Fall 2009 Undergraduate Courses in Spanish

Spanish 110
Elementary Spanish I
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): A score below 380 on the SAT II or below 285 on the online placement examination.

Spanish 110 is a first-semester elementary language course designed for students who have not previously studied Spanish. This course emphasizes the development of foundational reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will participate in pair, small-group and whole-class activities that focus on meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language.

Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement in Spanish may not take basic level language courses (110-145) in the same language. Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.

Spanish 112
Elementary Spanish I and II: Accelerated
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))
Permission needed from department

Prerequisite(s): Permit required from the course coordinator.

Spanish 112 is an intensive course designed for students who have already satisfied the language requirement in another language and have not previously studied Spanish. By combining the curriculum of Spanish 110 and 120, Spanish 112 seeks to develop students' reading, writing, listening and speaking abilities while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will participate in pair, small-group and whole-class activities that focus on meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language.

Spanish 115
Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary I
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): A score below 380 on the SAT II or below 285 on the online placement examination.

Offered through the Penn Language Center, Spanish 115 is a first-semester elementary medical Spanish language course and the first in the Spanish for the Medical Professions sequence. It is designed for students with no prior coursework in Spanish. This course teaches beginning students the fundamentals of practical Spanish with an emphasis on medical situations and basic medical terminology. In this course, particular attention will be given to developing speaking and listening skills, as well as cultural awareness. It incorporates activities, vocabulary, and readings of particular interest to healthcare practitioners, while adhering to the goals and scope of Spanish 110, the first-semester Spanish language course. Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Students who have completed SPANISH 110 or any SPANISH course above that level may not take SPANISH 115. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level, and therefore students will not receive credit for SPANISH 115.

Spanish 121
Elementary Spanish I and II: Advanced Beginners
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): A score of 380-440 on the SAT II or 285-383 on the online placement examination.

Spanish 121 is designed for students who have some prior experience in Spanish. This course provides a quick-paced review of material normally covered in a first-semester Spanish course and then proceeds to introduce new material so students will be prepared to take Spanish 130 during the subsequent semester. As in other Spanish courses, Spanish 121 emphasizes the development of foundational reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will participate in pair, small-group and whole-class activities that focus on meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language.

Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Spanish 130
Intermediate Spanish I
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 112, 120, 121 or 125 or a score of 450-540 on the SAT II or 384-453 on the online placement examination.

Spanish 130 is a first-semester intermediate-level language course that emphasizes the development of the four basic skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking skills) within a culturally based context. Class time will focus on communicative activities that combine grammatical concepts, relevant vocabulary, and cultural themes. Students will participate in pair, small-group and whole-class activities to practice linguistics skills in meaningful contexts. Major course goals include: the acquisition of intermediate-level vocabulary, the controlled use of the past tense, and the development of writing skills at a paragraph level with transitions.

Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Spanish 135
Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate I
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 112, 120, 121 or 125 or a score of 450-540 on the SAT II or 384-453 on the online placement examination.

Offered through the Penn Language Center, Spanish 135 is a first-semester intermediate-level medical Spanish language course that emphasizes the development of the four basic skills, reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and the acquisition of medical terminology. Students will be expected to participate in classroom activities such as role-plays based on typical office and emergency procedures in order to develop meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language. Students will also review and acquire forms and structures useful both inside and outside the medical field.

Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Students who have completed SPANISH 130 or any SPANISH course above that level may not take SPANISH 135. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level, and therefore students will not receive credit for SPANISH 135.

Spanish 140
Intermediate Spanish II
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 130 or 135 or a score of 550-640 on the SAT II or 454-546 on the online placement examination.

Spanish 140, the continuation of Spanish 130, is a fourth-semester language course that offers students the opportunity to acquire communicative skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) while developing their awareness and appreciation of the Spanish-speaking world. Topics studied may include the environment, the arts, social relations, and conflict and violence.

Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Spanish 145
Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate II
Staff (See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 130 or 135 or a score of 550-640 on the SAT II or 454-546 on the online placement examination.

Offered through the Penn Language Center as the continuation of Spanish 135, Spanish 145 is a second-semester intermediate-level medical Spanish language course. See the description of Spanish 135. This course satisfies the language requirement in Spanish.

Students who have previously studied Spanish must take the online placement examination.

