Spanish Courses 2015-2016
100 Pre-Elementary Spanish. This course is intended for students with no previous Romance Language
experience, who have never studied Spanish before. A systematic introduction to grammar, pronunciation
and the differences between Spanish and English structures. Prerequisite: No prior Spanish. (Not offered
2015-2016) .5 unit.
101 Elementary Spanish. Study of basic grammatical structures and patterns with exercises meant to
develop proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing presented in a cultural
context.Prerequisite: COI or adequate score on the Spanish Placement test) 2 units — Bizzarro, K.,
Rosa, Robyn, Alkofer
103 Review of Elementary Spanish. An elementary-level maintenance course for students who plan to
continue their study of Spanish. A systematic review of grammar with supervised conversation practice.
Prerequisite: Spanish 101 or equivalent. .25 unit — Garcia
104 Review of Elementary Spanish. An elementary-level maintenance course for students who plan to
continue their study of Spanish. A systematic review of grammar with supervised conversation practice.
Prerequisite: Spanish 101 or equivalent. .25 unit — Garcia
201 Intermediate Spanish. Review of fundamentals of Spanish grammar, composition, reading, and oral
practice. Readings and discussion periods on topics of Hispanic cultures including literature, art, music,
and film. Prerequisite: SP101 or adequate score on the Spanish placement exam or COI.. 2 units —
Arroyo-Rodriguez, Ruiz, Robyn, Rosa
203 Oral Review of Intermediate Spanish. An intermediate-level maintenance course for students who
plan to continue their study of Spanish. A systematic review of grammar with supervised conversation
practice. Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or equivalent. .25 unit —Garcia
204 Oral Review of Intermediate Spanish. An intermediate-level maintenance course for students who
plan to continue their study of Spanish. A systematic review of grammar with supervised conversation
practice. Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or equivalent. .25 unit — Garcia
299: Intensive Communication Practice and Grammar Review. This two-week (half-block) course will
use a communicative approach to review and practice the essential structures and concepts of Spanish
grammar. It is intended to prepare students for courses at the 300 level. As the need exists, this course may
be tailored to serve as an introduction to a program conducted in a Spanish-speaking country, in which case
it will also include orientation to the country and culture. Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or equivalent or
placement at the 300 level...5 unit – Slayden (taught on-campus); Arroyo-Rodriguez (taught in Spain)
301 Review of Language with Emphasis on Civilizations and Cultures of the Spanish-speaking
Regions. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and Spanish 201. .25 unit — Garcia
302 Review of Language with Emphasis on Civilizations and Cultures of the Spanish-speaking
Regions. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and Spanish 201. .25 unit — Garcia
304 Cultural Context and Oral Practice. Transitional course between intermediate-level and advancedlevel language courses. Students will develop higher levels of listening comprehension, oral competence,
and socio-cultural communicative proficiency and will acquire oral strategies of expression through the
study of written and recorded cultural material dealing with a variety of aspects, issues, and realities of the
Spanish speaking world. Student activities in the course will include interactive oral presentations of
selected web-based materials, of reading and recordings from targeted cultures such as: comic strips,
articles, magazines, film clips, songs, etc. Prerequisite: 201 or equivalent. (not offered 2015-2016) 1 unit.
305 Cultural Context and Written Expression. Intensive writing and conversation through the study of
literary and cultural texts of the Spanish-speaking world. Thematic focus will be determined by instructor.
