Spanish Course Offerings Spring 2021

SPAN 200: Spanish Composition and Grammar  

An intensive study of selected grammatical topics (ser-estar, preterit and imperfect, present subjunctive and commands); vocabulary; grammatical exercises and short compositions.

In this course you will acquire new vocabulary, broaden and improve your knowledge of grammatical structures (agreement, verb tenses, pronouns, and much more). You will learn strategies for developing and refining your written communication skills.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: SPAN 107

SPAN 201: Spanish Reading & Composition 

This course places major emphasis on the development of reading, writing and analytical skills while studying literary selections from Spain and Latin America. Students will have the opportunity to read a wide variety of Spanish and Latin American literature in up to four genres: poetry, narrative, drama, and essay. The student will develop reading skills as well as a solid knowledge of the literary terms and movements which will be encountered in more advanced literature classes. Compositions will be based on interpretation of the readings and will be directed towards reinforcing the use of literary terminology. This class may contain a section with an Honors component. Honors students may be asked to participate in weekly discussion threads through Canvas, memorization of poems, and/or a short drama performance.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: SPAN 200

Fulfills Arts and Sciences “Group A” Creative Arts and Humanities Requirement

SPAN 201: Spanish Reading & Composition (HONORS)

This course, for HONORS students, places major emphasis on the development of reading, writing and analytical skills while studying literary works from Spain and Latin America in three genres: poetry, narrative and drama. In-class discussion and compositions will be based on interpretation of the readings and will be directed towards reinforcing the use of literary terminology.  Other highlights included in this course are weekly discussion threads through Canvas, memorization of poems, and a short drama performance.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: SPAN 200

Fulfills Arts and Sciences “Group A” Creative Arts and Humanities Requirement

SPAN 205:  Spanish Conversation: A Cultural Approach 

This course builds mastery of practical spoken Spanish in its cultural context. Spanish will be used strategically in situations that relate to everyday life, with topics such as health, education, relationships, travel, sports, food, housing, security, family life, entertainment and media. The ultimate objective of this course is for students to be able to fulfill individual goals using Spanish. The Honors section features additional proficiency activities inside and outside the classroom including one-on-one conversations with native speakers and third-party assessment for proficiency feedback.

Prerequisite:  Spanish 107 with a grade of B 

Restrictions: Not intended for native speakers. May not be taken if the student has reached the 400 level in Spanish.

SPAN 300: Advanced Spanish Composition and Grammar I

This course is primarily designed to consolidate the fundamentals of Spanish grammar and introduce advanced structures through intense targeted practice. Writing communication skills are developed and refined towards an elaborate syntactic production. Cultural and historical topics are explored through short readings that raise awareness of the Spanish-speaking world while building up vocabulary to express abstract ideas. The emphasis on grammar will be linked to the exploration of historical and cultural facts. At this stage, emphasis is given to accuracy of grammar, active use of vocabulary, sentence structure (moving from simple to compound sentences), and cohesiveness at the paragraph level. 

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisites: SPAN 200

SPAN 302:  Survey of Spanish Literature  

This course will cover Spanish literature from the 18th century to the present, including selections of representative works, discussions and collateral readings.

In this course we will explore the literature and culture of modern Spain chronologically, from the eighteenth century to the present. We will gain exposure to classic modern authors in every genre of Spanish literature. We also will sample the action, humor, wit and beauty of many other masterpieces, honing critical skills while exploring the evolution of modern Spain. Multimedia enrichment will add to our appreciation of Spanish literature and culture.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: SPAN 201

Fulfills Arts and Sciences “Group B” History and Cultural Change requirement

SPAN 304: Survey of Spanish-American Literature

Representative works in all genres of Latin American literature in the 20th century; SPAN304 is a survey of Spanish-American literature and culture that covers from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Films, short readings (including Nobel Prize winners Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, and Mario Vargas Llosa) and discussion of important political and economic issues--revolution, dictatorship and the Dirty wars, inequality, migration, and gender and race relations--will improve your familiarity with the many peoples, cultures, and societies in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. 

