Undergraduate

In this class, we will explore a variety of environments and ecological systems portrayed in Chinese short stories in the 20th and 21st centuries, ranging from forests to media ecology. What do fictional tales tell us about the relationship between human beings and nature and the interaction between people inhabiting different types of environment (e.g. the urban versus the rural)? How is ecocriticism entangled with literary criticism? How can we gain a new perspective on the genre of short fiction by considering techniques for storytelling in ecological terms? We will read stories written by famous Chinese writers including Lu Xun, Yu Hua, and Mo Yan (the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2012) in conjunction with a selection of theoretical texts. This class welcomes EALC majors and minors, MAPH students, and other students who are interested in this topic. No prior knowledge of Chinese is needed.

Dunhuang, a key oasis town on the cultural and economic networks of ancient Eurasia known today as the “Silk Roads,” lay for centuries at the nexus of four major cultural spheres: those of China, Tibet, Central Asia, and the Steppe. Dunhuang is renowned especially for its connection with the Mogao Caves, a major Buddhist temple and pilgrimage site. Its immense importance today lies in the fact that it is not only the most important collection of Buddhist painting in the ancient world, but that it also held a cache of manuscripts and block-printed texts that has transformed our understanding of the history of the region, and especially of the histories of Buddhism, Daoism, Manichaeism, and Christianity. Dunhuang’s location at the nexus of cultural spheres is reflected in the astonishing range of languages attested at the site, in manuscripts, epigraphy, and graffiti. These include Chinese, Tibetan, Khotanese, Sogdian, Old Uyghur, Old Türkic, Sanskrit, Tangut, and Kuchean, among others. This course is an exploration of the rich history of Dunhuang and the Mogao Caves: not only the ancient histories reflected in its art, objects, and texts, but also the modern histories of those materials, which are today in good part scattered across the globe in museum and library collections filled by agents of 20th Century empires.

The third of three consecutive courses focuses on improving speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills to high-advanced level. Through intensive readings and discussions, students will build extensive vocabulary and complex grammatical structures as well as developing sophisticated speaking skills and academic writing skills. The materials introduced in this class include newspaper articles dealing with current social, cultural, or economic issues in Korea, literary works such as poems and novels, and authentic media such as TV documentaries or movies.

This course introduces readings from a wide selection of written styles including journalistic pieces, college-level textbooks and literary prose. The class focuses on exercises in reading comprehension and discussions on various topics/issues related to contemporary Korea. Some audio and videotapes (e.g., televised news programs, movies, and dramas) will be used in order to improve the students' capacity in advanced Korean. Classes are conducted in Koran and meet for eighty-minute periods two times a week.

As a continuation of Beginning Korean, this course is to help students increase their communication skills (both oral and written) in the Korean language. Through an integrated framework of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, this course aims to increase fluency and accuracy in Korean. Videotapes and additional reading materials will be used in a supplementary fashion and approximately 100 Chinese characters will be introduced for the achievement of basic literacy. Classes are conducted mostly in Korean and meet for fifty-minute periods five times a week. Must be taken for a letter grade.

KORE 10300 is the third quarter of the Introductory Korean sequences. It is designed to continue to build students’ solid foundation in modern Korean language and culture. Students will learn how to communicate on a variety of familiar topics and how to handle straightforward social situations or transactions. In order to provide sufficient practice and opportunity to use what has been learned in class in real life situations, there will be small group sessions. In addition, the course will introduce students to Korean culture through media, music, and other cultural activities.

This course studies a selection of popular Korean song lyrics, treating them under the rubric of poetry. Its prerequisite is Korean proficiency of the 4th-year level and above and the student should have the Instructor’s approval in advance.

For graduates and advanced undergraduates. This course introduces readings from a wide selection of written styles including journalistic pieces, college-level textbooks and literary prose. The class focuses on exercises in reading comprehension and discussions on various topics/issues related to contemporary Korea. Some audio and videotapes (e.g., televised news programs, movies, and dramas) will be used in order to improve the students' capacity in advanced Korean. Classes are conducted in Korean and meet for eighty-minute periods two times a week.

As a continuation of Beginning Korean, this course is to help students increase their communication skills (both oral and written) in the Korean language. Through an integrated framework of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, this course aims to increase fluency and accuracy in Korean. Videotapes and additional reading materials will be used in a supplementary fashion and approximately 100 Chinese characters will be introduced for the achievement of basic literacy. Classes are conducted mostly in Korean and meet for fifty-minute periods five times a week.  Must be taken for a letter grade.

KORE 10200 is the second quarter of the Introductory Korean sequences. It is designed to continue to build students’ solid foundation in modern Korean language and culture. Students will learn how to communicate on a variety of familiar topics and how to handle straightforward social situations or transactions. In order to provide sufficient practice and opportunity to use what has been learned in class in real life situations, there will be small group sessions. In addition, the course will introduce students to Korean culture through media, music, and other cultural activities.