Taught by members of the Departments of Anthropology, Classics, English and Comparative Literature, French, German, History, Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, Slavic Languages, and Sociology; and members of the Society of Fellows. A study in their historical context of major contributions to the intellectual traditions that underpin contemporary civilization. Emphasis is on the history of political, social, and philosophical thought. Students are expected to write at least three papers to complete two examinations, and to participate actively in class discussions.
A year-long course designed to introduce students to a wide range of issues of public significance by asking them to read closely texts in various traditions of argument with a focus on selected European traditions of moral, political, religious, and social thought. Readings in the Bible, the Qur’an, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Smith, Kant, Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, DuBois, and Freud.
A year-long course designed to introduce students to a wide range of issues of public significance by asking them to read closely texts in various traditions of argument with a focus on selected European traditions of moral, political, religious, and social thought. Readings in the Bible, the Qur’an, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Smith, Kant, Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, DuBois, and Freud.
Essentials of the spoken and written language. Prepare students to read texts of moderate difficulty by the end of the first year.
Fundamentals of grammar, reading, speaking, and comprehension of the spoken language. During the spring term supplementary reading is selected according to students needs.
Bridge between the science-oriented, high school way of thinking and the engineering point of view. Fundamental concepts of math and science reviewed and re-framed in an engineering context; numerous examples of each concept drawn from all disciplines of engineering represented at Columbia. Non-technical issues of importance in professional engineering practice such as ethics, engineering project management, and societal impact.
Only open to Columbia Engineering first-year undergraduate students or second-year transfer students. Lab fee: $150.
Introduction to Filipino with an emphasis on mastering basic skills and working vocabulary. Linguistic rules are applied to enable the student to communicate with more competence. Lessons incorporate discussions on history, current events, literature, pop culture, and native values. Includes field trips to Filipino neighborhoods in Queens and Jersey City. Note: This course is part of the language exchange program with New York University (NYU). Classes will be held at NYU.
Fundamentals of grammar and lexicon. Building proficiency in aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Linguistic structures in the cultural context.
The aim of the beginning French sequence (French 1101 and French 1102) is to help you to develop an active command of the language. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading and writing--within a cultural context, in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency.
Prerequisites: GERM UN1101 or the equivalent. If you have prior German outside of Columbia’s language sequence, the placement exam is required. German 1102 is the continuation of Elementary German I (1101). It is a four-skill language course taught in German, in which students continue to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in German and an understanding of German-speaking cultures. Emphasis is placed on acquiring the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading and writing--within a cultural context. Students expand their communication skills to include travel, storytelling, personal well- being, basic economics, recent historical events, and working with movie segments. Completion of daily assignments, which align with class content, and consistent work are necessary in order to achieve basic communicative proficiency.
Prerequisites: GREK UN1101 or the equivalent, or the instructor or the director of undergraduate studies permission. Continuation of grammar study begun in GREK UN1101; selections from Attic prose.
Prerequisites: GRKM UN1101 or the equivalent. Continuation of GRKM UN1101. Introduction to modern Greek language and culture. Emphasis on speaking, writing, basic grammar, syntax, and cross-cultural analysis.
Introduction to the basic structures of the Hungarian language. With the instructors permission the second term of this course may be taken without the first. Students with a schedule conflict should consult the instructor about the possibility of adjusting hours.
This course offers students an introduction to the basic structures of Bahasa Indonesia, a major language of Indonesia and South East Asia.
This course introduces students to the rudiments of the Irish language, including phonemes and pronunciation, syntactical structure, and verbal conjugations. In addition, a history of the language is provided, as well as a general introduction to Irish culture, including discussions of family and place names. Students are encouraged to begin speaking with basic sentence structures, eventually expanding into more complex verbal conjugations while concentrating on idiomatic expressions. The accumulation of vocabulary is stressed and students are introduced to basic literature in Irish while developing beginning conversational fluency.
Prerequisites: ITAL V1101 or the equivalent. Introduction to Italian grammar, with emphasis on reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
Prerequisites: JPNS C1101, F1101, or W1001-W1002, or the equivalent. Basic training in Japanese through speaking, listening, reading and writing in various cultural contexts.
This course is designed to bring students with no background to a point where they can perform most basic linguistic functions in Khmer, including greetings, likes/dislikes, telling about yourself, describing places and situations, all in appropriate time frames. The class uses a highly interactive classroom style, supplemented by extensive use of video - both prepared and student-produced - and other computer-assisted tools. Please note this course is offered by videoconferencing from Cornell as part of the Shared Course Initiative.
