Slavic Course Descriptions for Fall 2017

SLAVIC 101 – 1st Semester Russian

Section 001, MTWRF   9:55 – 10:45 (FIG Class), instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWRF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 004, MTWRF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 005, MTWRF   8:50 – 9:40, instructor: TBD  (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)

Prerequisites: Open to Freshman
Language of Instruction: Russian

An introduction to the Russian language.

SLAVIC 115 – First Semester Czech

Section 001, MTWR   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: Danaher, David

Prerequisites: Open to Freshman
Language of Instruction: Czech

Meets with SLAVIC 351

The course is designed to develop communicative skills in Czech: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. The course emphasizes the skills of asking/answering questions and understanding/communicating information on selected topics. It is thematically organized, and the themes we will be working on include: the Czech alphabet and sound system, greetings/introductions, classroom Czech, food and drink, the restaurant scenario, descriptions of people, daily activities and free time, orienting oneself in a city, apartments and homes, numbers,days of the week, months, time. Structural topics supporting these themes include: the vocative case, the nominative sg/pl of nouns and adjectives, the locative sg of nouns and adjectives, the accusative sg of nouns and adjectives, personal/possessive/demonstrative pronouns, possessive adjectives, time expressions, the present/past/future tense of verbs, verbs of motion.

By the end of the course, students should 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) Exhibit familiarity with aspects of Czech culture relating to these themes.

These objectives are geared not merely to “covering” grammar and vocabulary, but to their functional assimilation in skill development. Knowledge of grammatical structure and vocabulary items, while essential, will be subsumed under the broader goal of being able to use them for communicative purposes. In other words, memorization of vocabulary and grammatical forms is the starting point of learning, not the end point.

The intensive section of the course (351) is reserved for students who have prior experience in Czech or advanced knowledge of another Slavic language (Russian, Polish, etc.).Students in 351 will – through extra work – develop a broad receptive acquaintance with the foundations of Czech grammar as well as begin to develop a facility to read by working through short texts. We will not hold extra meetings for 351, but students are expected to submit extra work as given in the semester schedule; the instructor is available for questions about the materials in office hours, before and after Czech class, and by email.

Our primary textbook is L. Holá’s Czech Step by Step, which will be made available through Learn@UW. Other materials include: an online alphabet and sounds tutorial, a website devoted to explanations of Czech grammatical structure, vocabulary lists geared to each unit in the textbook, supplementary handouts given out in class.

The following are required for successful completion of the course:

• Attendance and participation 10%
• Homework (daily and by unit) 15%
• Quizzes (5) 25%
• Tests (2) 20%
• Exams (2) 30%

SLAVIC 181 – Russian Honor Tutorial

Section 001, M   2:25 – 3:15, instructor: Evans-Romaine, Karen

Prerequisites: Declared in honors program

This course is designed for those students who wish to enhance their learning in Slavic 101 through extra practice. The course is required for students who intend to complete Honors in Russian, but it is open to other highly motivated students by permission of the instructor.

This course will focus on your listening and conversation skills. We will practice situational conversations, hold conversations of our own in pairs and small groups, complete audio listening comprehension exercises, and watch and work with videos of various kinds. The goal of this course is to enable you to feel more confident as a conversational partner in Russian, and to have a better understanding of Russian speech in typical, everyday contexts. In doing so, you should learn more about Russian culture and everyday life. Themes for our weekly meetings are designed to align with those covered in your Slavic 101 class.

SLAVIC 203 – Third Semester Russian

Section 001, MTWRF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWRF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 102
Language of Instruction: Russian

A continuation of the study of Russian language.

SLAVIC 207 – Third Semester Polish

Section 001, MTWR   1:20-2:10, instructor: Miernowska, Ewa

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 112
Language of Instruction: Polish

The course teaches MODERN STANDARD POLISH. It practices reading, writing, speaking, and oral comprehension at the intermediate level. The focus will be on oral communication, on learning grammatical patterns and building up active vocabulary. The course proposes a cultural component. Students will learn about Poland’s history, geography, literature, films through language exercises. You will attend an Annual Polish Film Festival in November and you will read a Polish book in English translation (fiction or non-fiction) and make a book.

