Courses

French

Below are speciality language courses (beyond core language courses: 10101,10102, 20201, 20202) that are offered every year in French. Besides these offerings, the French faculty also regularly teach a wide array of courses on various topics and authors, including Du Bellay, Flaubert, film and media, world literature, refugees, translation, and opera. (See Path for most current course information)

ROFR 20300 Conversational French

This course is designed to further develop the student's conversational skills and grasp of a wide variety of styles and registers in French. Spoken French will be practiced through various types of classroom activities and assignments. Emphasis will be on topics of current interest. Taught in French.

ROFR 20603  Facets of France, French and the French

L. MacKenzie

This course is designed specifically as a bridge between intermediate language courses and the offerings in literature and culture more common at the 30000 and 40000 levels. It will be organized around 4 "modules" conceived as individual "mini-courses": 1) La presse actuelle; 2)  l'œil cinématographique; 3) Initiation à l'analyse littéraire ; 4) interprétation orale (public performance). It will also feature formal work on grammar and expression, both oral and written. Taught in French.

ROFR 20692 La Beurgoisie’: Race, Class, and Sex in France Today 

A. Rice

This course will focus on contemporary French-language texts that evoke immigrants and their offspring in France today. We will pay special attention to depictions of men and women of Maghrebian origin who have climbed the social ladder in various professions to gain notoriety and respect. Taught in French.

ROFR 30310 The Art of Interpretation

Students will learn how products of French culture from a variety of epochs combine timeless traditions with the utmost modernity. Focus is on skills of close textual analysis for study of poetry, prose, theater, film, journalism, advertising, and allied works of popular culture. Taught in French.

ROFR 30320 Advanced Composition: The Art of Writing

This advanced-level course, taught in French, is designed for students including those returning from abroad who wish to improve their speaking and writing skills and for students already in the 30000-40000 sequence who seek additional assistance with writing skills and grammar. Taught in French.

ROFR 30654 Writing with Media in French, 2015-2019

O. Morel

Virtual and augmented reality, 3D reporting, web documentaries, online graphic novels, short animated journalism, digital storytelling, experimental podcasts… the past decade has seen an unprecedented multiplication of hybrid forms of expression and France has often been at the avant-garde of those trends. How have those changes affected the production and the content of the “news?” What kinds of new fictions and genres have emerged? How are the recent tensions and shocks (terrorism, refugee crisis…) perceived in this versatile media landscape in France and other francophone countries?

ROFR 30360 French Translation

S. Stojanovic

This introduction to French translation is divided into units focusing on different types of translation (literary, journalistic, technical, film subtitling, interpretation, etc.), as well as on certain challenges (the rise of franglais, cultural references, humor, formal constraints). We will work on both French to English (version) and English to French (thème) translations, and will learn different translation strategies while focusing on building vocabulary and improving French grammar. No prior translation experience necessary. Taught in French

ROFR 30710 Expression of France

Reading of selections and complete works of outstanding French authors from major genres from the Middle Ages through the 17th century. All "Language and Literature" majors are required to take this sequence, or equivalent advanced courses. "Language and Culture" majors are required to take one literature survey. Students are expected to have already taken ROFR 30310 or ROFR 30320 or to take one of them concurrently with a survey class. Taught in French.

ROFR 30720 French Literature & Culture II

The purpose of this course is to acquaint the student with some major authors and representative works from the period 1750 to the present. Although some works may be studied through selected passages, the course’s emphasis is on the study of complete works by major authors representing the important literary schools and movements from the Enlightenment to the contemporary era. Readings of: Voltaire, Rousseau, Flaubert, Baudelaire, Proust, Camus, and Makine. Taught in French.

ROFR 40213 Women in Print

G. Haake

With the advent of the print medium, the barriers to women writers and poets and Renaissance France were seemingly lower. What distinguishes the woman writer in this new era of the printed word? What characterizes their rhetoric, style, and subject matter? In our own time, how have contemporary literary critics both questioned and affirmed their legacy? Through close reading and study of writers like Marguerite de Navarre, Pernette du Guillet, Louise Labé, and others, including Scève and Ronsard, students will examine the role of women in print in sixteenth-century France. Taught in French.

