The Department began to offer LLCU courses after its amalgamation in 2011 as a result of changing needs of students across campus and to provide more flexibility when choosing electives. These courses highlight critical thinking and expression about cultural topics in transnational perspective and are often taught concurrently with a target language component. Since the beginning, the courses enjoy popularity and generate a lot of interest among Queen鈥檚 students. Some courses are offered on a yearly basis and some change bi-annually.
For information about the Major in Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LLCU) and Plans in Indigenous Studies, please visit Academic Plans page.
LLCU Courses
All LLCU courses provide students with valuable transferable skills (communication, critical thinking, analysis, interpretation, argument) for further study or career possibilities. You can use LLCU for your LLCU Major, as electives, as option courses in your Plan (please consult the Academic Calendar) or as concept courses in the World Language Studies Minor. Many LLCU courses also count towards Indigenous Studies Plans.
| Course | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LLCU 101/3.0 | Beginning Language and Culture I | Oneida is an Iroquoian language spoken in Southern Ontario, New York State and Wisconsin. This course is designed for those who have little or no knowledge of the Oneida language. Participants will be introduced to the basics of the Oneida language and gain an understanding of the complexities and richness of Oneida traditions and culture. The structure of the Oneida language is remarkable - structurally it is all verbs which can function as nouns. Oneida word formation is a very extensive and complex system requiring many pieces that fit together like a puzzle; for example, single Oneida verbs tend to be the equivalent of whole English clauses. |
| LLCU 102/3.0 | Beginning Language and Culture II | Continuation of LLCU 101/3.0: offering a basic level of understanding, speaking, reading and writing in the language. This course builds on knowledge acquired in Oneida 101. Participants will be introduced to more complex structures of the Oneida language and further their understanding of the complexities and richness of the Oneida language, traditions and culture through an in depth look at the Oneida worldview. This course introduces students to Oneida legends and lore and associated teachings. PREREQUISITE: LLCU 101/3.0 in same language. |
| LLCU 103/3.0 | Beginning Language and Culture I | A topics course on a language not already offered within the department. Offers a basic understanding, speaking, reading and writing for students with no knowledge of the language. The specific language will be announced on the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures web page. |
| LLCU 104/3.0 | Beginning Language and Culture II | LLCU 104/3.0 is a topics course on a language not already offered within the department. It is a continuation of LLCU 103/3.0 building on the speaking, reading and writing of the language. The specific language will be announced on the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures web page. |
| LLCU 110/3.0 |
Linguistic Diversity and Identity |
This course explores the diversity of human languages, and the nature of linguistic identity across and within speech communities from a linguistics perspective. Topics that will be covered include: language families; linguistic typology; writing systems; language endangerment and revitalization; and situations of language contact, bilingualism, and sociolinguistic variation. |
| LLCU 111/3.0 |
Introduction to Cultures |
The course offers an overview of the theoretical framework behind the study of Intercultural Communication and proposes practical applications of these theories, including in-class guest speakers and a 4-session workshop on Intercultural Competence by the 成人大片 International Centre (QUIC). Students will obtain a Certificate from QUIC. |
| LLCU 200/3.0 | Semiotics: Interpreting the World | Semiotics is the discipline that studies signs and how these participate in creating meaning and communication. This course focuses on the theoretical system on which semiotic analyses is based (F. de Saussure, C. Peirce, R. Barthes, and others) and will be devoted to various subject areas such as literature, art, film, theatre, and other fields. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 201/3.0 | Introduction to Romance Philology | This course aims at familiarizing students from diverse programs with some of the fundamental concepts of Romance Philology. The analysis of the first literary and non-literary documents of the Romance languages will be a fundamental part of the course together with the understanding of the evolution of Latin into Vulgar Latin and its differentiation into Romance languages. Particular attention will be paid to Spanish, Italian, and French. |
| LLCU 203/3.0 | Cultural Anthropology | Cultural anthropology provides an understanding of the range of human cultural and social diversity 鈥 the many ways that humans organize their lives. This course covers the main theories, methods, and topics in the field (e.g. economy, politics, religion, power, identity, environment, health), with a focus on major contemporary social problems. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures |
| LLCU 205/3.0 | The Cultures of a Nation |
This course will introduce major themes and concepts in the cultures of a specific nation with an emphasis on understanding and examining the important social, historical and cultural contexts of the country and its people. Topics may include art, film, economy, religion, and politics. For the current academic year's offerings, please click here. |
