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The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures LANGUAGE PLACEMENT EXAMS Students who have learned Russian or other Slavic languages elsewhere and those returning from study abroad will need to take a placement test at the beginning of the semester. Please review language placement criteria from the selections below. ~ Students starting with 1st or 2nd year Russian should consult with Lisa Little (lclittle@berkeley.edu, or during her office hours), Russian Language Coordinator, about placement in the lower-division language courses (Slavic 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6A-B). Whenever possible students should contact Ms. Little far in advance of the first week of classes for screening and placement. ~ Students needing placement screening for third-year Russian (Slavic 103A-B, etc.) or testing for the Letters and Science foreign language requirement for Russian should consult with Dr. Arkady Alexeev (arkalexeev@yahoo.com, or during his office hours). ~ Heritage speakers of Russian considering a major or minor track requiring Russian must make an appointment with the Undergraduate Staff or Major Adviser to obtain information specific to their individual language requirements and to be referred for the proficiency/placement exam. ~ Students of East European or Eurasian languages should consult with the appropriate Language Coordinator for proficiency testing and placement. See coordinators list below. Czech and Polish: Bulgarian and BCS (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian): Eurasian Languages: ~ Transfer students and those enrolling in study abroad programs should consult with the Major Adviser regarding course equivalents accepted by the Department. Note: The language supervisors and teaching staff make the final determination regarding language level placement in language courses. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR NATIVE OR HERITAGE SPEAKERS ENROLLING IN UPPER-DIVISION POLISH, CZECH, BCS, OR BULGARIAN LANGUAGE COURSES Enrollment in Slavic 115AB, 116AB, 117AB, 118AB
is limited to non-native Quick Reference to Courses RUSSIAN: EAST EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN STUDIES: Course DescriptionsSlavic 1 & 2 (5 units each) IF YOU SPEAK MOSTLY RUSSIAN AT HOME WITH YOUR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS (even if you cannot read and write in Russian and even if you make some mistakes in your spoken Russian or occasionally switch to English), YOU SHOULD ENROLL IN SLAVIC 6A. This course was created specifically to fit the needs of “heritage” speakers, which are quite different from those of non-heritage second-language learners. (If you were born in Russia or one of the former Soviet republics and went to school there or if you have been speaking and reading Russian regularly in this country, you may want to consider Slavic 105A/B or 181, 182, or 190.) Elementary Russian Comprehensive program for the study of Russian language and culture. No knowledge of Russian is presumed for Slavic 1. Focus on proficiency in all four skills ("language in context" /listening, reading, speaking, writing/) and the fundamentals ("building blocks" /grammar and vocabulary/). Classes conducted primarily in Russian. By the end of Slavic 2, students will have most of the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural knowledge needed to begin functioning in Russian. Students who have completed this program have placed into the fourth and fifth semesters at Middlebury (a prestigious summer language immersion program). Grades based on participation, completion of homework assignments, oral tests, written compositions, chapter tests, and a final (a computerized standardized test that is weighted less than a chapter test and may be taken anytime during the last two weeks up to the scheduled final time). Required Texts: (Available Through ASUC's Cal Textbooks) Note: IF YOU BUY THE TEXTBOOK ONLINE, please make sure you get the SECOND EDITION. (McClellan should be listed as one of the authors.) In addition, you must buy the WORKBOOK/LAB MANUAL, which will be sold shrink-wrapped with the textbook at a slight discount at Cal Textbooks in the ASUC. The bookstore package will also include the CD that goes with the textbook, which is important when you are learning the alphabet, but not as essential as the other two parts. Slavic 1: Slavic 2: Optional: Students who want to get a head start can begin learning the Russian alphabet: If you have already purchased Nachalo, you can start learning the printed and cursive letters (and their sounds) in the textbook and workbook. If you haven't, or want more practice, you can go to the following sites and see which ones work best for you: http://masterrussian.com/blalphabet.shtml Alphabet in print and cursive. Pronunciation of all the letters of the Russian alphabet – scroll to bottom if you want to hear all the letters read quickly all at once instead of one by one. (You might also want to click on the “live cams” button – or any of the others - on the left for fun.) http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/russian/quickstart.html Simple Russian words with pictures and sound. http://community.middlebury.edu/~beyer/RT/pages/signs/signs.shtml Alphabet in print + Russian signs for practice. Also: http://community.middlebury.edu/~beyer/publications/rabc/RABC.shtml individual words pronounced. http://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammar/index.html The Cyrillic alphabet (lots of cognates to practice the alphabet) and the rules of pronunciation [also lots of information about grammar at this site]. http://langintro.com/rintro/first.htm “A different game”: practice with sound and words. http://www.auburn.edu/~mitrege/RWT/welcome.html Need to have Nachalo textbook for this one. Extra practice. Prerequisites: Slavic 1 has no prerequisites as it assumes no previous knowledge of Russian. SLAVIC 1 IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR SLAVIC 2. If you have not taken the previous semester here, SCREENING AND PLACEMENT IS MANDATORY with our department’s Russian Language Coordinator to determine the best placement for you. Prospective students must contact Lisa Little, our department’s Russian Language Coordinator, at: lclittle@berkeley.edu STUDENTS TAKE NOTE: SLAVIC 4 CANCELED 4/7/09 Slavic 3 & 4 (5 units each) L&S Breadth: Both Slavic 3 and 4 Count as International Breadth IF YOU SPEAK MOSTLY RUSSIAN AT HOME WITH YOUR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS (even if you cannot read and write in Russian and even if you make some mistakes in your spoken Russian or occasionally switch to English), YOU SHOULD ENROLL IN SLAVIC 6A. This course was created specifically to fit the needs of “heritage” speakers, which are quite different