ROFR 40635 Fantasmes et fantastique

A. Toumayan

This course will focus on the development of the genre of short narrative during the nineteenth century in France. Representative works of Balzac, Nerval, Barbey d'Aurevilly, Flaubert, Gautier, Mérimée, Maupassant, Nodier, and Villiers de l'Isle Adam will be considered. We will examine distinctive features of the various aesthetics of Romanticism, Realism, and Symbolism as well as generic considerations relating to the conte fantastique. Taught in French.

ROFR 40680 Refugees and Migrants: Rethinking Europe’s Borders

S. Stojanovic

Calais. Lampedusa. Gibraltar. These places have become tragically synonymous with Europe’s treatment of refugees and migrants. In this course, we will turn to recent texts and films to investigate the responses to the so-called “European migrant crisis.” We will also consider the rise of nationalism and what it means for the future of the European Union. Assignments include 3 short papers (4-5 pages) and weekly readings of news articles. Taught in French.

ROFR 40850 Francophone Migrations

A. Rice

This course examines Francophone literary texts that depict migration toward Europe from various locations (Sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, the Indian subcontinent) and for diverse reasons (war, persecution, economy, ecology) in an attempt to understand the complexities of the contemporary crises we see playing out on and around the Mediterranean Sea. We will read works by Patrick Chamoiseau (Martinique), Ananda Devi (Mauritius), Fatou Diome (Senegal), Gaël Faye (Burundi), Fabienne Kanor (France), and Shumona Sinha (India) in our study of the factors contributing to what it means to be a refugee in France today. As a complement to our literary analyses, we will also examine musical compositions and cinematic creations that focus from different angles on migration and exile in the present context. Taught in French.

ROFR 40906 Literature & Opera

L. MacKenzie

In this course, the full title of which is Taking Liberties: From Book to Libretto, or French Literature Goes to the Opera and which is taught in ENGLISH, we will be looking a series of parent texts, written originally in French, and their operatic offspring. Works include The Barber of Seville (Beaumarchais/Rossini); The Marriage of Figaro (Beaumarchais/Mozart); Don Juan (Molière) and Don Giovanni (Mozart); Manon Lescaut (Prévost/Puccini), Carmen (Mérimée/Bizet).

 

Italian

Below are the core language courses and the core literature and culture courses that are offered every year in Italian. Besides these offerings, the Italian faculty also regularly teaches a wide array of courses on various topics and authors, including Dante, Italian Cinema, Fascism, and Italo Calvino.  (See Path for most current course information)

ROIT 10101, 10102, and 10110  Beginning Italian

ROIT 10101 and 10102, are the standard first-year language sequence, four credits per semester, meeting three hours per week plus one day online. ROIT 10110 is a computer-enhanced six-credit course, combining traditional classroom time and online instruction, to attain the result of ROIT 10101 and 10102 in one semester.

ROIT 20111 Intensive Italian

A six-credit hybrid intensive course that combines second and third semesters of Italian Language study, offering both traditional classroom instruction and online work.

ROIT 20201, 20202, 20215  Intermediate Italian

ROIT 20201 and 20202 are the standard second-year language sequence, three credits per semester, meeting three hours per week.  ROIT 20215 is a six-credit course, meeting five days per week, and attaining the result of ROIT 20201 and 20202 in one semester. 

ROIT 20300, 30300 Let’s Talk Italian

This is a one-credit conversation course meant to accompany your regular classroom study of Italian language, literature, and culture.

ROIT 30310 Passage to Italy

An introduction to Italian culture through the analysis and discussion of major forms of literary works in different genres from the Middle Ages to the present, as well as music, film, art, theatre, opera, and sport. It includes a review of Italian language and grammar. Usually taken after completing the language sequence. Taught in Italian.

ROIT 30721 Introduction to Modern Italian Literature and Culture

Through the study of historical and literary texts, films, and other media, the course helps you to understand the development of modern Italy and its future trajectory. Taught in Italian.

