Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.

This course examines how features of Modern Greek—both standard and non-standard varieties—serve as sites of debate and as tools for advancing political and cultural agendas. Through a sociolinguistic lens, we will analyze a wide range of materials, including academic and literary texts, art, mass and social media, video, song, poetry, and internet memes. Students will explore how language reflects and shapes social and political change across regions where Modern Greek is spoken (Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Turkey, and beyond).

The course is open to students both with and without prior knowledge of Modern Greek. Instruction will be in English, though Greek will feature prominently in class materials. Students with knowledge of Greek will have the option of completing alternative readings and assignments in Greek.

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