Billingual & Bicultural Experiences in the US

Catalog description

What does it mean to be bilingual in the USA, when approximately 80% of Americans are monolingual English-speakers? In this course, we will learn about the nature and experience of bilingualism and biculturalism (past and present) and how it shapes different perspectives and worldviews and #8212;within an individual, between individuals, and on a larger (societal, cultural) level. The course highlights the experiences of groups such as immigrants, racial/ethnic minorities, indigenous communities, and users of signed languages to foreground experiences that may be similar to or different from those of the students. We use a variety of resources (e.g., social media, film and documentaries, historical documents, literature, music, art) to accomplish this, and students are encouraged to be creative in the ways they design their own hands-on projects. This discussion-based course is taught in English and is open to all students, whether they identify as bilingual/bicultural, or are simply interested in the course topic.