Second-year Yoruba

AF 374: INTERMEDIATE LEVEL YORUBA SPRING 2006
TIME: 2:00 - 4:00 pm
PLACE: 6112 Social Science

Instructor information
Required texts
Course Description
Tentative Course Outline

COURSE INFORMATION:

INSTRUCTOR: Antonia Fælárìn Schleicher

Offices: 1402 Van Hise 4231 Humanities Bldg.

Telephone: 265-7905 (4231 Humanities Bldg. office)
262-6537 (Van Hise office)
262-2487 (ALL Dept. office)
Email: ayschlei@wisc.edu
Website: http://lang.nalrc.wisc.edu/nalrc/yoruba

Office Hours: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., M (4231 Humanities Building)
10:50-11:30 a.m. T. (1402 Van Hise)
Other times by appointments only.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

1. Jê K'Á Ka Yorùbá by Antonia Y. Fælárìn Schleicher (Yale University Press, 1993)
2. Ìwé K÷ta Alawiye by J.F. Odunjo
3. Ìwé K÷rin Alawiye by J.F. Odunjo
4. Dictionary of Yoruba by United Press Ltd
5. Jê KÁ Ka Yoruba Companion CD-ROM by Antonia Y. Folarin Schleicher (1999)
6. Yoruba Newspaper Reader by Antonia Y. Folarin Schleicher (1998)
7. Yoruba Newspaper Reader Audio CD-ROM by Antonia Y. Folarin Schleicher. 2004

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COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Yoruba is one of the three main languages of Nigeria. There are about 20 million speakers of the language in the South Western part of Nigeria. It has about twenty dialects, which show phonological and lexical differences. Some of these dialects are spoken around the border of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin and some parts of Togo. The language has also survived in Cuba (where it is called Lukumi) and in Brazil (where it is called Nago).

Aside from these various dialects, there is Standard Yoruba, which is used for educational purposes, (e.g., in the newspapers, on the radio, and in schools). The Standard Yoruba is understood by speakers of the various dialects.

This course provides an introduction to the Standard Yoruba language and culture. The primary goal of the course is to provide the students with the spoken knowledge of the language. However, by the end of the course, students should have also acquired some knowledge of reading and writing in the language.

SPEAKING AND WRITING GOALS :  

• Students use Yorùbá in culturally appropriate gestures in everyday social situations, such as greeting, leave-taking or introductions.
• Students give and follow instructions in Yorùbá related to daily classroom activities.
• Students engage in Yorùbá role-play situations where they request and receive information, goods, and services, such as going to a restaurant an ordering food.
• Students share opinions, preferences and feelings in Yorùbá with their classmates.
• Students exchange information in Yorùbá via notes, letters or email on familiar topics, such as personal interests, memorable experiences, school activities, and family life.
• Students use Yorùbá to discuss reading selections, songs, and videos from Yorùbá cultures.
• Students share their opinions, via discussion or written exchanges in Yorùbá on what they have recently read or seen, such as articles, short stories, books, comics, movies, videos, music, and art.
• Students engage in Yorùbá role-lay or participate in authentic situations where they clarify information, such as comparing transportation schedules with a clerk, or solve problems, such as exchanging an inappropriate item in a store.
• Students use Yorùbá to discuss current issues or historical events, for example, presidential visits to Yorùbá areas.
• Students prepare and present short announcements in Yorùbá, such as the current date, time and weather information.
• Students prepare and present brief reports in Yorùbá about personal experiences, school happenings, and current issues.
• Students prepare, illustrate, and present materials in Yorùbá, such as advertisements, posters and menus.
• Students dramatize poems, stories, songs, skits or short plays in Yorùbá, for example, a Yorùbá folk tale.
• Students prepare and record original materials in Yorùbá, such as puppet shows, fashion shows, and video or audio newscasts.
• Students write original compositions and/or journal entries in Yorùbá on topics of personal interest.
• Students perform scenes from Yorùbá-language plays, live or on video.
• Students demonstrate and explain in Yorùbá how to accomplish a task, such as making dòdò (fried plantain).
• Students create and present skits or short plays in Yorùbá on a variety of topics.
• Students create and present oral reports in Yorùbá on topics of their choice.
• Students create and distribute Yorùbá newsletter or web page.
• Students write and produce original Yorùbá-language videotape, such as a newscast, a talk show, or a game show.

LISTENING and READING GOALS:

• Students understand and follow oral and written directions in Yorùbá related to daily classroom activities.
• Students understand spoken and written messages in Yorùbá on topics of personal interest, such as family life, leisure and school activities, and everyday occurrences.
• Students understand and identify main ideas and principal characters in brief reading selections and Yorùbá cultures.
• Students understand information from simple accessible Yorùbá-language materials, such as television programs, youth magazines, the internet, and videos.
• Students understand the main ideas and significant details of materials in Yorùbá, which are accessible to teenage readers, such as magazine articles, short stories, poetry and short novels, for example.
• Students understand information from Yorùbá Internet sources on a variety of topics, for example, weather, current events, and sports.
• Students analyze the plots, characters, and themes in Yorùbá literary works.

