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Courses for Fall 2025

Title Instructor Location Time All taxonomy terms Description Section Description Cross Listings Fulfills Registration Notes Syllabus Syllabus URL Course Syllabus URL
BENG 0100-680 Beginning Bengali Part I Haimanti Banerjee TR 5:15 PM-7:14 PM This course introduces students to colloquial Bengali. It gives equal emphasis to each of the four skills, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Language will be studied in the context of socio-cultural aspects of West Bengal and Bangladesh. Besides lessons from the text, a major portion of the syllabus will be based on topics drawn from films, cultural events, festivals, food, and religion. BENG5100680
BENG 0300-680 Intermediate Bengali I Haimanti Banerjee CANCELED This course develops the student's prior knowledge of Bengali. An attempt is made to gear the syllabus to meet the specific needs of students. The focus of the course is to develop the oral and aural skills of the learner as well as improve writing skills and reading strategies. Emphasis is also laid on increasing the sociolinguistic and strategic competence of the learners so that they will be able to function in the target culture. Besides discussions on various aspects of Bengali life, students read some short literary texts in the original Bengali version. BENG5300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
BENG 1500-680 Advanced Bengali Haimanti Banerjee CANCELED The objective of this course is to develop the proficiency level of the students in all the four skills by using different genres of Bengali literature (West Bengal and Bangladesh) s its course content. Reading comprehension will be enhanced as students learn to understand authentic texts at the linguistic and cultural level while discussion (description, narration, supporting opinion) on issues related to these texts aim to hone the oral and written skills. Studentswill be allowed to work on individual texts & topics(with the instructors permission)for their final project. This is a one semester course. Spring: Bengali Popular Culture- This course aims to use as its content, different aspects of popular Bengali culture as they are represented in media (film, television, magazines, newspapers) and arts (fashion, local and regional art, music). Students will be expected to develop their linguistic skills (description, narration, supporting opinion) and socio-cultural awareness while interacting with these varied types of texts. Students will be allowed to work on individual texts & topics (with the instructors permission) for their final project. This is a one semester course. BENG5500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
BENG 5100-680 Beginning Bengali Part I Haimanti Banerjee TR 5:15 PM-7:14 PM This course introduces students to colloquial Bengali. It gives equal emphasis to each of the four skills, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Language will be studied in the context of socio-cultural aspects of West Bengal and Bangladesh. Besides lessons from the text, a major portion of the syllabus will be based on topics drawn from films, cultural events, festivals, food, and religion. BENG0100680
BENG 5300-680 Intermediate Bengali I Haimanti Banerjee CANCELED This course develops the student's prior knowledge of Bengali. An attempt is made to gear the syllabus to meet the specific needs of students. The focus of the course is to develop the oral and aural skills of the learner as well as improve writing skills and reading strategies. Emphasis is also laid on increasing the sociolinguistic and strategic competence of the learners so that they will be able to function in the target culture. Besides discussions on various aspects of Bengali life, students read some short literary texts in the original Bengali version. BENG0300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
BENG 5500-680 Advanced Bengali Haimanti Banerjee CANCELED The objective of this course is to develop the proficiency level of the students in all the four skills by using different genres of Bengali literature (West Bengal and Bangladesh) s its course content. Reading comprehension will be enhanced as students learn to understand authentic texts at the linguistic and cultural level while discussion (description, narration, supporting opinion) on issues related to these texts aim to hone the oral and written skills. Studentswill be allowed to work on individual texts & topics(with the instructors permission)for their final project. This is a one semester course. Spring: Bengali Popular Culture- This course aims to use as its content, different aspects of popular Bengali culture as they are represented in media (film, television, magazines, newspapers) and arts (fashion, local and regional art, music). Students will be expected to develop their linguistic skills (description, narration, supporting opinion) and socio-cultural awareness while interacting with these varied types of texts. Students will be allowed to work on individual texts & topics (with the instructors permission) for their final project. This is a one semester course. BENG1500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
GUJR 0100-680 Beginning Gujarati I Raki Desai TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM During the first year of Gujarati, major emphasis is placed on acquiring phonetics, grammatical patterns, and basic vocabulary. These goals are accomplished through guided drills and conversations accompanied by formal instruction on Gujarati grammar. From the outset, students are also taught the Gujarati writing system, which is used for all materials. By the end of the first year of instruction, student should be able to carry on coherent conversations on selected topics, read simple texts and compose short pieces in Gujarati. GUJR5100680
GUJR 0300-680 Intermediate Gujarati I Raki Desai TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course is designed as a continuation of beginning Gujarati. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of spoken and written language. During the second year of Gujarati, students are introduced to progressively more difficult reading selections, along with additional instructions in the formal grammar of the language. To maintain and develop oral and aural command of the language, readings are discussed in Gujarati. To develop their writing abilities, students are also expected to compose short essays on their readings. GUJR5300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
GUJR 1500-680 Advanced Gujarati I Raki Desai TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM Comprehensive study in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension to gain advanced knowledge of Gujarati. Instructor may use poetry and/or prose as tools to engage students while having them create their own written works. Contact instructor for details. GUJR5500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
GUJR 5100-680 Beginning Gujarati I Raki Desai TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM During the first year of Gujarati, major emphasis is placed on acquiring phonetics, grammatical patterns, and basic vocabulary. These goals are accomplished through guided drills and conversations accompanied by formal instruction on Gujarati grammar. From the outset, students are also taught the Gujarati writing system, which is used for all materials. By the end of the first year of instruction, student should be able to carry on coherent conversations on selected topics, read simple texts and compose short pieces in Gujarati. GUJR0100680
GUJR 5300-680 Intermediate Gujarati I Raki Desai TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course is designed as a continuation of beginning Gujarati. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of spoken and written language. During the second year of Gujarati, students are introduced to progressively more difficult reading selections, along with additional instructions in the formal grammar of the language. To maintain and develop oral and aural command of the language, readings are discussed in Gujarati. To develop their writing abilities, students are also expected to compose short essays on their readings. GUJR0300680
