Dr. Will Derusha
Spring 2015
SPAN 3110.001: Introduction to Hispanic Literature
MW 2:00-3:20 LANG 212
SYLLABUS
DESCRIPTION
Literary terminology, analysis of text, and differences among the genres. Readings include writings from a wide variety of Hispanic authors (both traditional
and contemporary, from Spain and Latin America). 3 credit hours. Prerequisite: SPAN 3090 or
equivalent plus 3 hours from any SPAN 3000/4000 level course.
READING INTENSIVE!
READING INTENSIVE!
READING INTENSIVE!
Each student is responsible for reading, understanding, and following this syllabus.
Spanish is the language of instruction and interaction in this course. We will explore the material
through lecture, discussion, oral presentations, and group activities.
Students are required to treat one another and the professor with utmost courtesy and to refrain from
rude and vulgar language, including on clothing. Anyone encountering problems in this course is urged
to speak with the professor as soon as possible.
Students may not bring cell phones, laptops, or similar devices for any reason unless switched off and
left on the front desk at the start of class. Disrupting class is a serious infraction. Students who do not
switch off and leave their electronic devices on the front desk, who attend to other business (including
homework for other classes), or who read or send text messages will be dropped. All cell phones will
be collected at the start of class.
All electronic devices and book bags are collected before exams. If you worry about losing your stuff,
please do not bring it to class.
Please note that Students must hand in all work on time and all assignments must be handed in at the
start of class and in person.
CONTACT
Office Hours: MW 1200-100 and by appointment.
Office: LANG 403-K
OBJECTIVES
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TEXT
Telephone: 940-565-2404 Email: will.derusha@unt.edu
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
Identify and explain important literary names, works, terms, and contexts from Spain
and Latin America across the centuries.
Demonstrate the ability to comprehend and analyze literary texts in Spanish.
Demonstrate informed aesthetic response to, critical thinking about, and knowledge of
literary traditions in Spanish to an extent appropriate to the third year.
Locate and evaluate materials necessary to carry out research at this level.
Virgillo, et al. Aproximaciones al estudio de la literatura hispánica. McGraw-Hill,
2012. 7th edition. ISBN: 978-0-351315-7
Students receive handouts as needed. In addition to required readings, the use of a high-quality dictionary and thesaurus is indispensable. The library offers ample Spanish-English and Spanish-Spanish dictionaries and grammars. The Internet has many valuable online resources. Online dictionaries should
be used only as a quick reference tool. Look up words. Learn words. Students must write and speak
Derusha: SPAN 3110 Syllabus
well in this course, and vocabulary and grammar contribute to the grade. They should make every attempt to expand their vocabulary.
The UNT library links to many databases with full-text articles from scholarly journals, and you should
avail yourself of this rich resource rather than plunge blindly into a Google search of dubious value. Except for scholarly database articles, you may not depend on Internet sources in your research. For written work the use of Spell Check and Grammar Check programs, in addition to full-size dictionaries, is
obligatory. Students must follow MLA format in all written work.
All graded assignments must be complete, free of errors, the student’s own work, and done according
to guidelines. Assignments of more than 1 page must be stapled.
STAPLE!
STAPLE!
STAPLE!
STAPLE!
STAPLE!
The final research-analytical paper must be uploaded through Turnitin, in Blackboard. We will work on
the final paper all semester. Students should meet with the professor to discuss the work before handing it in. A hard copy, as well as all ancillary materials (photocopies, etc.), must be brought to class on
the date due in a clearly marked and esthetically pleasing folder. Use one side of the paper ONLY. Papers must be stapled. Students are responsible for the professional appearance of all their work.
“The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation
(ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation
letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course.
You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must
obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member
prior to implementation in each class. Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of reasonable
accommodation during faculty office hours or by appointment. Faculty members have the authority to
ask students to discuss such letters during their designated office hours to protect the privacy of the student. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at
http://www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.”
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or with other students’
opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum
at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether
the student’s conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university’s expectations for student
conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion
groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr
Attendance
There is no penalty for absences and so no need of excused or unexcused absences. Do not be fooled,
however. Each day students attend class, they earn up to 10 points in participation. Therefore students earn no point (0) for any absence, whatever the reason; a student arriving late or leaving early
earns only 5 points at most. Students who leave for bathroom breaks, feeding a meter, etc., will earn
only 2 points at most. If you arrive late, take the seat closest to the door. If you will arrive more than
10 minutes late, turn around and go do something else with your time. Do not disrupt the class by coming in more than 10 minutes late and making the professor ask you to leave. Be professional.
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Derusha: SPAN 3110 Syllabus
If for any reason the professor does not show up within the first 10 minutes, please circulate a paper
with attending students’ names clearly printed and clearly signed. One student should be responsible
for circulating the paper and handing it in at the Main Office, LANG 101 on the way out. Those in attendance will receive full credit, provided the paper is handed in and time stamped before 2:20.
Please note that there will be no class on Wednesday, March 25.
GRADING
The final grade is based on the following percentages:
10 %
Students must actively participate in every class and clearly demonstrate by such participation that they have adequately prepared all material including vocabulary. Students earn nothing for absences or lackluster participation. Short homework and research assignments will be given. In any group work a collective grade is given to all
who participate.