An introduction to written and spoken Korean. Textbook: Integrated Korean, Beginning I and II.
This course introduces students to the language of Haitian Kreyòl, also called Creole, and is intended for students with little or no prior knowledge of the language. Haitian Kreyòl is spoken by Haiti’s population of nine million and by about one million Haitians in the U.S. Including over 190,000 in the New York City area. In fact, New York City has the second largest population of Kreyòl Speakers after Port--au--Prince, Haiti’s capital. Through this course, you will develop introductory speaking, reading, and writing skills. We use a communicative approach, balanced with grammatical and phonetic techniques. Classroom and textbook materials are complemented by work with film, radio, and especially music (konpa, rasin, twoubadou, rap, raga, levanjil, vodou tradisyonèl, etc.), as well as with visits to city museums and institutions related to Haiti. Note: This course is part of the language exchange program with New York University (NYU). Classes will be held at NYU.
Prerequisites: LATN UN1101. A continuation of LATN UN1101, including a review of grammar and syntax for students whose study of Latin has been interrupted.
Prerequisites: MATH UN1101 or the equivalent. Methods of integration, applications of the integral, Taylors theorem, infinite series. (SC)
Introduces students to the basic grammatical and syntactical skills required to function adequately in a Tamil-speaking environment. Of particular interest to students planning to conduct scholarly research or fieldwork in that region of the world. Introduces students to the rich culture of the Indian subcontinent where Tamil is spoken. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.
This course is a continuation of Nepali 110 and is intended for beginners of the Nepali language. The emphasis continues to be given on basic grammar, speaking, and comprehension skills, using culturally appropriate materials and texts. The study of the Devanagari script for reading and writing is continued.
Essentials of the spoken and written language. Prepares students to read texts of moderate difficulty by the end of the first year.
Prerequisites: PORT W1101 or the equivalent. A course designed to acquaint students with the Portuguese verbal, prepositional, and pronominal systems. As a continuation of Elementary Portuguese I (PORT W1101), this course focuses on the uses of characteristic forms and expressions of the language as it is spoken and written in Brazil today.
Prerequisites: Shared course. Contact ck2831@columbia.edu for more Info. Introduction to Punjabi, a major language of northern India and Pakistan. Beginning with the study of the Gurmukhi script, the course offers an intensive study of the speaking, reading, and writing of the language.
Quechua is the most important and most widely-distributed indigenous language in South America, with over 10 million speakers living from the high mountains to the tropical lowlands in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Those who speak it call the language runa simi or runa shimi, human speech. It was the principal language of the Inca empire and the key language of cultural interaction during the colonial era. Quechua has remained central to indigenous peoples efforts to preserve their cultural autonomy. It has gained greater force in recent years, during which indigenous movements have swept Quechua speakers into national politics, where they have succeeded in transforming constitutions to recognize cultural diversity, making Quechua an official language of state, and successfully promoting schooling in the language. Students who satisfactorily complete Elementary Quechua I and II will be well-prepared for intensive summer study at one of many summer study abroad programs in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia that will put them in closer contact with the indigenous world.
Grammar, reading, composition, and conversation.
This course is designed to bring students with no background to a point where they can perform most basic linguistic functions in Sinhala, including greetings, likes/dislikes, telling about yourself, describing places and situations, all in appropriate time frames. The class uses a highly interactive classroom style, supplemented by extensive use of video – both prepared and student-produced – and other computer-assisted tools. Please note this course is offered by videoconferencing from Cornell as part of the Shared Course Initiative.
Prerequisites: SPAN UN1101 or a score of 280-379 on the department’s Spanish as a Second Language Placement exam. An intensive introduction to Spanish language communicative competence, with stress on basic oral interaction, reading, writing and cultural knowledge as a continuation of SPAN UN1101. The principal objectives are to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of immediate relevance; communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a direct exchange of information on familiar matters; describe in simple terms aspects of our background and personal history; understand the main point, the basic content, and the plot of filmic as well as short written texts. All Columbia students must take Spanish language courses (UN 1101-3300) for a letter grade.
This is only recitation for STAT UG1101. We are requesting 8 sections of recitation to align with the two sections of 1101 offered for Fall 2024.
This course is a continuation of the introductory Swedish 101 course. It will introduce you to the Swedish language as it is used in Sweden today. You will also learn about aspects of contemporary Swedish culture, main events and figures in Swedens history, and Swedish traditions. Upon the completion of the course, students who have attended class regularly, have submitted all assignments and taken all tests and quizzes should be able to: talk about themselves, families, interests, likes and dislikes, daily activities, education, professional interests and future plans in some detail; understand and participate in a simple conversation on everyday topics such as educational choices, subjects, plans for the weekend and the holidays, places to live, transportation, etc read and fully comprehend edited texts on familiar topics understand the main ideas and identify the underlying themes in original texts such as literary fiction, film, and newspaper articles write short essays on a familiar topic using the relevant vocabulary understand and utilize the information in a variety of authentic texts (e.g. menus, signs, train schedules, websites) carry out simple linguistic tasks that require speaking on the phone (e.g. setting up an appointment, asking questions about an announcement, talking to a friend) fill in forms requesting information, write letters, e-mails, notes, post cards, or messages providing simple information; provide basic information about Sweden including: Swedens geography, its political system and political parties, educational system, etc. discuss and debate familiar topics recognize significant figures from Swedens history and literary history use and understand basic vocabulary related to important aspects of contemporary Swedish culture and Swedish traditions and contemporary lifestyles in Sweden. pronounce Swedish well enough and produce Swedish with enough grammatical accuracy to be comprehensible to a Swedish speaker with experience in speaking with non-natives. Methodology The class will be taught in a communicative way. It will be conducted primarily, but not exclusively in Swedish. In-class activities and homework assignments will focus on developing speaking, reading, writing, listening skills and a basic understanding of Swedish culture through interaction. Authentic materials will be used whenever possible.
Essentials of grammar, basic vocabulary, practice in speaking and reading Swahili the most widely used indigenous language of East Africa. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.
Designed for students with little or no knowledge of Ukrainian. Basic grammar structures are introduced and reinforced, with equal emphasis on developing oral and written communication skills. Specific attention to acquisition of high-frequency vocabulary and its optimal use in real-life settings.
Prerequisites: () VIET 1101 or equivalent This course introduces students to the linguistic and grammatical structures of Vietnamese, a major language of South East Asia. Language skills include listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will also be introduced to some aspects of Vietnamese life and culture.
Introduction to the basic grammatical structures of Wolof, a major language of West Africa spoken in Senegal and Gambia. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.
This course offers an introduction to the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, and an opportunity to discover a fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language and culture in a fun way. Using games, new media, and music, we will learn how to speak, read, listen and write in a language that is considered one of the richest languages in the world (in some aspects of vocabulary). We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO or Yiddish farm, and so on. We will also have Yiddish-speaking guests and do a few digital projects. At the end of the two-semester course, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read most Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome to Yiddishland!
This course is designed to bring students with no background to a point where they can perform most basic linguistic functions in Yoruba, including greetings, likes/dislikes, telling about yourself, describing places and situations, all in appropriate time frames. The class uses a highly interactive classroom style, supplemented by extensive use of video – both prepared and student-produced – and other computer-assisted tools. Please note this course is offered by videoconferencing from Cornell as part of the Shared Course Initiative.
Prerequisites: ZULU W1201-W1202 or the instructors permission. Introduces students to the basic structures of Zulu, a Bantu language spoken in South Africa, especially in the Zululand area of KwaZulu/Natal province.
In this course we will read texts by feminist and queer authors that complicate and subvert mainstream and dominant scripts about gender, sexuality, race, nation, and class. What kinds of narratives do mainstream ideas regarding these categories leave out? How have authors resisted erasure through queering and subverting mainstream categories? How might we, as readers and critical thinkers, queer the script through our scholarly practice? Drawing on queer and feminist scholarship that calls for a radical restructuring of the ways we see and shape our worlds, we will consider how authors push back against dominant ideologies through literary, scholarly and cinematic works.
Texts are subject to change, but will likely include a selection from the following list: works by Nella Larsen, Carmen Maria Machado, Safia Elhillo, Celine Sciamma and Cheryl Dunye, and critical theory by Laura Mulvey, bell hooks, and Judith Butler. Required course texts will not exceed $10; in addition, all course texts are available as links and e-reserves through the library.
Corequisites: ECON UN1155 How a market economy determines the relative prices of goods, factors of production, and the allocation of resources and the circumstances under which it does it efficiently. Why such an economy has fluctuations and how they may becontrolled.