GUJR 5500-680 Advanced Gujarati I Raki Desai TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM Comprehensive study in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension to gain advanced knowledge of Gujarati. Instructor may use poetry and/or prose as tools to engage students while having them create their own written works. Contact instructor for details. GUJR1500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
HIND 0100-401 Beg Hindi-Urdu I Josh Pien MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM In this course, students learn the fundamentals of Hindi-Urdu through hands-on practice using the language. Classes are interactive and there is a strong emphasis on the acquisition of speaking skills with attention to reading and writing to support this goal. Topics include: introductions; talking about yourself, your friends and your family; describing physical spaces such as the home and the city; daily life and daily routines; and likes, needs, wants, and interests. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. Beginning Hindi-Urdu I assumes no previous knowledge of Hindi-Urdu. Students with listening abilities but no speaking abilities are also welcome to enroll. The course teaches a single core spoken language style that is common to both Hindi and Urdu. All written materials are provided in both scripts, and students learn one script of their choosing. HIND5100401, URDU0100401, URDU5100401
HIND 0300-401 Intermediate Hindi I Josh Pien TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM Intermediate Hindi I is the first part of the second-year Hindi sequence. In this course, we review and refine first-year language skills while also significantly expanding those skills. The course provides students with the tools needed to engage confidently and substantively with other Hindi speakers and with authentic materials in Hindi. Course materials include Bollywood film clips, folk tales and mythology, and short flash fiction pieces about current societal issues. The materials are carefully selected for students of this level, they engage a mix of reading and listening skills, and they present core vocabulary which students will find useful in real-world communication contexts. In-class activities emphasize speaking through structured, form-focused practice; pair and group discussions; and a variety of additional engaging topics. The course assumes the prior successful completion of Beginning Hindi-Urdu II or the equivalent proficiency. Students who can speak Hindi but are unable to read or write may place into this course but should contact the instructor a few weeks before the beginning of the semester to ensure that this is the appropriate level. HIND5300401
HIND 1500-401 Advanced Hindi Josh Pien MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM This is an advanced course designed to expand students’ language abilities while also deepening their understanding of the Hindi-speaking world. The course is organized around the following three areas of focus: 1) Surveying Hindi – We survey a range of Hindi sources – literary, journalistic, contemporary, historical, print, video – that provide diverse viewpoints on the social and cultural life of South Asia and Hindi-speaking communities. 2) Situating Hindi – The course places course materials in historical context and explores Hindi's place in the language politics of South Asia. 3) Using Hindi – We devote time to understanding the linguistic structure of Hindi and its vocabulary to enable students to speak and write Hindi with greater confidence and precision. Classes are interactive. Prerequisite: Intermediate Hindi II or the equivalent proficiency. Please contact the instructor for placement. This course fulfills the College’s cross-cultural analysis requirement. Topics vary by semester and the course may be repeated for credit. Students who complete two semesters may earn a Hindi Language Certificate, which will be noted on their transcript. HIND5500401
HIND 5100-401 Beg Hindi-Urdu I Josh Pien MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM This introductory course core proficiency in Hindi-Urdu up to the intermediate level. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Hindi or Urdu. The course covers all four language skills (speaking, lsitening, reading, and writing) and all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, interpretive). Students will develop literacy skills in the primary script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu script). All written materials will be provided in both scripts. All meetings are interactive and students acquire the language by using it in realistic contexts. Culture is embedded in the activities and is also introduced through various authentic materials. HIND0100401, URDU0100401, URDU5100401
HIND 5300-401 Intermediate Hindi I Josh Pien TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM In Intermediate Hindi the student continues to develop the four language skills, with an emphasis on real-life situations--through hearing and practicing conversation on everyday topics, reading a variety of authentic texts ranging from advertisements to short stories, watching segments of current films, and carrying out short research projects using Hindi sources. There is a strong emphasis on vocabulary development and on using contextually appropriate styles of spoken and written Hindi. HIND0300401
HIND 5500-401 Advanced Hindi Josh Pien MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM Advanced Hindi aims at systematically developing higher level linguistic functions and cultural nuances. Students learn to describe, narrate and support opinions in informal and formal styles. The objective of the course is to promote a meaningful interaction with written literature and with native speakers in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple and complicated situations. A variety of authentic materials are used, such as short stories, plays, newspapers, magazines, videos, television and radio broadcasts, and interviews. Every semester the course materials and foci vary depending on the needs and interests of students in the class. HIND1500401
MLYM 0100-680 Beginning Malayalam I Priyamvada Nambrath TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course is designed to develop skills in reading, writing, and speaking. It will focus on the alphabet, basic vocabulary, nouns (cases, gender and number), verbs and their basic tenses, numerals, rules of joining words, adjectives, adverbs, and sentence structure. Guided conversation will be a part of every class. Students will receive considerable training in speaking and writing their own sentences and paragraphs. MLYM5100680
MLYM 0300-680 Intermediate Malayalam I TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course is designed to further the language skills learned in Beginning Malayalam. Direct and indirect speech, passive voice, postpositions, and rules of joining words, will be included. Reading and discussion of texts from current Malayalam literature (essays, narration, short stories, and poems) will be a major portion of the course. MLYM5300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
MLYM 5100-680 Beginning Malayalam I Priyamvada Nambrath TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course is designed to develop skills in reading, writing, and speaking. It will focus on the alphabet, basic vocabulary, nouns (cases, gender and number), verbs and their basic tenses, numerals, rules of joining words, adjectives, adverbs, and sentence structure. Guided conversation will be a part of every class. Students will receive considerable training in speaking and writing their own sentences and paragraphs. MLYM0100680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
MLYM 5300-680 Intermediate Malayalam I TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course is designed to further the language skills learned in Beginning Malayalam. Direct and indirect speech, passive voice, postpositions, and rules of joining words, will be included. Reading and discussion of texts from current Malayalam literature (essays, narration, short stories, and poems) will be a major portion of the course. MLYM0300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
PUNJ 0100-680 Beginning Punjabi I Amrit Gahunia TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM This course emphasizes speaking and reading skills in Punjabi. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to interact meaningfully and in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple situations involving everyday conversational topics. Further, students should be able to read and understand the main idea and most details of simple connected texts. This course will utilize authentic printed, audio, and video materials and will provide opportunities for natural communication both within and outside the classroom. PUNJ5100680
