Spring 2010 Undergraduate Courses in Spanish

Spanish 120
Elementary Spanish II
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 110 or permission of the course coordinator.

Spanish 120, the continuation of Spanish 110, is a second-semester elementary Spanish course. 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 121
Elementary Spanish
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. It is an intensive elementary-level language course which in one semester covers the material studied over two semesters in Spanish 110 and Spanish 120. The 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.

By the end of this course, students will be able to engage in simple conversation on familiar topics, talk about the past and the future, make comparisons, give commands, describe people and things in increasing detail, etc. Students will also develop reading and listening skills that will allow them to understand simple articles in Spanish as well as pick out pertinent information when listening to a native speaker.

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

Spanish 125
Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary II
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 110 or 115 or a score of 380-440 on the SAT II or 285-383 on the online placement examination.

Spanish 125 is a second-semester elementary Medical Spanish Language that continues to develop the fundamentals of practical Spanish, with a special focus 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. 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 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 134
Intermediate Spanish I and II: Accelerated
Staff
(See Timetables for time(s))

Spring semester prerequisite(s): Permit required from the course coordinator.

Spanish 134 is an intensive intermediate-level language course that covers the material presented in Spanish 130 and Spanish 140. The course emphasizes the development of the four canonical skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) 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 a meaningful context. Major course goals include: the acquisition of intermediate-level vocabulary, the controlled use of the past tense and major uses of the subjunctive, and the development of writing skills.

During the spring semester, Spanish 134 is limited to those students who have satisfied the language requirement in another language.

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

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 205
Advanced Spanish for the Medical Professions
Prof. García-Serrano
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 140 or 145.

The goal of this course is to provide advanced practice in Spanish to those students who are interested in pursuing careers in the medical and healthcare fields. Through readings and authentic materials on contemporary health issues, for example, H1N1 influenza, comparative health care systems, obesity, “chagas” disease, etc., students will acquire the vocabulary and grammatical structures needed to discuss a wide array of topics pertaining to the health-related professions. Students will also gain awareness of those health care issues affecting the Hispanic/Latino patient. Oral and written presentations will complement topics covered in class.

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 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
Staff
(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 222
Adventures in the Imagination: The Contemporary Spanish American Short Story
Prof. Knight
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 212.

This course explores the stories of six masters of the genre: Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, Augusto Monterroso, Horacio Quiroga, and Juan Rulfo. As they read through 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.

Spanish 225
Cross-Cultural Business Behavior: Doing Business in Spain
Prof. Barra Hernandez
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 212.

This course provides a comprehensive view of Spain and its business culture. Since corporate culture may be understood as an extension of a country’s particular culture, business partners should recognize the importance of cultural differences (the dos and don’ts) when establishing business relationships.

Additionally, effective intercultural communication is the key for mutual understanding. Non-verbal language plays a significant role in communication as it is often the only feedback we can obtain from a potential business partner. This course analyzes the most common non-verbal messages and how these messages could be interpreted differently in different countries.

Finally, this course focuses on business etiquette and how to conduct business in Spain. It also provides tips on how to improve business negotiations in Spain in order to achieve the desired success.

Spanish 250
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 348
Don Quixote Now and Then
Prof. Solomon
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course combines a careful reading of Cervantes’ Don Quixote with an examination of “Quijotismo,” defined for our purposes as the cultural production and dissemination of Don Quixote related artifacts during the centuries following the publication of Don Quixote (Part I). The course lectures, discussions, and secondary readings will help students contextualize Cervantes’novel within the early 16 th century while the examination of book illustrations and the screenings of cinematic adaptations will allow us to observe the impact of Don Quixote over the past four hundred years. The course requirements include a series of short writing assignments, two midterm exams, and a short final paper.

Spanish 386-301
Memory Maps: Spanish Civil War
Prof. Nadal
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Over the last ten years the construction of historical memory has taken center stage in the public debates surrounding the legacy of the Spanish Civil War. The concept of the "lieux de mémoire" poses epistemological as well as political questions that are reshaping the protocols of a constitutional nation that had prematurely decided to forget the past, "el pacto del olvido". To this one should add the silence and exile of the past enforced by forty years of Francoist rule. This course will analyze narratives, archives, films, websites, and other media in order to trace the paradigm shifts of historical memory in contemporary Spain.

