Continuation of Elementary Amharic I. Amharic belongs to the southern branch of Hemeto-Semitic languages, which is also referred to as "Afrasian." Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia and is spoken by 14 million native Amharas and by approximately 18 million of the other groups in Ethiopia. This course continues to introduce basic grammar, vocabulary, and the reading and writing of Amharic to new speakers.

Restoring women to African history is a worthy goal, but easier said than done.The course examines scholarship over the past forty years that brings to light previously overlooked contributions African women have made to political struggle, religious change, culture preservation, and economic development from pre-colonial times to present. The course addresses basic questions about changing women's roles and human rights controversies associated with African women within the wider cultural and historical contexts in which their lives are lived. It also raises fundamental questions about sources, methodology, and representation, including the value of African women's oral and written narrative and cinema production as avenues to insider perspectives on African women's lives.

This course continues to introduce basic grammar, vocabulary, and the reading and writing of Swahili to new speakers. During this term, folktales, other texts, and film selections are used to help introduce important aspects of Swahili culture and the use of the language in wide areas of Africa.

The main objective of this course is to further sharpen the Yoruba linquistic knowledge that the student acquired in level I. By the end of the course, the student should be able to (1) read, write, and understand simple to moderately complex sentences in Yoruba; and, (2) advance in the knowledge of the Yoruba culture.

The Elementary Zulu II course can be taken to fulfill a language requirement, or for linguistic preparation to do research on South Africa, Southern Africa/Africa-related topics. The course emphasizes communicative competence to enable the students to acquire linguistic and extra-linguistic skills in Zulu. The content of the course is selected from various everyday life situations to enable the students to communicate in predictable common daily settings. Culture, as it relates to language use, is also part of the course content.


Students will acquire the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills at the ceiling of low intermediate level and floor of high novice level, based on the ACTFL scale. The low intermediate level proficiency skills that the students will acquire constitute threshold capabilities of the third semester range of proficiency to prepare students for Intermediate Zulu I course materials.

The Accelerated Elementary Zulu course is intensive, and can be taken to fulfill a language requirement, or for linguistic preparation to do research onSouth Africa,Southern Africa/Africa-related topics. The course emphasizes communicative competence to enable the students to acquire linguistic and extra-linguistic skills in Zulu. The content of the course is selected from various everyday life situations to enable the students to communicate in predictable common daily settings. Culture, as it relates to language use, is also part of the course content.


Students will acquire the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills at the ceiling of low intermediate level and floor of high novice level, based on the ACTFL scale. The low intermediate level proficiency skills that the students will acquire constitute threshold capabilities of the third semester range of proficiency to prepare students for Intermediate Zulu I course materials.

This elementary course is for beginners and it requires no prior knowledge of Zulu. The course will expose students to the Zulu language and culture and will be based in the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning. Students will be engaged in communicative language learning through interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of language learning techniques. They will gain knowledge and understanding of the Zulu culture. They will use their Zulu language and culture learning experience to connect with other disciplines and further their knowledge of these disciplines through perspectives acquired from their Zulu class. They will also develop insight into the nature of language and culture through comparisons of the Zulu language and culture and their own. Through movies, songs, and other cultural activities online students will acquire the natural use of the language which will enable them to acquire linguistic and cultural skill to become life-long learners who can participate in Zulu communities in the U.S. and overseas.

This course is intended to help students to write a strong dissertation proposal/prospectus. A proposal is a detailed plan for a long journey of of conceptualization, research, and writing that will lead to the first major, independent scholarly contribution. Students will work closely with advisors, peers, and the professor in the course, to develop the questions, methodological approaches, and theoretical perspectives that will guide their research and writing. At the end of the semester, each student will have completed a proposal, and will be ready to defend it.

This course focuses on the historical and cultural relationship between Africans and their descendants abroad.