PUNJ 0300-680 Intermediate Punjabi I Amrit Gahunia TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course is designed as a continuation of Beginning Punjabi, but can also be taken by anyone who can demonstrate a similar level in proficiency of the language. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar review and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will also be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of the spoken and written language. PUNJ5300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
PUNJ 5100-680 Beginning Punjabi I Amrit Gahunia TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM This course emphasizes speaking and reading skills in Punjabi. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to interact meaningfully and in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple situations involving everyday conversational topics. Further, students should be able to read and understand the main idea and most details of simple connected texts. This course will utilize authentic printed, audio, and video materials and will provide opportunities for natural communication both within and outside the classroom. PUNJ0100680
PUNJ 5300-680 Intermediate Punjabi I Amrit Gahunia TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course is designed as a continuation of Beginning Punjabi, but can also be taken by anyone who can demonstrate a similar level in proficiency of the language. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar review and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will also be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of the spoken and written language. PUNJ0300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
SAST 0001-401 Intro to Modern India MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This introductory course will provide an outline of major events and themes in Indian history, from the Mughal Empire in the 16th century to the re-emergence of India as a global player in the 21st century. The course will discuss the following themes: society and economy in Mughal India; global trade between India and the West in the 17th century; the rise of the English East India Company's control over Indian subcontinent in the 18th century; its emergence and transformation of India into a colonial economy; social and religious reform movements in the 19th century; the emergence of elite and popular anti-colonial nationalisms; independence and the partition of the subcontinent; the emergence of the world's largest democracy; the making of an Indian middle class; and the nuclearization of South Asia. HIST0850401 History & Tradition Sector (all classes)
SAST 0004-401 India's Literature Gregory Goulding TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course introduces students to the extraordinary quality of literary production during the past four millennia of South Asian civilization. We will read texts in translation from all parts of South Asia up to the sixteenth century. We will read selections from hymns, lyric poems, epics, wisdom literature, plays, political works, and religious texts. COML0004401 Arts & Letters Sector (all classes)
SAST 0008-401 India: Culture & Society MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM What makes India INDIA? Religion and Philosophy? Architectural splendor? Kingdoms? Caste? The position of women? This course will introduce students to India by studying a range of social and cultural institutions that have historically assumed to be definitive India. Through primary texts, novels and historical sociological analysis, we will ask how these institutions have been reproduced and transformed, and assess their significance for contemporary Indian society. HIST0851401, RELS0008401 Hum & Soc Sci Sector (new curriculum only)
SAST 0010-001 Musical Cultures of Modern India Davesh Soneji TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM How can we understand the social, political, and religious dimensions of modern India through its music? This course introduces students to key themes that undergird the history and practice of music India across a range of musical genres and subregions. We explore music on the modern Indian subcontinent as it relates to colonialism, nationalism, caste, class, gender, and religion. Topics include the twentieth-century reinvention of “classical music”; the popular music of Bollywood; Dalit musical traditions; the soundscapes of hip-hop, clubbing culture, and queer nightlife in South Asian contexts and more. We also critically unpack the making of normalized categories such as “folk” and “classical,” illuminate marginalized histories of non-elite performers, ask questions about profession and livelihood, and think about the role of the state as patron of the arts. The course involves lectures, interactive engagements with live performance, film screenings, and class discussions and presentations. Arts & Letters Sector (all classes)
SAST 0050-401 Intro to Indian Phil Deven Patel TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM This course will take the student through the major topics of Indian philosophy by first introducing the fundamental concepts and terms that are necessary for a deeper understanding of themes that pervade the philosophical literature of India -- arguments for and against the existence of God, for example, the ontological status of external objects, the means of valid knowledge, standards of proof, the discourse on the aims of life. The readings will emphasize classical Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain philosophical articulations (from 700 B.C.E to 16th century CE) but we will also supplement our study of these materials with contemporary or relatively recent philosophical writings in modern India. PHIL1252401, RELS0055401 History & Tradition Sector (all classes)
SAST 0057-301 Planning to be Off-shore Srilata Gangulee TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM First-Year Seminar. In this course we will trace the economic development of India from 1947 to the present. Independent India started out as a centrally planned economy in 1949 but in 1991 decided to reduce its public sector and allow, indeed encourage, foreign investors to come in. The Planning Commission of India still exists but has lost much of its power. Many in the U.S. complain of American jobs draining off to India, call centers in India taking care of American customer complaints, American patient histories being documented in India, etc. At the same time, the U.S. government encourages highly trained Indians to be in the U.S. Students are expected to write four one-page response papers and one final paper. Twenty percent of the final grade will be based on class participation, 20 percent on the four response papers and 60 percent on the final paper. Society sector (all classes)
SAST 0060-001 Modern South Asia and the World Ketaki Umesh Jaywant MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM The course approaches the history of modern South Asia as a story of global connections. While the region has long been in contact with geographies, communities, and polities across the world, colonial processes roped the Indian subcontinent into the global circulation of capital, commodities, ideas, and people at an unprecedented scale by the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. An expanding British Empire established connections of unparalleled domination, exploitation, and migration between the metropolis and the colony, as well as cross other colonies. The course explores the history of this contact by studying the political and epistemic technologies of colonial governance, the imperial trade of opium, tea, and cotton, the movement of indentured laborers and Indian soldiers, and the circulation of anticolonial ideas and political strategies across colonies. The course will complement chapters from monographs and scholarly articles with literary genres such as novels, films, and short stories to understand how global historical events shaped social relations, spaces, and the lives of ordinary South Asians.