Limited to 15 students. Prerequisite: SP 201 or adequate score on the Spanish placement exam or COI.. 1
unit — Arroyo-Rodriguez, Robyn, Alkofer
306 Cultural Context and Critical Analysis. Continues the acquisition of the Spanish language and
trains students in the most important methods of literary and critical analysis through readings in different
genres. Prerequisite: SP305 or 312 or equivalent and COI. (Block 7 taught in Chile as part of the CC
Semester in Latin America program) 1 unit — Ruiz, Arroyo-Rodriguez,Wood, Alkofer, Robyn
307 Hispanic Culture. The study of Hispanic societies and their cultural productions, such as film, art,
music, language, and literature. Ordinarily taught as part of a foreign study program. Prerequisite: SP305
or COI. (also listed as MU398) Taught in Spain and Israel as part of the block 5 program. Students must
also register for SP299 half block (taught in Spain). 1 unit -- Arroyo-Rodriguez
312 Oral Practice and Composition Abroad. Advanced composition and conversation through the study
of literary and cultural texts. Ordinarily taught as part of a foreign study program. Limited to 15 students.
Prerequisite: SP201 (or equivalent) and COI. Taught in Peru as part of the CC Semester in Latin
America program. 1 unit. -- Lomas
316 Topics in Hispanic Literature and Culture. Study of Hispanic authors, genres, literary periods,
cinema or cultural trends not represented in the regular curriculum. The structure of the particular course is
determined by the nature of the topic and preference of the instructor. Prerequisite: SP306. 1 unit
Block 1: Paranoid Fictions in Latin American Literature. Paranoia is a quintessential modern
feeling. Since its first philosophical and literary expressions (Descartes’s Meditations and
Cervantes’s Don Quijote) modernity has been haunted by the figure of a dark hidden force (malin
génie in Descartes, magos encantadores in Don Quijote) that deceives our perception of reality
and of power. In our capitalist modernity, power is never where it appears to be, we are removed
from a culture of punishment to a culture of constant surveillance in which power sees us, but it
appears elusive to our eyes. Alienated from our work, from the products of labor that surround us,
from our communities and even alienated from our bodies, reality seems to become unstable. It is
in this context that emerges the figure of the paranoid, who helps us distrust the stories about
reality we are told and at the same time invites us to construct another narrative, a conspiracy
theory that finally strips down the always veiled centers of power. In this class we will study many
Latin American short fictions in which paranoia is presented as a form of creative resistance to
modern capitalism. To assist our study of these Latin American fictions, we will read various
cases of clinical paranoia as well as theoretical texts on topics such as surveillance, capitalism,
feminism, conspiracy theory, technology and power, and many others. Readings will include
fictions by Borges, Rodolfo Walsh, Reynaldo Arenas, Manuel Ramos Otero, Ricardo Piglia and
Diamela Eltit, among others. Theoretical and philosophical readings will include short texts by
Descartes, Marx and Engels, Freud, Canetti, Gramsci, Foucault and Silvia Federici, among
others. Rosa
Block 3: Contemporary Spanish Film.This course focuses on the analysis of cinematographic
production in Spain in the last 25 years. By examining Spanish film, students will acquire an
informed and critical perspective on contemporary Spanish society. At the same time, students
will explore if there is a uniquely Spanish aesthetic of understanding, perceiving, and representing
the world. Thus, filmic production will be addressed as a means to explore important questions
related to contemporary Spanish society, such as immigration, historical memory, and sexuality,
and as an artistic means to explore notions of collective identity, the self, and one´s position in the
universe. Students will study significant films by key directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Julio
Medem, Bigas Luna, Alejandro Amenábar, and Icíar Bollaín, among others. Aside from the films,
our discussions will be informed by relevant historical and cultural readings, fundamental
cinematic concepts, and critical theory in order to contextualize the filmic productions. Ruiz
Block 6: Literatura Fantástica, lo Real Maravilloso y el Realismo Mágico. Alkofer
Block 8: Caribbean Literatures & Cultures. Repeating Islands: Contemporary
Literature and Music in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diasporas. The
Caribbean is an archipelago of “repeating islands”. Beneath these islands’ cultural and linguistic
variations, lies a common history of colonization based on the system of plantation, slavery and
racial miscegenation. As the scene of the clashing of brutal empires in conflict, these islands were
progressively isolated from each other, experiencing processes of differentiation all the while
sharing the same forms of colonial and postcolonial oppression – a common beat, over which one
can hear distinct harmonies and melodies. This has given them similar forms of resistance and
