MOL 197 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
See schedule for current offerings.
MOL 198 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 199 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 210 | CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is an interdisciplinary blend of the classical traditions of myth, literature and philosophy, concentrating on myth. It endeavors to place Classical literature into its historical, social and cultural contexts. Students will learn significant myths and the names and functions of the most important characters in them. They will investigate how the ancients used traditional narratives and images to explore, explain and experiment with ideas about themselves and their surroundings in those contexts. Learning about how myth is variously interpreted (as for example by means of theories of myth-interpretation) as well as basic methods of literary criticism (e.g., analysis of language, content, structure, etc.), students will employ ways to identify, understand and interpret the different types of communication present in myth-literature. As they move chronologically through the ancient world students will observe how myths change to reflect differing individual and collective concerns, as well as the specific interests (and so the significant aspects of discourse) of authors and audiences as conditions change. Students will also learn about literary genres, including poetry, tragedy and prose, their properties and distinctions and discover how genres also reflect audiences and times. Students will read and evaluate modern views of myth in order to understand how myth is open to multiple interpretations and upon what sounder bases myth is to be interpreted. While analyzing myths' diversity in various forms of literature, students will come to comprehend what mythology meant to the ancients, as well as those facets and ingredients of myth that are universal, enduring, and meaningful today.
MOL 211 | ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN EPIC | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course centers upon the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey and Vergil's Aeneid and endeavors to place these epic poems into their historical, social, and cultural contexts. Students will learn the definition of epic as a literary genre and discover how this genre evolved to reflect audiences and times. They will learn the components of epic language, in particular, literary devices and structural features (e.g., formulas, nested stories, epic similes). They will be able to describe the plots of the three epics and know the main- and mid-level human characters, gods, and goddesses. They will be able to define and better understand the meanings of "hero" and "heroism." Students will be able to express mature appreciation for the epics as whole works. Learning how the epics are variously interpreted as well as basic methods of literary criticism (e.g., analysis of language, content, structure, etc.), students will employ these as ways to understand and interpret the poems. As they read, learn and evaluate modern views of the epics, students will also acquire better means to distinguish critically between views and interpretations. A strong emphasis in this class will be upon the vital connections between past and present, and how students can become more aware of and understand important lasting concepts such as heroism, leadership, self-definition, etc. Finally, students will relate these stories to modern story-telling in order to understand how the heroes of the ancient Greeks live with us today. In short, they will interpret what epic poetry offered ancient listeners and what it has to teach modern readers. The classical tradition is rich with meaning and significance, even to modern 21st century adults and this class will not only be an exploration of the culture and instruction of the ancient world through epic, but an investigation of what classic motifs remain with us today.
MOL 212 | ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN TRAGEDY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Classical Tragedy introduces students to the authors, social contexts and performances of ancient Greek drama. Students will learn how to interpret the "myths" presented on the ancient Greek stage and how to apply what they have learned to detect and to interpret the moral, social and political issues raised in them. They will learn the names, works and careers of the principal tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Students will learn to assess the formal and aesthetic properties of the works of different tragedians. Emphasis will be given to specifics of performance and to seeing a play in the "theater of the mind" as well as gaining command of relevant terminology, e.g., parodos, peripeteia, mimesis, catharsis, etc. Students will learn to outline the plot, argument and key themes of each work clearly and will gain an understanding of the historical context and social conditions motivating each work. The main themes of Greek tragedy (e.g., power, gender, justice, violence etc.) invite comparison to themes of contemporary theater and film. Students will acquire an awareness of ancient Greek tragedy in its connection with our own theatrical and literary culture, and they will reflect upon the influence of Greek drama on modern stage and literature. They will be able to employ several concepts in the analysis of Classical Tragedy.