CULTURAL GOALS:

• Students observe and use age-appropriate Yorùbá verbal and nonverbal greetings in conversations messages.
• Students learn about and participate in activities enjoyed by young Yorùbá- speaking people such as games, sports, music, dance, drama, and celebrations.
• Students recognize and develop an awareness of the diversity of social customs in the Yorùbá-speaking world; topics may include family life, folklore, and typical holidays, such as Christmas, New Year’s or Ramadan.
• Students discuss generalizations that Americans may make about the people and customs of the Yorùbá cultures, such as; “All Yorùbá women are aggressive”, “All Yorùbá people practice traditional religion”, “Africans all dress in native colorful robes”.
• Students learn about and participate in activities enjoyed by Yorùbá–speaking teenagers and adults such as sports (World Cup Soccer), music, games, and entertainment.
• Students watch movies, commercials or documentaries from Yorùbáland and identify typical cultural patterns and social behaviors that they see on the screen.
• Students use appropriate gestures and Yorùbá expressions for greetings, leave takings and common classroom interaction.
• Students listen to music and watch Yorùbá-language films or television programs that are popular with young people in Nigeria.
• Students learn about and recognize artistic contributions, from Yorùbá cultures in areas such as art, music, dance, drama, theater, film, fashion, and cuisine.
• Students identify and explore the function of everyday products from the Yorùbá world, such as food, clothing, household items, tools, sports equipment, and musical instruments.
• Students identify the general themes of music and recognize performers, such as Ebenezer Obe, Sunny Ade, Haruna Isola, and television programs that are popular among young people in various parts of the Yorùbá world.
• Students view films from and about parts of the Yorùbá regions, and pick out representative cultural products, for example, bronze heads, beaded materials, tie-dye materials, A«æ Òkè, masks, hand-woven crafts, etc.

GRADING POLICY:

10% Attendance and class participation

20% Quizzes

20% Written Assignments

20% Midterm Exam

30% Final Exam

GRADING POLICY:

A = 96-100

AB = 91-95

B = 86-90

BC = 81-85

C = 70 – 80

D = 60 - 69

F = below 60

CLASS PARTICIPATION:

Students are expected to attend class regularly and to have done the assignments for that day. The class participation grade will be based on whether the student is prepared for class or not. Students are encouraged to ask questions, participate in drills and discussions, and volunteer answers. More than TWO absences will lower the class participation grade. Coming late to class will also affect your class participation grade

YORUBA LANGUAGE TABLE:

Everyone is required to attend the Yoruba language table once a week. This is a time when you can interact with other Yoruba learners and have the opportunity to practice your Yoruba. Attendance at this table is compulsory. The time and place will be arranged after classes have started.

QUIZZES:

There will be a short quiz on every other week of the semester. Five of these quizzes will count towards the 20% of the total grade. There will be no make‑up quizzes except for unavoidable circumstances.    

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:

Written assignments will be graded. I will announce when they are due. FIVE of such graded assignments will count towards 20% of the total grade.

MIDTERM EXAM:

Your midterm exam includes an Oral Proficiency Interview (20%) to assess your oral proficiency level. It also includes an essay (20%) that you will write from home. It will include listening comprehension (20%) and reading comprehension activities (20%). The midterm is 20% of your total grade.  

FINAL EXAM:

The final exam includes an OPI, reading, listening, a final essay and a short play that will be performed by the whole class. Your final paper will be based on a topic related to your academic interest or research. You should start thinking about what aspect of your research interest you want to base this essay on from first week of classes. Please discuss your topic with me before you begin your research. You will write between 5-6 pages in Yoruba on whatever topic you choose. Your topic could also be based on a particular aspect of Yoruba culture that you are interested in. You are expected to give an oral presentation of your final paper before you turn in your final draft. The final OPI, the reading and writing activities, the final paper and the play will be 30% of your total grade. The final paper is due on the final day of classes.

