Courses

Why Foreign Language Study is A Good Idea for Every Student!

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Dean’s Note:  This is a great piece about the benefits of foreign-language study at Wesleyan.  As entering first-years, you are in a prime position either to begin a new language, especially if you want to reach the level needed to study in a country whose language Wes teaches, or to build upon your previous learning for greater fluency and deeper cultural immersion.

Why Foreign-Language Study is a Good Idea for Every Student  

We assume if you have reasons to learn a particular language (to study, work, travel, or live abroad or for resources not fully available in English translation), you already know why it is important. Here are reasons to study any language besides English or whatever you regard as your native language:

  1. Many employers, professional schools, and graduate schools see serious study of a second language (potentially, a double-major) as evidence that you can (a) put yourself more easily in others’ (colleagues’, clients’) shoes and (b) communicate more effectively even in English.
  2. You will never know your own language and culture more deeply than by studying another–by looking at it from the outside. Learning to thrive with the unfamiliar is often linked to creativity in many intellectual and professional contexts.
  3. Language learning teaches you to think more clearly and sharpens your brain’s ability to make sense of the world.
  4. Deep study of another culture through its language brings home how much of value will never be made available in English.
  5. Puzzling out another language and culture will help you understand (and empathize with) the difficulties of non-anglophone immigrants, colleagues, clients, and travelers in the U.S., even if you never leave American shores.
  6. Learning another language well makes it easier to learn any language in the future. Even if you never need this, the experience–especially if you study abroad–will make you far more confident in your ability to face any intellectual or professional challenge.  
  7. Foreign-language courses fit easily into study plans: offered on highly varied schedules, they provide a stimulating (and fun!) break from problem-set driven, heavy-reading or arts courses.

Wesleyan offers:

Arabic language and culture: http://www.wesleyan.edu/academics/faculty/aaissa/profile.html

American Sign Language: http://www.wesleyan.edu/lctls/courses.html

Classics (Greek and Latin): http://wesleyan.edu/classics/

East Asian Studies (Chinese, Japanese, Korean): http://wesleyan.edu/ceas/

German studies: http://wesleyan.edu/german/

Hebrew language and culture: http://www.wesleyan.edu/academics/faculty/dkatz01/profile.html

Romance Languages & Literatures (French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish): http://wesleyan.edu/romance/

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies program: http://wesleyan.edu/russian/

Any other language: http://www.wesleyan.edu/lctls/silp.html

Take the Placement Exam if you have questions about the level at which you should begin, and if you have questions prior to your meeting with your faculty advisor, do not hesitate to contact Dean Brown’s office at 860-685-2758 with questions.

 

Another New FYS!

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Check out another new addition to the First Year Seminars!

AMST119.01 Reading Difference

Also, check out, if you have not already, the newly-p0sted course being taught in FILM by Michael Pope, the long-time collaborator of Amanda Palmer (of Dresden Dolls), called the “The Art of Doing,” then definitely do so.  It is a Permission-of-Instructor course and applications are due August 15.

New Course: “The Art of Doing: Creative Project Production and Making It Happen”

New First Year Seminar Course Options!

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Below are some additional First Year Seminar Courses for you to consider that have been added since pre-registration started.  Update your ranked FYS list before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1, if you are interested in any of them.

GRST230.01 The Simple Life

PHIL207.01 Live Like a Philosopher

ENGL190.01 Place, Character, and Design: Techniques in Writing Nonfiction and Fiction

ENGL176.01 August Wilson

 

 

 

 

New Course: “The Art of Doing: Creative Project Production and Making It Happen”

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This new course will be hosted by Film and taught by Wes alumna Amanda Palmer’s long-time collaborator, Michael Pope. (If you are not familiar with Amanda Palmer’s work, you can check her out here: http://amandapalmer.net/)

It is a Permission of Instructor (POI) course with notification of admission on August 31.

Title: “The Art of Doing: Creative Project Production and Making It Happen”

Instructors: Michael Pope with Amanda Palmer

Description:

Students learn collaborative creative super filmmaking powers before being dropped off on a metaphoric desert island with nothing but a camera phone and a song. Beauty Ensues.  This studio class will focus on non-traditional video production techniques towards a final project of a class-created music video featuring music and performance by Amanda Palmer. Students will co-create every aspect of this video, from conceptualization to editing to screening, with the final product being released to her Patreon community.

The course seeks to illuminate the creative process by way of mindful reflection, and physical training to promote creative cooperation between various artistic mediums. Students are expected to participate in team building physical exercises inspired by physical theater, Butoh and some physical meditations. Meaning:  Students will be be expected to participate in physical activity that includes jumping, running, yelling, and the like.

