Asian Studies

ASIAN-104 An Introduction to Cultures of the Arab World

Spring. Credits: 4

This course introduces the people and cultures of the Arab world, encompassing North Africa and the Middle East. It involves multiple elements of Arab culture, and draws attention to the diversity prevailing within the Arab world by shedding light on similarities and differences in cultural practices, attitudes, social life, media, foods, etc. A wide range of topics examine the majority and minorities in the region, including ethnic, religious, and linguistic communities, as well as gender in the Arab world, and the challenges facing Arab culture in today's society.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Multicultural Perspectives
The department

ASIAN-214 Philosophical Foundations of Chinese Thought: the Ancient Period

Fall. Credits: 4

An introduction to Chinese thought during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (roughly 770-256 BCE), a time of remarkable philosophical growth and controversy. We read the works of this era's most influential philosophers, including: Kongzi (Confucius), Mozi, Laozi, Mengzi (Mencius), Zhuangzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi. Topics discussed include: What makes for a just ruler? What kind of life should we live? What is our relationship to nature? We work to understand each philosopher's responses to these questions, but we also learn to develop our own answers. We take care to place these figures and their works in their historical and cultural context.

Crosslisted as: PHIL-212
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Multicultural Perspectives
Other Attribute(s): Writing-Intensive
J. Harold

ASIAN-215 Androgyny and Gender Negotiation in Contemporary Chinese Women's Theater

Fall. Credits: 4

Yue Opera, an all-female art that flourished in Shanghai in 1923, resulted from China's social changes and the women's movement. Combining traditional with modern forms and Chinese with Western cultures, Yue Opera today attracts loyal and enthusiastic audiences despite pop arts crazes. We will focus on how audiences, particularly women, are fascinated by gender renegotiations as well as by the all-female cast. The class will read and watch classics of this theater, including Romance of the Western Bower, Peony Pavilion, and Butterfly Lovers. Students will also learn the basics of traditional Chinese opera.

Crosslisted as: GNDST-204CW, FMT-230CW
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Multicultural Perspectives
Y. Wang
Notes: Taught in English

ASIAN-247 Chinese Women Writers in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Spring. Credits: 4

In the last hundred years, China witnessed the emergence of many talented Chinese women writers. Not only did they take part in every stage of important socio-political changes in modern and contemporary China, they were and still are the avant-garde of literary reform and innovation. Many of their works, in particular, take gender and gender ideology/politics at issue, while deviating from the traditional discourse that marginalized or trivialized women, exploring creative and effective ways of literary dialogue and imagination. This course will cover women writers from both modern (1911-1949) and contemporary (1949-present) times. Some of the representative women writers include: Ding Ling, Xiao Hong, Zhang Ailing, Zong Pu, Yang Jiang, Wang Anyi, Tie Ning, etc.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Multicultural Perspectives
Y. Wang
Notes: Taught in English. This class may be especially suitable for students who do not identify as native speakers of English.

ASIAN-339 The Medieval Mirror: Freedom, Gender and Resistance in Contemporary Arabic Literature

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

Setting their historical novels in the Middle Ages, contemporary Arab writers such as Radwa Ashour, Jurjy Zaydan, Gamal al-Ghitani and Bensalem Himmich have reflected into the past the problems of present Middle-Eastern societies. Writing from Egypt, Lebanon and Morocco, they revisited with nostalgia the extraordinary medieval heritage of the Arab-Islamic world, educating their readers while taking them on journeys to Medieval Andalusia, to the last years of the Baghdad of the caliphs, and to Cairo on eve of the Ottoman conquest. By looking into the medieval mirror, these authors challenged conservative readings of this heritage. In doing so, they contributed to the modernization of their countries and were able to escape censorship, uphold feminist values, and to criticize Western imperialism and oppressive Arab rulers. In this course, we will read their works in valuable English translations, while discussing their extraordinary lives as twentieth-century writers, intellectuals, and activists.

Crosslisted as: CST-349MR
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Multicultural Perspectives
M. Lovato
Notes: Taught in English. A special Arabic track will be available for upper-intermediate, advanced, and native students of Arabic.

ASIAN-340 Love, Gender-Crossing, and Women's Supremacy: A Reading of The Story of the Stone

Spring. Credits: 4

A seminar on the eighteenth-century Chinese masterpiece The Story of the Stone and selected literary criticism in response to this work. Discussions will focus on love, gender-crossing, and women's supremacy and the paradoxical treatments of these themes in the novel. We will explore multiple aspects of these themes, including the sociological, philosophical, and literary milieus of eighteenth-century China. We will also examine this novel in its relation to Chinese literary tradition in general and the generic conventions of pre-modern Chinese vernacular fiction in particular.

