Spring 2015

(Course information subject to change)
(Cross-reference with Course Timetables)

Elementary Language Courses

Spanish 120- Elementary Spanish II

Staff

Course Description
Spanish 120 is a second-semester language course designed for students who have some prior experience in Spanish. As in other Spanish courses, Spanish 120 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 linguistic 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. 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 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 Spanish-speaking people around the globe

Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:

SPANISH 120 CRF

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

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 this Credit Regulation Form:

SPANISH 121 CRF

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 

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.

Students who have already taken Spanish 120/121 will not receive credit for Spanish 125. 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 125).

Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:

SPANISH 125 CRF

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.

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Intermediate Language Courses

Spanish 130- Intermediate Spanish I

Staff
See Timetable for times

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 this Credit Regulation Form:

SPANISH 130 CRF

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 134- Intermediate Spanish I and II: Accelerated

Staff
See Timetable for times

Course Description
During the spring semester, Spanish 134 is limited to those students who have satisfied the language requirement in another language. During the summer (at the Penn campus, Penn-in-Madrid and Penn-in-Buenos Aires Summer Abroad Programs), Spanish 134 is open to all students.

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.

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.

Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:

SPANISH 134 SPRING CRF

SPANISH 134 SUMMER CAMPUS CRF

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 times

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 this Credit Regulation Form:

SPANISH 140 CRF

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 times

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).

Prerequisite & Credit Regulation Form The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:

SPANISH 145 CRF

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.

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Spanish 180- Spanish Conversation

Staff

La casa hispánica residents only. 

Spanish 202- Advanced Spanish

Staff
See Timetable for times

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

Staff
See Timetable for times


Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or 145 or equivalent.


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 Timetable for times


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 Timetable for times


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or equivalent.


Course Description

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.
 
Course Objectives
The primary goals of Advanced Spanish II are:

  • Advanced writing proficiency in Spanish in a variety of formats, including essays, reviews, cover letters, etc.
  • Ability to follow a process approach to writing that covers description, narration, exposition, and argumentation
  • Advanced knowledge of Spanish grammar
  • Expanded vocabulary and improved word choice
  • Knowledge of the mechanics of Spanish
  • Ability to analyze authentic texts (linguistic structures, rhetorical strategies, and themes) and to express opinions about them

Spanish 215- Spanish for the Professions I

Staff
See Timetable for times


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

Prof. Espòsito and Staff

Cross Cultural Analysis
See Timetable for times

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- Perspectives of Spanish and Latin American Literatures

Prof. García-Serrano and Staff
See Timetable for times

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.

Span 319-301- History of the Spanish Language

Prof. Espòsito
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


This course will explore three main issues:

(1) The external history of the Spanish language: How do linguists read history? What cultural and historical events are important for the development of the Spanish language? As linguistic historians, we shall follow a canonical chronology that will examine pre-Roman influences, Iberian Latinities, the linguistic fragmentation of the Peninsula, medieval attempts at standardization, the rise of the Academy, and the linguistic revival of the Autonomías. As critical readers, we shall interpret these linguistic cultures in light of their foundational ideologies and how they contribute towards the creation of a national philological-linguistic imaginary.

(2) The internal history of the Spanish language: How did Latin become Spanish? Can the purported cause of a sound change be innocent and free of ideological meaning? Which features make Spanish unique in comparison to the other Iberian languages? To what end do we make such claims of uniqueness? What does linguistic uniqueness (i.e., exceptionalism) bring to the nation? 

(3) How do we read old Spanish texts?

Span 325-301- Introduction to Translation: Spanish < > English

Prof. Grabner Travis
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.

In an increasingly globalized world, communication takes place not only in a face-to-face, verbal/aural fashion, but also in written form. And with international business and other types of collaboration growing, this means that documents written in one language frequently need to be available in multiple other languages. Thus, it can only be an advantage for multilingual speakers to also have the knowledge to translate documents between languages. This is not as straightforward a process as it might seem; just because someone speaks two languages does not automatically mean they will be able to effectively transfer the meaning of a written document from one language to the other. There are innumerable considerations to be taken into account in transferring meaning from one language to another.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students in Hispanic Studies to many of these considerations and to get them started on the road to mastering the art of communicating the same essential meaning in two different languages. This course is designed for students who already have a solid foundation in Spanish and English grammar. The course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of translating between English and Spanish, and offers a general review of any necessary grammar structures. It addresses important topics such as discourse strategies, register and mood, dialect, sociolect, genre, stylistic considerations, and cultural norms linked to written communication.

