Spring 2011 Courses

CHINESE

FC 102.    ELEMENTARY CHINESE II    3
Continuation of FC101. Further development of basic grammar, reading, conversation, and writing skills while focusing on cultural materials from China. Three hours of class, one hour of drill or tutorial.  Q. Zhao

FC 206.    CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE    3
Development of Chinese skills at the advanced intermediate level. Extensive practice in idioms. Development of vocabulary and reading skills necessary for communication at native speed. Texts include contemporary news materials, film, Internet sources, literature, and music. Prerequisite: FC203 or permission of the department. (Designated a non-Western culture course.)    Q. Zhao

FC 220. LANGUAGE ACROSS THE CURRICULUM 1                                                                                                  A course designed for students who want to use their foreign language skills in any course taught in English at the college. Does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement or count toward the major or minor in foreign languages and literature. Prerequisite: FC203 or permission of department.  Must be taken S/U. Can berepeated for credit.  Q. Zhao

FC 363.    SPECIAL STUDIES IN CHINESE    4
Advanced literary or critical study in an author, a genre, a period, or a topic. Texts may include literature, newspaper articles, television dramas, films, poetry, painting, and music. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. (Designated a non-Western culture course.) Course must enroll at least five students to be offered.    M. Chen

FC 371, 372.    INDEPENDENT STUDY    3
Individual study projects under the guidance of the department.    M. Chen


FRENCH

FF 101.    ELEMENTARY FRENCH I    4
An introduction to spoken and written French emphasizing cultural perspectives. Linguistic emphasis is on basic grammar, vocabulary, and the development of reading, conversation, and writing skills while learning about the cultures of France and the Francophone world. Four hours of class, one hour of drill or tutorial. Presupposes no previous study of French.    K. Brown

FF 102.    ELEMENTARY FRENCH II    3
Continuation of FF 101. Further development of basic grammar, reading, conversation, and writing skills while focusing on cultural materials from France and the Francophone World.  Three hours of class.    A. Zuerner and       K. Brown

FF 203.    INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE FRENCH    4
Continuing intensive study of the structures of the French language. Extensive practice in conversation and writing. Vocabulary building through the reading of appropriate texts in the literature and culture. Four hours of class and one hour of lab.    H. Jaouad

FF 206.    FRENCH CULTURAL CONVERSATIONS    3
Development of nonliterary, informal spoken vocabulary, and expressions used in everyday situations. Extensive practice in conversational idioms and work on accent and intonation. Prerequisite:  FF 203 at Skidmore or a score of 391 or higher on the placement exam.   H. Jaouad

FF 208.    WRITING IN FRENCH    4
Review of grammar, idioms, and vocabulary. Intensive practice in writing short essays. Prerequisite: FF203 or 206 or permission of instructor. This course is required for the major.    J. Anzalone

FF 210.    INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH LITERATURE    4
Reading and discussion of literary texts in the major genres: poetry, theater, and prose through close textual analysis. This course emphasizes the development of the analytical skills involved in doing a close reading and the critical skill needed for writing explications de texte. Regular papers required. Prerequisite: FF203 or permission of the instructor. This course is required for the major in French. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)    K. Brown

 FF 220.    LANGUAGE ACROSS THE CURRICULUM    1
A course designed for students who want to use their foreign language skills in any course taught in English at the college. Does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement or count toward the major or minor in foreign languages and literature. Prerequisite: FF203. Must be taken S/U. Can be repeated for credit.    C. Evans

FF 221. TWENTIETH-CENTURY LITERATURE 4

Introduction to the poetry, novels and plays of France through study of the works of such writers as Gide,

Apollinaire, Proust, Cocteau, Mauriac, de Beauvoir, Sartre, Beckett, Aragon, Duras, Sarraute, and Robbe-

Grillet. The course will also focus on contemporary artistic, social, and intellectual trends since 1890.Spring semester. Prerequisite: FF210 or permission of instructor. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)  H. Jaouad

FF 272.    FRENCH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE DISCUSSION    1
A discussion group about an author, a period, a genre, a topic, a translation, or a research project in conjunction with another course. Can be repeated for credit.     J. Anzalone

