SELECTED TOPICS IN ANGLOPHONE CULTURES
Specific content : “KEY MOMENTS IN LIFE”
Dr. Margaret Lee Meno, Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 14:00-13:00, cubicle D221,
2nd floor, D building. By appointment.
Emails: [email protected]
[email protected]
GENERAL OBJECTIVES FOR ALL SELECTED TOPICS UEA:
At the end of the course, the student will be able to handle the knowledge and skills that
correspond to the last stage of the C1 level of the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages and the last stage of the advanced level of the National Standards
for Foreign Language Education (USA).
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR ALL SELECTED TOPICS UEA:
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1.
Deal with and discuss in English current and relevant topics in the study of
Anglophone cultures.
2.
Interpret Anglophone cultures from an intercultural perspective.
3.
Develop criteria concerning the various processes, products, and perspectives of
Anglophone cultures.
4.
Perfect linguistic and communicative skills at the advanced level in English through
the interpersonal, interpretive, and expository modes of communication.
Synthesis of Content for Selected Topics: Key Moments in Life:
The student will critically study the representation of key moments in human life as shown in
films, poems, autobiographical and literary readings from the United States and New
Zealand, coupled with supplementary texts on specific films, cinematic language and terms,
the nature of poetry, biographies of authors/poets, and recordings of poems and songs.
Methodology:
The student will be viewing/reading films and poems in class, followed by analysis and
discussion. Some supplementary texts will be read in class, but most will be read as
homework beforehand. The student will be assigned to report orally to the class short
biographical notes on the various film directors, poets or writers, or on the film or poem
itself. There will be written assignments pertaining to the film guides and poems. Depending
on time, there will be an exposition at the end of the course on a topic chosen by the student
pertaining to the contents of the course.
Written Homework:
All written assignments must be typed, double-spaced, font 12, and with your name on the
first page, upper right hand corner. Please use spell checkers; they’re a wonderful invention!
Have access to a good monolingual English dictionary as well as a bilingual one.
Evaluation:
Short oral reports on biographies of directors/authors/poets: 30%
Two written reports on films/poems: 50%
Intelligent oral participation in class: 20%
Course Materials:
Please buy at the Papelería “Los Cuadernos” (outside the UAMI behind Centro de Cómputo
en Rectoría) the entire packet (“Key Moments in Life,” M. Lee) before the course begins.
Have them bound. Bring all materials to every session.
All films are in the Centro de Estudio Auto-dirigido (CEA) if you miss a class or wish to
view them (or partially) again. All have subtitles in English.
Program Schedule (subject to change, if necessary)
Weeks 1-2
Introduction to the course. Definitions of the arts.. “Seven Ages of Man” by W. Shakespeare.
Assign biographical short reports. Tim Dirks Guide to Rebel without a Cause. M. Lee guide
to RWC. Projection of film and discussion. Poem, “This Be the Verse,” by Philip Larkin.
Weeks 3-4
Film, Hoosiers. M. Lee guide to H.. Projection and discussion. Poem, “To an Athlete Dying
Young,” by A. E. Housman. Song, “The Circle Game” by Joni Mitchell. “Appendix A,
“Glossary of Film Terms.”
Weeks 5-6
Film, Finding Forrester. M. Lee guide to FF. Projection and discussion. Poem, “Theme for
English B,” by Langston Hughes.
Weeks 7-8
Film, An Angel at My Table. M. Lee guide to AAMT. Projection and discussion. Selections
from the autobiography of Janet Frame.
Weeks 9-10
Film, The Mosquito Coast. M. Lee guide to MC. Projection and discussion. Last chapter and
epilogue of The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux. Poem, “Father,” by Edgar Guest.
Week 11
Final discussions of films and poems. Evaluations.
Bibliography
Films:
An Angel at My Table. DVD. 1989 (2005). Dir. Jane Campion. The Criterion Collection, with
special features. Subtitles in English. 158 minutes.
Finding Forrester. DVD. 2000 (2005). Dir. Gus Van Sant. Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures
Home Entertainment. Subtitles in English. 136 minutes.
Hoosiers. DVD.1986 (2000). Dir. David Anspaugh. MGM Home Entertainment. Closed
captions in English. 115. Minutes.
The Mosquito Coast. DVD. 1986 (1999). Dir. Peter Weir. Warner Home video. Subtitles in
English. 118 minutes.
Rebel without a Cause. DVD. 1955 (1999). Dir. Nicholas Ray. Warner Home Video with
special features. Subtitles in English. 111 minutes.
Poetry, Song, and Literature:
“The Seven Ages of Man.” William Shakespeare, from his play, As You Like It, II.vii 139166.In audio CD, Seven Ages: An Anthology of Poetry with Music. CD 1, Track 2. Read by
Sir Ian McKellen. Selection, production and direction by Sean Murphy. 1998. Naxos
Audiobooks. NA 215712.
“This Be the Verse.” Philip Larkin. 1971. In Poetry Speaks. How Great Poets Read Their
Work from Tennyson to Plath. 2001. Editors Elise Pashen & Rebekah Presson Mosby.
Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks MediaFusion. P. 267.
“The Circle Game.” 1966. Music and lyrics by Joni Mitchell. In Joni Mitchell Hits. 1996.
Reprise, Time-Warner Co. 9-46326-2.
“To an Athlete Dying Young.” A. E. Housman. Consulted April 27, 2011 at
http://www.poets.org/printmedia.ph/.prmMediaID/19373
“Theme for English B.” Langston Hughes. Consulted April 28, 2011 at
http://www.poets.org/printmedia.ph/.prmMediaID/15614
“Father.” Edgar Guest. Consulted April 27, 2011 at
http://www.poets.org/printmedia.ph/.prmMediaID/20860
Frame, Janet. 1999. An Autobiography. Vol. 2: An Angel at My Table. New York, NY:
George Braziller. P. 220-223.
Frame, Janet. An Autobiography. Vol. 2: An Angel at My Table. Excerpts from booklet
accompanying The Criterion Collection DVD, An Angel at My Table. Pp. 15-18; 24-27.
Theroux, Paul. 1982. The Mosquito Coast. Boston; MA: Houghton Mifflin. Pp. 361-374.
Supplementary texts:
“Appendix A: Glossary of Film Terms.” In Film. 2001. Susan Stempleski & Barry Tomalin.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. 140-145.
“Some Basic Definitions about the Arts.” Compiled by M. Lee.
“Filmsite Movie Review, Rebel without a Cause (1955).” Tim Dirks, The Greatest Films.
Consulted April 27, 2011 at http://www.filmsite.org/rebel.html
The Mosquito Coast, Memorable quotes from film. Dr. J. Vivaldo.
Film guides to Rebel without a Cause, Hoosiers, Finding Forrester, An Angel at My Table,
and The Mosquito Coast, M. Lee.