SAST 0104-001 Beginning Tabla I Aqeel Bhatti MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM An introduction to the tabla, the premier drum of north Indian and Pakistani classical music traditions.
SAST 0104-002 Beginning Tabla I Aqeel Bhatti MW 7:00 PM-8:29 PM An introduction to the tabla, the premier drum of north Indian and Pakistani classical music traditions.
SAST 0511-401 Global Inequalities: A Comparative History of Caste and Race. Ketaki Umesh Jaywant TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM Can we deploy a comparative lens to understand the categories of caste and race better? Does their juxtaposition illuminate new facets of these two structures of ‘global inequalities’? The course seeks to explore these questions by systematically studying how both caste and racial institutions, structures, and identities were historically produced, transformed, and challenged through their global circulation from the nineteenth-century to the present. Caste and race have been old co-travelers, and their various points of intersection can be traced at least to the nineteenth century. And so, in this course we will embark upon a historical adventure, one replete with stories of violence, political intrigue, intense emotions, as also episodes of incandescent resistance. Together, we will trace the genealogy of how modern categories of ‘caste’ and ‘race’ were systematically composed by colonial knowledge production, orientalist writings, and utilitarian discourse, both in Europe and the colonies. While colonialism and the global hegemony of European modernity were crucial to the co-constitution and the circulation of caste and race, anti-caste and anti-race politics too have historically brought a unique comparative lens to these two categories. And so, this course will also include a close analysis of critical works on caste and race by activists and intellectuals from the nineteenth century to the present from all over the world. AFRC0511401, GSWS0511401, SOCI0511401
SAST 0519-401 Borders in South Asia: Literature, Culture, Resistance Sara Kazmi CANCELED This course explores an aspect of Postcolonial literature intensively. See the English Department's website at www.english.upenn.edu for a description of the current offerings. ENGL0519401 Hum & Soc Sci Sector (new curriculum only)
SAST 0519-402 Borders in South Asia: Literature, Culture, Resistance Sara Kazmi T 10:15 AM-1:14 PM This course explores an aspect of Postcolonial literature intensively. See the English Department's website at www.english.upenn.edu for a description of the current offerings. COML0519402, ENGL0519402 Hum & Soc Sci Sector (new curriculum only)
SAST 1000-401 South Asians in the US Fariha Khan TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course investigates the everyday practices and customs of South Asians in America. Every immigrant group has its own history, customs, beliefs and values, making each unique while simultaneously a part of the "melting pot" or salad bowl" of American society. Yet how do people define themselves and their ethnicities living in a diasporic context? By taking into account the burgeoning South Asian American population as our model, this course will explore the basic themes surrounding the lives that immigrants are living in America, and more specifically the identity which the second generation, born and/or raised in American, is developing. South Asians in the U.S. will be divided thematically covering the topics of ethnicity, marriage, gender, religion, and pop culture. Reading and assignments will discuss a variety of issues and viewpoints that are a part of the fabric of South Asia, but will focus on the interpretation of such expressive culture in the United States. ASAM1000401
SAST 1169-401 Merchants, Saints, Slaves and Sojourners: the Worlds of the Indian Ocean Ian C. Petrie MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM Do oceans serve to divide and demarcate distinct cultures and regions? Or do they facilitate exchange, connection and cosmopolitanism? This course will explore the manner in which the Indian Ocean has played both roles throughout history, and how the nature of those divisions and connections has changed over time from the ancient to the modern world. We will reconstruct the intertwined mercantile, religious and kinship networks that spanned the Indian Ocean world, across the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and China, illuminating the histories of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, while also considering the role of successive imperial political formations, from Rome to Britain. Throughout the semester we will seek to understand the Indian Ocean through the people who lived and worked in its milieu - from consuls and military commanders, to traders, brokers, sailors, prisoners and slaves. Course materials will draw on a variety of disciplines (anthroplogy, archaeology, material culture, religious studies) to construct the cultural, economic, and environmental history of the Indian Ocean. ANTH1169401 https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202530&c=SAST1169401
SAST 1171-401 Devotion's New Market: Religion, Economics, and the City Mahboob Ali Mohammad TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM This graduate and undergraduate level course introduces students to the new forms of devotion as circulated in various urban centers in South Asia with a focus on growing market economy and urbanization. This course will particularly discuss case studies of how different modes of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other minor religions operate in an urbanized middle-class and educated communities. We will read theoretical and ethnographical works of contemporary research in religious studies and anthropology that deal with the questions of modernity, reformism and economic developmentalism. Throughout the semester, we focus on 1) how does religious forms such as sainthood practices, private and public rituals, narrative modes and everyday life evolve in the background of growing politics of development; 2) we discuss the tensions between classical notions of devotion and their new transformations in the city life, and finally 3) theoretically, we analyze concepts such as reformism, fundamentalism, recent discourses on identity politics and gender implications as connected to urban religious life. ANTH1171401, RELS1640401, SAST5571401
SAST 1190-401 Introduction to Postcolonial Literature Sara Kazmi MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM English is a global language with a distinctly imperial history, and this course serves as an essential introduction to literary works produced in or about the former European colonies. The focus will be poetry, film, fiction and non fiction and at least two geographic areas spanning the Americas, South Asia, the Caribbean and Africa as they reflect the impact of colonial rule on the cultural representations of identity, nationalism, race, class and gender. See the English Department's website at www.english.upenn.edu for a description of the current offerings. AFRC1190401, CIMS1190401, COML1190401, ENGL1190401, GSWS1190401
