Spanish

SPN 101 ELEMENTARY SPANISH I

1 semester, 3 credits

An introduction to the Spanish language for those students who have never studied the language. The course exposes the student to basic grammatical structures and seeks to develop the student’s oral and written expression, listening and reading comprehension, and understanding of the Hispanic culture in the different Spanish-speaking countries.

SPN 102 ELEMENTARY SPANISH II

1 semester, 3 credits

A beginning course for students with some prior knowledge of the Spanish language as determined by the Spanish placement exam. The course seeks to enhance the student’s writing and speaking skills through extensive grammar exercises and class discussion of important themes in the Hispanic world.

SPN 103 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I

1 semester, 3 credits

An intermediate course for students who have taken classes previously in the Spanish language and who achieve the appropriate score on the Spanish placement exam. The course focuses on vocabulary acquisition and extensive practice of fundamental grammar points. The students will improve their listening and speaking skills through class discussion conducted in Spanish on a variety of cultural topics and contemporary issues. Conducted in Spanish.

SPN 104 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II

1 semester, 3 credits

An intermediate course for students who have achieved an adequate level of proficiency in Spanish as determined by the Spanish placement exam. The objective of the course is the enhancement of oral and written expression through class discussions and composition assignments. The topics for discussion emphasize the many facets of Hispanic culture. Conducted in Spanish.

SPN 105 SPANISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION I

1 semester, 3 credits

This intermediate level course is specifically designed for students of business to communicate with business professionals in the Spanish-speaking world. This course will help students develop cultural competency while reinforcing their command of the Spanish language. This course is similar enough in content to SPN 103 that students are not permitted to take both concurrently or sequentially for credit.

SPN 106 SPANISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION II

1 semester, 3 credits

This intermediate language emphasizes cultural and linguistic competence in business settings in the Spanish-speaking world. By the end of the semester, students will be able to effectively communicate both orally and in writing, in a Spanish-speaking business environment. This course is similar enough in content to SPN 104 that students are not permitted to take both concurrently or sequentially for credit.

SPN 201 SPANISH COMPOSITION

1 semester, 3 credits

The aim of the course is to continue the development of reading and writing skills through the analysis and discussion of cultural and literary texts, fostering the exchange of opinions and ideas, in order to help students to improve their communication abilities. The course will also comprise a review of advanced grammatical structures, from a contrastive point of view. Conducted in Spanish.

SPN 205 SPANISH FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS

1 semester, 3 credits

This course is for students raised in a home where Spanish was spoken, students who speak or only understand Spanish, students who are to some degree bilingual in English/Spanish, and who have little or no formal training in the language. It emphasizes the enhancement of vocabulary, writing, and reading skills. Prerequisites: Place test and/or instructor consent.

SPN 210 CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH

1 semester, 3 credits

A conversation course designed to enable students to express themselves correctly and comfortably in Spanish. Class discussion of contemporary cultural, social, and political issues enhances the students’ perception of the Hispanic world. Essays, newspaper articles, and films provide the students with the vocabulary and colloquial expressions to attain fluency in the spoken language. Conducted in Spanish.

SPN 212 HISPANIC CIVILIZATION (FINE ARTS CORE)

1 semester, 3 credits

This course surveys the cultural history of Spain and Spanish America through an examination of the arts as a means of access to developing civilizations. The painting, sculpture, and architecture of Spain and Spanish America will be analyzed, not only as aesthetic expressions, but as instruments of political and philosophical expression (i.e. as cause, as much as effect, of developing civilizations). The class will cover, among others, the architecture of Medieval Spain and the art of the Spanish Golden Age, the Mexican Muralists Movement, as well as iconic modern works such as Picasso’s Guernica, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits, and Wifredo Lam’s The Jungle. Course work will include visits to RISD and other area museums and galleries. The course is designed to expand the students’ understanding of Hispanic civilization as they acquire a more in-depth knowledge of the richness and complexity of the Hispanic World as expressed through the arts. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or above.

SPN 305 THE HISPANIC SHORT STORY

1 semester, 3 credits

A course designed to introduce the basic techniques for a critical reading of fictive discourse. It will trace the Medieval origins and the development of the short story in Spain and Spanish America. Special emphasis will be placed upon the analysis of contemporary narrative forms and on the variety of reading responses invited by the various fictive styles. Conducted in Spanish.

SPN 309 HISPANIC CARIBBEAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE

1 semester, 3 credits

An introduction to the ideas, values, and cultural dynamics which shape the Hispanic Caribbean regions and its peoples. How does a country come to define itself as such? What diverse elements merge to form a national and cultural identity? We will study the Hispanic Caribbean region (Puerto Rio, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexican regions such a Tampico and Veracruz) with emphasis on their literature, music, films, and other cultural manifestations in the Spanish language. Specifically, we will examine the cultural threads of distinct identities woven together throughout history to influence the development of contemporary Hispanic Caribbean societies. This course will be conducted in Spanish with some readings in English. Prerequisite: SPN 212.

