Freshman Seminar
Course Outline
Topics to be Discussed and Approximate Schedule: (Subject to revision)
Lecture 1. Ground Rules, Expectations, Goals, Your responsibilities
- An
Introduction to India,
its languages and its culture as defined by its languages
- The
Language Map of the world (HTML)
- Languages
of the World and Indo-European and Dravidian language families
- Language Families (bit map) of the Indian
subcontinent
- States
and Languages of Indian sub-continent
(bit map)
- Language
as an identity marker
- German
as the national language of the USA?
- Political
consequences of the language divides
- Administrative
divisions of India based on Language
- Language
Wars in India
and Linguistic Division of India
- Introducing
Telugu script - Vowels(HTML)
and pronunciation – Commit these to
memory
- Transliteration
of Telugu in Roman script using Rice University's Inverse Transliteration
(RIT)
- Reading Assignment 1: An Introduction to Telugu(HTML) (20
minutes to read)
Lecture 2. Introduction to Indian Literature
- Vedic
period: vE-dAs, u-pa-ni-shads, pu-rA-NAs (vE-dic language is very similar
to Sanskrit)
- Epic
period: rA-mA-ya-Na, ma-hA-bhA-ra-ta,
bha-ga-vad-gI-ta (Sanskrit)
- Classical
period: Primarily Sanskrit
- Pre-modern
period: Primarily translations from Sanskrit to regional languages
- Modern
Period: Moghal/Muslim period and the British period
- Post-Modern:
Women's movement, upliftment of downtrodden classes, etc.
- Reading Assignment 2: Synopsis of the story of Mahabharata(60
minutes to read)
Lecture 3. Comparison of Telugu with other (Indian) languages
- Collect
HW#1. Discussion on Reading assignment and HW assignment. Every student will be asked to say aloud the vowels
- Introducing
Telugu script – Consonants
(HTML) - Commit these to memory
- Scientific
(Linguistic, phonetic) basis for the arrangement of the letters of the
alphabet in Indian languages
- Commonality
of sounds and diversity of shapes in Indian alphabets
- Comparison
of Telugu script with Sanskrit,
(HTML) Hindi and Tamil (HTML) scripts
- Comparison
of Telugu with English
- Comparison
of Indian langauges with European languages
- Homework Assignment 2: Memorize the sounds
of the Telugu consonant-vowel combinations. The easiest way to do this
is to memorize them in the same order they are presented in the class.
Practice saying aloud the vowels and consonants and commit them to memory.
Write down the consonant-vowel combinations in RIT from memory (Due a
week from today) – I will make you recall these sounds in the
class.
Lecture 4. Narrative summary of mahAbharata epic
Lecture 5. Introduction to spoken Telugu and Pronunciation Guidelines
- "Collect
HW#2". Students will be asked to recite the vowels and consonants
- Secondary forms of Vowels (HTML)
- Combining
Consonants with Vowels– CV Combinations (HTML)
- Word
formation
- Influence
of Sanskrit on Telugu alphabet, vocabulary and grammar
- Suffixes,
prefixes and creation of new words
- Influence
of English on Telugu vocabulary and grammar
- Pronunciation
of Telugu and Sanskrit words and pharses
- Common
mistakes made by Westerners
Lecture 6. Discussion on ma-hA-bhA-ra-ta
- Concept
of Dharma (personal dahrma and social dharma)
- Polygamy
and polyandry in Mahabharata time
Lecture 7. Building Vocabulary
Lecture 8. Narrative summary of rA-mA-ya-Na epic
Lecture 9. Sentence formation
- Pronouns:
Various degrees of social honorifics in addressing in a social hierarchy
- Terms
of endearment
- Relation
between Language and Culture
- Cultural
concepts that are not easy to translate or explain
- eMgili,
maDi, mEnarikaM, gobbiLLu, sacredness of cows, arranged marriages, etc.
Lecture 10. Telugu Literary Wealth
- Translations
from Sanskrit
- Epic/Religious
themes
- Simple
verses – Moral verse collections
- Satakams
- Religious
themes
- Secular
themes – Suamti Satakam and Vemana Satakam
- Modern
Telugu Originals –
- gurajADa
appAravu – kanyAsulkaM (Buying a Bride)
- srI
srI – (1910-1983) Revolutionary poet
- calaM
– (1895- 197?) Social Reformer – Women's rights
- Telugu Fiction – an essay
Lecture 11. Travel in Telugu-speaking country
- Building
Vocabulary, Conversations
- Buying
things in the market place
- Asking
directions
Lecture 12. Telugu Music
Lecture 13. Building vocabulary, Conversations
Department of Applied Science
University of California
at Davis
Davis, CA
95616-8562
Page last modified on 4/9/2004