400 Level Language Courses

Fren 445 LEC A01: Contemporary Cinema in French, Instructor: Sathya Rao

Are you interested in film? Would you like to learn more about French cinema? This course offers you a deep dive into the heart of French cinema. You’ll have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with cinematic language, explore the history of French cinema—from the Lumière Brothers to the New Wave and animated films—and understand how contemporary French-language films address current issues, such as racism, disability, and gender. This course is taught in French.

This course counts toward the Certificate in International Learning.

FREN 454: Translation: Engl Into French, Instructor: Reyns, Christian

FREN 479 SEM B01: Topics in French Literature and Culture II; Instructor: Chris Reyns-Chikuma

In this course, we will study some of the key elements that help understand the contemporary Francophone world (France and some countries where French is an official language). We will do so through the reading of interesting and fun textbooks like graphic narratives and some short stories, supported by short videos and songs, and through some in-class discussions about political debates, institutions, role of new technologies, pop culture.

Prerequisite: 6 units from: FREN 301, 311, 315, 317, 318, 319, 333, 345, 399 or consent of Department.

ITAL 420: Italian Cinema, Instructor: Muneroni, Stefano

RUSS 445 LEC B01: Business Russian, Instructor: Elena Siemens

RUSS 445 is an advanced language course designed for students who want to develop professional communication skills in Russian. The course focuses on the vocabulary, style, and conventions of the Russian business world and introduces students to a wide range of workplace interactions, from writing business correspondence to taking part in other business communications. Students also learn cultural practices that shape business communication in Russian‑speaking contexts. RUSS 445 is well suited to learners who wish to apply their language skills in professional settings or who are interested in the intersection of language, culture, and commerce.

SPAN 406 SEM B01: Exercises in Translation, English into Spanish, Instructor: Ann De Leon or Sandra Gaviria

Through a combination of translation theory and practical translation workshops, students in this course will explore some of the major challenges of translating a variety of text types (literary, cultural, consumer-oriented texts etc.) from English into Spanish and will develop practical strategies for addressing these challenges. Students will also read and think critically about some important Hispanic translators and theories of translation. This course may have a CSL (Community Service Learning) component, where students get the opportunity to translate real documents for a local organization.

This course may count toward the MLCS Certificate in Translation Studies, the Certificate in Community Engagement and Service-Learning (CSL), and the Certificate in International Learning.

SPAN 475 SEM A01: Spanish in Society; Instructor: Yvonne Lam

We often speak of “Spanish” as if it were a single, homogenous way of speaking. This, of course, is not true: there are many ways of speaking Spanish, depending on who you are, the people you are talking to, and under what circumstances. In this course, we will learn about 1) which social and linguistic variables influence how people speak Spanish, 2) how people react to different ways of speaking Spanish, and 3) what happens where Spanish coexists with other languages, either as the dominant language (Spain and Latin America) or as a minority language (e.g., the United States and Canada).

Taught in Spanish. Includes a major experiential learning component. Counts towards the Certificate in International Learning.

Prerequisites: 3 units in SPAN at the 300-level excluding 300 and 306, or consent of Department.