ROIT 30721 Medieval/Renaissance Literature and Culture

A course that helps you to understand and interpret the most important works of medieval and Renaissance Italian literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, and music, in their historical, social, and cultural context. Taught in Italian.

ROIT 40115 and 40116 Dante I and Dante II

T. Cachey and C. Moevs

Dante I and Dante II are an in-depth study, over two semesters, of the entire Comedy, in its historical, philosophical, and literary context, with selected readings from Dante’s minor works. Dante I focuses on the Inferno and the minor works; Dante II focuses on the Purgatorio and Paradiso. Taught in English

ROIT 40810 Fascism and Resistance

C. Leavitt

The course engages with Italian literature, cinema, theatre, and art in order to investigate how Fascism emerged in Italy in the twentieth century, and how some Italians resisted the rise of totalitarianism. Taught in Italian.

ROIT 40910 The Hero’s Journey: Adventure Narrative in Italian Literature and Cinema

S. Ferri

The course explores the Italian adventure narrative through the analysis of a wide range of texts — from the Medieval short story to the Renaissance epic poem, from the picaresque novel to contemporary films, poems, and graphic novels. Taught in Italian.

ROIT 53000 Italian Seminar: This is Italy: Four Masterpieces on Context

Four masterpieces in four genres (short story, play, opera, film) from four centuries (medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, modern), in their historical/cultural context. 

Spanish

Below are specialty language courses (beyond core language courses:10101,10102, 20201, 20202) and the core literature and culture courses that are offered every year in Spanish. Besides these offerings, the Spanish faculty also regularly teaches a wide array of courses on various topics and authors, including Cervantes, Cinema, Travel Literature, Mistral, Borges, Human Rights, Race and Ethnicity, and Translation.  (See Path for most current course information)

ROSP 20450 Spanish of Business (Fall only)

This course is designed to give students with intermediate-advanced levels of proficiency in Spanish a solid foundation in business vocabulary, cultural concepts, and situational practice that will help them prepare for success in today’s Spanish-speaking business world.  This class seeks to develop intercultural communicative competence for business purposes, such as an understanding of leadership, banking, real estate, and ethics, among other topics. By the end of the semester, students should be able to communicate completely in Spanish with Spanish-speaking co-workers, clients, employees, and customers at the national and international levels. This course may be used as one of the two 20000-level electives for the Spanish major. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 20460 Spanish for the Medical Profession (Spring only)

This course introduces students who have mastered the rudiments of Spanish grammar to a vocabulary allowing them to discuss medicine and health care with the Spanish-speaking population in the United States. This course may be used as one of the two 20000-level electives for the Spanish major. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 20600 Cultural Conversations and Writing

This is an upper-intermediate cultural conversation and writing course designed to follow the four-semester language sequence and to act as a bridge to more advanced courses. In order to improve oral and writing language skills, this course engages students intellectually by using challenging, authentic materials and focusing on the exchange of ideas. Through the reading, discussion, and analysis of these materials, students will develop more sophisticated oral expression and expository writing as well as critical and abstract thinking skills. Being a content-driven course, topics could include, but are not limited to, questions from the domains of politics, history, art, music, literature, film, religion, pop culture, etc. This course may be used as one of the two 20000-level electives for the Spanish major. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 20810 Spanish Community-Based Learning (CBL) Language, Culture, and Community

This fifth-semester language and culture course is designed for students who want to improve their communication skills in Spanish and broaden their understanding of the Hispanic world through connecting with the local Spanish-speaking community. Each section may focus on different topics, such as health care, education, social services, history of immigration, and intercultural competence. The course has a required Community-Based-Learning component in which students engage with the Latino community through placements in such areas as health care, youth mentoring or tutoring programs, English as a New Language (ENL) classes, and facilitating educational workshops with parents. In this course, students integrate their service experiences with the academic components of the class through readings, research, reflective writing, and discussion. This course may be used as one of the two 20000-level electives for the Spanish major. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 30310 Introduction to Hispanic Literature

