Course Catalog - Spanish
Spanish 101, 102 - Elementary Spanish 1, 2
Fall, spring
An intensive introduction to all elements of the Spanish language. The development of linguistic competency aims to promote the understanding of human language as a vehicle for communication shaped by the cultural worldview of speakers in Spanish-speaking communities. Five class hours weekly, including two hours of practicum. One and one-quarter units each semester.
Spanish 103 - Intensive Elementary Spanish
Annually
An intensive review of all the topics covered in both Elementary Spanish 101 and 102. Five class hours weekly, including two hours of practicum. One and one-quarter units.
Spanish 105, 106 - Directed Independent Elementary Spanish 1, 2
Fall, spring
An alternative approach to Spanish 101, 102 which allows students to complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. Two class hours weekly and laboratory practice. One unit each semester.
Spanish 108 - Directed Independent Intensive Elementary
Fall, spring
An intensive review of all of the topics covered in both Elementary Spanish 101 and 102. Requires independent work with technology-based materials which help direct learning. Two class hours weekly and laboratory practice. One unit.
Spanish 201, 202 - Intermediate Spanish 1, 2
Fall, spring
An intensive grammar review, followed by oral practice, and readings in literature and culture. For students who have completed Spanish 102 or its equivalent. Four class hours weekly, including one hour of practicum. One unit each semester.
Spanish 215, 216 - Directed Independent Intermediate Spanish 1, 2
Fall, spring
An alternative approach to Spanish 201, 202 which allows students to complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. One class hour weekly and laboratory practice. One unit each semester.
Spanish 219 - Directed Independent Medical Spanish
Fall, spring
A course which integrates science-based vocabulary and health-related cultural issues into a post-intermediate language curriculum. Medical Spanish continues to provide grammar and vocabulary instruction while developing writing, reading, speaking and listening skills required for effective communication with Spanish speaking clients. One hour per week of practicum required. Prerequisite: Spanish 202 or the equivalent. One unit.
Spanish 301 - Spanish Composition and Conversation
Fall, spring
A prerequisite to other 300- and 400-level courses taught in Spanish, this course provides intensive composition and conversation practice while solidifying the student’s command of Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Though the main focus is on speaking and writing, the course also emphasizes listening, reading and the development of a better understanding of the Hispanic world. Includes two one-hour Practicum sessions. Prerequisite: Spanish 202 or the equivalent. One unit.
Spanish 302 - Aspects of Spanish Culture
Annually
Devoted to the study of outstanding examples of Spanish thought, art, and historical developments. Readings, lectures, and discussions in Spanish. Prerequisites: Spanish 301 or the equivalent. One unit.
Spanish 303 - Aspects of Spanish-American Culture
Annually
Devoted to the study of examples of Spanish-American culture from pre-Columbian times to the present, including the early civilizations, the colonial period, the struggles for independence, the modern period and Hispanics in the U.S. Readings, lectures, and discussions in Spanish. Includes a Community-Based Learning Project in the local Latino community. Prerequisites: Spanish 301 or the equivalent. One unit.
Spanish 305 - Introduction to Literary Genres
Fall, spring
Designed as an introduction to drama, poetry, and prose fiction of 20th-century Spain and Spanish America, this course familiarizes students with literary analysis and further develops their oral and written skills. Recommended for students who have completed Composition and Conversation and a course in Hispanic culture. Advanced (Spanish) literature students should not enroll in this course. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 301 or the equivalent. One unit.
Spanish 310, 311 - Survey of Spanish Literature 1, 2
Alternate years
A survey of the literature of Spain from medieval times to the present, including the major writers of the Golden Age, of the romantic and realist periods, and of the Generation of 1898. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 301 and Spanish 305. One unit each semester.
Spanish 312, 313 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature 1, 2
Alternate years
A study of the literature of Spanish America from pre-Columbian times to the present, including the major writers of the Colonial period, and of the 19th and 20th centuries. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 301 and Spanish 305. One unit each semester.
Spanish 314 - Spanish for Business
Alternate years
This introductory course in business Spanish aims at expanding the student’s overall language proficiency through intensive practice in a variety of professional contexts (e.g. commercial transactions, travel arrangements, job interviews, imports, exports, and tax return preparation). The goal is not only to solidify the students’ command of Spanish grammar and vocabulary and to introduce them to some basic business terminology, but also to develop their pragmatic skills, their cross-cultural awareness, and their ability to interact successfully with native speakers in a variety of formal and professional settings. Prerequisites: Spanish 301 or its equivalent. One unit.
Spanish 315 - Advanced Spanish Composition and Conversation
Fall, spring
This one-semester course provides practice in all the skills of advanced language through a wide variety of activities: the study of basic phonetics, in-depth review of difficult grammatical structures, conversations, readings, and discussions. Students are trained in analytical writing. Prerequisites: Spanish 301 or the equivalent. One hour per week of practicum required. One unit.
Spanish 316 - Advanced Spanish Grammar
Every third year
This one-semester course provides intensive review and practice of advanced grammar structures with emphasis on improving writing skills. Systematic grammar drills, translation and readings serve as a basis for analysis of syntactic and semantic structures of Spanish. Emphasizes strategies for all stages of the writing process, from generating and organizing ideas to rules of accentuation and punctuation. Prerequisite: Spanish 301 or the equivalent. One unit.
Spanish 317 - Composition for Bilingual Speakers
Every third year
Designed for bilingual students who speak Spanish at home but would like to improve their reading and writing skills. Focuses on Latino issues through discussion and commentary of the works of contemporary Latino writers and filmmakers, with emphasis on using the language-reading and writing-rather than reviewing the grammar. Class is limited in size to enable students to receive individualized attention. One unit.
Spanish 318 - Phonetics and Phonology
Every third year
A practice course for improvement of pronunciation and introduction to phonetic transcription. Aimed at students with a desire to improve their pronunciation of Spanish, expand their knowledge of the various dialects of the language, and an interest in knowing how the sound system of Spanish works. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305. One unit.
Spanish 399 - Special Topics
Annually
New offerings at the 300 level in Hispanic linguistics, literature or culture. Topic varies with each separate offering. One unit.
Spanish 400 - Topics in Medieval Spanish Literature
Alternate years
Focuses on different aspects of Medieval Spanish Literature. Topics previously offered have included Medieval Heroes, Saints and Sinners, The Image of Women, Love in Medieval Spain, Death and Dying. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 310). One unit.
Spanish 401 - Topics in Golden Age Literature
Alternate years
Focuses on different aspects of Spanish Golden Age Literature. Topics previously offered have included Golden Age Drama and its Staging, Spanish Golden Age Sentimental Fiction, The Evolution of Spanish Romance, and Renaissance and Baroque Poetry. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and one semester of survey (preferably Spanish 310). One unit.
Spanish 402 - Don Quixote
Alternate years
A close reading of Cervantes’ masterpiece in order to provide a coherent understanding of the author’s attitude toward life and art. Through an analysis of such elements as point of view, plot structure, characterization, interpolated novels and poems, language, and irony, the course defines Cervantes’ conception of narrative prose fiction and his role as the originator of the modern novel. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 310). One unit.
Spanish 403 - Topics in 19th-Century Spanish Literature
Every third year
Thematic studies concerning the rise of romanticism and realism in Spain. Course may include readings by authors such as Zorrilla, Larra, Bécquer, de Castro, Pardo Bazán, and Galdós, with special emphasis on the relationship between literature and culture. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 311). One unit.
Spanish 404 - Topics in 20th-Century Spanish Narrative
Every third year
A study of the major trends and writers of fiction in Spain after the realist and naturalist eras. Through the writings of such prominent authors as Cela, Sender, and Matute, this course examines the formal and thematic characteristics of Spanish narrative before and after the Spanish Civil War. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 311). One unit.
Spanish 405 - Topics in Modern Spanish-American Narrative
Every third year
Explores the response of several modern Spanish-American writers to the following questions: What is fiction? What are the roles of the author, the narrator, and the reader? Special attention is given to such outstanding novelists of the “Boom” as Rulfo, Cortázar, Cabrera Infante and García Márquez, and to the development of their works within the context of the modern novel. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 313). One unit.
Spanish 406 - Topics in Modern Spanish Drama
Every third year
Focuses on the different trends of 20th-century Peninsular theater: poetic theater, social, existential, and the theater of the absurd. Includes readings from such representative playwrights as Federico García Lorca, Antonio Buero Vallejo, Alfonso Sastre, Antonio Gala, and Fernando Arrabal. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 311). One unit.
Spanish 407 - Topics in Modern Spanish and Spanish-American Poetry
Alternate years
Examines various aspects of Spanish and Spanish-American poetry since Modernismo. Among these are: Rubén Darío and Modernismo; Antonio Machado; Hispanic vanguard poetry; the Grupo poético de 1927; Pablo Neruda; and Spanish-American social poetry. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 311 or 313). One unit.
Spanish 408 - Gabriel García Márquez
Every third year
Provides a general introduction and overview of García Márquez’ writing career and analyzes some of his most notable novels. Learn to read works analytically to uncover the relationship between the aesthetic and historical dimensions of García Márquez’ literary universe. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 313). One unit.
