Course Descriptions

Spanish 101 Elementary Spanish I (LA): An introduction to the Spanish Language and Hispanic cultures, with a focus on listening comprehension and speaking using present tense verbs. Intended for students with no prior instruction. Offered each spring semester.

Spanish 102 Elementary Spanish II (LA): Based on skills developed in 101, continues to develop oral skills with emphasis on everyday topics and cultural differences, and introduction to verb tenses of the past. Prerequisite: Spanish 101 or equivalent (one-two years of high school Spanish). Offered each fall semester.

Spanish 201 Intermediate Spanish (LA): Review of fundamental grammar structures presented in 101 and 102, with continuing emphasis on expression using past tenses. Develops vocabulary and ability to articulate and support opinions. More extensive writing assignments relate to personal experience. Prerequisite: Spanish 102 or equivalent (two-four years of high school Spanish). Offered each semester.

Spanish 203 Conversation and Composition (G): Continues to develop intermediate oral skills through in-class conversation, and introduces various tenses of the subjunctive in everyday communication. Reading and writing assignments introduce historic and literary issues of the Hispanic world, such as rainforest destruction, human rights and questions of racism and stereotyping. Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or equivalent (four or more years of secondary school). Offered each semester.

Spanish 210 Readings in Literature and Culture (W): Reading selections in culture and literature to develop and strengthen reading and writing skills in Spanish.  Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate in writing an in-depth understanding of assigned readings.  Prerequisite: Span 201 or equivalent.  Offered each semester.

Spanish 230 Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency of Health Care (U): This course is designed for students planning to work in health care and who want to acquire more skills in medical Spanish. We will discuss Hispanic culture in the U.S., particularly how it relates to health care. Students will participate in an informal internship at a local community clinic. Prerequisite: Spanish 203. Offered alternate years, spring semester.

Spanish 240 Spanish for Social Justice (U, W): Students develop language skills and cultural competency for situations that focus on social justice.  Fieldwork in one of the following areas: immigration, housing, education, employment and voter rights is a key part of the course. Prerequisite: Spanish 203. Offered alternate years, spring semester.

Spanish 300 Intensive Language Study (OCS only):

Spanish 302 Advanced Conversation: Practice of advanced oral communication strategies such as registering complaints, responding to opinions, and managing a discussion. Prerequisite: Spanish 203 or equivalent. Offered occasionally.

Spanish 303 Advanced Grammar and Composition (W): Thorough review of basic problems of grammar and vocabulary with focus on nuances of word choice. Study of all tenses of the subjunctive. Writing assignments increase in complexity and length, involving comparison and contrast, persuasion, hypothetical argument and literary analysis. Prerequisite: Spanish 203 or equivalent. Offered each semester.

Spanish 305 Travel Seminar: Travel with a faculty member to countries in which Spanish is spoken.  Will include independent projects, a daily journal, and field trips to cultural monuments, museums, and other sites of interest.  An experience in linguistic and cultural immersion.  Prerequisites vary. Offered occasionally.

Spanish 308 Introduction to Literature (LT, G): An introduction to the literary analysis of Spanish texts. Major authors, themes, and genres from both Latin America and Spain are included, with basic concepts of contemporary literary criticism and theory. Prerequisite: Spanish 203. Offered each fall.

Spanish 310 Special Topics in Literature (LT): Focuses on a literary genre (novel, poetry, drama) or literary period (modernismo, for example) related to Spain and/or Latin America.  Prerequisite:  Spanish 203 or equivalent. Offered each spring semester.

Spanish 314 Iberian Culture and Civilization (CH): Spanish culture from the early Celtic settlements up to the eighteenth century, including medieval Arab Spain, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and the Golden Age. Emphasis on the artistic achievements of these periods and their sociopolitical contexts. Topics vary. Prerequisite: Spanish 303. Offered alternate years, fall semester.

Spanish 316 Latin American Culture and Civilization I (CH): Latin American intellectual history of pre-Colombian times and the Colonial period with emphasis on the Spanish conquest of the New World and movements toward independence. Prerequisite: Spanish 303. Offered alternate years, fall semester.