This course is a practical introduction to the analysis and explication of Spanish-language literary texts. The course is designed for students ready to move from 200-level Spanish classes to upper-level literature and survey courses. The goal is to develop students' skills of critical reading, as well as students' ability to articulate judgments, feelings, and opinions in Spanish; to establish a point of view and argue it effectively. The premise is that these skills of critical reading will increase the enjoyment and appreciation of fine writing. Some class sessions will be devoted to the discussion of techniques and terminology of literary analysis. Most class sessions will involve close reading and discussion of specific texts selected from the anthology Aproximaciones al estudio de la literatura hispánica, a selection of Hispanic prose, poetry, and theater from different regions and periods. Prerequisite: ROSP 20202, 20211, 20215, 20600, 20810 or equivalent. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 30320 Advanced Grammar and Writing

Advanced Grammar and Writing offers an intensive review and refinement of Spanish grammar and instructs students in the nuances of specific genres of composition: description, report, simple and complex narration, and argumentation. The composition genres studied directly inform the application of grammar and vocabulary; with respect to vocabulary, special emphasis is placed on problematic translations from English. Taught in Spanish. 

ROSP 30715  Imagined Worlds: Now and Then

Since its first uses in the Sixteenth Century, the term utopia meant both "good place" and "no place." Thus, the concept carried two different ideas in its own meaning, an ideal society and an unreachable one. In the past years, the concept—as well as its opposite, dystopia—has been applied to explain literary representations of imagined worlds that hold a mirror up to our own “real” world. Analyzing and discussing cultural products that create, depict, and represent invented societies is, without a doubt, a good path to understand and to critique key aspects of this complex world we live in today. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 30728 Fascism in Spain

P. Aguilera-Mellado

Fascism as a political movement and ideology emerged in Europe in the 1920s and reached the peak of its power in the 1930s before its "official" institutional collapse in 1945. In Spain, its legacy survived longer than in any other European country as one of the foundations of General Franco's prolonged dictatorship (1936–1975/78). This course will explore the history of fascism in Spain, from its roots in Spanish and European political developments in the 1920s and 30s to its rise to power under General Francisco Franco. It will also consider the mutations of fascism during the recent decades. We will try to define fascism in general and map its Spanish iterations as manifested in art, literature, photography, history, philosophy, and film. The guiding questions of this class include but will not be limited to: what is fascism? what were the core ideas of the movement? What were its roots and who formed its social basis? How was an ideal society envisioned by Spanish fascists? What is the role of violence and power in fascist ideology? How did it reach the government? How did Franco's dictatorship transform society? What does fascism mean today? What are the remnants and/or mutations of Spain's fascism today? Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 30810 Early Latin American Literature and Culture

This course is designed to give students a wide scope of readings from colonial times to the 19th century that have shaped Latin America’s social, cultural and literary history. Students will be able to compare literary genres (chronicles, essays, short stories); analyze individual texts, films, and artistic works using appropriate terminology; and engage critically in questions about Latin America’s colonial legacy and nation-building. As we discuss the course material from colonial, independence and post-independence periods, we will also make connections to more current issues about Latin American history, politics, human rights, social activism, and gender roles. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 30820 Modern Latin-American Literature and Culture

A survey of literary trends and major figures in modern Spanish-American literature from 1880 to the present. Readings of selected texts in prose, poetry, and theatre. Recommended prerequisite: ROSP 30310. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 40580 Mexican Cinema

J. Lund

This course will introduce the student to modern Mexican film. The trajectory of the course covers a basic canon of essential works from the incipient years of Mexico's so-called "Golden Age" up until the present (roughly 1930 - 2015). Lecture and discussion will be driven by the aesthetic, cultural, and political problems and themes invited by the films themselves, which will be the center of the course: no less than fifteen feature films will define our agenda for the semester. Alongside the films we will read two kinds of documents: on the one hand, a selection of film scholarship, dealing with both the specific films and the history of Mexican cinema more generally; on the other hand, a set of essays on Mexican cultural politics relevant to the themes engaged in the cinematic work. Comparative work is encouraged. Taught in Spanish. Readings in Spanish and English, films generally in Spanish with English subtitles.

