ML Introductory Seminar, Fall 2013

(Instructor on record: Kelly Comfort; Participating faculty:  Rumiko Simonds, Britta Kallin, Vicki Galloway, Jin Liu, Stephanie Boulard, Stuart Godlberg, Michael Wiedorn)

ML 2813, Introductory Seminar in Modern Languages, is a lively, discussion-based course in which all thirteen students consistently attend and participate on a weekly basis.  Quiz scores demonstrate careful reading of assigned texts and viewing of assigned films before each class meeting.  Students’ reflective essays reveal in-depth and sophisticated analysis of the assigned texts. 

Four faculty members have participated in the seminar thus far.  Kelly Comfort has taught "Silko’s Ceremony" (U.S. Native American) and Puig’s "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (Argentina), Stéphanie Boulard has taught Genet’s "The Maids and Denis’s Murderous Maids," Michael Wiedorn has taught Condé’s "Land of Many Colors" and Glissant’s “Poetics of Relation,” and Britta Kallin has taught Maccarone’s "Unveiled."

The discussion of two novels, one play, one novella, one critical essay, and two films has led to a consideration of marginalization based on ethnic and racial identity, mental health status, class status, sexual orientation, immigrant or refugee status, and political viewpoints. 

The forms of marginalization examined have involved isolation, hospitalization, exclusion, subjugation, exile, and imprisonment.  The professors involved in the course have provided in-depth cultural and historical background material to help students understand the particularities of the assigned course materials, so that cross-cultural analysis and comparison take into account the differing social, political, historical and cultural contexts. 

Students have commented that they greatly enjoy the team-teaching approach to the course, especially because of the background information and regional and linguistic expertise each faculty member brings to the course.

In addition to the assigned texts, students are required to log a total of 30 international community engagement activity hours and to maintain a cross-cultural reflection journal throughout the semester.  Students have been active in on-campus activities and community-based cultural events that have helped them hone their linguistic skills and improve their intercultural competence. 

Additionally, students are working in groups to complete a presentation on marginalization at Georgia Tech or in Atlanta.  Whether organizing a panel of invited students or community members, creating a video documentary, or maintaining an active blog, each group’s project and presentation will examine a type of marginalization (e.g. cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, geographical, academic, political, sexual, gender, socioeconomic, etc.) present in Georgia Tech’s campus or the greater Atlanta community. 

Still to come in this semester’s seminar are classes by Stuart Goldberg on Venedikt Erofeev's “Moscow to the End of the Line,” Rumiko Simonds on Fusako Kushi’s “Memoirs of a Declining Ryukyuan Woman” and “In Defense of ‘Memoirs of a Declining Ryukyuan Woman,’” Jin Liu on Zhangke’s "Pickpocket and Unknown Pleasure," and Vicki Galloway on Sistach’s "Violet Perfume: No One Is Listening."