Instructor - Huichun Liang

6 credits

This is the second semester of elementary Chinese, and is designed for students who finished elementary Chinese I, or the equivalent. Emphasis will be placed on all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). 

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to communicate in Mandarin Chinese regarding everyday topics with a vocabulary of about 800 words. Students will also show a solid foundation in the character writing skills, linguistic structures, listening skills, and pronunciation necessary for further study of the language.  

Instructor - Michael Volz

The goal of this course is for students to gain a basic understanding of the people, culture, and nation of present-day China.  Since the present cannot be understood without knowledge of the past, we will approach this goal by building knowledge of China's history, traditional religions, philosophy, arts, literature, food, customs, and language with a focus on how these traditional aspects of Chinese culture are manifested in and influence modern day China.  

The course is divided into 3 broad themes: Traditional China, Modern China, and Life and Arts in China. Since this is a survey course, it is also hoped that students will come away with a desire to explore the subject more deeply. 

Instructor - Michael Volz

Introduction to Chinese A

This is a 3-credit course that covers the equivalent of the first half of Elementary Chinese 1 (Chinese 1100).  It is for students who might be planning to study or travel in China, and want to get a taste of the language before going there.  It is also appropriate for students who are interested in studying Chinese, but prefer to do so at a more moderate pace. 

Instructor - Michael Volz

This course is a continuation of Intermediate Chinese 1 (3rd semester Chinese) and builds on the basic vocabulary and language skills learned in that class. In this course students will be introduced to more complex grammatical constructions, and will extend their ability to use those constructions for both written and oral communication.

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to communicate in Mandarin Chinese regarding everyday topics with a vocabulary of just over 1600 words. 

Instructor - Huichun Liang

3 credits

This course is the second semester of advanced Chinese, and is designed for those who finished Advanced Chinese I or the equivalent.  This course aims to develop student’s ability in advanced Chinese with an emphasis on the improvement of the four language skills. Different meaningful contexts will be created and provided.

Students will be encouraged to be actively involved and be engaged in different kinds of communicative tasks that require the use of the vocabulary words, grammatical patterns, discourse device, and cultural information learned in this class. Through learning and discussing the topics, such as music, crime, and cultural discussion, students learn to express themselves descriptively, persuasively, critically, and philosophically.

After successful completion of the course, students should be able to have a vocabulary of 2100 words, demonstrate Chinese grammar appropriate for advance level, and use more cohesive devices to link sentences, form paragraphs, and have broader knowledge about Chinese culture and modern Chinese society.

Instructor - Huichun Liang

Studies Chinese fiction from 1920s to 1990s. Preceded by a brief historical survey of Chinese literature. Analyzes works by authors like Lu Xun, Ba Jin, Lao She, Wang Meng and many others of the younger generation. Readings and lectures in English.  Prerequisites:  Sophomore standing. May be taken as a writing-intensive or non-WI class.

Instructor - Michael Volz

(same as FILMS_VS 3880).  Introduces development of 20th century Chinese film and popular genres, including review of earlier times.  Explores how present day Chinese understand their own history, and issues they face in drive toward modernization in a global context.  Films and readings in English or with English subtitles. No previous knowledge of the culture or language required.  Prerequisites:  sophomore standing.

FRENCH 1100 is a beginner French course devoted to the acquisition of basic communicative structures and vocabulary for daily life.  It will be conducted in French with emphasis on practical and meaningful communication.  French 1100 will also introduce the student to the culture of France and Francophone regions of the world. 

The aim of the course is to develop the ability to communicate in French through listening, reading, writing and speaking with a particular emphasis on oral communication. Class time will be primarily devoted to oral activities (conversations, surveys, partner-work, group discussions, etc.) while the time outside of class will be spent preparing for classes, reviewing materials, grammar and vocabulary exercises, and practicing your written French skills.

FRENCH 1200 is the continuation of French 1100 and is designed for those who have taken French 1100 or who have studied some French elsewhere. You must have earned at least a C- in French 1100 to continue to French 1200. In this course, you will continue to progress in speaking, listening reading and writing in French.

