Course Description:

This course involves first reading articles on feminist criticism and gender and queer theory, and then selected texts from Spanish America and to a lesser extent Spain that have especially attracted critics who work on gender. We will read the primary texts together with relevant examples of criticism on those works. The purposes of the course are: to read some important works of theory and of Spanish-language narrative, to examine some of the main currents in feminist and gender studies of literature, and to practice evaluating critical studies, including giving peer feedback to other members of the class.

Required Readings:

The Canvas site will include articles on feminist criticism and gender and queer theory, ranging from such pioneering figures as Joan W. Scott to theorists still active today, as well as critical analyses specifically of the primary works read for the course.

Tentative list of primary works (some of these may need to be replaced if available editions cannot be located):

Bombal, La última niebla

Puig, El beso de la mujer araña 

Ferré, Papeles de Pandora

Santos-Febres,Sirena Selena vestida de pena

Preciado, Testo yonqui

(Texts by Preciado are included in both the theoretical readings and the selection of primary works.)

Required Activities and Grading Criteria:

Each member of the class will write a term paper of approximately 4200 words (17 pages), which will analyze a creative work or works from the Spanish-speaking world from a feminist or gender-studies perspective. While all the works read in common by the students in the course are narrative and/or expository prose, the term papers can focus on cultural production in any genre or creative medium. Term paper topics that go beyond these guidelines are welcome, but before proposing such topics students must consult with the instructor to see how their themes can be part of the course.

Feedback: Considerable importance will be given to peer feedback, and students will present their paper topics to the entire class for commentary before submitting the detailed proposal. There will be a second round of peer feedback before the final version of the term paper is due. The instructor will also provide suggestions after reading drafts of the proposal and term paper.

Detailed proposal for paper, 35%

Final version of term paper, 60%

Attendance and participation, 5%

Introduction to Iberian and Latin American Literatures and Cultures

SPN 328C

LAS 370S

Instructor: Naomi Lindstrom (lindstrom@austin.utexas.edu)

Overview :

This course is an introduction to literary and cultural texts, including film and popular song, produced in the complex social, historical, geographic, and political contexts of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. As opposed to the impossible task of a chronological march through hundreds of years and more than twenty countries, we will instead follow a multidisciplinary approach utilizing concepts crucial to understanding Iberian/Latin American literary and cultural phenomena. Each of the three major units features a different genre: narrative (including both written texts and fiction film), drama, and poetry including song. In analyzing these examples, we will discuss concepts such as movements and migrations, diaspora, ethnicity and national identity, gender, and popular culture, among others. Throughout the semester you will acquire and practice the skills necessary to analyze and interpret a variety of written, visual, and oral texts, culminating in an original research paper (1650 words) related to the course topics.

Readings:

The readings and some of the film clips for this course may be found either posted in Canvas or else available for free on the Internet. The syllabus indicates where to find the readings.

Readings are to be completed before we discuss them in class. Always bring a copy of the text to class, printed or on a kindle or tablet.

Grading Criteria: proposal for term paper 14%

                            first examination, 25%

                            final version of term paper, 30% (5% oral presentation, 25% written version)

                            three quizzes, total of 6%, dates of quizzes TBA in class

                            second examination 25%

Spring 2020 Course Proposal

SPN 355: Short Film, Stories, and Poems from Latin America

Instructor: N. Lindstrom

Readings, class sessions, tests, and course project in Spanish

            This course offers a look at the work of filmmakers, prose writers, and poets who have accepted the challenge of expressing themselves in a brief span of time. As the proverb has it, “Lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno,” and compact works can be acutely hilarious or intensely moving. All the films studied in this class will be under 25 minutes; the short stories no more than two pages (some much shorter), and the poems no more than 14 lines, which not coincidentally is the length of a sonnet.

Over the course of the semester, we will go over some basic terms used in the study of film and literature, though the major emphasis will be laid on the students’ own analysis of the works, especially in the course project (term paper). This essay will be 2000 words in length and showcase each student’s ability to analyze films or texts independently. Originality counts. For this reason, every student will choose short films, stories, or poems from Latin America that are not included in the course readings, though they may be by the same directors or writers.

Students will submit first a proposal for the course project, then as they develop their essays have the opportunity to receive feedback both from peers (in class) and the instructor (via a draft) before submitting the final version at the end of the semester. Detailed rubrics will be provided for the proposal and final project.

