South Asia StudiesCourses for Spring 2026
| Title | Instructor | Location | Time | All taxonomy terms | Description | Section Description | Cross Listings | Fulfills | Registration Notes | Syllabus | Syllabus URL | Course Syllabus URL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BENG 0200-680 | Beginning Bengali Part II | 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. | BENG5200680 | |||||||||
| BENG 5200-680 | Beginning Bengali Part II | 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. | BENG0200680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| GUJR 0200-680 | Beginning Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | 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. | GUJR5200680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| GUJR 0400-680 | Intermediate Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course is designed as a continuation of intermediate Gujarati I. 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. | GUJR5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| GUJR 1501-680 | Advanced Gujarati II | Babubhai Suthar | 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. | GUJR5501680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| GUJR 5200-680 | Beginning Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | 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. | GUJR0200680 | |||||||||
| GUJR 5400-680 | Intermediate Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course is designed as a continuation of intermediate Gujarati I. 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. | GUJR0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| GUJR 5501-680 | Advanced Gujarati II | Babubhai Suthar | 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. | GUJR1501680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| HIND 0200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II is the second part of the first-year Hindi-Urdu sequence. In this course, students continue to 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; students also continue to improve literacy skills in the script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu â all materials are provided in both scripts). New topics include but are not limited to: future plans, recounting past events, traveling in South Asia, and navigating shopping and travel-related situations. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. After completing this course, students will be able to interact successfully with native speakers in a variety of everyday communication contexts. Beginning Hindi-Urdu II assumes one prior semester of classroom study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with some speaking ability but no reading-writing abilities may place into the course but should contact the instructor a few weeks before the beginning of the semester to ensure that this is the appropriate level. | HIND5200401, URDU0200401, URDU5200401 | |||||||||
| HIND 0400-401 | Intermediate Hindi II | Josh Pien | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | Intermediate Hindi II is the second part of the second-year Hindi sequence. The course refines and expands studentsâ incoming language skills. It 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, news media, and additional materials addressing topics of relevance in current north Indian society. 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 based on assigned materials; and a variety of additional engaging topics. The course assumes the prior successful completion of Intermediate Hindi I. Students who have not previously taken Hindi should contact the instructor for placement into the appropriate level. This course fulfills the Collegeâs language requirement. | HIND5400401 | |||||||||
| HIND 1500-401 | Advanced Hindi | Josh Pien | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This is an advanced course designed to expand studentsâ 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 â We survey a range of Hindi sources â literary, journalistic, contemporary, historical, print, video â that provide diverse viewpoints on the social and cultural life of South Asia and Hindi-speaking communities. 2) Situating Hindi â The course places course materials in historical context and explores Hindi's place in the language politics of South Asia. 3) Using Hindi â 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 Collegeâs 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 5200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | 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. | HIND0200401, URDU0200401, URDU5200401 | |||||||||
| HIND 5400-401 | Intermediate Hindi II | 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. | HIND0400401 | |||||||||
| HIND 5500-401 | Advanced Hindi | Josh Pien | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | 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 0200-680 | Beginning Malayalam Part II | 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. | MLYM5200680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| MLYM 0400-680 | Intermediate Malayalam Part II | 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. | MLYM5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||||||
| MLYM 5200-680 | Beginning Malayalam Part II | 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. | MLYM0200680 | |||||||||
| MLYM 5400-680 | Intermediate Malayalam Part II | 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. | MLYM0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||||||
| PUNJ 0200-680 | Beginning Punjabi Part II | 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. | PUNJ5200680 | |||||||||
| PUNJ 0400-680 | Intermediate Punjabi Part II | 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. | PUNJ5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| PUNJ 5200-680 | Beginning Punjabi Part II | 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. | PUNJ0200680 | |||||||||
