Spanish
The Department of Spanish prepares students to engage with the diverse communities, cultures, and traditions of our Spanish-speaking world, including those in the US. Our program offers opportunities for students to embrace the Spanish they speak, enhance their intercultural competence, and broaden their expression in writing, speaking, reading, and communication in Spanish. Leveraging faculty expertise in literature, film, cultural studies, linguistics, Latin American, Latinx, and Iberian studies, creative writing, digital and medical humanities, decolonial theory, and race and ethnicity, our curriculum also helps students develop critical thinking, creative expression, and skills that can be applied to any field. We welcome students from all language backgrounds, including native and heritage speakers of Spanish, as well as second language learners.
Spanish majors can complement their degree with courses in other academic programs at Holy Cross, including Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies, History, International Studies, and just about any other major. Interested Spanish majors can also receive their license to teach at the middle through secondary level through our partnership with the Teacher Education Program.
Our Study Abroad programs allow students from any major to expand their language skills and study a variety of subjects while they experience life in Spanish-speaking countries. Study Abroad offerings include year-long and extended semester programs in Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
Our students gain valuable language practice and cultural exchange through weekly Practicum sessions led by Foreign Language Assistants from Argentina and Spain. Several of our courses incorporate Community-Based Learning projects and other experiential learning opportunities. Students can also participate in a rich variety of co-curricular activities and events organized by the Spanish Club. Embracing artistic expression, our bilingual literary and cultural review fósforo: Revista de Inspiración Hispánica, provides a forum where students may publish their creative work alongside their professors, Foreign Language Assistants, and other members of the community.
Directed Independent Study of Spanish
Students interested in learning Spanish have the option of taking courses in the Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum (DISC) program. These elementary- and intermediate-level language courses offer an alternative approach to language instruction for students who are motivated to work independently and enjoy using technology. Guided by a professor, students work with online materials and attend weekly Practicum sessions with our Foreign Language Assistants.
Language Common Area Requirement
All Holy Cross students must satisfy the College’s common area requirement for Language Study (the “G” requirement). This requirement can be satisfied by two consecutive semesters of Spanish.
Placement through the Spanish Background Questionnaire
All students who plan to study Spanish at Holy Cross (including students without prior experience in Spanish, students who took Spanish in high school, and native or heritage speakers of Spanish) must first take the Spanish Background Questionnaire to determine the appropriate entry course for enrollment. The Background Questionnaire takes into account previous experience with Spanish and any advanced placement (AP or IB) test scores that students have earned to determine whether they also need to take the Spanish Placement Exam.
Advanced Placement Credit
Holy Cross awards credit for Advanced Placement exams taken through the College Board Advanced Placement Program and the International Baccalaureate Program and will accept some Advanced Level General Certificate of Education (A-Level) exams. One unit of credit is awarded for an Advanced Placement score of 4 or 5 in any discipline recognized by the College. One unit of credit is awarded for a score of 6 or 7 on a Higher Level International Baccalaureate Examination in a liberal arts subject. One unit of credit is awarded for a score of A/A* or B on an A Level exam in a liberal arts subject. The College does not award credit for the IB Standard Exam or the A-Level Exam. AP, IB, and A-Level credit may be used to satisfy deficiencies and common area requirements. Each academic department has its own policy regarding the use of AP or IB credit for placement in courses and progress in the major. The Department Chair must also review the A-Level score to determine placement in courses and progress in the major. See departmental descriptions for further information.
A score of 4 or 5 on an AP Language exam earns college credit and counts towards the Language Studies common area requirement; a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Spanish Literature exam earns college credit and counts towards the Language Studies or Literature common area requirement. Students with AP credit in Spanish need only take one additional Spanish course to fulfill their Language Studies common area requirement. They also earn placement in the Spanish curriculum but do not progress toward the minimum number of courses required by the major. Students with AP or IB credit will be advised of their placement in Spanish by taking the obligatory Spanish Background Questionnaire. Students need to submit their AP scores to the Registrar's Office so that they appear in their transcripts.