FF 363.    SPECIAL STUDIES IN FRENCH    3
Le récit de voyages français depuis le XVII^è siècle jusqu’à nos jours                                                               Comment parler de l’inconnu, de ce qu’on n’a jamais vu, de ceux qui nous sont « étrangers » ? En prenant le récit de voyages comme genre privilégié, ce cours s’intéressera à la représentation de l’Autre selon les perspectives diverses des Français qui ont quitté le continent européen. On s’interrogera d’abord sur la définition du genre et sur quelques questions que pose « la rhétorique de l’altérité. » Il s’agira ensuite de lire un corpus varié de relations afin de dégager les procédés et les enjeux qui caractérisent les récits de voyages depuis l’âge des « Grandes Découvertes » jusqu’au XXI^è siècle. D’ailleurs, en examinant la rencontre française avec l’Autre, ce cours invite les étudiants à réfléchir à leurs expériences à l’étranger et leur offre l’occasion d’écrire des « récits de voyages » personnels et créateurs.  This course fulfills the pre-1800 requirement for the major      A. Zuerner

FF 374.    THESIS    3
An extended research project culminating in a paper based on readings and extensive individual conferences.  Required of all majors who wish to be considered for departmental honors. Prerequisite: FF376, senior standing, permission of instructor, and 3.5 GPA in the major.    J. Anzalone and A. Zuerner

GERMAN

FG 102.    ELEMENTARY GERMAN II    3
Continuation of FG 101. Further development of basic grammar, reading, conversation, and writing skills while  focusing on cultural materials from German-speaking countries. Three hours of class, one hour of drill or tutorial.      K. Hamm-Ehsani     

FG 206    GERMAN LANUGUAGE AND CULTURE  3
Development of German skills at the advanced intermediate level. Extensive practice in idioms.  Development of vocabulary and reading skills necessary for communication at native speed. Texts include contemporary news materials, film, Internet sources, literature, and music. Prerequisite: FG203 or permission.  K,  Hamm-Ehsani

FG 272    GERMAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE DISCUSSION

A discussion group about an author, a period, a genre, a topic, a translation, or a research project in conjunction with another course.  Can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: FG208 or permission of department.

FG 343.    GERMAN NARATIVE PROSE  3
An exploration of great German novels from Goethe to the present. Students will encounter a variety of critical approaches for the study of major texts from authors such as Goethe, Kafka, Mann, Döblin, Böll, and Grass.        

 M. O’Brien

FG 374     THESIS  3

An extended research project culminating in a paper based on readings and extensive individual conferences. Required of all majors who wish to be considered for departmental honors. Prerequisite: FG376, senior standing, permission of instructor, and 3.5 GPA in the major.   M. O’Brien

ITALIAN

FI 101.    ELEMENTARY ITALIAN I    4
An introduction to spoken and written Italian emphasizing cultural perspectives. Linguistic emphasis is on basic grammar, vocabulary, and the development of reading, conversation, and writing skills while learning about the culture of Italy. Four hours of class, one hour of drill or tutorial. Presupposes no previous study of Italian.    S. Smith    D, Castronuovo

FI 102.    ELEMENTARY ITALIAN II    3
Continuation of FI 101. Further development of basic grammar, reading, conversation, and writing skills while focusing on cultural materials from Italy. Three hours of class, one hour of drill or tutorial.    D, Castronuovo

FI 206.    ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE    3
Development of Italian skills at the advanced intermediate level. Extensive practice in idioms. Development of vocabulary and reading skills necessary for communication at native speed. Texts include contemporary news materials, film, Internet sources, literature, and music. Prerequisite: FI203 or permission of instructor.           G. Faustini

FI 220.    LANGUAGE ACROSS THE CURRICULUM    1
A course designed for students who want to use their foreign language skills in any course taught in English at the college. Does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement or count toward the major or minor in foreign languages and literature. Prerequisite: FI203. Must be taken S/U. Can be repeated for credit.    S. Smith

FI 363.    SPECIAL STUDIES IN ITALIAN    3
Advanced literary or cultural study in an author, a genre, a period, or a topic. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