| PUNJ 5400-680 | Inermediate Punjabi Part II | 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. | PUNJ0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| SAST 0001-401 | Intro to Modern India | Daud Ali | MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | 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 0002-401 | The City in South Asia | Kimberly M Noronha | MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This interdisciplinary social science course examines key topics, themes, and analytic methods in the study of South Asia by focusing on significant South Asian cities. With one-fifth of the worlds population,South Asia and its urban centers are playing an increasingly important role in recent global economic transformations, resulting in fundamental changes within both the subcontinent and the larger world. Drawing primarily on ethnographic studies of South Asia in the context of rapid historical change, the course also incorporates research drawn from urban studies, architecture, political science, and history, as well as fiction and film. Topics include globalization and new economic dynamics in South Asia; the formation of a new urban middle class; consumption and consumer culture; urban political formations, democratic institutions, and practices; criminality & the underworld; population growth, changes in the built environment, and demographic shifts; everyday life in South Asia and ethnic, cultural, and linguistic identities, differences, and violence in South Asia's urban environments. This is an introductory level course appropriate for students with no background in South Asia or for those seeking to better understand South Asia's urban environments in the context of recent globalization and rapid historical changes. | ANTH0002401, URBS0002401 | Society sector (all classes) | ||||||||
| SAST 0003-401 | Hist,Cltr, Early India | MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course surveys the culture, religion and history of India from 2500 BCE to 1200 CE. The course examines the major cultural, religious and social factors that shaped the course of early Indian history. The following themes will be covered: the rise and fall of Harappan civilization, the "Aryan Invasion" and Vedic India, the rise of cities, states and the religions of Buddhism and Jainism, the historical context of the growth of classical Hinduism, including the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the development of the theistic temple cults of Saivism and Vaisnavism, processes of medieval agrarian expansion and cultic incorporation as well as the spread of early Indian cultural ideas in Southeast Asia. In addition to assigned secondary readings students will read select primary sources on the history of religion and culture of early India, including Vedic and Buddhist texts, Puranas and medieval temple inscriptions. Major objectives of the course will be to draw attention to India's early cultural and religious past and to assess contemporary concerns and ideologies in influencing our understanding and representation of that past. | HIST0755401, RELS0003401 | History & Tradition Sector (all classes) | |||||||||
| SAST 0006-401 | Hindu Mythology | Deven Patel | Premodern India produced some of the world's greatest myths and stories: tales of gods, goddesses, heroes, princesses, kings and lovers that continue to capture the imaginations of millions of readers and hearers. In this course, we will look closely at some of these stories especially as found in Purana-s, great compendia composed in Sanskrit, including the chief stories of the central gods of Hinduism: Visnu, Siva, and the Goddess. We will also consider the relationship between these texts and the earlier myths of the Vedas and the Indian Epics, the diversity of the narrative and mythic materials within and across different texts, and the re-imagining of these stories in the modern world. | COML0006401, RELS0006401 | Arts & Letters Sector (all classes) | |||||||||
| SAST 0007-401 | Modern South Asian Literature | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | This course will provide a wide-ranging introduction to the literatures of South Asia from roughly 1500 to the present, as well as an exploration of their histories and impact on South Asian society today. How are literary movements and individual works - along with the attitudes towards religion, society, and culture associated with them - still influential in literature, film, and popular culture? How have writers across time and language engaged with questions of caste, gender, and identity? We will read from the rich archive of South Asian writing in translation - from languages that include Braj, Urdu, Bangla, and Tamil - to consider how these literatures depict their own society while continuing to resonate across time and space. Topics of dicussion will include the Bhakti poetries of personal devotion, the literature of Dalits - formerly referred to as the Untouchables - and the ways in which literature addresses contemporary political and social problems. Students will leave this course with a sense of the contours of the literatures of South Asia as well as ways of exploring the role of these literatures in the larger world. No prior knowledge of South Asia is required; this course fulfills the cross-cultural analysis requirement, and the Arts and Letters sector requirement. | COML0007401 | Arts & Letters Sector (all classes) | |||||||||