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: SPAN 201

Fulfills College of Arts and Sciences “Group B” History and Cultural Change requirement

SPAN 305:  Oral Communication  

You love Spanish. You would love to travel to Spanish-speaking countries. You can read Spanish and you can communicate but you want to be able to have meaningful Spanish conversation. This course is designed to help you speak Spanish more fluently and expand your vocabulary while learning current issues and customs in the Hispanic world. The goal is to enable you to sustain conversations and express your opinions on diverse topics. The course draws from a variety of resources, including short stories and essays, articles from the Spanish press, slides, videos, and satellite newscasts. Interactive formats such as class discussions, debates, oral presentations and scenarios will be used.

For individuals with a comprehensive knowledge of Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Emphasis on refinement of expression of abstract ideas as well as mastery of practical communication.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: SPAN 200 

Restrictions: Not intended for native speakers

SPAN 315: Reading & Writing For Healthcare Professionals

Devoted to the analysis and creation of professional discourse in Spanish as well as the study of the cultural issues related to science, health, and healthcare in the Spanish-speaking world. Students will hone their reading and writing skills in the Spanish language and develop their understanding of the ways health, illness, and medicine are perceived in Spanish-speaking cultures. The course aims to prepare students for careers in medical and scientific fields. 

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: Two SPAN 2xx courses taught in Spanish

SPAN 319: Spanish Internship in Health Sciences 

This experiential learning course seeks to immerse students in settings where language proficiency is needed to serve the needs of patients whose first (or dominant) language is Spanish. Contact with Spanish-speaking community organizations, healthcare providers, and/or patients will strengthen students' language and cross-cultural skills, while guest speakers and in-class activities will enhance their understanding of cultural and social aspects relevant to serving Spanish-speaking communities.

Prerequisite: Two SPAN3XX courses; SPAN315 highly recommended

SPAN 325:  Spanish Civilization and Culture    

Survey of geography, history, art and society of Spain. This course offers a survey of the geography, history, culture, politics and society of Spain. You will study key historical events, from prehistoric times to the most recent developments, as well as cultural movements that have shaped Spanish national identity. The course is conducted in Spanish and the readings are in Spanish.

Offered with an Honors section.

Prerequisite: SPAN 200

Fulfills College of Arts and Sciences “Group B” History and Cultural Change requirement

Required for teaching majors

SPAN 326: Latin American Civilizations and Cultures

This course is a survey of the history and culture of Latin America from the time of the region’s indigenous empires to the present. Students will analyze fundamental aspects of the region’s history, geography, politics and cultural production, focusing on issues including human rights, colonialism, nationalism, military intervention, globalization and migration. This course is designed to prepare students for the advanced study of Latin American cultural production by providing them with the historical and social context necessary for studying the cultures of this region. Students will gain an appreciation for the historical roots of present-day social and political issues in Latin America, improve their research and analysis skills, develop their capacity for independent learning and critically examine crucial issues related to Latin American culture.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisite: SPAN 200

Fulfills College of Arts and Sciences “Group B” History and Cultural Change requirement

and University Multicultural requirement

SPAN 401: Advanced Composition & Grammar II

SPAN401 is not a systematic study of Spanish grammar (that is the purpose of the SPAN 200 and 300 prerequisites for this course). In SPAN401 students will practice and apply what they have learned in previous courses, as well as broaden their vocabulary through different kinds of writings (i.e.: summaries, opinion papers, narrations, feature articles, descriptions, poems, short stories, etc.), projects and class participation. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity to study and practice more in-depth those structures that traditionally cause the most problems: subjunctive vs. indicative, past tenses, prepositions and pronouns, reflexivity, active vs. passive, text progression, determination, word order, direct vs. indirect speech, sequence of tenses, use of complex tenses, etc. The SPAN 401 textbook contains an array of authentic readings about the culture, history, and politics of Spain and Latin America. The overall goal of SPAN 401 is to help students reach the ACTFL Language Testing Advanced-Low Level. 

Offered with an Honors section. Honors students will meet for an additional conversation hour (tertulia) once every week.

Prerequisite: This course is the last in a series of Spanish language courses. Students must have taken SPAN 200 and SPAN 300 before enrolling for this course. The course is conducted in Spanish.

