Courses
2023 - 2024
For this academic year's course catalog, please visit our Academic Catalog site. For courses currently offered, please refer to the Schedule of Classes.

Students learn about the Spanish-speaking world while they start developing their Spanish linguistic skills in four basic areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Students do a variety of written and oral activities that include formal and informal presentations, skits, short essays, etc. The course is conducted in Spanish.

Students continue learning about the Spanish-speaking world while they solidify their Spanish linguistic skills at the ACTFL novice level in the four basic areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Students do a variety of written and oral activities that include formal and informal presentations, skits, short essays, etc. The course is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 111 or placement.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

Students further their knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world while developing a functional comprehension and use of spoken and written Spanish at the ACTFL novice-high/intermediate-low level. The course solidifies grammar structures and emphasizes the acquisition of cultural knowledge about the Spanish-speaking world through a wide variety of visual and written texts. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 112 or placement.

Students will enhance their proficiency in oral and written Spanish, in order to solidify a low-intermediate ACTFL level. Students will develop skills such as summarizing, comparing, contrasting and synthesizing. Students will practice communicational abilities through discussions, oral presentations, debates, reports and film reviews. Audiovisual materials, Internet based resources and cultural readings will be frequently used texts. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 211 or placement.

Students develop their writing and analytical skills through an intensive writers’ workshop, which includes linguistic, literary, and cultural analysis through grammar, readings, discussions, and essay. Students develop their writing through expository, argumentative, and analytical essay as well as other genres such as chronicle, journal, autobiography, and literary translation. Students will write, edit, and evaluate their work and that of their peers following models presented through readings organized around thematic units. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 213 or placement or permission of instructor or department chair.

What is literature? What is it good for? How is Hispanic literature different from literature written in English? Short stories, poems, plays and essays representative of various Spanish-speaking countries are read and analyzed in this class. Students will learn and practice the skills of close reading, informed discussion and analytical writing about literature. Students will develop an understanding of the nature of literary genres and literary concepts (themes, character, conflict, point of view, figurative language). Students will develop an appreciation of literature and the ability to interpret it by writing short analytical essays, doing oral presentations, reciting poetry and performing plays. Students will achieve an intermediate-mid ACTFL level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 215 or consent of instructor or department chair.

Students are introduced to important cultural characteristics and productions from both Latin America and Spain. This course offers a historical framework to identify, analyze and contrast fundamental cultural themes, actors and events. Students will develop analytical and critical skills to understand similarities and differences between Spain and Latin America. Students will achieve an intermediate-mid ACTFL level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 215.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

Students will enhance their skills in writing and composition through literary analysis, literary translation and practice of the craft of writing in different genres (drama, poetry, short story) in the Spanish language. Using the close reading of great works of Hispanic literature in the above-mentioned genres, students will learn to translate literary texts and to create literature of their own. Students will explore the process of writing, edit and evaluate their work and that of their peers.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220 and SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisite if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.

This course introduces students to the existing world of translation. Students work with written texts, transferring text from a source language into a target language (Spanish-English and English-Spanish). This is far more than replacing one word with another: the translator must also convey the style, tone, and intent of the text. Focus is on the actual process of translation: what the translator does and why. Students will work mostly with literary and journalistic texts. Students will gain an understanding of different cultural communication styles. Students will familiarize themselves with the relationship between language and power, and the role of the translator as the "in-between" agent.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220, and SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisites if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.

Students will conduct an in-depth analysis of the Spanish grammatical system, which includes core areas of linguistics such as morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Students will analyze the Spanish grammatical system in a wide variety of written and oral texts. For example, contrastive analysis will be used as a method of problem solving. Spanish will be the medium of instruction as well as the content area. Written work and oral presentations in Spanish should be produced at the ACTFL intermediate-high level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220 or SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisite if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.

Students will analyze Spanish Literature from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century within its historical, sociocultural and artistic contexts. This course offers an overview of main literary periods, authors and genres. Students will examine a variety of texts and the outstanding characteristics of their authors. Students will engage in critical analysis of texts through research essays, creative projects and oral presentations, at the ACTFL intermediate-high level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220 and SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisites if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.

Was Inquisition an evil machine created by the Spaniards to terrorize the world? Did the Spanish Empire rule over half of the world through fear and punishment? Is Spain a barbaric country? Students will address these and other questions that arose during the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe to analyze the expansion of the Spanish Empire. In this class, we will study different power relationships between Spain and Latin America and, Spain and Europe. Through historical, literary and cultural texts students will analyze the myth known as "The Black Legend" and learn about different social and political structures and discursive strategies that sustain power. Students will also explore how these have been transformed and survive nowadays.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220 and SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisite if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.