Josep Alba-Salas, Ph.D., Professor
M. Estrella Cibreiro-Couce, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Humanities
Bridget V. Franco, Ph.D., Professor
Daniel Frost, Ph.D., Professor
Francisco Gago-Jover, Ph.D., Professor
Juan G. Ramos, Ph.D., Professor, Chair
Rodrigo Fuentes, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Elizabeth Spragins, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Aitor Bouso Gavin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Isabel Farias Velasco, Cand. Ph.D., Instructor
Helen Freear-Papio, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer
Elizabeth O'Connell-Inman, M.A., Senior Lecturer
Andy Barrientos-Gomez, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor
Carolina Blazquez Gandara, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor
Reynaldo Lastre, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor
Alexandra Mira Alonso, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor
Roberto Andres Talavera Pagan, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor
Monica Covarrubias Velazquez, Cand. Ph.D., Visiting Instructor
SPAN 100 — Elements of Spanish Course count: 1
The first course in our Elementary Spanish sequence, SPAN 100 provides an introduction to basic structures and vocabulary of Spanish, with a focus on all language skills as well as cultural content. It is the equivalent of SPAN 101, but in our Summer school session.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
SPAN 101 — Directed Independent Elementary Spanish 1 Course count: 1
The first course in our Elementary Spanish sequence, SPAN 101 provides an introduction to basic structures and vocabulary of Spanish, with a focus on all language skills as well as cultural content. It is offered in our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum (DISC) program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. Two weekly Practicum sessions and independent work.
Students who have taken any higher level SPAN course or have taken Spanish in high school may not register for SPAN 101.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 102 — Directed Independent Elementary Spanish 2 Course count: 1
The second course in our Elementary Spanish sequence, SPAN 102 continues our introduction to basic structures and vocabulary of Spanish, with a focus on all language skills as well as cultural content. It is offered through our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum (DISC) program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. Two weekly Practicum sessions and independent work.
Prerequisite: SPAN 100 or 101 (Dir Ind Elem Span). Students who have taken any higher level SPAN course may not register for SPAN 102.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 103 — Elementary Spanish Review Course count: 1
An intensive review of materials covered in our Elementary Spanish sequence, this course is specifically designed for students with high-school experience in Spanish. Five class hours weekly, including two hours of Practicum.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam. Students who have taken or placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 103. This course prepares students for Intermediate Spanish I.
GPA units: 1.25
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 108 — Directed Independent Elementary Spanish Review Course count: 1
Like SPAN 103, this course provides an intensive review of materials covered in our Elementary Spanish sequence, but is offered through our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum (DISC) program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. Two weekly Practicum sessions and independent work.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam. Students who have taken or placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 108. This course prepares students for Intermediate Spanish I.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 200 — Tutorial Course count: 1
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 201 — Intermediate Spanish 1 Course count: 1
The first course in our intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 201 is designed for students who have completed SPAN 102 or 103 or 108 or the equivalent. The course focuses on all four skills and expands the students general command of Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Students will learn to narrate in the past, present and future, describe people, places and things, give commands, and state opinions. Discussion of short videos as well as cultural and literary readings will help students expand their vocabulary and broaden their understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. Four class hours weekly, including one hour of Practicum.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam or SPAN 102 or SPAN 103 or SPAN 108. Students who have taken or placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 201.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 202 — Intermediate Spanish 2 Course count: 1
The second course in our two-semester Intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 202 is designed for students who have completed SPAN 201 or 215 or the equivalent. The course focuses on oral expression, reading, writing, and listening comprehension through the use of authentic materials. Students will hone their ability to narrate and describe in different tenses and to express their opinions on a variety of topics and contexts, expanding their vocabulary and grammar. Four class hours weekly, including one hour of Practicum.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam or SPAN 201 or SPAN 215. Students who have taken or placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 202.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 215 — Directed Independent Intermediate Spanish 1 Course count: 1
An alternative approach to Spanish 201 which allows students to complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. One class hour weekly and laboratory practice.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam or SPAN 102 or 103 or 108. Students who have taken or placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 215.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 216 — Directed Independent Intermediate Spanish 2 Course count: 1
The second course in our two-semester Intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 216 is the equivalent of SPAN 202, but in our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. One Practicum session weekly and independent work. This class prepares students for SPAN 301 or 302.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam or SPAN 201 or 215 or the equivalent. Students who have taken or placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 216.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 217 — Direct Intensive Inter Spanish Course count: 1
Offered in our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum, SPAN 217 covers our entire two-semester Intermediate Spanish sequence, including both SPAN 201/215 and 202/216, in one course. Students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. One Practicum session weekly and independent work.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam or SPAN 102 or SPAN 103 or SPAN 108. Students who have taken or placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 217.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 219 — Directed Independent Medical Spanish Course count: 1
Offered in our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum, this course integrates health-related terminology and cultural issues into a post-intermediate language curriculum. As such, the course continues to provide grammar and vocabulary instruction while developing writing, reading, speaking and listening skills required for effective communication with Spanish-speaking clients. One Practicum session weekly and independent work.
