MLLL-Modern Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics

MLLL 1003. Introduction to Chinese Myths & Folklore.3 Credit Hours.

Through studying an eclectic selection of time-honored Chinese myth and folklore, along with their adaptations, transculturation, transmediation, and transformation in modern and contemporary periods, students in this class will not only gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, but also develop abilities in nuanced reading and critical thinking. (F) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 2970. Special Topics.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Special topics course for content not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. May include library and/or laboratory research, and field projects. (Irreg.)

MLLL 3043. Mythology and Folklore.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing or permission. Readings in folktales and myths from cultures around the world, with a focus on narrative structures and the role of the storyteller. Involves weekly reading and weekly writing assignments and a semester-long research project published on the internet. (No previous web publishing experience is required). (F, Sp) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3063. Survey of Jewish Literature from Antiquity to the Present.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Provides a survey of Jewish literature from the Hebrew Bible to contemporary American literature, presented as a journey in which stops will be made at important places, covering all significant periods, genres and prominent writers. (F) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3073. The Hebrew Bible as Literature.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: ENGL 1213/Expo 1213. The Hebrew Bible is the best selling book in America every single year. We will explore its greatness by reading various Biblical texts such as a great novella, the Joseph story; the greatest religious conversion narrative, Ruth; the poetry of Psalms, and the rise of David from shepherd to king, as well as other favorites to be determined by class. (Sp) [IV-WC].

MLLL 3123. Russian Culture and Civilization.3 Credit Hours.

Considers the historical and cultural heritage of Russia through a study of its geography, history, religion, language, literature and the fine arts. Allows students to appreciate the global perspectives and cultural diversity. [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3133. Soviet and Post-Soviet Cinema.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Familiarizes students with the history of film in the Soviet Union , from the silent movies of its beginnings to its manifestation at the present time. No previous knowledge of the Russian language is required. Russian social and political issues explored through film. (F, Su) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3143. Dostoevsky and His Age.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Examination of the life and literary works of Fyodor Dostoevsky, with special attention to the role the writer played in Russian and Western intellectual history. Reading assignments will include Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and several shorter works, all in English translation. (Irreg.) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3163. Chekhov.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing or permission. An introduction to Anton Chekhov's work in translation. Both short stories and plays will be read, studying their narrative structure, plot devices, character development, themes, and other elements, while placing Chekhov's work in its historical, cultural, and political context. Excerpts of various screen adaptations of his plays will also be viewed. (F) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3173. Nabokov.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing or permission. An introduction to Vladimir Nabokov's work in English, including works translated from Russian as well as texts originally written in English. Focus will be on Nabokov's Novels; although, some short stories and poems will be included. The main methodology will center on applying the techniques of close textual analysis, while placing Nabokov's work in its historical, cultural, and political context. (F) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3183. Tolstoy: Writer, Thinker, Social Critic.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor. Introduction to Leo Tolstoy's work in translation. Traces Tolstoy's development as a writer of short stories, novels, and works of non-fiction. The writer's biography and significant aspects of nineteenth-century Russian society will inform discussions of Tolstoy's works, placing them in a broader context. In addition, students will explore Tolstoy's evolving religious, philosophical, and social ideas, as well as his legacy in Russia and throughout the world. (Irreg.) [IV-WC].

MLLL 3193. Trauma, Memory, and Narrative.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Ways in which traumatic historical events have been depicted in works of literature, art, and historical texts, and their commemoration in museum displays and in public ritual. While the focus is on the history of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, students will be encouraged to consider equivalent examples from other areas of the globe. (Irreg.) [IV-WC].

MLLL 3223. Japan Through Film and Literature.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Introduces Japanese post-war society and culture with emphasis on 1945 to the present, as reflected in film and literature. Students will examine essential issues, including class, family, gender, work, education, and minorities, paying attention to the struggles between traditional cultural values and modern society. (Irreg.) [IV-WDC] .

MLLL 3243. Readings in Arab/Islamic Heritage.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior standing. Survey of Arab /Islamic from Pre-Islam until the fall of Andalusia. Students will read selections of pre-Islamic poetry, the Qur'an, prophetic tradition, law, sociology, architecture, food, fables, and folklore. (Sp) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3303. The World of Dante.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior standing and English 1213. In this course students will engage in a close reading of a fundamental text in the western literary tradition: Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. The course will also consider one of Dante's minor works, the Vita Nuova, as well as the modern critical readings of Dante's writing and thought. In lectures, special attention will be paid to the historical, political, literary and intellectual context of Dante's poetry and thought. Students will also be asked to contribute to the classroom atmosphere by responding to questions and participating in discussions. (Irreg.) [IV-WC].

