2010-2011 Academic Catalog

Dec 03, 2024

2010-2011 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Foreign Languages and Literatures Major

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Overview

Undergraduate Program

The Foreign Languages and Literatures Department is part of the Alice Coonley Higgins School of Humanities. The program investigates how peoples and nations express themselves through language, literature and other cultural phenomena. The interdisciplinary spirit of the program illuminates the relationship between national literatures and other areas of the humanities and social sciences.

The major is offered in French and Spanish. It is also possible, at the department’s discretion, to major in more than one language (the combined foreign languages major).

There are majors available in comparative literature and ancient civilization as well. Though based in foreign languages and literatures, these two programs–together with the minor offered by ancient civilization–are described elsewhere in the catalog under their own headings.

Courses

The Adviser System

Advisers are faculty in appropriate disciplines who are assigned to students when their major or minor is declared. Students and advisers should meet regularly. Advisers suggest a course of study, discuss and approve related courses and, for majors, identify areas of special interest that could lead to an honors project.

Language Placement

Refer to Summer Newsletter 2007

Study Abroad

Information on study-abroad programs in France, Germany and Spain is available at Clark’s Office of Study Abroad Programs.

Course Listing by Fields of Specialization

Chinese

CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese
CHIN 102 - Elementary Chinese

Classics

CMLT 120 - The Epic Journey
GRK 101 - Introductory Greek I, II
GRK 102 - Introductory Greek
LAT 101 - Introductory Latin
LAT 102 - Introductory Latin

French

German

GERM 101 - Introductory German
GERM 102 - Introductory German
GERM 103 - Intermediate German I
GERM 104 - Intermediate German II
CMLT 130 - The National Imagination
GERM 131 - German Culture and Conversation

German Literature Courses conducted in English

GERM 188 - The Culture of the Weimer Republic in Literature, Film and the Arts

Hebrew

HEBR 101 - Elementary Hebrew I
HEBR 102 - Elementary Hebrew II
HEBR 103 - Intermediate Hebrew
HEBR 104 - Intermediate-Advanced Hebrew
HEBR 105 - Advanced Hebrew
HEBR 297 - Sec. 6 Special Topics in Hebrew
HEBR 299 - Supervised Readings

Japanese

CMLT 130 - The National Imagination
JAPN 101 - Elementary Japanese
JAPN 102 - Elementary Japanese
JAPN 103 - Intermediate Japanese
JAPN 104 - Intermediate Japanese
JAPN 105 - Advanced Japanese
JAPN 106 - Advanced Japanese
JAPN 180 - In the Shadow of World War II: Memory, Identity, and Nation in Japanese Fiction and Film
JAPN 190 - Japanese Women Writers

Spanish

The Spanish program is based on a three-year rotation. Advanced courses listed as offered periodically are generally available at least once every three years.

Studies in Culture

Program Requirements:

1.

Eight courses above the intermediate level. In French, major credit is given for courses above FREN106; in German, above GERM102; in Spanish, above SPAN127.

above FREN 106 - Intermediate French II
in German, above GERM 102
in Spanish, above SPAN 127 - Practice in Oral and Written Spanish

The eight required courses include:

An introductory-level course in literature
A course in culture criticism
For Spanish majors, an advanced grammar and composition course (SPAN 237 or the equivalent); for French majors, FREN 137
The Advanced Topics course (297)
At least two courses taken in a Clark-sponsored or Clark-approved study-abroad program (This requirement may be waived in special circumstances.)

At least four of the eight required courses must be taken in residence at the Worcester campus.

2.

Five related courses, at least one of which must be CMLT 130 - The National Imagination . These five related courses are to be selected with the major adviser. They might be courses in other languages and literatures, or in subjects further afield that enrich the student’s understanding of core material. When the major program is concentrated in one language, a reading knowledge of a second language is strongly recommended. Only course grades of C or better may be counted toward the major.

Requirements for the Combined Foreign Languages Major

Five courses in each of two languages, chosen from the list of courses that would count toward a single-language major (GERM 103 and above; FREN 120 and above; SPAN 131 and above)
The Advanced Topics course (capstone course, numbered 297) in at least one of the two language areas chosen
One course in Comparative Literature, normally the core course (CMLT 130 ) required of all our majors
Four related courses, as determined in consultation with the student’s major adviser
At least two units of study abroad in a culture in which one of the target languages is spoken. Ordinarily, courses taken abroad may be counted toward the five required courses in each language area.