credit basis.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
GERMAN 411 (.5 unit) TBA
Directed Study
CRN 6294
Staff
GERMAN 412 (1 unit) TBA
Directed Study
CRN 6295
Staff
MLAC 110 (.25 unit) W 9:10 - 10:00pm
International House Resident/Program
CRN T.B.A.
Dianne Guenin-Lelle
This program includes residency in the Gerstacker
International House for one semester and active participation in
weekly programs in the student’s respective language house as
well as in cultural events for all International House
residents. Students will add this course the first week of
classes, once they have moved in to the I-House.
__________________________________________________________________
JAPANESE
JAPANESE 101 Section I (1 unit) MWF
10:10–11:00am
Elementary Japanese
CRN 6309
Global Studies
Staff
JAPANESE 101 Section II (1 unit) MWF
12:10–1:00pm
Elementary Japanese
CRN 6310
Global Studies
Staff
This course is designed for students who will study Japanese
for the first time at the college level. In this course, you
will acquire skills in elementary-level speaking, listening,
reading, and writing of modern Japanese. In addition, this
course deepens your understanding and knowledge of Japanese
culture. Emphasis is on ability to communicate and function in
Japanese accurately and appropriately, both in speech and
writing. By the end of the semester, you will be able to: 1)
Read and write hiragana and katakana characters. 2) Greet in
Japanese. 3) Talk about time and price as well as one’s schedule
such as what time to get up.
Learning Materials:
(textbook) Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese
Vol.I
(workbook) Genki I: Workbook.
JAPANESE 201 (1 unit) MWF 2:10–3:00pm
Intermediate Japanese
CRN 6311
Global Studies
Staff
This course is a comprehensive program designed to be a
logical continuation of the first year Japanese program at
Albion College. This course is an interdisciplinary
communicative Language class aiming at the improvement of four
basic skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students
will learn more kanji to enhance their reading and writing
skills. This course will introduce a variety of speech patterns.
Students will learn appropriate time, place, and occasions to
use these expressions. This course will be the integration of
language learning with discussions on different values and
beliefs as well as tangible culture, such as Japanese “kabuki”
and “Noh.”
MLAC 110 (.25 unit) W 9:10 - 10:00pm
International House Resident/Program
CRN T.B.A.
Dianne Guenin-Lelle
This program includes residency in the Gerstacker
International House for one semester and active participation in
weekly programs in the student’s respective language house as
well as in cultural events for all International House
residents. Students will add this course the first week of
classes, once they have moved in to the I-House.
_____________________________________________________________
SPANISH
SPANISH 101 Section I (1 unit) MWF
9:10 - 10:00am
Elementary Spanish
CRN 6296
Global Studies
Staff
SPANISH 101 Section II (1 unit) MWF
12:10 - 1:00pm
Elementary Spanish
CRN 6297
Global Studies
Staff
This course is designed for students who have never formally
studied Spanish. Students will acquire the basic vocabulary and
grammatical structure in appropriate contexts to communicate in
real world situations. They will learn to identify related words
and to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words. As students
progress in the acquisition of the language, they will answer
questions related to readings, describe/paraphrase what has been
seen, read, or heard, respond in more complex sentences, and
improve fluency through vocabulary building, grammar
reinforcement and oral practice. Students will be exposed to
various historical, cultural, and sociopolitical aspects of the
communities that speak Spanish.
SPANISH 201 Section I (1 unit) MWF 9:10 – 10:00am
Intermediate Spanish
CRN 6298
Global Studies
Julia Medina
SPANISH 201 Section II (1 unit) MWF
12:10 – 1:00pm
Intermediate Spanish
CRN 6299
Global Studies
Julia Medina
SPANISH 201 Section III (1 unit) MWF 2:10 –
3:00pm
Intermediate Spanish
CRN 6300
Global Studies
Staff
This course is a comprehensive program designed to be a
logical continuation of the first-year Spanish program at Albion
College and an effective course for students with considerable
high school experience in the language. Its main objective is to
continue to emphasize the four skills necessary to acquire a
second language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. As a
significant part of this goal the students will be provided the
opportunity to study different Hispanic countries and cultures
through various in-class and extra-curricular activities
(movies, Fiestas, tertulias, etc.). Each student will thereby
develop critical and analytical skills concerning the
relationship between culture and language (including the
students’ native language). The students will also be introduced
to selected literary and artistic works by recognized Hispanic
American and Spanish artists and they will be afforded the
opportunity to develop their own creative writing skills in
Spanish. It is assumed that students have a general knowledge of
the
structures studied in Spanish 101 and 102 as well as of basic vocabulary as a point of
departure.
