Fall 2014

This course is devoted to a study of selected literary texts set in various regions of Southeast Asia. The readings will include works by foreign authors who lived and traveled in Southeast Asia and translations of works by Southeast Asian writers. These texts will be used to make comparisons and observations with which to characterize coloniality, nationalism, and postcoloniality. This course satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in Philosophy & Values.

The course focuses on Philippine myths, legends, poetry and epics.  This includes traditional narrative forms such as the alamat (legends), the kuwentong-bayan (folktales) and poetic forms such as the  ambahan, diona, and tanaga.   Among the questions the course explores are:  How can we understand the way of life and belief systems of the ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines through their literatures? How do the dynamics between orality and literacy come into play in these Filipino literary texts? How have traditional forms been revitalized and transformed by writers  to articulate contemporary concerns such as poverty, land reform, women’s issues, and human rights?

This seminar covers the different theoretical and disciplinary approaches to the study of “Indonesia.” We will read key texts and identify important themes relating to Indonesianist scholarship, including the narratives of nationalism, Islam, communism, and syncretism. We will discuss the history of Indonesianist scholarship, emphasizing work that treats history, culture, art and literature, as well as politics.  The course will reflect in particular on the development of Indonesianist historiography in Indonesia and the United States, as well as the place of region, and the legacies of colonialism, the revolution, and Soeharto’s “New Order” in that history.

Required Textbook(s):

Max Havelaar by Multatuli, Penguin Group, ISBN: 9780140445169

Pretext for Mass Murder by John Roosa, University of Wisconsin Press, ISBN: 9780299220341

Engineers of Happy Land by Rudolf Mrazek, Princeton University Press, ISBN: 9780691091624

Blood of the People by Anthony Reid, NUS Press, ISBN: 9789971696375

Rifle Reports by Mary Steedly, University of California Press, ISBN: 9780520274877

Refracted Vision by Karen Strassler, Duke University Press, ISBN: 9780822346111

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in Historical Studies.

Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Reading and composition based on 10 classic works of Indian literature ranging from the ancient Sanskrit epics to modern novels by Indian and western authors. Weekly composition on texts and topics read and discussed in class. Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Required Textbooks:

Poems of Love and War edited by A. K. Ramanujan, Columbia University Press, ISBN: 9780231157353

Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni and illustrated by Moyna Chitrakar, Groundwood Books, ISBN: 155498145X

A Woman's Ramayana: Candravati's Bengali Epic by Mandakranta Bose and Sarika Priyadarshini Bose, Routledge, ISBN: 0415625297

Where are you going, you monkeys? by K. Rajanarayanan, Blaft Publications, ISBN: 819060564X

The Tenth Rasa by Michael Heyman, Penguin India, ISBN: 0143100866

He (Shey) by Rabindranath Tagore, Penguin India, ISBN: 0143102095

A Poem at the Right Moment by Narayana Rao and D. Shulman, University of California Press, ISBN: 0520208498

Water by Ashokamitran, Heinemann Publishing, ISBN: 0435950851

Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Reading and composition based on 10 classic works of Indian literature ranging from the ancient Sanskrit epics to modern novels by Indian and western authors. Weekly composition on texts and topics read and discussed in class. Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in Arts and Literature and Philosophy & Values.

Required Textbook(s):

Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas by C. Dimmit, Temple University Press, ISBN: 9780877221227

Hindu Myths edited/translated by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty, Penguin Books, ISBN: 9780140449907

The Rig Veda: an Anthology edited/translated by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty, Penguin Books, ISBN: 9780140449891

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in Historical Studies and Social and Behavioral Sciences.

This undergraduate seminar will be an investigation into key discourses on Islam in Southeast Asia, focusing on history, literature, and culture. We will trace the processes through which Islam entered the Malay world in the 13th century, and explore the European colonial encounters with Islam in Southeast Asia and the ways that Islam interacted with and resisted colonialism. We will discuss the role of mysticism and of reformists and will also explore the struggles of Islam as a minority religion in the Philippines and Thailand. Readings will include primary sources in translation, literary texts, ethnographic works, and writings by colonial and local scholars.

Required Textbook(s):

Tagalog for Beginners by Joi Barrios, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN: 9780804841269

Required Textbook(s):

Tagalog for Beginners by Joi Barrios, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN: 9780804841269

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in International Studies.

This course is specifically for students with no or minimal knowledge of the language. Students will learn the Devanagari script, fundamental grammatical structures and vocabulary so that by the end of the course they are able to read and write simple prose passages / dialogues and conduct basic conversation. This course emphasizes development of the full range of language skills—reading, listening comprehension, the use of grammatical structures, and oral and written communication—through a variety of learning themes. Individual and small group activities, interactive work and multimedia-based activities reinforce language skills and provide the platform for adapting the curriculum to specific student learning goals. 

