Foreign Languages Course Descriptions
French
LANG1201 Beginning French I
This course is a language immersion program that introduces French to students with little or no previous knowledge of the language while developing basic comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. The students are encouraged to communicate with each other and the instructor through role playing and interpersonal activities. A video program supplements classroom instruction. Three hours of class, two hours of laboratory.
Fall semester. 4 credits
LANG1202 Beginning French II
This course is a continuation of LANG1201. Students will continue their progress in conversational French while developing basic language skills. A video program supplements classroom instruction. Three hours of class, two hours of laboratory.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG1201 or equivalent
LANG2201 Intermediate French I: Language through Film
This course is part of a language immersion program that emphasizes oral communication through interpersonal activities, while also further developing basic comprehension skills, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, through a variety of classroom activities and homework assignments. A conversationally interactive cultural component is also emphasized, through the viewing and discussion of both classic and contemporary French films.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG1202 or equivalent
LANG2202 Intermediate French II: Language through Film
This language immersion course, a continuation of LANG2201, continues to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in the French language.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG2201 or equivalent
LANG2213 French Conversation and Composition I
Develops proficiency in the oral and written use of French language through literary and cultural readings, written essays and oral presentations. Students will expand their vocabulary and will also review key grammatical concepts.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG 2202 or permission of instructor
LANG 2214 French Conversation and Composition II
A continuation of LANG 2213, this course will further develop oral and written proficiency in French. Students will be introduced to research in the language of study.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG 2213 or instructor’s permission
Italian
LANG1301 Beginning Italian I
Beginning Italian I is a language immersion course designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Italian. Its objective is to introduce the language and culture of Italy while developing basic comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. The course emphasizes oral communication, encouraging students to verbally communicate in Italian with one another and with the instructor.
Fall semester. 4 credits
LANG1302 Beginning Italian II
Beginning Italian II is a continuation language immersion course designed for students with prior knowledge of Beginning Italian I. Its objective is to continue to introduce the language and culture of Italy while developing basic comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. The course emphasizes oral communication, encouraging students to verbally communicate in Italian with one another and with the instructor.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: LANG1301 or equivalent
LANG2301 Intermediate Italian I
This course offers a language immersion program that further develops basic comprehension skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. A primary objective of the course is to help students acquire a good command of spoken and written Italian, and an appreciation of the culture of Italy. Students will engage in a variety of interpersonal activities, will study the structure of the language and will be introduced to literary readings. Three hours of class, one hour of laboratory.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG 1302 or instructor’s permission
LANG2302 Intermediate Italian II
This language immersion course, which follows LANG2301, continues to develop listening, speaking, reading and writings skills in Italian language. The development of strong communication skills and an appreciation of the culture of Italy will remain at the center of the program. Three hours of class, one hour of laboratory.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: LANG1302 or permission of instructor
Portugese
LANG1551 Beginning Portuguese I
Beginning Portuguese I is a video-based, language immersion program designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Portuguese. Its objective is to introduce the language and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world while developing basic comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. This course will emphasize oral communication and encourage students to verbally communicate in Portuguese with one another and with the instructor. The videos that accompany the program contain grammar, cultural sections, short documentaries, skits, music videos and full-length teledrama.
Fall semester. 4 credits
LANG 1552 Beginning Portuguese II
A video-based, language immersion course designed for students who have already taken Beginning Portuguese I or the equivalent. Its objective is to reinforce the language skills and knowledge of cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world while continuing to develop basic comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. The course encourages students to verbally communicate in Portuguese with one another and with the instructor, engaging them in a variety of dialogues, structures and vocabulary, communicative exercises and cultural readings. The video that accompanies the program contains grammar, cultural sections, short documentaries, skits, music videos and full-length teledrama.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Arabic
LANG1661 Beginning Arabic I
Beginning Arabic I will introduce students to Modern Standard Arabic and to the cultures of the Arab world. This program is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Arabic who are committed to the study of this fascinating language. The course will emphasize the spoken language while developing basic reading and writing skills as well. It will also present grammatical structures in context, relating abstract concepts to practical skills. In addition, students will gain ample cultural knowledge, learning about conventional forms of politeness, social greetings and culturally appropriate etiquette. Furthermore, the program will significantly utilize audio and video media, and will rely on innovative technology to facilitate learning. Students will create electronic portfolios, compose blogs, and engage in voice recordings and in videotaping of skits and will pay explicit attention to their progress in acquiring Arabic through guided journaling on language acquisition strategies.