SPANISH 301: Section I (1 unit) MWF
9:10 – 10:00am
Advanced Oral and Written Expression
CRN 6301
Global Studies
Rebecca Whitehead
SPANISH 301: Section II (1 unit) MWF
12:10 – 1:00pm
Advanced Oral and Written Expression
CRN 6302
Global Studies
Kalen Oswald
Spanish 301 is a course on written and oral communication for
students who wish to vastly improve their ability to communicate
confidently in Spanish. Command of vocabulary and grammatical
structures is critical for good communication, but it does not
guarantee it. The course will help the students to develop their
skills in all four areas of communication (writing, reading,
listening and speaking), with special emphasis on written
communication. Attention is also given to all five of the “Cs”
of effective second language acquisition: Communication,
Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. This is one
of the most important courses in the Spanish program, because it
will prepare the student to succeed in the other upper-level
Spanish courses in the program. (This course will not be taught
in Spring 2008.)
SPANISH 306 (1 unit) MWF
1:10 – 2:00pm
South American Identities and Cultural Perspectives
CRN 6303
Historical and Cultural Analysis
Rebecca Whitehead
This course is an examination of past, present and future
struggles for identity and cultural perspective in South
America, with a focus on the Southern Cone and Andes regions. We
will explore cultural artifacts such as music, visual arts,
performance arts, literature, popular culture and folklore in
South America from the pre-Columbian period to the twenty-first
century. All readings, discussions and written work in Spanish.
Expected level of proficiency: Spanish 301 or permission of
instructor.
SPANISH 315 (1 unit) MWF
10:10 – 11:00am
Introduction to Hispanic Studies
CRN 6304
Textual Analysis
Kalen Oswald
This course is an introduction to the analysis,
interpretation and appreciation of Hispanic literature and
culture, focusing on a variety of cultural artifacts from the
Spanish-speaking world (literature, painting, music, film,
etc.). Students will develop an increased awareness and
appreciation of content and style in literature and other
cultural artifacts and also develop the vocabulary, skills,
discrimination and coherent critical methods to study them.
Expected level of proficiency: Spanish 301 or recommendation of
the instructor.
SPANISH 361 (1 unit) MWF
11:10 – 12:00noon
Key Issues in Latin American Literature and Culture:
Nation, Identity, and Violence
CRN 6305
Rebecca Whitehead
This course examines questions of nation building, identity,
and violence in Latin American literature and popular culture.
We will engage with various types of texts, such as narrative,
essay, drama, poetry, journalism, and film from the
pre-Columbian period to the twenty-first century to see how
these questions emerge and evolve over time. Works studied will
include the Popol Vuh, Nahuatl and Quechua poetry, Cristóbal
Colón, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Esteban Echeverría, Domingo
Sarmiento, Matto de Turner, José Martí, Delmira Agustini,
Alfonsina Storni, Gabriela Mistral, César Vallejo, Jorge Luis
Borges, Nicolás Guillén, Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, Rosario
Castellanos, María Luisa Bemberg, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García
Márquez, and Junot Díaz, among others. All readings, discussions
and written work in Spanish. Expected level of proficiency:
Spanish 315 or equivalent, or permission of instructor.
SPANISH 398 (.5 unit)
TBA
Practicum in Spanish
CRN 6306
Staff
Practicum offers experience in teaching Spanish in the
classroom or with individual students under the close
supervision of a regular instructor. Offered on a credit/no
credit basis.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
SPANISH 411 (.5 unit) TBA
Directed Study
CRN 6307
Staff
SPANISH 412 (1 unit)
TBA
Directed Study
CRN 6308
Staff
MLAC 110 (.25 unit) W 9:10 - 10:00pm
International House Resident/Program
CRN T.B.A.
Dianne Guenin-Lelle
This program includes residency in the Gerstacker
International House for one semester and active participation in
weekly programs in the student’s respective language house as
well as in cultural events for all International House
residents. Students will add this course the first week of
classes once they have moved in to the I-House.
