Spanish Courses

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  • SPAN 122 / History of the Spanish Language (4) - view
    An advanced study of the Spanish language examining its history and development from Latin to the phonological and syntactic descriptions found in present-day usage. Topics include comparative data on Spanish-American and peninsular Spanish, dialectology, sociolinguistics, and idiomatic usage. Linguistic study as applied to literature and pedagogical implications is explored. Prerequisite: Gateway course or concurrent registration with Gateway course or special permission.
  • SPAN 128 / Selected Topics in Spanish Language and Linguistics (2-4) - view
    The study of a topic or topics in Spanish language and linguistics not covered by the current offerings of the Spanish department. In any given semester the course may be offered as a single four-credit unit or divided into two separate topics, each carrying two credits. Amount of credit established at the time of registration. Offered in Spanish. Amount of credit established at time of registration. Maybe repeated for credit as topics changes. Prerequisite: Required courses from the Advanced Intermediate Language Sequence, placement or special permission.
  • SPAN 131 / Service Learning and Translation (4) - view
    This course will combine the practice of translation across disciplines and community service through its dual focus on critical, reflexive thinking and civic responsibility. Through translations related to health, social, business and political issues, students increase their working vocabulary paying close attention to idioms, dialect and creativity. This will be complemented by an off-campus component. Students will partner with organizations that serve the local Latino/a community, and will examine their role and responsibility in relation to issues of citizenship, social and economic justice, and social change. Prerequisite: Gateway course, or concurrent registration with Gateway course, or special permission.
  • SPAN 160 / Spanish Internship (2-4) - view
    An internship where the student utilize Spanish skills hands-on. Internship should be approved before hand by the department. A final report is required. Amount of credit established at time of registration. Prerequisite: Gateway course, SPAN 120.

Elementary and Intermediate Language Sequence

  • SPAN 1 / Fundamentals of Oral and Written Spanish I (4) - view
    An introduction to the language and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing using a communicative, proficiency-oriented approach. Interactive practice is enhanced by multimedia/technology. Designed for students who have not taken Spanish before. Twenty-five percent of the course done outside class using various technologies. Offered every semester.
  • SPAN 20 / Fundamentals of Oral and Written Spanish II (4) - view
    Continues and completes the introduction to the Spanish language. Progressive mastering of the four skills toward a goal of low-intermediate proficiency level. Emphasis on using language in context to expand self-expression. Open to students who have completed SPAN 1, or who have been assigned to this course after placement examination. Twenty-five percent of the course done outside of class using various technologies. Prerequisite: SPAN 1. Offered every semester.
  • SPAN 30 / Intermediate Spanish (4) - view
    A review of basic Spanish with a concentration on refinement of skills toward a goal of advanced proficiency in written expression and spoken accuracy. Uses Hispanic cultural and literary texts to assist in vocabulary expansion and to develop techniques in mastering authentic language in context. Open to students who have completed SPAN 20, or who have been assigned to this course after placement examination. Twenty-five percent of the course done outside class using various technologies. Meets: Three hours class, two hours in the LRC. Prerequisite: SPAN 20. Offered every semester.
  • SPAN 31 / Oral and Written Skills for Heritage Learners (4) - view
    This course is designed to further develop reading and writing skills and improve the linguistic proficiency of heritage learners who learned Spanish at home or in their community. Stress on grammar control and expository writing, as well as implications of bicultural identity and recognition of regional linguistic variations. Students become familiarized with grammatical terminology and also learn how to use writing conventions in Spanish. Students develop oral and written Spanish for academic and professional contexts. Prerequisite: SPAN 20, placement or special permission.

Advanced Intermediate Language Sequence

  • SPAN 104 / Spanish Grammar & Conversation for Heritage Learners (4) - view
    Designed to develop reading and writing skills and improve linguistic proficiency of heritage speakers of Spanish. Stress on grammar control and expository writing, as well as implications of bicultural identity and recognition of regional linguistic variations. Offered spring semesters in odd years.
  • SPAN 105A / Spanish Conversation:Hispanic Media and Society (2) - view
    Through an emphasis on the use of spoken language within the contexts of Hispanic media (film, television, radio, newspapers, etc), this course concentrates on contemporary issues of Hispanic cultures and societies. Text-, audio-, and visual-based authentic materials will provide the basis for oral discussion and exercises centered on improving pronunciation, developing an active vocabulary for use across different communicative contexts, and increasing the integration of all the language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or special permission.
  • SPAN 105B / Spanish Conversation: Hispanic Theatre (2) - view
    The course focuses on the reading, discussion and performances of selected dramatic pieces in Spanish, while introducing students to a literary and cultural analysis of dramatic expression. Individual and group representations will provide the basis for facilitating oral practice, developing and applying an active vocabulary, improving pronunciation and intonation, and perfecting writing skills. No prior experience in theatre is required. Prerequisite: SPAN 102.