from those of non-heritage second-language learners. (If you were born in Russia or one of the former Soviet republics and went to school there or if you have been speaking and reading Russian regularly in this country, you may want to consider Slavic 105A/B or 181, 182, 190.) Intermediate Russian Comprehensive program for the study of Russian language and culture. Focus on proficiency in all four skills ("language in context" /listening, reading, speaking, writing/) and the fundamentals ("building blocks" /grammar and vocabulary/).Classes conducted in Russian. By the end of Slavic 4, students will have developed considerable control of the grammar, a fairly extensive vocabulary, and much of the functional and cultural knowledge needed to communicate effectively in Russian. Students who have completed this program have had great success in various summer programs in the U.S. and Russia and the Moscow EAP Advanced Program. Grades based on participation, completion of homework assignments, oral interviews, written compositions, chapter tests, and a final (a computerized standardized test that is weighted less than a chapter test and may be taken anytime during the last two weeks up to the scheduled final time). Required Texts: (Available Through ASUC's Cal Textbooks) Slavic 3 & 4: Note: IF YOU BUY THE TEXTBOOK ONLINE, please make sure you get the SECOND EDITION. (Kudyma should be listed as one of the authors.) In addition, you must buy the WORKBOOK/LAB MANUAL, which will be sold shrink-wrapped with the textbook at a slight discount at Cal Textbooks in the ASUC. Kagan, Miller, & Kudyma, V Puti: Russian Grammar in Context, Second Edition and workbook/lab manual. Recommended: Prerequisites: SLAVIC 2 IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR SLAVIC 3; SLAVIC 3 IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR SLAVIC 4. If you have not taken the previous semester here, SCREENING AND PLACEMENT IS MANDATORY with our department’s Russian Language Coordinator to determine the best placement for you. Prospective students must contact Lisa Little, our department’s Russian Language Coordinator, at: lclittle@berkeley.edu Slavic R5A, Section 1 (4 units)
Reading
and Composition Course In this course we will read and write about botched, oppressive, and absurd—in other words dystopian—societies. We will take as its point of departure two fundamental works of dystopian fiction, Zamiatin’s We and Huxley’s Brave New World. From these texts featuring highly-regimented civilizations and radically new modes of human behavior and interaction we will transition to texts perhaps even more unsettling in that they represent realities not so distant or unthinkable to us. Over the course of our readings we will focus on the many problems posed by the representation of alternate, yet not wholly unreal realities: how does one narrate life in utopia/dystopia? How do fictional representations of reality intersect, reflect, or critique those realities, past and present, that we perceive as “real”? Furthermore, we will strive to understand what a dystopia is, lending especial attention to each text’s portrayal of human relationships, gender roles, sexuality, government, individuality, language, science, technology, and religion. Students will participate in class discussions, compose essays drawing upon the rich array of topics mentioned above, and engage in the rigorous editing of their compositions. This course satisfies the first half or the “A” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement. Texts: (please note specific editions,
especially translations) Prerequisite: Successful completion of the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement. Slavic R5A, Section 2 (4 units) Reading
and Composition Course The city has long been an irresistible source of inspiration for the writer: it can serve as both an arena for social critique and for the exploration of individual interiority. We too, in this college writing course, will find the material for the basis of our essays in the city—in literary representations of London and St Petersburg. We will encounter some treasures of the city, but more often its seamy side and vices, its deliriums, and its dystopian redesign. The purpose of this course is to teach students
how to write successful analytical essays. The class discussions
will focus on close analysis of the readings in order to help
students develop ideas for their papers. Participation in class
discussions will be required of all students. The course will
emphasize stylistic and structural as well as analytic aspects
of writing. This course satisfies the first half or the “A” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement. Texts: (please note specific editions,
especially translations) Prerequisite: Successful completion of the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement. Slavic R5A, Section 3 (4 units) Reading
and Composition Course Animals appear in literature in many guises: they are our loyal subjects, loving and fawning pets or they are objects of fear or disgust. Animals can be symbols or metaphors ladened with meaning or appear as mute figures signifying nothing. Whether they are complete subjects endowed with their own voices or objects of interrogation or (mis)representation, the figure of the animal in literature proves Claude Lévi-Strauss famous dictum: “animals are good to think with.” In this course we will start with a few Russian fairy-tales from Afanas’ev’s collection, continue with selections from the nineteenth century: N.V. Gogol’s early Ukrainian tales and Ivan Turgenev’s short story “Mumu.” The twentieth century is represented by Mikhail Bulgakov’s novella Heart of a Dog, Art Spiegelman’s “comix” Maus (parts I and II), J. M. Coetzee’s novel Disgrace and selections from Victor Pelevin’s early short stories. We will end with Tatiana Tolstaya’s post-apocalyptic novel Slynx. Along the way we will also watch the 1988 film adaptation of Bulgakov’s novella, as well as Lavinia Currier’s 1997 film A Passion in the Desert. Throughout we will be looking at how authors (mis)use animals in literature: Are there any ethical issues at stake in writing about or “thinking with” animals? How is (the animal) narrative voice constructed or defamiliarized in these works? Is it ultimately possible to represent or speak for the radical, mute, animal other? This course satisfies the first half or the “A” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement. Texts: “A Bewitched Place” The Complete Tales of Nikolai Gogol (Volume 1) by N.V. Gogol, Constance Garnett (translator) U of Chicago P 1985. (10 pp) “Mumu” from First Love and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback) by Ivan Turgenev (Author), Richard Freeborn (Translator) Oxford University Press, USA (August 1, 2008) (25 pp) Heart of a Dog, by Mikhail Bulgakov, Mirra Ginsburg (Translator)Grove Press, NY 1968 (120 pp) Maus I: My Father Bleeds History & Maus II:And here my Troubles Began Pantheon Books, NY 1986 (300 pp) Disgrace, J. M. Coetzee Viking, NY 1999 (220 pp) “Nika” from The Blue Lantern by Victor Pelevin, Andrew Bromfield (translator) New Directions Publishing Corporation (May 2000) (10 pp) Slynx Tatiana Tolstaya, Jamey Gambrell (translator), NYRB Classics 2007 (288 pp) Prerequisite: Successful completion of the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement. Slavic R5B, Section 1 (4 units) Reading
