Modern Languages Department offering two spring courses taught in English

The Modern Languages Department is offering two courses this spring that give students the chance to explore the ways that culture is expressed in languages and literatures.

The new courses — Japanese and Chinese Language and Culture, and Modern Literature in Translation — are taught in English and satisfy the Cultural Legacies (CL) and International Perspectives (ITL) requirements.

JPN/CHN 3070-01 – Japanese and Chinese Language and Culture (CL)(ITL)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday | 1:35-2:40 p.m.
Instructor: Professor Yan Wang 

Students interested in Japanese or Chinese cultures can explore the symbiotic relationship between those cultures and language and learn how culture is manifested in language and language verbalizes culture. Students are engaged in an intercultural dialogue with a linguistic approach.

Open to both language and non-language students, this course is taught in English. (Note: Students may enroll in either JPN 3070 or CHN 3070.)

MLA 1010-01 — Modern Literature in Translation — Identity, Exile, and the Search for Belonging: Women Navigating Cultural Boundaries in Modern African Narratives (HUM)(CL)(ITL)
Monday and Friday | 11:45 a.m.-1:25 p.m.
Instructor: Sokhna Fall

This course explores the intricate themes of identity, exile, and belonging as experienced by women in modern African narratives. Focusing on the interplay of personal and collective identities, the course will investigate how colonial legacies, migration, and globalization shape women’s experiences and narratives. Through a close reading of Nadine Gordimer’s “The Pickup” (2001), Chimamanda Adichie’s “The Thing Around Your Neck” (2009), and Sembène Ousmane’s film “Faat Kine” (2000), students will examine how female authors navigate cultural boundaries in a rapidly changing world. They will also discuss the role of language, cultural heritage, and gender in constructing identity, as well as the impact of exile on women’s lives and storytelling. Through critical readings, reflective writing, and group discussions, participants will expand their understanding of contemporary African texts as they illuminate the diverse experiences of women’s quest for belonging in oppressive patriarchal societies.

This course is taught in English.

Sponsoring Department, Office, or Organization:

Modern Languages Department

For more information, contact:

Greg Baer: gbaer@carthage.edu