Spanish 320 Studies in Cultural History (CH): An in-depth study of a historical period that produced a burst of artistic and literary creativity within the Spanish-speaking world, such as the Mexican Revolution of 1910 or Arab-Medieval Spain. Topics vary. May be repeated as topics change. Prerequisite: Spanish 303. Offered each spring semester.

Spanish 330 Studies in Literature and Culture: Taken abroad in an approved program. Subject matter might include anthropology, economics, history, literature, political science, or other. Credit should be discussed with the department head before departure. Prerequisite: Spanish 203. Offered each fall semester.

Spanish 350 Studies in Literature and Culture: Taken abroad in an approved program. Subject matter might include anthropology, economics, history, literature, political science, or other. Credit should be discussed with the department head before departure. Prerequisite: Spanish 203. Offered each spring semester.

Spanish 360 Special Topics in Media and Film (AR, G): Analysis of main aesthetic, cultural and philosophical questions in the Hispanic world as articulated in film and media. Topics may vary. Offered each fall semester.

Spanish 373 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics: This course examines how the Spanish language is structured as a functional system of communication.  Emphasis is on general principles of linguistic analysis applied to traditional areas of language study: sound, form, order, and meaning.  Related topics include a discussion of why language changes with reference to temporal, regional, and social change. Prerequisite: SPN 303. Offered alternate years, fall semester.

Spanish 397 Internship: Opportunities to apply linguistic and cultural skills in a professional context in a wide variety of professional areas and locations including local, domestic, and international sites. Prerequisites: career education 300Y and language proficiency at the 302 level. Offered occasionally.

Spanish 403 History of the Spanish Language (CH): Discusses the origins and development of the Spanish language in the context of cultural and political movements that occurred on the Iberian Peninsula in different eras, including the colonial era in Latin America. Focus on the development of Spanish phonology, morphology, lexis, and semantics through history. Prerequisite: Spanish 303 or 310. Offered  alternate years, fall semester.

Spanish 408 Early Spanish Literature (LT, W): An introduction to medieval and Golden Age texts, which may include the early twelfth-century Cantinas, the epic (El Cid), the Romancero, Cervantes and El Quijote, and the masters of the Baroque (Góngora, Quevedo, Lope de Vega, and Calderón). Authors and topics vary. Prerequisite: Spanish 303 or 308. Offered alternate years, fall semester.

Spanish 410 Special Topics in Hispanic Studies: Focuses on a variety of literary or linguistic topics related to Spanish-speaking communities. Specific topic may include a single author, a broad theme like anti-slavery narrative, language in society or languages in contact.  May be repeated if subject matter is not duplicated. Prerequisite:  Spanish 308 or 310. Offered each spring semester.

Spanish 418 Modern Spanish Literature (LT, G): Representative authors, genres, and/or literary movements of nineteenth and twentieth century Spanish Literature, including the Romantics and the Generations of 1898 and 1927. Authors and topics may vary. Prerequisite: Spanish 308 or 310. Offered  alternate years, spring semester.

Spanish 468 Topics in Latino/a Literature (LT, U): This course analyzes the literary production of Latinos/as in the United States from the 1980's to the present with particular attention to questions of gender, ethnic, linguistic, class, racial and cultural differences.  We will read works by Julia Álvarez, Richard Rodriguez, Gloria Anzaldúa, Sandra Cisneros, and others. Prerequisite: Spanish 308 or 310.  Offered alternate years, fall semester.

Spanish 478 Latin American Literature. Short Narrative and Essay (LT): Concentrates on modern short stories, novellas or essays by Borges, García Marquez, Valenzuela and others. Authors and topics vary. Prerequisite: Spanish 308 or 310. Offered alternate years, fall semester.

Spanish 488 Latin American Literature. The Novel (LT, G): Emphasis given to major figures such as García Marquez, Fuentes, Vargas Llosa, and Allende. Authors and topics vary. Prerequisite: Spanish 308 or 310. Offered alternate years, spring semester.

Spanish 490 Senior Seminar: An in-depth study of a major intellectual movement or of a single author. A research paper is required. Prerequisite: one 400 level Spanish literature course. Offered each semester.

Spanish 499 Independent Study: A project related to the advanced study of Spanish language, culture, or literature. Intended for majors who desire to investigate an area in depth. Students will write a major research paper under the close supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Offered as needed.