and Composition Course In this course we will read a variety of short stories written primarily during the first two decades of the 20th century. We will focus on a number of authors considered masters of the genre, and one of our tasks will be to ask ourselves – what makes a good story? Many of the works we will read were written by authors from East Central Europe; a region that saw a series of dramatic political and ideological battles during this period. Some, such as Isaac Babel and Jaroslav Hašek, wrote on personal combat experience, while others used the short story as a vehicle for social commentary. Most importantly, our work with these stories will be oriented towards improving your own writing abilities. Assignments will be geared towards teaching you to analyze literature and to write successful expository essays. Class discussion of the readings will be structured as a forum for students to develop paper ideas. Writing assignments will include short responses, mid-length papers, revision of previous assignments and a final research paper. The course will emphasize stylistic and structural as well as analytic aspects of writing. This course satisfies the second half or the “B” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement. We will read selections from the following (specific editions required): Anton Chekhov, Anton Chekhov's Short Stories
[Norton Critical Edition] These texts will be supplemented by a course reader, to include stories by G.K. Chesterton, O. Henry, H.G. Wells and Mikhail Bulgakov. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the “A” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement or its equivalent. Slavic R5B, Section 2 (4 units) Reading
and Composition Course The basic question motivating every murder story is not “Whodunnit?” but “Why?” To the careful reader, every element of a murder story reveals something about the killer... and the author. This course will read classic works of fiction to study how murder stories address questions of morality, criminal psychology, and narrative. We will compare murderers and detectives as protagonists, identify stylistic devices that portray violence’s emotional impact, trace the trope of carefully-planned murder versus crime of passion, delve into the minds of our fictional killers, and analyze the literary devices that grant us that access. Reading like literary detectives will train students in the reading, writing, and research skills necessary to write effective papers. Classes will combine reading discussions with writing workshop activities. We will examine various forms of college and professional writing, practice all of the stages of the writing process, and work on communicating ideas clearly. Students will write and revise brief response papers (1 page each), two short analytical essays (3-5 pages) and one research paper (8-10 pages). This course satisfies the second half or the “B” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement. Texts: Course reader contains: Prerequisite: Successful completion of the “A” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement or its equivalent. Slavic R5B, Section 3 (4 units) Reading and Composition Course Watch this space! A detailed description with texts is coming. This course satisfies the second half or the “B” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement. Texts: TBA Prerequisite: Successful completion of the “A” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement or its equivalent. DO YOU SPEAK (BUT NOT READ OR WRITE) FLUENT RUSSIAN? Slavic 6A (3 units) Introductory Russian for Heritage Speakers This course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a native Russian's full educational and cultural background. Introductory course teaches basic skills of literacy, grammar, and reading. Students with advanced reading proficiency should consider Slavic 105A/B, 181, 182 or 190. Required Texts: Recommended: STUDENTS WHO CANNOT READ OR WRITE RUSSIAN MAY WANT TO START LEARNING THE ALPHABET FROM ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SITES OR THEIR PARENTS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER: http://masterrussian.com/blalphabet.shtml Alphabet in print and cursive. Pronunciation of all the letters of the Russian alphabet – scroll to bottom if you want to hear all the letters read quickly all at once instead of one by one. (You might also want to click on the “live cams” button – or any of the others - on the left for fun.) http://www.lang.ourfamily.com/propisi/pr1-index.html Practice with cursive (you can ignore the pictures of animals, etc., but get a sense of how the letters are written as words). http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/russian/quickstart.html Simple Russian words withpictures and sound. http://community.middlebury.edu/~beyer/RT/pages/signs/signs.shtml Alphabet in print + Russian signs for practice. Also: http://community.middlebury.edu/~beyer/publications/rabc/RABC.shtml individual words pronounced. http://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammar/index.html The Cyrillic alphabet (lots of cognates to practice the alphabet) and the rules of pronunciation [also lots of information about grammar at this site]. http://langintro.com/rintro/first.htm “A different game”: practice with sound and words. Prerequisites: Fluent speaking ability in Russian. Prospective students may contact Lisa Little, our department's Russian Language Coordinator, for advice at: lclittle@berkeley.edu Slavic 24 (1 unit, Pass/Not
Pass ONLY) Freshman Seminar: "War and Peace:
Let's Read It Together" Hugh McLean is a Professor Emeritus of Slavic Languages and Literatures at UC Berkeley. He has taught a wide range of courses on Russian literature and was an active member of the faculty from 1967 to 1994. Since then he has been recalled to teach regular courses and more recently has taught Freshman-Sophomore and Freshman seminars. Prerequisites: Freshman standing. Slavic 25A (5 units) Introductory Polish The introductory fall 25A course, followed by the spring 25B course, introduces the modern standard Polish language, and is taught in Polish with explanations in English if necessary. The course is designed for beginners with no or introductory skills in understanding and using Polish language. Class attendance as well as active participation in exercises and conversations is expected. Ability to work in team is a desired and especially valued skill. All assignments shall be completed on time. All missed assignments and exams have to be made up for. Your final grade will be based on your accumulation of points gained through attendance, completion of homework assignments, midterm exams and the final exam. In addition your final grade will be impacted by your active participation and ability to cooperate with fellow students. Tentative Texts: Prerequisites: None for 25A; 25B presumes a knowledge of 25A or equivalent. Slavic 26A (5 units) Introductory Czech THE 26A-26B COURSE SEQUENCE BEGINS IN THE FALL TERM ONLY. Texts: Prerequisites: None for 26A; 26B presumes a knowledge of 26A or equivalent. Slavic 27A (5 units) Introductory Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Texts: Prerequisites: None for 27A; 27B presumes a knowledge of 27A or equivalent. Slavic 28A (5 units) Introductory Bulgarian Texts: Ronelle Alexander & Olga Mladenova, Intensive Bulgarian Prerequisites: None for 28A; 28B presumes a knowledge of 28A or equivalent. Slavic 39L (3 units) Lower Division Seminar: Russian Short Fiction L&S Breadth: Arts & Literature When one thinks of Russian prose, the bulky 19th- and 20th-century novels inevitably come to mind, making one’s initiation into Russian literature seem arduous, even if ultimately rewarding. Taking a different approach to introducing students to the Russian canon, this course offers a rich sampling of short stories and novellas by more than a dozen famous Russian writers, spanning a century and a half: from the sentimentalist Nikolai Karamzin (1766-1826) through such milestones as Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov and Nabokov to the satirist Mikhail Zoschenko (1895-1958). Our discussions will focus on both the internal organization and meaning of individual stories and the historical evolution of Russian prose and its changing political and cultural contexts. This course should be of particular interest to prospective and current majors in Russian and other literatures as well as to students interested in creative writing. Class is conducted in English; no knowledge of Russian required. Texts: Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore standing; consent of instructor. Slavic 45 (3 units) Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature L&S Breadth: Arts & Literature We will read some of the celebrated works of the Russian nineteenth century, from Pushkin through Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy to Chekhov. It is the nineteenth century that poses the decisive questions of Russian modernity: the quest for an identity for the nation and its language, the problem of literary realism, the responsibilities of literature as an agent for social change, the status of the writer within changing social hierarchies, the correlation of the personal and the collective, the political and the metaphysical. These are decades of formal exploration and cultural anxiety, existential doubt and political denunciation. To define the nineteenth century and its questions and make them speak to us will be our goal this semester. The course is a prerequisite for admission to the Slavic major and is recommended for prospective graduate students in Slavic. No knowledge of Russian is required; the classes are conducted in English. Texts: Prerequisites: None. Course Cancelled 4/23/09 Slavic 101 (1-3 units)
Practical Russian Phonetics and Conversation Designed for advanced students in order to improve their speaking skills and pronunciation in Russian. The course covers various conversational topics and teaches an accepted standard pronunciation of educated Russians. Wide use is made of remedial methodology to correct ingrained phonetic mistakes and develop stable articulation habits necessary for correct Russian pronunciation and intonation. A practical application of these habits is implemented through their use in conversation including dialogues, speech patterns and everyday topics. The course is also based on various types of oral and written exercises, reading of literary texts of neutral and emphatic intonational coloring and includes extensive use of audio tapes. Thus the purpose of the course is not only to achieve correct pronunciation but also to develop in students the ability to teach basic phonetics. Workload: course may be taken for 1 unit (5 weeks, basic skills); 2 units (10 weeks; advanced skills); 3 units (15 weeks, advanced phonetics and performance), 12 lessons over 45 hours of instruction: student work is checked in each lesson by numerous exercises. Mid-term exam with both oral (reading text and speaking with the teacher) and written parts (transcribing texts). Final consists of oral and written parts also. Texts: Practical Russian Phonetics, texts prepared by the instructor. Prerequisites: Slavic 4 or equivalent. Slavic 103A (4 units) Advanced Russian (Part I) This course covers three main aspects of an advanced Russian course: grammar, syntax, and readings. The grammar is reviewed. Syntax deals with the practical aspects of simple and compound sentences. Readings introduce the best Russian authors. The course is taught in Russian. There are weekly quizzes on grammar, syntax, and reading, one midterm and the final exam. Weekly discussion or conversation section. Grades are based on: quizzes 30%, midterm 30%, final 40%. Texts: Prerequisites: Slavic 4 or equivalent. NEW COURSE ADDED 4/23/09! Slavic 105A (3 units)
Advanced Russian-English/English-Russian Translation A practical study of the grammatical, lexical, stylistic difficulties and challenges peculiar to the English-Russian and Russian-English translation. The course will be based on a close analysis and written translation of a broad range of authentic English and Russian materials, such as literary texts and public documents, official correspondence and publications in the press. The emphasis will be on idiomatic patterns of speech and expression, and cross-cultural communication. This course will be offered Fall 2009 as a non-variable unit course for 3 units. The course is intended for students with an advanced knowledge of Russian, including heritage speakers. Workload: There will be weekly written assignments and a final project. Texts: all materials supplied in class. Prerequisites: Slavic 1, 2, 3 and 4 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. Course Cancelled 4/23/09 Slavic 106A (3 units) Advanced Russian for Heritage Speakers The course is aimed at "heritage speakers" of Russian, i.e., those who grew up speaking Russian in the family without a standard Russian educational background. The advanced course aims at building a sophisticated vocabulary and developing advanced