| SAST 0009-001 | Introduction to Hinduism | Davesh Soneji | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course introduces students to the history, texts, philosophies and rituals of South Asia's oldest living religious traditions, represented today by the term "Hinduism." At the same time, it problematizes the idea of a monolithic "Hindu Tradition", in favor of an approach that recognizes several distinct, dynamic, yet symbiotic Hindu religious cultures. The course also places emphasis on the vitality of today's Hinduism(s), and the various historical, ritual, cultural, and social contexts that they represent and constitute. The course is organized around six modules: (1)Issues in the Academic Study of Hinduism; (2) Sanskrit (textual) tradition; (3) Philosophy; (4) Theology; (5) Ritual; and (6) Modernity and Contemporary Politics. | ||||||||||
| SAST 0010-001 | Musical Cultures of Modern India | Davesh Soneji | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 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 âclassical musicâ; 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 âfolkâ and âclassical,â 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 0053-401 | Religion and Politics in South Asia | Ramya Sreenivasan | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This course will examine the relationship between religion and politics in South Asia from circa 1000 to 2000 C.E. This course is not designed to provide a comprehensive survey of every significant political conflict about religion over the last millennium. Instead, we will focus on key issues that have generated such contests repeatedly. The emphasis will be on political patronage of religious shrines and its converse, iconoclasm; on religious conversions; on clashes that were perceived as clashes between religious communities; and on popular religious movements and their appeal at particular historical moments. We will explore the politics of religion and of religious affiliation from the eleventh to the twentieth centuries by reviewing the rich historiography. No prior knowledge of South Asia is expected. | HIST0050401 | History & Tradition Sector (all classes) | ||||||||
| SAST 0060-001 | Modern South Asia and the World | Ketaki Umesh Jaywant | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 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. | History & Tradition Sector (all classes) | |||||||||
| SAST 0063-401 | East & West: Commodities and Culture in Global History | Lisa A Mitchell | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | Sugar and Spices. Tea and Coffee. Opium and Cocaine. Hop aboard the Indian Ocean dhows, Chinese junks, Dutch schooners, and British and American clipper ships that made possible the rise of global capitalism, new colonial relationships, and the intensified forms of cultural change. How have the desires to possess and consume particular commodities shaped cultures and the course of modern history? This class introduces students to the cultural history of the modern world through an interdisciplinary analysis of connections between East and West, South and North. Following the circulation of commodities and the development of modern capitalism, the course examines the impact of global exchange on interactions and relationships between regions, nations, cultures, and peoples and the influences on cultural practices and meanings. The role of slavery and labor migrations, colonial and imperial relations, and struggles for economic and political independence are also considered. From the role of spices in the formation of European joint stock companies circa 1600 to the contemporary cocaine trade, the course's use of both original primary sources and secondary readings written by historians and anthropologists will enable particular attention to the ways that global trade has impacted social, cultural, and political formations and practices throughout the world. | ANTH0063401, HIST0863401 | Hum & Soc Sci Sector (new curriculum only) | ||||||||
| SAST 0110-001 | Beginning Tabla II | Aqeel Bhatti | MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | A continuation of Tabla I, also open to beginning students. | ||||||||||
| SAST 0116-401 | American Race: A Philadelphia Story (SNF Paideia Program Course) |
Fariha Khan Fernando Chang-Muy |
TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course proposes an examination of race with a three-pronged approach: one that broadly links the study of race in the United States with a multi-disciplinary approach; situates specific conversations within the immediate location of Philadelphia; and examines the international human rights context of race with Greece as a case study. The broad historical examination advances key concepts of race and racialization, explores key theoretical methodologies, and highlights major scholarly works. Students will engage with the study of race through Africana Studies, Asian American Studies, Urban Studies, South Asia Studies, Latin American & Latinx Studies, and through international human rights law. Readings and methodologies will introduce students to critical issues in education, in literature, in sociology, and with methods in oral history, archival work, and ethnography. Most importantly, this extensive approach highlights the impact of race across multiple communities including Black Americans, immigrant populations, Asian Americans, and international communities that are marginalized to emphasize connections, relationships, and shared solidarity. Students are intellectually pushed to see the linkages and the impacts of racism across and among all Americans and from a thematic and legal perspective. As each theme is introduced a direct example from Philadelphia will be discussed. The combination of the national discourse on race, with an intimate perspective from the City of Philadelphia and travel to Greece, engages students both intellectually and civically. The course will be led by Fariha Khan and Fernando Chang-Muy along with local activists with varied disciplinary backgrounds from local community organizations. Each guest lecturer not only brings specific disciplinary expertise, but also varied community engagement experience. This course is a Penn Global Seminar, which includes a travel component. An application is required. For more information and to apply, visit: https://global.upenn.edu/pennabroad/pgs. The course is also supported by the SNF Paideia Program, the Asian American Studies Program and Africana, Latin American & Latinx Studies, Sociology, South Asia Studies, and Urban Studies. | AFRC0116401, ASAM0116401, LALS0116401, SOCI0116401, URBS0116401 | |||||||||