ROSP 40726 Gabriela Mistral and Her World

M.R. Olivera Williams

This course, designed as a seminar for upper-level Spanish students, will consider the poetry of Gabriela Mistral in its historical and cultural context, paying particular attention to the aesthetic evolution of her poetry and to its social and religious aims. Letters and other writings by the Chilean poet will also be discussed. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 40771 Two Wings of a Bird

T. Anderson

While she was living in exile in Cuba in the 1890s, Puerto Rican Poet Lola Rodríguez de Tió wrote the following lines, which are among the most iconic in Hispanic Caribbean verse: “Cuba y Puerto Rico son de un pájaro las dos alas, /reciben flores y balas en un mismo corazón...”. At the time these lines were seen as a testament to the similar histories that these two Caribbean islands had developed after some four centuries of Spanish rule, but, as one critic has put it, “they can also be seen as a chilling presage of what was to come after the U.S. won the Spanish American War in 1898 and became a consistent presence in the future of both countries.” In this class we will explore, through the study of Cuban and Puerto Rican history and literature, the islands’ many shared legacies such as colonialism, slavery, political unrest, and US intervention. Moreover, through readings of works by a variety of authors and literary genres, we will examine the many political, economic, social, and cultural factors that have served to shape each island’s identity over the past five centuries. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 40864 Colonial Renegades in Yucatán

C. Jauregui

Gonzalo Guerrero’s Offspring. Colonial Renegades in Yucatán. This is a seminar that focuses on a selection of historical and literary narratives about the figure of Guerrero (the Spanish conquistador that went native and fought on the side of the Maya) as well as on what I call Guerrero’s progeny: a series of renegades that—like Guerrero in the 16th century— went native and ended up fighting against different forms of colonialism since the 16th century until today. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 40876 Race and Ethnicity (CBL)

M. Moreno

What do Afro-Latina/os, Indo-Latina/os, and Asian-Latina/os have in common? The answer is simple: these groups tend to be erased under the panethnic term "Latina/o." The purpose of this course is to explore the racial and ethnic complexities that are blurred by the umbrella term "Latina/o." Literature by Afro-Latina/o, Indo-Latina/o and Asian-Latina/o authors will provide a lens through which we can examine issues related to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, citizenship, transculturation, and migration. Readings include Piri Thomas’ Down These Mean Streets, Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: An American Musical. The course also seeks to bridge the classroom and the community through volunteering at La Casa de Amistad. Tutoring/mentoring at La Casa will provide an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the issues studied in class in a "real world" context while also fostering stronger ties between Notre Dame and the South Bend community. For the Community-Based Learning segment of the course, students will spend 2 hours per week volunteering (outside of regular class hours). This course will be conducted in Spanish. Spanish heritage speakers are welcome; ILS majors/minors can choose to complete written work in English.

ROSP 40905 From Text to Table

V. Miseres

If the saying "We are what we eat" is true, then food reflects and determines our identity, our subjectivity, and our very being. Through the study of Latin American canonical and less-known literary texts from Colonial to contemporary times, this course focuses on food as a cultural artifact shaped by the dynamics of colonialism, modernization, immigration, and globalization. From a multidisciplinary perspective that includes Literary, Cultural, and Gender Studies, as well as History and Anthropology, we will explore topics such as food exchange value, regional and indigenous traditions, social behavior and consumption, cooking imaginaries and social structure, culinary technologies, and gender correlations, among others. Primary sources include texts by Cristóbal Colón, Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Ricardo Palma, Esteban Echeverría, Juana Manuela Gorriti, Soledad Acosta de Samper, Rubén Darío, Rosario Castellanos, Gabriel García Márquez, and Isabel Allende. We will read these works together with theoretical approaches by Claude Lévi-Strauss, Walter Mignolo, Pierre Bordieu, and Walter Benjamin. Taught in Spanish.

