Spanish and PortugueseSpanish 120 Elementary Spanish II
Staff
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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
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 this 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.
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:
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
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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:
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
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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 and the Penn-in-Buenos Aires Summer Abroad Program), 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:
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
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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:
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).
Prerequisite & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this 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
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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
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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
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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 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 directors of the Spanish language program.
Spanish 215 Spanish for the Professions I
Staff
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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 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.
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.
Spanish 348 Don Quijote
Prof. Solomon
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
As a foundation work of world literature and Hispanic culture, every student of Spanish will benefit from reading Miguel de Cervantes’ novel El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha. This course is designed to shepherd students through the novel, highlighting its major characters, plot points, themes, historical contexts, and literary techniques, while reinforcing an understanding of the work through 400 years of audiovisual representation—illustrations, cinematographic adaptations, animated versions, and musical scores. Course requirements include three exams and a short final project.
Spanish 386-301 Experimental Cultures and Politics in Spain
Prof. Moreno Caballud
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
From the visionary avant-garde of Salvador Dalí and García Lorca in the 30’s to the social effervescence during the transition to democracy in the 70’s, from the postmodern and kitsch music and films of the “Movida” of the 80’s to the recent insurrections against neoliberalism in the occupation of “plazas” in 2011, Spain is traversed by a plural, controversial, and experimental line of flight, that seems to draw the outline of an alternative History of the nation. This course will explore its continuities and ruptures, its fluctuations between art and politics, its climatic moments and its most dramatic defeats.
Spanish 386-401 Contemporary Spanish Cinema
Prof. Moreno Caballud
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
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-war years to the crisis of the dictatorship and the advent of the democratic state. 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 388 Latin American Film
Prof. De La Campa
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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 multiple roles 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. In Latin America, film almost always bears the mark of national inscriptions. We will thus begin by probing how these themes inform national history, particularly in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba, nations that developed a vibrant cinematography at various points in the 20th Century. But the main goal in this course is not only to look at film as national representation nor to stay within those four sites of production 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 class will be taught in English. Students looking to receive major or minor credit in HSPN may submit their written work in Spanish.
Spanish 390-401 Contemporary Colombian Literature: A History of Violence and Redemption
Prof. Montoya
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
Colombia has recently become a case of international interest. After fifty years of internal armed conflict, the government and the oldest communist guerrilla in the world signed a peace agreement. However, in a surprising result, voters rejected the treaty in a public referendum. How does one explain these simultaneous longing for peace and will to continue war?
This seminar will explore the particularities of the Colombian case through narrative and movies, combining different theoretical approaches, from postcolonialism to gender studies, but focusing on the relationship between literature, cultural productions, and political history and theory. We will analyze the causes and effects of the persistent violence in the country, the emergence of guerrillas, the rise of narco ‘capos’, the ‘guerra sucia’ against progressive political parties --and the constant struggle of the Colombian people to overcome this history of violence, and to build a more inclusive and democratic country.
Spanish 390-402 Fantastic Literature in Latin America
Prof. Escalante
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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, Artl, Bioy Casares, Bombal, Arreola, Carpentier, Monterroso, Ribeyro, Piñeira, Pablo Palacio, Silvina Ocampo, among others.
Spanish 396-401 Literature and Everyday Life in Colonial Mexico
Prof. Tellez
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
This course aims to answer the question of what it meant to write during 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries in Latin America by focusing on the relations between literature and everyday life in Colonial Mexico. We will explore the different practices of writing in both the public and the private realms such as the convent, the public plaza, the household, the church, and the royal court. The readings include theory on the concept of everyday life, as well as early modern letters, diaries, poems, sermons, playwriting and fiction.
Spanish 396-402 Female Sleuths: Hispanic Detective Fiction by Women
Prof. Garcia Serrano
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
By examining detective fiction written by Spanish female authors since the beginning of the 2oth century until today, this course proposes to study the evolution of this popular literary genre in Spain since its inception and in conjunction with the sociopolitical changes the country underwent during that time period. The broad temporal range of the course readings –from a novel published in 1911 (La gota de sangre by Emilia Pardo Bazán) to a famous thriller of 2016 (Imma Monsó’s Aniversario)– will lay bare the constant remolding of cultural traditions, moral codes, and investigative methods, while exposing the ways women authors have adapted or reacted to the newest trends and expectations, both social and literary.
Spanish 396-403 Mexico: Revolution and Culture
Prof. Beckman
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
Studies the central role played by cultural production in forging and imagining national revolutionary projects, from the 1910s to the 1970s. Focusing on literature, photography, painting, and film, we will examine the works of figures such as Diego Rivera, José Vasconcellos, Tina Modotti, Sergei Eisenstein, Octavio Paz, Juan Rulfo, Rosario Castellanos, Nellie Campobello, José Emilio Pacheco, and Carlos Monsiváis, among others.
Spanish 397-401 Body and Soul: Hispanic Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Healthcare
Prof. Grabner Travis
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
This course is designed for students interested in health care and the medical professions, especially from a cross-cultural perspective. You do not need to be in the medical professions and it is not a healthcare class per se; an interest in different health-related topics is all that is required. We will explore cultural perspectives and attitudes towards different topics relating to conceptions of health and illness, health care, and medical practice throughout the Hispanic and Anglo-American worlds, as represented through movies, literature, news items, and current health research. The overarching themes of the class will include public health, mental health, health and gender, health and ethnicity, and the nexus of traditional medicine and biomedicine (Western medicine). Students will have the opportunity to draw on their own knowledge, experiences, and opinions in making cross-cultural comparisons. While not all readings will be in Spanish, class will be conducted in Spanish.
Spanish 397-402 Labor in Contemporary Latin American Literature and Film
Prof. Beckman
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 219 or Spanish 223.
Studies different forms of cultural production (film, novel, short story, critical essay) as entry-points into new settings and conditions for work in Latin America, in four sectors that have become especially salient in the region: services, finance, agro-industry and the informal economy (particularly drug trafficking). We will pay particular attention to how cultural production allows us to envision the coordinates of the larger, indeed global, economy into which workers are inserted. We will examine how cultural production allows us to map shifting class structures; we will also track how gender and race shape national and international divisions of labor.