MLLL 3313. Introduction to Italian Literature and Culture.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: English 1213 or EXPO 1213. Interdisciplinary approach to literature, culture, and history of the Italian peninsula, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Through major works of literature, political science, the visual arts, music, and cinema, students will set Italy's variegated literary and cultural expressions in their social and historical contexts. (F) [IV-WC].

MLLL 3323. Language, Culture, and Identity in the Middle East and North Africa.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior standing. Introduction to the relationship between language, society, and identity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with an emphasis on theoretical and methodological approaches from sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. (Sp) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3343. Italian Pop Culture.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior standing or permission of instructor. An examination of Italian culture after WW2 through cinema, television, comics, popular literature, and more. (Sp) [IV-WC].

MLLL 3373. Italian Cinema.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing and English 1213. The aim of this course is to develop interpretive skills relevant to the study of Italian cinema by examining some of its most significant films. More specifically, we will analyze the ways in which Italian society is portrayed and typified in Italian cinema. We will cover the major film movements and periods, from "cinema muto" to Neorealism, from "commedia all`Italiana" to the Italian horror genre and to the most recent works made by contemporary directors. (Irreg.) [IV-AF] .

MLLL 3393. Italian Cultural Literacy.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor. Introduces students studying abroad in the OU in Arezzo semester program to important aspects of Italian culture and history. Students will gain an ability to engage with Italian cultural phenomena and interact with native Italian speakers. No previous knowledge of Italian is required. The cultural part of the course will be taught in English. (F, Sp, Su)

MLLL 3413. Arabic Literature and Culture.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. A survey of Arabic literature tradition and cultural history from the 4th century to the present. Covers themes and genres of the cultural heritage of Arabic-Islamic civilization, continuities and discontinuities between the classical and modern period, and background political and social changes. (F) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3440. Mentored Research Experience.3 Credit Hours.

0 to 3 hours. Prerequisites: ENGL 1113 or equivalent, and permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit 12 hours. For the inquisitive student to apply the scholarly processes of the discipline to a research or creative project under the mentorship of a faculty member. Student and instructor should complete an Undergraduate Research & Creative Projects (URCP) Mentoring Agreement and file it with the URCP office. Not for honors credit. (F, Sp, Su)

MLLL 3443. Islamic Culture in the United States.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior Standing or Permission of the Instructor. This course introduces students to the historical development and cultural growth of Islam and Muslims in the US. Students will learn about the specific experiences and struggles of African, Asian, and Arab immigrants throughout American history. Students will also explore the role of American Muslims in reconciling ethnic differences and racial discrimination, advancing empowerment and advocacy, and engaging with self-representation. (F) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3523. Survey of Russian Literature to 1917 in Translation.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Reading, analysis and discussion of key works of Russian 19th century literature, including the major novels, plays, and poetry selections in English translation. This course does not satisfy the third semester Arts and Sciences language requirement. (F) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3533. Survey of Russian Literature from 1917 in Translation.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor. Representative works of Soviet and post-Soviet literature are read and discussed. Selections of prose and poetry chosen from among symbolists, acmeists, futurists, populists, modernists, and post-modernists. This course does not satisfy the third semester Arts and Sciences language requirement. (Irreg.) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3543. The Petersburg Myth and Text/The City in Russian Culture.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. The role and significance of the city of St. Petersburg in Russian culture by examining its literary image and myth. All readings and discussions in English. (Irreg.) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3553. Contemporary Russian Literature.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Explores major works of post-Soviet Russian literature. Students will become familiar with major figures and trends in contemporary Russian poetry and prose, and they will acquire critical vocabulary for analyzing works in any genre or national literary tradition. (Irreg.) [IV-WC].

MLLL 3573. Arthurian Legend and Literature.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with ENGL 3573) Examination of the legend of King Arthur in European literature. Concentrate first on the historical Arthur, followed by major portion of semester on the medieval and modern literary texts concerning Arthur and the Round Table. All texts will be read in English translation. [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3623. Pre-Modern Japanese Literature and Culture.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. A survey of Japanese literature from ancient time to the Meiji restoration. Covers prominent works of poetry and prose in English translation. Students are introduced to traditional genres, themes, rhetorical device and aesthetics, as well as socio-historical context of literary production. (Irreg.) [IV-WDC] .

