THE UNIVERSITY

_____________ of ____________

WISCONSIN

____________________________

M A D I S O N

Department of African

Languages & Literature

African 201:

Introduction to African Languages & Literature

Fall 2003

ROOM: 595 Van Hise Hall INSTRUCTOR: Dean Makuluni

VIEWING ROOM: 254 Van Hise OFFICE: 1464 Van Hise Hall

TIME: 2:30-3:45 p.m. MW TELEHONE: 608/262-3623

E-MAIL: demakuluni@facstaff.wisc.edu

OFFICE HOURS: 1.00-2.00 p.m. Mondays; 10.00 a.m.-12.00 p.m. Wednesdays, and by appointment.

Course e-mail: af201-fall03@lists.students.wisc.edu

Course website: http://african.lss.wisc.edu/makuluni/af201/

Course Description:

This course introduces students to African languages and literature. The course will begin with a survey of African languages, and the status and place of African languages in relationship to European and world languages. Then the course will examine the uses of language in various forms of expression, especially in literatures. The course also considers literary and other expression of peoples of African heritage in the African diaspora, including the Caribbean and North America. Most texts from Africa and the African diasporas deal with the consequences of African encounters with Europe and Europeans, which have been the most definitive experience of peoples of Africa over the past four centuries. We will read a variety of texts, including novels, short stories, and poems, and also view some films. We will explore the meanings that such texts produce, and the possibilities that those meanings hold for struggles for independence, freedom and self-determination, and equality and justice.

This is Communication B course. The course is reading and writing intensive. Students will engage in frequent writing assignments and a midterm examination, and will be required to produce a minimum of thirty pages of writing, including drafts of at least two assignments. Students will also be assessed on class participation and oral presentations.

Books:

The following books have been ordered through the University Bookstore, 711 State Street.

Achebe, Chinua. Arrow of God. New York: Anchor Books, 1989.

Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Seattle, WA: The Seal Press, 1988.

Marshall, Paule. Praisesong for the Widow. New York: Penguin, 1983.

Thelwell, Michael. The Harder They Come. New York: Grove Press, 1980.

African 201 Course Pack (Available at Bob’s Copy Shop at Randall Tower, 1314 West Johnson. Madison, WI 53704, across from Union South).

All books were ordered through, and are available at The University Book Store, 711 State Street, on the State Street Mall, west of Lake Street, across from the Memorial Library. You may also find copies of some of the books at the Underground Textbook Exchange, 664 State Street, Madison. The course pack is available only from Bob’s Copy Shop at Randall Tower, 1314 West Johnson Street, across from Union South.

Additional readings will be available in regular and e-reserves, both of which are available through the College Library.

Films:

The following films are required viewing for the course and will be screened as scheduled in the syllabus.

Fools. Directed by Ramadan Suleman. South Africa, 1997.

The Harder They Come. Directed by Perry Henzell. Jamaica, 1972.

Mapantsula. Directed by Oliver Schmitz & Thomas Mogotlane. South Africa, 1989.

The Language You Cry In. Produced & Directed by Alvaro Toepke and Angel Serrano; Narrated by Vertamae Grosvenor, USA & Sierra Leone, 1998.

Please note that we will view all films in 254 Van Hise Hall. Films are available in the Learning Support Services Media Library, 259 Van Hise Hall, the Memorial Library, and African Studies. You may wish to know that as students, you cannot check out materials from the Learning Support Services Media Library and African Studies. It is therefore important that you make sure that you come to class to view the films on the scheduled days; otherwise, you may not be able to do assignments that expect you to use your knowledge of the films.

Course Website

The url for the course website is given above. The website is an important link for you to the class. Among other things, the course website will allow you to access the syllabus and assignments. The course website is also a front page to WebCT, which you may also access directly at http://webct.wisc.edu

Access to WebCT, which is where the discussion section in where you will write your comments is located, among other resources, is accessible only to students registered in the course. Follow the instructions on the screen to get to the web materials for the course.

· Your username is your NetID/WiscWorld username (the name before the “@” in your UW-Madison e-mail address).