| LLCU 206/3.0 | Rebel Cities | This course examines cities from a cultural perspective, focusing through film to see how different urban spaces have, at different moments in time, been incubators of great social changes. It seeks to understand why, when, and with what result such upheavals occur. PREREQUISITE: Second year standing or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 207/3.0 |
Representations of Business in the Movies |
How are businesses and business people represented in film? This course draws from a range of international films to analyze how business at different levels of development in different places in the world is represented on screen. It asks why Hollywood and other film industries seem to heroize and demonize their usually male, White entrepreneurs. And it asks how such depictions matter. PREREQUISITE: Second year standing or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 209/3.0 |
Rio de Janeiro: the Marvelous City |
Known internationally for its carnival, soccer, tropical beach life, musical rhythms, and tourism, the city of Rio de Janeiro has been the quintessential postcard image of Brazil for much of the twentieth century. At the same time, the city is also infamously known for its social inequalities exemplified by pockets of extreme affluence alongside massive shantytown communities (favelas), homeless youth (meninos e meninas de rua), and ongoing violent confrontations between police and drug gangs. In many ways, the city embodies the idea that Brazil is a land of contrasts. This course goes beyond the typical representations of Rio de Janeiro to provide students with an understanding of the complex social, political, economic, and cultural history that have shaped the city鈥檚 development and character. |
| LLCU 210/3.0 | Italy and the Classical Tradition | The ancient Greek and Roman tradition in literature, art and the politics of Italy from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Texts and works of art will be studied in the context of the historical, cultural and political settings of Italy. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 213/3.0 | The Social History of Organized Crime in Canada
|
Students will analyze and understand the most important forms of organized crime present in Canada. Its history and evolution are defined, in an attempt to interpret the relationship between major criminal organizations and economic, social, cultural, political, and demographic changes, both domestically and internationally. PREREQUISITE: Second year standing or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 214/3.0 | Mafia Culture and the Power of Symbols, Rituals and Myth | The course will analyze the cinematic representation of the Mafia and other criminal organizations, such as Yakuza, Triads, Vory V Zakone. The course will focus on how North American cinema (Hollywood) often glorifies the mafiosi's lifestyle. As this characterization of the Mafia and Mafiosi began with the archetypal figures of the bosses, special attention will be given to movies of the 1930s and to Francis Ford Coppola鈥檚 Godfather trilogy. The goal is the deconstruction of the romantic portrayal of the gangster lifestyle created on the silver screen and analyses of the atrocities committed by organized crime groups. |
| LLCU 215/3.0 | Dante | A study of Dante Alighieri鈥檚 life and poetry, especially the Vita Nuova and the Divine Comedy. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures |
| LLCU 226/3.0 | Italian Literature and the Cinema | Addresses the various issues relating to the film adaptation of a literary text. The reading of narrative texts, the viewing of films and critical readings are required. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 232/3.0 | From the Romantics to D鈥橝nnunzio | The course will focus on the study of Italian Romanticism and its relation to English, German, Spanish and French Romanticism. The rise of Realism and Decadentism will also be discussed and examined. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 233/3.0 | Survey of Italian Literature I | A survey of Italian literature, through selected texts of representative authors, from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 234/3.0 | Survey of Italian Literature II | A survey of Italian literature, through selected texts of representative authors, from the eighteenth century to present. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 244/3.0 | Hips Don't Lie?: Music and Culture in Latin America | This survey course explores key aspects of Hispanic history and culture in the twentieth century through the study of its musical production. We will study notions of race, class, gender, and national identity by focusing on specific musical genres. PREREQUISITE: Second year standing or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 247/3.0 | The Dynamic History of Spain | This course covers the most significant political, historical, and artistic events and people that have shaped Spanish civilization from prehistoric times to the present. Students will acquire essential knowledge about one of Europe鈥檚 most dynamic countries and at the same time improve their analytical, writing, and professional skills. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 248/3.0 | Spanish American Cultural Contexts | This survey course covers a vast area, several cultures, and many centuries. Students are expected to develop a general understanding of Spanish American culture through an examination of important historical, social, political, economic, and artistic developments in the area. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 249/3.0 | Latin Lovers: Love, Sex and Popular Culture | The course explores the emergence, development, and criticism of the Latin Lover figure in the West, from the creation of the archetypical Don Juan in the seventeenth-century to contemporary Hollywood representations of Italian and Latin-American lovers. Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online. PREREQUISITES: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 257/3.0 | Pirandello's Theatre | An in-depth study of Pirandello鈥檚 most important dramatic works, together with analysis of his theoretical essays on theatre. Particular attention will be paid to the following plays: Six Characters in Search of an Author, Each in his Own Way, Henry IV, The Feast of Our Lord of the Ships, The New Colony, Tonight We Improvise, and The Mountain Giants. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 270/3.0 | Contemporary Events and Indigenous Cultural Politics | An interdisciplinary analysis of contemporary events and Indigenous cultural politics, with a focus on how Indigenous writers, filmmakers, artists, and community members participate in and recount defining moments. Indigenous knowledges and epistemologies are mobilised to foster a critical understanding of core questions put forward by events. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or above. EXCLUSION: No more than 3.0 units from LLCU 270/3.0; LLCU 295/3.0-002 (2017-18). |
| LLCU 295/3.0 |
Special Topics |
PREREQUISITE: Second year standing or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. For the current year's offerings, please click here. |
| LLCU 301/3.0 | Oral Tradition and Innovation in Cultural Transmission | An examination of traditional and innovative forms of oral cultural transmission in a selection of American, African and European contexts with particular focus on the interaction of narrative and technology. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 302/3.0 | Unsettling: Indigenous Peoples & Canadian Settler Colonialism |
An intersectional/interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of, and possible alternatives to, Canadian settler colonialism. Primacy given to indigenous voices/theories/methods related to the history of Indigenous lands and associated traditions/identities, the course focuses on the theory/practice of 'unsettling' the settler colonial societies. |
| LLCU 303/3.0 | Applied Intercultural Communication | This course examines the main concepts of intercultural communication, identifies the obstacles for successful intercultural communication, and explores strategies for overcoming these barriers. Students apply their conceptual understanding as well as their language skills to real鈥恮orld situations as part of the applied portion of the course. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 and LLCU 111/3.0 and registration in LLCU Major Plan or permission of the instructor. |
| LLCU 308/3.0 | From Fellini to Benigni | This course will examine social, historic and political realities of the twentieth century through the lens of the unique Italian humorist tradition of film making. The course will focus on films by F.Fellini, L.Comencini, E.Scola, G.Tornatore, G.Salvatores, N.Moretti, R.Benigni and other film makers. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 309/3.0 | The Films of Pedro Almod贸var | Students will view and analyze a selection of Almod贸var鈥檚 films within the context of Spain and other countries. The study of gender, sexual, cultural and societal identity and other fundamentals of contemporary theory will be central to this course. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 310/3.0 | Introduction to Jewish Latin America | This course explores the history and cultural production of Jews in Latin America: the diversity of the group, hyphenated identities and contributions to individual national cultures. Texts include excerpts from historical texts, essays, short stories, films, music and art. NOTE: We will also explore attitudes towards dictatorships, antisemitism, the Holocaust and Israel. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 311/3.0 | Hispanic, Latino, Latinx? Introduction to Hispanic Culture(s) in the U.S. and Canada |
The course explores the history and cultural production of Hispanic communities in the United States and Canada in the twentieth century, highlighting the remarkable contribution they have made in all aspects of culture and life in both countries. |
| LLCU 316/3.0 | Introduction to Contemporary Literary Theory and Analysis | An introduction to contemporary literary theories and the analysis of Hispanic texts from reader-, structural-, and author-oriented perspectives. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 319/3.0 | Roots of Fascism: Resistance to Liberalism in the 19th Century | A survey of various currents of thought from 19th-century Europe that illustrate conservative discomfort with industrial society and help to make the outbreak of fascism understandable after 1918. The course will distinguish between conservative, nationalist, aesthetic, and religious trends, illustrated by relevant readings from different countries. PREREQUISITE: Third year standing of permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. |
| LLCU 320/3.0 | Fascism in Europe from Napoleon to Hitler | An introduction to the growth of the fascist mentality in Europe from a cultural perspective. The course will treat the Third Reich as part of the broader conservative and nationalist challenge to liberalism. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or above. |
