Spanish and PortugueseSpanish 110- Elementary Spanish I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 110 is a first-semester language course that emphasizes the development of foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and videotaped interviews with native speakers, your aural and oral abilities will improve at the same time that you will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. You will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that you can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures. Reading strategies will facilitate your comprehension of the texts included in the course syllabus. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, films) and a class project will advance your knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing your intercultural competence.
Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide you with guided practice before moving to more independent and spontaneous language production. Working in small groups and in pairs, you will participate in class activities that simulate real-life situations that will help you gain confidence communicating in Spanish.
Goals
By the end of this course you can expect to handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting:
- Greet and introduce people, invite people to events, accept or reject invitations, ask for directions, tell time, shop and order meals in a restaurant
- Talk about yourself, family, and friends regarding physical and emotional states, daily routines, leisure, preferences and plans
- Use the information learned in class about the Hispanic world as an icebreaker to find common ground with people from the countries that we have studied
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 112- Elementary Spanish I and II: Accelerated
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
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’ foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and mini documentaries shown in class, students will develop their aural and oral skills at the same time that they will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. Students will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that they can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and linguistic structures. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, and films) and a class project will advance students’ knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing their intercultural competence.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Introduce themselves, use greetings, describe people, places and things, give instructions, tell time, go shopping, order meals in a restaurant, and make travel plans
- Talk about themselves, families, and friends regarding academic life, daily routines, health, work, leisure, and preferences (using the present and past tenses)
- Use the cultural information learned in class as an icebreaker to find common ground with a wide a variety of Spanish speakers
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 115- Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 115 is a first-semester elementary Medical Spanish Language course and the first in the Spanish for 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 already taken Spanish 110 will not receive credit for Spanish 115. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level. Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 115).
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 121 Elementary Spanish
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 121 is designed for students who have some prior experience in Spanish. It is an intensive elementary-level language course that in one semester covers the material studied over two semesters in our 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 listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and mini documentaries shown in class, students will develop their aural and oral skills at the same time that they will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. Students will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that they can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and linguistic structures. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, and films) and a class project will advance students’ knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing their intercultural competence.
Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide you with guided practice before moving to more independent and spontaneous language production. You will participate in paired, small-group and whole-class activities that simulate real-life situations that will help you gain confidence communicating in Spanish.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Introduce themselves, use greetings, describe people, places and things, give instructions, tell time, go shopping, order meals in a restaurant, and make travel plans
- Talk about themselves, families, and friends regarding academic life, daily routines, health, work, leisure, and preferences (using the present and past tenses)
- Use the cultural information learned in class as an icebreaker to find common ground with a wide a variety of Spanish speakers
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 125 Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary II
Staff
See Timetable for times
Course Description
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. The class will be conducted entirely in Spanish.
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 130 Intermediate Spanish I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 130, a first-semester intermediate-level course, emphasizes students’ acquisition of new vocabulary and linguistic structures in a cultural and communicative context while building on their previous speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. A substantial amount of the course is devoted to learning and using the past tenses. As in other Spanish courses, students will take part in a wide range of activities including video blogging, role-plays, film viewings, listening to music, and class discussions of current social and cultural topics. Unique to this course is the creation of a “cultural journal” throughout the semester in which students pursue their own interests in the Spanish-speaking world while taking advantage of some of the rich resources within Philadelphia’s own Hispanic community.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of common situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Narrate past actions, ranging from personal anecdotes to historical events
- Give advice, recommendations, and commands to people
- Express their feelings and doubts when reacting to what others have said
- Talk about their future expectations and wishes
- Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Hispanic cultural practices and products
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 135 Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 135 is a first-semester intermediate-level 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 everyday situations that they may encounter at work settings such as doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms in order to develop meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language. Students will also review and acquire other essential tools of communication in the target language applicable both within and outside the medical field. 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 already taken Spanish 130 will not receive credit for Spanish 135. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level. Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 135).
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 140 Intermediate Spanish II
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 140 is a fourth-semester language course that both reinforces and enhances the communicative skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) previously acquired while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Class activities are designed so that students can build up these four skills in order to function at an intermediate language level. Readings focused on contemporary social and political issues of the Hispanic world will advance your knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices while increasing your intercultural competence. Unique to this course is the preparation of an oral presentation on a topic related to the Hispanic world throughout the semester and presented during the last days of classes. The purpose of this task is to help students develop their presentational competence in Spanish.
Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide students with ample opportunities to work in small groups and in pairs while gaining confidence communicating in Spanish. This course satisfies the language requirement at Penn.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Express their opinions on a variety of contemporary events and issues
- Defend their position when presented with a hypothetical situation
- Deliver short presentations on a chosen subject after thorough preparation
- Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Hispanic cultural practices and products
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 145 Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate II
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 145, the continuation of Spanish 135, is an intermediate-level integrated skills language course. It emphasizes the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities. Students will be expected to participate actively in classroom activities such as communicative activities, role-playing based on typical doctor/patient interactions as well as other medical situations. Students will also review and learn other essential tools of communication applicable both inside and outside the medical field. Students who have already taken Spanish 140 will not receive credit for Spanish 145. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level.
Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 145).
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in the Credit Regulation Form.
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 180 Spanish Conversation
Staff
La Casa Hispánica residents only.
Spanish 202 Advanced Spanish
Staff
See Timetable 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 Director of the Spanish Language Program.
Spanish 208 Business Spanish I
Prof. Lebaudy
See Timetable 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, videos, and class discussions, we will analyze the current business environment in the region taking into consideration local economies and markets in light of their recent history, politics, resources, and relevant current events.
Any questions about placement should be directed to the Director of the Spanish Language Program or the Instructor.
Spanish 209- Business Spanish II (Advanced Spanish in the Business World)
Prof. Lebaudy
See Timetable for time(s)
Pre-requisite(s): Departmental permission required.
This course is specifically designed for advanced speakers of Spanish (i.e., native speakers, high-level heritage speakers, and students who have studied in a Spanish-speaking country for at least one semester). Through the study of entrepreneurship cases in Latin America, students will take an in-depth look at the local business dynamics and practices, within the current economic and political environment in a number of countries in the region. Students will also enhance their business language skills through the creation of an entrepreneurial project.
Any questions about placement should be addressed to the Director of the Spanish Language Program or the Instructor.
Spanish 212 Advanced Spanish II: Grammar and Composition
Staff
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or equivalent
Spanish 212 is an advanced-level language course that emphasizes the acquisition of the tools necessary for successful written expression in Spanish. These tools include a solid knowledge of the major points of Spanish grammar, an ample vocabulary, control of the mechanics of the language (spelling, punctuation, etc.), and a thorough understanding of the writing process. Throughout the semester students will use these tools to analyze authentic texts and to produce a variety of written assignments. By the end of the course students will have developed their awareness of the norms of standard Spanish and learned to incorporate these features into their own writing. The class will be conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak in Spanish at all times.
Any questions about placement should be addressed to the Director of the Spanish Language Program.
Spanish 219 Hispanic Texts and Contexts
Staff
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or Spanish 212.
The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts in those regions where Spanish is used. At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through readings, class discussions, and frequent writing assignments. This course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work and study abroad.
Spanish 223 Introduction to Literary Analysis
Staff
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or Spanish 212.
Literature from Spain and Latin America contains a wealth of information about language, history and culture. The goal of this course is to help students develop skills to carefully read Spanish literary works while preparing them for upper-level courses and study abroad. We begin reviewing the main characteristics of various literary movements and of the four genres (narrative, poetry, theater and essay). During the second part of the semester students become familiarized with a wide variety of theoretical approaches to the study of literature with the purpose of applying them to their own analytical writing. In the last part of the course students produce their own essays on a text chosen by them and based on research. Sample essays written by other students and included in the textbook will serve as models. Throughout the course students will have ample opportunities to hone their skills through the close reading and class discussion of varied and stimulating works by Miguel de Cervantes, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, Roberto Bolaño, etc. This class will be conducted in Spanish.
Spanish 317 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics: Phonetics, Phonology, and Morphology
Prof. Esposito
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
This course is an introduction to Hispanic linguistics, with special emphasis on the Spanish sound system (phonetics and phonology) and Spanish word-formation (morphology). Topics to be covered include articulatory phonetics, use of the phonetic alphabet, English and Spanish contrastive phonology, regional and social variations of Spanish pronunciation, word formation (derivation and composition), and the structure of the Spanish verb (inflection). Evaluation will be based on participation and homework, periodic quizzes, mid-term exam, and a final examination during finals week. Students will be required to write a linguistic autobiography.
This class will be conducted in Spanish.
Spanish 325-301 Introduction to Translation: Spanish-English
Prof. Grabner Travis
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This course is designed for students who already have a solid foundation in Spanish and English grammar. It provides an introduction to the theory and practice of translating between English and Spanish, with primary focus on translating INTO English FROM Spanish. We will address important topics such as discourse strategies, register and mood, dialect, genre, and cultural norms linked to written and oral communication.
The class will be conducted in Spanish, although the textbook is in English. This is a very writing-intensive class, both in and out of the classroom. There will be assigned readings from the textbook or assignments online for every class meeting, which we will use to discuss both the practicalities and the cultural implications of translation. Class meetings will consist of class discussions about translation in general, and critiques of your own translation efforts in particular, combined with small group or pair work on translation exercises.
Spanish 380 The Development of the Spanish Short Story
Prof. Fernandez
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In this course, we study the development and evolution of the Spanish short story from a narratological perspective. This class engages students in a close reading of stories from the Middle Ages to the present. Students learn to analyze and recognize different points of view, voices and narrative strategies in the readings, thus becoming more aware of their active role as readers in the text.
Spanish 386 Coming of Age Stories during the Spanish Civil War and Francoism
Prof. Guadalupe
See Timetable for time(s)
This course focuses on artistic representations of the Spanish Civil War produced during Francoism and since. We will deal with the complex relations between art and history in depictions of the the war and its aftermath, exploring how historical memory is shaped. The course will allow students to become familiar with current debates on memory and amnesia in Spain, as well as to understand how the Spanish civil war and Francoism continues to shape Spanish identity today.
Spanish 388-401 Spanish Contemporary Cinema
Prof. Moreno Caballud
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A survey of Spanish cinema from the 1940’s to the present. Special attention will be paid to the political, cultural, and social discourses that the films reproduce, adapt or question. This will allow an understanding of the implicit or explicit social dialogues that shaped cinematographic production in Spain from the post-civil war years, through Franco’s dictatorship, the advent of the democratic state in the 1970’s, and the economic and political crises of the 21st century. At the same time, films will be analyzed from the standpoint of their rhetoric construction, examining the specificity of cinematic language and its particular uses in each case.
Spanish 390-401 Animals and Animality in Latin American Literature
Prof. Brock
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In this class we will ask how animals – as characters, narrators, and tropes in literature – shed light on major philosophical and ethical questions: What makes us human? Where do the privileges and protections afforded to our fellow human beings end? How do we attend to the non-human world and attempt to understand perspectives different form our own? We will consider not only how representations of animals and animality challenge anthropocentric world views but also how they play into discourses of class, race, gender, sexuality, colonialism, civilization, state power, and civil rights in Latin America. Readings will be drawn primarily from twentieth-century Latin American literature and will include the works of Horacio Quiroga, Clarice Lispector, Jorge L. Borges, Manuel Puig, and João Guimarães Rosa among others. Course requirements include short written assignments, quizzes, an oral presentation, and a final paper. This class will be conducted in Spanish.
Spanish 394-401 The Secret Circle: Fictions of Conspiracy in Contemporary Latin American Literature
Prof. Montoya
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
This course will examine the figures of conspiracy and complot in a series of Latin American shorts stories and novels of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. These ideas have been central to both political theory and literature. The image of a small group of individuals who secretly act to change the world order seduces the public imagination. Latin American writers have not been oblivious to this trend, and some of the more representative novelists have used it in order to represent, analyze, and criticize not only their societies, but also the literary and artistic milieus where they perform their creative practices. We will read political fictions, artist’s novels, detective, and spy narrations, among other genres.
Spanish 394-402 The Boom in Spanish-American Literature
Prof. Knight
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
Why has Latin American narrative of the 1960s and 70s enjoyed such popular and critical success? What distinguishes this literature from that which was written earlier or later or outside Latin America? Who were the major writers of the boom generation, and what unites or separates them? In this course we will consider these questions as we read important works of fiction by Cortázar, Donoso, Fuentes, García Márquez, and Vargas Llosa as well as criticism that sheds light on the phenomenon of the boom. This class will be conducted in Spanish.
Spanish 396-401 Contemporary Latin America Through Cinema
Prof. Casamayor-Cisneros
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Through the study of some of the most compelling Latin American movies of recent times, this course provides an insightful understanding of the main dynamics at play in contemporary Latin America. “Reading” cinema as a canvas of society, students will apprehend its powerful instrumentality for symbolic representation and decolonial expression. Particular emphasis will be given to the deconstruction of otherness. Accompanied by critical readings, our analyses will stress issues on national, racial, gender and sexual identifications; pervasive inequalities and the socioeconomic and cultural repercussions of the drug trafficking and of the touristic industry; the impact of globalization and new technologies; migration, violence, terror, revolutions, dictatorships, the aftermath of the Cold War, and the implementation and effects of Neoliberalism.
Spanish 396-402 Black Experience in Latin America and the Caribbean
Prof. Casamayor-Cisneros
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What does it mean to be black in Latin America? This question launches our wide-ranging examination of the black experience in Latin America, the Caribbean, and its diaspora, since slavery to the present. In this course, students will combine the analysis of literary, cinematic, musical, visual and performative works with the study of historical, political and sociocultural processes shaping the existence of Afro-descendants. The scrutiny of systemic racial exclusion and marginalization will allow the understanding of how these dividing practices condition cultural production. Close readings and thorough debates will engage students into a consistent deconstruction of the idea of blackness in the Americas.
Spanish 397-401 What is Mexico? Questioning Mexican Icons
Prof. Tellez
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In this course, students study Mexico through many lenses. From history to art, from anthropology to pop culture, our primary objective will be to question current and past iconicity to develop a more complex and critical approach to Mexican culture.
Spanish 397-402 Literature and Dictatorship in Latin American Literature
Prof. Brock
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
In this class, we will examine Latin American texts from a wide range of genres and media (including graphic novels, films, and the visual arts,) created in or about dictatorships. We will ask how experiences of oppression, violence, and censorship shape the daily life, consciousness, and memory of those living under repressive regimes. What possibilities and limitations does literature (and art more generally) present as a means of expressing trauma and resisting tyranny? Though we will focus primarily on representations of the dictatorships in the Southern Cone in the second half of the twentieth century, we will draw on texts from a variety of national traditions and historical periods to better understand the continuities and differences among the forms that state repression and violence has taken in Latin America as well as the range of responses available to writers and artists. Course requirements include short written assignments, quizzes, an oral presentation, and a final research project.