Spanish 386-302
Bohemians and Decadents: The Dark Side of Spanish Modernism
Prof. León-Blázquez
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

When it comes to the turn-of-the-century in Spain, literary historiography has usually been much focused on a very specific group: the famous Generation of 1898. Peninsular Modernism was, however, a much more diverse and complex artistic panorama, where the heritage of 19 th century Realism-Naturalism coexisted with many different aesthetic responses to Modernity. Among them, the decadent bohemia –emerged from the cafes and cabarets in Madrid and Barcelona– played a very significant role, as a connection to both European Parnassianism and Symbolism and to Latin American Modernism; and, also, as one of the bases for the future Avant-Garde movements. Regarded as “sick” and “inmoral”, decadent texts often threw a sarcastic critique on bourgeois society, joyfully emphasizing mauditism, sexual and national anxieties, and the crisis of traditional subjectivity.

Our course will deal mostly with narrative, though we will also analyze some poetry examples. Possible readings may include works by Emilio Carrere, Ciro Bayo, Alejandro Sawa, Pedro Luis de Gálvez, Álvaro Retana, Eduardo Zamacois, Joaquín Dicenta, Ernesto Bark, Rafael Cansinos-Assens, Joaquín Belda, Antonio de Hoyos, and Francisco Villaespesa; as well as other authors best known for other tendencies in their work, but who also wrote touched Decadentism at some point of their literary career –writers such as Emilia Pardo-Bazán, Azorín, Pío Baroja, Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Juan Ramón Jiménez, and Carmen de Burgos “Colombine”.

Spanish 386-303
Spain and Its Discontents: Outcasts in the 16 th Century
Prof. Burk
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Beginning with the discovery of America and the unification of the crowns of Castile and Aragon in the late fifteenth century, the Spanish church and state attempted to forge a nation and an empire simultaneously, remaking a collection of medieval kingdoms into Europe’s first modern imperial power. Renewed social controls attempted to transform what had been a plurilengual, multireligious society in the name of Spain, Spanish and a unifying, shared Catholic faith. Many of the most aesthetically and culturally significant literary works of the period, later called the Golden Age of Spanish letters, depict outcasts from the dominant order—the poor, Jews, Muslims, conversos, moriscos, mestizos, mannish women and other gender transgressors—engaged in complex negotiations between identity and authority. Texts studied will include Rojas’s La Celestina, Lazarillo de Tormes, La monja alférez, Tirso’s Don Gil de las calzas verdes, El abencerraje, Viaje de Turquía, el Inca Garcilaso’s Comentarios reales, and Aridjis’s 1492. Attention will also be paid to historical context and other forms of cultural production, particularly painting.

Spanish 386-401
Survey of Spanish Cinema
Prof. Solomon
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course offers an introduction and overview of cinema from Spain. We track the thematic, technical, and stylistic development of Spanish cinema from its first manifestations in the late 19 th century to the present. The course has been designed to introduce students to fundamental cinematic concepts, movements, and theories as well as provide a historical context for the required feature-length films. The course concludes with an overview of recent developments in new media and participatory cinema.

Required screenings include films by Segundo de Chomón (Slippery Jim), Luis Buñuel (Un Chien Andalou, Tierra sin pan), Luis Berlanga (Bienvenido Mr. Marshal), Juan Antonio Bardem (Muerte de un ciclista), Carlos Saura (La caza), Victor Erice (El Espítitu de la Colmena), Narciso Ibáñéz Serrador (¿Quien puede matar un niño?), José Luis Borau (Furtivos) Pilar Miró (Crimen de Cuenca), Pedro Almodóvar (Pepe, Luci, Bom, La ley del deseo, Todo sobre mi madre), Julio Medem (La ardilla roja), Alex de la Iglesia (El día de la bestia), and Nacho Villalongos (Cronocrímenes).

Course requirements include a midterm and a final exam, several short writing assignments, and a final project.

Spanish 386-402
The (In)Visible Tradition: Avant-Garde and Clandestine Cinema in Catalunya
Prof. Nadal
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

The social and political imaginaries of Francoist Spain created a singular instance of dislocation in the Catalan filmic avant-garde of the 1960s and 1970. This course proposes an examination of the political, historical, and aesthetic conjunctures that allowed the emergence and survival of an often clandestine experimentalism. The commitment to avant-garde practices, emerging an established tradition in the Catalan context, pushed the envelope of political possibility by establishing an elective affinity and an effective transfer between the political and the aesthetic. By addressing this productive double enunciation through a transnational lens, this course hopes to throw new light both on European peripheral cinematic avant-gardes and on the historicization of political dissent in Francoist Spain.

Spanish 386-403
Spain and the Role of Censorship in Literature and Film
Prof. Fernández
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

In this course, we will study the way authors, playwrights and filmmakers portray Spanish society during the second half of the twentieth century. When dealing with works created during the years of Franco’s dictatorship, we will examine the role and the influence censorship had on the making of such works. Additionally, we will analyze the different take post-Franco authors and filmmakers had on the same era when they were not restricted by the censors. We will study works by Camilo José Cela, Carmen Martín Gaite, Ana María Matute, Antonio Buero Vallejo, Alfonso Sastre, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Carlos Saura and Luis García Berlanga, among others.

Spanish 390-401
20th Century Latin American Literature
Prof. Salessi
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Through the study of major works of twentieeth century Latin American fiction, the course will offer a broad introduction to Latin America’s geographical and natural landscape, its literature, history, art, music, popular culture, and their imaginary constructions. Author include Gabriel García Márquez, Juan Rulfo, Alejo Carpentier and Manuel Puig. This choice will help cover broad periods, cultures and natural landscapes, from colonial times to the twentieth century, from Mexico to the Caribbean, and from the northern tip of the South American mainland to the Southern cone, the pampas.

Spanish 390-402
Detectives, Criminals, and Writers in Contemporary Latin American Literature
Prof. Montoya
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

Born as a sub-genre, crime fiction (a denomination which encompasses a wide number of texts: classical detective stories, hard-boiled, true-crimes and the non investigative crime novel) has become one of the most attractive literary forms for writers, and one of the favorites for readers. Because it is built around topics like the crime and the law, the search of the truth and the unstable identity of the subject in mass societies, it has become an ideal vehicle for the expression of the anxieties and fears that dominate the contemporary culture. Its versatility has been used by many Latin-American authors to express the social and political conflicts of the continent, as well as to explore its literary possibilities through formal searches, characterized by parody, meta-literary and auto referential games.

The aims of this course are, on the one hand, to offer a panoramic vision of the crime fiction in Latin America through the reading of some representative authors; and, on the other, to explore how they can be can be read from different theoretical approaches.

Spanish 396-401
Biografía de Buenos Aires
Prof. Salessi
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

The course will trace a history of Buenos Aires as a space of representation. We will explore how the city becomes the site for the writing and re-writing of national and local histories of opportunity, hopes, anxiety and despair. The class will try to answer to questions that arise when looking at spaces. How are they represented? What do we see inside? What has been left out? Which are the spaces different subjects claims as theirs? Why are more spaces more permissive, or repressive, than others?

Spanish 396-402
Goddesses, Nuns and Warriors: Women in Mexican History
Prof. García-Serrano
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

This course surveys the history of Mexican women from the pre-Colombian period to the twenty-first century. Students will learn about women’s roles in Aztec society and religion, the dynamic conventual life during the colonial period, the participation of women in the Mexican Revolution and the Zapatista movement, and the so-called “feminicide” in Ciudad Juárez. Also, we will evaluate the most recent research conducted on iconic figures such as La Malinche, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and La Llorona. Our approach will be interdisciplinary, drawing from historical, literary, sociological, and cinematographic sources. The goal of the course is not only to ascertain the weight of the past on the present but also the ways the present reshapes the past.

Spanish 396-403
Jungle Journeys: Representations of La Selva in Spanish American Fiction
Prof. Knight
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

The Amazon evokes opposing images. It has been described alternately as "paradise lost" and "green hell," a place to retreat from the restraints of civilization or to be devoured by savage men and beasts, a land of natural abundance and environmental degradation. Our objective in this course is not to determine which of these descriptions is most accurate, but to understand how these opposing visions were created and what they aim to communicate. As we explore the Amazon through works of fiction we will gain an appreciation of the problems and promise of the region as well as greater knowledge of important authors, themes, and techniques of Latin American literature. Fictional texts for the course include short stories by Horacio Quiroga and the novels /Cumandá/ by Juan León Mera/, La vorágine/ by José Eustasio Rivera, /Los pasos perdidos/ by Alejo Carpentier, /El hablador / by Mario Vargas Llosa, and the film “At Fields of the Lord” by Héctor Babenco. We will also study non-fiction articles and documentaries about the Amazonian region.

Spanish 396-404
The Comic, the Grotesque, and the Erotic in Mexico’s Generación del medio siglo
Prof. Montoya
(See Timetables for time(s))

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219.

In this course we will focus on three of the most representative writers of the so-called Mexican “Generación del medio siglo”: Sergio Pitol, Jorge Ibargüengoitia, and Juan García Ponce. We will see how they brought new airs to Mexican and Latin American literature through the exploration of the comic, the grotesque and the erotic --topics that have had a marginal presence in the dominant canon of Latin American literary system.