Crosslisted as: GNDST-333HH
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Multicultural Perspectives
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
Y. Wang
Advisory: Intended for East Asian Studies majors and Asian Studies minors.
Notes: Taught in English.

ASIAN-110 First Year Chinese I

Fall. Credits: 6

ASIAN-110 is the first semester of the first-year Chinese course. This is an intensive course emphasizing the rapid development of listening and speaking ability and intended for students with no or very little prior knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. Points of focus include pronunciation and tones, basic syntax, high-frequency vocabulary words, conversational flow, and an introduction to reading and writing Chinese characters. Relevant cultural knowledge and activities will be incorporated into the curriculum. The class will initially be conducted in both English and Chinese, with the proportion of Chinese steadily increasing over the first two months, after which the great majority of instruction will be in Chinese. Learning is supplemented by online learning resources, out-of-class language partner sessions, Language Resource Center Question and Answer sessions and the Chinese Language Table.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
A. Kao, L. Xu
Coreq: ASIAN-110L.
Advisory: Students with previous or equivalent language study should contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-111 First Year Chinese II

Spring. Credits: 6

This course continues Asian Studies 110, First Year Chinese I, with an introduction to Mandarin Chinese and the development of oral proficiency as well as gradual acquisition of reading and writing skills. Learning is supplemented by online learning resources, out-of-class language partner sessions, Language Resource Center Question and Answer sessions and the Chinese Language Table.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
S. Kao, L. Xu
Prereq: ASIAN-110 or equivalent.
Advisory: Students with previous or equivalent language study should contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-120 First Year Japanese I

Fall. Credits: 6

Introduces listening, speaking, reading, and writing modern Japanese; hiragana, katakana, and approximately 50 Kanji. Supplements class work with audio and video.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
J. Chang, N. Nemoto
Restrictions: This course is limited to first-years, sophomores, and juniors
Coreq: ASIAN-120L.
Advisory: Only first-year, sophomores, and juniors may pre-register; if space is available, seniors may be able to register during Add/Drop; students with previous training in Japanese should contact Naoko Nemoto (nnemoto@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-121 First Year Japanese II

Spring. Credits: 6

This continues Asian Studies 120, First Year Japanese I. Introduces listening, speaking, reading, and writing modern Japanese; hiragana, katakana, and approximately 150 Kanji. Supplements class work with audio and video.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
J. Chang, N. Nemoto
Prereq: ASIAN-120 or equivalent.
Advisory: Students with previous training in Japanese outside of MHC should contact Naoko Nemoto, nnemoto@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-130 First Year Arabic I

Fall. Credits: 4

This course introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and one dialect. It begins with a study of the Arabic script and sounds using the Alif Baa textbook, and then students will use Al-Kitaab I, 3rd edition (chapters 1-5). Students will acquire vocabulary and usage for everyday interactions in Arabic. In addition to the traditional textbook exercises, students will write short paragraphs, and participate in role plays and conversations.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
S. Moustafa
Advisory: Students with previous language study should contact Heba Arafah (harafah@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-131 First Year Arabic II

Spring. Credits: 4

This course is a continuation of ASIAN-130, First Year Arabic I. It covers chapters 6-13 of Al-Kitaab I, 3rd edition, with a focus on improving students' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Students will expand their vocabulary and learn to read and analyze a range of authentic texts to engage with Arab culture. In addition, they will write short essays, and participate in role-plays, debates, and conversations.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
The department
Prereq: ASIAN-130 or equivalent.

ASIAN-160 First Year Korean I

Fall. Credits: 4

First Year Korean I is the first half of elementary Korean. It is designed to provide students who have little or no knowledge of Korean with basic proficiency in Korean speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. The course will cover the foundations of Korean vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation and how these can be used in context.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
K. Park
Restrictions: This course is limited to first-years, sophomores, and juniors
Advisory: Students with previous training in Korean should contact Kyae-Sung Park (kspark@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.
Notes: Only first-years, sophomores, and juniors may pre-register; if there are any remaining seats, seniors will be able to register during Add/Drop.

