Courses

Fall 2007 - Spanish Course Descriptions

Spanish 001 - Elementary Spanish I

Uses the communicative approach to teach listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing and culture. In particular, it promotes the development of oral-aural skills and the practical use of language in a variety of social situations. Language laboratory attendance is required. Conducted in Spanish. No prerequisites.

Spanish 002 - Elementary Spanish II

A continuation of Spanish 001. The course advances and completes the study of basic grammar and vocabulary. It provides the linguistic skills and cultural information needed in a broad range of situations met when studying, working or traveling in a Spanish-speaking country. Students are required to register for a recitation section that consists of a weekly 40-minute conversation group. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 001 or equivalent.

Spanish 003 - Intermediate Spanish I

A review of Spanish grammar with stress on the four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Using the communicative approach, the course emphasizes the development of fluency and the functional use of language. Discussion will be based on literary texts as well as newspaper and magazine articles on contemporary issues in Spanish-speaking societies. Several compositions, debates and weekly lab attendance are required. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 002 or equivalent.

Spanish 004 - Intermediate Spanish II

Continues the review of fundamentals of grammar begun in Spanish 003 and encourages the development of a large active vocabulary and a greater awareness of Spanish-speaking cultures. It aims at developing a level of language proficiency sufficient for survival in unusual or complicated situations (i.e., coping with an unforeseen event); and at participating in conversations about practical topics and current events. There will be regular lab assignments, compositions, class discussions, debates and oral presentations. Students are required to register for a recitation section that consists of a weekly 40-minute conversation group. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 003 or equivalent.

Spanish 004-WW - Intermediate Spanish II Writing Workshop Option

Block Gf – Patricia Smith

Students will use writing as a means to become more deeply engaged in the readings and films, develop critical thinking, and improve their writing and discussion skills in Spanish. No extra graded work will be assigned. The workshop will provide the opportunity to map ideas for compositions, engage in peer discussion of drafts, and have individual conferences with the instructor. The writing workshop requires an extra 50 minutes of class time each week, and in recognition of the extra time commitment, a record of participation will appear on the student's transcript. Participants must register for both SPN 004 and SPN 004WW.

Spanish 021 - Composition and Conversation I

The course combines written and oral/aural practice of Spanish through oral reports, compositions, class discussions and debates on assigned topics, articles, short literary works and films. It offers a review of more advanced grammatical structures with the aim of achieving greater accuracy. Students are required to register for a recitation section that consists of a weekly 40-minute conversation group. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 004 or equivalent.

Spanish 022 - Composition and Conversation II

A - Block A - James Watson
B - Block C - Anne Cantú
C - Block G+ - Raquel Weitzman
D - Block J+ - Nancy Levy-Konesky
E - Block I+ - Raquel Weitzman

Continues the grammar review begun in Spanish 021 with emphasis on written and oral expression of Spanish through compositions, oral reports and class discussions. Material for discussions includes literary texts as well as topics of general interest. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 021 or equivalent.

Spanish 22-XA - México: Historia y Cultura

Block D+ - Anne Cantú

Designed to improve conversation, writing and vocabulary-building skills while at the same time familiarizing the student with important aspects of our neighbor south of the border and challenging prevalent stereotypes. Topics such as the Conquest, the Mexican Revolution, and the Chiapas uprising will be addressed in a cultural framework through literary selections, journal articles, art, music and film. Coursework includes discussion, oral presentations and short essays. An optional Writing Workshop is offered in conjunction with this course. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent.

Spanish 022-XB - Visiones de España

Block H+ - Teresa Marcelin

Designed to upgrade the spoken and written language skill of students as well as an introduction to the Spanish peninsular culture and its contribution to world civilization. Geography, history, literature, and the social and artistic evolution of Spain are presented through a variety of readings including literary selections. Course work combines written and oral practice of Spanish through compositions, oral presentations, class discussion as well as an advanced grammar review and vocabulary building. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent.

