Undergraduate Spanish Courses

SPAN 111. Elementary Spanish I. 4 hr.;  4 cr.
Not open to students who have received credit for SPAN 114. Intended for students with no previous training in Spanish. Designed to develop basic communicative competence both orally and writing. All language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) as well as familiarity with cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries will be promoted. (LANG)

SPAN 112. Elementary Spanish II. 4 hr.;  4 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 111 or permision of the Department. Not open to students who have received credit for SPAN 115. This course is a continuation of SPAN 111. Designed to further develop basic communicative competence both orally and in writing. All language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) as well as familiarity with cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries are strengthened. (LANG)

SPAN 114. Spanish for Heritage Speakers I. 4 hr.;  4 cr.
Not open to students who have received credit for Spanish 111.
Designed for heritage speakers of Spanish (students whose native language is Spanish but who have gone to school in the U.S.) this course focuses on the development of communicative competence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as on understanding Hispanic cultures and issues of identity of heritage speakers of Spanish in the United States.

Spanish 115. Spanish for Heritage Speakers II. 4 hr.;  4 cr.
Prereq.: Spanish 114 (or equivalent) Not open to students who have received credit for Spanish 111 or 112.
A continuation of Spanish 114 providing heritage speakers of Spanish (students whose native language is Spanish but who have gone to school in the U.S.) grammar review needed for oral and written expression and emphasizing the active use of the language through task-oriented activities and discussion of cultural and literary texts.

Spanish 201. Spanish for Heritage Speakers III. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 115 or permission of the Department. Not open to students who have completed Spanish 111, 112 or 203. Designed for heritage speakers of Spanish (students whose native language is Spanish but who have gone to school in the U.S.), this course focuses on the development of communicative competence in reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as on understanding Hispanic cultures and issues of identity of heritage speakers of Spanish in the United States. This course is designed for students who can speak Spanish at an intermediate level but have little previous experience in the written language. (WCGI, LANG)

SPAN 203. Intermediate Spanish I. (formerly SPAN 113) 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 112 or permission of the Department. Not open to students who have received credit for SPAN 201. This course is a continuation of SPAN 112. Designed to develop communicative competence both orally and in writing at an intermediate level. All language skills (listening, speaking reading and writing) as well as familiarity with cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries are strenghtened. (WCGI, LANG)

SPAN 204. Intermediate Spanish II. 3 hr.;  3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 203, or permission of the Department. This course is a continuation of SPAN 203. This course offers an intense review of Spanish grammar and vocabulary in order to further develop communicative competence both orally and in writing at an intermediate level. All language skills (listening, speaking reading and writing) as well as familiarity with cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries are strenghtened. (WCGI, LANG).

SPAN 215. Spanish Conversation. 3 hr.;  3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 204, or permission of the Department. Intensive practice in spoken Spanish providing practical use of the language with emphasis on oral-aural techniques, leading toward fluency in speaking. The goal of this course is to enhance the development of communicative competence in Spanish. Although the emphasis is on speaking and listening skills, reading and writing assignments are also an important part of the course. (LANG)

SPAN 240. Introduction to Hispanic Literary Studies. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 224, or 225, or permission of the Department. An introduction to Hispanic fiction, poetry, and drama through readings by representative writers with the development of critical skills and familiarization with the basic tools and terminology of literary analysis. (Not open to students who have taken SPAN 227 or 228.)

SPAN 250. Survey of Spanish Literature I. (formerly SPAN 205) 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240, or permission of the Department. Reading and analysis of representative works from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century; special emphasis on literary values and history. Required for majors and other students planning to take elective courses in the department.

SPAN 260. Survey of Spanish Literature II. (formerly SPAN 206) 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240, or permission of the Department. Reading and analysis of representative works from the Romantic period to the present, with special emphasis on literary values and history. Required for majors and other students planning to take elective courses in the department.

SPAN 280. Survey of Spanish American Literature I. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240, or permission of the Department. Reading and analysis of representative works, presented within the context of social, political, and intellectual history, from the pre-Columbian period through late nineteenth-century modernismo.

SPAN 290. Survey of Spanish American Literature II. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240, or permission of the Department. Reading and analysis of representative works, presented within the context of social, political, and intellectual history, from the early twentieth-century vanguardia movement through contemporary Spanish American fiction, poetry, and drama.

SPAN 291. Hispanic Cinema. 4 hr.; 3 cr.
Aspects of Spanish and Latin American cinema, historical, cultural, aesthetic, political, technical, etc. From semester to semester the course may deal either with certain tendencies and periods or with individual directors. Lectures will be in English; films will be shown in the original language with subtitles. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different. May be applied to the Spanish major once. Spanish majors will submit written work in Spanish.

