COURSE INFORMATION

[Spanish]

[100 level:  language and culture]
[200 level:  conversation, culture and civilization, literature, spring abroad]
[300 level:  upper-level literature]
[400 level:  independent study, honors thesis]

[Women's and Gender Studies Introductory Course]

[Latin American and Caribbean Studies]
 

Spanish:

 

Spanish 111, 
112 (1999)

First -year Spanish.  Introduction to vocabulary and grammar with emphasis on the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and on cultural knowledge. Class is taught in Spanish and students are expected to communicate solely in the target language.  Activities include much group work, Internet research, lab exercises, etc.

Spanish 161, 162

Second-year Spanish.  Further development of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural skills.  A great variety of activities include grammatical focus through conversation, listening exercises in class and lab, viewing of an educational Spanish soap opera and subsequent discussion in class, Web exercises, and extensive concentration on reading and writing with emphasis on original texts written in Spanish.

Spanish 164

Advanced Intermediate Spanish.  Further development of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural skills.  A great variety of activities include grammatical focus through conversation, listening exercises in class and lab, viewing of short films in Spanish and subsequent discussion in class, Web exercises, and concentration on reading and writing with emphasis on original texts written in Spanish.

Spanish 192, 292 (Community-Based Learning)

Spanish 192 (1)—Practical Applications of the Spanish Language

Prerequisite:  100-level Spanish course or the equivalent and permission of the instructor.  Introduction to specialized professional vocabularies.  Participants apply the learning through service work in the Rockbridge community for at least one hour per week.  May be repeated with instructor’s permission for a maximum of two credits toward degree requirements. Staff.  Fall, Winter

 

Spanish 292 (2)—Tutorial in Foreign Language Teaching, Translation, and Interpretation

Prerequisite:  Spanish 162 or 164 or equivalent and permission of the instructor.  Preparation for and participation in teaching, translation, and interpretation in the Rockbridge community.  Participants oversee teacher training workshops, complete formal translations, and execute live interpretations in the area.  The service-learning component requires at least two hours per week in the community.  May be repeated with instructor’s permission for a maximum of four credits toward degree requirements.    Staff.  Fall, Winter

Spanish 202

Supervised Study Abroad.  See the Romance Languages Study Abroad page.

Spanish 204

Advanced Intermediate Conversational Skills in Spanish.  Students will meet every day for extensive conversation in order to develop aural and oral skills and to enhance cultural sensitivity.  Class time will be devoted purely to speaking, in small groups and as a class, while assignments will require application of all language skills.  In 2018, there will be special emphasis on service learning, as each student will work two hours a week using her or his Spanish in different community sectors of Rockbridge County.  In addition, some class discussions will treat the themes of the students' service experiences and of issues and current events of Latinxs in the U.S.

Spanish 204 y 295 (2002)

Conversational Skills in Spanish with Emphasis on Hispanic Cinema. This course addresses departmental need by structuring itself in two tiers:   intermediate and and advanced.  The two groups will work together three days a week to develop conversational skills and cultural knowledge by discussing a selection of films.  The two groups will meet as separate entities the other two days of the week in order to address specific skills pertinent to the level.  Class time is devoted purely to speaking, in small groups and as a class, while assignments require application of all language skills.  Weekly one-hour arranged conversation session is required as part of the course.

Spanish 220

Survey of Spanish Literature.  Study of the development of Spanish literature from the Middle Ages to the present day.  Students will study the principal literary, cultural, and political movements through the careful reading of representative works of prose, poetry, and theater. 

Spanish 240

Survey of Spanish-American Literature.  Study of the development of Spanish-American literature from the chronicles of the conquest and colonization of America through the present day.  Students will examine principal literary, cultural, and political movements through the careful reading of representative works of prose, poetry, and theater.

Spanish 211

Spanish Culture and Civilization. Extensive study of Spanish culture and civilization from the Middle Ages through the present day using a broad variety of communicative media (traditional and electronic texts; videos; oral reports; research paper; electronic forum).  Heavy emphasis on active and intelligent participation both in and out of the traditional classroom. 

Spanish 275

Introduction to Literary Analysis.  Extensive study of literary texts of prose, poetry, and drama.  Students are taught how to approach a text and how to compose textual commentaries.  Emphasis is on reading, reflection, communication, and composition.