| LLCU 322/3.0 | Conflict and Culture: Literature, Law, and Human Rights | An examination of international discourses on conflict and resolution, including theories of reconciliation, human rights, and international law, as portrayed in various media (fiction, theatre and film) and diverse cultural contexts (e.g. ancient Greece, Germany, South Africa and Canada [indigenous settler relations]). PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 325/3.0 | Is Less More? Historic and Current Cultural Aspects of Minimalism and Reduction
|
The current surge of minimalist movements (e.g. de-cluttering) offers insight into the texture of present and past cultures. The course will explore spiritual, health-related, economic and aesthetic aspects of reductionist movements concerning nutrition, lifestyle, housing, design and exercise. |
| LLCU 326/3.0 | Film in the New Europe | European film is our starting point for investigating the connections between work and art. Topics include: urban space; (post- and para-) socialist societies; border crossings, especially gendered labour and cultural flows. This course will investigate how the new Europe and film shape each other. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 327/3.0 | Sickness and Health 鈥 Cultural Representations in Medical Discourse | The course investigates German cultural images and metaphors of disease, with an emphasis on the evolution of normalcy. We will study representations of disease (photography, museum exhibit, literary text), their historic development, and theories of media with respect to both historical and contemporary notions of sickness and health. PREREQUISITE: Level 2 or above or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 328/3.0 | Gender, Development and Film in Latin America | This course will explore major themes of development in relation to gender in Latin America, through its manifestation in film. Films will be chosen from all regions of Latin America, including Brazil. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures |
| LLCU 329/3.0 | Uncanny Encounters: Narrative Analysis of the Fantastic Genre | This course offers an overview of the related genres of the Fantastic, the Fairy Tale, Dystopia, Science Fiction, and Horror. Examples will include popular works such as the Twilight Saga, Harry Potter, and/or The Hunger Games, but also traditional texts by Hoffman and Kafka. Parallel to the fictional works, the course offers theoretical analysis. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures EXCLUSIONS: GRMN 429/3.0; ENGL 273/3.0 |
| LLCU 330/3.0 | Cervantes I: Earlier Works | A study of Don Quijote I and a selection of his short theatrical Interludes. The course will consider the socio-economic and historical context and the literary implications of these works to provide a better understanding of 17th-century Spain and the significance Cervantes' works still hold today. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 331/3.0 | Cervantes II: Later Works | In this course students will study Don Quijote II and a selection of novellas from Cervantes' Exemplary Novels. The course will consider the socio-ecomonic and historical context and the literary implications of the continuation of Don Quijote I to provide a better understanding of 17th-century Spain and the significance Cervantes' works hold today. PREREQUISITE: LLCU 330/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 332/3.0 | Spanish Baroque Short Theatre | Short theatre played an important role in the theatre of Spanish Golden Age. In this course students will study the literary particularities of the genre and the social ramifications of the themes present in short theatre (gender, battle of the sexes, diversity, authority, amongst others) and their historical and contemporary relevance. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 333/3.0 | Acting Out: Sexual and Gender Subversion in Baroque Theatre
|
Baroque playwrights took full advantage of the actor Juan Rana's well-known queerness to subvert implicitly and explicitly the social norms of sexual and gender identity still questioned today. This course will examine Spanish Baroque short theatre in general and historically contextualize its subversion of social, sexual, gender and patriarchal norms. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 339/3.0 | XX-Century Italian Playwrights: In Search of the Theatre | This course will investigate the life and works of 20 internationally renowned Italian playwrights (including two Nobel Prize winners Luigi Pirandello and Dario Fo) in a philosophical, political, social, and historical context. Particular emphasis will be given on the aesthetic solutions proposed by the playwrights to deal with the new realities of the 21st-Century. PREREQUISITE: Third year standing or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. |
| LLCU 340/3.0 | European Romanticism | The course will focus on the major trends of European Romanticism - mainly English, French, German and Italian. A comparison of both the 'poetics', together with a comparative analyses, poems will serve as the backbone of the course. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 354/3.0 | Women鈥檚 Voices in Latin America | A study of recent contributions to Latin American cultural production by women, including an overview of gender issues and the role women have played in their nations鈥 histories. The course will also explore the variety of voices that make up the cultural production of women in Latin America in terms of class, ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation. NOTE: Readings are in translation. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or above. EXCLUSION: No more than 3.0 units from LLCU 354/3.0; SPAN 354/3.0. |