| SAST 1124-401 | Narrative Across Cultures | Julia Anastasia Pelosi-Thorpe | MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | The purpose of this course is to present a variety of narrative genres and to discuss and illustrate the modes whereby they can be analyzed. We will be looking at shorter types of narrative: short stories, novellas, and fables, and also some extracts from longer works such as autobiographies. While some works will come from the Anglo-American tradition, a larger number will be selected from European and non-Western cultural traditions and from earlier time-periods. The course will thus offer ample opportunity for the exploration of the translation of cultural values in a comparative perspective. | COML1025401, ENGL0039401, MELC1960401, THAR1025401 | Arts & Letters Sector (all classes) | ||||||||
| SAST 1148-301 | Religious Literatures of India | Mahboob Ali Mohammad | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | Beginning with the classical times until now, Indian religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity have a connected history with various literary forms such as poetry and prose narrative. Why and how Indian literatures and religious share a similar history of such an influential narrative tradition? Focusing on this primary question, we study the intersections of religions and literartures of India in classical, pre-modern and contemporary times. Throughout the course, we read several literary texts and learn to interpret and compare diverse literary practices that define the religions of India. Most importantly, we try to capture the contours of the Indian religious writing articulated in multiple settings and many variations that include hymns, chants, epic verses, bhajans and prose narratives along with contemporary literary practices that deal with class, caste, and gender discourses. | ||||||||||
| SAST 1400-401 | Asian Am Gendersexuality | Rupa Pillai | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This course explores the intersection of gender, sexuality, and race in Asian America. Through interdisciplinary and cultural texts, students will consider how Asian American gender and sexualities are constructed in relation to racism while learning theories on and methods to study gender, sex, and race. We will discuss masculinities, femininities, race-conscious feminisms, LGBTQ+ identities, interracial and intraracial relationships, and kinship structures. | ASAM1400401, GSWS1400401 | |||||||||
| SAST 1430-401 | Introduction to Islam | Abdul M Bhat | MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course is an introduction to Islam as a religion as it exists in societies of the past as well as the present. It explores the many ways in which Muslims have interpreted and put into practice the prophetic message of Muhammad through historical and social analyses of varying theological, philosophical, legal, political, mystical and literary writings, as well as through visual art and music. The aim of the course is to develop a framework for explaining the sources and symbols through which specific experiences and understandings have been signified as Islamic, both by Muslims and by other peoples with whom they have come into contact, with particular emphasis given to issues of gender, religious violence and changes in beliefs and behaviors which have special relevance for contemporary society. | MELC0550401, RELS1430401 | |||||||||
| SAST 1561-401 | Contemporary South Asia | Ramya Sreenivasan | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | This course provides an overview of the history of contemporary South Asia from 1900 to 2000. Â The course will explore the impact of colonialism and diverse responses to colonial rule in the region. We will then cover the emergence of nationalism(s), the Partition of the subcontinent, and the contemporary political dynamics of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Special attention will be given to issues of gender, religion, and caste. Readings will incorporate both scholarly articles, as well as sections from important memoirs, lectures, novels, short stories and other primary sources. This course has no prerequisites, and assumes no prior knowledge of the topic | HIST1561401 | |||||||||
| SAST 1615-401 | Migration and the Middle East | Heather Sharkey | T 1:45 PM-4:44 PM | This reading-and discussion-intensive seminar examines the phenomenon of migration into, out of, within, and across the Middle East and North Africa. We will focus on the period from the late nineteenth century to the present, and will emphasize the cultural (rather than economic) consequences of migration. Along the way we will trace connections between the Middle East and other regions-- notably the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Caucasus, and Western Europe. Readings are interdisciplinary and include works of history, anthropology, sociology, medical research, literature, political science, geography, and human rights advocacy. As students develop final projects on topics of their choice, we will spend time throughout the semester discussing tactics for research and writing. | ASAM2010401, MELC1615401, MELC6615401 | |||||||||