Prerequisite: SPAN 202 or 216. Students are strongly encouraged to take SPAN 301 or 302 before enrolling in SPAN 219. Students who have taken or placed into any SPAN course higher than SPAN 301 or 302 may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 219.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Alternate Years
SPAN 301 — Spanish Composition & Conversation Course count: 1
A prerequisite to other 300- and 400-level courses in Spanish, this class provides composition and conversation practice through the discussion and analysis of texts, podcasts, and films produced by authors and filmmakers from different national and cultural backgrounds. The goal is to expand the students command of Spanish grammar and vocabulary, to develop their communicative and rhetorical skills as well as their fluency and pronunciation, and to reflect critically on the experiences of Spanish-speaking communities across the world. Five hours per week, including two Practicum sessions. Students who complete SPAN 301 cannot take SPAN 302. This course satisfies the Composition and Conversation requirement for the Spanish major.
Prerequisite: Students must complete a language placement exam or SPAN 202, 216 or 217 or have Spanish AP credit to enroll in this course. Students who have placed into any higher level SPAN course may not take or earn language credit for SPAN 301.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 302 — Español para Hispanohablantes Course count: 1
A prerequisite to other 300- and 400-level Spanish classes, this course is for native and heritage students with a high level of oral Spanish proficiency. The class provides reading and writing practice through the discussion and analysis of texts, podcasts, and films produced by authors from different national and cultural backgrounds, including contemporary Latinx and Afro-Latinx writers and filmmakers. Building upon their previous knowledge and experiences, students will broaden their awareness of particular aspects of Spanish-speaking cultures and identities, and practice different writing techniques to suit different purposes. Four hours per week, including one Practicum session.
Prerequisite: For students who grew up speaking Spanish at home or their communities. Students must complete the Spanish Background Questionnaire to enroll in this class. If you place into 302, you cannot enroll in SPAN 301.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 302C — Español para Hispanohablantes CBL Course count: 0
GPA units: 0
SPAN 303 — Aspects of Spanish Culture Course count: 1
This course explores different cultural aspects of Spain, focusing on key historical, cultural, artistic, and social developments that have shaped conceptualizations of national, regional, and individual identities on the Iberian peninsula. A key goal is to gain a deeper understanding of what Spain is like today. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Language Studies
Typically Offered: Annually
SPAN 304 — Aspects of Spanish-American Culture Course count: 1
This course introduces students to central debates and problems shaping twentieth- and twenty- first-century Latin American societies and cultures. We address questions of cultural identity, gender, race, class, politics, and aesthetics by looking at historical documents, film, essays, testimonios, and visual art from a transdisciplinary perspective. Key moments in the relations between the US and Latin America are also a major focus of the course. Conducted in Spanish. This course satisfies the Culture and Cinema requirement for the Spanish major.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Language Studies
Typically Offered: Annually
SPAN 305 — Intro to Textual Analysis Course count: 1
This course invites students to engage critically with narrative, poetry, drama, and film in Spanish. We will read a variety of literary works from Latin America and Spain, reflecting on the political, social, and cultural issues they address. Theoretical readings will provide the necessary tools to dissect and discuss both written and visual texts. How does a text work? What makes it elicit certain reactions in the reader? Why is it appealing (or not!)? Through close readings, students will learn to analyze literary texts and articulate their views with clarity and conviction. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies, Literature
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 308 — Readings in Latin American Lit Course count: 1
A thematic examination of Latin American literature from pre-Columbian times to the present day. Through representative readings from the rich variety of Hispanic cultures in Latin America, including South and Central America, the Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx culture, the course teaches students to analyze primary and secondary sources related to a theme of the instructor's choosing as well as to contextualize representative primary texts' significance within Latin American culture, enhancing their writing and speaking skills. Selected themes have included Fantasy and Reality, Borders, Power, and Protest Literature. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Span 305 or equivalent.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Literature
Typically Offered: Annually