Gateway Courses to Hispanic Literature and Cultural Studies

  • SPAN 120 / Gateway to Hispanic Literature and Cultural Studies (4) - view
    This course introduces students to the basic critical skills for literary and cultural analysis, develops reading fluency across genres (such as poetry, prose, and theatre) and literary periods, and examines interdisciplinary cultural discourses as connected to a topic or topics related to the Hispanic world. Representative works and products studied are placed within their historical, cultural and theoretical contexts. The course pays particular attention to the development of oral and written argumentation across cultural frameworks and perspectives. Emphasis is placed on oral interpretations and presentations, critical oral and written responses, as well as on the original application of critical methodologies in written work. Students will develop writing and research skills pertinent to future coursework in the discipline. Topics may rotate among the following: Gender and Representation in Hispanic Literatures and Film; Spain, Latin America, the U.S.: An Odyssey of Cultures; Short Fictions in the Spanish Speaking World; The Hispanic Imagination: Poetry and Narrative; Identity, Performance and Self-Representation in Spanish-Speaking Cultures; The Hispanic Novella Tradition from Cervantes to Garcia Marquez. Prerequisite: Three courses from the advanced intermediate sequence or special permission. Fulfills: BH WM

Topics Courses in English

(all readings, lectures, and discussions in English)

  • SPAN 113 / African Roots in Latin American Cultures (4) - view
    A study of the many contributions that African Diaspora added to the richness of the present-day cultures of Latin America, Brazil and the Spanish Caribbean. The course will emphasize the influences that the African cultures have had in areas such as the language, economy, religion, music, art, dance and gastronomy. In addition to literary selections, readings in socio-historical sources, films and other art forms will be introduced and discussed. Enrollment priority: Given to Spanish majors/minors, Latin American Studies minors, Pan African majors/minors. Offered in alternate years.
  • SPAN 115 / From Magical Realism to Globalization in Spanish-American Literature and Film (4) - view
    This course will study the representative works of Spanish-American literature since the 1950s. The first part of the course will study the foundations of magical realism and will be followed by close readings of major narratives and films representing this movement. The latter part of the course will center on the most recent prose and film depicting the impact of globalization upon Spanish-American identity, such as mass media, consumerism, alienation, sexual liberation and repression, and immigration. Offered spring 2009.
  • SPAN 117 / Selected Topics in Spanish (2-4) - view
    A study of a topic or topics in a linguistic, cultural, or literary aspect of the Hispanic world not covered by the current offerings of the Spanish department. In any given semester the course may be offered as a single four-credit unit or divided into two separate topics, each carrying two credits. Course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. In any given semester the course may be offered as a single four-credit unit or divided into two separate topics, each carrying two credits. Amount of credit established at time of registration. May be repeated for credit as topic changes. Offered fall or spring semester.
  • SPAN 123 / Introduction to Spanish Linguistics (4) - view
    This survey course introduces the primary fields of Spanish linguistics including: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, historical linguistics, and sociolinguistics. We will examine the terminology and theoretical frameworks used in each field for the analysis of the Spanish language. Students will put linguistic theory to practice through the completion of exercises and the analysis of speech and text. We will also examine the social contexts that structure the use of language and its speakers by exploring the Spanish language in various settings around the world. Prerequisite: Gateway course, or concurrent registration with Gateway course or special permission.

Advanced Courses in Language and Linguistics

  • SPAN 124 / Spanish Sociolinguistics (4) - view
    This course will familiarize students with issues of language use in context in Spanish-speaking communities around the world. Students will learn the field's main findings and methods for sociolinguistic analysis. They will become familiar with concepts such as linguistic variation, linguistic change, standard vs. non-prestigious varieties, bilingualism, diglossia, language attitudes, language planning, and conversation analysis. Prerequisite: Gateway course, or concurrent registration with Gateway course or by special permission.

