2007-2008 Undergraduate Courses in Catalan
| AUTUMN | WINTER | SPRING |
|---|---|---|
| 10100 Beginning Elementary Catalan I | 10200 Beginning Elementary Catalan II | 10300 Beginning Elementary Catalan III |
| 20100 Intermediate/Advanced Catalan I | 20200 Intermediate/Advanced Catalan II | 12200 Catalan for Speakers of Romance Languages |
| 22400 Ramon Llull: mysticism and philosophy in Thirteenth- and Fourteenth-Century Catalonia | ||
| 29700 Readings in Special Topics | 29700 Readings in Special Topics | 29700 Readings in Special Topics |
Language and Culture
10100-10200-10300. Beginning Elementary Catalan I, II, III. This three-quarter sequence is designed for beginning and beginning-intermediate students in Catalan. Its aim is providing students with a solid foundation in the basic patters of spoken and written Catalan (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, sociocultural norms) to develop their speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills to the level required to demonstrate competency on the Catalan examination. Although the three classes constitute a sequence leading to the Catalan competency examination, there is enough review and recycling at every level for students to enter the sequence at whatever level is appropriate for them. Autumn, Winter Spring.
- 10100. CATA 10100 is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of Catalan, and for those who need an in-depth review of the basic patterns of the language.
- 10200. PQ: CATA 10100 or placement. CATA 10200 offers a rapid review of the basic patterns of the language and expands on the material presented in CATA 10100.
- 10300. PQ: CATA 10200 or placement. CATA 10300 expands on the material presented in CATA 10200, reviewing and elaborating the basic patterns of the language as needed to prepare students for the Catalan competency examination.
12200. Catalan for Speakers of Romance Languages. This class is designed for speakers of other Romance Languages to develop competence quickly in spoken and written Catalan. In this intermediate-level course, students learn ways to apply their skills in another Romance language to mastering Catalan by concentrating on the similarities and differences between the two languages. Spring.
20100/30100-20200/30200. Intermediate/Advanced Catalan. In this intermediate/advanced-level sequence, students review and extend their knowledge of all basic patterns (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, sociocultural norms) of the language. They develop their oral and written skills in describing, narrating, and presenting arguments. They are exposed to texts and audio-visual material that provide them with a deeper understanding of Catalan literature, culture, and contemporary society. Autumn, Winter.
- 20100/30100. PQ: CATA 10300 or placement. CATA 20100 is designed as a general review and extension of all basic patterns of the language for intermediate students. Students explore selected aspects of contemporary Catalan culture through a variety of texts and audio-visual materials. Autumn.
- 20200/30200. PQ: CATA 20100 or placement. CATA 20200 is specifically designed to help students develop their descriptive and narrative skills through exposure to written and oral documents (e.g., literary texts, interviews). Students are taught the grammatical and lexical tools necessary to understand these documents, and to produce their own analysis and commentaries. Winter.
22400. Ramon Llull: mysticism and philosophy in Thirteenth- and Fourteenth-Century Catalonia. Ramon Llull (1232-1316) was a celebrated medieval philosopher, mystic, and visionary who left behind more than 300 books written in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic. He traveled throughout Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and North Africa to share his discovery of the "combinatory art", a new language with parallels in Jewish mysticism and Sufism. Though widely misunderstood in Llull's own day, these ideas would later find numerous admirers in Europe; from the philosophers of the Renaissance (such as Nicolas of Cusa, Giordano Bruno, Pico della Mirandola), to Athanasius Kircher and Leibniz, or to even more recent scholars who see Lull's discovery as a forerunner of computer languages. This course will focus on a reading of his Autobiography (Vita coaetanea or Contemporary Life), written at the end of his Life, and on the most important of his mystical and philosophical works, such as like The Book of the Lover and the Beloved, whose influence in Spanish mystics, like John of the Cross, was very significant. Amador Vega. Autumn.
29700. Readings in Special Topics. Directed readings on special topics not covered by courses offered as part of the program in Spanish. Subjects treated and work to be completed for the course must be chosen in consultation with the instructor no later than the end of the preceding quarter. Autumn, Winter, Spring.