SPAN 309 — Readings in Spanish Literature Course count: 1
A thematic examination of Iberian Spanish literature from medieval times to the present day. Through representative readings from a range of genres and periods, the course teaches students to analyze primary and secondary sources related to a particular theme chosen by the professor, as well as to contextualize representative primary texts' significance within Spanish culture, enhancing their writing and speaking skills. Selected themes have included literary landscapes, representations of otherness, and the concept of humanity in literature. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Span 305 or equivalent.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies, Literature
Typically Offered: Annually
SPAN 312 — Filmmaking in Spanish Course count: 1
Through a hands-on learning approach to the art of filmmaking, students will explore and experiment with the core components of cinematographic production: screenplay writing, directing, lighting, sound engineering, camera technique, and digital editing. As a focused language course, the class is designed to introduce students to the artistic and technical terminology employed in Spanish and Latin American film production. Moreover, students will purposefully use Spanish as they write, design, create, and edit film projects of their own. This course includes a Community-Based Learning component in which students may collaborate with a local organization that serves Spanish speakers to produce a short documentary film. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Arts
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 312C — Filmmaking in Spanish CBL Course count: 0
GPA units: 0
SPAN 314 — Spanish for Business Course count: 1
This course seeks to expand the students overall command of Spanish, to increase their cross-linguistic awareness, and to develop their ability to communicate effectively in professional settings. It focuses on areas such as advertising, tourism, transportation, international travel, imports, human resources, accounting, banking, and job hunting. Covering basic terminology in each area, the course addresses both oral and written skills, as well as cross-cultural differences in business practices and etiquette. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Span 301, 302 or equivalent
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Alternate Years
SPAN 317 — Health, Culture, and Social Justice in Lat Am Course count: 1
This course explores different aspects of the human experience of illness, dis/ability, and healthcare in Latin America and the United States. Inspired by the Health Humanities interdisciplinary field, it examines medical perspectives and caring practices through the lenses of specific cultural conceptualizations of medicine and healing, as well as the systems of oppression that cause physical and existential suffering among patients and their loved ones. Readings will allow students to discuss the tensions between Western biomedicine and Indigenous healing practices; the central roles of colonialism and racism in shaping healthcare and well-being; and issues of reproductive justice, disability, mental health, human rights, and bioethics. Students will analyze a variety of cultural sources, including visual art, literary texts, podcasts, and films. This course includes a Community Based Learning component.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Language Studies
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 317C — Health, Culture, and Social Justice Course count: 0
GPA units: 0
SPAN 318 — Phonetics & Phonology Course count: 1
This course seeks to help students improve their pronunciation of Spanish and their knowledge of the sound system of the language, including not only individual units (vowels and consonants), but also suprasegmental features such as rhythm, volume, and intonation. The class provides hands-on-practice with phonetic transcription and pronunciation analysis. It also introduces students to sound changes in the history of Spanish and dialectal differences in the spoken language. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 301 or 302 or the equivalent and an additional 300- or 400-level SPAN course. This course satisfies the Linguistics requirement for the Spanish major.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Alternate Years
SPAN 319 — Adv Oral Expression Course count: 1
This course provides students with the opportunity, resources and stimuli to refine their oral skills in Spanish through structured and meaningful practice. Students will use language in context to expand self-expression through a variety of activities: poetry recitation, dialogues, role playing, debates and oral presentations. This course will also acquaint students with the rhythms, intonations and gestures typical of contemporary spoken Spanish. Students will use a variety of resources: literary texts, films, newspaper articles, and video interviews (reflecting a wide range of dialectal variation) and will explore controversial topics designed to provoke substantive conversation. Finally, frequent writing assignments and research tasks will complement the main emphasis on development of oral skills. Native speakers are not eligible to enroll in this course.