SAST 1730-401 Introduction to Buddhism Justin Mcdaniel M 12:00 PM-1:59 PM This course seeks to introduce students to the diversity of doctrines held and practices performed by Buddhists in Asia. By focusing on how specific beliefs and practices are tied to particular locations and particular times, we will be able to explore in detail the religious institutions, artistic, architectural, and musical traditions, textual production and legal and doctrinal developments of Buddhism over time and within its socio-historical context. Religion is never divorced from its place and its time. Furthermore, by geographically and historically grounding the study of these religions we will be able to examine how their individual ethic, cosmological and soteriological systems effect local history, economics, politics, and material culture. We will concentrate first on the person of the Buddha, his many biographies and how he has been followed and worshipped in a variety of ways from Lhasa, Tibet to Phrae, Thailand. From there we touch on the foundational teachings of the Buddha with an eye to how they have evolved and transformed over time. Finally, we focus on the practice of Buddhist ritual, magic and ethics in monasteries and among aly communities in Asia and even in the West. This section will confront the way Buddhists have thought of issues such as "Just-War," Women's Rights and Abortion. While no one quarter course could provide a detailed presentation of the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, my hope is that we will be able to look closely at certain aspects of these religions by focusing on how they are practiced in places like Nara, Japan or Vietnam, Laos. EALC0501401, RELS1730401
SAST 2260-401 Women and the Making of Modern South Asia Ramya Sreenivasan CANCELED This course on women in South Asian history has four objectives - 1. To acquaint ourselves with the historiography on South Asian women. 2. To gain an understanding of evolving institutions and practices shaping women's lives, such as the family, law and religious traditions. 3. To understand the impact of historical processes - the formation and breakdown of empire, colonialism, nationalism and decolonization - upon South Asian women between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. 4. To become familiar with some of the significant texts written about and by women in this period. We will read a wide variety of primary sources including a Mughal princess' account, devotional verse authored by women, conduct books, tracts, autobiographies and novels. GSWS2601401, HIST3500401
SAST 2452-301 Urdu Lit in Translation Mustafa A Menai MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course will look at Urdu-Hindi expressions of resistance to militant fundamentalism trends, as well as literature resisting the influence of liberal progressive thought. Through comparisons of these divergent trends, we will explore the real inersections, comfortable comprises and contradictions that are internalized by people on the ground in developing societies. The historical and linguistic roots of resistance poetry will be studied, contrasting South Asian Urdu-Hindi poetry and prose (original and translated) with resistance movements from other parts of the world. This course provides students with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Urdu culture, literature, and society while expanding and refining their Urdu language skills. We will explore various social, political, and cultural issues through authentic sources such as journalism and media, prose literature and poetry, and film and music. The course is designed to be flexible to address students' needs and interests. It targets students with two years of Urdu study or the equivalent proficiency. Prerequisite: Intermediate reading, writing and speaking skills in Urdu are recommended but contact the instructor if you are unsure of your eligibility and want to discuss further.
SAST 2661-401 Introduction to Marxist Historical Concepts: Traditions and Debates Daud Ali W 10:15 AM-1:14 PM This course will introduce students to the main currents, themes, and debates in Marxist historical writing, with a focus on the European and Anglophone traditions with some consideration of forms of Marxist thought and historical practice in the postcolonial world. Though it cannot hope to provide a comprehensive outline of Marxist historiography and its intellectual foundations, it will cover major concepts integral to the Marxist tradition as well as wider historical and social science concepts to which the Marxist historical tradition has made serious contributions. In this capacity the class will cover such topics as mode of production, world systems, primitive accumulation, the rise of capitalism, economism, ideology, culture, articulation, hegemony, imperialism, and nationalism. Beyond the exploration of key concepts, the course will explore different modes of Marxist historical writing, from the analysis of working class history, rural rebellion and peasant movements to debates about origins of capitalism, the analysis of precapitalist economies, and the rise of anti-colonial nationalism. The course will also provide exposure to some of the social scientific and philosophical interactions that Marxism as a historical discipline has had with related fields like analytical philosophy, structuralist and post-structuralist philosophy, and cultural studies, in addition to interaction that Marxist historical writing has had with political vectors and movements and historical traditions like the New Left, labor history, anti-colonialism, feminism, race, and queer theory. SAST6261401
SAST 3120-401 Indian Art Seminar: Indian Painting Sonal Khullar R 1:45 PM-4:44 PM This seminar addresses topics in the art of India from antiquity to the present emphasizing global connections and comparisons. Topics vary from year to year and might include the arts of the book in South Asia; Indian painting, 1100-now; history and theory of museums in the colony, 1750-1950; photography, cinema, and performance art in South Asia; and art, ecology, and environment in South Asia. We shall explore objects in area collections and incorporate special excursions and programs when possible. A background in South Asian studies or languages is not required. Students from related disciplines such history, anthropology, literary studies, religious studies, feminist studies, cinema and media studies, and architecture are welcome. ARTH3120401
SAST 5503-301 Historical Transitions In Early India Daud Ali M 5:15 PM-8:14 PM This course will focus on major historical transitions in the South Asian subcntinent until approximately AD 1200. It will focus on particularly on political, social and liturgical philosophical change. It will also introduce students to the major narratives and interpretations of the ancient and early medieval periods as they bear on these questions and will also familarize students with the sources upon which this history has been based. It will review debates, critical perspectives and recent trends in this historiography with a view toward developing a sensitivity to the theoretical problems that attend the study of pre-modern India. Its persistent themes will be historical continuity and disjuncture in the history of religious practices and ideas, the emergence of political forms and the nature of the 'state' in precolonial india, transformations of society and economy, and the relationship between discursive production and relations of power. It will be of interest to students of history, literature, religion and archaeology.