Spanish 22-XC - El mundo contemporáneo a través de las noticias

Block E+ mf - Anne de Laire Mulgrew

The goal of this course is to continue building the student’s oral and aural skills through the study of current events. We will look at topical issues by reading newspapers and viewing TV news programs. We will also read a short contemporary Spanish novel. Issues to be discussed include: the role of the US in the world, environmentalism, education, medicine and health care, sports, and others. We will focus on news from Spain, Venezuela, Chile, and Costa Rica. Course work includes a review of advanced grammar, compositions, an oral presentation and in-class discussions. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent.

Spanish 23-A Advanced Composition for Heritage Learners

Block F+ tr - Marta Rosso-O’Laughlin

Development and expansion of reading and writing skills for students without formal training in the language but with ability to comprehend and speak Spanish due to their heritage. Study of grammar and stylistics, differences in regional dialects, vocabulary expansion and effective communication based on literary and cultural readings. Students will do oral presentations, four compositions with rewrite option, grammar quizzes, four exams on the readings and a 5-7 page research paper. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or consent.

Spanish 23-A Writing workshop – Advanced Composition for Heritage Learners

Block C - Marta Rosso-O’Laughlin

The Writing Workshop will help students to generate and develop ideas in writing to be effective communicators. Students will do informal writing assignments, peer editing, revisions of the work assigned in class and receive individual attention from the instructor. The workshop meets for one extra hour each week during the C block on Tuesdays. A record of your participation will appear on the student’s transcript.

Spanish 31 - Main Currents of Spanish Literature I

A - Block D - Teresa Howe
B - Block F+tr - Tamara Márquez-Raffetto
C - Block N+ - Dean Simpson

Significant currents of Spanish peninsular literature from the 18th through the 20th centuries. Selected works of representative authors of prose, poetry, and theatre read and discussed. Authors include Larra, Bécquer, Galdós, Unamuno, Pardo Bazán, and Lorca. Lectures, two exams, and two papers. Conducted in Spanish. Not for senior majors or for students returning from programs abroad. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent.

Spanish 34 - Survey of Latin American Literature I

A - Block I+ - Kathleen Pollakowski
B - Block G+ - Mark Hernández
C - Block D+ - Amy Millay
D - Block Q+ - Dean Simpson
E - Block N+ - José Antonio Mazzotti

This course traces the development of Latin American literature from the earliest chronicles of discovery and conquest of the 16th century to modernist literature of the late 19th century. We will read key works of prose, poetry and other genres from various cultures of Spanish America as well as see films related to the topics under study. Authors include Hernán Cortés, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Bernal Díaz and Inca Garcilaso. Emphasis is on historical context as well as literary analysis. Varied writing assignments, oral presentations and exams; class participation is essential. Conducted in Spanish. Not for senior majors or for students returning from programs abroad. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent.

Spanish 91-A - Struggle, Voice, Justice: The Cultural Politics of Violence in Contemporary Latin America (In English)
(cross-listed with Anthropology 149 section 12)

Block 11 Tuesday 6:30 – 9:00pm - María Elena García

In Latin America, “September 11” has long invoked images of terror, political violence, and the restriction of civil liberties. On September 11, 1973 a bloody, U.S.-supported, coup in Chile toppled a democratically elected president. The coup led to the kidnapping, torture, and execution of thousands of Chilean “subversives.” This course examines how notions of “otherness” and the power to label are central to the cultural politics of violence. Examining the forces and discourses of state authoritarianism, the gendered strategies of torture and resistance, and the role of race and ethnicity in political violence, this course engages debates over the construction of political order, human rights, and social struggle. In addition to ethnography and anthropological analysis, we will rely on films, documentaries, historical fiction, plays, and testimonials to interrogate the complexities of human rights and violence in Latin America. Specific topics will include the political deployment of motherhood in Argentina and Chile, ethnic and racial conflict in Guatemala and Nicaragua, the violence of extractive industry in Ecuador, sexual politics in Cuba, popular protest in Bolivia and Venezuela, the role of paramilitary and militia forces in Colombia and Peru, and the role of United States foreign policy in the region. This seminar is open to all interested students.

Screening Session: Block 10 Monday 6:30 – 9:00pm/Olin 006
(cross-listed with Anthropology 149 section 12 - screening)

Spanish 91-B - Indigenous Representations: Culture, Politics, Ethnography (in English)
(cross-listed with Anthropology 149 section 13)

Block 12 Wednesday 6:30 – 9:00pm - María Elena García

The images of, ideologies about and insecurities over “Indians” have had a powerful impact all over the globe. In particular, since the first encounters between European and native peoples in the territory now known as America (North, Central and South), the “imagined” Indian has played a critical role in shaping ideas of civilization, nationhood, and progress. This course explores these early discourses as well as more recent ones regarding the return of indigenous people to public life. Moreover, this seminar interrogates important debates about the relationship between social science and indigenous struggles by exploring representations of indigenous peoples in film, literature, the media, and academic writings. We will delve into ethnographic explorations of indigenous struggles, and interrogate the implications of indigenous resistance that has included the “post-modern” rebellion of the Zapatistas in Chiapas, the emergence of transnational indigenous intellectuals in universities and cyberspace, and the controversial tactics of gaming among Native Americans in the U.S. While our focus will be on the Americas, we will also consider the politics and poetics of indigenous representations in other parts of the world. Finally, in this course we will critically examine central concepts like “culture” and “race” that are part of the discourses of authenticity and survival that shape the ways in which scholars, state officials, and indigenous leaders engage each other. This advanced seminar is open to juniors and seniors. Some familiarity with indigenous politics and/or cultural studies is highly recommended.

Screening Session: Block 11 Tuesday 6:30 – 9:00pm/Olin 006
(cross-listed with Anthropology 149 section 13 - screening)

Spanish 91-C - Ladino Language and Culture
(cross-listed with German, Russian, Asian/JS91L1)

Block L+ tr - Gloria Ascher

Introduction to the language known as Ladino and the culture of the Sephardic Jews who have spoken it for over 500 years. When they were expelled from Spain in 1492, Jews took this language with them, and it has been enriched through contact with languages encountered in their various lands of resettlement. Emphasis on the living language: understanding, speaking, and writing (including creatively). Texts will include proverbs, stories, and songs from the folk tradition as well as contemporary poems and songs, and basic language materials: grammar text and verb tables. Some background in Spanish (or Ladino!) is helpful, but not essential.

Spanish 93 - Independent Study (in English)

ARR - Members of the Department

Guided individual study of an approved topic in Spanish peninsular or Latin American literature or civilization. Variable credit. Prerequisite: consent. To register for an Independent Study, see the Department Administrator.

Spanish 121 Advanced Composition and Conversation I

Block L+ 4:30 – 5:45pm - Dean Simpson

In this course the students will practice and improve their written and oral skills in Spanish in a variety of contexts and situations, both formal and informal. There will be daily core readings to serve as a backbone for the in-class task-oriented activities. The semester will be split into four sections: poetry, short story, theater and the novel. Creative and analytical writings will follow and reflect upon these genres. There will also be a comprehensive grammar review. Two exams (midterm and final), equivalent to four 3-4 page compositions, two movies, a skit and presentations. Not for native speakers or for those who have studied in Spanish-speaking countries. Prerequisites: Spanish 21 and 22, or consent.

Spanish 144 Golden Age Poetry

Block F+ - Teresa Howe

A study of the major lyric poetry of the Spanish Golden Age, beginning in the Renaisance with the introduction of Italian verse forms and humanistic concerns in the works of Garcilaso de la Vega and continuing through the mystical poems of San Juan de la Cruz and the Counter Reformation and Baroque developments in the seventeenth century. The course will focus on the works of the most important poets of the period with special attention paid to the themes, style and evocation of Classical and traditional topics, and the mutual influences of the poets. Authors include Garcilaso, Fray Luis de León, San Juan de la Cruz, Luis de Góngora, Francisco de Quevedo, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Prerequisite: Spanish 31 and 32 or 34, or consent. Conducted in Spanish.

Spanish 170 - The Generation of 1898

Block H+ 1:30 – 2:45pm - Juan Alonso

An exploration of the artistic and intellectual Renaissance in Spain and the spirit of modernity alter the cultural crisis at the time of the Spanish-American War. Authors include: Galdós, Unamuno, Baroja, Machado, and Valle-Inclán. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 and either 32 or 34, or consent. Conducted in Spanish.

Spanish 191-A - Issues in 20th-Century Mexican Literature & Culture

Block I+ 3:00 – 4:15pm - Mark Hernández

Will focus on a selection of issues in Mexican literature and culture (film, music and visual art) of the 20th century, beginning with the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) and ending with the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas of the 1990s. Key issues to be analyzed include the use of literature and culture to construct a national identity, to communicate a political commitment to the marginalized sector of Mexican society, and to rewrite the nation’s official history in the aftermath of the 1968 massacre at Tlatelolco. Essays, oral presentations and exams; class participation is essential. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 and either 32 or 34, or consent.

Spanish 191-B - The Latin American Novel

Block F+ tr 12:00 – 1:15pm - Amy Millay

This course introduces students to a corpus of narrative by twentieth-century Latin American novelists. Readings will include texts by María Luisa Bombal, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Jorge Luis Borges, Alejo Carpentier, Carlos Fuentes, and Gabriel García Márquez. Significant historical and political shifts between 1940 and 1975 inspired Latin American writers to publish works that merited international critical attention. We will explore the notion of “lo real maravilloso” and the phenomenon of the Boom; and consider how the themes of utopia and revolution have been imagined by these Latin American writers. Texts include novels, short narrative, critical readings, and film. Oral presentations, exam, one short paper, one research paper.

Spanish 191-C - Latin American Poetry and the Spanish Civil War

Block J+ 3:00 – 4:15pm - Kathleen Pollakowski

Examines the impact of the Spanish Civil War on the poetry of César Vallejo, Pablo Neruda and Nicolás Guillén by first tracing their development as young, rebellious writers in Latin America. Discussion, oral presentation, two papers and a final exam. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent.

Spanish 191-D – Staging History in Latin-American Theater: Identity and Nation-building

Block L+ 4:30 – 5:45pm - Anne Lombardi Cantú

Theater is often a reflection of social and political reality and in some cases a catalyst for shaping their discourse. We will examine the historical implications of dramatic texts from Peru, Mexico and Argentina insofar as they incur in the process of defining a national identity. Readings also include excerpts from historical narrative. Class discussion, oral presentation, mid-term and final exams, term paper. An optional Writing Workshop is offered with this course.

Prerequisite: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent.

Spanish 191-D-WW – Staging History in Latin-American Theater: Identity and Nation-building

Wednesday 12:00 – 12:50pm - Anne Lombardi Cantú

In this workshop we will explore the process of writing dramatic texts as well as analytical writing about theater, using material from the course and writing done during the workshop block. There is no extra work required. Peer evaluation, discussion and individual conferences with the instructor.

Students of Writing Workshop should also enroll in Spanish 191D.

Spanish 191-E - Saints and Sinners: Images of Women in Hispanic Literature

Block J+ 3:00 – 4:15pm - Tamara Márquez-Raffetto

Examines the dichotomous representation of women in Hispanic Literature as either paragons of virtue or victims, practitioners, and disseminators of vice and desire. The implication of their behavior will be considered as well as the message that the author communicates through the respective outcomes of his or her female subjects. We will also focus on the notion of woman as a repository of honor, both her own and that of her family, and examine how this concept evolves from medieval to contemporary literature according to social, political, and cultural circumstances. Mid term and final exams; final paper. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent.

Spanish 194 - Independent Study (in Spanish)

ARR - Members of the Department

Guided individual study of an approved topic in Spanish peninsular or Latin American literature or civilization. Variable credit. No more than one credit in Independent Study may be counted toward the major. Prerequisites: one 100-level literature course and consent. To register for an Independent Study, see the Department Administrator.

Spanish 199-AT - Honors Thesis

ARR - Members of the Department

Open to qualified students. Variable credit. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, and consent. To register for an Honors Thesis, see the Department Administrator. Once the topic has been approved by the Chair, the thesis must be registered in the Office of the Dean of the Colleges.

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