| LLCU 358/3.0 | Film and Politics in Argentina | This course will critically examine a variety of representative Latin American films from a historical and filmic perspective. Beginning with the Peron era in the 1940s and '50s, and continuing through the dictatorship years of 1976 to 1983 and its aftermaths, we will examine how Argentine filmmakers express national reality and identity. NOTE: Films and readings are in translation. PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or above. EXCLUSION: No more than 3.0 units from LLCU 358/3.0; SPAN 458/3.0. |
| LLCU 370/3.0 | Indigenous Women and Power | This course presents an interdisciplinary examination of Indigenous women and power through the lens of Indigenous scholars, writers, filmmakers, artists, and activists. Close reading methodologies are used to examine what it may mean for Indigenous women, including girls and LGBTQ2S+, 鈥渢o reclaim their power and place.鈥 PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or above. |
| LLCU 395/3.0 | Special Topics |
PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. For the current academic year's offerings, please click here. |
| LLCU 432/3.0 | Field Research Practicum at Fudan University | Provides students with an opportunity to conduct field research under the guidance of a Fudan instructor. Queen's students are paired with Fudan counterparts and undertake research on an important development/cultural theme, submit a written paper and do a class presentation. The research project will involve at least 10 hours of field work per week for 12 weeks. Fall Term. NOTE: This course is part of a Study Abroad program in Shanghai, which will require students to pay a program fee to cover costs over and above tuition, as well as travel, accommodation and subsistence. Further details of the estimated costs can be obtained from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. PREREQUISITE: Departmental approval, in advance, from the course instructor and the Placement Coordinator, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. |
| LLCU 495/3.0 | Special Topics I |
PREREQUISITE: Level 3 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. For the current academic year's offerings, please click here. |
| LLCU 501/3.0 | Directed Readings in Languages, Literatures and Cultures |
This course enables a student or a group of students to explore a body of literature on a selected topic in Languages, Literatures and Cultures. The focus may be by theme, by region or by academic approach and can span the humanities, social sciences and environmental sciences. |
Click for the list of current Course Offerings.
Resources
Students taking LLCU courses have numerous ways to expand their knowledge and get involved in many cultural activities in the Department and at Queen鈥檚. You can come to the LLCU international Film Night, attend guest lectures, get engaged with one of the AMS student clubs, participate in the events organized by Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre or volunteer at Queen鈥檚 International Centre. You can also explore Kingston鈥檚 ethnic communities to find ways to get involved.
(QUIC) is an international education support service for students, faculty and staff at Queen鈥檚. Through its activities the Centre promotes an internationally informed and cross culturally sensitive university community.
QUIC programs and services support
- the academic and personal development of international students, other international members of the Queen鈥檚 community, and their families;
- the academic and personal development of Queen鈥檚 students, staff and faculty interested in Education Abroad; and
- the internationalization of the campus by working with university departments, offices, groups and individuals to enhance and diversify the international learning environment at Queen鈥檚 through educational and training activities.
QUIC offers many cultural events and get-togethers for students, as well as the opportunity to volunteer to support international students with improving their English as they integrate into Queen鈥檚 life. It is a fruitful way to meet other students from other countries, to help and to learn from one another.
Check for the most up-to-date information.
Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre, or 4D as it is affectionately called, strives to be a home away from home, a hub of activity and a key resource for Queen's Indigenous students. The Centre offers academic tutoring and advising, cultural programming, an Indigenous-focused library, and a range of workshops designed to support you academically, socially and culturally.
Films in different languages (with English subtitles) and on different topics will be screened throughout the academic year. The screenings take place on Thursday evenings, are open to Queen鈥檚 students and the Kingston community and the admittance is free!
You can also check our news section for updated event information.
Not a day goes by on campus without a practice, performance, conference or competition taking place. AMS student clubs enhance what you learn in the classroom 鈥 and give you the chance to embrace your passions. A complete list of clubs, with the descriptions of their objectives, is available on .
Relevant Links
Queen's library has an extensive collection of texts relating to the study of languages, literatures and cultures. Dictionaries and encyclopedias are located in the Reference section of the Stauffer Library.
If you need help from a librarian, please contact a Queen's Research & Instruction Librarian for the Humanities & Social Sciences.
The following collections are available: