USC
University of Southern California
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Courses of Instruction

East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC)

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.

EALC 102 Language, Art and Culture: Calligraphy (2, FaSp) This course introduces students to the origin of the basic Chinese scripts and the basic principles and styles of calligraphy.

EALC 103ab Online Chinese I (2-2, FaSpSm) Basic listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities in Mandarin Chinese. Instruction includes individual meetings and online content. (Duplicates credit in EALC 104).

EALC 104 Chinese I (4, FaSpSm) The sound system of modern Chinese; aural comprehension, oral expression, basic patterns, and writing system.

EALC 106 Chinese II (4, FaSpSm) Dialogue practice and conversation; reading of simple stories and essays; comparison of Chinese and English grammar; writing of paragraphs. Prerequisite: EALC 104.

EALC 108 Reading and Writing Chinese (4, FaSp) The basics of reading and writing modern Chinese; intensive reading and writing of paragraphs, essays, and stories; extensive reading of beginner-level authentic materials.

EALC 110g East Asian Humanities: The Great Tradition (4, FaSp) Introduction to the major humanities traditions of China, Japan, and Korea through an examination of representative works drawn from literature, aesthetics, philosophy, religion, and historical writing.

EALC 115 Korean I (4, FaSpSm) Aural comprehension and oral practice; the writing system; grammar drill, sentence patterns. Lecture, 5 hours; additional hours for drill and laboratory.

EALC 117 Korean II (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of EALC 115. Progressive drill in dialogue, reading, and writing. Lecture, 5 hours; additional hours for drill and laboratory. Prerequisite: EALC 115.

EALC 120 Japanese I (4, FaSpSm) Basic Japanese conversation practice, basic grammar and building proficiency of reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana (Japanese alphabetical systems).

EALC 122 Japanese II (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of EALC 120. Basic Japanese conversation practice, basic grammar and building proficiency of reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana and basic kanji. Prerequisite: EALC 120.

EALC 125g Introduction to Contemporary East Asian Film and Culture (4) An introduction to and overview of the contemporary cinemas of East Asia: China (Hong Kong, the People’s Republic, and Taiwan), Japan, and Korea.

EALC 130g East Asian Ethical Thought (4, FaSp) Introduction to the history of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ethical thought; perspectives on human nature, historical writing, religious options, and aesthetic implications. Conducted in English.

EALC 145g Introduction to Chinese Culture, Art and Literature (4, FaSp) Introduction to the civilization, art and literature of pre-modern China through the lens of the cultural products of identity.

EALC 204 Chinese III (4, Fa) Conversational practice: reading of stories and essays; writing of short essays. Prerequisite: EALC 106.

EALC 206 Chinese IV (4, Sp) Continuation of 204, with emphasis on reading and writing, frequent interaction with native speakers. Prerequisite: EALC 204.

EALC 215 Korean III (4, Fa) Drill to increase proficiency in dialogue, reading, and writing; intermediate level readings. Prerequisite: EALC 117.

EALC 217 Korean IV (4, Sp) Advanced level reading of modern Korean and exercises in written composition. Prerequisite: EALC 215.

EALC 220 Japanese III (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of EALC 122. Conversation practice, basic to intermediate grammar, and building proficiency of reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana with additional kanji. Prerequisite: EALC 122.

EALC 222 Japanese IV (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of EALC 220. More sophisticated grammar and vocabulary for natural conversation. Enhancing fundamental reading and writing skills, expanding the knowledge of kanji. Prerequisite: EALC 220.

EALC 264g Asian Aesthetic and Literary Tradition (4) (Enroll in COLT 264g)

EALC 304 Advanced Modern Chinese I (4, Fa) Reading selections from different styles of modern Chinese writings, analysis of stylistic techniques and syntactic structure, composition, and translation. Prerequisite: EALC 206.

EALC 306 Advanced Modern Chinese II (4, Sp) Continuation of EALC 304; composition exercises in different styles of writing. Prerequisite: EALC 304.