S. Smith

FI 372.    INDEPENDENT STUDY      3
Individual study projects under the guidance of the department..    G. Faustini

JAPANESE

FJ 102.    ELEMENTARY JAPANESE II    3
Continuation of FJ 101. Further development of basic grammar, reading, conversation, and writing skills while focusing on cultural materials from Japan. Three hours of class, one hour of drill or tutorial.    M. Tamagawa

FJ 206.    JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE    3
Development of Japanese skills at the advanced intermediate level. Extensive practice in idioms. Development of vocabulary and reading skills necessary for communication at native speed. Texts include contemporary news materials, film, Internet sources, literature, and music. Prerequisite: FJ203 or permission of the department. (Designated a non-Western culture course.)    M. Inamoto

FJ 311.    CONTEMPORARY JAPAN    3
Study of Japanese language with an emphasis on socio-cultural issues of contemporary Japanese society while continuing to develop language skills at the advanced level. Students will use authentic materials, including newspaper articles, internet websites, films and videos to enhance their cultural literacy. Classes conducted in Japanese. Prerequisite: FJ208 (Designated a non-Western culture course.) M. Inamoto

FJ 363.    SPECIAL STUDIES IN JAPANESE    3
Advanced literary or cultural study in an author, a genre, a period, or a topic. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. (Designated a non-Western culture course.) Course must enroll at least five students to be offered.    M. Inamoto

FJ 371, 372.    INDEPENDENT STUDY    3
Individual study projects under the guidance of the department.    M. Inamoto

 SPANISH
Courses in Language

FS 102.    ELEMENTARY SPANISH II    3
Continuation of FS 101. Further development of basic grammar, reading, conversation, and writing skills while focusing on cultural materials from Spain and Spanish America. Three hours of class, one hour of drill or tutorial. Open only to students who have completed FS 101.    C. Grant

FS 103.    ALTERNATIVE SECOND SEMESTER SPANISH    3
An introduction and review of elementary spoken and written Spanish emphasizing cultural perspectives. Linguistic emphasis is on grammar, vocabulary and the development of reading, conversation and writing skills while learning about the cultures of Spain and Spanish America. Three hours of class. For students who have completed one or two yeas of pre-College Spanish, and who have not placed in FS 203 or above. Not open to students who have completed FS101.    D. Barnes, , B. Loyola

FS 203.    INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE SPANISH    4
Continuing intensive study of the structures of the Spanish language. Extensive practice in conversation and writing. Vocabulary building through the reading of appropriate texts in the literature and culture. Four hours of class and one hour of lab. Prerequisite: FS102.    B. Loyola

FS 206.    SPANISH CONVERSATION    3
Development of Spanish oral skills at the advanced intermediate level.  Extensive practice in conversational idioms. Development of nonliterary, informal spoken vocabulary; of reading skills necessary to comprehend authentic news materials; of aural comprehension essential for understanding oral speech at native speed.  Prerequisite: FS203 or permission of department.    C. Grant, M. Lander

FS 208.    WRITING IN SPANISH    4
Review of grammar, idioms, and vocabulary. Intensive practice in writing short essays. Prerequisite: FS203 or permission of instructor.    D. Barnes, M. Lander

FS 211.    SURVEY OF SPANISH LITERATURE    4
A study of the main currents of Spanish literature from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Representative works of such major literary movements as the Golden Age, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, the Generation of '98, and the twentieth century will be studied. Prerequisite: FS208 or permission of instructor. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)                  G. Burton

FS 212.    SURVEY OF SPANISH AMERICAN LITERATURE    4
A study of the main currents of Spanish American literature from Colonial times to the present. Such authors as Sor Juana, Gallegos, Darío, Carpentier, Mistral, Neruda, Paz, and Cortázar will be studied. Prerequisite: FS208 or permission of instructor. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)    M. Lander

FS 301.    BUSINESS SPANISH    3
An introduction to business institutions in the Hispanic world. The course focuses on economic geography, correspondence, and government requirements for business, as well as vocabulary used in banking, advertising, stock market, insurance, communications, and export and import. Primarily for students majoring in Spanish and business.      C. Grant