SPN 310 SPANISH PHONETICS

1 semester, 3 credits

The aim of this course is to master Spanish pronunciation through the study and practice of the segments and suprasegments of speech. In other to encourage awareness of and sensitivity to the similarities and differences between systems, the Spanish pronunciation system will be presented in contrast to the American English. The student will also have the opportunity to experience a variety of Spanish dialects and their different phonetic characteristics through the analysis and observation of materials from realia. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPN 104 or equivalent.

SPN 321 SURVEY OF SPANISH LITERATURE

1 semester, 3 credits

The course will trace the development of Spanish literature from the Middle Ages through the Twentieth Century. Representative writers together with the main tenets of literary movements will receive special emphasis. Attention will be given to the cultural and historical ambience in which each work emerges. Students will read works in prose, verse, drama, and essay. (Intensive Writing Level II Proficiency)

SPN 322 SURVEY OF SPANISH-AMERICAN LITERATURE

1 semester, 3 credits

In this course we will study and analyze representative Spanish-American literary works from the colonial period through the present day. This course will provide overview of the development of Spanish American literature via the study of some of the major writers and works from the time of the conquest through the contemporary period. (Diversity Proficiency & Intensive Writing Level II Proficiency)

SPN 325 THE HISPANIC BILDUNGSROMAN

1 semester, 3 credits

The classical Bildungsroman, or novel of formation, appeared at a specific time (Germany, 18th Century) with Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship. The typical coming-of-age work explores the development of its protagonist, usually a male, who matures through acculturation, and eventually reaches harmony with the surrounding world and society. It has been argued that the literature of development is essentially dead in a postmodern world that questions the notion of a coherent self. Nevertheless, the plethora of works that follow Goethe’s narrative model, such as the female Bildungsroman and the Caribbean Bildungsroman, suggest that the genre is not dead but very much alive. The course will focus on narrative fiction throughout the Hispanic world in an attempt to come to a deeper understanding of literature of formation. Emphasis will be given to the ways these texts negotiate the development of the protagonist. Students will frequently read articles on literary criticism, and are strongly encouraged to use the Phillips Memorial Library on a regular basis. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322.

SPN 326 THE POETIC AND DRAMATIC WORLD OF FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA

1 semester, 3 credits

Federico García Lorca is one of the most widely read Spanish poets and playwrights, and his untimely death in 1936 at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil war further contributed to his fame. Despite the fact that the Franco Regime prohibited Lorca’s writings, his work lives on and enjoys international recognition. This course will study the dramatic and poetic production of the Andalusian writer. Topics to be discussed, among others, will include Lorca’s role within the Spanish avant-garde, the relationship between his work and literary tradition (Golden Age) and the conflict between reason and passion so prevalent in his writings. Works to be read include his rural trilogy (Bodas de sangre, Yerma and La casa de Bernarda Alba), Doña Rosita la soltera, Mariana Pineda, Romancero gitano, Poema del cante jondo and Poeta en Nueva York. Prerequisites: SPN 201, 210, 321 and 322.

SPN 370 SPECIAL TOPIC IN HISPANIC STUDIES

1 semester, 3 credits

This course will provide students the opportunity for in-depth study of a particular topic not treated in existing course offerings. Topics will vary and may be drawn from current issues, events, debates, or from other related areas of interest to students of the discipline. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Successful completion of at least two SPN courses at the 200-level or above.

SPN 401 SPANISH LITERATURE OF THE GOLDEN AGE: THE RENAISSANCE

1 semester, 3 credits

The focus of the course is placed on the Renaissance outlook in Golden Age Spain as reflected in the literary genres of the chivalric romance, the picaresque and patoral novels, and the poetry of the mystic and lyric traditions. Major selections from Cervantes’ Don Quijote and his short novels, the novelas ejemplares, will be read and analyzed from the perspective of the socio-political and theological debates of the 16th century. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322.

SPN 402 SPANISH LITERATURE OF THE GOLDEN AGE: 17TH CENTURY SPAIN ON THE STAGE

1 semester, 3 credits

Concentrating on playwrights such as Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, and Calderón, this course explores the historical and cultural conditions underlying Spanish theatre of the 17th century. Designed to please a paying as well as a courtly audience, Spanish drama shaped a collective identity while projecting conflicts between desire and conformity. The analysis of the plays will focus on issues of gender, identity, global expansion, scientific discovery, and the tensions of a multicultural society. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322.

SPN 403 THE SPANISH NOVEL OF THE 19TH CENTURY

1 semester, 3 credits

A critical study of the literary movements of costumbrismo, realismo, and naturalismo. Special attention will be given to the novels of Alarcón, Clarín, Galdós, Pardo Bazán, and Valera. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322.