reading ability, as well as fostering the students’ awareness of the Russian cultural canon and contemporary culture and society. Texts: TBA in class. Prerequisites: Advanced speaking and reading proficiency in Russian, placement test, and/or consent of instructor. Slavic 115A (4 units) Advanced Polish This course gives you an opportunity to broaden your knowledge about Polish grammar and how to use it in active communication. The goal of the course is to improve the fluency of your oral and written communication skills in Polish. You will learn through classroom exercises based on a modern textbook, completion of individual and group assignments, work with various audio materials, and some supplementary readings as assigned. The course will contain the following major components: grammar, pronunciation, reading, writing short essays and other short texts, some translation of short texts, some dictations, and conversation about a variety of topics. The advanced fall 115A course, followed by the spring 115B course, focuses on the modern standard Polish language and is taught in Polish with explanations in English if necessary. The course is designed for students who have completed the 25B course and students with intermediate and advanced skills in understanding and using Polish language. Class attendance as well as active participation in exercises and conversations is expected. Ability to work in team is a desired and especially valued skill. All assignments shall be completed on time. All missed assignments and exams have to be made up for. Your final grade will be based on your accumulation of points through class attendance, completion of homework assignments, midterm exams and final exam. In addition your final grade will be impacted by your active participation and ability to cooperate with fellow students. Tentative Texts: Prerequisites: Slavic 25B or permission of the instructor. Slavic 116A (4 units) Advanced Czech Course may be repeated for credit as content varies. Grammar review, advanced grammar topics, vocabulary development, improvement of reading, writing, listening, and speaking competence/confidence. Purchased reader consisting of literary texts and short readings in history, music, and art. Students will read in a variety of subject areas, including current events, to develop a well-rounded vocabulary and historical and cultural framework. Weekly writing assignments such as journal-keeping and short essays or dialogs. Listening comprehension exercises based on classics of Czech film and on audio CDs/tapes. Written homework, reading assignments, midterm, oral report, and final exams. Texts: Prerequisites: Slavic 26B or consent of instructor. Slavic 117A (4 units) Advanced Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Spoken and written language; advanced grammar review. Some discussion of the contemporary sociolinguistic situation as it relates to language use. Short oral reports and writing practice. Grades based on class participation, midterm and final exam. Texts: Prerequisites: Slavic 27B or permission of instructor. Slavic 120A (2 or 3 units)
Advanced Russian Conversation and Communication This course focuses on oral communication skills. The goal is to help students develop confidence and begin to feel comfortable conversing in Russian on various topics beyond routine social and survival needs. Since communication often breaks down when comprehension is poor, part of the class will be devoted to improving listening skills and building vocabulary. The course may be taken for two or three credits. Those students taking the course for two credits will come to class on Mondays and Wednesdays and do the assignments for those days. Students who choose to take the course for three credits will attend on Fridays as well. Together they will decide on a project (or projects) for the semester. It might be publishing a newspaper, writing and staging a play, filming a movie... or, judging by previous semesters, students may prefer to each take a turn planning and directing an interactive class based on their own interests (in consultation with the instructor). The Monday/Wednesday students will have regular home assignments to prepare for the next day’s class. There will be an oral test (one-on-one with the instructor) every 3 weeks or so. At the end of the semester there will be a final oral interview (with a less formal one at the beginning of the semester as a point of comparison). Texts: All materials to be supplied by instructor during the course of the semester. Prerequisites: Slavic 4 or consent of instructor. Slavic 133 (4 units) The Novel in Russia and the West: “The European Novel” This Course is Cross-Listed with English 125C L&S Breadth: Arts & Literature Focusing on key texts from English, French, and Russian, literatures, this course traces the development of the modern novel in Europe, from the early 19th- to the early 20-th century. The texts are chosen to allow us to follow a specific thread: the novel’s engagement with the problems of family and home. As we read Jane Austin’s Emma (1816), Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary (1856), Lev Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina (1877), and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway (1925), we will examine the novel’s use of marriage and adultery as models of social order and disorder and consider the representation of consciousness in narrative. Lectures will emphasize strategies of close reading and concepts from theories of the novel. In comparing novels from different national traditions, we will explore the interplay between genre and culture. Requirements: substantial reading; regular reading quizzes, an in-class midterm, a take-home essay, and a final examination. All readings in English; students who know Russian are encouraged to read at least selections from Anna Karenina in the original. Warning: cross-listed with English 125C, this course fills early, with a long waiting list. Texts: See description above. Prerequisites: None. This course is cross-listed with English 125C; large enrollments expected; register early. Slavic 134A (3 units) The Works of Nikolai Gogol L&S Breadth: Arts & Literature Nikolai Gogol is one of Russian literature's most interesting and quirkiest writers and a founding father of the Russian comic tradition. In this class we will not only read most of Gogol's own work but also consider his influence on writers/thinkers/filmmakers who followed him. We will also examine critical responses to Gogol by Nabokov, Eikhenbaum, Fusso, and others. Tentative Texts: Prerequisites: None. All readings are in English translation. Option: With concurrent enrollment in 134R (1 unit), a student can write a research paper (10-15 pages) on a topic of choice, supervised by the instructor in individual consultations.