EALC 315 Advanced Korean I (4, Fa) Advanced reading in modern Korean materials; improvement of skills in conversation, composition, and translation. Prerequisite: EALC 217.

EALC 317 Advanced Korean II (4, Sp) Continuation of EALC 315, with emphasis on the use of Chinese characters, translation, and composition exercises. Prerequisite: EALC 315.

EALC 318 Readings in Contemporary Korean (4, FaSpSm) Selected readings in a variety of Korean styles. Materials are from essays, short stories and newspapers. Prerequisite: EALC 217.

EALC 320 Advanced Japanese I (4) Strengthen intermediate Japanese language proficiency. Oral/aural communication skills as well as reading and writing skills. Promote an understanding of the present-day Japanese culture. Prerequisite: EALC 222.

EALC 322 Advanced Japanese II (4, FaSp) Continuation of EALC 320. Improve and strengthen abilities to speak, listen, read and write, coping with more involved materials and situation. Prerequisite: EALC 320.

EALC 332 Korean Literature in English Translation (4, Fa) Introduction to Korean literature, with discussion of critical approaches to literary discourse, historical contexts of literary production, and aspects of contemporary popular culture.

EALC 335m Literature of the Korean People (4, FaSp) Examination of the literature of the Korean people, both native writings as well as works written outside of Korea. Focus on issues and topics central to the Korean-American experience, as well as experiences within Korea and throughout Asia.

EALC 340g Japanese Civilization (4, FaSp) Survey of the main characteristics and development of art, literature, philosophy, religion, political and social institutions through different periods. Conducted in English.

EALC 342g Japanese Literature and Culture (4, FaSp) Japanese literature from the earliest times to the present; development of prose, poetry and the novel; evolution of theatre; Japanese literature under Western influence. Conducted in English.

EALC 344g Korean Literature and Culture (4, Sp) The history of Korean literature and culture from the ancient to the modern era. Recommended preparation: HIST 105.

EALC 345 Korean Civilization (4) Survey of the main characteristics and development of Korean art, literature, philosophy, religion, political and social institutions through different periods. Conducted in English.

EALC 350g Chinese Civilization (4, FaSp) Characteristics and aspects of Chinese civilization; interpretation of philosophy, literature, religion, art, music. Conducted in English.

EALC 352g Chinese Literature and Culture (4, FaSp) Readings of Chinese poetry, prose, novels and drama; influence of the West on Chinese literature and culture in modern times. Conducted in English.

EALC 354g Modern Chinese Literature in Translation (4) Readings in modern Chinese poetry, fiction, and drama since 1919.

EALC 355 Studies in Chinese Thought (4) Chinese thought, particularly as formulated in the three great traditions: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism.

EALC 365 Studies in Japanese Thought (4) Influence of native traditions and imported Chinese traditions on Japanese civilization; religious, ethical, aesthetic, and political aspects.

EALC 374 Language and Society in East Asia (4) The interaction of language with society in countries of East Asia: language and identity, the politicization of language, language change, language and gender.

EALC 375 Women and Gender in China: Past and Present (4) An examination of changes in sex roles and in constructs of the female as influenced by traditional Chinese thought and later social developments.

EALC 380 Cultural Topics in East Asian Literature (4) Selected themes, genres, and periods in East Asian literature, e.g., Taoism and Buddhism, women, folktales.

EALC 383 Later Chinese Art (4) (Enroll in AHIS 385)

EALC 384 Early Chinese Art (4) (Enroll in AHIS 384)

EALC 386 Readings in Modern Korean Literature (4) Selected readings from modern Korean short stories, novels, plays and essays. Readings will be in English and Korean. Prerequisite: EALC 217.

EALC 387 Early Japanese Art (4) (Enroll in AHIS 386)

EALC 388 Later Japanese Art (4) (Enroll in AHIS 387)

EALC 390 Special Problems (1-4) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.

