Courses

Fall 2007

Spanish 101f: Elementary Spanish
A dynamic and interactive introduction to Spanish and Spanish American cultures. Covers the basic grammar structures of the Spanish language through extensive use of video, classroom practice, and weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant. Assumes no previous study of Spanish.

Does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. No previous study of Spanish. Students must complete Spanish 101 and Spanish 102 to satisfy College language requirement.; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 2 meetings (75 minutes) and 2 meeting (50 minutes)

Spanish 103f: Intensive Elementary Spanish
This course completes the work of Spanish 101 and 102 in one semester through intensive practice in speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish, and is ideal for students who already know another Romance language. Short readings, films, and Web activities are an important part of the course, and informal conversational sessions with native language assistants and creative group projects supplement class work.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. No previous study of Spanish; 8 credits; enrollment limited to 14; 5 meetings (75 minutes)

Spanish 105f: Sex and the City: Gender-Power Relations in Early Modern Europe
First-year seminar (Writing-intensive course; taught in English; FREN 120, ITAL 106, ROML 105) Political, social, and economic life was radically changed by growth of Europe's cities between medieval and modern times. These changes were debated in sexual terms as conflicts between men and women. As we study short stories from Early Modern France (Madame de Lafayette), Italy (Giovanni Boccacio) and Spain (Miguel de Cervantes and María de Zayas), and place them in their historical contexts, we will ask questions such as: To what extent do these works challenge or reinforce dominant models of gender relations and negotiate concepts and institutions such as marriage, honor, patriarchy, and blood purity? How do those topics apply to us today?

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. First-years or permission of instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 16

Spanish 200f: Intermediate Spanish I
A fast-paced review of basic Spanish grammar. Stresses Spanish and Spanish American culture through readings, films, and weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant. To satisfy the language requirement, students entering at this level must complete Spanish 201.

Does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 102. 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 2 meetings (75minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes)

Spanish 201f: Intermediate Spanish II
Strives for mastery of complex grammatical structures and continues work on writing and reading skills. Frequent compositions, selected literary readings, class discussions, and debates on films and current events. Weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant. May be taken without Spanish 200 to satisfy the language requirement.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 200 or 102. 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 2 meetings (75 minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes)

Spanish 202f: Spanish for Heritage Speakers
(Writing-intensive course) Any "heritage" speaker regardless of her level of oral proficiency in Spanish may enroll. Course components build on students' existing linguistic skills, encourage interactions with various texts and media (i.e., written essays, newspapers, films, and other media), and examine issues of importance to Spanish speakers of the Americas. Specific activities include formal and informal writing; class discussions; oral presentations such as interviews, dialogues, and role-plays; grammar review focusing on verb tenses and syllabification; vocabulary expansion and development; peer editing of written assignments; analysis of literary works from Spain and Latin America; and a semester project.

Meets Language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. fy, soph, jr, or sr with permission of department; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 20; This course is designed for students who have acquired oral fluency in Spanish through their home environments but have had little formal training in reading and writing. 2 meetings (75 minutes)

Spanish 209f: Composition and Culture
(Writing-intensive course) Emphasis on written expression in Spanish through frequent assignments emphasizing difficult grammatical structures or idiomatic usages, sentence and paragraph structure, making smooth transitions, writing the short essay, writing descriptions, engaging in personal or business correspondence, analyzing texts, doing library research, and drafting and completing research papers. Students will comment on each other's work in the classroom and/or via the use of email or Web sites and will practice techniques of self-editing and self-criticism.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 201. Enrollment limited to 16; 2 meetings (75 minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes)

Spanish 210f: Conversation and Culture: Speaking Spanish in the Real World
(Speaking-intensive course) The course offers students the possibility of learning and putting into practice the advanced oral skills necessary to be able to handle oral exposition and discussion in a well-organized and rhetorically correct Spanish. The class will focus on such skills as debating, interviewing, and role-playing, among others. Topics will cover current cultural, political, and socioeconomic issues in the Hispanic world.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 201, 209, or permission of instructor. 4 credits; enrollment limited to 15; 2 meetings (75 minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes)

Spanish 212f: Preparation for Advanced Studies
This course will equip students of Spanish with a variety of skills that prepare them for upper-division courses. Specific areas of study will include introduction to literary genres and movements; practice in critical reading and writing; study of figures of speech, rhetoric, and style; presentation of oral reports; use of library resources. In addition, students acquire basic knowledge of the geography, history, and culture of the Hispanic world.

