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The Language and Culture Program:
Minor in Spanish and Courses

Minor in Spanish
The minor in Spanish is designed to provide the student with basic fluency in spoken and written Spanish and a general introduction to the culture and literature of Spain and Latin America. Students who complete the minor in Spanish should achieve proficiency in the language equivalent to SPA 3016/Advanced Spanish II. All students interested in Spanish are strongly encouraged to participate in the College’s summer study abroad program in Spain.

Students interested in the minor should submit a completed Application for a Program of Minor Study to the School of Humanities main office (Durst Family Humanities Building, Room 2020). The student is assigned a minor advisor in Spanish after consultation with the coordinator of the Language and Culture Board of Study.

Academic Requirements for the Minor in Spanish
Five courses in Spanish, including:

1. SPA 3610/Modern Spanish Literature
2. SPA 3640/Introduction to Latin American Literature
3. Three elective courses, chosen in consultation with the minor advisor

Related Interdisciplinary Minor: Latin American Studies

Spanish Courses
SPA 1000–1999 (lower level, freshman)
SPA 2000–2999 (lower level, sophomore)
SPA 3000–3999 (upper level, junior)
SPA 4000–4999 (upper level, senior)

SPA 1000–1999:

Beginning Spanish I
SPA 1010 / 4 credits / Fall
For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written Spanish by involving the student in situations that concretely represent the concepts of the language. Class meets three times a week, including language lab. Credit for this course is awarded only after successful completion of SPA 1020.

Beginning Spanish II
SPA 1020 / 4 credits / Spring
A continuation of SPA 1010. Increased time is devoted to reading and writing. Development of oral skills remains the primary objective of the course, which meets three times a week, including language lab.

Intensive Beginning Spanish
SPA 1070 / 4 credits / Summer (offered in Spain)
For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written Spanish by involving the student in situations that are tied to daily experiences.

SPA 2000–2999:

Intermediate Spanish I
SPA 2010 / 4 credits / Fall
For students already familiar with the fundamentals of spoken and written Spanish. Through various reading assignments, students are given a context for discussion to increase vocabulary and speaking ease. Weekly compositions serve as an aid for grammar review.

Intermediate Spanish II
SPA 2020 / 4 credits / Spring
Concentrated work to help students acquire more specialized vocabulary, with an introduction to slang. Students gain greater ease in reading through a variety of texts of increasing difficulty. These texts also serve as a basis for discussion, composition, and grammar review.

Spanish for Native Speakers
SPA 2030 / 4 credits / Every year
For native speakers of Spanish who have had little or no formal training in the language. The focus is on expanding each student’s ability to read and write fluently, in preparation for the challenges of upper-level Spanish courses.

Intensive Intermediate Spanish
SPA 2070 / 4 credits / Summer (offered in Spain)
For students who need to review and extend the fundamentals of spoken and written Spanish. Particular attention is given to developing fluency in conversation, increasing understanding, encouraging students to communicate in Spanish, writing clear Spanish, and reading original materials like advertisements and magazines. Various authentic materials (audio cassettes, newspapers) are used to facilitate this process.

SPA 3000–3999:

Advanced Spanish I
SPA 3015 / 4 credits / Fall
Introduces students to the more complex aspects of the language, while promoting oral fluency through a variety of materials. Excerpts from novels, plays, poetry, periodicals, and films are used to promote classroom discussions with active student participation. Students make frequent oral presentations.
Prerequisite: SPA 2020 or equivalent

Advanced Spanish II
SPA 3016 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
A continuation of SPA 3015, with special emphasis on writing. Students develop their writing skills in Spanish through frequent practice and critique of work in progress. Both academic and creative writing are studied in this course. Students submit a portfolio of their work at the end of the semester.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015

Spanish Composition and Conversation
SPA 3020 / 4 credits
Description and frequency unavailable. Please contact the School of Humanities for information.

Intensive Advanced Spanish
SPA 3070 / 4 credits / Summer (offered in Spain)
For students who have had at least four semesters of college Spanish or the equivalent. Through selected readings on a variety of topics, students explore the more complex aspects of the Spanish language. Discussions and written work based on the readings help students attain a high level of fluency.

Mexican Cinema
SPA 3080 Refer to CIN 3080 in Cinema Studies Courses (School of Film and Media Studies) for description.

Cervantes and European Narrative
LIT 3100 Refer to Literature Courses: 3000–3999 for description.

Don Quixote
LIT 3101 Refer to Literature Courses: 3000–3999 for description.

Literature of the High Middle Ages
LIT 3160 Refer to Literature Courses: 3000–3999 for description.

