Julie Tetel - Duke University, Durham, NC

Professor: Julie Tetel

Department: English

College: Duke University, Durham, NC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG290S
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Arguably one of the weirdest and most frustrating classes I've ever taken at Duke (both in terms of grading and logistics), made mostly tolerable by a set of really excellent classmates. The only concrete due date seemed to be that of our final project (see: comment below this), and class discussions turned largely tangential and oddly personal.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG290S
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

We went the entire semester without a single assignment or grade. Granted, it was her first time teaching the class, but she was definitely winging everything. Every class was just discussion about the creative writing projects we were each working on. Tetel is, nevertheless, an engaging and thoughtful teacher.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: LIN101
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Dr. Tetel was my favorite professor at Duke. I loved her linguistics class when I took it 25+ years! BDr. Tetel was so passionate and knowledgeable that I remember her and the class quite well.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG209S
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I was not really interested in this subject at the beginning of the semester, but Dr. Tetel is so passionate about the subject that it sparked my interest. There is weekly homework and reading. It is not hard, just time consuming. The final paper determined our grade in the class, but she gave us plenty of time to work on it and was very helpful.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: LING220S
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great teacher with an obvious passion for her field of study. In the seminar class she allows for tangents and brings about many unique and creative examples. "Textbook" is dry and has yet to be fully published and weekly required homework becomes more of an annoyance than an interest. Long paper due at the end but plenty of time and help to do it.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: LING201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very interesting professor who's easy to talk to and get along with, makes the subject material entertaining and relatable. Grade depends on one midterm, one final, and one project, but overall it's not bad. I would take it again

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG209FS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Mostly a discussion-based class with one long final project at the end. Very nice lady, however, just make sure to participate as much as possible.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG204
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Tetel is great-- she's really passionate and is genuinely interested in what students have to say in class. She isn't always clear or organized, but you can always ask her to clarify and she is happy to. Really enjoyed Historical English Linguistics!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGLISH490S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I took "Language and Evolution". The class was VERY disorganized, but I ended up learning a bunch of information and had a blast at the same time. She loves her field and exudes enthusiasm, and our class felt more like a family than anything else. Linguistics was not a prereq, and it probably should have been--but she explained what we needed.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: LINGFCS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

best professor i have ever experienced. made focus sooo worthwhile. i had 0 interest in linguistics but you would be crazy not to take her class! duke is lucky to have her.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: LINGLING
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Often disorganized. Tetel is a genius but can be hard to understand. Class participation is a must.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG119S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Tetel was great in a seminar setting! She encouraged discussion and we explored a lot of different topics depending on our interests. The class wasn't too demanding; we did have a lot of reading, but just a final project and paper at the end of the semester.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: LING102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I made an A in the class. Yet, even with a whole bunch of hard and useless homework assignments, papers, and take home tests, I learned nothing. The work is tedious, and Ling 101 should be a mandatory prerequisite. Excellent writing skills help you get through, but it's painful to do the work and make it sound coherent. Not worth it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: LING122
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Do not take unless you have taken intro to linguistics. You will simply not have the knowledge that you need. There is a lot of work, and the TA's grade everything. Tetel does very little, and when she does lecture, she is incredibly spastic and scatter-brained. By no means is this an easy A.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: LING102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I agree with a lot of what's been said here. Take 101 first. Class is a series of guest lecturers who all teach different things -- there's no continuity, I don't feel like I actually learned anything! Weekly HW assignments are frustrating, midterm and papers are painstaking. Tetel is one of the most scatterbrained people I've ever met.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: LING102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Tetel is a great teacher, but this course does not utilize her teaching; it's mainly guest lectures. What makes no sense to me is why Ling 101 is not a prerequisite; most kids are scraping by without the background knowledge. The textbook work (which there is plenty of) expects a pretty solid background in the subject.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: LING102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

More busy work than the class is worth. 3 papers, midterm, final, and horrible weekly homework assignments. Tetel is very enthusiastic, but all the grading is done by TAs. Linguistics 101 should be a prerequisite to this class to have a solid idea of what's going on. If you just do the work, a B will come naturally.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: LING102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Really interesting class and teacher! However I would recommend not taking it before you've taken 101. The class assumes you know a lot that you probably don't. TAs grade everything, including papers. Needless to say, class is NOT an easy A -- it's a lot of work, with weekly HW assignments, three papers, and a take-home midterm (killer) and final.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: LING102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Class is a drag with the work, and the assignments all assume you have a solid background in linguistic concepts. Tetel is amazing, but she does not lecture most of the time. Boring paper topics, tedious homework assignments, and horrendously long mid-term. Still, if you put work into this class, you will get a solid grade.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: LING102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

If you're an English major looking for a CTM, this is not it. This class should def have a pre-req, but doesn't. Assumes that you understand linguistic concepts already. Weekly assignments and tests have nothing to do with the lectures, which is annoying and frustrating. Papers are graded by TAs. Tetel was not helpful with problems.