The course will offer intensive practice of the theoretical concepts studied across a range of writing genres, including fiction, academic/professional/technical writing, journalism and advertising, persuasive writing, and even subtitling of movies/videos. Class time will be spent discussing reading assignments, critiquing classmates’ work, and practicing shorter translation assignments. Although it is a writing-intensive course, class time will be spent primarily on discussion and interactive, collaborative activities.

Span 380-301- Murdering the Past: Women's Narrative in Post-Franco Spain

Prof. León-Blázquez
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


Since the final years of Franco's dictatorship, women writers began abandoning the subterfuge strategies they had previously developed to avoid the regime’s censorship, and started to  discuss explicitly issues that would have been dangerous to mention in an open way before: social problems, national and individual identity, political and personal memory, love, sex, transgression, and the changing realities surrounding them –consumerism, media, counter cultural movements, globalization, and human (in)communication.  Navigating journalistic collaborations and literary prizes, they wrote their way up to the editorial market and the Spanish Royal Academy, becoming prominent figures in the aesthetic and gender debates of a new canon in the making.  Our course will move through the decades into the 21st century, examining a broad range of short stories and novels (self-consciousness, psychoanalytical, erotic, lesbian, travel, fantastic, historical, protest, and metafictional narratives) linked by a shared concern: an inquiry about what it means to be a woman; to be feminine; to be queer; to be oneself; to be a part of; to be free.  Possible authors may include Lidia Falcón, Carmen Conde, Maria Aurèlia Capmany, Mercè Rodoreda, Marta Pessarrodona, Carme Riera, Esther Tusquets, Rosa Roma, Anna Maria Moix, Montserrat Roig, Camen Martín-Gaite, Josefina Aldecoa, Ana María Matute, Adelaida García Morales, Carmen Gómez Ojea, Almudena Grandes, Soledad Puértolas, Marina Mayoral, Rosa Montero, Maruja Torres, Flàvia Campany, Núria Amat, Lourdes Ortíz, Cristina Fernández Cubas, Paloma Díaz-Más, Carmen Rico-Godoy, Lucia Etxebarría, Espido Freire, and Belén Gopegui.

Span 380-302- Tradition and Experimentation in Popular Spanish Story Telling

Prof. Moreno-Caballud
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


Storytelling is everywhere and it is as old as humanity. Everyone tells and is told stories. Thus, we can say that storytelling is essentially ‘popular’ (‘of the people’, ‘of everyone’). But, as any other aspect of human experience, storytelling is affected by the power relations that shape our world. As the writer Christian Salmon noted, storytelling can be used to ‘pass on lessons in wisdom that were the fruit of cumulative experience’ or to ‘tack artificial narratives on to reality’. This course will explore some of the power relations that have affected popular storytelling in Spain. We will travel from ancient oral storytelling to contemporary transmedia projects, looking also into the relation of avant-garde writers and artists with popular storytelling. A strong component of the course will be studying the Spanish historical contexts, which will allow us to understand power relations in each case.

Span 386-301- Spanish Surrealism: The Works of Salvador Dalí

Prof. López
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


The Spanish painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1983) is the most recognizable figure in the Surrealist movement. In the public eye he was considered at times the embodiment of the movement itself. Dalí responded with a high dosage of histrionics by cultivating an extravagant public persona. However, this public image often obscures the importance of his seminal contributions to the avant-garde movement. Dalí is arguably one of the most serious and interesting thinkers and theorists of the avant-garde movement during the 1930's and 1940's. He is also one of the most important painters of the movement, and his contributions to contemporary art are irreplaceable. In this course we will read his written work and we will study and analyze his paintings trying to uncover constant topics, motifs, obsessions, etc.