· Your password is your NetID/WiscWorld password (i.e., the password you use to access your UW-Madison e-mail).

If you have not already done so, you will need to activate your NetID username and/or NetID password. Please note that in previous years it was not possible to logout from WebCT without exiting from whatever browser you were using. It may be useful to make sure, each time you finish using your WebCT account, therefore to make sure that you quit completely from the browser to ensure that no one else can access your account without your permission.

Course Requirements

1. Attendance. Class attendance is necessary. Attend class regularly. This is not a long-distance correspondence course; the course requires your presence in the classroom during the schedule contact periods every week. Keep in mind that arriving in class late often disrupts activities that are already in progress. According to university policy as stated in Fac. Doc. 1028, which went into effect I’94-5, “any student who does attend for part of the semester, and then stops participating should be given a grade of ‘F’ unless there are grounds for assignment of ‘I’ (Incomplete). Specific to this course, you may wish to note that if you miss 40% or more of the contact hours for the course, your grade will be affected much more severely, and you could very well fail the class. Let me keep this simple: arrive in class and accomplish your assignments on time.

2. Participation. Participation requires that you be present in class to engage in the discussion of the texts we read. Make sure that you read the assigned readings for each class meeting in advance of the class meeting. Make sure that you read the pages specified in the syllabus. Participation involves your contributions to ongoing discussion in class in the form of questions, suggestions, and other comments. These could be spontaneous. Beyond such possibilities for participation, the course provides the following formal channels to ensure the active involvement of all members of the class:

You will be assessed on your contributions to an online discussion through WebCT (refer to course website above), which every student registered for the course will be able to log into by using a personal username and password. You will be required to make eight contributions to this online discussion, the first four before midterm, and the last four after midterm. Contributions must be spread out over a minimum of three weeks. Follow the instructions on the screen to get to the web materials for the course.
Presentation: Once in the course of the semester, you will be required to present a short paper for discussion, 3-3 (three to three and a half) typed, double-spaced pages of your critical reflections on one of the issues that arise from the readings specified in the schedule. Given the size of the class, you will be scheduled to give presentations in pairs, although this does not mean that you have to work together. Details regarding presentations will follow during the second week of the semester.

3. Written Assignments. One of the goals of Communication B courses is to develop writing skills. Specifically, this course in part focuses on the development of i). critical reading, logical thinking, and the use of evidence; ii). the use of appropriate style and disciplinary conventions in writing; and iii). the productive use of core library resources specific to the discipline. Each one of you is expected to produce between 30 and 35 pages of writing, including drafts, in the course. You will produce these pages from the following types of assignments:

a. Two papers, each 5 - 6 (five and a half to six) typed and double-spaced pages in length. These assignments will require research. Furthermore, you will be required to submit drafts, and to revise before the final version of the paper is graded. The dates on which the assignments will be announced in class, when the polished drafts, and when final drafts of the papers are due, are already written in the course schedule. You will work with Writing Fellows on these assignments. I have included information sheets on working with the Writing Fellows.

b. Five short essays, each 3-3 (three to three and a half) typed and double-spaced pages, in length. These short essays will give you a chance to react to specific issues arising from the books we read, films we watch, and audio texts we to which we listen in the course of the semester. A schedule of these assignments will be available soon. The topics of these essays will be limited in scope.

All papers must follow the conventions of academic writing. Secondly, all papers must be paginated; I will not grade papers that do not include page numbers.

Classroom Ethics and Academic Misconduct

See the following to familiarize yourself with university policy on academic misconduct, especially plagiarism: http://www.wisc.wisc.edu/students/amsum.htm

Students’ Complaints Concerning Faculty Actions

Familiarize yourself with the university’s grievance procedures against unfair treatment. There is relevant information regarding grievance procedures at the following url: http://www.wisc.edu/pubs/ug/06education/policy.html#appeal

The Final grade

All final grades for the course will be letter grades, with combination of letters such as AB or BC for grades, which fall on the margin, in accordance with your performance, and in accordance with the system used in the College of Letters and Science. The various components of the work you do for this class will go toward the final grade as follows:

Two papers	40%
Five short papers	30%
Attendance	10%
Participation	10%
Presentation	10%

I am very much aware of the fact that most of you are interested in getting good grades in the course. Let me therefore take this opportunity to emphasize that you will need to high scores in each category to ensure that you get a strong grade. Good all-around performance will ensure good grades.