Students will analyze texts from Pre-Columbian times to the present within their historical, sociocultural and artistic contexts. This course offers an overview of main literary periods, authors and genres. Students will examine a variety of texts and the outstanding characteristics of their authors. Students will engage in critical analysis of texts through research essays, creative projects and oral presentations, at the ACTFL intermediate-high level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220, and SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisites if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.
Crosslisting: LACS 325.

Students will analyze how the different people of Spain conceive of and represent themselves, their attitudes, values and beliefs. Through a multidisciplinary approach, students will explore questions about national and regional identities, religious and ethnic communities, cultural movements and institutions, canon formation and popular culture. Following a historical perspective, students will examine the evolution of institutions, traditions and various artistic endeavors. Historical, cultural, philosophical texts will be the basis of this class. Students will hone the skills of interpreting, relating, categorizing, and critiquing cultural works and periods. Students will write analytical essays, present oral reports and take exams as part of the course evaluation. Students will achieve an ACTFL intermediate-high level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220, and SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisites if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.

Students will analyze selected historical themes such as revolution, gender and sexual politics, Southern cone dictatorships, human rights, and memory. Students will work with a variety of texts: films, testimonies, performance art, and fine arts. Students will engage in critical analysis of texts through research essays, creative projects and oral presentations, at the ACTFL intermediate-high level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or LACS 220 and SPAN 230 or LACS 230 or consent of instructor or department chair; no course prerequisites if taught in English; when taught in English, no first-year students.

SPAN 377 is a designation used for special topics. This course offers a place for innovative courses exploring Hispanic cultures and/or linguistics. Description depends on topic and instructor.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 215.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

This course focuses on language and its applications. This means that we will discuss language as it relates to teaching and learning as well as to professional areas such as health, business or tourism. Moreover, we will explore the relationship between language and society. Students in this class will read and write different academic texts ranging from outreach texts to research proposals.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 315 and one additional 300-level SPAN course or consent of instructor or department chair.

Study and discussion in depth of a selected topic, writer or work from Peninsular literature. Students will summarize, compare and contrast, synthesize and evaluate the literary works of an author or a specific literary group of writers. Students will hone their research skills and will demonstrate them through oral presentations, in-depth discussions, creative work, research papers, poster sessions, webspaces, and wikis that meet the ACTFL intermediate-high/advanced-low level standards. This course will involve the writing of a research paper. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): Two 300 level SPAN courses or consent of instructor or department chair.

Study and discussion in depth of a selected topic, writer or work from Latin America literature. Students will summarize, compare and contrast, synthesize and evaluate cultural themes, actors and events. Students will hone their research skills and will demonstrate them through oral presentations, in-depth discussions, creative work, research papers, poster sessions, webspaces, and wikis that meet the ACTFL intermediate-high/advanced-low level standards. This course will involve the writing of a research paper. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): Two 300 level SPAN courses or consent of instructor or department chair.

Students will study and discuss in depth a selected topic, artist or creative work in the culture of Peninsular Spain. Building up on cultural structures studied in previous courses, students will advance personal critiques and evaluations of creative works. Students will hone their research skills and will demonstrate them through oral presentations, in-depth discussions, creative work, research papers, poster sessions, webspaces, and wikis that meet the ACTFL intermediate-high/advanced-low level standards. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): Two 300 level SPAN courses or consent of instructor or department chair.

Students will study and discuss in depth a selected topic, artist, creative work or cultural period in Latin America. Students will summarize, compare and contrast, synthesize and evaluate cultural themes, actors and events. Students will hone their research skills and will demonstrate them through oral presentations, in-depth discussions, creative work, research papers, poster sessions, webspaces, and wikis that meet the ACTFL intermediate-high/advanced-low level standards. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): Two 300-level SPAN courses or consent of instructor or department chair.

Students will engage in an in-depth study of selected topics in the frame of the Atlantic World, which addresses the relations between the cultures of Peninsular Spain and Latin America from a transatlantic perspective. Students will question Western systems of thought, will interrogate structures of power and will develop new connections to the realities of the Hispanic World. Students will summarize, compare and contrast, synthesize and evaluate cultural themes, actors and events. Students will hone their research skills and will demonstrate them through oral presentations, in-depth discussions, creative work, research papers, poster sessions, webspaces, and wikis that meet the ACTFL intermediate-high/advanced-low level standards. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): Two 300 level SPAN courses or consent of instructor or department chair.