Research on the Works of Nikolai Gogol This course is designed to support a research project coordinated with Slavic 134A "The Works of Gogol” supervised by the instructor. Individual consultation with the instructor. Final research paper of 10-15 pages required. Prerequisites: Enrollment in Slavic 134A; consent of instructor. Course Cancelled 4/23/09 Slavic 137 (3 units) Introduction to Slavic Linguistics L&S Breadth: Social and Behavioral Sciences This course serves as an introduction to the field of Slavic
linguistics. We will examine basic concepts of synchronic and diachronic
language study, and discuss in detail many issues relevant to Slavic
languages. We will cover topics in phonology, morphology, syntax
and semantics, and text linguistics; we will also discuss approaches
to language change. We will collect and discuss data from on-line
and other sources. The workload includes homework assignments, midterm, class presentation, and a short paper. Tentative Texts: Prerequisites: Two years of a Slavic language or consent of instructor. Slavic 140 (4 units) The Performing Arts in Russia in the 20th-Century Cross-listed with Theater Arts 126, Section 1 L&S Breadth: Arts & Literature The course is devoted to major works of Russian dramatic literature of the 19th-20th centuries and their stage representations. Its dual focus will be on contemporary implications of dramatic texts and on their theatrical life in and through time, in various historical, political, and national frameworks. We will read ten plays central to the Russian literary and dramatic tradition and also associated with the idea of the Russian theater in the West. The course will address their contemporary historical and cultural subtexts, thematic and conceptual properties, and formal idiom. We will then follow stage history of these dramatic texts and discuss most significant interpretations of Russian classics by leading artists of the 20th century theater and film. The course will include the plays by Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Turgenev,
Anton Chekhov, Vladimir Mayakovsky, as well as some of the most
recent work of Russian playwrights; and discuss the work of such
directors as Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Aleksandr
Tairov, as well as important Western interpretations of Russian
drama. Slavic 147B (3 units) Balkan Folklore L&S Breadth: Social and Behavioral Sciences OR Arts & Literature The area of the Balkans is rich in all aspects of traditional culture. The Parry-Lord theory of oral composition was developed on the basis of extensive field work among South Slavic epic singers, and its origins can be best understood by examining South Slavic epic song in some detail. Many aspects of oral tradition are still alive and well in the Balkans, and the study of this tradition is useful in understanding the intimate and emotional relations of Balkan peoples to their own histories. The mix of peoples and cultures in the Balkans is exceptionally variegated, and this is particularly evident in the variety of musical traditions throughout the Balkans. By tradition, each small area has its own characteristic music styles; recently various of these styles have also taken on political import. Slavic 147B studies these two topics in detail, and also surveys folktales and customs of the Balkans. The majority of the course deals with South Slavic material, but elements of Albanian, Hungarian, Romanian and Greek folklore are also considered. This course is of interest to students of Slavic languages and literatures, folklorists, anthropologists, musicologists and students of Balkan history and culture. Tentative Texts: Prerequisites: None. Slavic 151 (4 units) Readings in Polish Literature L&S Breadth: Arts & Literature The course will contain the following major components: readings, conversation, grammatical and stylistic analysis, and translation. Readings introduce the best Polish authors (novelists, poets, and play writers). Students will also have an opportunity to learn about Polish art and culture. The course is designed for students with intermediate and advanced skills in understanding and using the Polish language. The course is taught in Polish with explanations in English if necessary. Class attendance as well as active participation in exercises and conversations is expected. Ability to work as a team is a desired and especially valued skill. All assignments shall be completed on time. Grades are based on class attendance, participation, completion of reading and writing assignments and a final project from the following: a translation project, a research paper or a group presentation performed in the classroom; the topics of which to be established in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisites: Slavic 115B or permission of the instructor. Slavic 190 (4 units) Russian Culture Taught in Russian: “Basics of Soviet and Post-Soviet Russian History and Culture” L&S Breadth: Historical Studies OR Social and Behavioral Sciences The course deals with important events in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russian history and culture from the 1917 Bolshevik revolution until nowadays. The main emphasis of the course is on the political, social and psychological developments of the period and their world-wide repercussions. Such topics as the use of the Marxist doctrine in Soviet Russia, power struggles, political police, Soviet propaganda, living standards, military achievements and losses, personal characteristics of Soviet leaders, socialist realism in art, censorship and free press, foreign policy, the Gulag, and the recent terms like "glasnost" and "perestroika" will be discussed in as great detail as possible. It is obvious that the crucial moments in the life of Soviet Russia will be dealt with much more comprehensively than the less critical times. The course consists of classroom discussions, presentations by the instructor (including video, samples of art, excerpts from literature, etc.). The students will use a textbook, handouts, write short essays, and will be able to exchange ideas and opinions with other students. This course will have a midterm (oral), and final (oral with a short composition). The material is taught in Russian with some explanation of historical terms and analysis in English. The class is aimed at students with advanced knowledge of Russian, including heritage speakers. Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies or equivalent with consent of instructor. Texts: Course reader of a book. Prerequisites: Slavic 103A or its equivalent, (at least three years of college level or equivalent), and consent of instructor. Slavic 200 (0 units) Graduate Colloquium Reports on current scholarly work by faculty and graduate students. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Graduate students must enroll in this course every semester in residence. Slavic 201 (2 or 3 units) Advanced Russian Proficiency Maintenance Russian language course for graduate students from various disciplines. May be taken for 2-3 credits, with consent of instructor. Focus on advanced idiomatic vocabulary, stylistic awareness, advanced/academic conversation. Texts: None. Prerequisites: Graduate standing; consent of instructor. Slavic 214 (4 units) Medieval Orthodox Slavic Texts The course will be in part devoted to elementary skills in the language of the texts of Medieval Rus’, in part concerned with coverage of essential documents, and, time permitting, in part thematic. The thematic concern will be saints’ lives: their internal structure; questions of authorship, tradition, and the politics of hagiography. Texts: Xeroxed readings to be provided. Prerequisite: Slavic 210; graduate standing. Slavic 222 (4 units) Introduction to Descriptive Grammar of Slavic Languages Survey of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of contemporary Russian, and some attention to selected issues in phonetics, semantics, sociolinguistics, colloquial usage, and discourse structure. The course is intended to serve as a review of Russian grammar, thorough description of important categories such as aspect and word order, and an introduction to best practice in applying linguistic analysis to concerns that come up in the Russian language classroom. Reading assignments approximately weekly. Analytic problems. Midterm exams (possibly take-home) and final. Texts: Prerequisites: Slavic 103B or equivalent. Slavic 230 (4 units) Historical Grammar of Slavic Languages The historical development of the phonological system and its phonetic realization from late Common East Slavic to the modern East Slavic languages. Comparative grammar of standard Russian, Russian dialects, Belorussian, and Ukrainian. Some reading and analysis of texts of different dialects, genres, and periods. Texts: TBA in class. Prerequisite: Slavic 210. Slavic 248 (4 units) Topics in Russian Cultural History The general goal of this course is to form an overarching view of modern Russian cultural history—conceived as the historical experience of concrete people. We will explore lives shaped by cultural institutions (patriarchal family, friendly circle of the early Russian intelligentsia, revolutionary cohorts, erotic academy of Russian decadents), philosophical paradigms (Russian Hegel, Russian Feuerbach, Russian Plato), and, of course, literary texts (the 18th-century pastoral, [German] historical drama, realistic novels, modernist poetry). We will move from the late 18th to the early 20th century, focusing on the life of the Bakunin family on their country estate, the workings of the circles in the 1830-40s (Mikhail Bakunin, Stankevich, Belinsky, Herzen, and others); the ethos of revolutionary nihilism in the 1860s (Chernyshevsky, Dobroliubov, Pisarev and others); the experimental living of the Russian Modernists (Blok, Bely, Ivanov, Kuzmin and others), and, time permitting, selected moments in the Soviet experience. Readings include personal letters, diaries, and memoirs as well as poetry and novels. We will pay close attention to several works of scholarship that combine history, literature, and personal experience, including Lydia Ginzburg, On Psychological Prose, John Randolph, A House in the Garden: The Bakunin Family and the Romance of Russian Idealism, Irina Paperno, Chernyshevsky and the Age of Realism: A Study in the Semiotics of Behavior, Olga Matich, Erotic Utopia: The Decadent Imagination in Russia’s Fin-de-Siecle. (We will use the presence of the authors to discuss how these books are made.) Books and other reading matter will be reserved in the Department Library; for historical background, we will use Gregory Freeze, ed., Russia: A History (Oxford, 1997; 2002). Requirements include substantial reading, participation in class discussion, brief oral reports, and a research paper. Pass/no pass option involves full class participation and occasional written report. Prerequisites: Reading knowledge of Russian; graduate standing. Slavic 280, Section 1 (4 units)
Graduate Literature Seminar: “The City and the Novel” The course will focus on the relationship between the city and the novel in Russian literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. Its main historical paradigm will be the so-called “Petersburg Text of Russian Literature” and the absence of such a totalizing concept in the case of Moscow. Its main theoretical focus will be the city’s material and everyday life as source of narrative form (e.g. walking urban space, including digressions from an intended path) and the ways visual representation of the city (framing, close-up, panoramic view) inform writing it. We will also consider such questions as: imagining the utopian city; the bird’s eye view as panoptic conquest; the city as site of psychic shock, modernity, modernism, mapping, revolution and memory. In approaching these questions we will read theorists Georg Simmel, Walter Benjamin, Viktor Shklovsky, Michel Foucault, Yuri Lotman, Michel de Certeau, Vladimir Toporov, and cultural geographers David Harvey and Edward Soja. Among the primary texts we will read are Pushkin’s The Bronze Horseman, Gogol’s Petersburg Tales, Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Bely’s Petersburg, Zamiatin’s We, Olesha’s Envy. We will also read a short selection of non-Russian texts, including Poe’s “A Man of the Crowd, Baudelaire’s poetry, and Benjamin’s Moscow Diaries, as well as view Eisenstein’s October, Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera, and Medvedkin’s New Moscow. Requirements: graduate standing, regular attendance and participation in discussion, short reports, and final paper, which may include constructing an itinerary through Petersburg for the website Mapping Petersburg (http://stpetersburg.berkeley.edu/index.html). Preqrequisites: Graduate standing; consent of instructor. Course Canceled 4/29/09 Slavic 280, Section 2 (4 units)
Graduate Linguistics Seminar This course will have two purposes, both aiming at creating publishable or conference-ready research or polished dissertation chapters. The schedule of activities will be worked out in the first meeting. (1) Dissertation and other research seminar. Participants report
on and get peer comments on ongoing research projects. Highly non-canonical adjectives in Slavic This project combines the growth field of canonical typology (Corbett
2009, 2004, and others) with inquiry into a part-of-speech puzzle
in Slavic languages. Canonical typology attempts to identify the
ideal exemplars of linguistic types and phenomena on structural
grounds (rather than from cross-linguistic surveys or formal considerations).