MLLL 3633. Modern Japanese Literature and Culture.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. A survey of Japanese literature from the Meiji restoration (1868) onward, with attention to social, political, and cultural issues as well as literary theory. Topics will include Japan's "westernization," "naturalism," proletarian literature movements, early post-war literature, and the "third new generation writers." (Sp) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3663. Japanese Cinema.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior standing. This course examines the development of Japanese film form and content, and of the cultural and political transformations imbricated with those developments. We will explore the place of cinema in shaping Japanese modernity; the silent era; cinema during World War II; the Golden Age of the 1950s, and the globalization of Japanese films in the decades after. (Irreg.) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3673. Anime: the World of Japanese Animation.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with FMS 3673) Prerequisite: Junior standing. This course explores the history and development of Japanese animation, or "anime". It examines how animation was brought to Japan, and how it developed prior to the Second World War, and then further in the postwar decades. We will highlight how despite being influenced by foreign sources, Japanese animators create a uniquely Japanese mode of image-making. (Irreg.) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3683. Traditional Japanese Poetry and Poetics in Translation.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior standing and ENGL/EXPO 1213. This course examines the long history and tradition of poetry in premodern Japan, and the philosophies and culture surrounding it. We explore poetry in both vernacular Japanese and Classical Chinese from Japan before the eighteenth century, and how poets and critics understood it. We will also try our own hands at making poems before compiling them into an anthology. (Sp)

MLLL 3753. Modern Chinese Literature and Culture.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Students will read Chinese literary texts in English translation and learn about the historical, political, social, and cultural contexts in which they were produced. (Sp) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3763. Chinese Cinema.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Chinese films covering a wide range of historical periods and subjects will be viewed. The films screened in this class will be studied as reflections of their respective social, as well as the filmmakers' comments on and interventions of such realities. Cinematic concepts, techniques, and film theories, will be studied. (Sp) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 3823. German Culture and Thought.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Introduces major themes in German cultural history and analytical tools students can bring to the further study of German and/or other European literatures and cultures in translation. Specific topics may vary. (F) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 3960. Honors Reading.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: admission to Honors Program. May be repeated; maximum credit six hours. Will consist of topics designated by the instructor in keeping with the student's major program. The topics will cover materials not usually presented in the regular courses. (F, Sp)

MLLL 3970. Honors Seminar.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: admission to Honors Program. May be repeated; maximum credit six hours. Subjects covered vary. Deals with concepts not usually treated in regular courses. (Irreg.)

MLLL 3980. Honors Research.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: admission to Honors Program. May be repeated; maximum credit six hours. Provides an opportunity for the Honors candidate to work on a special project in the student's field. (F, Sp)

MLLL 3990. Independent Study.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: permission of instructor and junior standing. May be repeated once with change of content. Independent study may be arranged to study a subject not available through regular course offerings. (F, Sp, Su)

MLLL 3993. Contemporary Brazilian Film.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior Standing. In this class students will get an overview of cinema recently produced in Brazil. Besides an analysis of the films themselves, in classes we will consider both the context in which the movies were produced, and the specific context presented in each, always in comparative fashion. All movies are available for watching online on canvas or on appropriate platforms. (Sp) [IV-WC].

MLLL 4003. Movements in World Literature.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with ENGL 4003) Prerequisite: junior standing. May be repeated with change of subject matter; maximum credit nine hours. Focuses on texts within a literary movement (literature other than canonical American or British). Also attention to critical and theoretical questions about concepts such as genre, nation, national building, national identity, etc. (Irreg.) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 4063. Early Literary Criticism.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with 5063) Prerequisite: junior standing and English 1213. Establishes a solid critical foundation of aesthetics that will enable graduate and advanced undergraduate students to deal with fundamental ideas; aesthetic and social. Emphasis on rhetoric and discourse during the second part of the semester will also enable all students to write strategically and develop effective communication skills. No student may earn credit for both 4063 and 5063. (F)

MLLL 4113. Cultures in Portuguese: Brazil, Portugal, and Beyond.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: minimum of 30 hours earned. Survey of cultures that speak Portuguese, focusing on the best cultural production in Portuguese from Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Students will compare and contrast these cultures, which will be presented in literature, cinema and the arts. Students will see how Western and non-Western cultural elements interact and influence each other in these cultures, creating interesting and exciting hybrids. (F) [IV-WC] .

MLLL 4173. Introduction to Francophone Literatures in Translation.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Examines the literary, social, and political issues forefronted by the Francophone literatures of West Africa, the Caribbean, and Polynesian Islands, Maghreb (chiefly Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), and Quebec. (Sp) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 4453. Introduction to Chinese Language and Linguistics.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chinese 1115 and Chinese 1225, or LING/ANTH 2303 and LING 3033. Introduction to the structure of the Chinese language and its sociocultural meanings, with an emphasis on phonology, morphology, syntax, the writing system, and the language's interaction with culture and society. (F)

MLLL 4553. Lat America in its Lit: The Search for a Latin-American Identity.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior Standing. The course fosters an understanding of the political nature, impetus and implications of Latin-American literature. It examines stereotypes and the basis upon which they are constructed and develops an awareness of the varied identities reflected in Latin-American literature. (F)

MLLL 4753. The Chinese Way of Thinking: Language, Culture, & Cognition.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Junior standing. How do languages/cultures shape the ways we think? Does learning new languages change the way you think? This course introduces the cognitive view of language use in Chinese and how it plays a critical role in mind-shaping in its cultural context. It also pursues a cross-linguistic/cross-cultural perspective on the study of Chinese languages as a window into cognition and culture. (Irreg.) [IV-WDC].