Prerequisite: SPAN 301, 302 or equivalent. This course satisfies the Focused Language requirement for the Spanish Major.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Alternate Years
SPAN 320 — Spanish Grammar Through Translation Course count: 1
Translation is an activity that combines the intellectual with the practical, allowing students to refine not only their research and analytical skills, but also their lexical and grammatical knowledge of both the source and target languages. Translators need to understand different aspects of the source text linguistic, cultural, and beyond and ensure that they are rendered appropriately in the other language. This course provides an introduction to the practice of translation, allowing students to hone their skills translating from English into Spanish, and vice versa. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 322 — Latin American Art Course count: 1
This course is an introduction to contemporary (20th and 21st century) Latin American Art, with a specific focus on painting and public art interventions. We begin with a Spanish-language role-immersion game that serves as a diachronic introduction to a wide variety of 20th century Latin American and Latinx art movements, including Cubism, Constructivism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Mexican Muralism, Indigenismo, Abstract Expressionism, Hyperrealism, Chicano Art, Street Art, and Nai¨f Art. In the context of the game, students will learn how to identify and analyze the formal elements of visual artworks (subject, form, color, line, proportion), and hone their public speaking skills using focused language related to Latin American art. Students will also critically reflect on topics related to diversity in the international art world, Afro-descendant and Indigenous representation and artistic production, the concept of art as politics, and the future of museums. In the second half of the semester, we will explore public art interventions throughout 20th and 21st century Latin America. Students will have the opportunity to engage with art through performances and exhibitions on campus, local and global public art projects, and a hands-on public art intervention of their own design.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Arts, Language Studies
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 322C — Latin American Art CBL Course count: 0
GPA units: 0
SPAN 326 — Foundations of Inclusive Spanish Language Teaching Course count: 1
This course prepares future language educators to develop inclusive, culturally responsive, and globally aware classrooms. Through the exploration of various pedagogical approachessuch as communicative language teaching, task-based learning, project-based learning, critical pedagogy, and translanguagingstudents will gain both theoretical grounding and practical experience. Teaching demonstrations, reflective journals, and collaborative lesson planning will allow students to connect DEI principles to real-world language teaching.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Annually Fall
SPAN 366 — Creative Writing in Spanish Course count: 1
This course focuses on the writing of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in Spanish, as well as on translating between English and Spanish. Through the use of varied readings and prompts, students will write brief creative texts. In addition to these exercises, students will produce a short story and a crónica to be workshopped by the class as a whole. The work and conversations in this course will allow students to broaden their language, the scope of their writing, and enjoy the rich possibilities granted by creative writing in Spanish. Throughout the semester, we will also connect with authors and translators by Zoom to hear about their creative processes and learn from their experiences with the craft. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Arts, Language Studies
Typically Offered: Annually
SPAN 399-S03 — Brazil Uncovered Course count: 1
This course introduces students to Brazilian cultural production, including literature, film, television, and new media, to explore its history of diversity and resistance. We will analyze canonical writers and various forms of media that grapple with the meaning of resistance within Brazil's socio-political context. Through short reflections, formal and informal essays, and a collaborative final project, students will enhance their writing skills, deepen their knowledge of Brazilian culture, and understand Brazil's unique place within Latin America and the world.
Prerequisite: SPAN 301 or any higher level course.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
SPAN 399-S04 — Environment & Culture in Latin/x America Course count: 1
Explore key cultural texts, figures, and movements that address environmental issues in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latinx communities in the U.S./Analyze diverse perspectives on nature, land, and ecological justice across the Spanish-speaking world./ Reflect critically on dominant and alternative relationships with the environment, including Indigenous, Afro-diasporic, and popular approaches./ Examine intersections of identity, territory, resistance, and extractivism through literature, film, and art./ Strengthen oral and written communication in Spanish through discussion, creative projects, and critical reflection.