Students will be introduced to a range of Arabic from colloquial to standard in authentic contexts. They will be encouraged to verbally communicate in Arabic with one another, with the instructor, and with a language partner. To this end, and as a special feature of this course, in addition to three class periods per week of classroom instruction, students will meet with a native Arabic speaker one hour per week to further practice the language in carefully structured small group encounters.
Fall semester. 4 credits
LANG1662 Beginning Arabic II
This course will continue to introduce students to Modern Standard Arabic and to the cultures of the Arab world. The course is designed for students who have completed Beginning Arabic I or its equivalent and are committed to the study of this fascinating language. It will emphasize the spoken language while developing basic reading and writing skills as well. It will also present grammatical structures in context, relating abstract concepts to practical skills. In addition, students will gain ample cultural knowledge, learning about conventional forms of politeness, social greetings and culturally appropriate etiquette. Students will be introduced to a range of Arabic from colloquial to standard in authentic contexts. They will be encouraged to verbally communicate in Arabic with one another and with the instructor.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: LANG1661
Spanish
LANG1401 Beginning Spanish I
This course is a language immersion program that introduces Spanish to students with little or no previous knowledge of the language while developing basic comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. The students are encouraged to communicate with each other and the instructor through role-playing and interpersonal activities. A video supplements classroom instruction. Three hours of class, two hours of laboratory.
Fall semester. 4 credits
LANG1402 Beginning Spanish II
This course is a continuation of LANG1401. Students will continue their progress in conversational Spanish while developing basic language skills. A video supplements classroom instruction. Three hours of class, two hours of laboratory.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG1401, LANG1402, or equivalent
LANG2401 Intermediate Spanish I
This course is a language immersion program that emphasizes oral communication through interpersonal activities. Class work and home assignments further develop basic comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. A video program provides the basis for classroom discussion. Three hours of class, one hour of laboratory.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG1402 or equivalent
LANG2402 Intermediate Spanish II
This course is a continuation of LANG2401. Conversational skills are emphasized through role-playing and interpersonal activities. Literary readings are incorporated into the course. Three hours of class, one hour of laboratory.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG2401 or equivalent
LANG2413 Spanish Conversation and Composition I
This course encourages the student to integrate the grammatical structures already learned into meaningful communication in the context of practical settings. Varied activities and audiovisual material will supplement literary readings, readings of cultural interest, and readings on public events as a stimulus to everyday oral and written language use.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG2402 or equivalent
LANG2414 Spanish Conversation and Composition II
This course is a continuation of LANG 2413. It continues to emphasize the use of grammatical structures for meaningful communication in the context of practical settings.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: LANG 2413
LANG2415 Spanish at Work in the Community
This is an upper-level language course that will promote linguistic fluency and better cultural understanding of the Latin American and Latino communities in the United States. The course’s content will focus on Hispanic immigration, emphasizing the experiences of the Latin American and Latino communities of the United States. It will concentrate on the largest groups of immigrants, those from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba, exploring issues related to language, identity, socioeconomic realities and demographics. Class discussions will center on cultural and literary readings and films. Students will provide community service to non-profit organizations within the Boston area, as well as to local schools, where they will be using their language skills while assisting Spanish-speakers.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG2413 or equivalent
LANG2417 Hispanic Culture and Language Through Film
This course will introduce students to the heterogenious culture of the Hispanic world through the use of films and other selected materials provided by the instructor. The course aims to provide students with a panoramic appreciation of Hispanic cultures as well as to develop their linguistic proficiency through the use of films and other selected materials (music, pictures, paintings, articles, short narratives, and the like). Some tentative film titles for the course are Belle Epoque (Spain), Ay, Carmela! (Spain), Volver (Spain), Solas (Spain), Fresas y chocolate (Cuba), Azucar Amarga (Cuba), Maria llena eres de gracia (Columbia), Diaros de motocicletas (Argentina), La historia official (Argentina), and Como agua para chocolate (Mexico), The course will place special emphasis on the links that tie the films with the broader economic, socio-political and historical landscape of the Hispanic world. The course offers a comprehensive review of grammar, systematic vocuabulary building, and intensive practice in oral and written expression. All movies will be shown in their original language with subtitles. The course will be conducted in Spanish.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: LANG2413
LANG2605 Spain: A Cultural Approach (A)
This course presents an overview of Spanish culture in the physical reality of the geography of Spain, the trajectory of its history and the rich values of its art.