Since using the language is the goal of the course, rather than mere passive knowledge of the rules, participation in class is essential. The course is conducted primarily in French, and you will be expected to ask and answer questions, interact with other students, and participate actively in French. Because the study of a foreign language is cumulative – with each new lesson building on structures and vocabulary from previous lessons – it is extremely important that you do not fall behind in your work in French.

You will usually have online homework that will prepare you for class. After each class, other required online and assigned homework will help you to practice the new lesson. The online work will help you memorize structures and vocabulary. Verb conjugations will need to be memorized at home. Finally, additional classroom practice will help you to actively use the vocabulary and structures you have worked on at home and to get out of it. Your participation is what will make the class fun! 

FRENCH 2100 is the continuation of French 1200 and is designed for those who have taken French 1200 or who have studied Elementary French elsewhere. You must have earned at least a C- in French 1200 to continue to French 2100. It offers further introduction to the French language and the many cultures it encompasses.

Your course work will allow you to develop all four language skills: reading, speaking, listening and writing along with cultural background necessary to help you to communicate effectively in French. In order to expose you to as much French as possible and to develop your listening and speaking skills, this class is conducted in French. You will see that your ability to understand and to respond will develop quite rapidly.

By the end of the semester, you should be able to understand authentic dialogues and texts, engage in conversations on everyday topics and write compositions. Learning a new language can be very rewarding. We all hope that your experience will be positive and productive.

Instructor - Valerie Kaussen 

This course is the gateway course leading to a major or minor in French and is designed to further develop written and oral communication skills in French. Structured review of linguistic essentials (grammar, syntax, usage, phonetics) are achieved via systematic review, guided compositional production, and targeted exercises focusing on both fundamentals and enhancements.

Videos on France’s major cities and on cultural topics of interest provide students with authentic models, which, in turn, sharpen aural acuity and verbal facility. Coursework includes relevant exercises, oral presentations, written compositions, and frequent quizzes, all geared to ensure mastery of essentials and contextualized applications.

Prerequisite: French 2100 or equivalent.

Instructor - Valerie Kaussen 

T/Th 12:30-1:45P

Taught in English, this exploration of French Civ. begins with the objects through which we think we know the French – champagne, the Eiffel Tower, the guillotine, Van Gogh – and re-examines them from a critical standpoint in discussions led by specialists in the French faculty at MU.  Throughout the semester we will look closely at a range of objects – from monuments, artworks, and architectural spaces to household appliances, political symbols, and technologies -- to discover what they tell us about the evolution of France as a nation, society, and culture.  Our exploration of French “things” will guide our inquiries into the complex nature of diaspora & colonialism;  the birth of democratic ideals & institutions in the French Revolution; the relation between culture, food, & eco-consciousness in wine culture;  and the production of some of France’s most famous cultural exports from the Impressionists to the French baguette.  Come join our expert faculty for a semester of thinking critically with some of the most famous objects of western European history.

Instructor - Brian Hawkins

In this course, you will explore Missouri’s unique French Creole culture with the documentary filmmaker Brian Hawkins. Through readings, film discussions, and by examining the wealth of archival materials in the State Historical Society of Missouri’s collection, students will come to a deeper understanding of how Missouri’s Creoles fit into the broader picture of French-American history and culture.

Instructor - M.J. Muratore

A linguistic journey of sorts, this course, conducted in French, is designed to expand and enhance French-language skills acquired at previous levels. The aim is multifocal with due emphasis on active engagement geared to develop oral fluency and written proficiency. To this end, discussions and essays will focus on diverse individual and collective experiences, current events, cultural phenomena, literary models and media excerpts, to which students will react and about which they will provide analysis and commentary -- orally and in writing.  Structural and stylistic complexities will be examined so as to foster correctness of expression, broadened linguistic scope and communicative effectiveness.  A suitable bridge course for subsequent excursions into cultural studies and textual analysis. 

Prerequisite: French 2160 or equivalent.  Writing Intensive.