Meets Language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 201, 209, or permission of instructor. 4 credits; enrollment limited to 14; 2 meetings (75 minutes)

Spanish 221f: Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Film (Speaking- and writing-intensive; Filmst-203) This course offers a broad introduction to the history, politics and aesthetics of Latin American and Spanish cinema in the context of, and in contrast with, cinemas from other regions, especially hegemonic Hollywood aesthetics. This course will also focus specifically on introducing students to the basic terminology and methodologies of film analysis, thus preparing them for the department's film seminar (Spanish 320) and other advanced courses in Film Studies.
J. Crumbaugh

Meets multicultural requirement; meets Language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 212 or permission by the instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits; enrollment limited to 16

Spanish 235f: Introduction to Latin American Literature I
This course explores the diversity of cultures and writings of Latin America, from pre-Columbian indigenous texts through the nineteenth century. Readings will include the Popol Vuh, Chronicles, the works of Sor Juana InÈs de la Cruz, Ricardo Palma, and JosÈ MartÌ, among others. Class discussions and assigned papers based on literary analysis and research
R. Miñana

Meets multicultural requirement; meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 212 or permission of department; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18

Spanish 244f: Foundations of Spanish Literature
An introduction to art, history and literature from pre-1800 Spain. Materials may include medieval music such as the Cantigas, arab architecture like the Cordoban Mosque, and literary texts such as thePoema de Mio Cid or Don Quijote. Class discussion and assigned papers based on literary analysis and research.
N. Romero-Díaz

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 212 or permission of department; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18

Spanish 341f: Treading the Ebony Path: Afro-Hispanic Literature
This course will concentrate on the various literary genres and cultural movements that have shaped Latin America from modernismo to the present. Topics will focus on different genres and the expression of diverse ideologies through literature. Since the topic varies each time the course is offered, a student may receive credit more than once.

(Speaking- and writing-intensive course) The study of Afro-Hispanic literature has also grown recently with the recovery and re-examination of lost texts and forgotten authors, as well as the desire of contemporary authors to contest the invisibility and racial ideologies in their national literatures. This course will examine texts by authors of African descent in the Spanish-speaking world of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. We will read a variety of genres and discuss the construction and meaning of "race," color, national and cultural identity--which is in constant dialogue with dominant discourses. Secondary objectives include the development of research and writing skills and provide rudimentary theoretical orientation.
D. Mosby

Meets multicultural requirement; meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Two of the following Span 221, 235, 237, 244, 246, or permission of instructor.;1 meetings (2 hours 50minutes); 4 credits

Spanish 342f: Teaching and Learning Spanish as a Second Language
What is a human language? What is a second language? Can an adult achieve native competence when learning a second language? What is the role of teaching in this psycholinguistic process? And, ultimately, can a language be taught? These questions will be the starting point of this course, which will explore, both in a practical and a theoretical way, how 2nd language teaching has implemented research findings.

Since the 1950s, human language has been considered an innate cognitive ability developed in conjunction with others such as memory, perception, judgment and imagination. In this sense, when acquiring language, the brain is conceived not as a blank that must be filled, but as a complex system endowed to make sense of language input. This seminar will emphasize the practical aspects involved in the teaching of Spanish as a second language within this frame. These issues will be explored through readings, class discussions, studying grammar from a pedagogical point of view, critical review of teaching materials, reports on class observations, design of lesson plans, and other activities.
E. Castro

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Two of the following: Spanish 221, 235, 237, 244, 246, and permission of the instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 16; 1 Meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes)

Spanish 362f: Terror and Victimhood: The State of Spain
The specific content of this advanced-level seminar will depend on the instructor. Materials to be studied will vary in terms of medium and genre, and the critical focus will tend to be interdisciplinary. Papers will be based on research and analysis. Since the topic varies each time the course is offered, a student may receive credit more than once.