Spanish 295

Advanced Spanish Conversation: Hispanic Cinema.  Students will attend 6 hours a week of class in the spring term in order to view and discuss in depth a large variety of films from the Spanish-speaking world.  During the six weeks, students will view 18-20 films.  Students will be expected to view several films a week outside of class and will subsequently research and report on those particular films.

Spanish 326

The Spanish Novel, 1897-2002.  Careful reading of four novels that span a century of the development of the Spanish novel from Realism in the late nineteenth century, to an example of Unamuno's existentialist prose, to "tremendismo" in the immediate post-War novel, and finally to examples of the early and contemporary post-Franco novels.  All reading and class discussion will be in Spanish.  Students will be expected to give individual and group presentations in class.  Secondary readings will also be required for each of the novels read in class.

Spanish 392

SPAN 392 (3) – Spanish Language Theory and Practice - topical description -  Prerequisite: SPAN 275.   A topics course that approaches language study through theories of language use and meaning, as well as their practical application through extensive writing exercises.  Topics may include translation theory, analysis of theoretical approaches to language study, and advanced grammar.  Staff

 

For Fall, 2018:

“Living in Translation,” Fieldwork in Advanced Grammar and Translation:  An advanced Spanish seminar devoted to the reinforcement of Spanish grammar and the analysis of theoretical themes surrounding Spanish grammar and translation.  Students complete a review and analysis of complicated Spanish grammar points.  They apply this knowledge to grammar exercises, advanced composition and translation, oral presentation, and service-learning in the community.  Special thematic attention paid to Spanish speakers in the United States.   Prerequisite:  SPAN 275.     

Spanish 392

SPAN 392 (3) – Spanish Language Theory and Practice - topical description -  Prerequisite: SPAN 275 or permission of the instructor.   A topics course that approaches language study through theories of language use and meaning, as well as their practical application through extensive writing exercises.  Topics may include translation theory, analysis of theoretical approaches to language study, and advanced grammar.  Staff

 

For Winter, 2014:

Escritura creativa en español.  This course is designed to improve students’ abilities to analyze the craft of writing and to practice the craft in several genres (short story, poetry, drama) in the Spanish language.  Using the close reading of great works of Hispanic literature in these genres, students will learn to translate literary text and to create literature of their own.  Requirements include literary translations, an annotated anthology of creative works from our reading, a final portfolio of the students’ creative works, active classroom/workshop participation, and attendance at a reading by a creative writer. 

Spanish 395-04

(Fall, 1998 and 2004)  A seminar focusing on the development of the female protagonist in 20th century Spanish literature.  A multi-generic approach that considers the changing role of the female protagonist as depicted in works of theater, poetry, essay, and narrative.  Through the close reading of plays, novels, and short stories, and the evaluation of critical essays, the following structural and thematic questions are studied:  how does the female protagonist absorb and reflect the culture of which she is inherently a part; how are culture and gender intertwined and how do they manifest themselves in the selected works; what specific elements of Iberian feminism are noticeably missing or are craftily incorporated into these works as a whole; what are the fundamental differences between the theatrical and prose portrayals of the protagonist.

Spanish 395-01

(Winter, 2001)  A seminar focusing on images of the Other in Catalan novels  (written in Castilian) of the late 1960's and early '70's.  The course will begin with a consideration of theories of the Other in life and literature and, specifically, in the Catalonia of the late '60's.  Students will then read Unamuno's dramatic work El Otro in preparation for analysis of alterity in novels by Juan Marsé (economy and social classes), Juan Goytisolo (culture), and Ana María Moix (psyche).

Spanish 396-02

(Winter, 2002):  A seminar focusing on Mexican and Mexican-American women writers.  Students will examine the role of women writers in the development of Mexican and Mexican-American literary history.  The course includes readings from  Mexican women writers from Sor Juana to the present day, with an emphasis on textual and cultural analysis by means of sophisticated readings, class discussion, individual presentations, exams, and papers.  Readings will encompass all genres:  poetry; short story; drama; novel; essay. The class will also welcome León Guillermo Gutiérrez, a visiting lecturer from Mexico City who has written copiously on Mexican literary and cultural history and has contributed to that same history as a creative writer. 