EALC 400 Classical Chinese I (4) Introduction to the classical styles, selections from classical style writings, contrastive analysis of modern and classical Chinese, translation and writing practice. Prerequisite: EALC 206.

EALC 402 Classical Chinese II (4) Continuation of EALC 400.

EALC 404 Advanced Modern Chinese III (4, Fa) Readings in modern Chinese literary, documentary, and epistolary styles; stylistic and syntactic analysis; composition; translation. Prerequisite: EALC 306.

EALC 406 Advanced Modern Chinese IV (4, Sp) Continuation of EALC 404.

EALC 407 News and Web Chinese (4) Reading selections from newspaper articles and online reports to further develop proficiency in advanced Chinese and understanding of the society and culture. Prerequisite: EALC 306.

EALC 410 Chinese-English Translation (4) Structure, vocabulary, and techniques of written translation and oral interpretation; classroom and laboratory practice; English-Chinese and Chinese-English.

EALC 412ab Business Chinese (4-4) a: Practice in the basic vocabulary and idioms of foreign trade and other commercial transactions in Mandarin. Prerequisite: EALC 206. b: Continuation of EALC 412a.

EALC 413 Business Japanese (4, FaSpSm) Practical advanced level Japanese business terms and their usage in a variety of business situations; cultural insights on Japanese customs that underline business transactions in Japan. Prerequisite: EALC 322.

EALC 415 Advanced Korean III (4, Fa) Selected readings in Korean texts, pre-modern and modern, in various literary and non-fiction genres; focus on developing reading and translation skills. Prerequisite: EALC 317.

EALC 417 Advanced Korean IV (4, Sp) Continuation of EALC 415.

EALC 418 Korean Writing in Mixed Script (4, FaSp) Selected readings in Korean texts written in mixed script; a systematic study of Chinese characters and translation of text. Prerequisite: EALC 217.

EALC 419 Newspaper and Documentary Korean (4, FaSp) Selected readings from newspapers, magazines, and other journalistic publications; analysis of styles and practice in writing articles. Prerequisite: EALC 217.

EALC 422 Advanced Japanese III (4, Fa) Students develop advanced levels of Japanese linguistic knowledge and communication skills through speaking, listening, reading and writing activities using authentic Japanese texts and discourse. Prerequisite: EALC 322.

EALC 424 Advanced Japanese IV (4, Sp) Continuation of EALC 422. Students continue to improve their Japanese language competence in the course of acquiring Japanese pragmatic skills and cultural knowledge. Prerequisite: EALC 422.

EALC 426 Classical Japanese (4) Introduction to the fundamentals of classical grammar; readings from various classical works, both poetry and prose; translation practice. Prerequisite: EALC 322.

EALC 427 Women’s Lives in Premodern Japanese Literature (4, Fa) The social lives of women in ancient and medieval Japan as viewed through poetry, memoir, tale literature, legal documents, and personal correspondence. Recommended preparation: Any course in Japanese literature or civilization.

EALC 428 Nature and the Environment in Japanese Literature and Culture (4, Sp) Examination of cultural perceptions about nature and how they affect attitudes toward the environment: includes comparisons to Euro-American as well as other East Asian traditions.

EALC 429 Gender in Korean Film and Literature (4, Sp) Changing representations of gender in Korean films and literary works over the course of the 20th century. Recommended preparation: HIST 105 and EALC 332.

EALC 431 The Taoist Tradition (4) Close reading of primary text(s) of early Chinese Taoist thinkers (in translation), along with analysis of relevant secondary scholarship. Recommended preparation: EALC 355 or REL 131.

EALC 452 Chinese Fiction (4) Development of Chinese fiction and readings from English translations of major Chinese novels such as the Dream of the Red Chamber, All Men are Brothers, and others. Conducted in English.

EALC 454 Bildungsroman in Modern East Asia (4, Sp) Comparative study of core narratives of youth and its destiny in modern literature from China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Readings include scholarship on European literature.

EALC 455 Japanese Fiction (4) Japanese fiction from early to modern times; literary, philosophical, and social aspects of tales and novels. Conducted in English.

