The following are sample course descriptions used in recent semesters. HUF faculty constantly update and 'tweak' their syllabi, the descriptions below are meant to give you a glimpse of HUF's approach to teaching and do not necessarily reflect permanent course policies.
| Year | Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman |
HIN/URD 531K HIN/URD 531L ANS 302K |
HUF Core Language Course I HUF Core Language Course II Introduction to India |
5 5 3 |
| Sophomore |
HIN/URD 432K HIN/URD 432L HIN/URD 330 |
HUF Core Language Course III HUF Core Language Course IV Varied Advanced Language Topics |
4 4 3 |
| Junior (in India) |
Language Courses Student Major/Elective Courses Professional Internship |
12 2+ 6 |
|
| Senior | Hindi Urdu Capstone | 6 |
HUF Core Language Course | HIN/URD 531Dr. Van Olphen
Welcome to the Flagship! The purpose of the first year core course is to bring all students to a good level of proficiency in reading, writing, understanding, and speaking Hindi and Urdu, using both scripts. We recognize that different students will have very different starting points on this journey; the course has been designed in a flexible way to accommodate these differences. The basic grammar of Hindi-Urdu will be thoroughly reviewed, and detailed instruction in both writing systems will be given. Our teaching materials will include published grammars and course books, specially created video materials, film clips and film songs, and items taken from the media. Please carefully read all of the details pertaining to grading, attendance, classroom conduct, advising assistance, and UT's honor code provided here.
This semester we will focus on: 1) developing your knowledge of Hindi grammar and linguistic terminology, reading and writing in the Devanagari script, speaking, and listening comprehension; and 2) learning the Urdu script
Introduction to India | ANS 302KDr. Green
This course will contribute to an introductory understanding of South Asia, which is a diverse geographic region accommodating more than one-fifth of humanity. Crossing the boundaries of the region's multiple histories, languages, and cultural, social, and religious traditions will enable us to explore the diverse identities extant in South Asia today. We will place particular emphasis on popular culture and everyday life in contemporary South Asia and will enter critical issues important to the region through overviews of art and literature. After an introductory grounding in the history and critical study of South Asia, readings and lectures are focused on cultural topics including literature and film (especially Bollywood films) and contemporary studies of South Asian life in both public and private spheres. Topics covered include: society, family, and gender issues; religious traditions; art, music, and literature; colonialism and nationalism; economy, politics, and globalization. Students in this class will benefit from occasional guest lecturers who are specialists in various topics related to the study of South Asia. I encourage all students to meet with me at least once during the semester.
HUF Core Language Course (2nd Year) | HIN/URD 432KDr. Snell
This semester's class will develop students' ability to understand and discuss contemporary social issues, both conversationally and in writing. We will focus primarily (but not exclusively) on two themes: the environment, and the current situation of Hindi in India. The idea of ‘ecology' links the two themes, since the language issue reflects today's social environment in which Hindi is challenged by competition with English. Our readings will include selections from Anupam Mishra's acclaimed books on rainwater harvesting in Rajasthan, current controversies and reports from the media, documentation from recent debates in Delhi and Mumbai about the problems faced by India's vernacular languages in a globalized world, and passages from fiction and poetry showing ways in which the environment is portrayed by creative writers. We will look in detail at the registers and styles used in these various contexts: what kind of Hindi do writers and broadcasters use, what are the characteristics, advantages and limitations of these styles, how much do they differ from colloquial Hindi, how are global concerns expressed in (or translated into) Hindi—and what can we learn from all this? Some of the readings will be assembled in a course packet, while others will be reproduced from online sources as they become available during the semester.
We will utilize this material in a number of different ways. We will analyse language use; respond to, summarize or critique individual articles; frame questionnaires on relevant social issues and solicit responses from Hindi speakers on campus, writing these up as survey reports; and engage directly with environmental institutions in India. Class discussion, written homework, recorded interviews and individual presentations will ensure that all students engage fully with a wide range of important material that is closely relevant to the experience of living and working in a Hindi-speaking environment.
Panorama of Hindi Literature | HIN 330Dr. Snell
In this new course we will sample an array of Hindi texts, in the original, from half a millennium of poetry and prose. Our survey will include selections from devotional verse by "poet-saints" such as Kabir, Surdas, Mirabai and Tulsidas, alongside modern classics from the 20th century – and many points in between. As we read poems, short stories, and extracts from novels & autobiographies, we will feel the pulse of cultural and personal sensibilities across the centuries. Our survey will not be chronological but will trace themes across periods and genres. The cultural background of the literature will be studied through English-medium sources; but our main focus will be on reading and discussing the texts themselves, listening closely to the varied voices that have come to us across the years.
Poetry in Braj Bhasha and Awadhi will be accompanied by translations and detailed glossaries: no prior knowledge of these dialects is assumed. Students with five semesters of Hindi, or equivalent knowledge, are eligible to take this class: that is, you need to be able to read modern prose with reasonable fluency…and a dictionary !
Download the colorful flyer for this course.
