Spanish courses
101, 102. Elementary Spanish.
The principal goal is the acquisition of a basic level of communicative ability in Spanish. Video, film, audiotapes and the Internet provide current materials from Hispanic America, Spain and the United States Latino community to enhance language learning and knowledge of the culture. Language laboratory activities advance conversational skills and oral comprehension. Open to students with little or no prior study of the language.
103, 104. Intermediate Spanish.
Spoken and written Spanish are reinforced by a review of grammar and idiomatic strategies for self-expression. The course includes use of videos, music, literature, news broadcasts and the Internet as a means for understanding the contemporary culture of Hispanic America and Spain. Materials in the language laboratory facilitate conversation and increased oral comprehension. Prerequisite: Spanish 101,102 or equivalent. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
201. Advanced Spanish.
Review and expansion of the four skills, with emphasis on the oral and written expression of ideas in Spanish on topics of current interest and cultural significance in the Spanish-speaking world. Materials studied include journalistic texts, videos, audiotapes, songs and literary works. For students who have completed Spanish103, 104 or who have four years or more of Spanish at the secondary level. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
202. Hispanic Cultural Studies.
A language course with the aim of acquainting students with current Hispanic culture through the analysis of literary texts, films, advertisements and other materials drawn from Spain, Hispanic America and the Latino community in the United States. Includes a research project on a cultural topic. This course fulfills the diversity distribution requirement. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
213. Introduction to the Cultures of Spain.
A study of the development of the cultures of Spain through history, art, music and literature. The course includes an analysis of Spanish cultural pluralism and its origins. Sources include literary works, texts on aspects of Spanish culture and history, videos and film, examples of Spanish art and music and material drawn from the Internet. Not open to students who have completed a more advanced course. Taught in Spanish, this course fulfills the diversity and humanities distribution requirement. Also offered through European Studies.
221. Latin America in Film.
This class examines how Latin America is represented in films by directors from Hispanic America, Brazil, Europe and the United States. The films form the basis of conversation and research on themes related to contemporary history, inter- ethnic conflict, traditional gender roles and immigration. The class is conducted entirely in Spanish, though some of the theoretical and technical readings on film are in English. This course fulfills the diversity and humanities distribution requirement. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
244. Advanced Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Advanced Spanish for Heritage Speakers is a course designed specifically for bilingual (Spanish/English) students who want to strengthen written and oral expression as well as reading comprehension. The course builds on the language knowledge the students already possess while it includes extensive practice with the conventions of written Spanish and many activities designed to expand vocabulary. The course is also complemented with highlights of Latin American, Spanish and Latino culture.
3000-3999. Special Topics.
Designed for students who have completed Spanish 201, 202, special topics courses offer the opportunity to study specific topics in Hispanic culture. The content of each course or section of these 200 or 400-level special topics courses varies and will be announced each semester.
LANG 350. Teaching Languages.
Designed to help students develop competency in language instruction, Teaching Languages is mandatory for student teaching assistants in the department. We explore what it means to be part of a communicative classroom; students learn to create pedagogically sound activities which complement the textbook and language laboratory materials. Students learn how to integrate available technology into their teaching and create original visual and auditory materials and exercises for use in their own lab sections. Teaching Languages is taught in English and cross-listed among all the languages.
4000-4999. Special Topics.
Designed for students at any level above Spanish 211 and 213, these courses at the 300-level or 400-level offer the opportunity to study specific topics in the Spanish language or Hispanic culture. Examples include Latinos in the United States; post-Franco Spanish society in film; Latin American women writers; Afrohispanic culture and literature; the representation of the Amerindian in contemporary Hispanic American literature; and the study of specific authors such as Pablo Neruda or Carmen Martìn Gaite. A recent example includes:
Taller de Literatura Creativa (Creative Writing Workshop): The Taller de Literatura Creativa, conducted entirely in Spanish, offers guided writing exercises on a weekly basis. Students learn how to criticize each other´s work in constructive ways, incorporating the results of these discussions in additional drafts of their creative work. The themes of these poems, short stories and non-fictional works revolve around Hispanic culture and study abroad on SLU-sponsored programs, primarily in Spain and Costa Rica. The workshop is a place where students can compare these abroad experiences as well as experiences about being a Spanish-speaker in the US. Toward the end of the semester, students work collectively to edit material and to produce the online cultural journal Aquí y Allá.