EALC 460 Love, Self and Gender in Japanese Literature (4, Sp) Examines conceptions of love, self, gender, and sexuality in Japanese literature and culture of the modern and pre-modern periods with comparisons to European and Chinese literature.

EALC 470 Introduction to East Asian Linguistics (4) Survey of the sound systems, writing systems, grammatical systems, historical development, and social environments of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages. Prerequisite: EALC 406 or EALC 417 or EALC 424 or departmental approval.

EALC 481 Studies in Japanese Art (4, max 16) (Enroll in AHIS 481)

EALC 484 Studies in Chinese Art (4, max 16) (Enroll in AHIS 484)

EALC 490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

EALC 494ab Honors Thesis (4, Fa; 4, Sp) Research and writing of original thesis under guidance of faculty member. Open only to EALC majors.

EALC 499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8)

EALC 500 Advanced Classical Chinese I (4) Reading in classical Chinese and practice in classical vocabulary and syntax, with emphasis on translation into English and modern Chinese. Prerequisite: EALC 402.

EALC 501 History of Chinese Literature (4) An in-depth survey of literary development concerning periods, thought, genres, and socio-cultural backgrounds in China. In English.

EALC 502 Advanced Classical Chinese II (4) Continuation of EALC 500. Prerequisite: EALC 500.

EALC 503 Chinese Poetry (4) Literary studies of the theory and practice of Chinese poetry from major poets. Prerequisite: 4th year Chinese.

EALC 504 Selections from Modern Chinese Literature (4) Literary currents and representative writings of the 20th century. Prerequisite: EALC 306.

EALC 505 Introduction to East Asian Languages and Cultures (4, FaSp) An in-depth introduction to East Asian studies. Open to graduate students only.

EALC 506 Selections from Classical Chinese Literature (4) Writings of the important periods and genres of Chinese literary history. Prerequisite: EALC 406.

EALC 507 East Asia in Cross-Cultural Theories (4, FaSp) Introduction to major theoretical paradigms particularly relevant to the study of East Asian cultures. Seminal Western theoretical texts with studies on East Asia.

EALC 510 Contemporary Japanese Cinema (4, Fa) Japanese cinema since the 1980s focusing on the works by filmmakers.

EALC 512 Japanese Literature and Film (4, FaSp) Relationship between Japanese literature and film, focusing on the transition from literary text to film text. Open to graduate students only.

EALC 515 Classical Japanese Poetics (4) An analysis of major texts of the Japanese literary tradition from the 8th to the 16th century.

EALC 520 Modern Japanese Writers (4) Selections illustrative of major literary trends and literary works since the Meiji Restoration. Prerequisite: EALC 422.

EALC 522 Classical Japanese Writers (4) Writings representative of important periods and genres of Japanese literary history up to the Meiji Restoration. Prerequisite: EALC 426.

EALC 531 Proseminar in Chinese Cultural History (4) Intensive readings in English concerning interpretive issues in the study of Chinese cultural history.

EALC 532 Proseminar in Korean Cultural History (4) Introduction to Korean cultural and social history through intensive reading of the English-language literature on Korean history and culture.

EALC 533 Proseminar in Japanese Cultural History (4) Intensive readings, chronologically arranged, in interpretive issues in the study of Japanese cultural history. Readings in English.

EALC 535 Proseminar in Chinese Visual Culture (4, FaSp) Chinese visual culture through the complex interface of art and thought. Examines architectural layout, pictorial representation, decorative motif as part of cultural production that intertwines with intellectual trends.

EALC 537 Structure of the Korean Language (4) Description and theoretical analysis of phonology, morphology and syntax of modern Korean; comprehensive view of the properties of the Korean structure. Prerequisite: EALC 470.

EALC 541 Seminar: Japan (4) Social, economic, political, and cultural problems in modern Japan. Bibliographic and reference materials. Prerequisite: HIST 436.