Prerequisite: SPAN 301 or any higher level course.
GPA units: 1
SPAN 399C — Health, Culture, & Soc Just CBL Course count: 0
GPA units: 0
SPAN 400 — Medieval Spanish Literature Course count: 1
This course 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, and Death and Dying. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and SPAN 308 or SPAN 309. This course satisfies the Advanced Pre-Modern requirement for the Spanish Major.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 401 — Early Modern Spanish Literature Course count: 1
This course focuses on different aspects of early modern Spanish Literature. Topics previously offered have included Golden Age Drama and its Staging, Spanish Golden Age Sentimental Fiction, The Evolution of Spanish Romance, Renaissance and Baroque Poetry, and Literature of Multicultural Iberia. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and a semester of Readings (308 or 309)
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 402 — Don Quixote Course count: 1
A close reading of Cervantes' masterpiece in order to provide a coherent understanding of the work and its significance in its own time and for works of art that followed it. Through an analysis of such elements as its historical context, point of view, plot structure, characterization, interpolated novels and poems, language, and irony, the course defines the novels conception of narrative prose fiction and its role as the originator of the modern novel. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and SPAN 308 or SPAN 309. This course satisfies the Advanced Pre-Modern requirement for the Spanish Major.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 403 — Depicting Spanish Modernity Course count: 1
Thematic studies of literature and culture in Spain from the late Enlightenment to the Second Republic. Focusing on the relationship between writing, culture, and modernization, the course considers some of the ways in which authors, artists, and urbanists such as Jovellanos, Mesonero Romanos, Larra,Bécquer, de Castro, Pardo Bazán, Cerdà, Galdós, Unamuno, Maragall, and Valle Inclán helped determine the course of Spanish culture in an age of rapid industrial, technological, social, and political change. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 405 — Modern Spanish-American Narrative Course count: 1
This advanced literature seminar will explore a variety of modern and contemporary Latin American narrative texts that intersect with topics related to dictatorship, exile, identity exploration, aesthetic innovation, marginalization, and resistance. We will examine these topics through a selection of literary texts by Latin American writers. The main goal of this course is to acquire an understanding of a variety of 20th- and 21st-century Latin American narrative texts, as well as to gain an appreciation of the historical and literary contexts in which these texts emerged. Students will also continue to hone their critical reading and literary analysis skills at an advanced level. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and a semester of Readings (308 or 309)
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 406 — Staging Spain Course count: 1
Over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Spanish theater has reflected the nation's tumultuous history. It has challenged the status quo by staging many controversial topics: dictatorship, war, modern society, terrorism, immigration, domestic violence, and alterity. This course engages such themes both through the study of theater as literary text and the power of theater as performance. In class, students will not only read, watch and analyze dramatic texts, but also perform dramatized readings. The texts to be studied include plays by contemporary Spain's most notable playwrights: Federico García Lorca, Antonio Buero Vallejo, Jerónimo López Mozo, Diana M. de Paco Serrano, Gracia Morales, Juan Mayorga, Silvia Albert Sopale, and Luisa Cunillé. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and SPAN 308 or SPAN 309. This course satisfies the Advanced Modern Studies requirement for the Spanish Major.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 407 — Modern Span & Span-Amer Poetry Course count: 1
This course examines various aspects of modern Spanish and Spanish-American poetry, focusing on specific groups or movements (such as Modernismo, Vanguardias, and Grupo Poético de 1927, for example) and key figures (Pablo Neruda, Antonio Machado, César Vallejo, and others). Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and a semester of Readings (308 or 309)
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 409 — Colonial Span Amer Literature Course count: 1
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. Topics previously offered have included Mesoamerican Codices and Myths and Counter-myths of the Conquista. 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.