SPN 405 CONTEMPORARY HISPANIC POETRY

1 semester, 3 credits

A study of the poetics of the avant-garde in Spain and Spanish America. Emphasis will be placed on the various strategies by which the poets reconcile their modernist interest in aesthetic form and their traditional preoccupation with history. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322.

SPN 406 CONTEMPORARY SPANISH PROSE

1 semester, 3 credits

An approach to post-war narrative in Spain, with emphasis on the techniques of the “novel,” particularly its relationship to European and Latin-American novel models. Authors include Cela, Fernández Cubas, Juan Goytisolo, Laforet, Llamazares, and others. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322.

SPN 407 TWENTIETH-CENTURY SPANISH DRAMA

1 semester, 3 credits

This course examines the main dramatic tendencies in 20th-century Spain. Attention will be devoted to key theatrical development within the context of philosophical (Existentialism), social (Neorealism), and aesthetic (Theatre of the Absurd, Postmodernism) tendencies underlying much of Western thought during the 20th century. Arrabal, Buero Vallejo, Gala, Lorca, Sastre, and Valle-Inclán are among the authors included. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322.

SPN 408 CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICAN NOVEL

1 semester, 3 credits

In the latter half of the 20th-century, Latin America underwent a series of important social, political, and cultural changes such as the Cuban and Nicaraguan Revolutions, the Military Dictatorships of Argentina and Chile, the Human Rights struggles of the indigenous populations, and the consequences of privatization and globalization, among others. At the same time, the literature of the region experienced what has become known as the Boom (1950 – 1970), and subsequently the Post- Boom (1968- ) of Spanish-American Literature. This course provides for an in-depth study of the characteristics of the Boom and Post-Boom and also considers the socio-cultural contexts of the respective periods. Representative works may include: Alejo Carpentier’s Los pasos perdidos (1954), Gabriel García Márquez’s Cien años de soledad (1967), Elena Poniatowska’s Hasta no verte, Jesús mío (1969), and Manuel Puig’s El beso de la mujer araña (1976). Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 321 and 322. Conducted in Spanish.

SPN 410 SPANISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS (SOCIAL SCIENCE CORE)

1 semester, 3 credits

An analytical study of the Spanish language and the difficulties that English-speaking learners often encounter. This course will introduce students to the filed of applied linguistics and prepare them to conduct research on the foreign language acquisition process. The course also seeks to foster an exchange of ideas through the discussion of current publications related to the topics presented in class. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPN 201, 210, and at least one 300-level course or above.

SPN 417 SPANISH-AMERICAN LITERATURE

1 semester, 3 credits

This course critically examines themes, topics, and authors not otherwise covered in traditional genre or period courses. As such, this course will primarily focus on drama, poetry, and the essay, as well as women writers, afro-Hispanic and indigenous literature, and other underrepresented groups. Readings for this course vary from term to term but examples of themes or topics may include: Satirical Women, Theater and Identity, and The Political Essay. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: spn 321 and 322.

SPN 418 SPANISH-AMERICAN NOVEL

1 semester, 3 credits

From the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th-century, Latin America has experienced a rich trajectory of the novel—from the satirical works of the colonial period, to the re-evaluation of the past during the Romantic period, to a hard look at the present in the Realist novel. This course studies the development of the Spanish American Novel from its inception through 1950 while also focusing on issues of colonization, political, economic, and cultural independence, identity, gender, and race. Representative texts may include Alonso Carrió de la Vandera’s El lazarillo de ciegos caminantes (1773), Fernández de Lizardi’s El Periquillo Sarniento (1816), Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda’s Sab (1841), Rómulo Gallegos’ Doña Bárbara (1929), Alejo Carpentier’s El reino de este mundo (1949). Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisites: spn 321 and 322.

SPN 450 INTERNSHIP IN HISPANIC STUDIES

1 semester, 3 credits

This course offers majors at the advanced level the opportunity to apply and deepen their knowledge of the major language/culture in a meaningful way outside the classroom. Students interested in an internship must finalize the details of their placement and obtain approval both from the faculty member who will serve as their internship advisor and from the department chairperson PRIOR to registering for this course. Interns sign the departmental and college internship contracts and, in addition to the minimum ten hours per week devoted to supervised on-site responsibilities, meet regularly with the faculty internship advisor to discuss the ongoing process of the scholarly project that will emerge from the internship experience. At the conclusion of the internship, interns will submit the following in the target language: a written journal documenting and reflecting upon their weekly internship experiences, and a scholarly project submitted in writing to the internship advisor and presented orally to the department faculty.

SPN 490 INDEPENDENT STUDY

1 semester, 3 credits

Readings or research in selected areas of language or literature directed by a member of the department. Topic will be arranged in consultation with the instructor. Approval of the department chairperson is required.