SAST 5571-401 Devotion's New Market: Religion, Economics, and the City Mahboob Ali Mohammad TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM This graduate and undergraduate level course introduces students to the new forms of devotion as circulated in various urban centers in South Asia with a focus on growing market economy and urbanization. This course will particularly discuss case studies of how different modes of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other minor religions operate in an urbanized middle-class and educated communities. We will read theoretical and ethnographical works of contemporary research in religious studies and anthropology that deal with the questions of modernity, reformism and economic developmentalism. Throughout the semester, we focus on 1) how does religious forms such as sainthood practices, private and public rituals, narrative modes and everyday life evolve in the background of growing politics of development; 2) we discuss the tensions between classical notions of devotion and their new transformations in the city life, and finally 3) theoretically, we analyze concepts such as reformism, fundamentalism, recent discourses on identity politics and gender implications as connected to urban religious life. ANTH1171401, RELS1640401, SAST1171401
SAST 6261-401 Introduction to Marxist Historical Concepts: Traditions and Debates Daud Ali W 10:15 AM-1:14 PM This course will introduce students to the main currents, themes, and debates in Marxist historical writing, with a focus on the European and Anglophone traditions with some consideration of forms of Marxist thought and historical practice in the postcolonial world. Though it cannot hope to provide a comprehensive outline of Marxist historiography and its intellectual foundations, it will cover major concepts integral to the Marxist tradition as well as wider historical and social science concepts to which the Marxist historical tradition has made serious contributions. In this capacity the class will cover such topics as mode of production, world systems, primitive accumulation, the rise of capitalism, economism, ideology, culture, articulation, hegemony, imperialism, and nationalism. Beyond the exploration of key concepts, the course will explore different modes of Marxist historical writing, from the analysis of working class history, rural rebellion and peasant movements to debates about origins of capitalism, the analysis of precapitalist economies, and the rise of anti-colonial nationalism. The course will also provide exposure to some of the social scientific and philosophical interactions that Marxism as a historical discipline has had with related fields like analytical philosophy, structuralist and post-structuralist philosophy, and cultural studies, in addition to interaction that Marxist historical writing has had with political vectors and movements and historical traditions like the New Left, labor history, anti-colonialism, feminism, race, and queer theory. SAST2661401
SAST 6623-401 Lit History & Aesthetics Deven Patel This seminar surveys the multiple components of literary culture in South Asia. Students will engage critically with selected studies of literary history and aeshetics from the past two millennia. In order to introduce students to specific literary cultures (classical, regional, contemporary) and to the scholarly practices that situate literature in broader contexts of culture and society, the course will focus both on the literary theories - especially from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries - that position South Asia's literary cultures within broader disciplinary frameworks that use literary documents to inform social, historical and cultural research projects. The aim is to open up contexts whereby students can develop their own research projects using literary sources. COML6623401
SAST 6636-401 The Problem of Vernacularity in Literary Modernity Gregory Goulding W 1:30 PM-4:30 PM The vernacular, despite its origins in European empire and later colonialism, and its role in creating inherently oppositional relationships between different languages and literary cultures, persists as a foundational way of thinking categorizing literary cultures throughout the post-imperial and post-colonial world. How does literary history appear from the perspective of vernacularity? What might we see when we privilege literary cultures seen as vernacular rather than metropolitan languages such as English or French? How, in turn, might such a perspective inform our understanding of the larger field, across language, of world literary history during the twentieth century? This course begins with a term that indexes relations of power, hierarchy, and empire as a starting point to rethink crucial debates in twentieth century literary history. The category of the vernacular, in its move from the European post-Latinate to a range of imperial, colonial, and post-colonial configurations, introduces problems of comparison that continue to trouble contemporary disciplinary understandings of literary study. Some of the implications of the vernacular, such as those highlighted by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o refusal to write in English, are obvious in their shift towards literary cultures marginalized in colonial and post-colonial contexts. But the concept of the vernacular also intervenes in ideas of reading publics, orality, and indigeneity such that it can be the basis for a wider range of inquiry into the social conditions of multilingual literary histories. This course uses the inherent tension caused by this difficult word to engage in a number of case studies in contexts including interwar Central Europe, Cold War literatures of the Third World, and Korean literature during the period of Japanese occupation; authors discussed will include Fredric Jameson, Abdelfattah Kilito, Aamir Mufti, and Shu-mei Shih. This course is open to all MA and Ph.D. students regardless of prior knowledge. Advanced undergraduates should contact the instructor to request permission to enroll and should submit a permit request via Path@Penn. COML6636401, ENGL5636401
SAST 6645-401 Religion in Modern South Asia Davesh Soneji F 1:30 PM-4:30 PM This core seminar introduces graduate students to key themes in the study of religion in modern South Asia, with a focus on debates related to Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity in India from the nineteenth century to the present. Drawing upon a range of methodological and theoretical approaches, the seminar covers themes such as colonial and missionary constructions of religious categories, Orientalism and textual authority, social and religious “reform” movements, questions of caste and gender, and debates about religious nationalisms, democracy, and secularism. RELS6560401
SKRT 0100-401 Sanskrit 1st Year Part I Kashi Gomez MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM During the first semester of beginning Sanskrit, students will be introduced to the script, phonetics, and grammar of the Sanskrit language. By the end of the semester they will be able to begin to read Sanskrit texts and compose Sanskrit sentences in addition to carrying out simple conversation. They will build the requisite skills to read, by the second semester, simple inscriptions and sections from texts like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, Pancatantra, and Yoga Sutra. Students will also be introduced to many features of Sanskrit culture. SKRT5100401
SKRT 0300-401 Sanskrit 2nd Year Part I Kashi Gomez This course will lead students to consolidate their knowledge of Sanskrit grammar and increase their familiarity with Sanskrit literature of all kinds, including epic, literary, philosophical, and narrative genres of texts. It will also introduce students to the study and reading of inscriptional materials. SKRT5300401
SKRT 1000-401 Readings In Sankrit Lit Kashi Gomez R 1:45 PM-4:44 PM This course is for advanced students of Sanskrit. Designed as a seminar, the course aims to take students through the primary and secondary sources of Sanskrit literary and phlosophical production. Each semester will focus on a different genre: epic, belles-lettres, lyric poetry, drama, philosophy, shastra, advanced grammar, history, poetics, and epigraphy. We will focus on original sources, secondary scholarship, and theoretical approaches toward the translation and study of Sanskrit texts. SKRT6000401