Pre-requisites: SPAN 305 and either 308 or 309
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 413 — Spanish in the U.S. Course count: 1
This sociolinguistics course explores the presence, use and characteristics of Spanish in the U.S.. Main topics include: an overview of U.S. Latinx communities, the context of their presence here and their experience as an ethnolinguistic 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 Latinx community.
Prerequisite: Two courses beyond SPAN 301 or the equivalent.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
Typically Offered: Alternate Years
SPAN 414 — Second Language Acquisition & Spanish Course count: 1
This course offers an introduction to the study of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), with a special focus on Spanish. Among other topics, we will discuss what it means to know and learn one or more languages, the similarities and differences between learning a second language and acquiring one's native tongue, study abroad, the benefits and limitations of immersion vs. classroom contexts, bilingual education, and heritage speakers of Spanish. We will also survey some approaches to second language teaching, and different areas of language development in Spanish, such as vocabulary, pronunciation and intercultural competence, for example. Includes an optional Community-Based Learning Project in the local Latinx community. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Two courses beyond SPAN 301/302 or the equivalent. This course satisfies the Linguistics requirement for the Spanish Major.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 415 — Bilingualism in Spanish Speaking World Course count: 1
This course examines what it means to speak more than one language, with a particular focus on the Spanish-speaking world. Besides exploring the very notion of bilingualism, the course examines how individuals and communities come to be multilingual; the social, cognitive, and linguistic dimensions of knowing more than one language; and the typical results and dynamics of language contact, paying special attention to the contrast between communities where Spanish is a majority language in contact with indigenous and regional languages (e.g. Nahuatl and Quechua in Latin America, and Basque and Catalan in Spain), and communities in which it is a minority language (the US, where it coexists with English). Includes an optional Community-Based Learning Project in the local Latinx community. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 415C — Bilingualism in Spanish Speaking World CBL Course count: 0
GPA units: 0
SPAN 416 — Body & Text: Gender in Spanish Literature Course count: 1
This advanced literature course explores the evolution of the concept of gender and its literary representations in 19th- through 21st-century Peninsular writings. Students will examine the influence of Church and State on gender formation and explore the body as a site of conflict and, ultimately, awareness. Through the study of particular essays, novels, and short stories, this course analyzes the social and aesthetic tensions between the traditional ideal of the sexes (i.e. women and men as belonging to separate and irreconcilable spheres) and the revolutionary emerging notion of the new woman, whose role is no longer confined to the home. The selected texts reflect these different representations of gender while highlighting the tensions and transitions between the old and the new social roles. This is a reading-intensive course which includes primary texts as well as critical readings. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 420 — Latin American Film Course count: 1
This course deepens student understanding of film analysis, with a focus on the development of the medium in Latin America. We will delve into social and political issues concerning historically marginalized voices and explore how cinematography, as an artistic medium, grapples with questions of representation, identity, memory, and activism. Movies will be screened in Spanish (and in some cases, Portuguese and indigenous languages, with Spanish subtitles). Conducted in Spanish. This course satisfies the Culture and Cinema requirement for the Spanish major.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 421 — Spanish Film and Literature Course count: 1
This course focuses on the most relevant historical, political, and social issues in 20th -and 21st-century Spain as depicted through film and literature. We will read several literary texts and view eleven films plus one documentary which portray Spain at its different historical stages: the pre-Franco era (before 1939); the Spain of the civil war and the dictatorship years (1936-1975); the transition era (1975-77); and modern, democratic Spain (1975-present). Although the course is focused specifically on Spanish culture, it will foster intercultural reflection by contextualizing our analyses of the works within a global framework. Theoretical texts will help to guide our discussions on timely and universal topics such as the threat of authoritarianism; the role of democracy and democratic values; social and environmental justice; gender inequality; and human rights. Students will be expected to reflect critically on their own cultural assumptions and perceptions as we approach the study of culture from the perspective of our ethical responsibilities and civic engagement. All films will be watched outside of class. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and a semester of Readings (308 or 309).
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 422 — Cultural History of Spanish Lang Course count: 1
This course provides a general overview of the historical and cultural developments that have shaped the Spanish language throughout the centuries. It also examines the main characteristics of Spanish and its different varieties spoken today. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Two Spanish courses beyond 301 or 302.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 436 — Federico García Lorca Course count: 1
This course studies the life and works of Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca. Through analysis of his poems and plays, as well as his letters and speeches, the seminar contextualizes García Lorca's works within complex political, social, and literary movements during his lifetime. Discussion will focus on the power with which theater and poetry can communicate such vital and controversial human themes as gender identity, political ideology, freedom of self, feminist issues, public behavior and private desires, inequality, death, race and religion. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPAN 305 and SPAN 308 or SPAN 309. This course satisfies the Advanced Modern requirement for the Spanish Major.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 450 — Latinidades in Literature & Pop Culture Course count: 1
This seminar explores the ways in which U.S. Latinx identities (Latinidades) are constructed in literature and popular culture. We will read selected poetry, theater, fiction, and graphic novels to question how nation-specific identities work in tandem with and challenge the monolithic label of Latina/o. In addition, we will read theoretical texts and discuss examples of stand-up comedy, music, film, and other media to begin answering some of the following questions: What does it mean to be a Latina/o? How do we construct and assume Latinidad? How are Latinidades reflected in literature and pop culture? Do these art forms challenge or reaffirm mainstreams stereotypes about Latinos? In what ways are literature and pop culture viable means to discuss differences and pluralities among Chicanos, Dominicans, Cubans, Colombians, Puerto Ricans, and other groups? How do questions of race, ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, and languageenter into a discussion about identity construction? Readings and other media will be in Spanish, English, and Spanglish. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 461 — Female Voices in Modern and Contemporary Spain Course count: 1
This course explores literary works and films created by some of the most prominent 19th- through 21st-century female writers and film directors in Spain. The selection of works includes poetry, novel, short story, drama, as well as feature films and one documentary. We will focus on the ways in which these written and visual texts incorporate female voices and perspectives as they portray political upheaval, social change, gender identity, and key cultural shifts in Spanish society. Given the importance of historical context in the reading and interpretation of texts, the course also incorporates the study of various literary movements and cultural trends such as Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, postwar Realism during the Franco dictatorship, as well as activist and feminist literature in democratic Spain. Additionally, the films included in the course engage with issues of colonialism, the environment, gender violence, and social justice. SPAN 461 is a reading-intensive course which includes primary texts as well as secondary sources. Conducted in Spanish.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 466 — Writing the Short Story Course count: 1
This course focuses on the writing of the short story in Spanish. Through the use of varied prompts, students will write brief texts of fiction exploring character, point of view, time, dialogue, setting, and other key elements of the story. In addition to these exercises, students will produce two short stories to be workshopped by the class as a whole. Throughout the semester, we will also read and discuss canonical and contemporary works of short fiction from Latin America in order to hone different short story writing techniques. Additionally, we will connect with contemporary Latin American authors by video conference to hear about their creative processes and learn from their experiences with the craft. Conducted in Spanish.
Pre-requisites: SPAN 305 and either 308 or 309
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Typically Offered: Alternate Years
SPAN 470 — Global Iberian Race Course count: 1
This course historicizes race and racism within the historiography and literature of 15th17th-century Iberian literature. We will look at the origins of race through texts from early modern Portuguese and Spanish colonial projects in Iberia, Africa, and the Americas. These texts lay out early modern Iberian ideologies that contribute to race and radicalization such as honor, blood purity, and religious orthodoxy. While twenty-first century United States discussions of race often focus on skin color, this course deliberately focuses on other frameworks for racialization that were instrumentalized in the early modern period: blood and religion, biblical antecedents, geography, visuality, law, language, and gender. We will draw on the work of scholars of race from different disciplines to think about these themes and consider their implications for our own evolving understanding of race.
Prerequisites: 305 and either 308 or 309
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Literature
Typically Offered: Every Third Year
SPAN 491 — Tutorial Course count: 1
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.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 492 — Tutorial Course count: 1
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.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
SPAN 493 — Fourth-Year Tutorial Course count: 1
Eligible fourth-year students may take this course 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.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Annually