Readings and films:

The readings for this course will either be posted in Canvas or else available for free download from the Internet. The films, all of which are quite short, will be shown by the instructor.

Grading Criteria:  proposal for term paper, 14% (250 words)

                            first examination, 20%

                            final version of term paper, 40% (2000 words)

                            quizzes 6%

                            second examination 20%

Introduction to Iberian and Latin American Literatures and Cultures

SPN 328C

LAS 370S

Instructor: Naomi Lindstrom (lindstrom@austin.utexas.edu)

Overview :

This course is an introduction to literary and cultural texts produced in the complex social, historical, geographic, and political contexts of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. As opposed to the impossible task of a chronological march through hundreds of years and more than twenty countries, we will instead follow a multidisciplinary approach utilizing concepts crucial to understanding Iberian/Latin American literary and cultural phenomena. Each of the three major units features a different genre: narrative (including both written texts and fiction film), drama, and poetry. In analyzing these examples, we will discuss concepts such as movements and migrations, diaspora, ethnicity and national identity, gender, and popular culture, among others. Throughout the semester you will acquire and practice the skills necessary to analyze and interpret a variety of written, visual, and oral texts, culminating in an original research paper (1750 words) related to the course topics.

Readings:

The readings for this course may be found either posted in Canvas or else available for free download on the Internet. The syllabus indicates where to find the readings.

Read before class and prepare to share:

Readings are to be completed before we discuss them in class. Always bring a copy of the text to class, printed or on a kindle or tablet. Please do not read off your phone in class.

Grading Criteria: proposal for term paper 14%

                            first examination, 25%

                            final version of term paper, 30% (5% oral presentation, 25% written version)

                            three quizzes, total of 6%, dates of quizzes TBA in class

                            second examination 25%

This course is designed to acquaint students with the work of Jewish creative intellectuals from the United States, Latin America, and Canada, examined in a comparative perspective. Most of the examples that we will study are literary texts and films, though there will be some material on the visual arts and song lyrics. The course starts with a historical overview of Jewish immigration to all three regions and moves on to sample texts by Jewish authors from the first half and middle years of the twentieth century before moving on to its main topic, the abundant and constantly-evolving Jewish cultural production of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

            Each student will write a research paper 2000 words in length on some aspect of U.S., Canadian, or Latin American Jewish cultural production. The students’ papers should not be on the same works listed in the course syllabus and discussed in class, though they may be by the same authors or film directors.

             Readings and films:

 The readings for this course will either be posted in Canvas or else available for free download from the Internet. The scenes from films will be shown by the instructor.

The readings are short stories, poems, and excerpts from novels, and will include:

Abraham Cahan, “A Providential Match”

Alberto Gerchunoff, sketches from The Jewish Gauchos

1. Klein, selections from his poetry

Clarice Lispector, “Where Were You Last Night?”

Philip Roth, “The Conversion of the Jews”

Saul Bellow, “The Bellarosa Connection”

Cynthia Ozick, “The Pagan Rabbi”

Samuel Rawet, “The Prophet”

Leonard Cohen, song lyrics

Moacyr Scliar, excerpts from The Centaur in the Garden

Alicia Steimberg, excerpts from Musicians and Watchmakers

Margo Glantz, excerpts from The Family Tree

Nathan Englander, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank”

Jonathan Safran Foer, excerpts from Here I Am

In addition, we will view scenes from films with Jewish themes by U.S., Latin American, and

Canadian directors. Depending on availability, these will include clips from

one early film, The Jazz Singer (dir. Alan Crosland), as well as a couple of

recent ones, such as A Serious Man (dir. Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) and

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (dir. Cao Hamburger)

Grading Criteria:  proposal for term paper, 14% (250 words)

                            first examination, 20%

                            final version of term paper, 40% (2000 words)

                            quizzes 6%

                            second examination 20%

Study and practice of Spanish grammar that includes reading exercises and guided composition designed to develop writing skills across styles. Students will be exposed to various topics in Spanish language, literature, and culture.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Required books:

Warhol / Herndl, eds., Feminisms

Avellaneda, Sab

Bombal, La última niebla

Puig, El beso de la mujer araña

Ferré, Papeles de Pandora

Santos-Febres, Sirena Selena vestida de pena

These should be available in the Textbooks Department of the University Co-op. Students will need to purchase a course packet at Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2200 Guadalupe Street, Austin 78705, tel. 473 8669, fax 476 6505, or 2200@jennscopies.com. The course packet will consist primarily of critical readings on the novels.

Required Activities and Grading Criteria:

Detailed proposal for paper, 35%; 750-900 words

Final version of term paper, 62.5%;  4000-5000 words

Attendance and participation, 2.5%

           This course offers a brief sample of feminist and gender criticism, including queer theory, and then provides an opportunity to examine and practice these critical approaches through the reading of selected works of creative writing. The primary texts that we will read have been chosen because they have all attracted researchers who take feminist approaches or carry out studies of gender and sexuality. In each case, we will read and evaluate some examples of the existing studies of the text.  The critical works have been selected for their relevance to the theme of the course. Some of the theoretical and critical texts are of historical value, while others represent critical approaches that are still being developed today.

            The course requirements and grading criteria are stated above. Please note that the final paper should be a full-length (4000-5000 words), article-style inquiry into a topic developed by the individual student in consultation with the instructor. It should be organized according to the standard conventions for scholarly articles, including the use of correct MLA (or other uniform) documentation style. Coherence of organization, critical analysis, accuracy of information, and command of relevant bibliography, will be counted in evaluating the paper. If a paper is not written following the stated requirements, for example then it will not be evaluated as highly.  The standard expectation is that the paper will be written in Spanish, but if you have a reason to wish to submit your paper in English or Portuguese, please check with me. Electronic citations are fine, but please cite scholarly sources, i.e., please no citing Wikipedia.

            Students will sign up to present some of the theoretical and critical texts in class.  These presentations should not be limited to summarizing the reading. Go beyond simple paraphrase and identify the type of critical approach that the text represents. Evaluate the strengths and possible weaknesses of the critical analysis.

            You need to submit a paper proposal (approx. 800-900 words) before embarking on the writing of the full-length paper. If after submitting your proposal you wish to modify your topic, please discuss the change in topic with me before proceeding to develop your paper. The topic will need to focus on a feminist and/or gender-studies approach to Spanish, Spanish American, or (if desired) Brazilian literature. While textual analysis is certainly welcome, the term paper must not be exclusively the textual analysis of a given work. Some issue in the development of feminist and gender studies of Spanish-language writing must be central to the paper. 

            Students are expected not to disrupt the class session. If any student is persistently disruptive in class, the matter will be referred to the office of the Dean of Students.

            I will be available to discuss special arrangements that may be needed to accommodate a disability.  A student requesting such accommodations may be asked to present a letter from Services for Students with Disabilities.

            Students are responsible for reading and following the indications for assignments and course requirements.  A student who must miss class is still responsible for knowing the requirements.  If you must miss classes, you must contact me and make suitable arrangements for either withdrawing from the course or making up for lost time.  It is your responsibility to stay in touch and to keep track of what is happening in the course.

Study and practice of Spanish grammar that includes reading exercises and guided composition designed to develop writing skills across styles. Students will be exposed to various topics in Spanish language, literature, and culture.

Brings together central issues, concepts, and themes that define Iberian or Latin American literatures and cultures, while focusing on a specific case-study or case-studies.

Please check back for updates.

Topic of Course: Short stories by South American writers that are either out-and-out fantastic or in some other way represent an alternative to realism.

Study and practice of Spanish grammar that includes reading exercises and guided composition designed to develop writing skills across styles. Students will be exposed to various topics in Spanish language, literature, and culture.

Main literary trends and principal writers in Spanish America from the sixteenth century through Modernism.

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with some of the outstanding Jewish writers, filmmakers, and other creators from Latin America, with special emphasis on those who portray in their work the situation of the Jewish communities of their respective cities and countries.  The readings will include works by both Ashkenazic and Sephardic writers and from a range of Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, along with one Brazilian author and several who represent U.S. Latino Jewish writing in English, in addition to relevant films. Another topic will be the Jewish themes that appear prominently in some of the writings of a non-Jewish author, the renowned Jorge Luis Borges.

            One of the requirements of the class is to write a term paper of at least 1700 words (approximately 6-7 pages in normal-size type) on a topic not covered in the syllabus.  Each student will need to analyze literary works that are not in the course readings, although other writings by the same author may appear in the syllabus.  Any student with a reading knowledge of Portuguese is welcome to write his or her term paper on a Brazilian Jewish writer. The alternative to writing a literary analysis for the term paper is to research and write a paper on a Latin American Jewish creative figure working in some other medium, such as a painter, sculptor, or film director.  

Description

This course involves reading selected Spanish American narrative works that have especially attracted critics with a feminist or genre approach. We will read the primary texts together with relevant examples of criticism on those works. The purposes of the course are: to read some important works of Spanish American narrative, to examine some of the main currents in feminist and gender studies of literature, and to practice evaluating literary criticism.

Required Readings

Course packet with critical articles on the primary works read for the course as well as some more general articles on feminist criticism and gender studies of Spanish American writing.

Tentative list of primary works (some of these may need to be replaced if available editions cannot be located)

Avellaneda, Sab 

Gorriti, Sueños y realidades

De la Parra, Ifigenia: Diario de una señorita que escribió porque se fastidiaba

Puig, El beso de la mujer araña 

Ferré, Papeles de Pandora

Santos-Febres, Sirena Selena vestida de pena

Required Activities and Grading Criteria:

Each member of the class will write a term paper of approximately 4200 words (17 pages), which will analyze a work or works of Spanish American literature from some feminist or gender-studies perspective.  While all the works read in common by the students in the course are narrative prose, the term papers can focus on texts in any literary genre or on testimonios.

Term paper topics that go beyond these guidelines may be accepted, but before proposing such a topic the student must consult with the instructor to see how the topic can fit into the course.

Detailed proposal for paper, 35%

Final version of term paper, 60%

Attendance and participation, 5%

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with some of the outstanding Jewish writers from Latin America, with special emphasis on those who portray in their work the situation of the Jewish communities of their respective cities and countries. The readings will include works by both Ashkenazic and Sephardic writers and from a range of Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, along with one Brazilian author and several who represent U.S. Latino Jewish writing in English. Another topic will be the Jewish themes that appear prominently in some of the writings of a non-Jewish author, the renowned Jorge Luis Borges.

Please check back for updates.

Nature of Course:  General.  Please note that it is a course not only on Spanish American narrative but also on literary and cultural criticism.

In this course, we will examine five significant works of Spanish American narrative and a sampling of recent critical commentary on these texts.  The five texts, all of which have been attracting considerable critical study in recent years, represent Spanish American writing of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. The emphasis of the course is not so much on introducing the narrative works as on examining varying critical approaches to a given text and how problems or issues in literary research are identified, explored, and, in many cases, abandoned in favor of newer perspectives.  A closely related issue is how literary and cultural criticism is assessed and what is meant by such evaluative terms as “well written, “original,” “coherent,” and “based on sound scholarship.”

Each student will be required to write a term paper of 17-20 pages. The approach must be metacritical, surveying and analyzing a particular problem or question in the scholarship on a given text.  The text may be either a literary work or some other type of cultural artifact.  The term paper cannot be first and foremost a textual analysis; its primary focus must be a current problem in literary and cultural research and commentary.

Grading Criteria:

term paper:  proposal, 30% of final grade

final version:  60% of final grade (17-22 pages double spaced and following either MLA or Chicago bibliographic style)

reports in class, 10%

Provisional list of readings:

Each primary text will be read together with a number of critical articles, which will be collected in a course packet.

Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, Sab

María Luisa Bombal, La última niebla, “El árbol,” “Las islas nuevas”

Alejo Carpentier, Los pasos perdidos

Mayra Santos Febres, Sirena Selena vestida de pena

Santiago Gamboa, El síndrome de Ulises

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with some of the outstanding Jewish writers from Latin America, with special emphasis on those who portray in their work the situation of the Jewish communities of their respective cities and countries. The readings will include works by both Ashkenazic and Sephardic writers and from a range of Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, along with one Brazilian author and several who represent U.S. Latino Jewish writing in English. Another topic will be the Jewish themes that appear prominently in some of the writings of a non-Jewish author, the renowned Jorge Luis Borges.

Please check back for updates.

Course Title: Latin American Jewish Writers

Instructor Name: Naomi Lindstrom

Description:

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with some of the outstanding Jewish writers from Latin America, with special emphasis on those who portray in their work the situation of the Jewish communities of their respective cities and countries.  The readings will include works by both Ashkenazic and Sephardic writers and from a range of Spanish-speaking Latin American countries.  We will also look briefly at the work of Spanish American (mostly Argentine) writers who have made aliyah and have created a Spanish-language literary scene within Israel.

Another secondary focus will be the Jewish themes that appear prominently in some of the short stories of Jorge Luis Borges.

No Brazilian works are included among the required readings because the course is offered in Spanish.  However, any student with a reading knowledge of Portuguese is welcome to write his or her term paper on a Brazilian Jewish writer.

Texts:

There will be a course packet containing essays, poetry, and short stories by Spanish American Jewish writers.  In addition, the class will read and discuss several novels,

which will be made available through the University Co-op.  The list below is still provisional because the texts need to be obtained from international suppliers.  If any text proves to be too difficult to order, it will be replaced.

Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos

Glantz, Las genealogías

Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros

Goldemberg, La vida a plazos de don Jacobo Lerner

Freilich, Cláper

Grading: 

proposal for term paper 15%

midterm examination 25%

final version of term paper 27.5%

quizzes and participation 5%

final examination 27.5%

Main literary trends and principal writers in Spanish America from the sixteenth century through Modernism. Taught in Spanish.

Please check back for updates.

Fall 2009 Course Syllabus:    

Latin American Jewish Writers

SPN 352 (Unique 48170) JS 363 (Unique 40670) LAS 370S (Unique 40920)

Meets in:  BEN 1.124, MWF 11:00-11:50

Language of Instruction:  Spanish

Instructor:  Prof. Naomi Lindstrom

       voice mail:   232 4527

       e-mail:  lindstrom@austin.utexas.edu

       office:  BEN 4.116, M 2:30-3:30, W 2:30-3:30, Th 3-4

Required Texts: 

Should be at University Co-op.  In addition, there is a course packet.  You must purchase the packet because it contains required readings.  It is at Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2200 Guadalupe Street, Austin 78705, tel. 473 8669, fax 476 6505, or jenns@io.com.

Timerman, Preso sin nombre, celda sin número

Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos

Shúa, El libro de los recuerdos 

Freilich, Cláper (University Co-op will have bound photocopies of this novel)

Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros

Grading Criteria:  proposal for term paper, 15%, due Wed., Oct. 7

                            midterm examination, 27.5%, Fri., Oct. 23

                            final version of term paper, 22.5%, due Fri., Dec. 4

                            quizzes and participation 5%

                            final examination 30%, Wed., Dec. 9, 7:00-10:00p

Attendance Policy:  Attendance is a requirement.  Four cuts permitted;  subsequent unexcused absences result in 1% grade reduction each.  An excused absence is an absence satisfactorily explained by a note.

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with some of the outstanding Jewish writers from Latin America, with special emphasis on those who portray in their work the situation of the Jewish communities of their respective cities and countries.  The readings will include works by both Ashkenazic and Sephardic writers and from a range of Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, along with one Brazilian author and several who represent U.S. Latino Jewish writing in English.  Another topic will be the Jewish themes that appear prominently in some of the writings of a non-Jewish author, the renowned Jorge Luis Borges.

            One of the requirements of the class is to write a term paper of at least 1700 words (approximately 6-7 pages in normal-size type) on a topic not covered in the syllabus.  Each student will need to analyze literary works that are not in the course readings, although other writings by the same author may appear in the syllabus.  Any student with a reading knowledge of Portuguese is welcome to write his or her term paper on a Brazilian Jewish writer. The alternative to writing a literary analysis for the term paper is to research and write a paper on a Latin American Jewish creative figure working in some other medium, such as a painter or film director.   Please note that the term paper must be on a cultural topic and not on non-cultural themes, such as Jewish education or problems in estimating the population of Jewish communities in Latin America.  Your topic must be approved by the instructor for you to receive credit for this assignment,

Any student who requires accommodation because of a disability may request

it.  He or she may be asked to present a note from the Office of Services for

Students with Disabilities specifying the accommodations needed.  Students in this course are expected not to disrupt the normal progress of the class.  Any student who persists in being disruptive will first receive a warning letter from the instructor.  If the problem persists, it will be reported to the Dean of Students.