Advanced Courses in Hispanic Literature and Cultural Studies

Origins and Foundations

Elementary and Intermediate Courses in Spanish

  • SPAN 102 / Spanish Grammar (4) - view
    This course is designed to improve the student's accuracy and control of advanced grammatical modes in Spanish resulting in more precise articulation of ideas and opinions and other forms of self-expression. Class will emphasize proportionately the four skills of speaking, writing, reading and listening while using the most contemporary source materials such as magazines, reports, and films in Spanish. In addition, class will use internet sources and other technologies. Activities may include debates, speeches, interviews, reports, conversations, and dramatic skits. Prerequisite: SPAN 30. Offered fall semester in even numbered years.

Upper-Level Language and Literature Courses in Spanish

Open to students who have completed SPAN 30 or equivalent or with permission of instructor. Not open to Heritage speakers and others whom the department determines are fluent in Spanish, except by permission of the department.

  • SPAN 107A / Spanish Composition I (2) - view
    This course provides a grammar review with special attention to the development of accurate oral and written expression. The objective of this course is to improve written proficiency. Emphasis on acquiring expressive vocabulary and knowing the rhetorical norms of different writing styles: academic writing, formal and informal correspondence, creative, argumentative, etc. Through daily written assignments, including exercises in translation, students should increase control of writing across various contexts. Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or special permission. Offered fall semester.
  • SPAN 107B / Spanish Composition II (2) - view
    A continuation of Spanish Composition I. This course provides a grammar review with special attention to the development of accurate oral and written expression. The objective of this course is to improve written proficiency. Emphasis on acquiring expressive vocabulary and knowing the rhetorical norms of different writing styles: academic writing, formal and informal correspondence, creative, argumentative, etc. Through daily written assignments, including exercises in translation, students should increase control of writing across various contexts. Prerequisite: SPAN 102, placement, or special permission. Offered second half of the fall semester.
  • SPAN 108A / Spanish in Performance: Hispanic Film and Society (2) - view
    A study of Spanish and Latin-American films concentrating on contemporary issues of their cultures and societies. Some text-based materials such as screenplays, fiction, and reviews, as well as screenings of films, provide the basis for discussion of themes relevant to film as industry and as artistic production. Offered first half of spring semester.
  • SPAN 108B / Spanish in Performance: Spanish Theatre (2) - view
    Reading, discussion and bench performance of comic and serious short plays in Spanish. Attention will be on improving pronunciation, intonation and dramatic expression and may include writing and performing of an original skit. No prior experience in theater is required. Offered first half of spring semester.
  • SPAN 110A / Voices from the Hispanic World (2) - view
    This course develops advanced reading and writing skills through close study of selected short works in prose and poetry from Spain and Spanish America, with attention to characteristics of genre and literary discourse. Students write short personal, descriptive, and analytical essays. Offered first half of spring semester.
  • SPAN 110B / Voices from the Hispanic World (2) - view
    Continuation of SPAN 110A. This course develops advanced reading and writing skills through close study of selected short works in prose and poetry from Spain and Spanish America, with attention to characteristics of genre and literary discourse. Students write short personal, descriptive, and analytical essays. Focuses on contemporary works. Offered second half of spring semester.
  • SPAN 118 / Selected Topics in Spanish Literature and Cultural Stds. (2-4) - view
    The study of a topic or topics related to a literary or cultural aspect of the Hispanic world not covered by the current offerings of the Spanish department. In any given semester the course may be offered as a single four-credit unit or divided into two separate topics, each carrying two credits. In any given semester the course may be offered as a single four-credit unit or divided into two separate topics, each carrying two credits. Amount of credit established at time of registration. May be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite: Gateway course or special permission. Offered fall or spring semester.
  • SPAN 125 / Doing Business in the Hispanic World (4) - view
    This course is designed to give students of Spanish a foundation in business vocabulary, basic business and cultural concepts as well as an in-depth reflection of what it means to do business in a variety of culturally diverse Hispanic countries. This perspective is conducted through literary readings, contemporary and historical comparisons, mass media analysis, and linguistic descriptions of products or brand names. Enrollment priority: Priority to students who have already taken a course in the advanced language sequence and are considering a minor in Business, Society, and Culture or major in Economics and to students in the Latin American Studies program. Offered spring semester in even numbered years. Same as: MLIT 338.
  • SPAN 127 / Stylistics and the Art of Translation (4) - view
    This course offers a stylistic study and practice of translation across the disciplines. Contemporary materials are selected from newspapers, magazines, reports, and song lyrics. Topics include health, social, business, and political issues. Students increase their working vocabulary by paying close attention to idiom, dialect, and creativity in their translations. A fieldwork component may be available. Offered spring semester 2008.
  • SPAN 139 / War and Imagination: The Spanish Civil War in Literature and Art (4) - view
    The defining event of 20th-century Spain and a prelude to Europe's Second World War, the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) captured world attention and the imagination of writers. The course studies the artistic production (literature, art, and music) in Spain and Spanish America that shows the rhetoric of war and propaganda. Offered fall 2009.
  • SPAN 154 / Reading Nation, Gender and Ethnicity in LatIn American Culture (4) - view
    A multidisciplinary study of the discourses about gender and ethnicity evident during shifting moments of nation construction in Latin America (after independence, revolution and modernization projects). Discourse analysis, gender and postcolonial theories will be applied to selected literary text as well as to films, art movements, political manifestos, and national myths. Enrollment priority: Priority to Spanish majors and minors and Latin American minors. Signature of instructor required for registration. Prerequisite: Open to Juniors and Seniors who have taken at least one advanced course in literature. Offered in alternate years.