10 %
There is a final formal presentation* at the end of the semester on the same text on
which they write their investigation/analysis paper. Grade will be based on the quality
of information and investigation, analysis and comprehension, fluency of expression,
pronunciation and enunciation, grammar, and mastery of pertinent vocabulary. Students are not allowed to memorize or read from a prepared script. At the start of class
they will distribute a handout of key information in outline form. At the end of the
presentation they will respond to questions and comments from the class. Students
who do not present at the assigned time will receive a zero.
30 %
There will be two exams (15% each). No make-ups or early exams are allowed.
20 %
There will be a cumulative final exam. No make-ups or early exams are allowed. Students with three or more exams scheduled on the same day may be allowed to take
the exam on a later date only with written permission from the Dean.
30 %
Students will write one investigation/analysis paper* (3 or more pages) on the same
text on which they give their final oral presentation. Research in the library is a requirement of this course. A minimum of 3 academic sources must be used and cited.
Each step in the process will be graded. The final paper must conform to all guidelines
and include an obras citadas page of all sources cited in MLA format. Spelling and
grammar count, as well as depth of content and command of information. Take great
care with spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as formatting. These must be
professional papers or the professor will simply stop reading and assign a zero.
Grade scale
A
100-90
B
89-80
C
79-70
D
69-60
F
59-0
*Choosing a text for the final paper
Students may read one of the texts in Aproximaciones that does not appear on the syllabus. In consultation with the professor, other short works may be acceptable if originally written in Spanish. Please
note that if students read or have read a certain work for another course, it may NOT be used in this
course also. Once a student chooses to make a presentation on a certain text, no other student may
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Derusha: SPAN 3110 Syllabus
use it. Students who do not choose a work by February 18 will receive a zero on this assignment and
will accordingly fail the course, as the presentation and written paper add up to 40% of the final grade.
Be absolutely sure to check out the text before you commit to it. After February 18 no changes are
possible.
PROVISIONAL CALENDAR
WEEK 1 JANUARY 23
WED
Introducción al curso. ¿Qué es la literatura? Los géneros literarios. ¿Cómo narrar?
Arco narrativo. Elementos de la narrativa. El cuento: Guía general para el lector. Tarea para hoy: Aproximaciones [AP], 2-19, 41, 76-77. «El paraíso imperfecto». «La
rana que quería ser una rana auténtica». Blackboard: «Crueldad de Cervantes».
WEEK 2 JANUARY 26, 28
MON
AP 73-74. «El hombre que aprendió a ladrar». «El otro yo».
WED
AP 46-50. «La camisa de Margarita».
WEEK 3 FEBRUARY 2, 4
MON
AP 50-53. «Las medias rojas».
WED
Blackboard: «Génesis». «Apocalipsis».
WEEK 4 FEBRUARY 9, 11
MON
AP 79-83. «Pecado de omisión».
WED
Blackboard: «El árbol de oro».
WEEK 5 FEBRUARY 16, 18
MON
La novela: Guía para el lector. AP 41, 110-117 (línea 258). San Manuel Bueno, mártir.
WED
AP 41, 117-124 (línea 529). Entregar el título, el autor y la fotocopia del texto para
presentar y analizar a fines del curso. Consúltense las normas en Blackboard.
WEEK 6 FEBRUARY 23, 25
MON
AP 41, 124-135. El Cuestionario y las identificaciones (134-135). Repaso.
WED
Examen 1.
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Derusha: SPAN 3110 Syllabus
WEEK 7 MARCH 2, 4
MON
La poesía: Guía para el lector. AP 138-145, 200-201. «Si ves un monte de espumas».
Blackboard: Versos sencillos.
WED
Cuatro sonetos. AP 176-178. (1) «Soneto XXIII».
WEEK 8 MARCH 9, 11
MON
Cuatro sonetos. AP 184-185, 190-191. (2) «Soneto CLXVI». (3) «A su retrato».
WED
Cuatro sonetos. Blackboard: (4) «Los fusilamientos de Moncloa». Entregar la tesis
del trabajo final.
WEEK 9 MARCH 16-20
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASSES
WEEK 10 MARCH 23, 25
MON
AP 198-200. «Rima XI». «Rima LIII».
WED
NO HAY CLASE.
WEEK 11 MARCH 30, APRIL 1
MON
Tres romances. AP 174-175, 211-212, 223-224. «El enamorado y la muerte». «Proverbios y cantares XXIX». «Canción del jinete».
WED
Examen 2. Entregar el primer párrafo y la bibliografía provisional del trabajo final.
WEEK 12 APRIL 6, 8
MON
AP 290-291, 335-347. La casa de Bernarda Alba. Acto 1.
WED
AP 348-360. La casa de Bernarda Alba. Acto 2.
WEEK 13 APRIL 13, 15
MON
AP 360-371. La casa de Bernarda Alba. Acto 3.
WED
Consultar con el profesor sobre el trabajo final.
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Derusha: SPAN 3110 Syllabus
WEEK 14 APRIL 20, 22
MON
Presentación.
WED
Presentación.
WEEK 15 APRIL 27, 29
MON
Presentación.
WED
Presentación.
WEEK 16 MAY 4, 5
MON
Últimas presentaciones, si son necesarias. Subir el escrito analítico al Turnitin. Entregar la copia dura, junto con la documentación, en clase.
WED
Últimas consideraciones. Repaso.
WEEK 17 MAY 11
MON
Examen final, 1:30-3:30.
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