ELL 414 Multilingualism and Literature (Spring 2023)

Monday 9:00-12:50, Fully Online

Course Description
An extraordinary group of authors write in more than one language or in a language other than
their home language. In this course, through examples from world literature, we explore
multi/bilingual authors’ writing experiences and discuss possible cognitive and social reasons
as well as consequences of bilingualism. Psychological, cognitive, social, political and
economic reasons behind multilingualism in various contexts and geographies are compared
and contrasted and their reflections on authors’ literary profiles are discussed.

Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the course will
 have mastery of the basic concepts in social and cognitive aspects of multilingualism
 have familiarity with social, political and economic reasons behind multilingualism in
various contexts and geographies
 be able to specify the complex interactions of social mechanisms, construction of
identity, attitudes and perception of multilinguals
 be able to determine the cognitive processes and the resulting advantages and
challenges of multilingualism on literary writing

Instructor
Prof. F. Nihan Ketrez Sözmen
 E-mail: nihan.ketrez@bilgi.edu.tr
 Office Hours: Monday 12:00-13:00, Wednesday 10:00-12:00, Friday 12:00-13:00, and
by appointment
 Office: Santral Campus, E2 (Yaşar Kemal) 304A
 Personal Zoom ID: 314-276-8043, Passcode: chomsky

Evaluation
 Presentation and discussion of a bilingual author (student selection) (20%)
 Research paper on the author or the literary work presented and discussed (30%)
 Final Exam on course material (50%)
 Letter grade break down: 95-100: A, 90-94: A-, 85-89: B+, 80-84: B, 75-79:B-, 70-74:
C+, 65-69: C, 60-64: C-, 55-59: D+, 50-54: D, 0-49: F (The passing grade (D/50) may
be lowered).

Attendance Policy
 Zoom lectures will not be recorded.
 Students are expected to attend the lectures regularly with their Bilgi Student IDs
(from their own Bilgi accounts).
 Attendance will be recorded authomatically during the Zoom lectures and will be
reported to the university. It will not be a part of the course evaluation (it will not be
graded, penalized or rewarded).
  Please note that ELL 414 is not designed as a self-study course. Although the lecture
slides and other course material will be shared at Bilgi Learn, they will provide
outlines of the lectures and will not include everything that is discussed in class.

Major Readings
 Cebeci, O. (2004) A unique genre in English letters: the Memoirs of Ottoman Women.
Litera 0:16, 49-60.
 Derrida, J. (1998). Monolingualism of the other or the prosthesis of origin.
(translation: Patrick Mensah) Stanford Univ. Press.
 Domokos, J. & M. Deganutti (2021). Four major literary code-switching strategies in
Hungarian Literature: Decoding Monolingualism. Hungarian Studies Yearbook 3(1).
43-63. DOI: 10.2478/hsy-2021–0004
 Domokos, J. (2018). Endangered Literature: Essays on Translingualism,
Interculturality, and Vulnerability. Budapest: L’Harmattan Publishing. Selected pages.
 Grosjean, F. & Li, P. (eds). The Psycholinguistics of Bilingualism. Blackwell. Selected
chapters.
 Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual Life and Reality. Harvard Univ. Press. Selected
chapters.
 Huston, N. (2002). Losing North: Musings on Land, Tongue and Self. Toronto:
McArthur.
 Kellman, Steven G. (ed.) (2003). Switching Languages: Translingual Writers Reflect
on Their Craft. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press. Selected chapters.
 Lahiri, D. (2017). In other words. Vintage. (translation: Anne Goldstein).
 Özdamar, E. S. (1994). Mother Tongue / Mutterzunge / Anne Dili. Selected pages.
 Prade-Weiss, J. (2013). (M)Other Tongues: Literary Reflexions on a Difficult
Distinction. Cambridge Scholars.
 Yıldız, Y. (2012). Beyond the Mother Tongue: The Postmonolingual condition. New
York: Forddam. Selected chapters.

Weekly Schedule*
*Subject to change due to YÖK and university announcements. Please watch the announcements
during the lectures.