MOL 213 | ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN COMEDY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
In this course students encounter selected landmarks of Greek and Roman satirical literature; they learn important theories of interpretation, theories of humor as well as secondary interpretative opinions about the works assigned. They will be engaged in the course material primarily through readings, lectures and discussions. Students also view or read whole or selected excerpts of modern visual or written literature that will supplement their primary and secondary readings. The roots of comedy extend deep into antiquity. This course, however, endeavors to train intelligent critics of modern satire. Students study authors ancient and modern in order to sharpen their critical abilities and to gain insight into Athens, Rome as well as the contemporary cultural milieu. Students are challenged to regard satire as a critical force. Students encounter comic dramatists with special interest in how the most serious material--war, death, injustice, suffering--is criticized in a way that they can enjoy. With the help of comic theorists students will explore the boundaries of the comic, the social and political function of comedy in different cultural contexts, and the varieties of humor: mad, cathartic, aggressive, destructive, defensive, celebratory etc. Students will confront a host of related issues such as the nature of tragic pleasure, the language and metaphors of humor, and the legal limits of satirical discourse.
MOL 214 | GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course attempts to recover the experiences of women in ancient Greece and Rome by examining literary texts and archaeological remains that concern them. Students will investigate women's roles in public and private life and gauge the changes in their situation and representation over time. We'll also discuss the similarities and differences between ancient and contemporary attitudes toward sex and gender. The task is challenged by the paucity of sources that were produced by the women of antiquity themselves; often our view is said to be "filtered through a male lens".
MOL 215 | ANCIENT SCIENCE AND ITS LANGUAGE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Students will study ancient science, its proponents and its epochs, later concentrating on the language of science. Students will learn successive highlights of inquiry within scientific culture, beginning in prehistory and ancient Egypt. As they proceed from Egypt through the ancient Greek enlightenment and onto Roman science and its decline, students will learn the basics of how representative thinkers evaluated and altered "contemporary" understanding. Students will witness firsthand the ever-changing perspective of scientific knowledge and compare it with modern empirical methodology. They will acquire an ability to interpret varying viewpoints of "science" through an overview of changes of perception combined with selected readings from the works of ancient philosophers, physicists and physicians. Students will also learn the composition of scientific terminology; they will learn how to analyze, dissect and compose scientific terms based upon the Classical languages of ancient Greece and Rome.
MOL 220 | HOW LANGUAGE WORKS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The focus of this course is on linguistics as the study of how language works in the minds and brains of its speakers, taking an approach that focuses on the mental representation of language. We develop a theory of language knowledge that includes knowledge of sound systems, sentence structure, and meaning, and along the way we investigate data from diverse languages to illustrate how linguists think and reason. We also draw connections between linguistic knowledge and other types of cognition, as well as connections between linguistics and related fields, including philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience.
MOL 244 | CLASSICAL CHINESE I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Classical Chinese is predominantly a literary language, which has played a linguistically and culturally unifying role among the many vernacular languages of China. Permission of instructor, some Mandarin Chinese preferred.
MOL 245 | CLASSICAL CHINESE II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Classical Chinese is predominantly a literary language, which has played a linguistically and culturally unifying role among the many vernacular languages of China. MOL 244 or equivalent recommended.
MOL 246 | CLASSICAL CHINESE III | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Classical Chinese is predominantly a literary language, which has played a linguistically and culturally unifying role among the many vernacular languages of China. MOL 245 or equivalent recommended.
MOL 247 | CHINA AND SOCIAL MEDIA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is designed to discuss various China-related social issues reported on Chinese and American social media. Students are required to read select materials about China from both American social media and the translated version of Chinese social media and participate in active class discussions on the readings. The materials aim to help students understand how and why salient social issues in China are reported divergently on state-run as compared to unofficial social media in China as well as on social media based in China as compared to those based in the U.S. Students will learn to use the knowledge of Chinese philosophy, history, contemporary political and economic contexts, censorship and journalism to understand what shapes Chinese media reports.
MOL 282 | MODERN AFRICAN LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Themes and theories of postcolonial studies in relation to African culture, politics and literature. Evaluation of novels, criticism, and movies to provide an introduction to the complex, highly heterogeneous experience of modern African literature.