Spring semester, expected spring 2009. 4 credits
LANG3411 Latin American Literary Giants (A)
This course will focus on the most influential Latin American authors. It will engage students in literary analysis of representative texts by Borges, Neruda, Paz, Garcia Marquez and others. Readings will include a wide range of poetry, short stories and novels.
Spring semester, expected spring 2009. 4 credits
LANG3417 Spanish American Experience: An Overview (A)
This course examines the developments of Spanish American literature through the study of the most representative literary movements and cultural periods.
Fall semester. 4 credits
LANG3427 Contemporary Spanish American Women Novelists (A)
This course introduces the student to outstanding women novelists of the contemporary period, such as Rosario Castellanos, Elena Poniatowska, Marta Traba, Rosario Ferré and Isabel Allende. Discussions will focus on literary analysis, socio-political context and feminist perspective.
Spring semester, expected spring 2011. 4 credits
LANG3429 Great Figures of Spanish Literature (A)
This study of selected texts of the most outstanding Hispanic authors across the centuries will bring the student into contact with the evolution and artistic richness of the literary history of Spain and Spanish America.
Spring semester, expected spring 2008. 4 credits
LANG3431 Contemporary Spanish Novel (A)
The student will read and discuss relevant works of the most outstanding contemporary novelists of Spain, noting particularly the changed social, political and cultural environment of present day Spain as evidenced in these novels.
Fall semester, expected fall 2008. 4 credits
LANG3433 Modern Hispanic Drama (A)
This is an approach to the study of Hispanic society and culture of the contemporary period through the reading, discussion of, and analysis of selected works of outstanding dramatists of the period.
Fall semester, expected fall 2010. 4 credits
LANG4478-4479 Directed Study
Literature in Translation
Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
LANG2103 Literary Mirrors: Introduction to World Literature (A)
Embark on a literary journey to Africa, Europe, Asia and Central and South Americas with major world authors who treat in short novels the triumphs and tragedies of the human condition. This course is designed to foster critical thinking and to improve writing skills. This course is conducted in English.
Fall semester, alternate years, expected fall 2008. 4 credits
(Cross-referenced with ENGL2103)
LANG2105 Contemporary Latin American Fiction (A)
Conducted in English, this literature in translation course introduces students to major contemporary authors from the Latin American Boom to the present. Students will engage in literary analysis of representative prose from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico. Reading selections will expose students to literary styles characteristic of Latin American writers as well as to the sociopolitical reality of the Americas.
Spring semester. 4 credits
(Cross-referenced with ENGL2105)
LANG3421 Spanish Caribbean Literature (A)
This course will introduce students to the literature of the Spanish Caribbean, engaging them in literary analysis of major authors form Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Special attention will be given to the author’s literary style, themes developed and to the ideological content of each piece. Students will also get a glimpse of this region’s historical and socio-political conditions. At the end of the semester participants will have acquired an appreciation of the literature of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean as well as a better understanding of the complex issues affecting this interesting region.
Fall semester, expected fall 2009. 4 credits
(Cross-referenced with ENGL3421)