ASIAN-161 First Year Korean II

Spring. Credits: 4

First Year Korean II is the second half of elementary Korean. It is designed to consolidate and solidify the language skills acquired in First Year Korean I and to continue developing students' proficiency in Korean speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. The course will continue to cover the foundations of Korean vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation and how ethese can be used in context. Students will also develop their ability to communicate about topics related to everyday events and situations.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
K. Park
Prereq: ASIAN-160 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Kyae-Sung Park (kspark@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-212 Second Year Chinese I

Fall. Credits: 6

Asian 212 is the first semester of the second-year Chinese course. This is an intensive course to consolidate and expand students' competencies in the four fundamental areas of language learning--speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will improve their oral fluency, study more complex grammatical structures, and enlarge their vocabulary. Emphasis on facilitating daily-life interactions will be supplemented and expanded by increasing discussion of broader issues in society. Students will develop a deeper and broader understanding of relevant aspects of Chinese culture. This course is conducted mostly in Chinese. Learning is supplemented by online learning resources, out-of-class language partner sessions, Language Resource Center Question and Answer sessions and the Chinese Language Table.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
S. Kao, L. Xu, Y. Wang
Prereq: ASIAN-111 or equivalent. Coreq: ASIAN-212L.
Advisory: Contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-213 Second Year Chinese II

Spring. Credits: 6

This course continues Asian Studies 212, Second Year Chinese I. A continuing emphasis on the facility in daily life interactions will be supplemented and expanded by increasing discussion of broader issues in society, including education, employment, etc.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
A. Kao, L. Xu
Prereq: ASIAN-212 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-222 Second Year Japanese I

Fall. Credits: 6

This course emphasizes speaking, listening, reading, and writing modern Japanese. Includes approximately 250 kanji. Supplements class work with audio and video.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
J. Chang
Prereq: ASIAN-121 or equivalent. Coreq: ASIAN-222L.
Advisory: Asian Studies 121 or equivalent. Students with previous training in Japanese outside of MHC should consult Naoko Nemoto (nnemoto@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-223 Second Year Japanese II

Spring. Credits: 6

This course continues Asian Studies 222, Second Year Japanese I. Emphasizes speaking, listening, reading, and writing modern Japanese. Includes approximately 350 kanji. Supplements class work with audio and video.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
J. Chang
Prereq: ASIAN-222 or equivalent.
Advisory: Students with previous training in Japanese outside of MHC should consult Naoko Nemoto (nnemoto@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-232 Second Year Arabic I

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

This course is the continuation of ASIAN-131, First Year Arabic II. Students will further their knowledge of Arabic, focusing on the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio, and websites. Exercises include writing, social interactions, role plays, and the interplay of language and culture. Students will use Al Kitaab, Book 2 (3rd edition), completing Chapter 4 by the end of the semester.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
The department
Prereq: ASIAN-131.
Advisory: Asian Studies 131 or equivalent. Contact Heba Arafah (harafah@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-233 Second Year Arabic II

Spring. Credits: 4

This course is the continuation of ASIAN-232, Second Year Arabic I. Students will further their knowledge of Arabic, focusing on the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio, and websites. Exercises include writing, social interactions, role plays, and the interplay of language and culture. Students will continue using Georgetown Textbook Al Kitaab, Book 2, 3rd edition.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
The department
Prereq: ASIAN-232 or equivalent.

ASIAN-262 Second Year Korean I

Fall. Credits: 4

Second Year Korean I is the first half of intermediate Korean. It is designed to provide students with intermediate proficiency in Korean speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. The course will strengthen students' communicative skills on familiar topics related to everyday events and situations. Students will also develop discourse/pragmatic competence in various social contexts of communication.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
K. Park
Prereq: ASIAN-161 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Kyae-Sung Park for placement.

ASIAN-263 Second Year Korean II

Spring. Credits: 4

This course is the second half of intermediate Korean. It is designed to consolidate and solidify the language skills acquired in ASIAN-262, Second Year Korean I, and to continue developing proficiency in Korean speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
K. Park
Prereq: ASIAN-262 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Kyae-Sung Park (kspark@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-310 Third Year Chinese I

Fall. Credits: 4

This course helps students to build linguistic and communicative competence in Mandarin Chinese through reading, discussing, and writing about authentic texts. Newspapers, essays, and short stories will be the teaching materials for the course. An interactive approach will be incorporated into the curriculum to improve students' conversational skills. The class will be conducted mostly in Chinese, and class hours will be supplemented by individual work in the Language Resource Center.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
A. Kao
Prereq: ASIAN-213 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-311 Third Year Chinese II