MLLL 4813. Principles and Techniques of Teaching a Foreign Language.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with MLLL 5813) Prerequisite: four semesters of a foreign language or admission to the foreign language education major. Provides participants with practical experience in the teaching of foreign languages and introduces key issues in the teaching of foreign languages. Also introduces issues in teaching methodology and key issues in classroom language acquisition research. No student may earn credit for both 4813 and 5813. (F, Sp)

MLLL 4883. Puterbaugh/Neustadt International Literature.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with MLLL 5883; Crosslisted with ENGL 4883) Prerequisite: ENGL 1213 and permission of department; May be repeated with a change of content, maximum credit nine hours. In-depth study of selected contemporary international writers/jurors who visit OU campus as part of the Neustadt and/or Puterbaugh symposia for World Literature Today. No student may earn credit for both 4883 and 5883. (Irreg.)

MLLL 4950. Special Topics in World Literature Today.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: English 1213 and permission of instructor. May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit six hours. In-depth study of selected contemporary international writers/jurors who visit campus as part of the Neustadt and/or Puterbaugh symposiums for world literature today. (Irreg.)

MLLL 4960. Directed Readings.1-4 Credit Hours.

1 to 4 hours. Prerequisite: good standing in University; permission of instructor and dean. May be repeated; maximum credit four hours. Designed for upper-division students who need opportunity to study a specific problem in greater depth than formal course content permits. (Irreg.)

MLLL 4970. Seminar.1-4 Credit Hours.

1 to 4 hours. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit six hours. Varied topics in literature in English translation. (Irreg.)

MLLL 4990. Independent Study.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Senior standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Contracted independent study for a topic not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. Independent study may include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. (Irreg.)

MLLL 4993. Epics of India: Ramayana and Mahabarata.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: junior standing. Reading of the two great epics of India. Special attention will be paid to narrative structure and the role of the storyteller. The course involves extensive weekly reading along with weekly writing assignments and a semester-long research project which students will publish on the internet (no previous web publishing experience is required. (Sp) [IV-WDC] .

MLLL 5063. Early Literary Criticism.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with 4063) Prerequisite: graduate standing. Establishes a solid critical foundation of aesthetics that will enable graduate and advanced undergraduate students to deal with fundamental ideas; aesthetic and social. Emphasis on rhetoric and discourse during the second part of the semester will also enable all students to write strategically and develop effective communication skills. No student may earn credit for both 4063 and 5063. (F)

MLLL 5073. Contemporary Literary Criticism.3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to contemporary linguistic, psychoanalytic and sociological literary theory and criticism. Readings and discussions will include questions of methodology and will demonstrate how these methods can be applied to particular texts. (Sp)

MLLL 5173. Introduction to Francophone Literatures in Translation.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: graduate standing. Examines the literary, social, and political issues fore-fronted by the Francophone literatures of West Africa, the Caribbean, and Polynesian Islands, Maghreb (chiefly Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), and Quebec. (Sp)

MLLL 5813. Principles and Techniques of Teaching a Foreign Language.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with MLLL 4813) Prerequisite: graduate standing. Provides participants with practical experience in the teaching of foreign languages and introduces key issues in the teaching of foreign languages. Also introduces issues in teaching methodology and key issues in classroom language acquisition research. No student may earn credit for both 4813 and 5813. (F, Sp)

MLLL 5883. Puterbaugh/Neustadt International Literature.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with MLLL 4883; Crosslisted with ENGL 5883) Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of department; May be repeated with a change of content; maximum credit nine hours. In-depth study of selected contemporary international writers/jurors who visit OU campus as part of the Neustadt and/or Puterbaugh symposia for World Literature Today. No student may earn credit for both 4883 and 5883. (Irreg.)

MLLL 5910. Problems in Research.2-4 Credit Hours.

2 to 4 hours. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit fours hours. An individual course of intensive research with the area and problem to be determined by the student and directing instructor. (Irreg.)

MLLL 5920. Field Research in Foreign Language Education.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: 5833. Classroom oriented field research on the use of various methods of teaching foreign language in the classroom. Possible topics include aspects of language acquisition, evaluation, proficiency, communicative methods in foreign language education. (F, Sp, Su)

MLLL 5960. Directed Readings.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing and permission of department. May be repeated; maximum credit twelve hours. Directed readings and/or literature reviews under the direction of a faculty member. (F, Sp, Su)

MLLL 5970. Special Topics/Seminar.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Special topics or seminar course for content not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. May include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. (Irreg.)

MLLL 5990. Independent Study.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Contracted independent study for a topic not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. Independent study may include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. (Irreg.)