The course will allow us to sketch answers to questions like these, among others: How do you forge creative collaborations that allow you to realize your projects and that create the best conditions for your creative work? How do you raise awareness about your creative projects?

Taught by director Michael Pope who has shot, cut and directed the music videos for The Dresden Dolls and Amanda Palmer’s first solo album (Who Killed Amanda Palmer), in collaboration with Amanda Palmer as visiting co-creator, the course will culminate in a screening of the class-created video that will be part of a Wesleyan-hosted Amanda Palmer concert on Dec 9.

No prior film or video-making experience required, though all students seeking admission to the course are required to submit an application.

Only serious, fully engaged and enthusiastic students should apply. Students must commit to shooting the weekend of Nov. 17-18-19 and must be available all day Sat. and Sun. Nov. 18 and 19.

Students will be required to apply for this course by August 15. They will be notified of admission to the course by August 31.

Course enrollment limit: 15 (all class years allowed)

Grading mode: Cr/U for final grades. Students will be given an indication of whether they are passing the course by midterm.

Major Readings: Course Reader.

Other readings may include: “The Five Rings” Myamoto Musashi; “50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship”, Salvadore Dali;”Giovanni’s Room”, James Baldwin; “Just Kids”, Patti Smith; “The Power of Movies”, Colin McGinn.

Assignments:  Weekly assignments from individual students, collaborative assignments, final reflective essay of 5 pp.

Class meetings: W and F 2:40-4:10 pm

Additional information:  No prior film or video-making experience required, though all students seeking admission to the course are required to submit an application.

Application to the “The Art of Doing”

Students are invited to submit this creative challenge for consideration for admission to “The Art of Doing”.

Applications should be submitted to this email address: artofdoingapplication@gmail.com .   Only applications sent from wesleyan.edu email addresses will be considered.

There are two required parts to the application. Please make sure each part the application clearly indicates your name.

Part I. Create a digital still-image Self Portrait (photograph, collage, rendering).

Choose and incorporate three items into your self-portrait

A. One item to represent who you have been.

B. One item to represent who you are now.

C. One item to represent who you imagine yourself to be in the future.

Applicants are invited to interpret this exercise as best suits their creative strengths.

Part II. Please submit only one document that contains all the required elements A-D (detailed below). Please make sure this document clearly identifies you as the author.

A. In 200 words or less, explain the significance of each item in Part A.

B. In 200 words or less, explain why you’re interested in taking the course “The Art of Doing: Creative Project Production and Making It Happen”.

C. In 100 words, or less, describe your experience with Cr/U courses and your attitude toward Cr/U courses.

D. Applications should include

  1. List of current creative skills
  2.  List of additional interests

E. Optional

Applicants are invited to submit up to three samples of creative work jpeg and mov files.  Note: mov files may be no longer than 180 seconds.

Please do not purchase any books until you have been notified about admission to the course.

 

The Advising Guidelines!

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If you haven’t checked out the Advising Guidelines, do so ASAP.  Important advice about how to think about your planning your course of study and specific advice about a range of topics.  It includes pearls of wisdom from your class dean–really! ;)–and sage advice from professors and the academic peer advisors.  Selected topics will be featured over the next couple of weeks, and reading now (or again) will reinforce all the good info you know.

Thinking of Majoring In CSS, COL or CEAS?

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With over 1000 courses in 45 majors, 14 minors, 12 certificates, and a unique open curriculum choosing classes during pre-registration may seem like a stressful and daunting task. Many students come into Wesleyan without any idea of what they want to study – and that’s totally fine! For most students, major declaration does not happen until the second semester of sophomore year. However, Wesleyan has three majors that require declaration during the spring semester of freshman year. These programs are the College of Social Studies, the College of Letters, and the College of East Asian Studies. While we like to advise students to explore a wide range of classes in their first year of college and hone their interests, if you are thinking about one of these programs, it may affect the decisions that you make during pre-registration. This blog post will provide a description of each of these programs and some suggestions for those who are thinking about choosing one of these majors.

College of Social Studies. The College of Social Studies is a rigorous, multidisciplinary major focusing on History, Government, Political and Social Theory, and Economics. CSS is reading and writing intensive, encouraging intellectual independence with weekly essays, small group tutorials, and a vibrant intellectual environment.

College of Letters. The College of Letters is a interdisciplinary major for the study of European literature, history, and philosophy, from antiquity to the present. During these three years, students participate as a cohort in a series of colloquia in which they read and discuss works together (in English), learn to think critically about texts in relation to their contexts and influences—both European and non-European—and in relation to the disciplines that shape and are shaped by those texts. Majors also become proficient in a foreign language and study abroad in order to deepen their knowledge of another culture.

