CLAC Offerings For 2026-2027
Fall 2026
CGST 240: Introduction to Tamazight: The Native Language of North Africa and Beyond (CLAC.50) Prof. Amir Aissa
This course will introduce students to the language (sounds and script) and culture of the Amazigh people, an ethnic group (commonly known as Berbers) native to North Africa and West Africa, specifically Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, northern Mali, and Niger, with some oases in Egypt and the Canary Islands.
The Tamazight language--the alphabet of which is called Tifinagh--has been a written language for almost 3000 years, although it was disrupted throughout history due to various invasions and conquests of the area. The Tuareg people of the Sahara desert in Northern Africa, and as of late Morocco and Algeria, have been using the Tifinagh alphabet (oldest dated inscription from about 200 BC) and the Tamzight language as a secondary national language.
The objectives of this course are: 1. To introduce students to the sounds and script of Tifinagh; 2. To teach students basic conversation and essential elements of the Tamazight language; and 3. To familiarize students with the culture of the different Amazigh peoples.
CGST 323/CJST 315: Hebrew in the Media: From National Literature to International Films and TV Shows (CLAC .50) Prof. Dalit Katz
This new language course is offered as an enrichment opportunity to students with intermediate or advanced Hebrew skills who are interested in improving all their language skills and/or acquiring additional linguistic and cultural preparation for study abroad in Israel. Cultural activities including participating in the series Contemporary Israeli Voices and Lunch and Learn meetings with native speakers are part of the course. The course explores the changes in Israeli society as it moves from national ideological literature to the exploration of new multi-cultural media such as films and TV shows and thus gaining swift international fame.
Spring 2026
CGST 243: Die Grenzen meiner Sprache bedeuten die Grenzen meiner Welt (CLAC.50) Prof. Daniel Smyth
This CLAC will explore the practice of translating philosophical German by focusing on Wittgenstein's Tractatus, its recent translations, and its (often unnamed) sources and influences -- including writings by Gottlob Frege and Immanuel Kant as well as by various Viennese intellectuals such as Karl Kraus and Otto Weininger. The Tractatus is a particularly productive focal point because it advances a theory of language and meaning that has immediate relevance for conceptualizing what is involved in translating from one language into another. In practicing translation, students will be testing the theory that they are attempting to translate. This will provide them an additional dimension in which to wrestle with the content of the text. Enrollment in the associated seminar, PHIL389/COL386, is encouraged but not required. The course is open to students at all levels of German study. Discussions will be conducted in a mixture of English and German, since we will be discussing the nuances of words and phrases in both languages. By preparing (and discussing) their own translations of texts, students will become familiar with the sorts of challenges that arise in rendering philosophical German into English and will develop strategies for negotiating these challenges. Students will also be encouraged to consider translations into other languages in which they are competent.
CGST 252/CHIN 303: Chinese Calligraphy (CLAC.25) [Chinese] Prof. Mengjun Liu
This 0.25 CLAC course will provide students with a brief understanding of the art of Chinese calligraphy through calligraphy practice. They will learn about the characteristics of Chinese calligraphy from the "Four Treasures of the Study," as the tools of calligraphy (writing brush, ink stick, ink stone, and paper). They will understand the development history of Chinese calligraphy from five basic scripts of Seal (zhuanshu), Clerical (lishu), Standard (kaishu), Semi-cursive (xingshu), and Cursive (caoshu). The course focuses on imitation and practice of the Standard script kaishu. Prerequisite: Current or future Chinese class students are preferred.
CGST 414/CJST 414: Israeli Cinema (CLAC 1.0) [Hebrew], Prof. Dalit Katz
This Hebrew course will be linked to the a parent film course, taught in English. This course is targeted toward students with very advanced knowledge of the Hebrew language. Students will mostly view the same films as the parent class, with special attention to the Hebrew language. We will analyze, discuss, and write on each of the films. The focus of the course will be to map the cultural and social changes in Israeli society reflected in the transformation in format and themes of Israeli films. Scholar visits will be part of the course, and students will attend cultural enrichment activities as part of the course curriculum. This course may be repeated for credit.