Instructor - Valerie Kaussen

TuTh 9:30AM - 10:45AM

In this course you will begin to acquire skills that will help you to develop and defend critical perspectives. By critical perspectives, I am referring to a position of reasoned understanding concerning the world around us, especially as it is represented in literature, media, and popular culture. In this course you will refine this crucial skill by learning how to read, analyze, and write about cultural objects. You will find that these skills are useful in almost every area of life.

A critical perspective differs from a mere opinion in these important respects: one arrives at it through an adherence to rules of discovery and analysis; it proposes widely-accepted, reproducible methods; and its outcomes are communicated, for the most part, through stylistic and rhetorical conventions.

Of course this is not to say that, when looking at cultural objects, we can somehow plug data into analytical formulae and arrive at a “correct” answer; what it does imply for us, however, is that, as we consider the cultural field, there are definitely some perspectives that more clearly demonstrate this reasoned understanding of the objects and phenomenon under consideration. In this course you will therefore:

• develop a basic structural understanding of four major genres of cultural expression (prose, poetry, theater, film), their commonalities and differences;
• acquire analytical tools and critical vocabulary for analyzing each of these genres;
• learn to write a coherent analytical essay using techniques of self- and peer correction, dictionary usage, and electronic spell-check;
• refine your mastery of complex grammatical structure and stylistics;
• … and all of this EN FRANÇAIS!

Instructor - M.J. Muratore

TuTh 2:00PM - 3:15PM

In this course, we will explore iconic French texts from Classicism to Post-modernism (with selections from novels, theater and poetry). Works under consideration will be examined in terms of their impact on world literature.  Principal emphasis will be accorded to the ways in which such masterpieces retain relevance today, the eternal human enigmas they bring to light, the artistry which has contributed to their status as sustained models of literary prominence. We will question in what inspiring ways, such writings have shaped views of human nature, social justice, and humanistic-moral values—and how these bespeak issues of our contemporary world. Students will be exposed to the essential techniques of critical reading and interpretation and will apply analytical skills acquired and honed to a broad spectrum of written assignments. 

Prerequisite: French 3410 or equivalent.

Instructor - Scott Taylor

MoWeFr 1:00PM-1:50PM

Le Theatre Français Comique

Why do we laugh? What makes a literary work comical? What are the characteristics of comedy? How has the nature of comedy changed throughout time? What role does culture play in determining what is or is not funny? Is comedy culturally relative or are there universal principles that define it? How is the comic effect realized on the French stage? What is the history of comedy in French theatre? Who are the most famous French playwrights known for writing comedies and what are some of the masterpieces of French comic theatre?

These are just some of the basic questions that we will explore in this course on French comic theatre which aims to simultaneously develop students’ knowledge of the history of French comedy and their appreciation of the arts of playwriting and theatrical staging, particularly within the French tradition. In this course, students will engage with theoretical, historical, dramatic, and performance texts to better understand the nature of this genre of theatre as it developed in France from the 17th century to today. Additionally, the course will also examine theories of mise en scene and methods for analyzing the theatrical text, both written and performed.

Finally, students will also have the opportunity to participate in the creation of a lecture mise en espace (“a staged reading”) in French at the end of the semester by presenting short scenes from the plays read in class.

Instructor - Daniel Sipe

We 2:00-2:50PM

• Want to use your French outside of the classroom? 
• Want to learn about contemporary issues from around the French-speaking world?
• Want to meet a fun group of like-minded francophones?
• Want to receive credit for attending exciting French-language events?

...then Passeport culturel is for you - click here to join our GroupMe calendar.

PC is an experiential learning curriculum that culminates in a capstone research project FREN 4993. Students begin by attending PC events that showcase contemporary perspectives on the francophone world. The course, like the events, are designed to foster a community of French speakers in Mid-Missouri. (We also have a large library of recorded events available.)

Using the ideas generated during these events as a springboard, students in FREN 4993 will formulate an original research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

This course is offered online and includes periodic Zoom meetings with the cohort and instructor.

N.B.: Students who have participated in previous Passeport culturel events can count those events toward coursework in this class. You may also enroll in FREN 4993 without having attended any prior events.

