Explores how Russian literary culture responded to the tumult and upheaval of the twentieth century, an epoch encompassing the Bolshevik Revolution, two World Wars, the ascent of Stalin, and the decline and collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as unprecedented aesthetic innovations. While spanning key artistic movements of the period (including the avant-garde and other modernist tendencies, Socialist Realism, conceptualism, and postmodernism), the survey focuses on Stalinism and its aftermath, considering how Soviet writers developed strategies of dissent and protest in literature.

The four-skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) introduction to the Russian language with the focus on communicative skills development. Major structural topics include pronunciation and intonation, all six cases, all tenses and verbal aspect. By the end of the course, students are able to sustain conversation on basic topics, write short compositions, read short authentic texts, as well as develop an understanding of Russian culture through watching, discussing and writing on movies, short stories, folk tales and poems. This is a full-year course.

The undergraduate culmination of concentrator’s work in poetry, this course features a rigorous immersion in creative generation and revision. Student poets write a chapbook manuscript with thematic and/or stylistic cohesion (rather than disparate poems, as in prior workshop settings); students who choose one of the other strands—translation, teaching, book arts, or writing about poetry—complete a project beyond the scope of prior coursework in their area (with additional oversight/advice from faculty with relevant expertise, when necessary).

This course is designed to help advanced Italian students maintain their level of spoken language while at the same time further their knowledge of contemporary Italian society and culture. It enables students to express themselves with an advanced degree of fluency and proficiency as well as appropriate use of formal and/or informal register. Prerequisite: ITL 231 (Italian Stylistics) for the fall course or placement exam to ensure correct language level.

Topics course: This course provides an in-depth look at the changing role of women in Italian society. Authors studied include Natalia Ginzburg, Elsa Morante, Dacia Maraini and Elena Ferrante. A portion of the course is dedicated to the new multicultural and multiethnic Italian reality with a selection of texts written during the last 20 years by contemporary women immigrants. Limited enrollment. Permission of the instructor required. Conducted in Italian.

Students applying to Study Abroad in Florence for the year must take this course. Reading of outstanding works and consideration of their cultural and social backgrounds from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Prerequisite: ITL 220, and/or 230 or permission of the instructor. Course may not be taken S/U by Italian majors, Italian minors or students applying to the Study Abroad in Florence program. A separate discussion session is a required part of the course (ITL 250D).

Comprehensive grammar review through practice in writing and reading. Literary texts and cultural material constitutes the base for in-class discussions and compositions. Students taking ITL 220 are also strongly encouraged to take a conversation course. Taking both courses strengthens students’ confidence and ability to become proficient in Italian. Prerequisite: ITL 110Y or ITL 111 or permission of the department.

Italian culture is internationally renowned for its attention to quality and craftsmanship. The course focuses on post-World War II culture and students learn how Italian traditional artistic and craft excellence was negotiated with technological modernization and the creation of a mass-consumer society.

Designed to support beginning Italian students and to help them improve their conversational skills. This course offers intensive practice in pronunciation, vocabulary, oral comprehension and conversation. It includes class participation, role-playing and short oral presentations. Prerequisite: one semester of ITL 110 or placement exam to ensure correct language level. Enrollment limit of 12 students per section.

One-semester course designed for students with a background in other foreign languages or students deciding in their sophomore year to apply for the semester program in Florence (Italy). It covers the material of the yearlong ITL 110Y in one semester. Three class meetings per week, plus required weekly multimedia work and a discussion session. Students should enroll in ITL 220 the following semester.