HINDI 312AA, WINTER 2008
हिंदी ३१२- एए, शीतकाल २००८
Instructor: Prem Pahlajrai, 231 Gowen Hall, 206-543-4996, prem@u.washington.edu
Lecture: T Th 9:30-10:20 Smith Hall 211.
Section: MWF 9:30-10:20 Smith Hall 309.
Office Hours: M 1:30-2:20, W 11:30-12:20 and by appointment.
Teaching Assistant: Christine Karwoski, 112 Lewis Annex 1, 206-543-4439, chk2107@u.washington.edu
TA Office Hours: Th F 10:30-11:20 and by appointment.
Texts and Dictionaries.
Required:
1. Rupert Snell with Simon Weightman. Teach Yourself Hindi. London: Teach Yourself Books. Book/CD Package.
2. R. S. McGregor. The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Optional:
3. Kamil Bulcke. An English-Hindi Dictionary (अँग्रेज़ी-हिंदी कोश). Delhi: S. Chand and Sons.
4. M. C. Shapiro. A Primer of Modern Standard Hindi. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
All above books are available at the University Bookstore. Item (4) is strongly recommended and will be useful later in the quarter
Overall Goals for Quarter and Year. The main objective for the first-year Hindi course sequence (Hindi 311-312-313) is the enabling of students to develop usable proficiency in Hindi in each of a number of distinct skills, namely, speaking, reading, writing, listing, and knowledge of formal grammar. The course of study is designed in such a way as to enable students to develop their abilities with regard to each of these skills in a parallel manner. The primary text for the course is the Snell and Weightman Teach Yourself Hindi volume, which addresses each of the basic skills. The book contains 18 chapters plus appendices. We will complete sixteen chapters of the book by the end of Spring Quarter and Chapter 12 by the end of Winter Quarter. We will be using the book in a comprehensive matter, which means we will be covering (and students will be responsible for) all grammar, conversations, readings, vocabulary, etc. The Shapiro Primer will be used as a supplementary text and reference source. You will be asked to read it in those instances where the explanations in Teach Yourself Hindi are skimpy and in need of elaboration. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, both sections meet jointly for either grammar lectures or unit tests, the remaining days, each section meets at their assigned time and place for more active practice, drills, and supplemental activities.
There will be a greater emphasis on spoken Hindi this quarter, culminating in the development of a final project, a script of a conversation between two individuals or a monologue, showcasing all the grammatical forms and idioms you have learned through Winter quarter. Students will also be take an oral exam the last day of class which will take the form of a five minute unscripted interview and will constitute at least 10% of the final exam score. Details will be provided by Week 6. Possession of Bulcke’s English-Hindi Dictionary will be a great asset for this exercise.
Grading: The final grade for Hindi 312 is based on the following factors: five unit tests and six vocabulary quizzes (25%); two-hour final examination (25%); weekly dictations (5%); written homework assignments (25%); final project script (10%); and spoken drill work (10%). Your two lowest homework grades and the (one) lowest dictation score will be forgiven. There is no midterm examination.
Policy on Late Homework Assignments, Missed Quizzes and Related Matters. Each written homework assignment will be graded on a ten-point scale. Missing or unexcused late homework will earn a grade of zero. Makeup examinations will be given only under exceptional circumstances, such as death in the family, serious illness, etc., and with appropriate medical or other documentation. All homework assignments are to be turned in at the beginning of class on the day due. Classes will begin promptly at half past the hour and students are expected to be in class on time. Students should take note of the dates of quizzes and examinations (including the final examination). Requests for the rescheduling of examinations are not granted. NOTE CAREFULLY THE DATE OF THE FINAL EXAMINATION, INCLUDING THE ORAL EXAM THE FRIDAY BEFORE. IT IS NOT PERMITTED TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION EARLY. Make your travel plans for the break accordingly.
Policy on Handwriting. Neatness counts. You are expected to write all of you Hindi in an acceptable handwriting. In order to assist you in developing such a handwriting, you are required to turn in all of your work on paper that has been ruled specially for writing in Devanāgarī. This paper is similar to the paper that is sold for pedagogical use in India. Each student is supplied with two sheets of this paper. Please duplicate one of these to obtain additional copies for doing your homework. Ensure that the lines are not darker than your handwriting. In addition, all homework is to be done in pencil, with no crossovers or crossouts (i.e., errors are to be erased and corrected). Homework written in unacceptably sloppy handwriting will be graded down. Students are advised to invest in a good eraser. Note that this quarter you are expected to use four-line ruled paper in place of the five-line paper you used last quarter. Copies of the four-line paper can be downloaded from:
http://courses.washington.edu/hindi31x/4linePg.rtf
Attendance and Student Responsibility. Students enrolled in Hindi 312 are expected to attend all class sessions and are held responsible for material covered in those session. It for any reason you are unable to attend a class session, it is your responsibility to find out from another student what was covered in that session and whether any assignments or instructions were given out while you were absent. Attendance will be taken in each class. It is in your best interests to inform your instructor at the earliest possible regarding any circumstances that might cause you to miss class. While in class, the student’s conduct needs to be such that a productive learning environment for all is maintained. Students engaging in behavior that distracts other students or interferes in the ability of the instructor to teach will be asked to leave the classroom and will be considered as absent on that day. Use of cell phones and portable audio devices is not permitted during class. Use of such items during tests is grounds for disqualification of ones score in that particular test.
Enrollment Restrictions: Because it is quite possible that students enrolled in Hindi 312 may already have some exposure to or proficiency in Hindi, it is important that the University of Washington policy concerning taking language courses at the first and second-year level be understood. This policy reads as follows:
First-year (elementary) or second-year (intermediate) foreign-language credit is not granted either by examination or by course completion in a student’s native language. “Native language” is defined as the language, or one of the languages, spoken in the student’s home during the first six years of his or her life and in which he or she received instruction through the seventh grade.
Students who misrepresent the extent of their background so as to gain entrance to a course at the elementary of intermediate level may be dropped from the rolls of that course. Students who have questions as to whether they are prohibited from taking Hindi 312 according to this policy should speak with one of the instructors so as to obtain a suitable placement in a Hindi course at the appropriate level.
Issues with Instruction: If you have any concerns about the course, your instructor or your TA, please see the instructor about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the instructor or not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact the Chair of the Dept. of Asian Language and Literature, Dr. Michael Shapiro, Gowen 225, (206)543-4996, hindimcs@u.washington.edu. If you are still not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may also contact the Graduate School, G-1 Communications Bldg, (206)543-5900, efeetham@u.washington.edu.