ROSP 40979 Culturas en Contacto: Translation and Hispanic Literatures

B. Heller

This course examines the issue of translation as it is raised by seminal texts in the Spanish and Latin American traditions. We will read short stories, poetry, and essays from both Spain and Latin America (from Fray Luis de León and Garcilaso to Borges and Ferré,) that give us a window on processes of cultural contact and movement between cultures. The course will also give students practical experiences with translation.

ROSP 53000 Senior Seminar (Fall only)

The Senior Research Seminar is the capstone experience for Spanish majors. It requires students to draw on skills learned and refined in upper-level classes to create and write a sophisticated, unique research project.  It also requires students to follow the path of academic scholars in choosing a topic, finding appropriate resources (both primary and secondary sources), developing a methodology and an outline, reading sources critically, and writing and re-writing an extended paper. The Senior Research Seminar has three goals. First, it is intended to introduce senior students to the most up-to-date trends in literary analysis and theory. Second, the course is structured in order to allow students to pursue sophisticated research in the field of Spanish and Latin American literatures and cultures. Third, the Senior Research Seminar paper could be the basis for a Senior Thesis in Spanish. The seminar will be divided in two parts. During the first half of the semester, students will be able to know and reflect on a set of methodological and theoretical tools for investigation of cultural practices such as literature, critical theory, popular and mass culture, social movements, and institutions, etc. within the context of Spanish and Latin American social formations. The second half of the semester will be devoted to the composition of the Senior Research paper.

Portuguese

Below are the core language courses and the core literature and culture courses that are offered every year in Portuguese. Besides these offerings, the Portuguese and Brazilian faculty also regularly teach a wide array of courses on various topics and authors, including Film, Samba, Soccer, and more.  (See Path for most current course information)

ROPO 10103 Brazilian Portuguese Language & Culture I (Fall only)

This is an introductory, first-year language sequence with equal focus on speaking, listening, reading, and writing. An appreciation for the diverse cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world is also encouraged through readings, music, videos, and class discussion. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 10104 Brazilian Portuguese Language & Culture II (Spring only)

This is an introductory, first-year language sequence with equal focus on speaking, listening, reading, and writing. An appreciation for the diverse cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world is also encouraged through readings, music, videos, and class discussion. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 10105 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers I (Fall only)

This course sequence is designed for students with at least intermediate-level proficiency in Spanish. Classroom activities emphasize the acquisition of basic language structures, vocabulary, and sound systems, as well as the active use of spoken language in context. Students are introduced to the diverse cultures of the Portuguese-speaking countries through current video, printed media, music, and short fiction. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 10106 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers II (Spring only)

This course sequence is designed for students with at least intermediate-level proficiency in Spanish. Classroom activities emphasize the acquisition of basic language structures, vocabulary, and sound systems, as well as the active use of spoken language in context. Students are introduced to the diverse cultures of the Portuguese-speaking countries through current video, printed media, music, and short fiction. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 10115 Intensive Beginning Portuguese

This course sequence is designed for students with at least intermediate-level proficiency in Spanish. Classroom activities emphasize the acquisition of basic language structures, vocabulary, and sound systems, as well as the active use of spoken language in context. Students are introduced to the diverse cultures of the Portuguese-speaking countries through current video, printed media, music, and short fiction. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 20201 Intermediate Portuguese I

Through selected readings in Portuguese, Brazilian, and Lusophone African literatures, films, newspaper and magazine articles, and popular music, students discuss a variety of cultural issues and expand their vocabulary. Particular attention is placed on reviewing major topics in Portuguese grammar and on developing students' writing abilities. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 20202 Intermediate Portuguese II

This is a continuation of ROPO 20201 but it may be taken separately. ROPO 20202 is a fourth-semester language course designed to develop facility in speaking, reading, and writing at an advanced level. Discussions and writing assignments are based on films as well as on short stories, chronicles and newspaper articles. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 30810 Brazilian Literature in Dialogue with New Arts and Media

M. Bahía

In this course, students will have a broad introduction to the masterpieces of Brazilian Literature, from colonial times to modernismo. Our corpus will include works by great masters such as Gregório de Matos, José de Alencar, Machado de Assis, Clarice Lispector, and Jorge Amado. Furthermore, the close reading of these texts will be enriched by the analysis of contemporary music, graphic novels, TV shows, and movies that adapt, reshape, recycle, and remediate Brazilian literary classics. Taught in Portuguese.