 The course syllabus indicates what you should have read ahead of time to

prepare for that day’s class.  In some cases a media activity, such as showing of clips from a film, is planned for that class session.  You do not need to study for such a session beforehand.

August

26 general introduction to course

28 historical background to Jacobo Timerman’s story;  begin reading

            Preso sin nombre, celda sin número

31 Timerman, Preso sin nombre

September 

2  Timerman, Preso sin nombre

4  historical background on Jewish immigration to Argentina and

            Alberto Gerchunoff;  Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos

7   Labor Day, University closed

9  Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos 

11 Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos

14 Carlos M. Grünberg, “Un esposo” from Cuentos judíos (in packet)

           Mordejai Alperson, “El coronel Goldsmid” from Colonia Mauricio (in packet)

16 Margo Glantz, excerpt from Las genealogías (in packet)

18 Glantz, second excerpt (in packet)

21 Background on Ana María Shua;  Shua, El libro de los recuerdos  

23 Shua, El libro de los recuerdos

25 Shua,  El libro de los recuerdos, information on term paper proposal

28 scenes from film Legado  (Yom Kippur;  attendance will not be taken)

30 Victor Perera, “Guatemala I,” from The Cross and the

            Pear Tree (in packet)    

October

2  Perera, “Guatemala II” (in packet)

5  Leo Spitzer, “Rootless Nostalgia:  Vienna in La Paz, La Paz

               in Elsewhere” (in packet)    

       more about topics for term paper

7  Marjorie Agosín, “Osorio,” “My Husband,” both excerpts from A Cross and a Star: 

            Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile (in packet)

    DUE DATE, proposal for term paper

9  Jacobo Fijman, “Canto del cisne” (in packet)

             Edna Aizenberg, “How a Samovar Helped Me Theorize Latin American

             Jewish Writing” (in packet)

12 Teresa Porzecanski, “Rojl Eisips” (in packet)

             José Luis Nájenson, “Una parábola neojasídica” (in packet)

14 Introduction to Isaac Goldemberg;  poems by Goldemberg (in packet)    

16 Moacyr Scliar, “El ejército de un solo hombre” (in packet)

19 Glusberg, “Mate amargo”,  Marcos Aguinis, “Profeta en Níneve” (in packet)

21 review session for midterm

23 midterm examination in regular classroom

26 scenes from Adió Kerida

28 Freilich, Cláper

30 Freilich, Cláper

November

2  Freilich, Cláper

4  Jorge Luis Borges, “Emma Zunz,” “El Golem” (in packet)

6  Borges, “La muerte y la brújula” (in packet)

        Introduction to Alicia Steimberg

9  Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros  

11 Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros  

13 Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros  

16 Ruth Behar, “Juban American” (in packet)

18 Ilan Stavans, “Lost in Translation” (in packet)

20 Isaac Chocrón, excerpt from Rómpase en caso de incendio (in packet)

         More on final version of term paper

23 scenes from documentary film Havana Nagila 

25 question and answer session

27 day after Thanksgiving, University closed

30 Ariel Dorfman, “The Discovery of Life and Language at an Early Age”

            (in packet)

December

2  Ricardo Feierstein, “Judíos latinoamericanos:  una nueva forma del

            mestizaje” (in packet)

4  last class day;  term paper due;  review for final examination

                                                 ***FINAL EXAMINATION***

                                           ***  WED., DEC. 9, 7:00-10:00 p.m.  ***

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Prerequisites: ASL 507 or equivalent with a grade of C (74%) or higher.

ASL 312K is a third-semester American Sign Language (ASL) course that emphasizes not only language mastery but also the understanding of Deaf culture, specifically its cultural values, attitudes, beliefs, social norms, and history.

Integrates and refines expressive and receptive skills in American Sign Language (ASL), including recognition of sociolinguistic variation. A practice oriented approach to language acquisition with demonstration of more sophisticated grammatical features of American Sign Language (ASL). Increases fluency and accuracy in finger spelling and numbers. Provides opportunities for interaction within the deaf community. Course requires significant time outside of class.

Course study includes ASL grammatical structures, non-manual behaviors, vocabulary and classifiers, fingerspelling and numbers, communication skills (conversations and discussions), and other language functions. Most of the learning activities are based on the text, Signing Naturally. These activities will include interactive activities such as locating things around the house, complaining, making suggestions and requests, exchanging personal information: life events, and describing and identifying things. Supporting studies include attendance of Deaf events, film and video viewing, ASL literary readings, and other analytical activities.

