Northern Illinois University
World Languages and Cultures
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

FLAL 320 – Introduction to Translation Theory

This course explores the fundamental nature of translation and how humans communicate across languages. Students will develop a deeper understanding of translation as both a linguistic process and a socially constructed activity. Through a combination of readings, discussions, and reflective writing, students will investigate the nuances of translation and learn to connect theoretical concepts to real-world practice. We’ll cover key conceptual issues in translation theory, the history of translation, and various translation approaches and tools while engaging critically with assigned readings, engaging in lively in-class discussions, and applying theoretical insights to practical translation challenges. By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of translation theory, the ability to critically analyze translation challenges, and the skills to apply theoretical insights to real-world translation tasks. This course is taught in English.

Writing-infused course.

Credit hours: 3

Modality: Online with synchronous meetings
Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Prerequisite: Junior level standing, major or minor in a world language, or consent of department
Professor: Jessamine Cooke-Plagwitz, jpcooke@niu.edu

FLAL 483/583 - Applied Linguistics of the Romance Languages: Bilingualism

The majority of the world speaks more than one language. In this course, we’ll explore the myths and realities of being bilingual. Areas of study include social, societal, cognitive, and psycholinguistic aspects of speaking/using more than one language. In this course, we’ll read and examine research on various aspects of bilingualism and discuss the best methods for interpreting and conducting research. All readings are in English, and discussions are designed to apply to any language pairs. Note: This course is taught in English. Zero-cost course materials.

Writing-infused course.

Credit hours: 3
Modality: Face-to Face; DU 274
Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

Prerequisite: Junior level standing in French or Spanish, or consent of department; available to undergraduate (FLAL 483) and graduate students (FLAL 583)
Professor: Mandy Faretta-Stutenberg,  mfs@niu.edu

FLSP 400/500 – Art and Activism in the Hispanosphere

Art plays a central role in anti-capitalist political activism worldwide, as has been witnessed in the anti-globalization movement of the late 1990s, the international protests against the war in Iraq in 2003, the European squatter movement, the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement in the United States. Individual American artists such as Christina Ray, director of Conflux (an annual festival in New York exploring psychogeography); Steve Lambert, founder of the Anti-Advertising Agency; and Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, members of the Yes Men, to name a few, continually link social activism with artistic practice. This course critically engages with creative activism to evaluate how art can be used as a creative tool for political activism. By participating in this course, students will document and analyze examples of creative activism in the Spanish-speaking world to produce an online gallery as a final class project, study creative tactics and strategies (détournement, décollage, situationism, hacktivism, etc.), and examine the history of New Social Movements and activism today.

Credit hours: 3
Modality: Online with synchronous meetings
Meetings: Tuesdays 5-7:40 p.m.
Prerequisite: Consent of department; available to undergraduate (FLSP 400) and graduate students (FLSP 500)
Professor: Stephen Vilaseca, svilaseca@niu.edu

FLSP 452/552 – Literature of the Caribbean

This course focuses on nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century Cuban literature, culture, and film. We open with the topic of Cuba’s sugar plantations and slavery in the nineteenth century with selections from Fernando Ortiz’s Contrapunteo cubano del tabaco y el azúcar and Gertrudis Gómez Avellaneda’s anti-slavery novel Sab. Next, we transition to the topic of slave revolts and Latin American Independence movements with Tomás Guitiérrez Alea’s classic film La última cena and Alejo Carpentier’s novel set in Haiti, El reino de este mundo. The following unit explores different generations of negritud by delving into the poetry of Nicolás Guillén, Nancy Morejón and Georgina Herrera. Finally, at the end of the semester we explore Cuba’s “período especial” after the fall of the Soviet Union with Leonardo Padura’s short story “Puerta de Alcalá”, a Mario Conde novel from his internationally acclaimed series, and the Netflix series Cuatro estaciones en la Habana based on the first four Mario Conde novels. In addition to these selections, graduate students will have a project based on the nineteenth-century Cuban classic Cecilia Valdés.

Credit hours: 3
Modality: Online with synchronous meetings
Meetings: Wednesday 6-8:40 p.m.
Prerequisite: FLSP 321 or 322, or consent of department; available to undergraduate (FLSP 452) and graduate students (FLSP 552)
Professor: Frances Jaeger, fjaeger@niu.edu

FLSP 458/558 - Spanish American "Modernismo" and "Vanguardias"

This course explores the literature of Spanish American countries written and published between 1880 and 1945. This period saw the emergence of an extraordinary creative process in poetry and prose, with works by authors such as José Martí, Rubén Darío, Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera, Oliverio Girondo, Roberto Arlt, Delmira Agustini, Alfonsina Storni and others. This was the literary period in which Spanish American writers had to deal with the impact of modernity in their countries, the influence of cultures other than the Spanish one, and a reformulation of the notion of art (literature, visual arts and music). During these years several women writers achieved prominence and admiration in the field. 

Credit hours: 3
Modality: Online with synchronous meetings
Meetings: Thursdays 5-7:40 p.m.

Prerequisite: FLSP 321 or FLSP 322, or consent of department
Professor: Francisco Solares-Larrave, fsolares@niu.edu

FLST 381 (0002)/ FLGE 300/ FLGE 400 - Special Topics: The European Story-Telling Tradition -- Tales, Fairy Tales, and Legends

This course explores the enchanting world of fairy tales and folk tales from around the globe. These timeless stories have evolved across cultures and centuries – from Italian Renaissance tales to German Märchen and French contes de fées.

Analyze the origins, interpretations, and modern adaptations of classic tales in literature, film, and television. Engage in discussions, explore scholarly perspectives, and connect with stories from Europe and beyond.

All texts are provided in both the original languages (Italian, French, German, Spanish) and English. Taught in English, with opportunities to apply your knowledge of Italian, French, German, or Spanish.

Zero-cost course materials.

Credit hours: 3
Modality: Online with synchronous meetings
Meetings: Mondays and Wednesdays 2-3:15 p.m.
Prerequisite: None; or for credit in German: FLGE 202 (for FLGE 300) or completion of at least 1 300-level German course (for FLGE 400); or consent of department
Professor: Dennis Brain, dbrain@niu.edu