GNS Courses Fall 2020

(3 credits)

• ONLINE (MW 11:00-11:50 am)          Instructor: B. Marcus Cederström
  • DIS 301: R 9:55-10:45 am ONLINE
  • DIS 302: F 11:00-11:50 am (FIG 263 authorization required)*
  • DIS 303: R 11:00-11:50 am
  • DIS 304: F 9:55-10:45 am ONLINE

Course Description: Folklore of Central, Eastern and Northern Europe and among emigrants from these regions in North America. A survey of genres of folklore, history of research, and modes of interpretation, past and present.

Prerequisites: None.

(3 credits)

• TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm          Instructor: Nâlân Erbil

Course Description: Turkish shows have seen an unprecedented expansion from Asia to South America for the last decade. And it is not only soap opera dramas which appeal to this vastly diverse audience but also the historical ones like The Resurrection (2014-2019) spearheaded by The Magnificent Century (2011-2014), or the more recent mob thriller The Pit (2017-), the crime drama Persona (2018), and the drama fantasies The Protector (2018-) and The Gift (2019-) both produced by Netflix. The new Turkish auteur cinema has similarly garnered international acclaim since 2010s, however, depending on an independent budget and a festival audience unlike TV dramas, these films focalize isolation, poverty, discrimination, and hope(lessness) in the society. Yet, both form of productions hold the same thematic framework of family, history, and nation. In this course, we will explore constructions of these concepts in the contemporary Turkish TV and film, and analyze how particular interpretations of family, history, and nationhood challenge and/or legitimize the country’s cultural, historical, and political claims today. This course is taught in English. It satisfies Humanities breath and counts towards The Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: None.

(3 credits)

• ONLINE (TR 4:00 pm-5:15 pm)          Instructor: Manon van de Water

Course Description: This blended course will give you an in-depth look in selected theatre styles and performances in the regions and languages in the Department of German, Nordic and Slavic. The course will move non-chronologically through times and periods, each week highlighting productions of a specific language group and region. Each region, performance, and text will be contextualized through a narrative power point and/or lecture. On-line performances featured will be in the original language and subtitled, or the English texts will be provided. They will consist of classics as well as contemporary texts and performances, traditional and experimental. Each text and performance will be discussed synchronically and/or asynchronically, face to face or online. Theatre is a mirror, or a reflection of life. But this reflection of life is not everywhere the same. This course will demonstrate a variety of reflections of life, in a multidisciplinary way, in 14 different cultural regions.

Prerequisites: None.

(4 credits)

• MTWR 8:50-9:40 am          Instructor: Gulnara Glowacki

Course Description: Provides an introduction to the Kazakh language, which is a Turkic language spoken by about 11 million people in Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Iran. Work within four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Learn to communicate in Kazakh in authentic situations. Kazakh will be used as the primary language in classroom instructions, with minimal use of English for explanations of grammar.

Prerequisites: None.

(4 credits)

•  MWF 9:55-10:45 am          Instructor: Nâlân Erbil

Course Description: This course is designed for students who are interested in learning the modern Turkish language (Istanbul Turkish) and cultures, and who have limited or no previous language use. It introduces basic grammar & vocabulary, and builds competence in novice level listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Turkish using various authentic and designed materials. Students are expected to identify basic products, practices, and perspectives of Turkish speaking cultures in Turkey and beyond. Negotiating cultural nuance and intercultural competence within the social justice paradigm will be emphasized. This course counts towards The Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: None.

(3 credits)

• MF 1:00-2:15 pm          Instructor: Gulnara Glowacki

Course Description: Continues the study of the Kazakh language.

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher.

(4 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm          Instructor: Nâlân Erbil

Course Description: This course is designed to help students develop intermediate competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Turkish using various authentic and designed materials. Knowledge of the grammatical structures taught in the first two semesters is assumed while we review them and introduce more advanced grammar in context. Students are expected to identify products, practices, and perspectives of Turkish speaking cultures in Turkey and beyond. Negotiating cultural nuance and intercultural competence within the social justice paradigm will be emphasized. This course counts towards The Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: GNS 340 (or LCA LANG 340 prior to fall 2018).

(3 credits)

• MW 8:00-9:15 am          Instructor: Nâlân Erbil

Course Description: This course is designed to help students develop advanced competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and to enhance their critical literacy in Turkish using authentic materials designed for speakers of Turkish such as novels, short stories, poems, and films. Students will be able to analyze and compare products, practices, and perspectives of Turkish speaking cultures in Turkey and beyond. Azeri/Ottoman will be incorporated upon demand. This course counts towards The Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: GNS 440 (or LCA LANG 440 prior to fall 2018).