College of East Asian Studies. The College of East Asian Studies challenges students to understand China, Japan, and Korea through the rigors of language study and the analytical tools of various academic disciplines. This process demands both broad exposure to different subjects and a focused perspective on a particular feature of the East Asian landscape.

For those considering one of these three majors, here are some helpful tips as you select your classes and enter your first semester of college:

Deadlines. CSS, COL, and CEAS require major declaration in the spring of your freshman year. The deadline for CSS and COL is generally in March, and CEAS is in April. The application forms and the exact dates can be found on the department page of each major. If you are thinking about one of these majors, I would recommend talking to people who are in one of these majors or reaching out to any of the faculty members in the major as soon as possible.

Admission Requirements. All CSS majors must complete the economics prerequisite either by taking ECON101 and achieving a grade of CR or a letter grade of at least C- or by taking ECON110 and achieving a grade of CR or a letter grade of at least C-. Some students who have not completed the economics prerequisite are admitted each year on the condition that they must complete the prerequisite in the fall term of the sophomore year. Even if you are possibly thinking about majoring in CSS, I would consider enrolling in an economics course in the first or second semester of your freshmen year.

Language Requirements. COL and CEAS both have language requirements. COL majors must become proficient in a foreign language and study abroad in a country where the selected foreign language is spoken. CEAS majors are expected to take at least four semesters of East Asian language courses and reach a minimum of advanced-level (third-year) competency in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Majors who are native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean are expected to study another East Asian language. Those who have already studied a foreign language relevant to one of these majors do not necessarily have to enroll in a foreign language in the first semester. However, for those who need to start at a beginning level, it is highly recommended that you enroll in a language course as early as possible.

General Education Expectations. Only CSS requires completion of Stage II general education requirements (three course credits in HA, SBS, and NSM, all from different departments or programs). However, CSS majors have until the end of junior year to complete Stage I general education requirements (two course credits in each area, all from different departments or programs). While COL and CEAS do not have general education requirements, it is highly recommended that ALL students complete Stage II general education requirements. A student who does not meet these expectations by the time of graduation will not be eligible for University honors, Phi Beta Kappa, honors in general scholarship, or for honors in certain departments and may not declare more than a combined total of two majors, certificates, and minors.

If you have any further questions about any of these three programs, we encourage you to check each college’s website in WesMaps and on Wesvising, and/or reach out to a peer advisor or to a faculty member in the specific department.

Wesvising, a departmental advising tool for the curricular exploration

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Use this time to begin exploring the Wesleyan curriculum through WesMaps, Wesleyan’s online curriculum, and Wesvising, as a course selection advising tool.  It is a site developed by faculty members in the different departments, programs, and colleges to inform incoming students about their disciplines and the courses they offer.  Most departments have videos and all departments have helpful FAQs to guide you as you develop your plan of study.

Like most students, you will end up with way too many courses on your planning list, but keep them in mind in case your plans change or you want to take them another semester.

The key word is EXPLORE, as Professor Szegedy-Maszak advises, so take advantage of this time and Wesvising to do so!

Professor’s Advice: EXPLORE the Wes Curriculum!

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EXPLORE Your Interests and the Wesleyan Curriculum!

Professor Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, Professor of Classical Studies, Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek, urges first-year students to extend themselves beyond the typical high school subjects:

Now that you are starting to think about the courses you would like to take, you should remember a couple of things. This will be your first semester at Wesleyan, and so if you know that you will want to take advanced courses in some field, this would be a good time to take at least one of the introductory-level classes that are prerequisites for further study. They are identified for you in WesMaps. As a corollary to that first piece of advice, you should also take advantage of Wesleyan’s open curriculum to explore subjects that you’re not already familiar with. We have an extraordinarily rich offering of courses across the disciplines.

You should also keep in mind the General Education Expectations, that encourage you to take courses in all three of our academic “divisions” – Humanities and Arts (HA), Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS), and Natural Sciences and Math (NSM). Most course listings in WesMaps have a divisional identification. Go outside your comfort zone, take a chance, and – like many students before you – you may find that you are captivated by a field of study that is new to you. An excellent way to do the exploration is by enrolling in one of our First Year Seminars. They are specifically designed for new students and emphasize writing and class discussion and careful analysis. These are skills that you will use not only throughout your time at the University, but also after you graduate. Finally, allow yourself some flexibility, and leave some options open. Once you have made your selections, they are not final until you have met with your faculty advisor, shortly after you arrive on campus. At that point you might decide to revise your plan, and that’s fine. Think of this process as your introduction to a first-rate liberal arts curriculum, which necessarily combines structure and experimentation.  Enjoy!