FS 324B.    SPANISH AMERICAN/LATINO FILM   4

A study of films produced and directed by Spanish, Spanish American, and Latino filmmakers. Students will learn about film theory and cinematographic techniques, and will analyze the specific social, cultural, and historical thematic of the films. In readings and discussions, students will address cultural differences, gender studies, and aesthetic concepts. The course will be offered on a bi-yearly, alternating basis.       V. Rangil

FS 340.    ADVANCED LANGUAGE ACROSS THE CURRICULUM    2
A course designed for students who want to use their foreign language skills in any course taught in English at the college. Does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement or count toward the major or minor in foreign languages and literature. Prerequisite: FS203. Must be taken S/U. Can be repeated for credit.    C. Grant

FS 363.    SPECIAL STUDIES IN SPANISH    3
Advanced literary or cultural study in an author, a genre, a period, or a topic. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.  W. Mudrovic

SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL LANGUAGE COURSES

FX 101, 102.    SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL BASIC STUDY    3, 3
Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, Russian. May only be taken for a grade.

FX 201, 202.    SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL INTERMEDIATE STUDY    3, 3
Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, Russian. May be taken for a grade or S/U.


LITERATURE AND CIVILIZATION COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

These courses are open to all students. Knowledge of a foreign language is not a prerequisite, with the exception of FL399.

FL 249. IMAGE OF THE ENEMY IN GERMAN FILM 1919-1945       4

Students will examine the changing image of the enemy in German cinema from 1919-1945. From its silent  beginnings through the invention of sound, German cinema abounds in archetypal figures of unearthly destruction and social deviants from an equally hostile present. Nazi propaganda films adopted both realistic and mythic traditions to construct an image of the enemy threatening the survival of the Third Reich, and they became a powerful weapon in disseminating fascist ideology. Viewing film as a symbolic language which inscribes cultural identity, we will explore anti-Semitism, xenophobia, jingoism, misogyny, and fascism as well as changes in the public perception of the enemy that contributed to World War II and the Holocaust. (fulfills humanities requirement)    M. O'Brien

FL 252. ITALIAN CINEMA: FROM FICTION TO FILM 3 4

An examination of the literary and sociopolitical trends of Italian culture as portrayed by the media of literature and film. The course will focus on the literary works of Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Moravia, De Filippo, Bassani, and the cinematographic adaptations of those works by such directors as Pasolini, Lattuada, Visconti, and De Sica. The course also specifically examines the role in Italian cinema of such directorauthors as Fellini and Wertmuller and the importance of Italian cinematic Neorealism in the films of Rossellini, De Sica, and Visconti. Offered in 2001–02 and alternate years. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)   G. Faustini

FL 267. MODERN JAPANESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY 3

Introduction to modern Japanese culture and society, emphasizing the period 1945 to the present, and considering topics including education, family and neighborhood, gender and work, and discrimination.  The course analyzes social change in Japan over time in the course of Japan’s modernization and internationalization, paying attention to the interplay between Japan’s traditional cultural values and modern society. (Designated a non-Western culture course)  M. Tamagawa

FL 322.    THE FRENCH FILM    3
Study of some of the key features of the cinema of France, beginning with an historical overview of the development of the idiom, from the silent films of the Surrealists and René Clair, to the Golden Age of sound in the thirties and concluding with the New Wave and its posterity. The course will also study film as a language and use it as a means for exploring cultural identity. Students will view a selection of films by Clair, Dali/Bunuel, Vigo, Renoir, Carne, Duvivier, Truffaut, Godard, Eustache, Tanner, and Rohmer, among others, and read criticism by directors, critics, and theorists. Prerequisite: for credit in the French major, FF203 or 206.    J. Anzalone


FL 399.    PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES    3, 6 or 9
Professional experience at an advanced level for juniors and seniors with substantial academic and co curricular experience in the major field. With faculty sponsorship and departmental approval, students may extend their educational experience into such areas as the communications fields, the media, pedagogy, and translation. Primarily but not exclusively for students participating in Skidmore's Junior Year Abroad programs. Prerequisite: advanced standing in the language appropriate to the internship. Not for liberal arts credit.