Catalan Course
INTRODUCTION TO CATALAN
V95.0051 Catalan for Beginners I
Instructor: TBA
T-R-F 12:30-1:45
FALL - 2008
Catalan is a Romance language with a remarkably rich literary tradition. Spoken primarily in the Spanish region of Cataluña,
(whose capital is Barcelona), Catalan is the official language of Andorra and an official language in Valencia, and the Balearic Islands.
Thanks to collaboration with Cataluña’s Institut Ramon Llull, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese is delighted to offer instruction in this fascinating language.
Students will develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, while being introduced to the basic grammar of the language.
These courses are of particular interest to anyone focusing on Romance Languages, contemporary Spain, or Medieval and Renaissance European literary and cultural history.
*Please note that as of now, these courses do not fulfill the CAS language requirement.
* “Catalan II” is offered in the FALL 2008 too.
For more information contact the Department of Spanish and Portuguese: 212-998-8770
Sample text in Catalan
Tots els éssers humans neixen lliures i iguals en dignitat i en drets. Són dotats de raó i de consciència, i han de comportar-se fraternalment els uns amb els altres.
Translation into English
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
Quechua Course:
QUECHUA AT NYU
Beginning Quechua I - Fall 2008 (V95.0950)
M, T, W 9:30am – 10:45am
Taught by Odi Gonzales, a native speaker and experienced teacher of the language from Cuzco, Peru, and a poet published in both Spanish and Quechua.
What is Quechua?
Quechua is the most important and most widely-distributed indigenous language in South America, with over10 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.
Why Study Quechua?
Studying Quechua opens a window onto alternative ways of thinking about social worlds, about space and time, family, and humans' relationship with the natural world. Quechua is recommended for students anticipating travel to the Andean region, those interested in language and linguistics, and those interested in indigenous literatures and cultures. Students who satisfactorily complete introductory 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.
Undergraduate students: The projected four-semester sequence of Quechua will satisfy both CAS’ foreign language requirement and the language requirement of the Latin American Studies major. Please refer to CAS Spanish Department course listings for days and times.
Graduate students: Quechua at NYU is FLAS approved (see CLACS webpage on FLAS fellowships):
http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/program/latin/FLAS_PAGE.htm