Spanish 397-19

(Fall, 2019):  Representaciones de la Guerra Civil Española

This seminar examines the fundamental importance of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) in literary and visual texts of the Franco and contemporary periods of Spain. Through readings of these literary and visual texts, we will come to understand the evolution of often conflicting histories, ideologies, obsessions, and artistic notions surrounding the war itself and its consequences. After a review of the events leading up to the Spanish Civil War and of the prelude to the Second World War, we will observe how the themes and issues of the war manifest in fiction, poetry, film, and other visual texts. We will pay particular attention to the Franco regime, the pact of silence, and the desire to uncover the past in myriad ways. Literature includes works by Federico García Lorca, Jaime Gil de Biedma, Carmen Laforet, Alberto Méndez, and Mercè Rodoreda. Visual texts include posters, newspapers, letters, government documents, documentaries, fictional films, and NO-DO reels from the Franco era.

Spanish 403

Independent Study.  Guidance and supervision given to upper-level students who propose and have approved topics for independent study.  Topics have included "Retratos familiares:  La familia española de la pre- y postguerra," "Despertares:  Diario fotográfico y literario sobre las épocas de 'despertares' de España," “Retratos de la pobreza en la narrativa española,” and “La violencia de género en la literatura y el cine de Latinoamérica.”

 

 

Women's and Gender Studies:

WGS 120 

(Spring, 2005, Winter, 2006, and Fall, 2010): 

According to the Catalog, "This course illustrates the rationale and necessity of women studies and women issues, presents a plurality of feminist perspectives in a dialogic manner, and broadens the views and knowledge of students with regard to various theories that have developed over the past several decades in the area of feminist thought.  Furthermore, the course familiarizes students with some major achievements by women thinkers, artists, performers, writers, scientists, and scholars and the contributions that these achievements have made to knowledge and to our lives in general.  The course is interdisciplinary in approach and methodology, and draws ideas and theories from the various disciplines and areas of artistic and intellectual expression, with a view to present a rich and complex understanding of the issues concerning women and feminism, as well as of the important roles that women have played throughout history, in shaping our world."

 

 

Latin American and Caribbean Studies:

 

LACS 101

(Fall, 2012)

A multi-disciplinary, introductory course designed to familiarize students with the pertinent issues that determine or affect the concept of identity in Latin American and Caribbean societies through a study of their geography, history, politics, economics, literature, and culture.

This course counts as a FDR in the HU category.

This course fulfills the introductory requirement for the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Minor. For completion of the Minor, students must complete 15 additional hours with at least one course distributed among the Humanities, Literature, and Social/Natural Sciences listings (see website for related courses), followed by a senior capstone course.

LACS 195

(Spring, 2008)

LACS 195 Special topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies -- Prerequisites: none.  A topical seminar that focuses on an interdisciplinary examination of a singular theme relevant to the overall understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean region, such as Hispanic Feminisms, the Indigenous Americas, or Shifting Borders, among others.  As an introductory seminar, topics are selected with the purpose in mind to present the student with a broad, regional view within the scope of a restricted focus or medium.

Course Description for Spring, 2008:  Hispanic Feminisms:  This seminar is designed to explore the development of feminist movements and theories in Spain, Latin America, and the United States.   In order to understand the intersections between and among gender, race, and class in the “ Hispanic” world, students will examine key concepts such as theories of feminism, borders, heteronormativity, and mestizaje and apply them to select fiction, non-fiction, and filmic texts.

LACS 396

LAC 396 (3) - Capstone Seminar in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Prerequisites:  Completion of all other program requirements, junior or senior standing, or permission of the instructor.  This capstone course builds upon the foundations developed in LACS 101 and related coursework in the distribution areas.  Students discuss assigned readings centered on a key theme or themes of Latin American Studies in connection with an individualized research project.  This project is carried under the supervision of a faculty member and in collaboration with peers in the capstone course.  Each student presents her or his findings in a formal paper, or other approved end-product, and summarizes the results in an oral presentation. The theme for 2019 is “Gender and Sexuality in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

 

LACS 421

(1-credit independent study with 3 students; Winter, 2013):  Medicine, Healing, and Medical Interpretation in Guatemala (taught in Spanish)

 

Send questions or comments to Ellen Mayock.
Page last modified on 8/26/19.