SPAN 436/636: Topics: Literature of the Spanish Golden Age

Works of one or more authors or of a special theme or genre within Spanish literature of the Golden Age (16th and 17th centuries). May be repeated three times for credit when topics vary.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisites: SPAN301, SPAN302, SPAN303, or SPAN304

Spanish 455/655: Reading Women’s oppression in LA

This course  explores the history of violence in women’s lives in the midst of political, social and artistic moments that shaped Latin America. Using primary literary texts, film, art, and music, students will engage with scholarly readings that contextualize those moments such as the emergence of women in convents, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, black nuns, brides of Christ, to Frida Kahlo and her political vision, to Remedios Varo’s issues of gender and ambiguity, to the soldaderas/ guerrilleras, poets in the mountains and testimonial literature of rural leaders in Latin America, such as Mapuche indigenous leaders. Issues of bodies, ancient medicine for women and conceptual notions of the body in present times will be explored with a collage of collaborative media, from beads to embroidery, from digital protest to political lipstick.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisites: SPAN301, SPAN302, SPAN303, or SPAN304..

Graduate students: this course will concentrate on the works of Sor Juana and the new indigenous women’s intellectuals such as Cusicanqui in Latin America.

SPAN 471/671: Latin American Film

In this course we will examine major historical and present-day problems in Latin America through both classic and popular films. We will study key film techniques, movements, and major artists including Buñuel, Gutiérrez Alea, Bemberg, Pereira dos Santos, Meirelles, González Iñárritu and more. (Rated ‘R’)

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisites: SPAN301, SPAN302, SPAN303, SPAN304, SPAN307, SPAN308, SPAN325, or SPAN326.

Fulfills University Multicultural requirement

SPAN 475: Digital Cultures of Latin America

A lo largo de toda la historia humana, los avances tecnológicos han iniciado transformaciones culturales, definiendo el perfil de lo que una cultura dada puede crear y producir dentro de los confines de su momento histórico particular. Este curso examina las maneras en que los “nuevos medios” y las innovaciones creativas han transformado a América Latina desde el siglo XX hasta principios del siglo XXI. El curso comienza con una exploración de las maneras en que los “nuevos medios” han sido teorizados y definidos, y continúa con el estudio detenido de producción cultural en forma digital de diversas partes de la región. A lo largo del semestre, investigaremos las culturas digitales de América Latina mediante el análisis de textos críticos y teóricos, literatura y poesía digital e impresa, artes visuales y performance, hacktivism, videojuegos y otros productos multi-mediáticos e interactivos, examinando un espectro de perspectivas y productos diversos relacionados a este tema inherentemente interdisciplinario y multi-mediático.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisites: SPAN307, SPAN308, SPAN325, or SPAN326.

SPAN 475/675: Topics in Hispanic Culture and Civilization: SONGS OF PROTEST IN LATIN AMER

Study of topics in Hispanic culture and civilization, ranging through the geography, history, art and society of Spain and Latin American countries.

Offered with an Honors section

Prerequisites: SPAN307, SPAN308, SPAN325, or SPAN326.

SPAN 491: Travel Literature in the Hispanic World

In this course, students will experience a variety of countries and cultures through the study of travel literature from colonial to contemporary times. Through letters, diaries, novels and graphic journeys, the magic of this literary genre will come alive. Students will discover the Aztec and Mayan ruins, the Inca empire and at the same time, journeys across the continent on motorcycles and planes, horses, and boats. Some of the works we will study include selections from: Colón, Cortés, Ernesto Cardenal and Che Guevara, women’s accounts, and other adventurous materials from around the Hispanic world.

Prerequisite: One 400-level literature or culture course. 

Restrictions: Senior-level Spanish Studies and Latin American & Iberian Studies majors only.

PORT 316: Intensive Portuguese for Spanish Students, II 

PORT 316 is a continuation of PORT 216. Students will continue to refine their command of the four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—and will complete the study of the basic grammatical structure of Brazilian Portuguese. As in PORT 216, there will be an emphasis on Brazilian culture through films, Power Point presentations, readings, and plenty of Brazilian music. Once again, come prepared to groove to the rhythm and lyrics of samba and bossa nova, to speak lots of Portuguese, and to have a lot of fun learning a really cool language!

PORT 316 is part of Option II of the Spanish major and can count toward the Latin American and Iberian Studies major and minor. It is also part of the Foreign Language Certificate in Brazilian Portuguese. Along with PORT216, it may fulfill the third language in the Three Languages major.  

Prerequisite: PORT 216 or equivalent.