SKRT 5100-401 Sanskrit 1st Year Part I Kashi Gomez MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM During the first semester of beginning Sanskrit, students will be introduced to the script, phonetics, and grammar of the Sanskrit language. By the end of the semester they will be able to begin to read Sanskrit texts and compose Sanskrit sentences in addition to carrying out simple conversation. They will build the requisite skills to read, by the second semester, simple inscriptions and sections from texts like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, Pancatantra, and Yoga Sutra. Students will also be introduced to many features of Sanskrit culture. SKRT0100401
SKRT 5300-401 Sanskrit 2nd Year Part I Kashi Gomez This course will lead students to consolidate their knowledge of Sanskrit grammar and increase their familiarity with Sanskrit literature of all kinds, including epic, literary, philosophical, and narrative genres of texts. It will also introduce students to the study and reading of inscriptional materials. SKRT0300401
SKRT 6000-401 Readings In Sankrit Lit Kashi Gomez R 1:45 PM-4:44 PM This course is for advanced students of Sanskrit. Designed as a seminar, the course aims to take students through the primary and secondary sources of Sanskrit literary and phlosophical production. Each semester will focus on a different genre: epic, belles-lettres, lyric poetry, drama, philosophy, shastra, advanced grammar, history, poetics, and epigraphy. We will focus on original sources, secondary scholarship, and theoretical approaches toward the translation and study of Sanskrit texts. SKRT1000401
TAML 0100-680 Beginning Tamil I Vasu Renganathan MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM This course introduces students to colloquial Tamil and formal written Tamil. A balance between production skills, namely writing and speaking, and comprehension skills, namely reading and listening, will be maintained throughout the course. Reading materials will introduce students to customs and habits of the Tamil speakers in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. Lessons in the class will be based on a set of Tamil learning lessons and videos made available at http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil and the book by the Instructor titled "Tamil Language in Context", information available at http://www.thetamillanguage.com. By the end of the semester, students will have a working knowledge in reading Tamil text with a basic skill to write and speak the language at ACTFL's Beginner mid level. TAML5100680
TAML 0300-680 Intermediate Tamil I Vasu Renganathan TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course develops the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by some other means. Basic knowledge of Tamil script, reading and writing in Tamil is required to take this course. Heavy emphasis will be made on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and video facilities from the book and the website Tamil Language in Context (http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil) will be used extensively to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as followed in Tamilnadu, India. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. The learning process in this course will be facilitated by the lessons and videos as provided in the website and the book. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate mid level proficiency in Tamil. TAML5300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
TAML 1500-680 Advanced Tamil Vasu Renganathan TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM This course is a continuation of the Advance Tamil Course I and its primary focus is to concentrate particularly on any one of the genres of the Tamil language namely Sangam, medieval or modern Tamil, which span a vast variety of texts from Aham, Puram, religious poems along with a whole array of Tamil inscriptions. The familiarity from Advanced Tamil I course will be adequately used to master in any aspect of these three genres of the Tamil language. Based on the general interests of the students who are enrolled in this course specific variety of the text to concentrate upon will be selected. In the past, we have read poems from the Sangam genre Purananuru, Ahananuru, Silappatikaram, Manimekalai etc., along with the parallel religious poems from Tirumurai, Nalayira Divyaprabandam and so on. We have also read as part of this course texts from Islam literature, Tamil inscriptions and other related kinds. Text from the instructors book (to be published), "Ilakkiyap payaNangkaL" will be used to give a birds eye view to students about Tamil literature and the transitions that took place from Sangam, medieval and modern period. This course will train students to have a near-native proficiency in Tamil along with a professional skill in any particular variety of the Tamil language. TAML5500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
TAML 5100-680 Beginning Tamil I Vasu Renganathan MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM This course introduces students to colloquial Tamil and formal written Tamil. A balance between production skills, namely writing and speaking, and comprehension skills, namely reading and listening, will be maintained throughout the course. Reading materials will introduce students to customs and habits of the Tamil speakers in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. Lessons in the class will be based on a set of Tamil learning lessons and videos made available at http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil and the book by the Instructor titled "Tamil Language in Context", information available at http://www.thetamillanguage.com. By the end of the semester, students will have a working knowledge in reading Tamil text with a basic skill to write and speak the language at ACTFL's Beginner mid level. TAML0100680
TAML 5300-680 Intermediate Tamil I Vasu Renganathan TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course develops the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by some other means. Basic knowledge of Tamil script, reading and writing in Tamil is required to take this course. Heavy emphasis will be made on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and video facilities from the book and the website Tamil Language in Context (http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil) will be used extensively to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as followed in Tamilnadu, India. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. The learning process in this course will be facilitated by the lessons and videos as provided in the website and the book. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate mid level proficiency in Tamil. TAML0300680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
TAML 5500-680 Advanced Tamil Vasu Renganathan TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM This course is a continuation of the Advance Tamil Course I and its primary focus is to concentrate particularly on any one of the genres of the Tamil language namely Sangam, medieval or modern Tamil, which span a vast variety of texts from Aham, Puram, religious poems along with a whole array of Tamil inscriptions. The familiarity from Advanced Tamil I course will be adequately used to master in any aspect of these three genres of the Tamil language. Based on the general interests of the students who are enrolled in this course specific variety of the text to concentrate upon will be selected. In the past, we have read poems from the Sangam genre Purananuru, Ahananuru, Silappatikaram, Manimekalai etc., along with the parallel religious poems from Tirumurai, Nalayira Divyaprabandam and so on. We have also read as part of this course texts from Islam literature, Tamil inscriptions and other related kinds. Text from the instructors book (to be published), "Ilakkiyap payaNangkaL" will be used to give a birds eye view to students about Tamil literature and the transitions that took place from Sangam, medieval and modern period. This course will train students to have a near-native proficiency in Tamil along with a professional skill in any particular variety of the Tamil language. TAML1500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