Instructor - Scott Taylor

MoWeFr 1:00PM-1:50PM

Why do we laugh? What makes a literary work comical? What are the characteristics of comedy? How has the nature of comedy changed throughout time? What role does culture play in determining what is or is not funny? Is comedy culturally relative or are there universal principles that define it? How is the comic effect realized on the French stage? What is the history of comedy in French theatre? Who are the most famous French playwrights known for writing comedies and what are some of the masterpieces of French comic theatre?

These are just some of the basic questions that we will explore in this course on French comic theatre which aims to simultaneously develop students’ knowledge of the history of French comedy and their appreciation of the arts of playwriting and theatrical staging, particularly within the French tradition. In this course, students will engage with theoretical, historical, dramatic, and performance texts to better understand the nature of this genre of theatre as it developed in France from the 17th century to today. Additionally, the course will also examine theories of mise en scene and methods for analyzing the theatrical text, both written and performed.

Finally, students will also have the opportunity to participate in the creation of a lecture mise en espace (“a staged reading”) in French at the end of the semester by presenting short scenes from the plays read in class

Instructor - Daniel Sipe

Benjamin’s famous proclamation was intended to underline the centrality of the capital in the formation of modernism. But the German scholar was more than a mere theorist of the city. A walker and wanderer, he was one of its most ardent practitioners. Similarly, we will come to know the city by embarking on a series of promenades. Through the use of guidebooks, travelogs, literary and art historical accounts, we will seek to uncover how the city was navigated. We will learn to read its boundaries - both real and invisible - and uncover its hidden geographies through a generous sampling of its users, especially those whose voices have often been occluded or forgotten by history.

This fun and interactive course will help you develop the foundational skills for using German as a means of communication in personal and professional life. You will explore culture, acquire vocabulary pertaining to day-to-day life, and develop oral, listening, reading, and writing skills.

Credit Hours: 5, various times available

A continuation of German 1100. This participation-centered course builds on German 1100 and will help you develop the skills you need to use German as a means of communication in personal and professional life. You will explore German culture, learn grammatical basics, practice speaking, listening, reading and writing, while engaging with your classmates. Es macht Spaß! In spring, an online, semester-based asynchronous section is also available.

Credit Hours: 5, various times available. 

Recommended: C- or better in German 1100, or equivalent

Instructor - Megan McKinstry

This course is designed for students who took German 1100H or are placed into German 1200 as honors-eligible students. The professor-taught course emphasizes further development of communication skills in a full-immersion setting. Honors students will have the opportunity to work on special projects related to their own personal interests while adding more nuanced cultural and sociolinguistic competencies.The participation-centered course will hone grammar, speaking, listening, oral, reading skills, as well as intercultural competency.

Credit Hours: 5, M/W/F, 2-3:15

Prerequisites: Honors eligibility required

A continuation of German 1200, this highly interactive course helps learners develop the skills they need to use German as a means of communication  in their personal and professional life. Students improve their speaking, listening, reading, and skills, their accuracy, and their intercultural competency while engaging with their classmates and learning to express their opinions in another language! Media, government, environmental issues, and social engagement in the German-speaking countries are explored through projects and film. Es macht Spaß! 

Credit Hours: 3, various times available

Recommended: C- or better in German 1200, or equivalent

Instructor - Megan McKinstry

As a bridge course, this participation-centered, fun-focused class will give students the skills they need to thrive in advanced-level German courses. Students will become more comfortable expressing themselves in German; hone their grammatical savvy; develop oral and writing skills and work with texts and videos which provide insight into contemporary German culture.

Credit Hours: 3

Recommended: C- or better in German 2100, or equivalent

Instructors - Seth Howes

Conducted entirely in English, this course introduces students to important moments in German cultural history and is designed to serve as a road map for future study of the modern era. Lectures on German colonialism and imperialism, modern art movements, cultural pessimism and the theory of history, the politics and aesthetics of the Nazis' racial state, World War II and its aftermath, and many other historical benchmarks are joined by guided explorations of a wide variety of cultural artifacts with lessons on “how to read a painting,” “how to read and critique Nazi propaganda,” and other useful guides to analyzing cultural products.  