Required Texts:
Hurra!!! Po polsku 2, student’s book.
Prolog, 2007(or 2010), authors: Agnieszka Burkat, Agnieszka Jasińska
University Book Store, State Street, (www.polonia.com), http://www.quovadisbooks.net

Polish Verbs and Essentials of Grammar, Hill, 2009, author: Oscar E. Swan
University Book Store, State Street

SLAVIC 245 – Topics in Slavic Literatures: Represent Holocaust in Poland

Section 001, TR   4:00 – 5:15, instructor: Filipowicz, Halina

Prerequisites: Open to Freshman

Meets with LITTRANS 247 section 001 and JEWISH 230 section 002

SLAVIC 245 –  Topics in Slavic Literatures: Russia & Jews: Literature, Culture, and Religion

Section 002, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: Zilbergerts, Marina

Prerequisites: Open to Freshman
Language of Instruction: English

Meets with LITTRANS 247 section 002 and JEWISH 230 section 001

This course explores the rich world of Russian Jewish culture from its very beginnings. Reading literary, theological and political works by Jewish and Russian writers, our aim will be to understand the creative and often-troubled relationships among them. The course will take us from the Imperial through the Soviet periods, examining the rise of movements such as Hasidism, Zionism, and Communism, as we analyze each literary work amid the cultural developments of its day. All materials will be provided in English translation and no prior knowledge is required.

Please contact zilbergerts@wisc.edu with any questions

SLAVIC 251 – Third Semester Serbo-Croatian

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 142
Language of Instruction: Serbo-Croatian

MEETS with SLAVIC 441

SLAVIC 275 – Third Year Russian I

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: Walter, Alexandra
Section 002, MWF   1:20-2:10, instructor: Tishler, Jennifer Ryan

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 102
Language of Instruction: Russian

The goals of this course are to improve students’ reading fluency and writing skills. We will focus on the use of complex syntax and undertake a thorough review of several major aspects of Russian grammar (including agreement, verb conjugations, the case system, verbal aspect, and the infinitive). Grammar topics will be presented and practiced using the textbook, workbook, and supplementary course materials. In addition, grammatical forms will be contextualized by reading authentic literary works as well as songs and articles. While the development of speaking skills is not a primary goal of this course (as it is in Slavic 315/316), class discussion of grammar, lexicon, and texts will be largely conducted in Russian.

SLAVIC 277 – Third  Year Polish I

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: Miernowska, Ewa

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 208 or by placement test
Language of Instruction: Polish

Meets with SLAVIC 278, 331, and 332

Students expend their vocabulary by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. This intensive writing course follows the writing process (drafts, revising, editing) and exposes students to different styles: narrative, argumentative, and creative. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

SLAVIC 278 – Third Year Polish II

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: Miernowska, Ewa

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 277 or by placement test
Language of Instruction: Polish

Meets with SLAVIC 277, 331, and 332

Students expend their vocabulary by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. This intensive writing course follows the writing process (drafts, revising, editing) and exposes students to different styles: narrative, argumentative, and creative. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

SLAVIC 301 – Intro to Intensive Polish

Section 001, MWF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: Miernowska, Ewa

Prerequisites: Junior standing, open to freshman and sophomores with consent of instructor
Language of Instruction: Polish

The course teaches MODERN STANDARD POLISH. It practices reading, writing, speaking, and oral comprehension at the beginning (September, October) and intermediate level (November, December). The focus will be on oral communication, on learning grammatical patterns and building up active vocabulary. Great course for Polish native speakers who want to quickly review Polish grammar. After completing this course students can take Fourth semester of Polish (Slavic 208) or Advanced Polish class (Slavic 277).  

Required Texts:

– Textbook Polish 301 at University Book Store
– Oscar E. Swan, Polish Verbs and Essentials of GrammarMcGraw-Hill, 2009
– Dictionary (suggested Collins Polish Dictionary)

SLAVIC 315 – Russian Lang & Culture I

Section 001, TR   1:20-2:10, instructor: Tumarkin, Anna

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 204

SLAVIC 321 – Fourth Year Russian I

Section 001, MWF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: Shevelenko, Irina

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 276

Language of Instruction: Russian

SLAVIC 331 – Fourth Year Polish I

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: Miernowska, Ewa

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 278 or by placement test
Language of Instruction: Polish

Meets with SLAVIC 277, 278, and 332

Students expend their vocabulary by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. This intensive writing course follows the writing process (drafts, revising, editing) and exposes students to different styles: narrative, argumentative, and creative. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

SLAVIC 332 – Fourth Year Polish II

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: Miernowska, Ewa

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 331 or by placement test
Language of Instruction: Polish

Meets with SLAVIC 277, 278, and 331

Students expend their vocabulary by engaging with texts from different genres, historical periods and perspectives. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. This intensive writing course follows the writing process (drafts, revising, editing) and exposes students to different styles: narrative, argumentative, and creative. Readings offer a variety of authentic materials: short stories, novels, poems, and press articles. The program includes also films, music and visual arts.

