Spanish Course Descriptions 

Lower-Division | Upper-Division | Courses for Undergrad or Grad Credit  | Tentative Schedule 2021-22 


 

Lower-Division Courses

SPAN 104.  Introductory Spanish  (3)

Students develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in the target language and gain awareness of the structure of the Spanish language and of the diversity of cultures in the Spanish-speaking world. Besides work in the classroom, computer-based assignments to be completed outside of class are required. Intended for students with no previous formal instruction in Spanish. Anyone with previous instruction must take the placement exam and are admitted to 104 only if the placement score does not qualify the student for SPAN 105Course includes diversity content.

SPAN 105.  Elementary Spanish I   (3)

Students continue to develop the four basic skills in the target language (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and gain cultural awareness and communicative skills in a range of social situations. Besides work in the classroom, computer-based assignments to be completed outside of class are required. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 104 or qualifying score on departmental placement exam.

SPAN 106. Elementary Spanish II (3)  

Students engage in culturally appropriate communicative tasks in different registers and situations to further develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Besides work in the classroom, computer-based assignments to be completed outside of class are required. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 105 or qualifying score on departmental placement exam.

SPAN 150.  Workshop in Spanish   (2-4).

Repeatable for credit.

SPAN 204.  Intermediate Spanish   (3).

General education humanities course. Students expand their knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world and enhance proficiency in expressing personal meaning in culturally appropriate language. Grammatical elements and practical vocabulary coalesce through conversational practice; routine complications are resolved with greater ease in the target language. Besides work in the classroom, computer-based assignments to be completed outside of class are required. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 106 or qualifying score on departmental placement exam.

SPAN 212.  Spanish for Law Enforcement   (5).

Accelerated course focusing on the real-world Spanish language needs of preservice and in-service law enforcement officers. Provides intensive practice in comprehension and production of spoken Spanish in transactional law enforcement situations. Develops some reading and writing skills; the main goal, however is content-specific listening and speaking proficiency. Also aims to prepare students to practice law enforcement in a culturally-sensitive manner. Substitutes as SPAN 204 for criminal justice majors only to meet the LAS foreign language requirement.

SPAN 220.  Intermediate Spanish Grammar and Composition   (3).

Review of all major tenses in Spanish and the three moods (indicative, subjunctive, imperative); in-depth exploration of structural elements of the language including pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and comparisons; special emphasis on written Spanish through composition writing. As grammar review, this course differs in approach and pace from SPAN 111-210. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 210 or qualifying score on departmental placement exam (score remains valid one year from date of exam).

SPAN 220H.  Intermediate Spanish Grammar and Composition Honors   (3).

Review of all major tenses in Spanish and the three moods (indicative, subjunctive, imperative); in-depth exploration of structural elements of the language including pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and comparisons; special emphasis on written Spanish through composition writing. As grammar review, this course differs in approach and pace from SPAN 111-210. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 210 or qualifying score on departmental placement exam (score remains valid one year from date of exam).

SPAN 321.  Spanish Grammar and Composition for Heritage Speakers   (3). 

Focuses on writing skills, spelling and selected grammar points. For students who grew up speaking Spanish at home but have not studied the language formally, and students who have had extensive experience in an immersion context. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): self-identification and qualifying score on departmental placement exam (score remains valid one year from date of exam).

SPAN 323.  Selected Spanish Readings   (3). 

General education humanities course. Intensive reading of Latin-American and Spanish literary works. Also includes outside readings and reports. Course satisfies the LAS literature requirement. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 210, or three units of high school Spanish, or departmental consent.

SPAN 323H.  Selected Spanish Readings Honors   (3). 

General education humanities course. Intensive reading of Latin-American and Spanish literary works. Also includes outside readings and reports. Course satisfies the LAS literature requirement. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 210, or three units of high school Spanish, or departmental consent.


Upper-Division Courses

SPAN 325.  Intermediate Spanish Conversation   (3).

Develops aural and oral proficiency through listening, vocabulary building, culturally appropriate communication strategies and pronunciation practice in an immersion environment. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 210 or qualifying score on departmental placement exam (score remains valid one year from date of exam).

SPAN 400.  Intermediate Spanish Readings   (3). 

General education humanities course. Intensive reading and analysis of Spanish literary works of all periods. Course satisfies the LAS literature requirement. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 323 or departmental consent.

SPAN 481.  Cooperative Education   (1-4).

Provides a field placement which integrates theory with a planned and supervised professional experience designed to complement and enhance the student's academic program. Individualized programs formulated in consultation with, and approved by, appropriate faculty sponsors. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or departmental consent.

SPAN 481N.  Internship   (1-4).

Complements and enhances the student's academic program by providing an opportunity to apply and acquire knowledge in a workplace environment as an intern. Prerequisite(s): departmental consent.


Courses for Graduate/Undergraduate Credit

SPAN 505.  Spanish Phonetics   (3).

Cross-listed as LING 505C. Includes articulatory phonetics, phonemics, sound/symbol correspondences, dialectal and stylistic variations. Required for future Spanish teachers. Prerequisite(s): any 200-level SPAN course or departmental consent.

SPAN 520.  Hispanic Film: Cinema in the Spanish Speaking World  (3).

Focuses on various general topics affecting the Spanish speaking societies. The film productions from Spain and Latin America in the original Spanish language studied in class serve as cultural instruments to analyze some endemic social problems affecting the Hispanic societies including immigration, repressive governments, globalization, gender inequality among others. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 400.

