This course emphasizes understanding, speaking, and writing in a contemporary context. It also promotes creativity with presentations and original group projects. It includes Web activities, films, short stories, and frequent conversation sessions with language assistants.

This course emphasizes understanding, speaking, and writing in a contemporary context. It also promotes creativity with presentations and original group projects. It includes Web activities, films, short stories, and frequent conversation sessions with language assistants.

After reviewing essential grammar and vocabulary, Intermediate Italian will expose students to new and more complex lexicon and communicative grammatical structures. Through authentic materials (videoclips, music, newspaper articles, websites etc.), the course emphasizes reading, writing, listening, and speaking. A realistic picture of modern Italy replaces stereotypical images of Italy with contemporary representation. Class time emphasizes group conversations and builds accurate use of the language in an interactive and dynamic way.

Can serious artists play cruel jokes? Who laughs at Dante? This course explores the role of lies and practical jokes in Italian theater and the way the concept of humor has changed over time. We will investigate the intimate connection among power, religion, and laughter by reading some of the funniest (and politically charged) works of Italian theater. Our authors will take us through the streets of Renaissance Florence, eighteenth-century Venetian canals, as well as the improvised factory theaters of the 1970s. Readings include Dante, Machiavelli, Goldoni, Puccini, Fo, De Filippo.

ASIAN-110 is the first semester of the first-year Chinese course. This course is intended for students with no or very little prior knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. Points of focus include pronunciation and tones, basic syntax, high-frequency vocabulary words, conversational flow, and an introduction to reading and writing Chinese characters. Relevant cultural knowledge and activities will be incorporated into the curriculum.

ASIAN-110 is the first semester of the first-year Chinese course. This course is intended for students with no or very little prior knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. Points of focus include pronunciation and tones, basic syntax, high-frequency vocabulary words, conversational flow, and an introduction to reading and writing Chinese characters. Relevant cultural knowledge and activities will be incorporated into the curriculum.

Introduces listening, speaking, reading, and writing modern Japanese; hiragana, katakana, and approximately 50 Kanji. Supplements class work with audio and video.

Introduces listening, speaking, reading, and writing modern Japanese; hiragana, katakana, and approximately 50 Kanji. Supplements class work with audio and video.