Spring. Credits: 4

This course continues Asian Studies 310, Third Year Chinese I, in helping students build linguistic and communicative competence in Mandarin Chinese through reading, discussing, and writing about authentic texts. Newspapers, essays, and short stories will be the teaching materials for the course. An interactive approach will be incorporated into the curriculum to improve students' conversational skills. The class will be conducted mostly in Chinese, and class hours will be supplemented by individual work in the Language Resource Center.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
A. Kao
Prereq: ASIAN-310 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-312 Newspaper Reading and Journalistic Practice in China

Spring. Credits: 4

This course advances students' Chinese reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills by studying journalistic reports on the most pressing issues in China and the U.S. It also introduces the formal expressions, writing styles, and terminology commonly used in Chinese media. In addition, the course intends to help familiarize students with various media channels and agencies, understand the challenges of journalistic practice in the internet age, and enhance students' critical thinking and analytical stills by broadening their perspective and comparing Chinese and English media sources. Conducted mainly in Chinese with the addition of relevant English materials.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
The department
Prereq: ASIAN-311 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-313 Advanced Chinese Reading

ASIAN-313SH Advanced Chinese Reading: 'Reading Chinese Classics: 17th Century Short Stories'

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 2

In 17th-century China, an effort arose that challenged Neo-Confucian moral values and legitimized human desire. This trend is best reflected in the fictional writings of Feng Menglong, Ling Mengchu, and Li Yu. Daring and earthy, their stories deal with many aspects of mundane life in urbanized communities, portraying social customs with local colors. Under these writers' pen, individual struggles for survival, love, and sexual desire coexist with social vicissitudes caused by war, famine, and politics. This course intends to help students better understand the urban life and human relations of 17th-century China and gain knowledge about the huaben genre and its influence on later pre-modern fictional writings. Course works include readings and writings in Chinese, and translation from Chinese to English.

Applies to requirement(s): Meets No Distribution Requirement
L. Xu
Prereq: ASIAN-312, ASIAN-314, or ASIAN-315. Native Chinese speakers who have taken a 100- or 200-level course on China, contact instructor for permission.
Notes: Taught in Chinese

ASIAN-314 Learning Chinese Through Film

Fall. Credits: 4

This course will improve students' four communication skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) by studying contemporary Chinese films, including several prize winners/nominees by internationally acclaimed directors such as Zhang Yimou, Li An, and Chen Kaige. The class will watch the films and then use the synopses and selected dialogues from the scripts as reading materials to facilitate both linguistic and cultural learning. Social and cultural issues reflected in the films will be discussed. The class will be conducted mainly in Chinese.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language; Multicultural Perspectives
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
L. Xu
Prereq: ASIAN-311 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.

ASIAN-315 Business Culture and Communication in China

Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4

An advanced speaking- and writing-intensive Chinese course focusing on Chinese business communication and culture. Will further improve students' Chinese proficiency and oral communication by using Chinese as a tool to investigate topics in business and business culture in China. As well as the textbook, the course will make use of a variety of supplementary materials, including some in English. Through lectures and other activities, students will gain experience and comfort in reading and discussing business news, producing analytic and technical forms of business writing, translating business-related documents, and other skills for future work in China.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language; Multicultural Perspectives
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
The department
Prereq: ASIAN-311 or equivalent.
Advisory: Contact Lisha Xu, lxu@mtholyoke.edu, for placement.
Notes: Taught entirely in Chinese.

ASIAN-324 Third Year Japanese I

Fall. Credits: 4

This course helps students attain a higher level of proficiency in modern Japanese through the extended use of the language in practical contexts. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
N. Nemoto
Prereq: ASIAN-223 or equivalent.
Advisory: Asian Studies 223 or equivalent. Students with previous training in Japanese outside of MHC should consult Naoko Nemoto (nnemoto@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-326 Third Year Japanese II

Spring. Credits: 4

This course continues Asian Studies 324, Third Year Japanese I. Emphasizes attaining a higher level of proficiency in modern Japanese through the extended use of the language in practical contexts. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese.

Applies to requirement(s): Humanities; Language
N. Nemoto
Prereq: ASIAN-324 or equivalent.
Advisory: Asian Studies 324 or equivalent. Students with previous training in Japanese outside of MHC should consult Naoko Nemoto (nnemoto@mtholyoke.edu) for placement.

ASIAN-295 Independent Study

Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 4

The department
Instructor permission required.

ASIAN-395 Independent Study

Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 8

The department
Instructor permission required.