Since Spain's bloody and bitterly divisive Civil War (1936-1939), the country's successive government administrations have established their legitimacy through a peculiar combination of violence and claims to victim status. Attempts to contest the legitimacy of the Spanish State have, in turn, responded with their own acts of violence and competing appeals to victimhood. This course will ask what the particularities of contemporary Spain can teach us about modern state formation, and the commonplace understandings of fascism and democracy. Materials to be studied include novels, films, paintings, and works of political theory.
J. Crumbaugh

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 212 and two of the following: Spanish 221, 235, 237, 244, 246 or permission of the instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 1 meetings (2 hours 50 minutes)

Spring 2008

Spanish 102s: Elementary Spanish
A dynamic and interactive introduction to Spanish and Spanish American cultures. Covers the basic grammar structures of the Spanish language through extensive use of video, classroom practice, and weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant. Assumes no previous study of Spanish.

Does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. No previous study of Spanish. Students must complete Spanish 102 to satisfy College language requirement.; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 3 meetings (75 minutes) and 2 meetings (50 minutes)

Spanish 103s: Intensive Elementary Spanish
This course completes the work of Spanish 101 and 102 in one semester through intensive practice in speaking, reading and writing in Spanish, and is ideal for students who already know another Romance language. Short readings, films and Web activities are an important part of the course, and informal conversational sessions with native language assistants and creative group projects supplement class work.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. No previous study of Spanish; 8 credits; enrollment limited to 14; 5 meetings (75 minutes)

Spanish 200s: Intermediate Spanish I
A fast-paced review of basic Spanish grammar. Stresses Spanish and Spanish American culture through readings, films, and weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant. To satisfy the language requirement, students entering at this level must complete Spanish 201.

Does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 102. 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 2 meetings (75 minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes)

Spanish 201s: Intermediate Spanish II
Strives for mastery of complex grammatical structures and continues work on writing and reading skills. Frequent compositions, selected literary readings, class discussions, and debates on films and current events. Weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant. May be taken without Spanish 200 to satisfy the language requirement.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 200 or 102. 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 2 meetings (75 minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes)

Spanish 209s: Composition and Culture
(Writing-intensive course) Emphasis on written expression in Spanish through frequent assignments emphasizing difficult grammatical structures or idiomatic usages, sentence and paragraph structure, making smooth transitions, writing the short essay, writing descriptions, engaging in personal or business correspondence, analyzing texts, doing library research, and drafting and completing research papers. Students will comment on each other's work in the classroom and/or via the use of email or Web sites and will practice techniques of self-editing and self-criticism.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 201. 2 meetings (75 minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes)

Spanish 210s: Conversation and Culture: Speaking Spanish in the Real World
(Speaking-intensive) The course offers students the possibility of learning and putting into practice the advanced oral skills necessary to be able to handle oral exposition and discussion in a well-organized and rhetorically correct Spanish. The class will focus on such skills as debating, interviewing, and role-playing, among others. Topics will cover current cultural, political, and socioeconomic issues in the Hispanic world.

Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement

Prereq. Spanish 201, 209, or permission of instructor. 2 meetings (75 minutes), plus conversation lab (50 minutes); 4 credits; enrollment limited to 16

Spanish 211s: Hispanic Cultures and Civilizations
A cultural survey of Spanish, Latin American, and the Latino U.S. culture from a historical perspective. This is an intensive reading, writing, and discussion course that seeks to develop a sense of history through an in-depth study of selected topics and themes. It will examine aspects of the social, political, and economic history of the various countries, including the study of gender relations, race and ethnicity, community and class formation, military dictatorship and revolutionary movements, and transitions to electoral democracy.

Meets Language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 201, 209, 210 or permission of instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 14; 2 meetings (75 minutes)

Spanish 212s: Preparation for Advanced Studies
This course will equip students of Spanish with a variety of skills that prepare them for upper-division courses. Specific areas of study will include introduction to literary genres and movements; practice in critical reading and writing; study of figures of speech, rhetoric, and style; presentation of oral reports; use of library resources. In addition, students acquire basic knowledge of the geography, history, and culture of the Hispanic world.

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 201, 209 or 210 or permission of instructor. 4 credits; enrollment limited to 15; 2 meetings (75 minutes)

Spanish 219s: U.S. Latino/a Literature
(Taught in English) After centuries of invisibility and marginalization, Latino culture and literature exploded on the American scene in the 60s. Chicanos, Cubans, Nuyoricans, and lately Dominicans and Central Americans have all contributed to create a diversified body of literature characterized by its bilingualism, biculturalism, and hybridity. This course will center on how U.S. Latino/a literature bears witness to identity formation, self-representation, and celebration of Latino culture and its people. It will explore a series of critical issues that define "latinidad" in the U.S.

