SEASIAN M20
Visible Language: Study of Writing
Description: (Same as Asian M20, Indo-European Studies M20, Near Eastern Languages M20, and Slavic M20.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Consideration of concrete means of language representation in writing systems. Earliest representations of language known are those of Near East dating to end of 4th millennium BC. While literate civilizations of Egypt, Indus Valley, China, and Mesoamerica left little evidence of corresponding earliest developments, their antiquity and, in case of China and Mesoamerica, their evident isolation mark these centers as loci of independent developments in writing. Basic characteristics of early scripts, assessment of modern alphabetic writing systems, and presentation of conceptual basis of semiotic language representation. Origins and development of early non-Western writing systems. How Greco-Roman alphabet arose in 1st millennium BC and how it compares to other modern writing systems. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Spring 2017 - I do not recommend taking this class as a GE. The professor is really nice and helpful but he doesn't podcast his lectures and his lecture slides don't give a lot of information so attendance is mandatory. The tests he gives are incredibly hard and focus on the smallest details of the information learned. He even tests the memorization of the Phoenician alphabet. There is a group project with about 5 people to create a writing system, which was really difficult to do and took a lot of time outside of class. There is a final paper that you have to write about 5 pages long with a ton of requirements regarding sources, the layout, etc. The information was interesting but not enough to take it for a GE.
Spring 2017 - I do not recommend taking this class as a GE. The professor is really nice and helpful but he doesn't podcast his lectures and his lecture slides don't give a lot of information so attendance is mandatory. The tests he gives are incredibly hard and focus on the smallest details of the information learned. He even tests the memorization of the Phoenician alphabet. There is a group project with about 5 people to create a writing system, which was really difficult to do and took a lot of time outside of class. There is a final paper that you have to write about 5 pages long with a ton of requirements regarding sources, the layout, etc. The information was interesting but not enough to take it for a GE.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - I disagree with the other review saying this class was boring (but to each their own). Professor Yates is super passionate and he's a very engaging lecturer. I admit some of the readings were a little long and dense, and I skipped out on a few of them, but the history is super cool to learn. He also brought in a few guest lecturers that were super interesting to listen to, as they each focused on a very specific field of linguistic history. The discussion sections are mandatory but they were super fun to attend as the TA often led interactive activities like carving your name into clay using hieroglyphs. Overall this class was a super fun way to knock out the linguistic GE requirement, so I definitely recommend it.
Spring 2024 - I disagree with the other review saying this class was boring (but to each their own). Professor Yates is super passionate and he's a very engaging lecturer. I admit some of the readings were a little long and dense, and I skipped out on a few of them, but the history is super cool to learn. He also brought in a few guest lecturers that were super interesting to listen to, as they each focused on a very specific field of linguistic history. The discussion sections are mandatory but they were super fun to attend as the TA often led interactive activities like carving your name into clay using hieroglyphs. Overall this class was a super fun way to knock out the linguistic GE requirement, so I definitely recommend it.
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