TELU 0100-401 Beginning Telugu I Mahboob Ali Mohammad MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM This course introduces students to the basic Telugu language skills, with an emphasis on practice for listening comprehension, and speaking Telugu. Combined with exposure to Andhra culture, the classroom and online work in this course will enable interested students to pursue further language study in Telugu at the intermediate level, to carry out field research in Andhra Pradesh, or to prepare them to advanced work in Telugu Studies. An introduction to Telugu like this will also be useful for students who just want to acquire basic Telugu language skills for learning a new language or being able to communicate with Telugu speaking family and friends or to enjoy Telugu music and films. TELU5100401
TELU 0300-401 Intermediate Telugu I Mahboob Ali Mohammad This course is designed to expand the students' basic language skills in Telugu in order to allow them to function adequately in a Telugu-speaking environment, to immerse themselves in the rich Andhra culture, and to accomplish a more advanced competency in an interesting foreign language. This course is also aimed at students planning to conduct scholarly research in Telugu history, literature or society, or humanities or social science fieldwork in Telugu speaking areas. TELU5300401
TELU 1500-401 Advanced Telugu Mahboob Ali Mohammad This is a course designed for students who have completed four semesters of Telugu. TELU5500401
TELU 5100-401 Beginning Telugu I Mahboob Ali Mohammad MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM This course introduces students to the basic Telugu language skills, with an emphasis on practice for listening comprehension, and speaking Telugu. Combined with exposure to Andhra culture, the classroom and online work in this course will enable interested students to pursue further language study in Telugu at the intermediate level, to carry out field research in Andhra Pradesh, or to prepare them to advanced work in Telugu Studies. An introduction to Telugu like this will also be useful for students who just want to acquire basic Telugu language skills for learning a new language or being able to communicate with Telugu speaking family and friends or to enjoy Telugu music and films. TELU0100401
TELU 5300-401 Intermediate Telugu I Mahboob Ali Mohammad This course is designed to expand the students' basic language skills in Telugu in order to allow them to function adequately in a Telugu-speaking environment, to immerse themselves in the rich Andhra culture, and to accomplish a more advanced competency in an interesting foreign language. This course is also aimed at students planning to conduct scholarly research in Telugu history, literature or society, or humanities or social science fieldwork in Telugu speaking areas. TELU0300401
TELU 5500-401 Advanced Telugu Mahboob Ali Mohammad This is a course designed for students who have completed four semesters of Telugu. TELU1500401
URDU 0100-401 Beg Hindi-Urdu I Josh Pien MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM In this course, students learn the fundamentals of Hindi-Urdu through hands-on practice using the language. Classes are interactive and there is a strong emphasis on the acquisition of speaking skills with attention to reading and writing to support this goal. Topics include: introductions; talking about yourself, your friends and your family; describing physical spaces such as the home and the city; daily life and daily routines; and likes, needs, wants, and interests. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. Beginning Hindi-Urdu I assumes no previous knowledge of Hindi-Urdu. Students with listening abilities but no speaking abilities are also welcome to enroll. The course teaches a single core spoken language style that is common to both Hindi and Urdu. All written materials are provided in both scripts, and students learn one script of their choosing. HIND0100401, HIND5100401, URDU5100401
URDU 0300-401 Intermediate Urdu I Mustafa A Menai MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM This course allows students to continue improving their Urdu proficiency while also gaining a broad foundational understanding of Urdu society and culture throughout South Asia. The course provides students the tols needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Student will also continue to increase their speaking and writing proficiency to be able to discuss a broad range of concrete, real-world topics. The course is designed for students with one year previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with speaking ability in Urdu or Hindi but without reading/writing skills are encouraged to contact the instructor for placement. URDU5300401
URDU 1500-401 Advanced Urdu Mustafa A Menai MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course is designed to give in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry along with the historical and socio-political trends they represent. Figures covered range from Ghalib (b.1797) to Faiz, Fehmida Riaz, and post 9/11 Urdu prose and poetry. The course is open to both undergraduates and graduate students, subject to having intermediate level proficiency. The course is repeatable, and hte content changes every semester. Multi-media content such as music, videos, blogs etc. will be actively incorporated. Every effort will be made to accommidate individual interests. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions, or if they are unsure about eligibility. URDU5500401
URDU 5100-401 Beg Hindi-Urdu I Josh Pien MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM This introductory course core proficiency in Hindi-Urdu up to the intermediate level. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Hindi or Urdu. The course covers all four language skills (speaking, lsitening, reading, and writing) and all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, interpretive). Students will develop literacy skills in the primary script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu script). All written materials will be provided in both scripts. All meetings are interactive and students acquire the language by using it in realistic contexts. Culture is embedded in the activities and is also introduced through various authentic materials. HIND0100401, HIND5100401, URDU0100401
URDU 5300-401 Intermediate Urdu I Mustafa A Menai MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM This course allows students to continue improving their Urdu proficiency while also gaining a broad foundational understanding of Urdu society and culture throughout South Asia. The course provides students the tols needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Student will also continue to increase their speaking and writing proficiency to be able to discuss a broad range of concrete, real-world topics. The course is designed for students with one year previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with speaking ability in Urdu or Hindi but without reading/writing skills are encouraged to contact the instructor for placement. URDU0300401
URDU 5500-401 Advanced Urdu Mustafa A Menai MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course is designed to give in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry along with the historical and socio-political trends they represent. Figures covered range from Ghalib (b.1797) to Faiz, Fehmida Riaz, and post 9/11 Urdu prose and poetry. The course is open to both undergraduates and graduate students, subject to having intermediate level proficiency. The course is repeatable, and hte content changes every semester. Multi-media content such as music, videos, blogs etc. will be actively incorporated. Every effort will be made to accommidate individual interests. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions, or if they are unsure about eligibility. URDU1500401