Students who have completed SPANISH 140 or any SPANISH course above that level may not take SPANISH 145. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level, and therefore students will not receive credit for SPANISH 145.

Spanish 180
Spanish Conversation
Staff

La casa hispanica residents only.

Spanish 202
Advanced Spanish
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or equivalent.

The purpose of this course is twofold: (a) to develop students' communicative abilities in Spanish, that is, speaking, listening, reading and writing, and (b) to increase their awareness and understanding of Hispanic cultures and societies. Homework and classroom activities are designed to help students build their oral proficiency, expand and perfect their knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures, improve their reading and writing skills, and develop their critical thinking abilities. The material for this class includes short stories, newspaper articles, poems, songs, cartoons, video clips and a novel, such as César Aira's La villa. At the completion of this course students will feel confident discussing and debating a variety of contemporary issues (cultural and religious practices, family relationships, gender stereotypes, political events, immigration to the USA, etc.).

Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.

Spanish 208
Business Spanish I
Prof. Lebaudy
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or equivalent.

Spanish for Business I provides advanced-level language students with technical vocabulary and communicative skills covering business concepts as they apply to the corporate dynamics of the Spanish-speaking world, with a special emphasis on Latin America. Through readings, presentations, discussions, and video materials, we shall analyze those cultural aspects that characterize the business environment in the region as well as focus on economies and markets in light of their history, politics, resources and pressing international concerns.

Any questions about placement should be directed to the directors of the Spanish language program.

Spanish 209
Business Spanish II
Prof. Lebaudy
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Permission from the instructor.

Business Spanish II, Advanced Spanish for Business, is specifically designed for advanced speakers of Spanish (e.g., native speakers, fluent heritage speakers, students who have studied in a Spanish-speaking country for at least one semester, and those who have attained an equivalent level of linguistic competency in Spanish). Students will take an in-depth look at the corporate dynamics of a number of countries in Latin America, focusing on their economies and markets, as well as on the cultural and business protocols of each region. Through the creation of an entrepreneurial project and the writing of a business plan, students will enhance their business and language skills.

Though SPAN 209 is called Business Spanish II, SPAN208 is not a prerequisite.

Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.

Spanish 212
Advanced Spanish Grammar
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or equivalent.

Spanish 212 is an advanced grammar course that emphasizes the acquisition of a solid knowledge of those major points of Spanish grammar. Through discussion and correction of assigned exercises, analysis of authentic readings, and contrastive study of Spanish and English syntax and lexicon, students will develop an awareness of the norms of standard Spanish with the aim of incorporating these features into their own oral and written linguistic production.

Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.

Spanish 215
Spanish for the Professions I
Prof. Carlo
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or equivalent.

Spanish for the Professions is designed to provide advanced-level language students with a wide-ranging technical vocabulary and the enhancement of solid communicative skills within the cultural context of several developing Latin American countries. Focusing on topics such as politics, economy, society, health, environment, education, science and technology, the class will explore the realities and underlying challenges facing Latin America. Through essays, papers, articles, research, discussions, case studies, and videotapes, we shall take an in-depth look at the dynamics of Latin American societies. The course will focus on--but not be restricted to-- Mexico, Cuba and Argentina.

Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.

Spanish 219
Texts and Contexts
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 212.

The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts of the Spanish-speaking world. At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through reading, oral presentations, video viewing, and regular writing assignments. The course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work.

Spanish 225-301
Spain and the European Union
Prof. Barra
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 212.

This course provides a comprehensive view of Europe and its institutions. Both the integration process and treaties signed by its member states in the last 50 years will be reviewed in order to understand the current European Union.

Europe is a unique global concept and the role of Spain within this supranational organism will be analyzed from different perspectives. From an economic perspective, the main topics in this course will focus on the creation of a Single Market together with the development of the Economic and Monetary Union and its effects on the Spanish economy. Essential features of European policies (agriculture, environmental, social, employment) will also be subject to analysis.

Additionally, international relations play an outstanding role within the European scenario. Relations with neighbor states or Middle East countries have become a priority now. All these matters will be also evaluated from Spain’s point of view. Its performance as a perfect actor for negotiations Europe/South America and Europe/Arab countries has been remarkable.

New challenges have appeared lately. The European Union must reflect on its philosophy: enlargement or a deeper community? What is the expected future? All these issues will be discussed in this course as well as the new role of Spain which will assume the Presidency of the European Union beginning in January 2010.