SPAN 221. Language Workshop for Spanish Heritage Students. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 204 or equivalent. Not open for non-heritage speakers. Designed for heritage speakers of Spanish (students whose native language is Spanish but who have gone to school in the U.S.), this course focuses on the development of communicative competence in reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as on understanding Hispanic cultures and issues of identity of heritage speakers of Spanish in the United States. This course is designed for fluent speakers of Spanish that can read and write at an intermediate level. (WCGI, LANG)

SPAN 222. Language Workshop for Non-Spanish Heritage Students. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 204, or permission of the Department. Not open for heritage speakers. A course designed to bring students whose native language is not Spanish to a high-intermediate/low-advanced level of competency in all four skills. This course includes a review of Spanish grammar, discussion and linguistic analysis of selected literary and cultural readings, newspaper and magazine articles, short written assignments and oral presentations. (WCGI, LANG)

SPAN 224. Grammar. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 204, or permission of the Department. A thorough review of Spanish grammar and usage on an advanced level, this course focuses on advance linguistics analysis and systematic practice in composition. (LANG)

SPAN 225. Composition. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 224. This course focuses on special problem areas of usage and style. Through intensive practice in composition, this course develops formal and academic writing. (LANG)

SPAN 337. Advanced Grammar and Phonology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 224, or permission of the Department. A study of those advanced features of Spanish grammar which present major difficulties to both native and non-native students of Spanish. Practice in complex structures in speech, prose fiction, and expository writing. Intensive study of the phonological structure of Spanish with regular practice in application of these structures.

SPAN 338. Foundations of Spanish Linguistics. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 224, or permission of the Department. An introduction to Spanish linguistics.

SPAN 340. Spanish for the Professions.  3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 224, or permission of the Department. Intended for students interested in working in professional areas where Spanish is spoken with individual focus on professional interests; topics include Spanish for business, Spanish for health care practitioners, Spanish for social workers, and Spanish for teachers.

SPAN 341. Introduction to Translation.  3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 224, or permission of the instructor. Introduction to the techniques and problems of translation; intensive practice in translating texts of various types.

SPAN 310. The Culture and Civilization of Spain. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 260, or permission of the department. Attention to ethnic, political, and artistic aspects.

SPAN 312. The Culture and Civilization of Latin America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 280, or permission of the department. Attention to ethnic, political, and artistic aspects.

SPAN 350. Cultures and Literature in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 250, or permission of the department. Building on the foundation provided by the survey (SPAN 250), this course provides in-depth exploration of different texts and genres. Emphasis on aspects of Medieval and Renaissance culture, such as the coexistence and mutual influence of the three ethnic and religious groups—Christian, Jewish, and Muslim; the emergence of national literatures in the Peninsular languages, and specifically in Spanish; how different genres are created or nationalized in this effort; the relation between genre and the hero; the diversity of narrative forms until the eve of the Renaissance; the Jewish experience within the Peninsula and in the Diaspora; the Renaissance as a cultural and social revolution; variations on love literature and gender representation; political and religious writing.

SPAN 351. Art and Ideology in Spanish Renaissance and Baroque Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 250, or permission of the department. Building on the foundation provided by the survey (Spanish 250), this course provides in-depth exploration of different texts and genres. The course content will emphasize empire and its decline; the Counterreformation, conversos and moriscos, mysticism; variations on love literature and gender representation; court politics and literary patronage; emergence of the modern subject.

SPAN 352. Don Quijote. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 250. A detailed reading and analysis of Don Quijote, with attention to its influence in Spain and on world literature.

SPAN 353. Realism and Naturalism in Spanish Fiction. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 250, or permission of the department. An in-depth exploration of the key ideas and figures in Spanish realist and naturalist literatures, studied in the context of nineteenth-century Spanish cultural history and European realism and naturalism.

SPAN 356. Gender, Sexuality, and Feminism in Spanish Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 250 or 260, or permission of the department. The literary presentation of social norms of gender and sexuality in Spanish literature from the medieval period to the present day. Students will read fiction, drama, poetry, and essays, as well as critical and theoretical texts.

SPAN 357. Twentieth-Century Spanish Drama and Film. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 260, or permission of the department. A presentation of modern media and culture through examination of selected theatre and film from the twentieth century via literary analysis and cinematic interpretation of modern and contemporary Spanish works. Special attention will be given to the development of technique and the influence of film on theater to show how literature and film progressively feed off each other. Among authors and directors studied might be: García Lorca, Buñuel, Delibes, Saura, Almodvar, Ayllín, etc.

SPAN 358. Culture and Ideology in Modern Spanish Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 260, or permission of the department. The twentieth-century integration of Spain to Europe. Presentation of themes of colonialization, oppression, resistance and exile (the “Generations” of 1898, 1927, 1936, 1941–1944, etc.), and government attempts to control expression and thought by law or force, or by allying itself with traditionally accepted Spanish social structures.