May be taken independently of German 2310. No foreign language credit, but does have three writing-intensive (WI) sections and will count toward a German minor or major. Meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00-11:00, with discussion sections that meet on Fridays from 10:00-11:00 or 11:00-12:00.

Instructor - Seth Howes

This content-driven course provides insights into essential subjects of German history and contemporary society, using a variety of literature, journalistic sources and film.  The course will improve German conversation and literacy skills, and will strengthen critical reading and writing, as well as interpretative abilities.  Significant grammatical concepts will be thoroughly reviewed  throughout the semester.  Conducted in German.  

Meets MWF 11:00-11:50.

Instructor - Megan McKinstry

This course will introduce students to a wide range of Germanophone literature, including various eras of literary history and major literary genres such as poetry, drama, the short story, and the novella. The course will culminate in the reading of a contemporary novel. Conducted in German.

Meets Tuesday/Thursday 1:00-1:50PM.

Instructor - Carsten Strathausen

This online asynchronous course is writing intensive. The course takes the most famous European collection of fairy tales, namely the Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children’s and Household Tales) by the Brothers Grimm as its point of departure. We shall look at the genre of fairy tales, study the historical context of the genesis of the collection of tales, and study modern versions of the tales. We will compare and contrast Grimms’ fairy tales with folk tales of different cultural traditions, analyze and identify the formal structure of fairy tales and motifs, learn about various interpretive models/perspectives and read/view several historical and contemporary literary fairy tales and fairy-tale adaptations. Cultural units will be on Mongolian tales and the Maori culture of New Zealand.

Taught in English.

Instructor - Kristin Kopp

This discussion-based seminar is designed to challenge the ways in which we’ve come to think about “race” and racism by shifting our attention from the Americas to focus instead on the long history of Africans and their descendants in Central Europe. We’ll start our historical explorations in Ancient Europe, over a thousand years before the European discovery of the Americas. In the Roman Empire, for example, we’ll see Africans in positions of great power in a world where skin color mattered little. Over the ages, we’ll follow the routes of African – and African American – migrants and travelers, servants and soldiers, artists and activists who shaped the course of Central European history. In one of the most exciting features of the course, MU students partner with students from University College London to engage in transatlantic discussions about key issues. 

Taught in English.

Instructor - Brad Prager

This course is for students interested in Holocaust history as well as the question of how the Holocaust has been depicted on film. Examining films from 1945 to the present, from the U.S., Germany, Israel and elsewhere, we will discuss how images of the Holocaust have been used in cinema. The course examines both whether the horrors of the Holocaust can or should be depicted by looking at the very different choices made by a range of filmmakers. We will explore the distinction between still images and the moving images, and between documentary and non-documentary film, in order to understand how these particular distinctions are relevant to the question of Holocaust representation. The course also pays specific attention to several related political and ethical issues: the implied audience for Holocaust images; the “hollywoodization” of the Holocaust (as in the case of Schindler's List, for example); the question of whether aspects of this difficult topic are appropriate for younger audiences (as in the case of The Devil’s Arithmetic); and the cinematic depiction of survivors in interviews and other media. Taught in English.

Instructors - Seth Howes and Nicole Monnier

(same as RUSS 4840; cross-leveled with GERMAN 7840, RUSS 7840). In this course, we will explore the politics and poetics of totalitarian culture by examining the paintings, music, sculptures, buildings, and films produced under the rule of these regimes. In the process, we will learn how Nazi and Soviet culture producers made carefully calibrated appeals to their respective mass audiences, drawing upon the German and Russian cultural traditions - and on scientific rhetorics of cultural history and racial destiny - in crafting their utopian visions of worlds transformed, wrongs righted, and societies perfected. May be taken for Honors or Writing-Intensive credit. Recommended: Junior standing or above; students taking this course for WI should have taken a 2000- or 3000-level WI course before beginning this class.

Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-3:15PM.

Instructor - Sean Ireton

Meets Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15PM

In this course we will learn about and read representative texts by diverse German, Austrian, and Swiss Nobel Prize laureates in the categories of both Literature and Peace. Authors include Hermann Hesse, Nelly Sachs, Heinrich Böll, Günter Grass, Elfriede Jelinek, Herta Müller, Peter Handke (literature) as well as Carl von Ossietzky and Willy Brandt (peace). We will also examine the deeper reasoning if not behind-the scenes ‘politics’ of the prize bestowal, in other words: not only who won in that particular year but why?

Instructor - Carla Cornette

Sec 01  MoTuWeThFri 10:00-10:50am in person  – Lab: online asynchronous (6 credits)

Sec 02  MoTuWeThFri. 11:00-11:50am in person – Lab: online asynchronous (6 credits)

The purpose of this course is to continue the development of your communication skills in Italian. The speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities you acquired in ITAL 1100 will be deepened and strengthened with new vocabulary and more complex grammatical structures, while also learning various aspects of Italian culture. The 5-hour option is open ONLY to Bachelor of Music students.

Prerequisites: C- or better in ITAL 1100, or equivalent.

Instructor - Roberta Tabanelli 

100% E-learning asynchronous

In this interdisciplinary course, students will focus on a broad range of Italian achievements, sociopolitical events, and artistic and literary movements from the Middle Ages to the present. We shall seek to answer the question, “How did the qualities of ‘Italianess’ that make Italy unique arise in history?” by exploring some of the most influential examples of Italian literature, art, music, philosophy, film, and popular culture in their historical context.

Meets Humanities Requirement for Gen Ed. Taught in English

Instructor - Roberta Tabanelli

TuTh 3:30-4:45 pm, Screening Tue 5:00-7:00pm

Instructor: Roberta Tabanelli 

This course aims to introduce students to the concept of transnational cinema by discussing international circulation and reception of films and by analyzing issues of migration and ethnicity in contemporary films, media, and culture. The course will be focused on the transnational production of one national cinema, Italy’s, but it will also touch upon films from a variety of countries. 

Meets Humanities Requirement for General Education and Arts & Science Diversity Requirement.  

For beginners with some prior knowledge of Japanese. Three hours of lecture instruction and three hours of practice/drill per week in small groups.

Credit Hours: 6

Prerequisites: C- or better in JAPNSE 1100, or equivalent

Further develops oral and written command of Japanese as well as listening comprehension and further essay writing skills.

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: C- or better in JAPNSE 2160

This course aims 1. to develop communicative skills based on the fundamentals of grammar, vocabulary and conversational expressions. 2. to develop speaking and listening proficiency to carry out simple conversation. 3. to develop reading skills to understand short and simple materials. 4. to develop writing skills to be able to write short essays. 

Prerequisite: C - or better in Japanese 3160 or permission of instructor

Survey and analysis of selected Japanese films from the 1940s to present. Films will be viewed and discussed in terms of history, techniques, artistry, and social impact. English subtitles. No foreign language credit. Prerequisites: sophomore standing or instructor's consent.

Continues development of reading, listening, speaking, writing skills, with attention to vocabulary acquisition, expansion of knowledge of kanji, and understanding of complex grammatical structures.  Authentic readings in Japanese literature, exercises using authentic multi-media materials.  Encourages development of student autonomy in language learning with introduction and use of appropriate reference materials.  Prerequisites:  JAPNSE 3380 or equivalent, or instructor's consent.

Online, synchronous course, meeting in small groups on Zoom, Thursdays 3:30-4:45pm

This course is Writing Intensive, satisfies DI requirement and offers an Honors section. This inter-departmental course focuses on dynamics of globalization and its impact on cultures around the world from various interdisciplinary perspectives.  Readings and other class material (TED talks, podcasts, etc.) will address and evaluate the roles of social, entrepreneurial, non-profit and for-profit organizations and their use of transformational technologies in a global setting as well as introduce students to fundamental problems and concepts of today’s global society. Emphasis is placed upon cultural diversity, life in an interconnected and precarious world, and the analysis of new media environments.

Taught in English.

Online asynchronous course – with small group meetings per zoom at a time convenient to all. This course satisfies the DI requirement for students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Description: This course examines the ways in which people across the globe are affected every day by an unprecedented array of linkages that defy geographic and political boundaries. As our point of reference, we will concentrate on three case studies. The first is an analysis of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular SDG Goal One that addresses ending extreme poverty. The second case study looks at strategic visions and shifting alliances in the Middle East and how history and global relations have reshaped that region in the 20th and 21st century. The third case study analyzes the presence of Islam in Europe and how it plays out in politics and culture in particular in regard to Europe’s border crisis and the new changing configurations of migration from Africa.

Taught in English.

Columbia, MO is a globally connected community. In partnership with MU’s Office of Service Learning, we will collaborate in this course with local organizations as means of community-engaged learning. This course will ideally serve as a vehicle for students to develop a sustained commitment to civic service, and to informed engagement with immigrant communities, in particular. Course texts will provide knowledge about immigrant experiences and opportunity for reflection on social systems (resources and inequities), as well as individual positionality and paradigms of service.

In Elementary Korean II, students will extend their Korean vocabulary and grammar as an extension of Elementary Korean I. Based on what they learned in class, students will learn how to make more complex sentences. They will have various games to develop and check their vocabulary and grammar skills. These games will also teach the importance of collaboration.

In Elementary Korean II, students will be expected to read more advanced Korean stories and learn more Korean songs. Each week, there will be composition homework assignments with a different topic. Students should be able to write a paragraph based on what they have learned each week and will exchange their thoughts and comments about their writing in class. 

Instructor - Sanghun Chun

This course is designed to provide students with a broad overview of Korean society by exploring the story of historical, political, economic, and cultural characteristics after the Korean War.  South Korea is known as a country that has successfully transformed itself into both an economic and cultural powerhouse and its democracy in a short period of time.  In my opinion, though South Korea is known for a homogeneous and distinctive culture and identity it is also experiencing many paradoxical aspects and changes in the rapid process of economic development and democratic consolidation.   I assume this also applies to Inter-Korea relations (North and South Korea).

By the end of the semester, students will have a contextual background of Korean society and culture nowadays.  Students will also be able to further develop this insight to understand and discuss major issues of Korean studies in other upper level classes.

Intermediate Korean II is designed to increase your advanced Korean ability as an extension of Intermediate Korean I. To increase your language ability, it is important to be exposed to many different situations. With this in consideration, this class provides different themes each week, such as a song week, and a literature week to give students exposure to different situations.

This class will especially focus on speaking and writing. It is important for students to actively participate in small groups during class and in individual projects. There will be composition homework assignments each week with different topics. Students should be able to do their homework based on what they have learned each week. 

Instructor - Wang Sik Kim

This course is designed to help students understand the dynamics of North Korean politics.  North Korea can be described as an exceptional country in many ways.  First, the transfer of power in North Korea was made through hereditary succession like a monarchy even though it claimed to be a socialist country.  Second, North Korea has survived as a socialist country, while most of the communist countries including the Soviet Union and East European countries collapsed in the late 1980s and the early 1990s.  Third, North Korea, one of the poorest countries, has developed nuclear weapons as well as other weapons of mass destruction, threatening international security. For critical understanding of North Korean politics.  I will trace the Korean communist movement, and deal with the North Korean political history since 1945.  I am also planning to deal with the ideology and important governmental structure including the Korean Workers’ Party, the military and the social control structures.  Then I will examine several issues including economic reforms, the nuclear challenge, human rights issues, and unification questions.  Lastly, I will deal with North Korea relations with South Korea, the United States, Russia, China and Japan.

Cross-listed with Black Studies and Peace Studies.

This course explores the interconnected cultures and histories of four societies across three continents on both sides of the Atlantic: Angola, Brazil, Mozambique and Portugal. Students will develop a broad understanding of a significant part of the Black Atlantic often overlooked by histories of English colonialism and the English-speaking world. Along with rich historical accounts, vivid examples of literature, music, dance and film will be featured to help students appreciate the unique perspectives of the peoples of the Southern Black Atlantic on local, national and international levels in different eras. This course qualifies for the Global Brazil Minor.

Cross-listed with Film Studies.