Spanish 250-601
Major Works in Spanish and Latin American Literature
Prof. Regueiro
(See Timetables for time(s))

From the rise of the novel with Cervantes' Don Quixote in early-modern Spain to the Latin American "boom" with García Márquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude, this course will examine these and other major works in Hispanic literature within the cultural, political, and social context of each period

Spanish 319-301
A Social History of the Languages of Spain
Prof. Espòsito
(See Timetables for time(s))

Pre-requisites: Spanish 219

This is a course about questions. This is a course about questions concerning language. This is a course about those questions that we all have about the languages spoken in Spain today.

What is a language? What is a dialect? What is the difference between a language and a dialect? Is there a difference? How does one dialect become the model for the standard language to the exclusion of other varieties? Why do some of these excluded varieties continue to thrive and flourish? Which historical events most shaped the linguistic map of the Iberian peninsula and how? Can institutions and legislation shape language? Can they produce new speakers? Can they silence old ones? What does it mean to be bilingual? What are the social and political consequences of bilingualism? Who speaks what to whom… where and when? Does it matter what we call it? How does globalization affect language choice and use?

Requirements: active and consistent participation, in-class exams, short writing assignments, and a final research project.

Spanish 350-301
Spanish Literature of the Golden Age
Prof. Regueiro
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course will introduce students to the key works of Spanish literature written between 1500 to 1700. It will explore the major literary genres of this period (lyric poetry, narrative prose—including the picaresque—and drama) as well as the social and cultural contexts in which they were produced. We will examine works by Garcilaso, Cervantes, Góngora, Quevedo, Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, and Calderón.

Spanish 380-301
"Spain of Anger and Ideal": A Panoramic of the Spanish Vanguard (1909-1939)
Prof. León-Blázquez
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

In his poem “El mañana efímero” (published in 1912), Antonio Machado spoke of a new Spain arising from the 1898 crossroad. This strong and young “España de la rabia y de la idea” would overcome the moral and political mediocrity of the nation’s present and immediate future, and would lead a process of full regeneration in the country based on modernity and internationalism. Machado referred to the group of writers and poets that were pursuing their intellectual formation during the 1910s, would be fully active during the 1920s, and would become involved in the democratic project of the 2 nd Republic during the 1930s. Our panoramic of this avant-garde generation will focus on Madrid’s circles, but we will also make references to other important venues like Barcelona, Bilbao or the Canary Islands. Course materials will include aesthetic essays, both “dehumanized” and “social realist” novels, experimental theatre, and poems by the so-called “Generation of 1927”, representing different movements such as “poesía pura”, “greguerías”, “ultraísmo”, “neopopularismo”, and “surrealismo”. We will also see various Spanish cinematographic examples from the 1930s; architectural initiatives such as GATEPAC; visual arts projects like ADLAN; and sculpture and painting movements such as expressionism, cubism, surrealism, the Vallecas school, and the “lógicofobista” group.

Spanish 380-302
Evolution of the Narrative Voice in Spanish Fiction
Prof. Fernández
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course is a study of the evolution of the narrative voice in Spanish fiction from a narratological perspective. Students will learn to analyze and recognize different points of view, voices and narrative strategies. At the same time, they will become aware of their active role as readers in the text. Among other authors included in this course, students will read works by Don Juan Manuel, Miguel de Cervantes, María de Zayas, Emilia Pardo Bazán, Benito Pérez Galdós, Pío Baroja, Esther Tusquets, Almudena Grandes, and Marina Mayoral.

Spanish 381-301
Women’s Novel in Francoist Spain
Prof. León-Blázquez
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This couse will explore the narrative (mainly novels, but also some short stories) written by female authors under Francoism and its immediate aftermath. Our scope will begin with the military nationalist victory of 1939, and will end with the 1978 Constitution. We will study works by formerly avant-garde figures that had to go under “interior-exile” strategies, by women allied to the military regime, and by younger writers, who were struggling to build an intellectual identity of their own in the midst of a censorship-controlled cultural panorama. Possible authors will include Carmen Laforet, Ana María Matute, Josefina Aldecoa, Marta Portal, Elisabeth Mulder, Dolores Medio, Carmen Martín-Gaite, Elena Quiroga, Carmen Conde, Anna Maria Moix, Ana Diosdado, Concha Alós, Gloria Fuertes, Mercedes Fórmica, Pilar Millán-Astray, Mercedes Salisachs, Maria Aurelia Capmany, Teresa Pàmies, Carme Riera, Esther Tusquets and Lidia Falcón.

