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The World Of Language

This course introduces students to some of the objects and methods of inquiry common to the different language areas and fields of study in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Students will examine the structure and use of spoken language and written language as well as their sociocultural aspects and explore basic linguistic principles, the roles and function of language, and issues involved in first- and second-language acquisition.

Vampires: Evolution Of A Sexy Monster

This course answers the following questions: What is a vampire? Where do they come from? Why do we have an obsession with the walking dead, especially with fanged monsters? How do we get rid of them (or attract them)? The course will explore the origin of the vampire in Slavic folklore and trace the movement of the legend across Europe into literature and then finally into today's films and pulp fiction. We will learn about the legends, rituals and folk religious beliefs associated with the vampire phenomenon and how they have been interpreted over the centuries by various peoples.

Reading The World

A humanities course for the 21st century; this class goes global in unprecedented ways. Team taught by expert instructors representing ten different linguistic and cultural traditions (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian), it trains students in the skill of close reading for the analysis of a wide range of media (literary text, folk text, still image, film, etc.) that challenge cultural identities and cross national boundaries.

Introduction To East Asian Film

This course explores the cinematic landscapes of East Asia (Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and beyond) in the age of globalization (modernization, imperialism, colonialism, Cold War, capitalism). The course aims to read 1) cinematic representations through East Asian histories and cultures, and 2) East Asian histories and cultures through cinematic representations. Topics include race, gender, identity, technology, consumption, in addition to national/nationalization and global/globalization.

The World Of Autobiography

This course will examine and compare literary autobiographical writings (defined broadly to include text and image) from Asian and European historical traditions. In addition to learning to read and interpret autobiographies as literature, this course will consider the process of creating a literary self through activities and exercises designed to engage with the stylistic elements of autobiography as literature.

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