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TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE:

Date	Preparation Before Class	In Class
Weeks 1-2	Role Play : Describe how you spent your last Christmas break to your classmate. Describe a holiday that you like to celebrate and what you do in celebrating this holiday. Tell your friend a favorite game that you like to play. You are visiting your friend in Nigeria and your friend’s parents want to know the kinds of things parents typically teach children to do at home in your culture. Tell them a few of those things. Two of your classmates will play the role of your friend’s parents. Now play the role of your friend’s parent. Ask as many questions as possible about how parents raise kids in the culture of your child’s friend. Reading: YorubaNewspaper Reader 29, 30, 31. Alawiye K÷rin : 1, 2,3, 4 JKKY 7 Writing : Write an essay on a fictional story or your favorite folktale. Tone Drills : JKKY 7 CD-ROM 7 Memorize poem : page 127	-Go over the syllabus. -Introduce the Course and state your expectations clearly. -Get to know each other and find out what the students plan to use their knowledge of Yoruba for. -Find out what other languages they have learned. -Students perform the role plays. -Discuss the structure of the essays and the final paper. - Do tone drills. - Talk about how to write good essays. - Listening comprehension - Discuss Alawiye
Weeks 3-4	Role Play : Tell us about your favorite profession. Remember to give us a detail information about why you like this profession, Ask your classmate different questions about a profession of his or her choice. Make sure you ask for what the profession is before you start asking questions about the profession. Writing: Write an essay about tax collection in your country. What are taxes used for in your country? Reading: YNR: 32, 33, 34. Alawiye K÷rin : 4, 8, 9. Tone Drills : JKKY and the CD-ROM: Lesson 8 Poem: Lesson 8	-Students do the role play in class. - Have students read out the Yoruba Newspaper Reader lessons for reading practice for tones. - Do tone drills - Collect first essay - Talk about final essay - Demo how to talk about one’s profession. - Discuss Alawiye - Listening comprehension
Weeks 5-6	Role Play: Tell us about farming in your country. What role does it play in the lives of people in your country. Ask your classmate as many questions as possible about what you would like to know about farming in his/her country. Tell us about your thoughts with regards to farming in your culture. In a debate, explain why you believe or does not believe that farming is the most important profession in the world. Writing: Write an essay about faming in your culture. Reading: YNR: 35, 36, 37. Alawiye K÷rin : 13, 14, 15. Tone Drills : JKKY and CD-ROM: Lesson 9 Poem: Lesson 9	- Demonstrate how to talk about farming in Yoruba land. - Do tone drills - Collect essays - Have students read aloud the YNR for tone practice - Work on Alawiye
Weeks 7-8	Role Play Ask your classmates the different kinds of food that people eat in her/his country. Tell us about your favorite food and how it is prepared. Invite your friend to eat at a restaurant with you. Ask him or her all the information you would like to know about where to go, when, and what to do after leaving the restaurant. Give a presentation to your class about a naming ceremony in Yoruba land. Writing: Write an essay about a wedding that you attended or that you know about. Be as detailed as possible. Reading: YNR: 38, 39, 40. Alawiye K÷rin : 17, 18, 19, 20. Poem: Lesson 10 - Memorize the poem Tone Drills : JKKY: Lesson 10	- Demonstrate how to talk about one’s favorite food. -Students practice the role plays. -Collect essays -Do tone drills - Students read aloud the Yoruba Newspaper Reader lessons. -Students recite the poem.
Week 9	MIDTERM	MIDTERM
Weeks 10-11	Role Play : Tell us about a recent trip that you went on. Your friend just came back from Lagos. Ask as many questions as possible to know more about the trip. Your friend wants to sublet his/her apartment to you. Find out everything you want to know about this apartment. Your classmate will play the role of your friend. Tell your classmates the advantages and disadvantages that you feel are in living in a big city as opposed to a small city. Writing: Write an essay describing a recent trip that you went on. Reading: YNR: 41, 42, 43. Alawiye K÷rin : 21, 22, 23, 24 Tone Drills : JKKY: Lesson 11 Poem: lesson 11	-Demonstrate how to talk about a trip that you went on. -Collect essays -Do tone drills -Have students do the role plays. - Student read aloud the YNR excerpts. - Do activities on Alawiye
Weeks 12-13	Role Play : Describe your favorite store. Ask your classmate four or five questions about his or her favorite store. Describe a close relative. Describe your best teacher. Writing: Write an essay about a store that you like. Reading: YNR: 44, 45. Alawiye K÷rin : 26, 27, 30, 31. Tone Drills : JKKY: Lesson 12	- Demonstrate the role play in number one. - Students do the role plays - Collect essays - Students read aloud the excerpts from YNR - Do tone drills
Weeks 14-15	Role Play : Tell us about the role of women in your society. Narrate a favorite movie that you watched. You are researching the role of women in Yoruba land. Ask your friend who is from Yoruba land as many questions as possible to help you write your paper. Defend a position: Should women work outside of their home or not? Writing: Write an essay about leisure time activities in your culture. Poem : JKKY Lesson Reading : YNR: Alawiye K÷rin :	-Demonstrate how to talk about the role of men and women in a society. - Students do role plays - Students read aloud the excerpts from the YNR - Do tone drills - Collect essays - Work on Alawiye
	Tone Drills: JKKY Lesson
	Final Exam

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