MOL 293 | RUSSIAN MASS MEDIA, POLITICS, AND CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course examines how Russian and international news outlets alike present the realities of Russian society, culture and politics. Students will be asked to reflect on how mass media, rhetoric, imagery, and presentational styles influence the global public's understanding of current events. Through analysis of news segments and news articles, students will become more attuned to how contemporary depictions of this most important partner and adversary on the world stage are presented to a U.S. audience through both Russian state-sponsored news outlets in English (The Moscow Times, Russian Times [RT] TV) and through international outlets (news from France 24 English, Deutsch Welle English, Telemundo English, CNN, Bloomberg News, Fox News, etc). The course also explores how geopolitical relationships can be helped and hindered by their portrayal in the media, and students will gain an understanding of the material, symbolic, political, and cultural implications of the way media shapes, informs, and at times distorts, perspectives.
MOL 297 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
See schedule for current offerings.
MOL 298 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 299 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 300 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICUM | 1-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Supervised experience in teaching, tutoring, interpreting, editing, writing or other professional exercises of language skills.
MOL 306 | WARRIORS, WITCHES, FIREBIRDS AND VAMPIRES: INTRODUCTION TO RUSSIAN FOLKLORE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will introduce students to the rich and dynamic body of Russian folk texts and belief. Course readings will include epic poems, skazki (fairy tales), ballads, legends, incantations, and elements of popular culture. Students will learn and apply contemporary theories of folklore and traditional folk belief. The course will touch on the role of Russian folklore themes in literature and film. Emphasis on primary source materials with supplemental theory and history. Discussions in English. Readings in English. Cross-listed with RUS 306.
MOL 309 | THE NOVELIST'S WORLD | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable topics.
MOL 310 | JAPANESE CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Japanese Culture is a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exploration of Japanese culture, especially as regards cultural figures such as "geisha," "samurai," and "Hello Kitty." These figures intersect with various critical discourses on gender, sexuality, nationalism, exoticism, orientalism, modernity, tradition, art, and aesthetics. They have also generated both praise and criticism. These questions are not only specific to the cultural figures as listed above but also run deep in society. The course will also examine other historical and ideological constructions in Japan and the West, especially in the United States.
MOL 311 | TOPICS IN FRENCH LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Masterpieces, themes and genres of French literature from its origins to the present day.
MOL 313 | TOPICS IN ITALIAN LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Masterpieces, themes and genres of Italian literature from its origins to the present day.
MOL 314 | TOPICS IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Masterpieces, themes and genres of Russian literature from its origins to the present day.
MOL 315 | TOPICS IN HISPANIC LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Masterpieces, themes and genres of Hispanic literature from its origins to the present day.
MOL 316 | TOPICS IN THE RUSSIAN NOVEL | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The course will allow students to read and analyze novels from important Russian authors such as Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, as well as others. Students will write essays and participate in individual and group projects in the format of Round-Table discussion. Cross-listed with RUS 316, CPL 319, and ENG 389. Formerly MOL 368.
MOL 317 | TOPICS IN THE RUSSIAN SHORT STORY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The study of a representative selection of Russian short fiction concentrating on the great 19th-century masters such as Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Gorky, and Korolenko.
MOL 318 | MASTERPIECES OF RUSSIAN LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will explore masterpieces of Russian literature from a variety of genres: plays, novels, short stories and poetry. Works by authors such as Tolstoy, Chekov, Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Nabokov, Pushkin, Turgenev, Akhmatova, Mayakovsky, Pasternak and Yevtushenko will be read within their historical context to provide a basis for literary appreciation and analysis.
MOL 319 | WORLD OF THE CINEMA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Critical analysis of cinematic development.
MOL 322 | CULTURAL HISTORY OF PARIS | 4-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
A study of Paris from its origins in Roman times to the present day, this study abroad course is composed of readings (primary and secondary), lectures, and on-site visits that reveal the unfolding history of Paris.
MOL 333 | HISPANIC WOMEN WRITERS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Same topics as Spanish 322, but taught in English; not counted as part of a Spanish major or minor.
MOL 334 | EXPLORING MULTICULTURALISM THROUGH LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Various topics.
MOL 335 | EXPLORING SOCIAL DIVERSITY IN LATIN AMERICA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Readings and instruction in English; not counted as part of a Spanish major or minor. Cross-listed as LST 201.
MOL 337 | CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICA THROUGH ITS LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The study of English translations of a variety of Latin American literary works that highlight key historical, political, social, and artistic trends in the region.
MOL 340 | ARAB CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This is the first in a series of three hybrid courses in the Arabic Studies Program that examine Arab culture. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of Arab culture and a clear understanding of its elements and historical events that shaped it. Emphasis will be placed on cultural aspects shared by all Arabs. The course will examine the general concept of culture, and study the elements that form Arab culture. It will also explore the impact of critical factors and events in Arab history from pre-Islamic to modern time on the evolvement of Arab culture as we know it today. Students will gain insight into the way Arabs think by examining Arabs' cultural practices, products, and perspectives. In addition to learning about Arabs and Arab culture, students will practice using technology to research, blog, discuss, and contribute to open-sources on topics related to Arab culture. Students will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with Arabs and the Chicago Arab heritage community.
MOL 341 | MEDIA IN THE ARAB WORLD | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is one of a series of three culture/media/and literature courses strongly recommended for a major in Arabic Studies. It is also an elective course that can be taken by students at large. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the Arab media--including newspapers, television, and the Internet--as a product of Arab culture. Students will examine Arab media to gain better understanding of its nature, role, content, and influence within emphasis on the context of Arab societies and the factors influencing their people such as politics, religion, technology, and Western influence. In addition to the assigned readings from the textbook and a variety of sources that represent various perspectives, a sample of products of Arab media including newspapers, TV programs, news, cartoons, and blogs will be examined to better understand Arab media. Furthermore, elements and factors that impact Arab media will be analyzed and discussed. The impact of the West on Arab media, and the future of Arab media will also be discussed.
MOL 342 | MODERN ARABIC LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is one of a series of three courses offered by the Arabic Studies program as part of the major and minor in Arabic Studies. It provides a survey of modern Arabic literature and focuses on various genres, including poetry, plays, short stories, and novels. Works by major Arab writers and poets representing various regions and content related to Arab culture are examined and analyzed to develop an appreciation for Arabic literature and a deeper understanding of Arab culture. This is a hybrid course. Students meet onsite one day a week for 2 hours and conduct work online to satisfy the course requirements. Specific assignments are provided each week through D2L and Ning social network for the online portion of the course.
MOL 349 | TEACHING MODERN LANGUAGES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The Teaching Modern Language course is specially designed for the teacher who is about to begin his/her career teaching foreign languages at the K-12 levels. This course is also designed for accomplished and experienced teachers who wish to receive new information on current theory and practice. The course has as an overall objective to provide learners with the theoretical and practical tools that will enable them to become critical and reflective foreign language practitioners.
MOL 350 | METHODS OF TEACHING MODERN LANGUAGES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Provides training in the theory and methods of teaching foreign languages in the elementary school (FLES). Designed for both pre-service and in-service teachers. Pre-service teachers include foreign language majors interested in elementary school teaching and elementary majors who are proficient in a foreign language and interested in teaching FLES. In-service teachers include elementary teachers proficient in a foreign language who are teaching or who are interested in teaching FLES and secondary trained teachers who are teaching or who are interested in teaching FLES. In order to meet the objectives of this course and subsequent methods courses, it is expected that all participants be able to demonstrate proficiency in English and a second language before enrolling.