| SAST 2225-401 | South Asian Sci-fi | Nudrat Kamal | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course examines the many ways in which writers have imagined the future, the past, and the unreal in South Asia. Rather than view science fiction as an isolated, modern genre, we will situate it alongside a range of genres and approaches to the fantastic. Although literature called science fiction is today a dynamic genre across South Asian languages, with a literary history in the twentieth and nineteenth centuries, writers draw from a range of other South Asian literary and cultural traditions, including Hindu mythology, Persian Qissa story cycles, and Sanskrit literature. In this course, therefore, we will explore the many genealogies of contemporary South Asian literature. Science fiction, and fantastic literature more generally, often functions as a means to depict social and technological change, the perception of the larger world, and contemporary politics. How did writers use amazing stories of brilliant inventions, dreams of a woman-led utopia, or dark conspiracies of disease to explore a range of questions. We will also consider how popular literary genres, such as the detective story, intersect with these other genres. Students will leave this course with a knowledge of the dynamic history of South Asian science fiction as part of a long history of imaginative literature, as well as well as a deeper understanding of genre and the social history of literature. | COML2225401, ENGL2161401 | |||||||||
| SAST 2232-401 | Africa in India and Arabia | Ali B. Ali-Dinar | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | Africa has interwoven linkages for centuries with the Arabian Peninsula, and India, politically, historically, geographically, and culturally. These linkages were represented in continuous migrations of peoples, the circulation of goods and ideas, and the interaction with foreign forces. The ancient world of Africa, Arabia, and India had served as an epicenter of the global economy in the pre-modern world. As such, it gave rise to trading networks and political empires. The eastern and southern shores of Africa are both the recipients and the transmitters of cultural and political icons. The existence of many islands that separate Africa from India and Arabia stand as hybrid cultures that are influenced by forces from different continents. Political and cultural relations between African regions, India, and Arabia are evident with the presence of African-descent populations in these places, as well as the prevalence of cultural practices of African origin. Signs of interaction between these three regions are also apparent in several archeological sites and in the expansion that allowed the populations in these areas to share strategies during their independence movements to thwart western political hegemony. With the current advanced forms of globalization, this region is moving more towards economic and political cooperation and addressing the transnational natural and man-made threats. The objectives of this course are to achieve the followings: ⢠Explore the geographic and historical interconnectedness between Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and India. ⢠Examine the history of the different forces that have shaped the cultural landscape of the African shores with reference to India and the Arabian Peninsula. ⢠Examine the political, economic, and cultural interconnections between Africa, Arabia, and India and the impact of Europe's colonial expansion. â¢Explore the historical concept of globalization and the challenges of inter-disciplinary study and research in the study of Africa and its neighbors. | AFRC2232401 | |||||||||
| SAST 2550-401 | Modern Southeast Asia | Andrew M. Carruthers | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This first-year friendly course provides a broad introductory overview of modern Southeast Asia, surveying the region's extraordinary diversity and ongoing social, economic, and political transformations. Centering on the nation-states that have emerged following the second World War, we will assess elements of Southeast Asian geography, history, language and literature, cosmologies, kinship systems, music, art and architecture, agriculture, industrialization and urbanization, politics, and economic change. We will remain particularly attentive to the ways Southeast Asians negotiate and contend with ongoing challenges with modernization, development, and globalization. | ANTH2550401 | |||||||||
| SAST 2610-401 | The Asian Caribbean | Rupa Pillai | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | Although Asians have lived in the Americas for centuries, the Asian American community and experience tends to be defined by the post-1965 wave of immigration to the United States. In an effort to correct this narrative this course will explore the histories, experiences, and contributions of some of the forgotten Asians of the Americas. In particular, we will focus on the earlier labor migrations of Chinese and South Asian individuals to the Caribbean and the United States. The experiences of these individuals, who built railroads, cut sugarcane, and replaced African slave labor, complicate our understandings of race today. By examining the legal and social debates surrounding their labor in the 19th century and exploring how their experiences are forgotten and their descendants are rendered invisible today, we will complicate what is Asian America and consider how this history shapes immigration policies today. | ASAM2610401, GSWS2610401, LALS2601401 | |||||||||
