Slavic Courses Fall 2021

(4 credits)

• Section 001: MTWRF 9:55-10:45 am
• Section 002: MTWRF 11:00-11:50 am
• Section 003: MTWRF 12:05-12:55 pm
• Section 004: MTWRF 1:20-2:10 pm

Course Description: Five hours a week focusing on speaking, listening, reading and writing Russian, with an introduction to Russian culture. No previous knowledge of Russian expected.

Prerequisites: Section 001 requires FIG 232 authorization. Sections 002, 003, 004 require none.

(4 credits)

• MTWR 11:00-11:50 am

Course Description: Introduction to Polish language focusing on speaking, listening, reading and writing  with an introduction to Polish  culture. For students who have not previously studied Polish.

Prerequisites: None.

(4 credits)

• Section 001: MTWRF 9:55-10:45 am
• Section 002: MTWRF 1:20-2:10 pm

Course Description: Five hours a week focusing on speaking, listening, reading and writing Russian, with continued study of Russian culture.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 102 or appropriate score on the placement exam.

(4 credits)

• MTWR 11:00-11:50 am          Instructor: Krzysztof Borowski

Course Description: Reading, conversation exercises, and grammar review of Polish language.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 122 or appropriate score on the placement exam or consent of instructor.

(4 credits)

• MTWR 12:05-12:55 am          Instructor: David Danaher

Course Description: The course is a continuation of Slavic 116/352, Second-Semester (Intensive) Czech; completion of 116/352 or its equivalent serves as a necessary prerequisite. The course is designed to further develop communicative skills in Czech: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. The course begins to move students through the B1 level (in the Common European Framework) of learning another language. It is thematically organized by lessons in the textbook Czech Step by Step 2 (Český krok za krokem 2 by Lída Holá). Another main text for the course will be the Czech film Loves of a Blonde (Lásky jedné plavovlásky, Miloš Forman, 1965): we will be doing scene-by-scene analysis of the film based on these materials. By the end of the course, students will be able to: (1) hold conversations in Czech that reflect comfort with the communicative themes that we have treated; (2) understand texts on these themes by applying what they have learned (vocabulary and grammatical structures) to the reading and also by bringing to bear their own knowledge of the world to make educated guesses about words and structures with which they are not yet familiar; (3) write short texts on the topics they will have studied; (4) demonstrate familiarity with aspects of Czech culture relating to these themes; (5) articulate differences between Literary and Spoken Czech based on our work with the film.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 116 or appropriate score on the placement exam or consent of instructor.

(3 credits)

• TR 2:30-3:45 pm          Instructor: Łukasz Wodzynski

Course Description: How do we define adventure and who gets to experience it? What role has it played in modern culture? What do adventure stories tell us about our values and changing attitudes to risk and violence? We will address these and similar questions on our intellectual journey through some of the most iconic adventures in Western cultural tradition, from The Odyssey to Indiana Jones, and beyond. The course meets Literature requirement and has no prerequisites.

Prerequisites: None.

(3 credits)

• MWF 1:20-2:10 pm          Instructor: Kirill Ospovat

Course Description: This course, situated between literary, political, cultural, and art studies, addresses contemporary Russia and the symbolic patterns that govern its erratic and seemingly irrational policies. We draw on political theory and investigative journalism as well as contemporary Russian film, fiction, and art in order to explore the peculiar, yet not unprecedented cult of violence that underlies Putin’s regime. We examine the origins of this cult in Russian imperial and Soviet culture and its implications for our understanding of current events.

Prerequisites: None.

(3 credits)

• TR 2:30-3:45 pm          Instructor: Marina Zilbergerts

Prerequisites: None.

(3 credits)

• MWF 1:20-2:10 pm          Instructor: Alexandra Walter

Course Description: A thorough review of several major aspects of Russian grammar, focusing on the use of complex syntax in speech and writing. Read and discuss literary works and other Russian-language texts. Students will develop writing proficiency through compositions on a variety of topics.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 118 or 204.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm          Instructor: Krzysztof Borowski

Course Description: Students expend their language proficiency  by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 208, appropriate score on the placement exam, or consent of instructor. Open to first-year-students.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm          Instructor: Krzysztof Borowski

Course Description: Students expend their language proficiency  by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 208, appropriate score on the placement exam, or consent of instructor. Open to first-year-students.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm        Instructor: Ewa Miernowska

Course Description: An introduction to the fundamentals of Polish. Students will receive a good working knowledge of basic Polish vocabulary and grammar, as well as an introduction to Polish culture. Emphasis is made on proficiency in Polish through speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.

In this intensive class we cover, during one semester, the material of three regular semesters. Great class for Polish heritage speakers who need to review the grammar before taking more advanced Polish courses. Very engaging class with fun activities.

Prerequisites: Junior standing. Open to Freshman and Sophomores with consent of instructor.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm        Instructor: Ewa Miernowska

Course Description: Vocabulary reinforced through literature, film and journalism. Readings and discussions related to issues of contemporary Polish society. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions.

Prerequisites: Slavic 304, graduate student standing, or consent of instructor.

(3 credits)

• TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm        Instructor: Anna Tumarkin

Course Description: Emphasizes speaking and listening skills, helping students to converse on different stylistic levels, with varying degrees of formality, according to the rules of Russian speech etiquette.

Prerequisites: Slavic 117 and 118 or SLAVIC 204.