MOL 354 | THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS/CURRENT RESEARCH SECOND/FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course serves both as undergraduate and graduate-level introduction to the field of second language acquisition (SLA) research. As such, it will introduce students to the research methods, findings, and some of the theoretical discussions that have encompassed the last three decades of SLA research. The focus is on basic questions regarding the process of language learning, rather than on explicitly pedagogical issues. The most important goal of SLA research is to uncover and describe the processes that are potentially affected by instructional efforts. Thus, one of the goals of the course is to have students reflect and, if necessary, modify how they view the role of an instructor and a learner of a second language. The material can be used to inform learning a second language as much as it is instrumental in teaching a second language. The material in this course should encourage students to question assumptions and begin to formulate individual ideas about what goes on in classrooms, how students learn, and how this learning could inform teaching of a second language. A final goal is to introduce students to critical reading of research articles in the field, as a preparation for possible further study of SLA.
MOL 355 | CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An overview of contemporary criticism from Russian formalism to post-modernism. Cross-listed as CPL 355.
MOL 356 | PSYCHOLINGUISTICS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An overview of basic issues in experimental psycholinguistics by introducing various topics, such as speech perception/production, word recognition/memory, sentence processing, first- and second-language acquisition and the brain and languages. Cross-listed as PSY 393.
MOL 357 | TEACHING CULTURE IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Pedagogical theory and practice in the integration of culture into the language classroom.
MOL 360 | REALISM IN RUSSIAN DRAMA | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The course presents some of the greatest Russian plays of the 18th and 19th century. In the course, students will read original works in English translation by Von Vizin, Griboedov, Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, and Ostrovsky. Some critical works will be included. Students will read, analyze, and interpret the plays, comedies and dramas, both with respect to form and meaning.
MOL 364 | MODERN RUSSIAN AUTHORS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores works of the most influential Russian authors of the Modern period. Authors might include Anton Chekhov, Vladimir Nabokov, Mikhail Bulgakov, Evgeny Zamyatin, and more. Students will explore several genres, including poetry, novel, short, story, and plays. These authors and works will be studied in the context of their times.
MOL 369 | RUSSIAN LITERATURE AND FILM | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Greatest Russian short stories, plays, and novels of the 19-20th century, as presented in film. Readings in English translation may include works by Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Ostrovsky, Chekhov, and Pasternak.
MOL 370 | PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course introduces students to the professions of translation and interpreting and covers several associated topics: the skills and knowledge each profession requires above and beyond language proficiency, professional conduct and ethical practice, and the translation and interpreting theory that informs professional translation and interpreting.
MOL 371 | TRANSLATION AS AN ART & SCIENCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This is a skill-building translation course that introduces students to the approaches, methods, and techniques they should be ready to deploy in order to engage in translation as an art and as a science. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 372 | TRANSLATION LANGUAGE-PAIR PRACTICE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This is a skill-building translation course in which students receive translation training in their language pair. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 373 | CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETING | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course trains students in the practice of consecutive interpreting, including memory training and note-taking skills. Students practice interpreting in the consecutive mode from and into English using a variety of speech types, and receive feedback from the instructor and/or external assessors as necessary. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 374 | SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETING | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course trains students in the practice of simultaneous interpreting. Students practice interpreting in the simultaneous mode from and into English using a variety of speech types, and receive feedback from the instructor and/or external assessors as necessary. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 379 | TRANSLATION/INTERPRETING PRACTICUM | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course, which is designed for students pursuing a certificate in Translation and Interpreting Studies (TIS), provides students with an opportunity to gain practical experience in translation and/or interpreting, under the guidance of the instructor. In consultation with the instructor, students will identify an appropriate translation and/or interpreting project and work on it throughout the quarter with the goal of completing it by the end of the quarter. Students pursuing a TIS certificate are advised to take this course after completing all other certificate courses or concurrently with the last one, if possible. If scheduling or other considerations make this infeasible, this course can be taken at any time by any student who has the necessary skills needed to undertake the project. Students who are not pursuing a TIS certificate and are interested in this course should contact the instructor to discuss whether the class is a good fit for them.
MOL 380 | COMMUNITY BASED SERVICE LEARNING | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable topics in theory and practice of service learning.