SPAN 359. Spanish Literature Since 1964: From Dictatorship to Democracy. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 260, or permission of the department. Change and continuity in the society and the novel of the fully European and globalized Spain of the Post- Franco era. A study of literary practice which engages themes such as the representation of an ethical/social consciousness, anti- establishment thought, critical individualism, and the marginalization of sectors of Spanish society.

SPAN 370. Colonial Literature and Emerging Criollo Voices in Spanish America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 280, or permission of the department. Reading and discussion of selections from important authors and genres, beginning with the indigenous cultures and continuing through the movement for independence.

SPAN 371. Avant-Garde Movements in Latin America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 290, or permission of the department. The period following the Modernist movement (1896–1905) in Latin America, until the 1940s. It concentrates on the originality that marks each writer’s style, as seen in their individual manifestos. Analysis of the writers’ initial reactions to sentimental irony (Ezequiel Martínez Estrada), to the innovations of prosaísmo (Evaristo Carriego), and ultraísmo (Jorge L. Borges). Women writers (Gabriela Mistral, Delmira Agustini, Alfonsina Storni, and Juana de Ibarbourou) are highlighted for their thematic and stylistic freedom. Other authors to be studied in this course are: Ricardo Güiraldes, Mariano Brull, Oliverio Girondo, Luis Palés Matos, Nicolá́s Guillín, Vicente Huidobro, César Vallejo, and Pablo Neruda.

SPAN 372. Contemporary and Post-Modern Literature in Latin America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 290, or permission of the department. Analysis of recent Latin American narrative and film, focusing on continuity and innovation. Elements to be analyzed include realism, neo-realism, the fantastic, Boom versus post-boon narrative, and a variety of other technical innovations.

SPAN 373. Native peoples, Slaves, and Campesinos in Latin America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 280, or permission of the department. The written representation of marginalized groups—who often constitute majority populations—in Latin American literature. The course begins with the period of conquest and colonization and continues through present times. Readings include fiction and non-fiction: chronicles, novels, short stories, and testimonial narratives.

SPAN 374. Theatre and Film in Latin America: From Text to Performance. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 290, or permission of the department. The trajectory of 20th-century theatre and film in Latin America, focusing on its major dramatists and its representative periods. The plays discussed will be placed in their historical context, taking into account the cultural and artistic manifestations of each period under discussion.

SPAN 377. Hispanic Caribbean Literature and Culture. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 280 or 290, or permission of the department. A survey of the culture and the literary production of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic focusing on selected works written by authors from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, who strive to define their individuality and their national identity by focusing on the issues that affect their own country. Some of the topics to be studied are: Spanish colonialism and its aftermath; independence and cultural autonomy; democracy and dictatorships in the 20th century; fighting racism by vindicating African roots; economics, politics, and exile; women writers as agents of social change.

SPAN 378. Culture and Identity in U.S. Latino/Latina Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 280 or 290, or permission of the department. An overview of the culture and, especially, the literary production of Latinos/as in New York. The course will focus on selected works of fiction (short stories, novels, and plays) written by authors from diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, with roots in Spanish American countries. Varied topics will be explored from a historical perspective using gender, race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality as primary categories of analysis.

SPAN 379. Gender, Sexuality, and Feminismin Spanish-American Literature. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 240 and 280 or 290, or permission of the department. A study of the work of Spanish-American writers—both men and women—who have reflected upon the complex yet crucial issues surrounding the interrelated notions of gender, sexuality, and feminism. Students will read selected fictional and non-fictional texts by authors  from the colonial period to the present, such as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, Eugenio Cambaceres Alfonsina Storni, Gabriela Mistral, Manuel Puig, Severo Sarduy, Reinaldo Arenas, and Rosario Castellanos. A variety of topics will be explored from an interdisciplinary perspective, focusing on historical, sociological, political, and ethical issues.

SPAN 390. Hispanic Literature Seminar.  3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: ENGL 110, 3 courses in Hispanic literature, and senior standing. Intensive reading and discussion of literary, cultural, theoretical, and critical texts and student research and writing centered around a specific topic in Hispanic literature.

SPAN 391. Seminar in Spanish Language and Linguistics. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: SPAN 224, 225, and 337, and senior standing, or permission of the department. Intensive student participation on varying themes, problems, and theories in language and linguistics. Possible topics include sociolinguistics, dialectology, history of the Spanish language, bilingualism, languages in contact, language and ethnic identity, language and gender, etc.

SPAN 398. Internship. 135 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: GPA of 3.2 or above in the major, and at least 21 credits in upper-level Spanish, plus permission of the department chair and a faculty sponsor. Offers advanced students the opportunity to engage in research under faculty supervision. Must be prearranged and approved by department chair and faculty sponsor.