LST crosslisting added to SPA 3211 Spring 2012 (9/27/11):
Spanish and Latin American Cinema
SPA 3210 and 3211 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Drawing from the rich cinematography of Spain and Latin America, this course focuses on the interaction between film and culture in Latin America. Films are discussed and analyzed in the context of sociopolitical events and aesthetic movements, with emphasis on the cultural perspective. SPA 3211 is also offered as CIN 3211, LIT 3211, and LST 3211.
Note: SPA 3210 is taught in Spanish; SPA 3211 is taught in English.
Prerequisite (for SPA 3210): SPA 3015

Literature of Utopia and Discovery
SPA 3233 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Examines the interrelationship between Renaissance utopias (More, Bacon, Campanella) and the texts of the conquest of America (Bartolemé de las Casas, Cortés, Díaz del Castillo, Cabeza de Vaca), and traces the continuity of the topics of finding “another world” and founding a “new world” in modern Latin American literature. Taught in English. Students who can read the Spanish texts in the original are encouraged to do so. Also offered as LIT 3233.

Arte de Escribir
SPA 3240 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
In this creative writing course, students write in Spanish in a variety of genres (dramatic dialogues, short fiction, and poetry). Style, dialogue, characterization, structure, and mood are explored through writing exercises and the analysis of different Latin American writers. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Added Fall 2012 (1/05/12):
Latin American Cinema
SPA 3245 Refer to CIN 3245 in Cinema Studies Courses (School of Film and Media Studies) for description.

Contemporary Spanish Culture (1975–Present)
SPA 3250 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
After the death of Franco, Spain has evolved into a progressive democracy and has created a dynamic, exciting cultural life. Through the study of cultural materials (cinema, documentary theatre), literature, and political texts, students examine the development of culture in Spain from 1975 to the present. The relationship of politics to culture and the underlying historical contexts are the main themes. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015 or equivalent

Advanced Spanish Reading and Conversation
SPA 3260 / 4 credits / Alternate years (Fall)
Conducted entirely in Spanish, this course focuses on reading, researching, and analyzing a variety of texts and consists primarily of literary, philosophical, and social discussions in the target language. It is designed to facilitate, improve, and develop reading and analytical skills as well as students’ confidence in their ability to speak Spanish in public. In addition to the extensive class discussions, students read two novel-length books and write two short essays in Spanish. Taught in Spanish.

Added Summer 2012 (12/01/11):
Literature and Memory in Argentina
SPA 3270 / 3 credits / Summer (offered in Argentina)
A study of literature and visual art emerging from Argentina’s “Dirty War” (1976–1983). The class discusses how Argentineans have used the literary and visual arts to memorialize and mourn the disappeared, to resist dictatorship, and to imagine alternative futures. Writers to be read include Timerman, Piglia, Minujín, Mercado, Partnoy, and Strejilevich. Knowledge of Spanish is not required. Also offered as LST 3270.

Modern Poetry in the U.S. and Latin America
SPA 3310 Refer to LIT 3310 in Literature Courses: 3000–3999 for description.

Masterpieces of Hispanic Poetry
SPA 3320 / 4 credits / Alternate years
The history of Hispanic poetry is examined through readings of its major poets from the Middle Ages through the modern period. Taught in Spanish.

Added Spring 2012 (9/23/11):
Advanced Culture and Conversation
SPA 3340 / 4 credits / Spring
Students study essays, films, and short fiction in Spanish to advance their knowledge of Hispanic cultures and to develop advanced skills in conversation, reading, and composition.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015 or equivalent

Spanish Literature: Middle Ages to the Baroque
SPA 3600 / 4 credits / Alternate years
An introduction to the thought, art, and history of Spain from the Middle Ages to the Baroque through close readings of major literary texts. Readings include the medieval epic (Poem of the Cid), the traditional ballad (Romancero), the early novel (La Celestina, Lazarillo de Tormes), Cervantes, and the classic theatre. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015

Modern Spanish Literature
SPA 3610 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Major literary and social movements of 19th- and 20th-century Spain: Romanticism, the realist novel, the generations of 1898 and 1927, and the Civil War are central. Authors include Bécquer, Galdos, Unamuno, Ortega y Gasset, and Lorca. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015 or equivalent

LST crosslisting added Spring 2012 (9/27/11):
The Modern Latin American Novel
SPA 3630 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Major novels of 20th-century Latin America and their literary and social contexts. Authors include Guiraldes, Carpentier, Cortàzar, and García Márquez. Taught in Spanish. Also offered as LST 3630.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015 or equivalent