MOL 389 | TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable topics. Consult course schedule for current offering. Cross-listed as ENG 389.
MOL 392 | INTERNSHIPS | 1-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 395 | FLAC FOR ALBANIAN STUDIES | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This two credit hour course will be taught in the Albanian language and paired with an existing four-credit course on a topic in the field.
MOL 396 | CAPSTONE: LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, AND CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course addresses broad issues of human language that touch upon the concerns of all language majors. Topics include subjects such as: Languages as endangered species; The physiological/psychological benefits of bilingualism; and Oral language cultures. Topics are approached from a very broad perspective, namely linguistic, anthropological, literary and historical.
MOL 397 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
See schedule for current offerings.
MOL 398 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 399 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 400 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICUM | 1-4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Supervised experience in teaching, tutoring, interpreting, editing writing or other professional exercise of language skills.
MOL 401 | PROFESSIONAL FOUNDATIONS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
In this course students will prepare a series of surveys/summaries of research literature and learning resources. They will identify one or more professional organizations such as MLA, CLA, ACTFL, CTFL, AATX, and others. Using their by-laws, publications, and recent conference programs, students will write a literature summary that identifies the major issues of concern to these organizations, and analyze their resources and professional standards related to research and practice in the students' field of interest. Required for Modern Language MA students.
MOL 402 | LANGUAGE, SELF AND SOCIETY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course offers students a theoretical and methodological introduction to the theory and methods of the study of language variation and change and its relationship to various social and individual factors (e.g. race, class, sex, ethnicity, identity, etc.). It introduces students to the concepts, theories, and methods used to analyze language and its role in the definition and construction of individual and group identity. Students will look specifically at how social and individual factors may influence linguistic structure and vice versa. The course will explore various theories of sociolinguistics, including the interaction between language and speakers' membership in various groups, linguistic variation across groups, intergroup theory, dialectology, and discourse analysis, among others. Through the course readings students will consider and critically analyze the notions of the speech community and the individual, the existence (or not) of dialects, synchronic variation and diachronic change, the relationship between social factors and language, language policy and planning, language standardization, linguistic ethnography, and theories related to education and society. Bilingual phenomena such as code switching, language contact, and the creation of pidgins and creoles will also be examined. Topics may vary by quarter. This course is required for language MA students.
MOL 440 | ARAB CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This is the first in a series of three hybrid courses in the Arabic Studies Program that examine Arab culture. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of Arab culture and a clear understanding of its elements and historical events that shaped it. Emphasis will be placed on cultural aspects shared by all Arabs. The course will examine the general concept of culture, and study the elements that form Arab culture. It will also explore the impact of critical factors and events in Arab history from pre-Islamic to modern time on the evolvement of Arab culture as we know it today. Students will gain insight into the way Arabs think by examining Arabs' cultural practices, products, and perspectives. In addition to learning about Arabs and Arab culture, students will practice using technology to research, blog, discuss, and contribute to open-sources on topics related to Arab culture. Students will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with Arabs and the Chicago Arab heritage community.
MOL 441 | MEDIA IN THE ARAB WORLD | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is one of a series of three culture/media/and literature courses strongly recommended for a major in Arabic Studies. It is also an elective course that can be taken by students at large. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the Arab media--including newspapers, television, and the Internet--as a product of Arab culture. Students will examine Arab media to gain better understanding of its nature, role, content, and influence within emphasis on the context of Arab societies and the factors influencing their people such as politics, religion, technology, and Western influence. In addition to the assigned readings from the textbook and a variety of sources that represent various perspectives, a sample of products of Arab media including newspapers, TV programs, news, cartoons, and blogs will be examined to better understand Arab media. Furthermore, elements and factors that impact Arab media will be analyzed and discussed. The impact of the West on Arab media, and the future of Arab media will also be discussed.
MOL 442 | MODERN ARABIC LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is one of a series of three courses offered by the Arabic Studies program as part of the major and minor in Arabic Studies. It provides a survey of modern Arabic literature and focuses on various genre including poetry, plays, short stories, and novels. Work by major Arab writers and poets representing various regions and content related to Arab culture are examined and analyzed to develop an appreciation for Arabic literature and deeper understanding of Arab culture as portrayed in the major works of modern Arab poets and authors. This is a hybrid course. Students meet onsite one day a week for 2 hours and conduct work online to satisfy the course requirements. Specific assignments are provided each week through D2L and Ning social network for the online portion of the course.
MOL 449 | TEACHING MODERN LANGUAGES | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
The Teaching Modern Language course is specially designed for the teacher who is about to begin his/her career teaching foreign languages at the K-12 levels. This course is also designed for accomplished and experienced teachers who wish to receive new information on current theory and practice. The course has as an overall objective to provide learners with the theoretical and practical tools that will enable them to become critical and reflective foreign language practitioners.
MOL 450 | METHODS OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Provides training in the theory and methods of teaching foreign languages in the elementary school (FLES). Designed for both pre-service and in-service teachers. Pre-service teachers include foreign language majors interested in elementary school teaching and elementary majors who are proficient in a foreign language and interested in teaching FLES. In-service teachers include elementary teachers proficient in a foreign language who are teaching or who are interested in teaching FLES and secondary trained teachers who are teaching or who are interested in teaching FLES. In order to meet the objectives of this course and subsequent methods courses, it is expected that all participants be able to demonstrate proficiency in English and a second language before enrolling.
MOL 454 | THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS/CURRENT RESEARCH SECOND/FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course serves both as undergraduate and graduate-level introduction to the field of second language acquisition (SLA) research. As such, it will introduce students to the research methods, findings, and some of the theoretical discussions that have encompassed the last three decades of SLA research. The focus is on basic questions regarding the process of language learning, rather than on explicitly pedagogical issues. The most important goal of SLA research is to uncover and describe the processes that are potentially affected by instructional efforts. Thus, one of the goals of the course is to have students reflect and, if necessary, modify how they view the role of an instructor and a learner of a second language. The material can be used to inform learning a second language as much as it is instrumental in teaching a second language. The material in this course should encourage students to question assumptions and begin to formulate individual ideas about what goes on in classrooms, how we learn, and how this learning could inform our teaching of second language. A final goal is to introduce students to critical reading of research articles in the field, as a preparation for possible further study of SLA.
MOL 457 | TEACHING CULTURE IN THE MODERN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Pedagogical theory and practice in the integration of culture into the language classroom.
MOL 460 | RUSSIAN DRAMA IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION I | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
The course presents some of the greatest Russian plays of the 18th and 19th century. In the course, students will read original works in English translation by Von Vizin, Griboedov, Pushkin, Gogal, Lermontov, and Ostrovsky. Some critical works will be included. Students will read, analyze, and interpret the plays, comedies and dramas, both with respect to form and meaning.
MOL 461 | RUSSIAN DRAMA IN TRANSLATION II: SOVIET ERA | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Russian theater of the 20th century appeared in parallel to realistic novels and contributed to the movement of realism in Russian literature. Russian theater of the 20th century, presented by such authors as Chekhov, Gorky, Bulgakov and Teffi, demonstrates tendencies from realism to avant-garde. Some critical works will be included. The student will read, analyze and interpret the plays, comedies and dramas, both with respect to form and meaning. In the process they will develop greater insight into the social and multicultural issues of the time.
MOL 464 | RUSSIAN SHORT STORY IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION II: SOVIET ERA | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course presents some of the greatest Russian short stories (1880 - 1930) in English translation. Students will read short stories in English translation by major Russian writers such as Chekhov, Kuprin, Bunin and Bulgakov. Students will analyze and interpret short stories of the 1880-1930 period, both with respect to form and meaning, and discuss some critical works.