COURSE RATIONALE: American Sign Language is the language of a sizable minority, estimates range from 500,000 to two million speakers in the U.S. alone. In addition, many Deaf Canadians use ASL. For more information, you can look at this website:
http://library.gallaudet.edu/Library/Deaf_Research_Help/Frequently_Asked_Questions_(FAQs)/Sign_Language/ASL_Ranking_and_Number_of_Speakers.html

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS:
1) SIGNING NATURALLY LEVEL II, STUDENT WORKBOOK AND VIDEOTEXT, Units 14, 15, 16, & 13. Authors: Smith, Lentz, and Mikos.
2) COURSE PACKET: ASL 312K at Speedway Copying, Dobie Mall, 2025 Guadalupe, Suite 140
3) For Hearing People Only, Authors: Matthew S. Moore and Linda Levitan, 3rd Edition
4) One 2 GB (minimum) USB Flash Drive

ADDITIONAL CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS:

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm (practice your skills)
ASLonline1 tutorials: www.laits.utexas.edu/asl506 (sn: asl506 pw: will announce in class)
ASLonline2 tutorials: www.laits.utexas.edu/asl507

COURSE POLICIES:

Attendance Policy: Beginning September 1st, participation will be graded in the following manner:

You should plan to attend class faithfully, inasmuch as the material covered in class and participation in class discussion are vital to your performance in this course. Attendance will be taken every class period. You should check periodically with me to ensure that the we agree on your number of absences. You are allowed two (2) absences over the course of the semester. For each absence beyond two (2), your final grade will drop by 5%. For example, if you earned an A with a 92 for the course, but you have three (3) absences, your final grade will be a B (87), regardless of the reason. Use your absences as you see fit; however, use them with discretion. These days are given to you to make accommodations for illnesses, doctors’ appointments, observance of religious holy days, etc. A total of three (3) tardies and early departures will be counted as one (1) absence.

The University’s policy on the observance of Religious Holy Days can be found at: http://registrar.utexas.edu/catalogs/gi07-08/ch04/ch04b.html. Observance of Religious Holy Days: Students must notify instructor at least 14 days prior to holy days; otherwise, it will be counted as absence. http://www.interfaithcalendar.org

It is essential that students make every effort to attend each class on time and be prepared to participate in classroom activities. Attention to classroom activities is imperative.

Homework: Homework assignments are not optional; they are required to help prepare you for class activities/discussions. Students who fail to produce completed assignments the day they are due will have two points
deducted from their final grade. **Please bring your Signing Naturally Student Workbook and homework assignments to class everyday.

Classroom Etiquette: Behaviors such sleeping in class, reading the newspaper, talking/mouthing with classmates, using pagers/cell phones/text messaging devices, listening to iPod music, or doing homework for another class are not acceptable or permitted. This is a skill developing lab course involving group and individual practice and skills development using visual/gestural stimuli.

Social/Cultural Rationale:

Visual Environment: Talking/voicing: This policy is the same as in ASL 506 and 507, this policy will not be reviewed this semester, but will be implemented. The intention of the NO VOICE POLICY is to respect Deaf Culture and maximize the student’s learning during class time. Due to the fact that facial expressions are vital in ASL, gum chewing is not permitted during class. Laptops, iPods, cellular phones, paging devices, radios, CD and tape players/recorders, video cameras and still cameras should not be brought into the classroom without MY written consent. (If you need your cell phone with you please make sure that it is turned off so that it does not disrupt the silence in the classroom.)

**Repeated use of voice may result in the deduction of points in the final score or in being asked to leave the classroom.**

NOTE: Repetition of using voice in class may result in deduction of points and/or the deduction of a letter grade from your final score. If you do not understand me, then PLEASE ask me ANYTIME for clarification.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Pass/Fail grades are not allowed; this course may be taken for a letter grade only.

DEAF CULTURE note: In class, you will rehearse ways of informing the lecturer why you are late, why you are leaving early, and why you missed class. These are not to be viewed as giving excuses but rather viewed as a type of
communication within Deaf Culture. So, please apply this situation each time you confront it.