| SAST 2680-401 | Art and Empire in India, 1750-1900 | Sonal Khullar | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course surveys transformations in visual culture between the Mughal and British empires in India from the mid-eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries. We shall consider changes in artistic production, patronage, publics, and viewing protocols in the contexts of the court and bazaar. We shall examine the emergence of new technologies and its impact on visual forms, media, and genres, focusing on the interplay of photography, print, and painting. We shall explore the role of institutions -the art school, the museum, and the archeological survey- and the professions and practices they engendered. We shall analyze how architecture and urban planning created new built environments and social relationships in colonial India. We shall view objects first-hand in the Penn Museum, Penn Libraries, and Philadelphia Museum of Art. This is a reading- and writing-intensive course. Students with a background in related disciplines such as literature, history, religion, anthropology, and South Asian Studies are welcome. | ARTH2680401, ARTH6680401, SAST6680401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202610&c=SAST2680401 | ||||||||
| SAST 2714-401 | Monsoons, Migration and the Making of the Indian Ocean | Roquinaldo Ferreira | T 7:00 PM-9:59 PM | This course explores the Indian Ocean as a dynamic space shaped by the rhythms of the monsoon winds, the rise of port cities, and the movements of peoples and religious traditions across centuries. Focusing on the period from the early medieval era through the nineteenth century, we will examine how environmental patterns, maritime trade, and imperial rivalries fostered migrations and the formation of diasporic communities. Special attention will be given to the role of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and indigenous belief systems in shaping social and political life in key port cities such as Zanzibar, Mozambique Island, Diu, and Damão. We will examine the migrations of Banian merchants from western India, Goan migrants, and communities along both the Indian and East African coasts, as well as the movement of peoples from the Arabian Gulf to East Africa. Zanzibar, in particular, will serve as a central case study for understanding how these intersecting migrations reshaped the cultural, religious, and political landscapes of the Indian Ocean world. Students will engage with recent scholarship on oceanic history, religious networks, and mobility to understand how the Indian Ocean connected Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia into one of the worldâs most vibrant intercultural arenas. | HIST2714401 | |||||||||
| SAST 2715-401 | Beyond Race: a Conceptual Framework for the 21st Century | MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course will visit some of the existing studies that contradict, facilitate and challenge the extant discourses on hierarchies and status observed through the conceptualisation of race and caste. These two concepts have overlapped throughout the past two hundred years. The concept of caste is as old as the nineteenth century, seen through public policy interventions led by Boston Senator Charles Sumner. Similarly, race is studied through the South Asian topography by colonialists such as Herbert Risely, emphasizing the racial dimensions of societies. These studies were influential for the next one hundred years. But they were also challenged and critiqued. These studies aid us in informing the contemporary scales of societies that weigh oppression and control through antecedent-held concepts of race and caste, which can be effectively understood through colour-castes, a term popularized by Du Bois. In this course, we will study cross-national historical, anthropological, and political debates to make sense of our times. Students will learn about the twenty-first centuryâs new concepts and what they mean to our times and near future. | AFRC2715401, HIST2715401 | ||||||||||
| SAST 3650-401 | Themes in Indian Philosophy | Deven Patel | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | Yoga is a classical school of Indian philosophy that consists of a unique metaphysics epistemology, and ethics. Yoga in the contemporary context usually refers to a system of physical and spiritual exercises that draw from this philosophy. In this course, we will read the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in English translation from the original Sanskrit, with commentary. We will go over all central concepts, technical terms, and historical developments in the philosophy of Yoga. We will also discuss the philosophy of Hatha Yoga in the context of its historical and practical developments. No prior knowledge of Indian philosophy is required for this course. Alongside this, we will also look at the philosophy, religious significance, and history of the Bhagavad Gita -- a major conspective statement of Indian philosophy which draws together the insights of the early Vedic tradition (including Yoga), Buddhism, Jainism, and effectively becomes a foundational work of classical Hinduism. | PHIL4251401 | |||||||||
| SAST 5110-401 | Topics in South Asian Art: The Arts of the Book in South Asia | Sonal Khullar | T 10:15 AM-1:14 PM | This seminar engages topics in the history and theory of South Asian art 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 Ocean art worlds; and fragments, ruins, and traces in the art of 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. | ARTH5110401, COML5113401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202610&c=SAST5110401 | ||||||||
| SAST 6680-401 | Art and Empire in India, 1750-1900 | Sonal Khullar | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course surveys transformations in visual culture between the Mughal and British empires in India from the mid-eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries. We shall consider changes in artistic production, patronage, publics, and viewing protocols in the contexts of the court and bazaar. We shall examine the emergence of new technologies and its impact on visual forms, media, and genres, focusing on the interplay of photography, print, and painting. We shall explore the role of institutions -the art school, the museum, and the archeological survey- and the professions and practices they engendered. We shall analyze how architecture and urban planning created new built environments and social relationships in colonial India. We shall view objects first-hand in the Penn Museum, Penn Libraries, and Philadelphia Museum of Art. This is a reading- and writing-intensive course. Students with a background in related disciplines such as literature, history, religion, anthropology, and South Asian Studies are welcome. | ARTH2680401, ARTH6680401, SAST2680401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202610&c=SAST6680401 | ||||||||
| SAST 7307-401 | Intellectual Histories of South Asia in Global Context: Genealogies of the Present | Ketaki Umesh Jaywant | W 12:00 PM-2:59 PM | This graduate seminar explores intellectual histories of contemporary South Asia. Readings will trace selected literary, cultural, political, religious, and linguistic genealogies that have shaped present-day understandings, practices, alliances and categories of thought in South Asia. Particular attention will be placed on 19th and 20th century global influences and interactions, including with England, Ireland, Germany, the Soviet Union/Russia, Turkey and the Arab World, East and Southeast Asia, the United States, and Africa. Topics will including histories of mapping and census efforts, publishing projects (including those funded by the Soviet Union and the United States), international conferences (e.g., the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions at the World's Fair in Chicago, 1955 Bandung Conference, the 2009 Durban Conference), technological influences and exchanges, and educational institutions and practices. The course will also include discussions of methods for carrying out intellectual history projects and would therefore be of use for students conducting research in other regions of the world. | ANTH7307401 | |||||||||
| SAST 7701-401 | Methodology Seminar: Historical Anthropology | Lisa A Mitchell | F 12:00 PM-2:59 PM | Topics vary | ANTH7701401 | |||||||||
| SAST 7741-401 | Print Cultures of the Global South | Sara Kazmi | R 10:15 AM-1:14 PM | This course will analyse the forms, contexts, and politics surrounding anticolonial, left and dissident print cultures of the global south. Course materials will draw on the archive of political magazines, party newspapers, cultural journals, and pamphlets to study how these print forms shaped the cultures, institutions, and communities of revolutionary politics. Engaging the global south revolutionary periodical as form, the course will analyze its role as a forum for political debate, a tool for political organizing, and a crucial medium for literary and aesthetic experiments. We will examine revolutionary periodicals from contexts ranging from colonial India to Apartheid-era South Africa to Pinochet-ruled Chile to appreciate the ways in which periodicals often served as sites for articulating political theory and literary activism âfrom belowâ. We will focus on movements and political concepts that decisively shaped 20th-century struggles against colonialism, and those that followed in the wake of formal decolonization, including but not limited to Afro-Asianism, Marxist internationalism, black internationalism, Third Worldism, and Tricontinentalism. Classes will be conducted in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, and a large part of the course will be dedicated to workshopping archival material from the collections. | AFRC7941401, COML7941401, ENGL7941401, LALS7941401 | |||||||||
| TAML 0200-680 | Beginning Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM | This course is a continuation of the Beginner Tamil TAMIL406. It continues to teach grammar and spoken sill from semester I. 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 High level. | TAML5200680 | |||||||||
| TAML 0400-680 | Intermediate Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | This course is a continuation of Intermediate Tamil I (TAMIL426) and it continue to develop the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by other means. The emphasis will be on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and videos as provided in the website http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil or http://www.thetamillanguage.com will be extensively used to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as authentic as possible. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate high proficiency level. | TAML5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| TAML 1600-680 | Tamil Advanced Readings and Culture | Vasu Renganathan | TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM | This course is an introduction to Tamil literary works produced between the 3rd century BC and 4th century AD prior to bhakti literature which evolved from about the 6th century AD onwards with a specific focus on divinity and religious themes. Classical Tamil, in comparison to bhakti literature, is secular in nature and is devoid of any religious themes. We will read selected poems from the three major divisions of classical Tamil poems namely the eight anthologies, ten songs, and the five epics, and attempt to discuss how the three major themes namely Aham, Puram, and Didactics play a role in them. While the Aham works concentrate on love poems, ethics of love life, moods of the heroes and heroines, the other varieties of poems mainly discuss the political and moral lives of the Tamils. Even though knowledge of Tamil script and some grammar of Tamil would help understand the readings well, no prior knowledge of script and grammar is essential to take this course. We will read the poems in romanized script with English translations and attempt to illustrate the poems in English. Students will be required to write a number of short essays and a final long essay, either in Tamil or in English with transliterations with a research topic based on what is discussed in class. | TAML5600680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| TAML 5200-680 | Beginning Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM | This course is a continuation of the Beginner Tamil TAMIL406. It continues to teach grammar and spoken sill from semester I. 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 High level. | TAML0200680 | |||||||||
| TAML 5400-680 | Intermediate Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | This course is a continuation of Intermediate Tamil I (TAMIL426) and it continue to develop the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by other means. The emphasis will be on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and videos as provided in the website http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil or http://www.thetamillanguage.com will be extensively used to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as authentic as possible. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate high proficiency level. | TAML0400680 | |||||||||
| TAML 5600-680 | Tamil Advanced Readings and Culture | Vasu Renganathan | TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM | This course is an introduction to Tamil literary works produced between the 3rd century BC and 4th century AD prior to bhakti literature which evolved from about the 6th century AD onwards with a specific focus on divinity and religious themes. Classical Tamil, in comparison to bhakti literature, is secular in nature and is devoid of any religious themes. We will read selected poems from the three major divisions of classical Tamil poems namely the eight anthologies, ten songs, and the five epics, and attempt to discuss how the three major themes namely Aham, Puram, and Didactics play a role in them. While the Aham works concentrate on love poems, ethics of love life, moods of the heroes and heroines, the other varieties of poems mainly discuss the political and moral lives of the Tamils.Even though knowledge of Tamil script and some grammar of Tamil would help understand the readings well, no prior knowledge of script and grammar is essential to take this course. We will read the poems in romanized script with English translations and attempt to illustrate the poems in English.Students will be required to write a number of short essays and a final long essay, either in Tamil or in English with transliterations with a research topic based on what is discussed in class. | TAML1600680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | ||||||||
| TELU 0200-401 | Beginning Telegu II | Mahboob Ali Mohammad | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This course continues tudents 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. | TELU5200401 | |||||||||
| TELU 0400-401 | Intermediate Telugu II | 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. | TELU5400401 | ||||||||||
| TELU 1500-401 | Advanced Telugu | Mahboob Ali Mohammad | This is a course designed for students who have completed four semesters of Telugu. | TELU5500401 | ||||||||||
| TELU 5200-401 | Beginning Telegu II | Mahboob Ali Mohammad | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This course continues tudents 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. | TELU0200401 | |||||||||
| TELU 5400-401 | Intermediate Telugu II | 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. | TELU0400401 | ||||||||||
| TELU 5500-401 | Advanced Telugu | Mahboob Ali Mohammad | This is a course designed for students who have completed four semesters of Telugu. | TELU1500401 | ||||||||||
| URDU 0200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II is the second part of the first-year Hindi-Urdu sequence. In this course, students continue to 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; students also continue to improve literacy skills in the script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu â all materials are provided in both scripts). New topics include but are not limited to: future plans, recounting past events, traveling in South Asia, and navigating shopping and travel-related situations. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. After completing this course, students will be able to interact successfully with native speakers in a variety of everyday communication contexts. Beginning Hindi-Urdu II assumes one prior semester of classroom study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with some speaking ability but no reading-writing abilities may place into the course but should contact the instructor a few weeks before the beginning of the semester to ensure that this is the appropriate level. | HIND0200401, HIND5200401, URDU5200401 | |||||||||
| URDU 0400-401 | Intermediate Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This continuing second-year 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 tools needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Students 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 of previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. | URDU5400401 | |||||||||
| URDU 1500-401 | Advanced Urdu | Mustafa A Menai | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | 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 5200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | 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. | HIND0200401, HIND5200401, URDU0200401 | |||||||||
| URDU 5400-401 | Intermediate Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This continuing second-year 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 tools needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Students 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 of previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. | URDU0400401 | |||||||||
| URDU 5500-401 | Advanced Urdu | Mustafa A Menai | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | 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 |