SLAVIC 351 – 1st Semester Intensive Czech

Section 001, MTWR   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: Danaher, David

Prerequisites: Grad Standing
Language of Instruction: Czech

Meets with SLAVIC 115

The course is designed to develop communicative skills in Czech: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. The course emphasizes the skills of asking/answering questions and understanding/communicating information on selected topics. It is thematically organized, and the themes we will be working on include: the Czech alphabet and sound system, greetings/introductions, classroom Czech, food and drink, the restaurant scenario, descriptions of people, daily activities and free time, orienting oneself in a city, apartments and homes, numbers,days of the week, months, time. Structural topics supporting these themes include: the vocative case, the nominative sg/pl of nouns and adjectives, the locative sg of nouns and adjectives, the accusative sg of nouns and adjectives, personal/possessive/demonstrative pronouns, possessive adjectives, time expressions, the present/past/future tense of verbs, verbs of motion.

By the end of the course, students should 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) Exhibit familiarity with aspects of Czech culture relating to these themes.

These objectives are geared not merely to “covering” grammar and vocabulary, but to their functional assimilation in skill development. Knowledge of grammatical structure and vocabulary items, while essential, will be subsumed under the broader goal of being able to use them for communicative purposes. In other words, memorization of vocabulary and grammatical forms is the starting point of learning, not the end point.

The intensive section of the course (351) is reserved for students who have prior experience in Czech or advanced knowledge of another Slavic language (Russian, Polish, etc.).Students in 351 will – through extra work – develop a broad receptive acquaintance with the foundations of Czech grammar as well as begin to develop a facility to read by working through short texts. We will not hold extra meetings for 351, but students are expected to submit extra work as given in the semester schedule; the instructor is available for questions about the materials in office hours, before and after Czech class, and by email.

Our primary textbook is L. Holá’s Czech Step by Step, which will be made available through Learn@UW. Other materials include: an online alphabet and sounds tutorial, a website devoted to explanations of Czech grammatical structure, vocabulary lists geared to each unit in the textbook, supplementary handouts given out in class.

The following are required for successful completion of the course:

• Attendance and participation 10%
• Homework (daily and by unit) 15%
• Quizzes (5) 25%
• Tests (2) 20%
• Exams (2) 30%

SLAVIC 362 – Drama for Teaching and Learning

Section 001, MW 3:50-5:30, instructor: TBD
Section 002, TR 3:50-5:30, instructor: TBD
Section 003, T 2:00-5:30, instructor: Van De Water, Manon

Prerequisites: Open to all students
Language of Instruction: English

Open to first-year students

This is a methods course useful for all involved in teaching and learning, including foreign languages. Introduction to philosophy, methodology, and practice of the use of drama and performance techniques in any educational or recreational settings. Focus on creativity and embodied and contextual learning, based on current neurological, psychological, and sociological research. A practical class which includes demonstration and practice with children.

Section 003 meets in the Eagle Heights Community Center on campus and works with the PreK class in the Eagle’s Wing Childcare Center. Free parking is available at the Community Center, and the 80 bus, which picks up throughout UW campus, takes students free of charge to the Community Center.

SLAVIC 420 – Chekhov

Section 001, MWF   1:20-2:10, instructor: Lapina, Galina
Section 301, T   1:20-2:10, instructor: Lapina, Galina

Prerequisites: Slavic 276

Meets with LITTRANS 220. Discussion section is SLAVIC 420 only; SLAVIC 420 has a prerequisite: SLAVIC 276 (Third-Year Russian II). Discussion section meets four times a semester.

SLAVIC 422 – Dostoevsky

Section 001, MWF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: Reynolds, Andrew
Section 301, T   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: Reynolds, Andrew

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 276

Meets with LITTRANS 222. Discussion section is for SLAVIC 422 only; SLAVIC 422 has a prerequisite: SLAVIC 276 (Third-Year Russian II). Discussion section meets four times a semester.

SLAVIC 433 – History of Russian Culture

Section 001, MWF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: Lapina, Galina

Prerequisites: Slavic 322 & 1 400-level Slavic

SLAVIC 441 Third Semester Intensive Serbo-Croatian

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 342 or graduate standing
Language of Instruction: Serbo-Croatian

