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Course offerings for the Spanish program at Denison University.

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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.

SPAN 111 - Beginning Spanish I (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 112 - Beginning Spanish II (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 199 - Introductory Topics in Spanish (1-4 Credit Hours)

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

SPAN 211 - Intermediate Spanish (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 213 - Communication Skills (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 215 - Writing Workshop (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 220 - Introduction to Hispanic Literature (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 230 - Introduction to Hispanic Cultures (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 299 - Intermediate Topics in Spanish (1-4 Credit Hours)

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

SPAN 310 - Creative Writing (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 314 - Translation Studies: Being Translingual and Transcultural (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 315 - Foundations of Hispanic Linguistics (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 320 - Survey of Spanish Literature (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 322 - Transatlantic Myth Busters: The Black Legend (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 325 - Survey of Latin American Literature (4 Credit Hours)

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.

Crosslisting: LACS 325.

SPAN 330 - Cultures of Spain (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 335 - Cultures of Latin America (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 361 - Directed Study (1-4 Credit Hours)

SPAN 362 - Directed Study (1-4 Credit Hours)

SPAN 363 - Independent Study (1-4 Credit Hours)

SPAN 364 - Independent Study (1-4 Credit Hours)

SPAN 377 - Advanced Topics in Spanish (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 399 - Advanced Topics in Spanish (1-4 Credit Hours)

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

SPAN 415 - Seminar in Language (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 420 - Seminar in Peninsular Literature (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 425 - Seminar in Latin American Literature (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 430 - Seminar in Spanish Culture (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 435 - Seminar in Latin American Culture (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 440 - Seminar in Hispanic Transatlantic Culture (4 Credit Hours)

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.

SPAN 451 - Senior Research (4 Credit Hours)

SPAN 452 - Senior Research (4 Credit Hours)