This course is intended to give a broad overview of the major contemporary national cinemas in South America. Over the course of the semester, students will view approximately 14 feature films from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, released in the 21st century. The instructor will provide a thematic framework for these films within the context of Latin American cinematic history and cultural studies. Some of the cultural and cinematic themes covered in course lectures and readings will include: making visible class, racial/ethnic and gender identities and subaltern struggles for justice and equality; family drama/melodrama, friendship, romance/sexuality, and regional uses of the horror genre. Language note: lectures and readings will be in English; films will be screened with dialogue in original language (Spanish or Portuguese mainly) with English subtitles. This course qualifies for the Global Brazil Minor.

Instructor - Jambul Akkaziev

Russian 1200 is the second course in the Russian language sequence. Five hours of classroom instruction, with one hour lab work weekly. Prerequisites: C- or better in RUSS 1100 or equivalent. or instructor consent.

Meets MoTuWeThFr 10:00AM - 10:50AM.

Instructor - Timothy Langen

Designed to introduce students to some of the major genres, issues, and approaches in the study of Russian literature.  Begins with the most classic of Russian authors, the so-called "father of Russian literature" Aleksandr Pushkin, then moves on to two "classics" from the 19th century (Gogol, Chekhov) and two "iconoclasts" from the first part of the 20th (Mayakovsky, Kharms).  Covers a range of genres, including poetry, short story, and drama, as well as letters, essays and manifestoes.  Course reading list includes secondary essays that both shed light on specific texts/authors as well as provide models for critical and theoretical approaches to literature, with an emphasis on Russian Formalism.  Readings and discussions in English; no knowledge of Russian language or literature required.

Meets MoWeFr 1:00PM - 1:50PM.

Instructor - Timothy Langen

Russian 2160 is the second course in the two-semester intermediate Russian sequence. By the end of the course you will be able to: converse with ease and confidence when dealing with the routine tasks and social situations; communicate information about work, school, recreation, particular interests, and areas of competence in sentences or series of sentences; narrate and describe in different time frames about everyday events and situations; understand, with ease and confidence, simple sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts; understand fully and with ease short, non-complex texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics; understand some connected texts featuring description and narration.

Meets MoWeFr 11:00AM - 11:50AM.

Instructor - Jambul Akkaziev

How does Russia see itself? In this course we will use film to explore how Russians themselves understand Russia. We will watch 14 major Russian-language films from the post-Soviet era (starting in 1991) that depict moments in Russian history from the middle ages to the present. And we will critically consider what these representations of Russian history and culture suggest about Russian identity today. We will pay special attention to how Russian-language films present difference (ethnic, political, religious, gender, sexual, etc.), or "otherness," as a way of defining national identity. And we will analyze the relation of national identity constructs to social inequities. We will consider how films present groups of people within a society as "other"; how films present difference across Russian-speaking nations; and how Russia imagines itself as "other" or as a marginalized outsider. Students will gain foundational knowledge of Russian history and culture; will practice critical thinking through analyzing films in individual and collaborative modes; will develop written and oral communication; and will develop skills in intercultural fluency as they engage with Russian culture in its diversity.

Columbia, MO is a globally connected community. In partnership with MU’s Office of Service Learning, we will collaborate in this course with local organizations as means of community-engaged learning. This course will ideally serve as a vehicle for students to develop a sustained commitment to civic service, and to informed engagement with immigrant communities, in particular. Course texts will provide knowledge about immigrant experiences and opportunity for reflection on social systems (resources and inequities), as well as individual positionality and paradigms of service.

Instructors - Seth Howes and Nicole Monnier

(same as GERMAN 4840; cross-leveled with GERMAN 7840, RUSS 7840). In this course, we will explore the politics and poetics of totalitarian culture by examining the paintings, music, sculptures, buildings, and films produced under the rule of these regimes. In the process, we will learn how Nazi and Soviet culture producers made carefully calibrated appeals to their respective mass audiences, drawing upon the German and Russian cultural traditions - and on scientific rhetorics of cultural history and racial destiny - in crafting their utopian visions of worlds transformed, wrongs righted, and societies perfected. Recommended: Junior standing or above; students taking this course for WI should have taken a 2000- or 3000-level WI course before beginning this class.

Meets TuTh 2:00PM - 3:15PM.