Writing and Working with Writing Fellows

As this is a Communication B course, it requires a substantial amount of writing from you. We are fortunate to have two peer tutors called Writing Fellows, assigned to this course to assist you with your writing this semester. The Writing Fellows will work with you individually outside of the classroom to help you improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. The Writing Fellows Program was designed “to improve student writing through peer tutoring.” The philosophy behind the Program is that “all writers, no matter how accomplished, can improve their writing by sharing works in progress and making revisions based on constructive criticism.”

What Are Writing Fellows?

1. Writing Fellows are undergraduate students who are accomplished writers and are trained in the critical evaluation of, and responding helpfully to students writing. The Writing Fellows for this course this semester are as follows:

Katie Lapp <ktlapp@wisc.edu>, and
Susannah Walker <slwalker2@wisc.edu>

2. The writing fellows will read your writing and make constructive suggestions for revisions.

3. Writing Fellows will work closely with, and be supervised by your professor.

Please note that the Writing Fellows will not:

a. grade your papers;

b. teach you course specific content;

c. The Writing Fellows will not guide you to the books you should read when you have to do research. Matters of course content, and therefore the kind of information you can put in your papers, will depend on what you are learning in the course. When you are not sure about content, as your professor.

How to Work with the Writing Fellows:

The Writing Fellows will work with you on two different assignments, one during the first half of the semester, and the last during the second half of the semester. You will bring to class a polished draft of your paper on the dates specified in the syllabus. I will pass the drafts on to the Writings Fellows, who will read each paper carefully and write comments and make suggestions for revisions. Then the Writing Fellows will hold conferences with each one of you to discuss the your writing and their suggestions for revisions. You will then revise your paper and submit both the original draft and your revised final draft on the specified due date for the assignment. You will be required to submit a cover letter in which you will explain briefly how you responded to each of the comments raised by the Writing Fellows.

Please note that you must make sure that your drafts are ready on time. It is not the duty of the Writing Fellows to collect drafts from you. As I have said, bring the drafts to me. You must go through all the steps described here for your paper to be graded.

What is a Polished Draft?

A polished draft represents your best effort on the assignment. It is typewritten and has a complete bibliography. A polished draft is what you would normally have submitted for grading if you were not working with the Writing Fellows. You must therefore make sure that you have proofread your paper carefully and removed all spelling and grammar errors. This will ensure that when you meet, your Writing Fellows can focus on larger issues such as organization, presentation, and clarity of style.

Class Schedule

WEEK 1

Monday, September 1

Labor Day. No classes.

Wednesday, September 3

Introduction:

a. Course materials;

b. Course policies;

c. Writing essays.

WEEK 2

Monday, September 8

Introduction to African Languages

Vic Webb & Kembo-Sure. “Language as a Problem in Africa.” African Voices 1-25; and Vic Webb & Kembo-Sure. “The Languages of Africa.” African voices 26-54. (Course Pack)

Wednesday, September 10

Ali Mazrui & Alamin Mazrui. “Africa’s Linguistic Legacy: Between Nationalism and Expansionism” ; “Language and Race in the Black Experience”; and “Linguistic Eurocentricism and African Counter-Penetration.” (Course Pack). Short essay.

WEEK 3

Monday, September 15

Colonialism, anticolonialism, nationalism and the emergence of African literatures. Reading: Ania Loomba. “Challenging Colonialism”; Chinua Achebe. “The Empire Fights Back” and Chinua Achebe. “African Literature as Restoration of Celebration” (Course Pack). Announce assignment for first essay.

Wednesday, September 17

Simon Gikandi. “Achebe and the Invention of African Culture”; Simon Gikandi. “Reading Chinua Achebe: Nation Formation and the Novel.” (Course Pack). Chinua Achebe. Arrow of God 1-101.