Wk Date Topics & Reading

1. 02.27 Definitions: Bilingualism, monolingualism, bilingual minds
 Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual Life and Reality. Harvard Univ. Press.
Chapters 1-4.

2. 03.06 Definitions: Codeswitching, codemixing, borrowing

 Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual Life and Reality. Harvard Univ. Press.
Chapters 5-6.

3. 03.13 Bilingual writing and monolingual writing of bilinguals

 Manchon, R. M. (2013). Writing (Chapter 5). In Grosjean, F. & Li, P.
(eds). The Psycholinguistics of Bilingualism. Blackwell.
 Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual Life and Reality. Harvard Univ. Press.
(Chapter 12, Bilingual Writers).
4. 03.20 Multilingual societies, from writers’ perspectives
 Kellman, Steven G. (ed.) (2003). Switching Languages: Translingual
Writers Reflect on Their Craft. Lincoln and London: University of
Nebraska Press. Selected chapters.

5. 03.27 The “mother tongues” and the language of the other

 Derrida, J. (1998). Monolingualism of the other or the prosthesis of
origin. (translation: Patrick Mensah) Stanford Univ. Press.
 Huston, N. (2002). Losing North: Musings on Land, Tongue and Self.
Toronto: McArthur.
 Lahiri, D. (2017). In other words. Vintage. (translation: Anne
Goldstein).
 Özdamar, E. S. Mother Tongue / Mutterzunge / Anne Dili. Selected
pages.
 Prade-Weiss, J. (2013). (M)Other Tongues: Literary Reflexions on a
Difficult Distinction. Cambridge Scholars. Selected Pages.
 Cebeci, O. (2004) A unique genre in English letters: the Memoirs of
Ottoman Women. Litera 0:16, 49-60.

6. 04.03 Translingualism and world literature

 Domokos, J. (2018). Endangered Literature: Essays on
Translingualism, Interculturality, and Vulnerability. Budapest:
L’Harmattan Publishing. Selected pages.
 Domokos, J. & M. Deganutti (2021). Four major literary code-
switching strategies in Hungarian Literature. Decoding
Monolingualism. Hungarian Studies Yearbook 3(1). 43-63. DOI:
10.2478/hsy-2021–0004
 Kellman, S. G. (ed.) (2003). Switching Languages: Translingual
Writers Reflect on Their Craft. Lincoln and London: University of
Nebraska Press. Selected chapters.
 Yıldız, Y. (2012). Beyond the Mother Tongue: The Postmonolingual
condition. New York: Forddam. Selected chapters.

7. 04.10 Midterm Exam Week – No class

8. 04.17 Constructed Multilingualism

 Excerpts from Gulliver’s Travels (J. Swift), Through the Looking Glass
(Lewis Carrol), A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess), Lord of the
Rings (J.R.R.Tolkien), Finnegan’s Wake (James Joyce), Harry Potter
(J.K. Rowling), Dune (Frank Herbert), and others.

09. 04.24 Translingualism and world literature continued with examples

Guidelines for presentations and Final Paper
Author selections are due.

10. 05.01 National Holiday, no class

11. 05.08 Student Presentations & Discussion

 12. 05.15 Student Presentations & Discussion

13. 05.22 Course wrap-up and review for Final Exam

14. 05.29 Final Exam

Psychological Counseling Unit

Psychological Counseling Unit at BİLGİ provides psychological support for the students
affected by the earthquake that occurred in our country. Students who would like to receive this
support can contact our Psychological Counseling Unit at pdb@bilgi.edu.tr | 02123117674 -
02123117676.

Educational Support for Disabled Students

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are
encouraged to contact both the instructor and BİLGİ Accessible Education Unit as early as
possible in the term. BİLGİ Accessible Education Unit will verify your disability and determine
reasonable accommodations for this course. For more information, visit:
https://www.bilgi.edu.tr/tr/yasam/ogrenci/ogrenci-destek-merkezi/engelli-ogrenci-birimi/

Academic Integrity
You should keep in mind that as a member of the campus community, you are expected to
demonstrate integrity in all of your academic endeavors and will be evaluated on your own
merits. The consequence of cheating and academic dishonesty may result in formal discipline
punishment as regulated by the Turkish Higher Educational Council.