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Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Director

  • Russell Ganim
Web site: http://clas.uiowa.edu/dwllc/

The Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures includes several academic units: the American Sign Language Program and the Departments of Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures, French and Italian, German, and Spanish and Portuguese. In addition to providing administrative leadership for all of its units, the division fosters interdisciplinary scholarship in languages, literatures, and cultures. It encourages synergy and collaboration among its faculty members and enhances opportunities for cross-cultural course development and research.

Undergraduate and graduate programs in the division speak to students with varied interests and career aspirations, educating them to become global citizens who understand and are understood by diverse populations. Students are trained to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, capable scholars, lucid writers, and proficient speakers.

The division's units offer instruction in a wide array of languages and in the cultures associated with them.

American Sign Language Program: American Sign Language and deaf studies

Department of Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures: Chinese, Czech, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Sanskrit

Department of French and Italian: Arabic, French, Italian, Swahili

Department of German: German

Department of Spanish and Portuguese: Portuguese, Spanish

In addition to providing language instruction, the division focuses on theoretical and applied linguistics; non-Anglophone literatures and cultures, including those of bilingual, deaf, postcolonial, and heritage communities; and aesthetics, cultural theory, and creative writing in languages other than English.

The division also administers the Language Media Center, which provides facilities for traditional language laboratory work as well as for language video and computer-based activities. The center sponsors a multimedia development studio, where faculty members and graduate students produce and test media-based materials for language instruction.

Courses

218:160 (WLLC:3700) Topics in Global Cinema3 s.h.
Identification of new models and methods to investigate cinema's relationship to current global issues beyond traditional scholarly focus in Western Europe and the United States; exploration of an emerging field, moving away from the paradigm of national cinema and bringing together shared theoretical frameworks while acknowledging different historical and cultural contexts. Same as 39J:162 (JPNS:3700), 039:164 (ASIA:3700).
 
218:185 (WLLC:3185) Global Women's Cinema3 s.h.
Introduction to contemporary women's cinema and feminist filmmaking from around the world; emphasis on post‑1968 period and cinema produced outside the United States. Same as 048:185 (CCL:3185), 131:185 (GWSS:3185).
 
218:191 (WLLC:3191) International Literature Today1,3 s.h.
English majors may apply this course to the following area and/or period requirement. AREA: Transnational Literature and Culture. PERIOD: 20th/21st‑Century Literature. Same as 008:191 (ENGL:3595), 181:191 (IWP:3191).
 
218:200 (WLLC:5000) Teaching and Learning Languages3 s.h.
Readings in pedagogical theory and practice, second language acquisition; experience designing activities for teaching and assessment with critiques based on current theories and approaches; development of reflective practices toward one's language teaching. Same as 164:200 (SLA:5000).
 
218:205 (WLLC:5205) International Translation Workshop1-3 s.h.
International writers pair with University of Iowa translators to write new works of poetry and fiction in English; second‑language fluency not required for international writers. Same as 048:205 (CCL:5405), 181:205 (IWP:5205).
 
218:210 (WLLC:6320) Topics in Contemporary Critical Theory3 s.h.
Focused discussion of critical discourses and paradigms that have contributed to development of contemporary literary and cultural theory.
 

 

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Updated January 2013