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

Spanish 237s: Introduction to Latin AmericanLiterature II
An introduction to Latin American texts from modernismo to the present. Different cultural movements and their sociopolitical contexts are examined through representative works. Class discussions and assigned papers are based on literary analysis and research.
D. Mosby

Meets multicultural requirement; meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 212 or permission of department; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

Spanish 246s: Modern Spanish Studies
A survey of Spain's visual culture, intellectual history, and literature from the eighteenth century to the present. Aesthetic and philosophical movements will be studied against a backdrop of social history. Materials to be studied will include, among others, paintings by Francisco de Goya and Salvador DalÌ, poems by Federico GarcÌa Lorca, and films by Luis BuÒuel and Pedro AlmodÛvar. Class discussions and assigned papers based on analysis and research.
L. Saenz de Viguera

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 212 or permission of department; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

Spanish 320s: Queer Theory and Recent Queer Film in Latin America
This course examines the history, politics and aesthetics of Latin American and/or Spanish cinema in the context of world cinema, and especially in contrast to mainstream Hollywood cinema. The course will also familiarize students with the specific methodologies of film analysis and with recent debates within film studies.

(Speaking- and writing-intensive course; Film Studies 390-04, Gender Studies 333-03) In the 1990s GLBT Liberation entered the public sphere as a major political force. Simultaneously, American Academia produced and exported a new academic discipline: Queer Studies. As a consequence, the North American liberational model displaced cultural and theoretical models of sexuality of other countries. We will consider some of the key U.S. texts that have consecrated Queer Studies as a discipline, and juxtapose them with theories and cinematic texts from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico in order to recuperate cultural models under erasure in the wake of the U.S. model's identity-focused and consumer-driven triumphalism.
C. Gundermann

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq.: 1) Spanish 212; 2) Spanish 235, 237, 244, or 246 or permission of instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 16; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes), Weekly evening screening 7-9pm

Spanish 332s: Assault, Rape and Murder: Gendered Violence from Medieval to Contemporary Spain
This course will study pre-1800 Spanish texts (literary and non-literary) from an interdisciplinary perspective. Since the topic varies each time the course is offered, a student may receive credit more than once.

This course will examine the complex interaction of gender and violence as a personal and institutional issue in Spain from Medieval times to the present. We will study both the ideological and socio-cultural constructs that sustain and perpetuate violence against women as well as different forms of resistance. From a feminist perspective, we will approach topics such as: private/public, honor, jealousy, masculinity, etc. Some of the texts are: Lucanor's La mujer brava; Zayas's Desengaños amorosos; Bebé's song, Malo; Boyaín's movie Te doy mis ojos; and the Ley orgánica contra la Violencia de Género from 2004.
N. Romero-Díaz

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Two of the following: Spanish 221, 235, 237, 244, or 246 and permission of instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 16; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes)

Spanish 362s: Media Monsters: Empire and Resistance in 21st-Century Spain and the Americas
The specific content of this advanced-level seminar will depend on the instructor. Materials to be studied will vary in terms of medium and genre, and the critical focus will tend to be interdisciplinary. Papers will be based on research and analysis. Since the topic varies each time the course is offered, a student may receive credit more than once.

In a cultural-political climate shaped by mass media and the threat of global terrorism, this seminar will examine how official powers enforce law through a discourse of monstrosity that divides the world between those who are with and those who are against “us.” Simultaneously, dissident organizations and individuals also employ literature, the internet and other mass media forms to effectively resist imperial domination and neoliberalism. Through discourse analysis, media and subaltern studies, we will analyze a variety of literary and media texts that utilize monstrosity as an extreme discourse that enacts and/or challenges the complex forces of globalization and empire. Main themes include Latin American migration in the U.S., neoliberalism and its consequences (Zapatismo in México, street children in Brazil and Latin America), issues of (neo)colonial identity (gender, race, nation), and the war on terror in the U.S. and Spain.
R. Miñana

Meets Humanities I-A requirement

Prereq. Spanish 212 and two of the following: Spanish 221, 235, 237, 244 or 246, or permission of instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 16; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes)