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Departments

Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas

College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
Moore 483
1890 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8520
Fax: (808) 956-9536
E-mail: fadil@hawaii.edu
Web: www.hawaii.edu/llea

Faculty

*Graduate Faculty

*R. J. Ball, PhD (Chair)—Latin literature, Augustan poetry, teaching methodology
*L. Aranda, PhD—U.S. Latino literature, translation
A. Ascunce, PhD—20th-century Spanish literature, historical avant garde, theater
*V. Bennett, PhD—Russian language and literature, 19th-century Russian literature, Russian symbolism, modernism and literature of the 1920s
*J. E. Brown, PhD—Russian language and literature, 19th-century Russian literature and poetics
*P. M. Chandler, PhD—second language acquisition, coordinator of elemen­tary Spanish, teaching assistant supervisor, Portuguese language
*M. J. Fassiotto, PhD—18th-century French literature, 19th-century poetry, coordinator of second-year French
*M. C. Garneau, PhD—19th- and 20th-century French literature, oral genres, Italian
*K. Hoffmann, PhD—17th-century French literature, critical theory, theater
*K. Klingebiel, PhD—French linguistics and language, history of French, phonetics, Italian, Occitan, Welsh
*R. J. Littman, PhD—Greek literature, ancient history, ancient medicine
*J. Logan, PhD—Spanish American literature and cultural studies, women’s studies
*M. Overstreet, PhD—pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, German language teaching, psycho-sociolinguistic perspectives on categorization
*B. Quintana, PhD—Spanish classical theater, colonial and post-colonial studies, Mexican culture
*D. Rudolph, PhD—Renaissance, medieval literature, Francophone literature
J. G. Sang, DrPhil—contemporary German literature, 18th- and 19th-century genres
*P. A. Schroeder, PhD—Latin American poetry and film, cultural theory
*N. Schweizer, PhD—18th-century German classicism, Germans/Europeans in the Pacific
*E. M. Thau, PhD—contemporary Spanish literature, film, cultural studies

Degrees and Certificate Offered: BA in Classics, BA in French, BA in German, BA in Russian, and BA in Spanish; MA in French, MA in Spanish; Certificate in Classics, Certificate in French, Certificate in German, Certificate in Russian, Certificate in Russian Studies, Certificate in Spanish, Certificate in Latin American and Iberian Studies

The Academic Program

The Department of Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas (LLEA) is divided into five divisions: Classics (Greek and Latin), French/Italian, German, Russian, and Spanish/Portuguese/Latin American and Iberian Studies. Language instruction at the beginning and intermediate levels is offered in French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Advanced courses in composition, conversation and linguistics are offered in French, German, Russian and Spanish. Courses in the literatures of France, the Francophone world, German-speaking countries, Italy, Latin America, Russia, Spain and Wales are offered in the original language, as are courses in classical literary texts written in Greek and Latin. Cultural studies courses that use a strong interdisciplinary approach and critical interpretive perspectives to consider the politics of representation, culture, and identity include Hispanic Cultural Studies, U.S. Latino Culture and Literature, Indigenous Peoples of Latin America, Latin American Cultural Perspectives, Spanish Cultural Perspectives, Freaks and Monsters, the Ethics of Otherness, French Civilizations, French Culture for Americans, French and Italian Literature as Film. Courses designed to acquaint students from other fields with the traditions and cultures of Europe and the Americas are also available, both in English and in the target language and in advanced courses in specialized topics: Europeans in the Pacific, French and German Civilization, and Russian Arts and Culture.

LLEA believes that the study of film allows for an array of interdisciplinary considerations ranging from the aesthetics and politics of representation to the socioeconomics of production and distribution. It enriches students’ literacy concerning visual arts, narrative, sound, movement and space, at the same time that it provokes their questioning of ethical, critical, social and moral assumptions. LLEA offers a wide range of courses focusing on the aesthetic and historical development of film in Europe and Latin America: History of World Film, International Film Criticism, French, German, Italian, Latin American, Russian, and Spanish Film.

MA programs are offered in French and Spanish. In addition, BA degrees and certificate programs are offered in Classics, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. The department promotes language proficiency and cultural awareness through its sponsorship of student organizations, films, lectures, scholarships, and Study Abroad programs. Currently, the department supports programs in France (Angers, Annecy, Paris); Florence, Italy; Berlin, Germany; Vladivostok, Russia; and several sites in the Hispanic World.

Undergraduate Study

Bachelor’s Degree

BA in Classics

  • 24 credit hours of Greek and/or Latin courses numbered 300 and above, plus GRK 101-102 for those emphasizing Latin and LATN 101-102 for those emphasizing Greek.

BA in French

  • 33 credit hours of FR, exclusive of FR 101, 102, 201, and 202
  • FR 311, 312, 331, and 332
  • Four French 400-level courses, including three on literature

BA in German

  • 30 credit hours of courses numbered 300 and above

BA in Russian

For a language emphasis:

  • 30 credit hours of courses above RUS 202
  • 6 credit hours of LLEA Russian-related courses

For a literature emphasis:

  • 18 credit hours of language beyond the 202 level
  • 18 credit hours of literature (including 6 credit hours of LLEA Russian-related courses)

BA in Spanish

  • 33 credit hours above the 200 level
    • SPAN 301†, 302†, 303†, 351, 352
    • SPAN 361 or 362
    • SPAN 371 or 372
    • Two 400-level courses††
    • Two electives††

†Language skill courses (SPAN 301 to 303) are normally limited to nonnative speakers of Spanish. Native and near-native speakers should consult a department advisor to determine what courses they may take.

††Recommended courses for prospective teachers: SPAN 330, 403, 451, and 452

††Recommended courses for prospective graduate students: SPAN 330, 451, 452, and two 400-level literature courses

Approved study abroad of at least one semester in a Spanish-speaking country is recommended for all majors.

Certificate

Certificate in Classics, French, German, Russian, or Spanish

Upon recommendation of the appropriate division chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas, UH Manoa confers Certificates in Classics, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. Students must complete 15 credit hours beyond the intermediate year in the language of choice. For the Certificate in Classics, students may complete 12 credit hours of Greek or Latin beyond the intermediate year, plus GRK 101-102 for those emphasizing Latin and LATN 101-102 for those emphasizing Greek. A minimum of 3.0 must be achieved.

Certificate in Latin American and Iberian Studies

The Certificate in Latin American and Iberian Studies provides a systematic program of study in English for students interested in the arts, traditions, values, histories, religions, socioeconomic systems, and mythologies of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. It combines studies on literature, history, film and cultural studies for a richer and more comprehensive understanding of the peoples and heritage of Latin America and Iberia. Its interdisciplinary nature treats issues of colonization, imperialism, race, ethnicity, class, neoliberal practices, aesthetics, popular culture and globalization as they have been played out within the Ibero-Latin context.

Requirements

  • sophomore standing or consent
  • 15 credit hours (all five courses must be taken with a letter grade, minimum GPA of 2.5 required)
  • LLEA 360 (Alpha) Studies in Culture: (B) Latin America, or (C) Spain and Portugal (should be taken the first semester in the program; it may be taken concurrently with one of the electives)
  • at least one from LLEA 468/HIST 478, HIST 479, LLEA 360B, LLEA 362, LLEA 363, LLEA 366, LLEA 372
  • at least one from HIST 448, LLEA 360C, LLEA 361, LLEA 365, LLEA 380

Graduate Study

Master’s Degree

LLEA has designed MA programs that combine the study of language and literature with other forms of expressive culture in their permutations in the specific geographic regions of Europe, the U.S., Latin America, the Pacific Basin, and Africa. Graduate students are offered the following opportunities: an MA degree in French or Spanish; graduate teaching assistantships on a competitive basis; preparation for a PhD program and a career in teaching. Former students have found careers in government and foreign service; editing, publishing, and translation; law, business, and international banking; fashion, the arts, and travel industry.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements of the Graduate Division, applicants must have the following:

  1. A major or its equivalent in French or Spanish with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B); applicants in French should also have taken a course in French phonetics;
  2. For Spanish, the competence equivalent to two years of study at the college level in a second foreign language; applicants in French who plan to go on to a doctoral program are strongly encouraged to develop reading competence in an additional language;
  3. For French and Spanish, an acceptable accent and fluency

Applicants with minor deficiencies may be accepted provisionally, but coursework taken to make up deficiencies may not be counted toward satisfaction of the degree requirements. Applicants accepted provisionally are expected to complete any deficiencies by the end of the first year of study.

Additional Requirements

All students are required to satisfy the remaining specific requirements and to pass the comprehensive examinations in their area of concentration.

Students who select Plan A (thesis) in their area of concentration must present a thesis proposal, including justification of the topic and a bibliography, for approval by the thesis director and two members of the thesis committee before the end of the second semester of work. The completed thesis must be presented to the thesis committee at least four weeks before the Graduate Division deadline. The Graduate Division requires all theses to be written in English.

French Requirements

Candidates in French may select Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis). Candidates in both plans are required to take 30 credit hours. A minimum of 18 credits must be earned in courses numbered 600 and above, including 15 credits in French and at least one graduate seminar. All candidates must take either FR 409 or FR 661. Up to 6 credit hours of LLEA 600-level courses may also be included, in which candidates in French are expected, whenever possible, to read French language texts in the original. Candidates selecting Plan A (thesis) must complete 6 credit hours of LLEA 700 (Thesis Research). All candidates must pass a final comprehensive examination, covering the major periods and genres of French literature and including the history of the language. A program for each candidate will be worked out based on the results of the preliminary conference with the French graduate advisor.

Spanish Requirements

Candidates in Spanish may select Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis). Candidates in both plans are required to take 30 credit hours. A minimum of 18 of these credits must be numbered 600 and above, including at least one graduate seminar. Candidates selecting Plan A (thesis) must complete 6 credit hours of LLEA 700 (Thesis Research). Spanish graduate assistants are also required to take a course in language teaching methodology approved by the Spanish graduate faculty (e.g., SPAN 658 [Seminar in Spanish Linguistics] or LLL 455 [Second Language Learning and Technology]). Candidates of both plans must pass a final comprehensive examination in literature (Peninsular and Latin American) and in one additional area (language, film studies, Latino Studies, or cultural studies). The examination is based on the minimum reading list and is tailored to fit the background and coursework of the individual candidates.

LLEA Courses
FR Courses
GER Courses
GRK Courses
LATN Courses
RUS Courses
SPAN Courses