Meets with SLAVIC 251

SLAVIC 444 – Slavic & Eastern European Folklore

Section 001, TR   11:00 – 12:15, instructor: Longinovic, Tomislav

Prerequisites: Junior standing

This class will focus on the folktale as a narrative genre within the Slavic and East European Folklore, drawing on stories from Russian, Hungarian, Polish, Serbian, Romanian and other particular national traditions of the region. Theoretical approaches will draw on the theories ofVladimir Propp in the realm of narratology, Walter Ong in the area of oral culture, Lutz Röhrichfor relationship between written and spoken word, Albert Lord and Milman Pery for their theory of epic formula and Bruno Betleheim for psychological aspects of the folktale. Besides gaining insights into the narrative construction of the folktale, the students will be invited to drawanalogies between folklore, mythology, literature and psychology by connecting these theories to the tales recorded by Afanasiev (Russia), Karadžić (Serbia), Glinski (Poland), etc. Theoretical approaches will draw on the theories of Vladimir Propp in the realm of narratology, Walter Ong in the area of oral culture, Lutz Röhrich for relationship between written and spoken word,Albert Lord and Milman Pery for their theory of epic formula and Bruno Betleheim for psychological aspects of the folktale. Besides gaining insights into the narrative construction of the folktale, the students will be invited to draw analogies between folklore, mythology, literature and psychology by connecting these theories to the tales recorded by Afanasiev (Russia), Karadžić (Serbia), Glinski (Poland), etc.  In addition to learning about particular Slavic and East European folktales and narrative theories, students will participate in the creation of a“Slavic folktale” through a group process guided by the instructor, so that they can closely relate to the structural and narrative patterns of oral storytelling.

The tales will be grouped into 7 clusters relating to the life cycles of Slavic communities:
1. LIFE AND ORIGINS.
2. ANIMAL WORLDS.
3. ALMIGHTY HEROS.
4. WISDOM AND TRUTH.
5. EVIL AND DARK SIDE.
6. BEAUTY AND MAGIC.
7. DEATH AND THE END.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
In-Class Midterm (30%);  Short Paper (30%); Take-Home Final (30%); Participation,includes posting on class Facebook page (10%) 

SLAVIC 449 – Istorija srpske/hrvatske li

Section 001, MWF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 342

Meets with LITTRANS 454

​This course will survey literary and cultural history of the Slavic peoples who have inhabited the Balkan region its beginnings until the end of the nineteenth century. We will read excerpts from the most important literary works, starting with the medieval documents and ending with the works of romanticism and realism.

SLAVIC 470 – Hist lit polsk do roku 1863

Section 001, MW   5:00 – 6:15, instructor: Filipowicz, Halina

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 302

SLAVIC 560 – Capstone Seminar in Russian Literature & Culture: Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita

Section 001, TR   2:30 – 3:45, instructor: Evans-Romaine, Karen

Prerequisites: Slavic 322 & 1 400-level Slavic

This course, designed as a senior capstone course for highly advanced students of Russian and conducted in Russian, is devoted to in-depth reading of Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita and to studying its literary, cultural, and historical context.

SLAVIC 703 – Russian Romanticism

Section 001, M   2:30 – 5:00, instructor: Dolinin, Alexander

Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students

1 credit course; meets five times during the semester September 6-December 13

SLAVIC 800 – Proseminar in Slavic Literature & Culture

Section 001, W   1:00 – 2:15, instructor: Shevelenko, Irina

Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students

SLAVIC 802 – The Structure of Russian

Section 001, MW   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: Danaher, David
Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students

The main purpose of this course is to provide advanced students with a theoretical and practical introduction to the linguistic structure of Contemporary Standard Russian. The first part of the course is devoted to the sound system (phonetics and phonology), the second part to inflection (declension and conjugation). 

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 incountry 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.

Materials will be made available through Learn@UW. There are no required texts for the course.

The following are required for successful completion of the course; I have also indicated how each requirement will figure in the final grade.
• Attendance/participation  15%
• Homework (daily and weekly) 15%
• Exams (2)    50% (25% each)
• Inclass presentations  20%

SLAVIC 820 – College Teaching of Russian

Section 001, R   2:30 – 3:45, instructor: Tumarkin, Anna

Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students

SLAVIC 900 – Seminar: Slavic Lit & Culture Slavic Myth & Fantastic Literature

Section 001, F   2:30 – 5:00, instructor: Longinovic, Tomislav

Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students

This seminar examines the fantastic, marvelous and uncanny literary works from a comparative perspective, especially by connecting them to Slavic mythological and religious beliefs.  Students will read texts from Russian (Gogol, Bulgakov, Zamyatin), Polish (Potocki, Schultz, Lem), Czech (Čapek) and South Slavic literatures (Pavić, Kiš, Živković).  Theoretical readings will include works by the naturalized Bulgarian theoretician of the fantastic, Tzvetan Todorov, as well as his critics.  We will discuss the development of the fantastic genre through the epochs of Romanticism, Modernism and Postmodernism, placing emphasis on the close reading of literary texts and their relationship to the broader cultural heritage of diverse Slavic cultures.

SLAVIC 900 – Seminar: Slavic Literature & Culture Russian Romanticism

Section 002, W   2:30 – 5:00, instructor: Dolinin, Alexander

Prerequisites: Grad and Professional students