LST crosslisting added Spring 2012 (9/27/11):
Introduction to Latin American Literature
SPA 3640 / 4 credits / Alternate years
The major literary works of Latin America from the early 19th century to the present. Taught in Spanish. Also offered as LST 3640.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015

LST crosslisting added Spring 2012 (9/27/11):
Modern Latin American Poetry
SPA 3650 / 4 credits / Alternate years
The major poetic currents of the 20th and 21st centuries in Latin America, and the manner in which they reflect the societies from which they arose. Movements considered include modernismo, criollismo, Afro-Antillean poetry, surrealism, and “anti-poetry.” Poets read include Dario, Vallejo, Pales, Matos, Guillen, Neruda, Paz, and Parra. Readings and discussion are in Spanish. Also offered as LST 3650.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015 or equivalent

Surrealism and Its Legacy
LIT 3680 Refer to Literature Courses: 3000–3999 for description.

LST crosslisting added Spring 2012 (9/27/11):
Modern Novel of Latin America (in English)
SPA 3685 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Major works of the most celebrated Latin American novelists, such as Cortàzar, García Márquez, Carpentier, and Guiraldes, emphasizing the cultural and social contexts from which these novels spring. Although this is a literature course taught in English, students with competent Spanish language skills are encouraged to read the works in the original and write their papers in Spanish. Also offered as LIT 3685 and LST 3686.

LST crosslisting added Spring 2012 (9/29/11):
The Idea of Latin America
SPA 3687 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Who had the idea to name part of the world “Latin America”? What makes it “Latin”? Who has an interest in this definition? Who is included and who isn’t? This course asks these questions and others through readings of texts by Bolívar, Martí, Mariátegui, and others. Also offered as LIT 3687 and LST 3687.

LST crosslisting added Spring 2012 (9/27/11):
The Latin American Short Story
SPA 3700 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Selected examples drawn from the significant number of Latin American writers who have made some of their most interesting contributions in this short form. Selected works from 19th- and 20th-century writers are read closely. Taught in Spanish. Also offered as LST 3700.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015

Cervantes (in English)
SPA 3705 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Centers on a close reading of Don Quixote, with attention to other works of Cervantes and to his importance to European narrative as a whole. Also offered as LIT 3705.

Cervantes (in Spanish)
SPA 3710 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Centers on a close reading of Don Quixote, with attention to other works of Cervantes and to his importance to European narrative as a whole. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015

Modern Hispanic Theatre
SPA 3715 / 4 credits / Alternate years
In this examination of the modern theatre of Spain and Latin America, students read and analyze plays from Spanish-speaking countries in their aesthetic and cultural contexts. When possible, students perform scenes from some of the plays. Also offered as THP 3715.

20th-Century Spanish and Latin American Theatre
SPA 3721 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
A study of contemporary Spanish-speaking theatre. The class discusses and analyzes plays from various countries in the context of sociopolitical events and aesthetic movements. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 3016

LST crosslisting added Spring 2012 (9/27/11):
Women in Latin American Literature
SPA 3740 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
A study of the role of women in Latin American society, as presented in the literature of the continent. Authors include: Borges, Cortàzar, García árquez, Luisa Valenzuela, Rosario Castellanos, Julia de Burgos, Alfonsina Storni, Gabriela Mistral, Lidia Cabrera, Jorge Amado, Rosario Ferre, and Isabel Allende. Taught in Spanish. Also offered as LST 3740.
Prerequisite: SPA 3015 or equivalent

Translation Workshop: Spanish
SPA 3800 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Begins with a brief presentation of some theoretical aspects of translation, after which students become directly involved in translating both from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English. Literary texts representing a wide variety of styles are selected. Particular attention is given to idiomatic aspects of each language.
Prerequisite: SPA 3016 or equivalent

SPA 4000–4999:

Religion and Mysticism in Hispanic Literature
SPA 4020 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Considers the tensions between religious identity, reason, and spiritual experience in Hispanic literature. The works of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian authors from premodern Spain, the mystics of the Siglo de Oro, and contemporary authors from Spain and Latin America, such as Unamuno, Rulfo, and Borges, are examined. Taught in English. Students who can read the Spanish texts in the original are encouraged to do so. Also offered as LIT 4020.

Fifteen Movies From Latin America and Spain
SPA 4200 / 4 credits / Alternate years
A study of classic Spanish-speaking films from Latin America and Spain and their contribution to Hispanic culture. Students view, discuss, and analyze films in the context of sociopolitical events and aesthetic movements and place each work in cultural perspective. These 15 films are not adaptations from novels. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Knowledge of Spanish

Updated Jan. 5, 2012

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