This course is specifically for students with no or minimal knowledge of the language. Students will learn the Devanagari script, fundamental grammatical structures and vocabulary so that by the end of the course they are able to read and write simple prose passages / dialogues and conduct basic conversation. This course emphasizes development of the full range of language skills—reading, listening comprehension, the use of grammatical structures, and oral and written communication—through a variety of learning themes. Individual and small group activities, interactive work and multimedia-based activities reinforce language skills and provide the platform for adapting the curriculum to specific student learning goals.

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in International Studies.

This course acquaints students with representative readings from Hindi texts on pivotal cultural issues from a wide variety of sources, to enable them to acquire cultural competence in the language. Systematic training in advanced grammar and syntax, reinforced by exercises in composition, both oral and written. Special attention to developing communication skills.

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in Arts & Literature and International Studies.

This course is designed for students who have already achieved an intermediate level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing Hindi. Its objective is to move students toward a greater level of fluency in each of these key areas. It introduces students to a variety of contemporary literary genres. Weekly readings and discussions will be on short stories, poems, and dramatic sketches from representative authors. These readings focus on various social, cultural, political, and historical aspects of Indian society. Students are encouraged to explore these issues in their written assignments as well as in their class discussions. Written assignments on themes suggested by the reading will be required. Students will also work on advanced grammar and special emphasis will be on vocabulary building, idioms, and problems of syntax.

There will be advanced exercises in composition. The class will be conducted entirely in Hindi and students will acquire language skills sufficient to approach literary texts on their own.

Note: This course can be repeated for credit.

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in Arts and Literature.

This course is for students with no previous knowledge of spoken or written Khmer language. Students will learn how to converse in polite standard Khmer in a variety of topical areas: greetings and pleasantries, talking about family, friends and personal background, food and eating. The goal of the course is for students to be able to "survive" in spoken Khmer in modern Cambodia, and to begin to be able to express their needs and feelings in Khmer and to discuss their lives and personal interests. A large amount of the material learned will be memorized questions and responses. These will be practiced in the classroom in performative, task-based activities. From day one, students will also be introduced to the Khmer writing system, and how it interacts with the spoken language. By the end of the course, students will know the alphabet, be able to spell simple words, recognize a wide range of common sight words, and be able to compose simple texts in Khmer and read a few simple stories.

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in Arts & Literature and International Studies.

This course is for students who can already converse about the educated topics described for Khmer 100A-B at a basic level, and who have already mastered the basics of the Khmer writing system and can write simple academic papers in Khmer and read moderately complex folk tales and articles on topics such as history and news articles. Students will learn to discuss, read and write about the same topics covered in Khmer 1A, but at a much deeper and more sophisticated level: religion, traditional culture, and the language of public information. Students will study several complex Khmer folk tales and legends in depth, and also study the language used in public service announcements dealing with important social issues. Classes will involve both discussions of readings and task-based group activities in which information from a variety of sources must be synthesized and critically analyzed.

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in International Studies.

Indonesian 1A and 1B are prerequisite for Indonesian 100A, or with the approval of the instructor.

 This course provides readings in Indonesian text books, newspapers, journals, and literature. This class provides students with the skills needed to use Indonesian adequately in familiar situations and to communicate general messages. Students will be expected to be more skilled to speak Indonesian with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics.

Required Textbook(s):

Beginning Indonesian thru Self-instruction (Book 3) by J. Wolff, D. Oetomo, & D. Fietkiewicz, Cornell University Press, ISBN: 9780877275312

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in International Studies.

Prerequisite: Sanskrit 100AB or equivalent

Course may be repeated for credit

Sāhitya (Literary Sanskrit)

Sanskrit 101C introduces students to classical literary Sanskrit (sāhitya) and commentary, where available. An extended passage of a kāvya and/or an entire play (nāṭaka) is read. Works of Kālidāsa, Bhāsa, and the like are normally read. Developing strong reading skills is the focus of the class. Students develop skills to use hard copy and web based resources. Grammar is reviewed and explained as needed. Students are also introduced to current scholarship and trends in literary analysis. Students are expected to memorize at least one verse per class. Emphasis is placed on correct prosody and pronunciation. Submission of an annotated translation project, assigned in class, is required. Course content changes every semester and may be repeated for credit.

Intensive language instruction—reading of texts in the original language. Students are expected to prepare readings for translation in class. Mastering of grammar and genre-specific style is emphasized. Additionally students’ skills in writing, listening, and speaking of Sanskrit are further developed. 

Students are expected to spend approximately 3–3½ hours per hour of class in preparation [total of 12–14 hours].

Required Textbook(s):

A Higher Sanskrit Grammar by Moreshwar Ramchandra Kale, South Asia Books, ISBN: 8120801776

Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary by V. S. Apte, South Asia Books, ISBN: 8120805674

Sanskrit-English Dictionary by M. Monier-Williams, South Asia Books, ISBN: 8120800656

This introductory level course focuses on progressive acquisition of language skills to communicate effectively in both written and spoken Tamil. It facilitates development of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing competence along with basic grammar.

Course Material : Course material will be supplied by the Instructor.

Grade :

Classroom participation : 10%
Assignments : 15%
Weekly quizzes : 20%
Mid Term Examination : 20%
Final Examination : 25%
Attendance : 10%
Total : 100%

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in International Studies.