WEEK 4	Monday, September 22	Chinua Achebe. Arrow of God 102-203.
WEEK 4	Wednesday, September 24	Chinua Achebe. Arrow of God 204-262; Simon Gikandi. “The Language of the Dancing Mask” (Course Pack); and Tejumola Olaniyan. “Chinua Achebe and the Archaeology of the African State.” (Text in WebCT).

WEEK 5

Monday, September 29

Tsitsi Dangarembga and the Critique of the Language of Colonialism. An Introduction to the Art of Tsitsi Dangarembga. Readings:

1. Jean-Paul Sartre. Preface to The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon. . (Course Pack).

2. Tsitsi Dangarembga. Nervous Conditions 1-119.

3. Polished draft of first essay.

Wednesday, October 1

Tsitsi Dangarembga. Nervous Conditions 120-204.

WEEK 6	Monday, October 6	Tsitsi Dangarembga. Nervous Conditions. General discussion. Readings TBA.
WEEK 6	Wednesday, October 8	Film. Mapantsula. Directed by Thomas Schmitz & Thomas Mogotlane. South Africa 1989.

WEEK 7	Monday, October 13	Film. Mapantsula. Directed by Thomas Schmitz & Thomas Mogotlane. South Africa 1989.
WEEK 7	Wednesday, October 15	Njabulo Ndebele and the Rediscovery of the Ordinary. Njabulo Ndebele. “Rediscovery of the Ordinary” and “Fools.” (Course Pack)

WEEK 8	Monday, October 20	Njabulo Ndebele. “Fools” (In Course Pack). Revised final draft of first essay due.
WEEK 8	Wednesday, October 22	Film. Fools. Directed by Ramadan Suleman. South Africa, 1997.

WEEK 9	Monday, October 27	Film. Fools. Directed by Ramadan Suleman. South Africa, 1997. General Discussion: “Fools” and Fools: From Text to Film. Anthony O’Brien. “Post-Apartheid Narratives: The House Gun and Fools”; and Kgafela oa Magogodi. “Sexuality, Power and the Black Body in Mapantsula and Fools” (Both texts in Course Pack).
WEEK 9	Wednesday, October 29	Njabulo Ndebele. “Uncle.” (Text in Course Pack). Extra readings TBA (i.e. Christopher Ballantine, Paul Gilroy, etc). Announce assignment for second essay.

WEEK 10	Monday, November 3	Michael Thelwell. The Harder They Come.
WEEK 10	Wednesday, November 5	Michael Thelwell. The Harder They Come.

WEEK 11

Monday, November 10

Michael Thelwell. The Harder They Come.

Wednesday, November 12

Michael Thelwell. The Harder They Come.

Carolyn Cooper. “Country Come to Town: Michael Thelwell’s The Harder They Come” (Course Pack).

WEEK 12	Monday, November 17	Film: The Harder They Come. Directed by Perry Henzell. Jamaica, 1972. Polished draft of second essay.
WEEK 12	Wednesday, November 19	Film: The Harder They Come. Directed by Perry Henzell. Jamaica, 1972. Braune, Bev. “'You Can Get It If You Really Want': Viewing The Harder They “Come Again and Again after a 1977 Interview with Director Perry Henzell” (Course Pack).

WEEK 13	Monday, November 24	On the Cutting Edge of Protest: Reggae and Dub Poetry. Readings TBA.
WEEK 13	Wednesday, November 26	Paule Marshall. Praisesong for the Widow 7-83.

WEEK 14	Monday, December 1	Paule Marshall. Praisesong for the Widow 85-145.
WEEK 14	Wednesday, December 3	Paule Marshall. Praisesong for the Widow 147-256. General discussion. Abena Busia. “What Is Your Nation? Reconnecting Africa and Her Diaspora through Paule Marshall's Praisesong for the Widow” (Course Pack).

WEEK 15	Monday, December 8	Film: The Language You Cry In. General discussion: Blackness from Africa to the Diaspora.
WEEK 15	Wednesday, December 10	Languages and Literatures in Africa: A General Discussion.