Language, Literature, and Culture Courses in Spanish

Upper-level courses in Spanish language, literature, and culture are offered every third year, unless otherwise indicated below.

  • SPAN 129 / Spanish Grammer and Conversati for Heritage Learners (4) - view
    Designed to develop reading and writing skills and improve linguistic proficiency of heritage speakers of Spanish. Stress on grammar control and expository writing, as well as implications of bicultural identity and recognition of regional linguistic variations. Offered spring semesters in odd-numbered years.
  • SPAN 136 / Literature of the Conquest of America (4) - view
    A study of the literature of Spanish imperial ideology in the age of discovery and of its dissident voices. Readings include fictional and nonfictional accounts of experiences of the encounter, colonization, and resistance. Offered fall 2008. Same as: MAT 882.
  • SPAN 137 / Love, Sex, and Spirituality in Early Modern Spain (4) - view
    This course studies the theme of love-both human and divine-in poetry, drama, and narrative from the late 15th to the early 17th centuries. This period coincides with Spain's unification and its imperial enterprises in the New World and Europe, as well as the Counter Reformation. In poetry, drama, and fictional narrative, the love of wo(man) and of God found simultaneous expression in this tumultuous historical context of earthly and spiritual concerns. Offered fall 2007.
  • SPAN 149 / Hispanic Cultures in the United States (4) - view
    A study of the artistic, intellectual, and social aspects that distinguish the various Spanish-speaking groups in the United States. The course surveys Spain's cultural presence in North America from the early 16th century to the mid-19th century through the works of early explorers, oral narratives, and the role of the missions. In addition, the concept of traditional and contemporary borderlands and its geographic and psycholinguistic implications are explored to analyze issues of marginality, bilingual-bicultural issues, and nationalism. Primary emphasis is on contemporary authors and trends. Offered spring 2008.
  • SPAN 159 / The "Cuento Fantastico" in 20th-Century Spanish-America (4) - view
    This course studies one of the major contemporary narrative genres in Latin America, the "cuento fantastico," which includes the much popularized notion of magical realism. Offered 2008.
  • SPAN 161 / Independent Studies in Spanish (2-4) - view
    An opportunity for the Spanish major/minor to engage in independent investigation of significant cultural, linguistic, literary, or philosophical questions relative to the student's field of interest. Students involved in concurrent study of related topic(s) meet regularly in conference groups. Amount of credit established at time of registration. Course may be repeated. Offered each semester.
  • SPAN 180 / Hispanic Studies Seminar (4) - view
    An advanced seminar on a topic relating to the language, culture, and/or literature of the Hispanic world. Emphasis on research and critical thinking. Topic changes annually. Open to juniors and seniors and others by permission. Required once of all majors. Offered spring semester. Same as: MAT 824.

Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum

  • SPAN 99 / Spanish Across the Curriculum (1-2) - view
    Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum is a tutorial program which seeks to enable students with at least intermediate level proficiency in a foreign language to access authentic materials in that language that are relevant to a cognate course. Students will use their acquired skills to read and interpret texts in the foreign language and/or conduct research in the language. Knowledge gained will be applied to the work of the cognate course. Amount of credit established at time of registration. Course may be repeated. Prerequisite: SPAN 30 or permission of the instructor. Offered every semester.