(4 credits)

• MWF 1:20-2:10 pm          Instructor: S. A. Karpukhin

Course Description: Improvement of Russian proficiency in all four skills. Read texts from literature and media, watch video clips from contemporary media sources, write and make presentations on current topics in the Russian-speaking world.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 276 or consent of instructor.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm          Instructor: Krzysztof Borowski

Course Description: Students expend their language proficiency  by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 278 or appropriate score on the placement exam or consent of instructor. Open to first-year-students.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm          Instructor: Krzysztof Borowski

Course Description: Students expend their language proficiency  by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 331, appropriate score on the placement exam, or consent of instructor. Open to first-year-students.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05-12:55 pm          Instructor: S. A. Karpukhin

Course Description: First in a two-semester course sequence, this course focuses on those topics in Russian cultural history that are most often discussed by Russians and serve as the basis for contemporary political and media discourse.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 322.

(3 credits)

• MTWR 12:05-12:55 pm          Instructor: David Danaher

Course Description: The course is a continuation of Slavic 116/352, Second-Semester (Intensive) Czech; completion of 116/352 or its equivalent serves as a necessary prerequisite. The course is designed to further develop communicative skills in Czech: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. The course begins to move students through the B1 level (in the Common European Framework) of learning another language. It is thematically organized by lessons in the textbook Czech Step by Step 2 (Český krok za krokem 2 by Lída Holá). Another main text for the course will be the Czech film Loves of a Blonde (Lásky jedné plavovlásky, Miloš Forman, 1965): we will be doing scene-by-scene analysis of the film based on these materials. By the end of the course, students will be able to: (1) hold conversations in Czech that reflect comfort with the communicative themes that we have treated; (2) understand texts on these themes by applying what they have learned (vocabulary and grammatical structures) to the reading and also by bringing to bear their own knowledge of the world to make educated guesses about words and structures with which they are not yet familiar; (3) write short texts on the topics they will have studied; (4) demonstrate familiarity with aspects of Czech culture relating to these themes; (5) articulate differences between Literary and Spoken Czech based on our work with the film.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 352 or consent of instructor.

(3 credits)

• TR 1:00-2:15 pm          Instructor: Łukasz Wodzynski

Course Description: Poland’s fascinating and turbulent history produced one of the most unique European cultures. From medieval religious songs to interwar modernist experiments, Polish literature has always struggled with the fundamental mysteries of human existence, leaving in its trail unique tales of heroism, sacrifice, enchantment, despair, passion, and the redeeming power of love. In this course you will be introduced to major texts, traditions, narratives, and ideas that have shaped and defined Polish culture from its beginnings to the beginning of World War II. The course meets Literature requirement and has no prerequisites.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 302.

(3 credits)

• TR 1:00 am-2:15 pm          Instructor: Anna Tumarkin

Course Description: Conducted entirely in Russian. Designed for advanced students of Russian to study the history of Russian social and political satire in depth.

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

(3 credits)

• M 2:30-5:00 pm          Instructor: Andrew Reynolds

Course Description: This course introduces graduate students to key writers and themes in Soviet, Émigré, and Post-Soviet Russian literature. It examines the movements and conceptual issues shaping and influencing the production of literary texts from 1917 until the present day: e.g., realism, socialist realism, exile (internal and external), dissidence, postmodernism. Students will acquire a solid foundation in the literary, historical, and philosophical groundings of post-1917 Russian literature, and will develop skills in textual analysis and interpretation. This course is lecture based and reading intensive. It prepares Slavic graduate students to meet the expectations for a written qualifying exam (PhD prelim) on the period of history of Russian literature covered by the course. This exam is offered at the end of the semester as part of course requirements.

SLAVIC 709 is a 3-credit course. It meets for one 150-minute class period each week over the fall semester and carries the expectation that students will work on course learning activities for about 6 hours out of the classroom for every class period.  Students are expected to spend additional time during the preceding summer to cover the large amounts of reading required for this course.

Prerequisites: Graduate student or professional standing.

(2 credits)

• TR 1:20-2:10 pm          Instructor: David Danaher

Course Description: This course is designed both to systematize three or more years of study of the Russian language as well as to provide students with the basic tools necessary to continue the study of Russian at more advanced instructional levels or outside of an academic context (independently in work, research, or in-country settings). For students who intend to become teachers of Russian, this course is an introduction to the inner workings of the language. The course also necessarily serves as a general introduction to linguistics (what is language and how is it structured?) that uses Russian data for illustration. The learning objectives are the following: (1) students will systematize their knowledge of the phonetics and phonology of Contemporary Standard Russian and will be able to demonstrate that knowledge through transcriptions of real-life audio recordings (eg, songs and speeches); (2) students will systematize their knowledge of the morphology of Contemporary Standard Russian (declension and conjugation); (3) students will develop an understanding of linguistic theory related to phonetics/phonology and morphology.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 275 and 276. Graduate student or professional standing.

(1 credits)

• R 2:30-3:45 pm          Instructor: Anna Tumarkin

Course Description: This course is designed and required for current Slavic Department Russian-language Teaching Assistants and provides important professional development in course design, lesson planning, and assessment. Course participants work cooperatively to develop course activities and assessment instruments, and will learn how to identify and solve problems in the classroom.

Prerequisites: Graduate or professional student. Teaching assistant in Russian.

(3 credits)

• T 2:30-5:00 pm          Instructor: Maksim Hanukai

Prerequisites: Graduate or professional student.

(3 credits)

• F 2:30-5:00 pm          Instructor: Andrew Reynolds

Course Description: SLAVIC 900-002 is a 1-credit course that serves as a seminar add-on for SLAVIC 709 – Soviet, Émigré, and Post-Soviet Literature. It meets five times a semester in 150-minute class periods.

Prerequisites: Graduate or professional student.