ROPO 40511 Introduction to Film Analysis through Brazilian Cinema.

M. Bahía

Students will be able to improve their argumentative and analytical skills through the study of key issues and concepts in film studies. Film form and narrative, gender, class, stereotypes, the film auteur, cultural industry, violence, and social denunciation will be some of the topics explored for the exploration of Brazilian case studies. Special emphasis will be given to the retomada –the rebirth of Brazilian cinema from the mid 1990s on – with in-depth analyses of feature films such as Carlota Joaquina (Carla Camurati, 1995), Central do Brasil (Walter Salles, 1998), CIdade de Deus (Fernando Meirelles, 2002) and Tropa de Elite (José Padilha, 2007); documentary movies such as Edifício Master (Eduardo Coutinho, 2002) and Santiago (João Moreira Salles, 2007), as well as short movies such as Recife Frio (Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2009) and Eu não Quero Voltar Sozinho (Daniel Ribeiro, 2010). Taught in English. Crosslist FTT 40236

ROPO 30551 Brazilian Pop Culture: Music, Television, Cinema & Sports

M. Bahia

Students will hone their oral and written skills through the study of a myriad of the most popular cultural activities in Brazil. MPB, Música Sertaneja, Pop, Funk, Soap Operas, Popular Movies, Soccer, and Volleyball will provide students with a rich panorama of Contemporary Pop Culture in Brazil while revealing deeper conflicts and tensions within Brazilian society. Taught in Portuguese. Prerequisite: Intermediate Portuguese II (ROPO 20202) or equivalent.

ROPO 40953 Contemporary Brazil Beyond Stereotypes

M. Bahia

Images of Brazil often evoke stereotypical images of soccer and carnaval. In this course, we will study these staples of Brazilian culture beyond the shallow confines of stereotypes. History, Sociology, and Cultural Studies will all contribute to an interdisciplinary approach to understand the complexities of Contemporary Brazilian society. Taught in English.

Less Commonly Taught Languages

(See Path for most current course information)

LLRO 10101 Beginning Quechua I

The principal aims of this beginning-level Quechua Language course are to encourage the development of competency and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and to generate cultural understanding. LLRO 10101 is followed by LLRO 10102.

LLRO 10102 Beginning Quechua II

The principal aims of this beginning-level Quechua Language course are to encourage the development of competency and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and to generate cultural understanding. LLRO 10102 is followed by 20201.

LLRO 10113 Beginning Catalan

L. Francalanci
Despite being a lesser-known language, Catalan is spoken today by a community of more than 9 million people across four countries (Spain, France, Italy and Andorra), and forms part of every-day life in such internationally-renowned cities as Barcelona and Valencia. Catalan culture is extremely rich and has a unique personality that is well reflected by its literary and artistic traditions. The study of Catalan language and culture is fundamental to achieving a full understanding of the socio-cultural complexity of today's Spain, as well as the multiplicity of political and linguistic identities present in contemporary Europe. The focus of this course is on a balanced approach to acquisition of language skills —equal emphasis is placed on spoken and written Catalan-—and appreciation of Catalan Culture through reading, films, music, and class discussion. This is a six-credit hybrid introductory language course, which combines traditional classroom with on-line instruction. Students attend class with an instructor (MWF) and work on-line (T-TH). A prior knowledge of another Romance Language is highly desirable.

LLRO 10112 Beginning Creole

K. Richman
This course introduces students to the vivid, sonorous language of Kreyòl, or Creole, and to the fascinating culture of its speakers. This intensive, beginning-level course is intended for students with no knowledge of Creole. In small-group teaching sessions, students will be prepared for conversational fluency with basic reading and writing skills, emphasizing communicative competence as well as grammatical and phonetic techniques. Our study of Kreyòl is closely linked to our anthropological exploration of how the language is tied to Caribbean society and culture. The course takes a holistic, anthropological approach to the history, political economy, and religion of Haiti. In addition to class work, audio recordings, music and video enhance the study of the Haitian language and culture.