Intermediate Thai Language and Culture 

Intermediate Thai 100A continues to integrate cultural awareness into language education. In this semester, the emphasis shifts from the concrete to the abstract. Students will begin to read and write compound sentences, formal essays, and letters. For immersion, opportunities to practice speaking with native speakers are provided regularly. Students will also watch Thai films throughout the semester. Using Thai as language of instruction will gradually increase up to 50% towards the end of the semester. By the end of the semester, students should achieve literacy level equivalent to 4th grade in Thai school. 

Prerequisite:  Thai 1B (Upper Introductory Thai) or equivalent, by consent of instructor.  At least medium fluency in spoken and written Thai. Ability to conduct small talk with sufficient fluency. Ability to read and write equivalent to 2nd grade level in Thai school.

An introduction to modern spoken and written Vietnamese, including intensive drill on basic phonology and grammar. By the end of the second semester the student should be able to function successfully in ordinary Vietnamese conversation and read simple texts of moderate difficulty.

Required Textbook(s):

Conversational Vietnamese (Seventh Edition), Bac Hoai Tran, Tin & Dong, Messrs., ISBN: 9780415435765

Vietnamese Dictionary and Phrasebook, Bac Hoai Tran & Courtney Norris, Hippocrene Books, ISBN: 9780781809917

Recommended Textbook(s):

Colloquial Vietnamese with CD, Bac Hoai Tran, Ha Minh Nguyen, & Tuan Duc Yuong, Routledge, ISBN: 9780415436076 OR

Colloquial Vietnamese without CD, Bac Hoai Tran, Ha Minh Nguyen, & Tuan Duc Yuong, Routledge, ISBN: 9780415435765

Fulfills the L&S breadth requirements in International Studies.

Prerequisites: 1A-1B, or consent of instructor; 100A or consent of instructor is a prerequisite for 100B.

A second-year course in Vietnamese vocabulary and syntax with intensive drills on short colloquial expressions and auditory recognition of speech patterns. First semester course stresses phraseology, sentence building, rules of composition and development of students' communicative skills. By the end of the second semester students will learn to speak and write simple compositions and will have a cursory introduction to Vietnamese literature and sample readings from contemporary Vietnamese writers.

Required Textbook(s):

Vietnamese Practical Dictionary by Bac Hoai Tran & Courtney Norris, Hippocrene Books, ISBN: 0781812445

This course provides an introduction to Vietnamese literature and culture through extensive reading of authentic Vietnamese texts. Reading assignments will be determined according to a general theme selected for each semester, from a broad range of sources including novels, short stories, poetry, journalism articles and essays covering the classical, colonial, and contemporary eras.  Examples of the selected theme are: the nature of the Sino-Vietnamese classical tradition, the cultural legacies of French colonialism, the emergence of a distinctive Vietnamese modernity, historical legacy of the Vietnam War, gender issues in Vietnamese literature, the Doi moi era, Vietnamese memoirs, etc. Regular attendance and participation in classroom activities is mandatory and no English will be spoken in class.

Early Buddhist Ritual Literature

What did Buddhist ritual look like before the grand esoteric synthesis of the seventh and eighth centuries CE? To investigate the precedents of esoteric Buddhism, we must look to earlier genres of incantatory literature: vidyā (spells), rakṣā (wards), and dhāraṇī (encapsulations).The seminar will focus in detail on the Mahāmāyūrīvidyārājñī (Great Peahen, Queen of Spells) and the Amoghapāśahṛdaya (Unerring Lasso’s Heart-Spell, an early precursor to the Amoghapāśakalparāja). We will examine these texts and associated literature in a variety of languages, including Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese; competence in reading at least one of these languages is required to participate in the course.

This course is designed to enhance the students’ competence in reading and writing Thai.  The students will be reading texts from The Thai Cultural Reader, newspapers, news from internet, selected short stories.  The students will improve listening skill from listening to audio recording, clips from Youtube and internet.  The students will discuss both orally and writing in great length on selected topics. The course is taught long-distance, real time,  from U. of Wisconsin.

Fulfills the L&S Breadth requirement in Arts & Literature.

Indonesian and Malaysian Literature in Translation

This course offers an introduction in English to the literatures of Indonesia and Malaysia, covering novels and short stories, poetry and drama.   Works of modern literature will be discussed within the contemporary cultural and social background of multicultural Southeast Asia.  Students will explore the relationship between modern literature and the narrative, visual and performance traditions. including mythologies and the shadow-play traditions.    Readings will include works by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Lan Fang, and Ahmad Tohari (Indonesia); Lat, Tash Aw and Rani Manicka (Malaysia).  

Required Textbook(s):

This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Penguin Group, ISBN: 0140256350

Potions and Paper Cranes by Lan Fang, Dalang Publishers, ISBN: 0983627339

The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw, Riverhead Trade, ISBN: 1594481741

The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka, Penguin Group, ISBN: 0142004545

The Dancer by Ahmad Tohari, LONTAR, ISBN: 6029144219