Canonical adjectives in Russian have these properties: Non-canonical adjectives in Russian include rad (no long
form), russkij (no short form), bezh 'beige' (no
agreement; also atypical word order). Prerequisites: Graduate standing; consent of instructor. Slavic 301, Section 1
(3 units) Slavic Teaching Methods This course is required of all Graduate Student Instructors of Russian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, and BCS. Course to be repeated for credit each semester of employment as graduate student instructor. Course on practical teaching methods, grading, testing, and design of supplementary course materials. Required of all graduate student instructors in Slavic. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Slavic 301, Section 2
(3 units) Teaching Methodology: Reading & Composition This course is required of all Graduate Student Instructors teaching Reading & Composition courses in the Slavic Department. Course to be repeated for credit each semester of employment as graduate student instructor. The purpose of this course is to introduce new GSIs to teaching Slavic 5A and 5B. It will focus on preparation of teaching materials, including syllabi, and discussion of questions of pedagogy (teaching literature and writing, lecturing, leading class discussions, designing writing assignments, grading and formulating responses to student papers, working with students individually and in small groups). The course will help you prepare for a career as a college teacher of literature and for the teaching component of job applications. Must be taken on a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory basis. Slavic 310 (2 units) Internship in the Teaching of Literature/Linguistics Weekly meetings with the instructor of the designated course. Discussion of course aims, syllabus preparation, lecture and assignment planning, grading and related matters. Students may prepare a representative portion of the work for such a course (e.g. lecture outline and assignments for a course segment) and may participate in presentation of the material and in evaluation of samples of student work. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Slavic graduate student status and consent of instructor. EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES COURSES HUNGARIAN AND ROMANIAN LANGUAGES East European Studies 1A (3 or 4 units)
Elementary Hungarian Text: NEW COURSE FALL 2009! East European Studies 2A (3 units)
Introductory Romanian Text: East European Studies 100 (2 units) Advanced Hungarian Readings This class requires prior knowledge of the Hungarian language. The purpose of the class is to further develop the students' level of language proficiency in speech as well as in writing. A major component of the curriculum is based on student presentation of a topic chosen by each student in the class. Each student is to give two oral presentations during the semester. Materials for reading are selected by the instructor as well as by the students for home reading. Workload will include a reasonable amount of reading and writing assignments. Midterm and final exams, and the student's attendance and participation will provide the basis for grading. Texts: Photocopied material and reading chosen by student. Prerequisites: East European Studies 1A-lB or consent of instructor. EURASIAN STUDIES COURSES ARMENIAN LANGUAGE COURSES Eurasian Studies 1A (4 units) Beginning Armenian EURASIAN STUDIES 1A IS A TWO-SEMESTER SEQUENCE. 1B IS OFFERED
IN THE SPRING. Among the requirements are attendance and participation, oral and written homework, two midterm projects, and a term project with presentation. Text: A good Armenian/English and English/Armenian dictionary Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Eurasian Studies 101A (3 units) Continuing Armenian The purpose of this course is to further develop students’ Armenian proficiency in all four language skills, using discussions, oral presentations, written assignments and a variety of readings (literature, non-fiction, folklore, newspaper articles, etc.) chosen for their cultural significance and based on student needs and interests. Particular skills (e.g. reading) are emphasized. Three hours of class per week. Course may be repeated for credit. Among the requirements are attendance and participation, oral and written homework, two midterm projects, and a term project with presentation. Texts: Materials will be provided by the teacher.
No textbooks are required. Prerequisites: Eurasian Studies 1A-1B or consent of instructor. |
Courses by numbers
Russian:
Other Slavic Languages:
Reading And Composition Courses:
Literature And Culture Courses:
Graduate Courses:
Courses In Pedagogy: East European & Eurasian Studies: |