Spanish 386-301
Spain and the Literature of Terror
Prof. Fernández
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Once the English Gothic crossed the Spanish border, a number of romantic writers were influenced by this genre, although they did not call it Gothic per se. They considered it the “Literature of Terror” and used its traditional elements to shock their readers and heighten their emotions. However, as the Gothic genre became more established in Spain, writers started using it for purposes other than inspiring horror and surprise in their readers. This course examines how the Gothic tradition is manifested in Spain by reading and analyzing the works of different Spanish writers from the Romantic period to the present, such as Bécquer, Pardo Bazán, Baroja, Laforet, and Fernández Cubas. Although the emphasis is on Spanish literature, film and literary works from other national traditions will be incorporated, such as English and American, in order to compare the different uses of Gothic. Students, thus, will also read works by Walpole, Lord Byron and John Polidory, as well as watch movies such as Erice’s El espíritu de la colmena, Amenábar’s The Others, and Bayona’s El orfanato. By the end of the semester, students will have gained a better understanding of what the Gothic tradition is and how it manifests itself in Spain.

Spanish 390-401
Contemporary Argentine Literature
Prof. Salessi
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Through the study of a corpus of texts published in the last decades, the course will explore forms of representation of the new cultural actors in the forefront of the Argentine and Latin American literary landscapes. The course will address the influence of the Crack Movement and the McOndo Group, as well as the increasing overlap between literature and cinema. We will study works by Ricardo Piglia, Cesar Aira, Cristian Alarcon, Juan Villoro and others.

Spanish 390-402
The 16 th Century Transatlantic: Literature of the encuentro between Spain and the Americas
Prof. Burk
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

It is a truism to say that the first meeting of Amerindians and Europeans in 1492, often called the encuentro or contact, changed world history. This course investigates the first century of accounts of contact and later conquest, written by actors, witnesses, and professional historians on both sides of the Atlantic. It introduces the literature of the encuentro through Spanish chronicles read alongside Amerindian responses to Spanish colonialism. Although most of the works to be studied are histories in the sense that they document real events, they are also interested narratives that do not abide by modern standards of historical truth and thus provide us with a rich source for understanding how this clash of civilizations was perceived and interpreted in its era. Texts will include the writings of Cristóbal Colón, Hernán Cortés, Bernal Díaz, Bartolomé de la Casas, Álvaro Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, and Guaman Poma de Ayala as well as a selection of documentary films, images, and a contemporary Latin American historical novel.

Spanish 390-403
Adventures in the Imagination: The Contemporary Spanish American Short Story
Prof. Knight
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course explores in depth entire collections of short stories by six masters of the genre: Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, Augusto Monterroso, Horacio Quiroga, and Juan Rulfo. As they read through the collections by these authors, students will gain an appreciation for the themes and techniques associated with each. Students will also develop their capacity for narrative analysis and their Spanish writing skills. We will end the semester with an assortment of stories by new voices in Spanish American literature, and we will examine what these young writers have learned from the masters of the genre.

Spanish 390-404
A History of Violence: Reading Contemporary Colombian Novel
Prof. Montoya
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Violence has been a constant in contemporary Colombian society, and of course, it is reflected in literature. From the rural conflict between guerrillas, the State and extreme-right paramilitaries; to the streets of the cities affect by the traffic of cocaine, we will explore the literary representations of the process that has blurred the line between the legal system and illegal practices, and of the progressive corruption of the society as a whole. We will cover a broad period: from the narratives of the “big violence” of the 1940’s and 1950’s to contemporary novels and films, in order to explore the chaotic urban life of some Colombian cities, the traumas of the victims of violence, the psychology of the murderers, and the alliances between members of the elite and the drug dealers. We will read novels by García Marquez, Gustavo Álvarez Gardeazábal, Fernando Vallejo, Héctor Abad Faciolince, and Evelio José Rosero, among others.