EALC 543 Seminar: Japanese Literature (4) Readings in original texts in the works of selected major writers; lectures dealing with intellectual and cultural backgrounds of the periods and the authors. Prerequisite: EALC 520, EALC 522 or departmental approval.

EALC 545 Japanese Literary Criticism and Theory (4) Representative theories of literature; history of classical and modern literary criticism. Prerequisite: EALC 520, EALC 522 or departmental approval.

EALC 547 Structure of the Japanese Language (4) Descriptive analysis of phonetic, phonological, and grammatical structure of Japanese. Conducted in English. Prerequisite: EALC 470.

EALC 551 Seminar: China (4) Individual research and seminar reports on selected phases of Chinese traditional civilization.

EALC 553 Seminar: Chinese Literature (4) Research in different genres of Chinese literature, traditional and modern.

EALC 555 Chinese Literary Criticism and Theory (4) Classical and modern literary theories and criticism; comparisons with literary theory and criticism in the West.

EALC 556 Seminar on Women and the Family in China (4) An introduction to the current state of research on women and the family in China, and training in feminist analytic approaches for further work in the China field of other areas.

EALC 557 Structure of the Chinese Language (4) Descriptive analysis of phonology, morphology, and syntax of modern Chinese. Conducted in English. Prerequisite: EALC 404.

EALC 558 History of the Chinese Language (4) Evolution of the Chinese language from the earliest time to the present: lectures and the reading of texts. Conducted in English. Prerequisite: EALC 557.

EALC 560 Comparative Syntax of East Asian Languages (4, max 12, FaSp) Descriptive-comparative study of the Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages with an emphasis on their structures, range of properties, similarities and dissimilarities. Prerequisite: EALC 537 or EALC 547 or EALC 557.

EALC 561 Topics and Issues in East Asian Linguistics (4, max 12) Descriptive and theoretical analysis of the grammars of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean; emphasis on comparative studies of these languages and English.

EALC 562 Teaching of the East Asian Languages (4) Materials and methods in teaching East Asian languages; application of methods and techniques of foreign/second language teaching to East Asian language teaching. Prerequisite: EALC 537 or EALC 547 or EALC 557 or departmental approval.

EALC 565 Bibliography and Research Methods in Chinese Studies (4) An introduction to reference works and research methods in all fields on sinology; works in Chinese, Japanese and Western languages.

EALC 570 Narratives of Desire in Modern Chinese Literature (4, FaSp) The study of prominent fiction women writers from the first half of the 20th century in English and original translations. Open to graduate students only. Prerequisite: EALC 553.

EALC 575 Literary and Artistic Movements in Modern China (4, FaSp) Introduction to literary and artistic movements in 20th century China. Open to graduate students only.

EALC 580 Readings in East Asian Linguistics (4, max 12, FaSp) Survey of some representative works in generative grammar since the mid ’60s, including those that deal with similar phenomena in the contexts of more recent theoretical frameworks as well as non-generative grammatical works on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

EALC 588ab Directed Readings (2-2) Assigned readings according to individual needs.

EALC 590 Directed Research (1-12) Research leading to the master’s degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

EALC 594abz Master’s Thesis (2-2-0) Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

EALC 599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, FaSpSm) Special topics in East Asian Languages and Cultures.

EALC 601 Professional Development I: Applying for Positions (2, Fa) (Enroll in COLT 601).

EALC 603 Professional Development II: Publication (2, Sp) (Enroll in COLT 603).

EALC 610 Seminar: Buddhism and the Literary Arts in Japan (4) Seminar on the impact of Buddhism on the literary tradition of medieval Japan. Selected topics.

EALC 620 Seminar in East Asian Linguistics (4, max 12, FaSp) Detailed theoretical discussions and empirical studies of the issues and development in East Asian linguistics.

EALC 650 Research Seminar in Chinese Documents (4) An introduction to the different genres of documents for the study of Chinese civilization, and training in their use.

EALC 794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2-2-2-2-0) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.