Introduction to Language and Culture · Anthropology
One reading and one page summary per class. The readings range in length from 30 minutes to an hour and a half of reading.
READ! READ! Don't get behind on the reading, and do go to the lectures.
Although prof. Shankar seems like she'd be an interesting person to hang out with, she unfortunately doesn't lecture well. She reads her lectures from notes and basically sums up the articles we read for homework. She rarely takes questions and actively discourages us from asking more than two or three clarifications during a lecture. We don't discuss anything. She says it's due to class size, but I've had classes that size before with discussion. The midterm seemed easy but her grading was very picky. Taking over this class last minute couldn't have been easy, especially because the previous professor was rumored to be so excellent. Maybe prof. Shankar would handle a smaller class better, but I would not recommend taking a lecture-based class with her.
This class was challenging, but very rewarding. The concepts seemed beyond an introductory level, but Professor Kockelman is very clear and very knowledgeable. However, it is difficult to judge what your final grade will be, so be wary your progress. Professor Kockelman was moderately interactive, though most of the material was beyond the discussion capabilities of the students. I was very challenged by this course, and ended up with a B+ after completing all the homework assignments and working very hard on the final paper and exam.
He is very friendly, always enthusiastic, and approachable. There is a LOT of reading--keep up! He loves student participation in class (unlike many profs). A great class overall! Lecture attendance is necessary to do well in the course, but the lectures are fun.
1 or 2 articles a week (1 per class), a midterm paper, a final paper
Intro: heavy weekly readings, midterm, final, and a semester-long "fieldstudy" project. Communicative Practices: LOTS of reading, presentations on the reading, and a more in depth "fieldstudy".
The structure of the class was totally changed this semester, definitely for the better. The reviews under this one seem to be fair depictions of what I'd heard prior to taking the class, and I have to say, I was a little terrified going in to this semester. However, the class ended up being amazing. I have learned more in this class than in any other Intro Anthro class I've taken, and been exposed to theorists and modes of analysis that I'd never even heard of (I'm a junior majoring in Anthropology). The class was limited enrollment this semester, which allowed Professor Kockelman room to engage with the students frequently and lecture to a smaller class. He started off the class by warning everyone that some people would get Bs, and if they were scared of that, they shouldn't take it. After the first week, I found I was growing more and more comfortable with the classical linguistic analysts he exposed us to, and was able to recognize their work in contemporary articles he assigned too. He did a great job explaining the very difficult concepts and was always open to questions (however, it did take him a while to notice that hands were raised, sometimes). I have to say, the class was a really great experience: challenging and totally worth it. Professor Kockelman was seriously interested in what we had to say and made sure to engage with us more so than it seems he's done in…
This guy is smart! Professor Jacquemet is very interesting if you get to know him (take a seminar class), but you might be put off at first by his formality. His classes are well organized and right on target. There's a lot of reading, most of which you should read pretty well if you want to be able to talk intelligently in class. Jacquemet's very eager to hear about student's own linguistic experiences, so come with stories. He's a nice guy and a very good teacher if you can get over his European-academia air. Really gives you a feel for his own field work without obsessing over it. You will learn a lot!
Readings which aren't really helpful, a midterm and a final that are crazy.