Winter

This course investigates literary and visual strategies in China through which material objects are depicted and animated. Our emphasis will be on reading primary sources and viewing real objects (online) up through the 18th century,  but we’ll also incorporate approaches from anthropology, the history of material culture and technology, literary theory, and art history in a comparative context.  Genres to be covered include the ode on things, the it-biography, tales of the strange, the vernacular novel, handbooks for connoisseurs and collectors, paintings and illustrated books. Students will be guided throughout the term to produce a final research paper. This may take the form of a cultural biography of a real object or class of objects; it could be a study of how objects are depicted in fiction or drama, in painting or a specific site; it could investigate how objects are treated in the antiquarian scholarly tradition, or become a form of obsessive collecting; or how they work in religious worship, commerce, or global exchange, but there are many other possibilities. All readings will be available in English. Some previous background in Chinese literature, history, or art history would be helpful but is not required.

From the earliest centuries of the common era until the 1870s, Japanese writers, artists, and scholars considered themselves to be living in the Sinosphere: the realm of China’s cultural and political centrality. Starting with a consideration of Chinese material culture in the Tale of Genji, we will proceed to address topics such as the relation between Chinese and Japanese handscroll paintings, the spread of Chinese-style ink monochrome painting in Japan, the rise of the Kano school as official painters and Chinese-style painting experts, and the immense popularity of literati painting and calligraphy. Korean painting’s intersection with Chinese and Japanese art in the medieval and early modern periods will also factor into the discussion. We will evaluate the changing dynamics around political power and gender embodied in the Chinese/Japanese oppositional duality and reassess the prevailing narratives concerning how the Sinosphere faded from view in the Meiji era.

KORE 21200 is the second quarter of the Fourth-Year Modern Korean sequences. It is designed to continue to improve students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills to an advanced level. This course will be focusing on enhancing speed, accuracy, and comprehension in advanced listening and reading of authentic texts (such as interviews, movies, novels, essays, reports, etc.) as well as the refinement of writing skills in various styles. Students will also discuss social, cultural, and political issues in Korea using their analytic skills and knowledge acquired in class.

KORE 20402 is the second course in the third-year Korean sequence. This course is designed to enhance students' abilities to achieve a high intermediate level in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and grammar skills in Korean. Students will be introduced to various grammar patterns and expressions that will help them engage in dialogues in a range of real-life situations. Additionally, authentic news reports, movies, and dramas will be used to improve students’ proficiency in high intermediate-level Korean. The instructor will primarily use Korean during class, and students are expected to use the target language as well. This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays for eighty minutes.

KORE 20200 is the second course in the second-year Korean sequence, designed for learners who have completed the First-Year Korean sequence or have prior knowledge of Korean language and culture. The course aims to continue building students’ language skills with emphasis on enhancing the speaking ability, writing skills, and usage of more complex constructions. Hence, classroom activity and assignments will be designed and conducted with the main purpose of facilitating students' learning process. Furthermore, the medium of instruction will be in Korean, and students are expected to use the target language as much as they can throughout the course. Students’ active participation is the key to success in this course. Approximately 50 Chinese characters will be introduced for the achievement of basic literacy. This course meets Monday through Friday for fifty minutes.

KORE 10200 is the second course in the first-year Korean sequence, designed to continue building a solid foundation in modern Korean language and culture. Students will learn to communicate on various daily topics, such as self, family, daily routines, school activities, weekend plans, and holiday or birthday celebrations. Through integrated listening, reading, speaking, and writing tasks, students will enhance their ability to navigate real-life scenarios using acquired vocabulary, grammar, and cultural knowledge. Additionally, the course will introduce Korean culture through media, music, and other cultural activities. This course meets Monday through Friday for fifty minutes.

This course focuses on learning spoken Japanese through full-length Japanese animated films. To ensure balance in learning, writing and reading materials are also provided. Students at this level are able to handle successfully a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. The class meets for five fifty-minute sessions each week.

This course is intended to improve Japanese reading, speaking, writing, and listening ability to the advanced low level as measured by the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Proficiency Guidelines. Weekly assignments require students to tackle modern Japanese texts of varying length and difficulty. Organized around a range of thought-provoking themes, reading assignments include academic theses, literary texts, and popular journalism. After each reading, students are encouraged to discuss the topic in class and are required to write their own thoughts on each reading along with a summary. The class meets for two eighty-minute sessions each week.

The third year marks the end of the basic modern language study. Our goal is to help students learn to understand authentic written and spoken materials with reasonable ease. The texts are all authentic materials with some study aids. Classes conducted in Japanese. The class meets for three eighty-minute sessions a week.

The emphasis on spoken language in the first half of the course gradually shifts toward reading and writing in the latter half. The course is conducted mostly in Japanese and meets for five fifty-minute periods a week.