MOL 468 | RUSSIAN NOVEL IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION III: CONTEMPORARY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Major Russian prose works of the late 20th century, read in English translation. Authors include Bulgakov, Platonov, Pristavkin, and Bitov.
MOL 470 | PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course introduces students to the professions of translation and interpreting and covers several associated topics: the skills and knowledge each profession requires above and beyond language proficiency, professional conduct and ethical practice, and the translation and interpreting theory that informs professional translation and interpreting. The course also provides students with the opportunity to practice translation and interpreting at a basic level, with feedback from the instructor and/or external assessors as necessary. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 471 | TRANSLATION AS AN ART & SCIENCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This is a skill-building translation course that introduces students to the approaches, methods, and techniques they should be ready to deploy in order to engage in translation as an art and as a science. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 472 | TRANSLATION LANGUAGE-PAIR PRACTICE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This is a skill-building translation course in which students receive translation training in their language pair. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 473 | CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course trains students in the practice of consecutive interpreting, including memory training and note-taking skills. Students practice interpreting in the consecutive mode from and into English using a variety of speech types, and receive feedback from the instructor and/or external assessors as necessary. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 474 | SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course trains students in the practice of simultaneous interpreting. Students practice interpreting in the simultaneous mode from and into English using a variety of speech types, and receive feedback from the instructor and/or external assessors as necessary. This course requires a minimum of intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. If you have questions about your language proficiency, please contact the Director of the Translator and Interpreter Corps for guidance.
MOL 479 | TRANSLATION/INTERPRETING PRACTICUM | 2 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course, which is designed for students pursuing a certificate in Translation and Interpreting Studies (TIS), provides students with an opportunity to gain practical experience in translation and/or interpreting, under the guidance of the instructor. In consultation with the instructor, students will identify an appropriate translation and/or interpreting project and work on it throughout the quarter with the goal of completing it by the end of the quarter. Students pursuing a TIS certificate are advised to take this course after completing all other certificate courses or concurrently with the last one, if possible. If scheduling or other considerations make this infeasible, this course can be taken at any time by any student who has the necessary skills needed to undertake the project. Students who are not pursuing a TIS certificate and are interested in this course should contact the instructor to discuss whether the class is a good fit for them.
MOL 496 | MAMOL CAPSTONE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
As the required capstone course for the M.A. program in Modern Languages, MOL 496 requires students to reflect on their coursework and the materials that they have produced for their portfolios in order to articulate a coherent vision of their experience in the program. It encourages them to learn from each other's professional interests, builds community among them, and facilitates interactive learning. The course employs a seminar design that is intentionally flexible, and varies depending upon the participating students' goals and objectives. Class sessions will focus on the common issues and concerns that all students face as "language professionals." In addition, each student must select a representative work (the portfolio project), create an overview and commentary text on this work, and present the work to the class. Each student's portfolio and project (whether a thesis, internship, or creative work) will reflect his or her own intellectual interests and professional goals.
MOL 497 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGES | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
See schedule for current offerings.
MOL 498 | STUDY ABROAD | 1-8 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 4-8 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Variable credit.
MOL 510 | CANDIDACY CONTINUATION | 0 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This 0-credit hour course is available to master's degree candidates who are actively working toward the completion of a thesis, project, or portfolio. Enrollment in this course is limited to three quarters and requires thesis/project advisor and graduate director approval and demonstration to them of work each quarter. Enrollment in this course allows access to the library and other campus facilities. This course carries and requires the equivalent of half-time enrollment status. The student may be eligible for loan deferment and student loans. This course is graded as pass/fail. (0 credit hours)
MOL 511 | CANDIDACY MAINTENANCE | 0 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This 0-credit hour course is available to graduate students who are not registered for a course in a given quarter but need to maintain active university status. Enrollment in this course is limited to three quarters and requires permission of the graduate director. Enrollment in this course allows access to the library and other campus facilities. This course does not carry an equivalent enrollment status and students in it are not eligible for loan deferment or student loans. This course is not graded. (0 credit hours)