A. Volunteer Assignment (200 points): You are required to do volunteer work with the Deaf community for a total of at least SIX hours (worth 10 points per hour plus 15 points from the supervisor’s evaluation for a maximum of 75 points per activity). Your signing skills (125 points) will be assessed. Turn in your USB flash drive on the schedule date below. Submitting your assignment even one day late will result 25% off of the final grade. See the criteria for more details in your course packet.

All video and ethnographic assignments are due as scheduled for full credit. No late assignments will be accepted for those dates. You are strongly encouraged go to MEZ 2.104 only to be recorded on camera in front of a Mac computer. No other place, such as your dorm room, your apartment, etc., is allowed. If there is a special circumstance, please talk with me about it. No points will be given if you attempt to divert from the requirements.

RATIONALE: Due to the large size of the class and the amount of contact hours per week, it is not possible for the instructor to give each student the desired individual time. It is important that students interact with other Deaf people in order to become fluent in ASL, and more knowledgeable about Deaf culture. Past experience has shown that those students who interact with d/Deaf people do far better on exams than those who do not.

B. LAB REQUIREMENTS: (a total of 180 points) Movie Critique Quizzes -- You are to view THREE (3) DVD movies, selected from the given list (in their respective order). The first two movies will have a multiple choice quiz. The first movie quiz is 20 points. The second movie quiz is worth 100 points. The third movie lab will require you to do a Movie Reaction Video (60 points). The goal of this reaction video (you will record yourself signing it) is for you to express your thoughts, opinions or questions about the movie. The video must include the information pertaining to the questions [See questions handouts]. You are to answer each in a narrative way. Turn in your USB flash drive on the due date below. Submitting a lab assignment even one day late will result 25% off of the final grade. *Please read the criteria in the course packet.*

C. For Hearing People Only written quizzes (50 points): will include, but are not limited to, True/False, based on reading of selected chapters of the textbook. The first quiz is worth 24 possible points and second quiz is worth 26 possible points.

D. COMPREHENSION QUIZZES (150 points): The FIRST TWO Quizzes (worth a total of 50 points) are based on ASL 507 and will be given in class. The first “quiz-type” will be based on Pronouns, Possessives, and Age signs. This will be on the second day of class. The second “quiz-type” will be based on Money and Clock signs – distributed on the third day of class. For Unit 14, 15, 16, and 13, there will be between 6 and 8 quizzes worth a total of 100 points. Some quizzes will be announced in class and some will be “pop” quizzes. You may not make up any quizzes you miss – a missed quiz means a zero. They are derived from reading/viewing from the “Signing Naturally” workbook and DVD, video assignments, and/or class discussions and activities. No make-ups will be given for quizzes missed due to absence. If the absence is caused by extreme circumstances, the lecturer may consider adjusting your final grade points to compensate for the missed quiz.

E. FOUR EXAMS: Four (4) sets of exams worth a total of 650 points.
1. Comprehension portion (100 points – Exams 1 through 4): For all four exams with Unit 14, 15, 16, and 13, I will sign sentences/questions and you will write down answers on a piece of paper, which is given to you right before the test is administered. This written/comprehensive portion is on all of the exams. Each one is worth 100 points = 400 points total.

2. Expressive portions (100 points – 2nd and 4th Exams Only): The exam 2nd will be based on Unit 14 & 15 and Exam 4 will be based on Units 16 & 13. I will give you a scripted dialogue for you and your partner (you pick your partner) to practice a few days before the exam takes place. You practice on your own time outside of class. On the exam day, you and your partner will sit or stand in front of the video camera and sign away, using your scripted dialog as your guide. This portion is on these two exams only and are worth100 points each = 200 points total.

3. Written portion (50 points – 4th Exam Only): This portion is derived from language and cultural notes, and your “Signing Naturally” workbook. This portion is included in the fourth and last exam, which is worth 50 points.

No extra credit allowed! I cannot offer it to one particular student or group.

Pass/Fail grades are not allowed; this course may be taken for a letter
grade only.

No extra credit allowed! I cannot offer it to one particular student or group.

For detailed Course Schedule, download attachment.

Please check back for updates.

Interdisciplinary topics relating to Women's and Gender Studies.  Seats restricted to WGS MA and Portfolio students during early registration.  Check cross-listings for home departments and originating field of study.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.