Spanish 394-401
Latin American Fiction of the 21 st Century
Prof. García-Serrano
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course explores recent developments in Latin America narrative by closely examining works by César Aira ( Argentina), Roberto Bolaño ( Chile), Santiago Rocangliolo ( Peru), and Ena Lucía Portela ( Cuba). The texts selected, whether dialoging with the colonial past or depicting contemporary events, challenge traditional genres (historical, autobiographical, detective novel, etc.), undermine readers’ expectations at every turn, and, more importantly, evidence a deep understanding of human nature. Throughout the course students will attempt to establish connections between these writers and their literary predecessors, such as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, and Julio Cortázar. Readings include Aira's La villa, Un episodio en la vida del pintor viajero, and Cómo me hice monja; Bolaño's Llamadas telefónicas and El gaucho insufrible; Rocangliolo's Abril rojo; and Portela's Cien botellas en una pared.

Spanish 396-401
Conquest and Cannibals in the New World and Old
Prof. Burk
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

In the sixteenth-century Spanish empire, an essential debate arose as to the nature of its conquered peoples and territories: were Amerindians ruthless barbarians living in a wasteland, or noble savages inhabiting another Eden? Early modern Europeans thought and talked about the New World by employing tropes that played on these two extremes. At the same time, early writers on the Americas used gendered language to describe the relationship between Spain and its new colonies. America was often posited as an enticing land filled with mostly naked women, delivered to European hands, in part, by La Malinche, interpreter and mistress to Cortés and mother to the first mestizo. The rhetorical strategies depicting the Americas helped define the European argument for what constitutes the right to conquer land and enslave people. They would substantially influence the ways in which Latin Americans later conceived of nation and literature. Texts to be read will include works by Michel de Montaigne, Álvaro Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, Jean de Lery, Cristóbal Colón, Hernán Cortés, and Bernal Díaz with a selection of modern Latin American texts that reflect on conquest as well as relevant films.

Spanish 396-402
Literature at the Edge of the Abyss: 2666 and the Narrative of Roberto Bolaño
Prof. Montoya
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

2666 is the posthumous masterpiece by the Chilean-born writer Roberto Bolaño. Divided in five novels, it moves from the fictitious city of Santa Teresa, in the border between Mexico and USA –where hundreds of women are mysteriously killed–, to the Russian front during World War II and the Nazi concentration camps. Mixing the tradition of detective novel and the artistic avant-garde motifs, this ambitious novel explores different forms of contemporary terror, and the possibilities of art and literature to express them. In this course, we will focus on a close-reading of 2666 and on a selection of Bolaño’s short stories.

Spanish 397-401
Coming of Age in the Andes
Prof. Knight
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course examines contemporary narratives of childhood and adolescence from Peru and Ecuador. These stories critique the forces that shape young people as they attempt to define themselves in highly stratified societies marked by racial, ethnic, gender, and class divisions. Texts for the course include three novels (Icaza’s El chulla Romero y Flores, Vargas Llosa’s La ciudad y los perros, and Bryce Echenique’s Un mundo para Julius), short stories, and films.

Spanish 400-301
Spanish Realist Novel: The Case of Fortunata y Jacinta
Prof. Nadal
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This writing intensive course proposes a close reading of a masterpiece of late realism in the light of the historical debates and the contradictory forces that illuminate its pages. Topics will include orality and the written word, the emergence of subjectivity and the repetitive structure of ideology, history and revolution, masculinity and the female body, formalization and chaos, and literature’s limitations and its absorption of other arts.

Spanish 400-302
The Boom and Its Aftermath
Prof. Salessi
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Through the study of major works published by authors of the 20th Century Boom of Latin American literature, the course will explore Latin America’s geographical and natural landscape, its literature, history, art, music, popular culture, and their imaginary constructions. Critical concepts and historical accounts of distinct manifestations of culture will inform the reading of the specific trajectory in literature and cultural production proposed by the class. Students will thus become familiar with a cluster of critical concepts that will help them to engage reflectively Latin American writers, cultures and historical periods. Authors include Gabriel García Márquez, Juan Rulfo, Alejo Carpentier and Manuel Puig.

Spanish 400-303
Jorge Luis Borges and His Legacies
Prof. Laddaga
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

We will read and analyze the works of Jorge Luis Borges, perhaps the most influential modern Latin American writer. We will read Borges' stories, essays and poems on the background of the Argentinean literary and intellectual culture of his time. We will also examine his legacy in Latin American literature of the last half century.