LLRO 10118 Beginning Creole II

K. Richman
Creole is spoken by an estimated seventeen million people. Creole is spoken on the islands of the Caribbean and the western Indian Ocean that were former or current French colonial possessions and in the countries where many of these former island residents have emigrated, including the United States, Canada, France, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, and other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Haitians are the largest Creole speech community of approximately eleven and a half million speakers. Creole language courses provide a valuable foundation for Notre Dame faculty, staff and students working to understand and address critical issues related to Haiti and the Francophone world, from language and culture to history and education, from engineering to public health. Creole language and literature are of increasing interest in the dynamic field of Francophone studies. Creole has also become a major area in the field of linguistics, especially in areas of language evolution, sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology. This is a three-credit introductory language course. The instructor will balance both spoken and written Creole as well as exercise reading and listening.

LLRO 20212 Intermediate Creole I

K. Richman
This course is intended for students who have completed Beginning level Creole or who have attained equivalent competence in the language. In small-group teaching sessions, students will be prepared for conversational fluency with basic reading and writing skills, emphasizing communicative competence as well as grammatical and phonetic techniques. Our study of Kreyòl is closely linked to our exploration of how the language is tied to Caribbean society and culture. Evaluation of student achievement and proficiency will be conducted both informally and formally during and at the conclusion of the course. Those looking to develop or improve their language skills are welcome to the class. The program is designed to meet the needs of those who plan to conduct research in Haiti or in the Haitian diaspora, or who intend to work in a volunteer or professional capacity either in Haiti or with Haitians abroad.

LLRO 20222 Intermediate Creole II

K. Richman
This course is intended for students who have taken one semester of Intermediate Creole Language and Culture. In small-group teaching sessions, students will be prepared for conversational fluency with enhanced reading and writing skills, emphasizing communicative competence as well as grammatical variety and phonetic acumen. Our study of Kreyòl is integrated with an exploration of how the language is tied to Haitian society, culture, economy and politics and history. Evaluation of student achievement and proficiency will be conducted both informally and formally during and at the conclusion of the course. Those looking to develop or improve their language skills are welcome to the class. The program is designed to meet the needs of those who plan to conduct research in Haiti or in the Haitian diaspora, or who intend to work in a volunteer or professional capacity either in Haiti or with Haitians abroad.

LLRO 30312 Creole Migrations

K. Richman
Creole is the quintessential language of migration. This elective explores the multidirectional interplay of Creole narrative expression and transnational migration. How do Creole texts imagine and influence the experiences of migration, long-distance belonging, and immigrant settlement? How, in turn, does the changing experience of diaspora affect the evolution of the vernacular at home (lakay)? In what ways do Creole writers and performers express struggles with xenophobia and racism abroad and oppression and poverty in Haiti? We engage these questions through study of Creole fiction, poetry, theatre, story telling and music. Among the Creole works we explore are the novels and poetry of Maude Heurtelou, Felix Morriseau-Leroi, Baudelaire Pierre, Patrick Sylvain and Denizé Lauture, stories by Jean-Claude Martineau and Kiki Wainwright, musical lyrics of Emeline Michele, Beethova Obas, Ti Corn and Wyclef Jean and Rap Kreyòl groups like Barikad Crew. The class is intended for students who have completed Intermediate Creole II or have reached the equivalent level of competence in speaking, reading and writing the language.

International Economics

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LLRO 33000 Exploring International Economics (Spring only) 

In this special course designed for inquisitive International Economics Romance Language Majors, students will attend a number of lectures, panels, and seminars on campus during the semester, with a follow-up discussion for each led by either a visitor or a member of the economics or romance languages faculty. The goal is to encourage students to enrich their major experience by participating in the intellectual discussions that occur amongst ND and visiting scholars across the campus, distinguished alumni, and professionals in the field.