Spanish 409 - Topics in Colonial Spanish-American Literature
Alternate years
An advanced course on the origins of Spanish-American literature. Readings emphasize the diversity of the colonial period, with in-depth analyses of works from several major genres. Discussion focuses on the significance of these works from a contemporary perspective as well as on the historical and cultural distance that separates us from the world views contained therein. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 312). One unit.
Spanish 410 - Literature of Exile, Immigration, and Ethnicity
Alternate years
A study of the novels of Puerto Rican, Mexican-American, U.S. Dominican, and Cuban-American writers from 1970 to the present. Explores how the experience of biculturality and displacement is dramatized in the literature of these authors. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 313). One unit.
Spanish 411 - Topics in Latin American Literature of 19th Century
Alternate years
Examines the models for understanding the different cultural formations in the emancipated ex-colonies of Spain. Focuses on periods of ideological change and artistic revolution from independence on, exploring the connections between ideology and representation of national models. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey. One unit.
Spanish 413 - Spanish in the US: A Sociolinguistic Perspective
Alternate years
This sociolinguistics course explores the presence, use and characteristics of Spanish in the U.S. Main topics include: an overview of U.S. Latino communities, the context of their presence here and their experience as an ethno linguistic minority; bilingualism and language acquisition; ‘Spanglish’, borrowing, code-switching and other language-contact phenomena; language maintenance and loss; language policy and minority language rights; bilingual education; the Official English movement; linguistic identity and ideology; and the interaction between language, gender, race, social class and ethnicity. Includes an optional Community- Based Learning Project in the local Latino community. Prerequisites: 2 courses beyond Spanish 301 or its equivalent, or by permission of instructor. Taught in Spanish. One unit.
Spanish 414 - Second Language Acquisition and Spanish
Alternate years
An introduction to the study of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), with a special focus on Spanish. Main topics include: first vs. second language acquisition; age-related effects on language acquisition; the role of presumably innate vs. environmental factors; immersion vs. classroom learning; study abroad; theories of SLA and approaches to foreign language teaching; the role of input and output practice; ‘heritage’ speakers; proficiency assessment; and the different areas of second language development (e.g. literacy, oral fluency, and grammatical and pragmatic competence). The course also considers some specific aspects of the acquisition of Spanish as a second language, including vocabulary, pronunciation, pronouns and different grammatical contrasts (e.g. indicative vs. subjunctive, and preterit vs. imperfect), among others. Prerequisites: 2 courses beyond Spanish 301 or its equivalent, or by permission of instructor. Taught in Spanish. One unit.
Spanish 420 - Topics in Latin-American Film
Every third year
Serves as an introduction to film analysis, studies the development of the medium in Latin America, and explores issues of cultural difference through discussion of the cinematic portrayal of representative historical periods, figures, and intellectual and political movements. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305. One unit.
Spanish 421 - 20th-Century Spain through Film
Alternate years
Studies some of the most relevant historical, political, and social issues in 20th-century Spain as depicted through film. Focuses on films which portray Spain at its different historical stages (pre-Franco era, Francoist Spain, transition era, and modern Spain). Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305. One unit.
Spanish 422 - Cultural History of The Spanish Language
Every third year
Provides a general overview of the Spanish language as the result of historical and cultural developments. Examines the main characteristics of the Spanish language and the different varieties of Spanish that are spoken today. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey. One unit.
Spanish 461 - 19th- and 20th-Century Women Writers of Spain
Alternate years
Examines some of the outstanding women writers of the 19th and 20th centuries of Spanish literature. Explores the most prominent literary, social, cultural, and existential issues expressed in their works. These works are studied in the context of the major trends of European literature in the past two centuries. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 305 and a semester of survey (preferably Spanish 311). One unit.
Spanish 491, 492 - Third-Year Tutorial
Annually
Eligible third-year students may elect one or both of these courses only with the permission of the Department Chair. Tutorials are offered only to students who have taken previously all other advanced courses offered in a given semester. One unit each semester.
Spanish 493, 494 - Fourth-Year Tutorial
Annually
Eligible fourth-year students may elect one or both of these courses only with the permission of the Department Chair. Tutorials are offered only to students who have taken previously all other advanced courses offered in a given semester. One unit each semester.
Spanish 499 - Special Topics
Annually
New offerings at the 400 level in Hispanic linguistics, literature or culture. Topic varies with each separate offering. One unit.
* The courses and descriptions listed above are taken directly from the official College Catalog.