expression, a cultural production that is also repeated in their massive diasporas, in the immense
waves of Caribbean immigrants across the very empires that colonized them. This course will
explore the three great leitmotifs that have informed the literatures and music of the Caribbean and
the Caribbean diasporas in the U.S. between the 20th and 21st centuries: 1. the recurring image of
the island as both the sign of an inescapable condition to be embraced and as a curse, as both a
factor of isolation and of cultural exchange, as both a factor of self-exotization and defiance to
global capitalism; 2. migration as the inevitable correlate of this area’s perceived isolation and
geopolitical centrality to the American empire, as both a response to U.S. intervention in the
Caribbean and a challenge to the country’s mainstream political discourses; and 3. the issue of
race, inseparable of these islands’ history of colonialism, which have shaped the way Caribbean
subjects see and represent themselves within a globalized world. Through the course, we will
analyze how these motifs have been employed in essays, novels, poetry, and musical pieces,
interrogating about a Pan-Caribbean cultural identity all the while scrutinizing each islands’
individual historical processes. The course will be conducted in Spanish. Robyn
324 Colonial Hispanic American Literatures and Cultures. This course introduces students to Hispanic
American cultures and literatures from the pre-Columbian period through the Spanish and Portuguese
conquest, the Baroque, and up to the wars of Independence. Given the specific period covered, we will
examine literary texts as well as other written documents (such as cartas, requerimientos, relaciones,
declaraciones, etc.). The course has an interdisciplinary approach that integrates readings from literature,
anthropology, history and art history among others. We will analyze the colonial period with the view of
understanding the formation of present-day social injustices. We will learn to think critically about the
encounters between the Europeans and the indigenous peoples of the Americas and about the consequences
of these encounters. Course content varies from year to year. Prerequisite: SP306. (not offered 20152016) 1 unit
325 Modern Hispanic American Literatures and Cultures. This course focuses on the cultural
production following emancipation from Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule. The works reflect the main
cultural and historical processes as well as the intellectual projects of the post-independence period. The
main literary currents studies include neoclassicism, romanticism, liberalism, realism, indigenismo,
gauchesca, as well as modernism and the early literary vanguards. Course content varies from year to year.
Prerequisite: SP306 (not offered 2015-2016) 1 unit
326 Contemporary Hispanic American Literatures and Cultures. This course examines Hispanic
American cultural production from the Cold War period to the present day through a selection of literary
texts (poetry, essays, short stories, novels, etc.), films, music and performance. We will identify and
analyze the key issues and themes pertaining to a wide range of countries. We will integrate the texts
within their historical, social, and political contexts. Course content varies from year to year. Prerequisite:
SP306. 1 unit -- Wood
327 Golden Age Literature and Culture. This course will examine topics pertaining to the Renaissance
and Baroque periods, roughly from the 16 th and 17th centuries. Course may center on cultural products
from both periods or may focus only on one. Topics may be interdisciplinary and may focus on a single or
multiple authors, genres, and/or themes. Content varies from year to year (Offered alternate years).
Prerequisite: Spanish 306(not offered 2015-2016 1 unit.
328 Don Quijote. Explores Miguel de Cervantes’s masterpiece El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la
Mancha. Examines Don Quijote within its artistic, literary, and historical context; examines Cervantes’s
reading of the world around him and explore the social, political, artistic, and literary implications of the
novel at the time of its publication. Considers the modern repercussions of Cervantes’s novel by discussing
subsequent critical approaches and cultural renditions, adaptations and reinterpretations to establish why it
continues to be relevant today. Prerequisite: Spanish 306. It is also highly advisable to have taken at
least one advanced Spanish literature course. ) 1 unit -- Ruiz
331 19th Century Spanish Literature: The Advent of Modernity in Spain. Explores the major literary
movements of 19th century Spain through some of its most renowned authors. Analyzes a selection of
literary texts in relation to the movements in which they are conceived, such as realism, romanticism,
costumbrism, etc. Exploration of key social and political issues that affect literary production in Spain in
the 1800s. Students also analyze other forms of cultural expression, inspired in the literature of this period,
with attention to such topics as Psychoanalytic, Marxist, and Feminist approaches. Prerequisite: SP306.
(not offered 2015-2016) 1 unit
333 Contemporary Spanish Literature and Culture. Explores the major literary movements of 20 th and
21st century Spanish literature and culture through some of its most renowned authors. Analyzes a
selection of literary texts, films and artwork in relation to the cultural movements in which they are
conceived. Explores key social and cultural issues that inform the cultural production in Spain during this
period. Prerequisite: SP306. 1 unit – Arroyo-Rodriguez
335 Mexican History and Literature Since the Revolution. Topics in 20th-century Mexican history and
literature. The course is conducted on a pro-seminar basis. Taught in Mexico. (Not offered 2015-2016) 1
unit.
338 U.S. Latina/o Literatures and Cultures. Comparative study of works by U.S. Latinas/os of Mexican,
Puerto Rican, and Cuban descent as well as Latin American writers in exile in the United States. Explores
how these writers’ shared history of Spanish colonization and U.S. Imperialism has produced both similar
and varying cultural representations of home and homeland, diaspora, migration, nation, community,
identity, history and memory. Prerequisite: SP306. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and
Critiques requirement. 1 unit -- Lomas
339 Chicana/o Literature and Culture. Critical study of the literary production and expressive culture of
people of Mexican origin in what is today the United States from the 19th century to the present. Explores
cultural and artistic practices in literature (print and oral), film, visual and performing arts and how these
intersect with socio-historical, economic, and political forces. Considers questions of identity construction,
racialization, gender, sexuality, class and power and their cultural representations. Prerequisite: SP306.
Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement. (not offered 2015-2016 1
unit
409 Independent Reading. Senior majors only. Departmental consent. Primarily for senior thesis work
beyond regularly scheduled courses and not available to substitute regularly offered courses. 1 unit.
431 Research Methods Methods of analysis and theories of literature and culture. Training in research
methodology; preparation for senior thesis or senior project; research and presentation of work in progress.
Required of all majors. Prerequisite: Declared major and 2 Spanish courses above 306. 1 unit — Lomas.
432 Honors Senior Thesis. Intensive writing and supervised revision of senior thesis with oral defense.
The work will be carried independently under the supervision of a regular Spanish faculty member. Thesis
will be written in Spanish and will be 40-50 pages in length; it will demonstrate sufficient and clear
proficiency in written Spanish, critical analysis of relevant cultural productions, and integrated research in
the area of study. Open only to students who have satisfied GPA requirements of 3.5 and 3.7 from the
college and the department, respectively. Students who successfully complete this course will be eligible to
apply to graduate with Distinction. Prerequisite: Spanish 431. Only open to majors with 3.5 (college) &
3.7 (dept.) GPA’s. 1 unit
433 Senior Project. Intensive writing and supervised revision of senior project begun in 431 with final oral
presentation. Project will be written in Spanish and will be 15-25 pages in length. Project demonstrates
proficiency in written Spanish, critical analysis of relevant cultural productions, and integrated research in
the area of study. Prerequisite: Spanish 431. 1 unit -- Lomas
Portuguese Courses 2015-2016
PG 101: Elementary Portuguese. This course is designed to introduce students to basic grammar
structures and communication in the Portuguese language, with a focus on Brazilian culture and
pronunciation. Basic language study designed to develop proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and
writing. (not offered 2015-2016) 2 units
PG 298: Accelerate Portuguese Language Abroad. This course is an intensive introduction to
Portuguese language for both students who have some prior (elementary) knowledge of Portuguese
language as well as those students who have no prior experience with Portuguese but have a keen and
dedicated interest in the language. This off-campus course will allow students to participate in language
study at one of two levels depending on the scores obtained in a language placement exam and the number
of students enrolled in the program. Through accelerated language study in the four modalities – speaking
,listening, reading, and writing – and home stays with Brazilian families, studentswill acquire an
intermediate to advanced level in Brazilian Portuguese. This on-unit course, in addition to the half-block
and extended format courses, each on-half unit, approved will allow students to complete the all-college
language requirement of two units of language study through a combination of off and on campus study. 1
unit (not offered 2015-2016)
PG298 Accelerated Portuguese Language This course is an intensive introduction to Portuguese
language for both students who have some prior (elementary) knowledge of Portuguese language as well as
those students who have no prior experience with Portuguese but have a keen and dedicated interest in the
language. Through accelerated language study in the four modalities—speaking, listening, reading, and
writing—students will gain elementary level skills (the equivalent of two blocks in one). – 1 unit. Wood
PG 299: Accelerated Portuguese. Offers Romance language-speaking students the opportunity to study
Portuguese language at an accelerated pace. Emphasizes the development of speaking, listening, reading
and writing skills beyond the elementary level and incorporates readings and discussion on topics in
Lusophone cultures. Prerequisite: PG 101, French, Italian, or Spanish 305 or consent of instructor halfblock (not offered 2015-2016) .5 unit
PG 300: Portuguese for Spanish-speakers. This course is designed for students who are either native
speakers of Spanish or those who have studied Spanish through the intermediate level. This course will
rely upon the linguistic skills attained by Spanish-speakers to introduce grammatical structures and
vocabulary at an accelerated pace. The focus of the course will be on communication within Brazilian
Portuguese including speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Using a communicative and context-based
methodology this course will take students through the intermediate level of Portuguese and prepare them
for more advanced language study. Prerequisite: PG101, SP201, placement into SP305 or COI. 1 unit. -Wood
PG305: Cultural Context and Written Expression. Advanced composition and conversation practice
through the study of literary and cultural texts of the Portuguese-speaking world. Thematic and regional
emphases will vary by instructor and year. Prerequisite: PG300 or COI. (not offered 2015-2016) 1 unit.
PG 309: Independent Reading. This independent study is designed for students majoring in Romance
Languages and/or students completing the Luso-Brazilian Studies thematic minor. Departmental consent.
1 unit.
PG 310: Accelerated Portuguese II. Designed to build on the half-block course PG299, this course
offers Portuguese language students the opportunity to advance their language skills beyond the elementary
level. Emphasis on the development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills beyond the
elementary level. Incorporates readings and discussion on topics in Lusophone culture. Prerequisite:
PG101 and PG299 or COI.(not offered 2015-2016) .5 unit
PG 315: Afro-Brazilian Cultures in Brazil. This thematic course will be taught in northeastern Brazil
and explores the history and culture of the nation from a multidisciplinary perspective. The course focuses
on the particular configuration of race relations in Bahia and the formation of Afro-Brazilian identity and
its cultural expressions from a variety of historical and contemporary perspectives with the objective of
providing the tools for critical assessment of complex social and cultural relations. In addition to course
discussions led by the professor, students will have the opportunity to meet with local faculty and experts in
the fields of Afro-Brazilian religions, Afro-Brazilian performing arts, and Afro-Brazilian history while on
site in Salvador, Brazil. .5 units (not offered 2015-2016)
PG 316: Topics in Brazilian Culture
This course will explore Brazilian authors, genres, literary periods, cinema or cultural trends. The structure
of this course is determined by the nature or the topic and preference of instructor. This course will be
conducted in English or Portuguese, at instructor discretion. May be taught in Brazil. 1 unit (not offered
2015-2016) Prerequisite: PG 101.
PG 320 – Topics in Lusophone Culture: Study of culture, genres, art, film or literature of one or more
Portuguese-speaking countries or region. (not offered 2015-2016) 1 unit