The content of each course or section varies and will be announced each semester. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
423. Introduction to Spanish Literature (equivalent to Spanish 323).
An overview of the literature of the Spanish people. Readings from the major periods, from the earliest literature to the present. Authors studied include Cervantes, Calderón, Federico Garcìa Lorca and Carmen Martín Gaite. The works are treated as representative, thematically and aesthetically, of their respective ages and the traditions of their genre. Also offered through European Studies.
439. Literature, Film and Popular Culture in Contemporary Spain.
After the Franco regime (1939-1975), Spaniards began to explore and question cultural, historical and sexual identity. This course examines post-totalitarian Spanish literature, arts and popular culture made possible by the political transition to democracy. The aim is to use the theoretical framework of cultural studies as a means of understanding contemporary Spanish culture. Materials analyzed include films, television programs and commercials, novels, short stories, magazines and popular songs. Also offered through Film and Representation Studies and European Studies.
440. Poetry, Music and Ethics.
From the classic song “Guantanamera” to the recent “Los Hijos de las Piedras” (Marwan), intersections between poetry and music in Spain and Latin America have been enriching, stimulating and renovating for both arts. These innovative collaborations also represent powerful ethical commitments to ongoing social struggles. This course studies important works of social poetry and music in relation to the sociohistorical moments in which they were produced. Students read and write poems or songs which they perform publicly, after practicing extensively in class or in the Poetry for Peace reading series on campus. Also offered through Peace Studies.
444. Survey of Latin American Literature (equivalent to Spanish 344).
Indigenous oral traditions and texts from the period prior to the arrival of the Europeans are examined, as are works from the colonial period to the present. Authors studied from the colonial period include Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Bartolomé de las Casas and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Contemporary authors include Borges, García Márquez, Allende and Rigoberta Menchú. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
445. Literary Translation: Theory and Practice.
In this workshop, students use translation as a tool to learn how to express them-selves more effectively in both English and Spanish. Theorists such as Octavio Paz, José Ortega y Gasset, Willis Barnstone, Carol Maier, Walter Benjamin, Tejaswini Niranjana and others help illuminate the practice of translation in a variety of genres that include poetry, autobiography, book reviews and subtitling of films. For students with considerable background in Spanish, including, preferably, residence in a Spanish-speaking country. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
446. Oral Expression in Spanish.
Analysis of contemporary oral usage through the study of film, video and audio materials as well as printed texts. Advanced pronunciation practice. Study of techniques of oral presentation. Assignments are designed to promote the development of persuasive skills and include formal debates on contemporary issues and other public speaking activities. Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
449. Afro-Hispanic Culture and Literature.
This course explores the African Legacy in the culture of the Hispanic Caribbean: Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. While examining a variety of texts we will engage in conversation around topics that include slavery and resistance, cultural racism, class, identity construction and representation. The course also incorporates cuisine, music, dance and other sources as the basis for work that may bring in creative, disciplinary or career interests. Crosslisted with Caribbean and Latin American Studies. Taught in Spanish, and permission of the instructor is required.
489, 490. SYE: Independent Study.
Also offered through Caribbean and Latin American Studies.
497, 498. SYE: Honors Project.
Working closely with a faculty member, the student develops a project related to Spanish-language literature or culture. Projects may include translations from Spanish to English and they may be interdisciplinary. Students are encouraged to use a variety of media in their projects and, if they participate in a St. Lawrence program in Costa Rica or Spain, to relate their projects to that experience. For additional information, see the description of Honors in the introductory section of the departmental curriculum.