SPAN 386-302- The Evolution of the Don Juan Myth in the Western Literary Tradition

Prof. Francisco Fernández
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


In this course, we will study the appearance and evolution of the Don Juan myth in the Western literary tradition.  We will start with Tirso de Molina’s Don Juan in his El burlador de Sevilla and move from the Baroque and Romantic periods up to the modern day. In addition to studying the myth in its social and historical context, we will analyze the different dramatic and literary strategies used by authors in their construction of  Don Juan. Finally, we will see how filmmakers have interpreted and deviated from the original myth.

Span 386-401- Madness and Women in Contemporary Hispanic Literature

Prof. García-Serrano
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


The first goal of this course is to examine different “cases” of mental disturbances suffered by women in Hispanic cultures as they have been depicted in novels, short stories and films in the last 50 years. We will study "cases" of female madness precipitated by maternity, domesticity, sexuality, creativity, historical events, and biculturalism. Secondly, we will focus on the “causes” psychoanalysts, authors and literary critics have proposed for those mental illnesses. Additional readings on a wide range of disciplines --feminism, literary theory, psychology and psychoanalysis-- will enhance our understanding of the works selected for the course and will help us identify their political and ideological underpinnings.

Span 388-401- Latin American Film

Prof. De La Campa
See Timetable for time

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


This course aims to familiarize students with some of the best cinematography of Latin America covering a broad set of themes, nations and time periods.  In particular, we will look at films that explore the role of revolution and other utopian discourses, the spread of migratory displacement throughout the hemisphere, the focus on new gender formation and the “state to market” turn now prevalent under neoliberal globalization.  The goal is not only to observe these topics in their national histories but also to study how these films articulate, complicate and at times contradict such certitudes.  Film theory and criticism will therefore accompany the discussion of screened movies.  The list of films will include No, City of God, Silent Night, Love is a Bitch, Memories of Underdevelopment, I The Worst of All, El Topo, Pixote, Entranced Earth, The Young and the Damned, El Mariachi, among others. 

The class will be taught in English.  It is cross-listed with CINE 388.  A minimum of two 10-15 page papers will be required.  Students may submit their papers in English, or in Spanish if looking to receive major or minor credit in SPAN.

Span 390-401- Contemporary Fantastic Literature in Latin America

Prof. Escalante
See Timetable for time

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


This course is going to analyze fantastic literary works from Horacio Quiroga, Jorge Luis Borges, to the present. We will study the main characteristics and elements of a discourse to be considered "fantastic" and will review some theoretical approaches to the fantastic as a genre. We will also discuss the influence of science and technology in fantastic fiction and examine the way fantastic tales challenge social conventions and our ideas about time and space.

We will read texts by Quiroga, Borges, Arlt, Bioy Casares, Bombal, Arreola, Carpentier, Monterroso, Ribeyro, Piñeira, Pablo Palacio, Silvina Ocampo, among others.

Span 394-401- Mexican Conspiracies: Literature and Politics in Contemporary Narrative

Prof. Montoya
See Timetable for time


Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


The ideas of complot and conspiracy have been central in 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. Mexican 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 society, but also the literary and artistic milieus where they perform their creative practices. This course will examine the figures of conspiracy and complot in a series of Mexican novels of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We will read political fictions, artist-novels, and detective and spy narrations, among other genres.

Span 396-401- Coming of Age in Latin America

Prof. Knight
See Timetable for time

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


This course examines narratives of childhood and adolescence from Latin America. These stories critique the forces that shape young people as they attempt to define themselves in societies marked by racial, ethnic, gender, and class divisions. Texts for the course are drawn from different geographical regions and include novels, short stories, and films from the second half of the twentieth century through the present.

Span 397-401- Between Fact and Fiction: The Chronicle in Latin America from the Spanish Conquest to the 21st Century

Prof. Téllez
See Timetable for time

Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.


In this course we will explore the chronicle as an intersecting point between a literary drive and the journalistic responsibility to inform. We will also reflect on how different formats of the genre, from printed to digital, determine not only the content of the text but also the strategies to deal with the relation between fiction and facts. This course aims to propose a path from early modern letters and accounts of the Spanish Conquest, 18th and 19th century newspapers, 20th century books and magazines, to contemporary audio-visual formats such as blogs, video blogs, podcasts and social media platforms in Latin America.