SPAN 525.  Advanced Spanish Conversation   (3).

Provides students the opportunity to further develop aural and oral proficiency through listening, vocabulary building, culturally appropriate communication strategies, skits, presentations and pronunciation practice in an immersion environment. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 325 or departmental consent.

SPAN 526.  Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition   (3).

Students develop the ability to utilize advanced grammatical structures, create advanced-level written texts and communicate successfully in written Spanish. Class activities include grammatical analysis and practice, writing assignments of varying length, and peer review. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220 or SPAN 321 or departmental consent.

SPAN 546.  Spanish Language Learning   (3).

Cross-listed as LING 546. Introduces language learning from an applied linguistics perspective: the processes of first and second language acquisition, elements of Spanish grammar that are often difficult for English speakers, and social aspects of language learning. Appropriate for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Taught in Spanish. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 526 or departmental consent.

SPAN 547.  Spanish in the U.S.   (3).

Cross-listed as LING 547. Explores the structural and social aspects of Spanish in the United States. Examines the history and social context of the use of Spanish in the U.S. as well as dialectical and contact phenomena in U.S. Spanish. Also covers Spanish in education, in the media and in other aspects of public life in the U.S. Appropriate for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Taught in Spanish. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 526 or departmental consent.

SPAN 552.  Business Spanish   (3).

Provides the opportunity to learn and practice commercial correspondence, business vocabulary, translation and interpretation of business texts. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 526.

SPAN 557.  Principles of Translation and Interpreting   (3).

For students wishing to learn skills and techniques of translation and interpreting in addition to developing vocabulary in different domains of professional Spanish. Course combines readings, discussions and applied practice/hands-on activities. Pre- or corequisite(s): SPAN 526 or departmental consent.

SPAN 558.  Advanced Translation and Interpreting   (3).

Further study of translation and interpreting of different types of texts for the professional world. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 526557; or departmental consent.

SPAN 559.  Spanish for the Health Professions   (3).

Gives students a fundamental background in the Spanish that is spoken in health care settings and explores health disparities affecting Latinos in the U.S. Through conversation practice, simulated situations, readings, vocabulary exercises, projects, oral interviews, etc., students learn to communicate in Spanish in a wide range of situations pertinent to health-related scenarios. While the course does review some grammatical concepts in Spanish, all grammar practice is studied in the context of the health care setting. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 526.

SPAN 561.  Practicum in Spanish for the Professions   (3).

Service-learning course in which advanced students in the Spanish for the Professions program are matched with a community partner organization that has identified a need for professional-level Spanish language work. Students spend 45 or more hours using their Spanish language skills to meet the identified community need. Students develop a service-learning plan with a site preceptor at the community organization and participate in activities designed to prepare them to meet the needs of their site, meet regularly with the supervising Spanish professor, reflect critically on the community need they are addressing and on their own role in addressing this need, and reflect on their experiences with the partner organization and community members. Course includes diversity content.Prerequisite(s): SPAN 557SPAN 558 and SPAN 559 or instructor's consent.

SPAN 562.  Practicum in Spanish Teaching   (3).

Service-learning course in which advanced students in Spanish are matched with an educational institution that has identified a need for assistance in a Spanish bilingual or heritage language educational context. Students spend 45 or more hours using their Spanish language skills to meet the identified educational need. They develop a service-learning plan with a site preceptor at the educational institution and participate in activities designed to prepare them to meet the needs of their site, meet regularly with the supervising Spanish professor, reflect critically on the educational and community needs they are addressing and on their own role in addressing this need, and reflect on their experiences with the partner organization and community members. Students who are already full-time teachers can complete this practicum in their own classroom. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): MCLL 454F and SPAN 546 or SPAN 547.

SPAN 610.  Survey of Spanish Medieval and Premodern Literature   (3).

Spanish literature from the beginning to 1700. Main currents of medieval and early Spanish literature. Topics include major authors, works and literary movements of the periods. Consists of analysis of short stories, poems, plays and other genres. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 400 or departmental consent.

SPAN 611.  Survey of Spanish Modern Literature   (3).

Main currents of Spanish literature from 1700 to the present. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 400 or departmental consent.

SPAN 620.  Survey of Latin-American Literature   (3).

Survey of Latin-American literature from pre-Columbian times through the building of new nations, and to the rise of Modernismo at the turn of the 20th century. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 400 or departmental consent.

SPAN 621.  Survey of Contemporary Latin-American Literature   (2-3).

Provides students with a chronological and thematic approach to the main currents of Latin-American literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. Provides a critical presentation of major realist, naturalist, avant-garde, boom and postboom authors. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 400 or departmental consent.

SPAN 622.  Special Studies in Spanish   (1-4).

Topic for study chosen with aid of instructor. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite(s): instructor's consent.

SPAN 623.  Seminar In Spanish   (2-3).

Seminar in Spanish literature, language or civilization. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 400.

SPAN 623C.  Seminar in Spanish-American Culture   (1-5).

Special studies in Spanish and Latin-American culture and civilization. For graduate/undergraduate credit. Given on a rotating basis. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite(s): departmental consent.

SPAN 624.  Seminar in Latin-American Literature or Culture   (3).

May focus on a literary genre, historic or artistic period, main historic figure or author, region or topic, including transnational or transatlantic phenomena. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 400 or departmental consent.

SPAN 626.  Spanish Civilization   (3).

Intensive study of Spanish culture, including historical and geographical factors in its development and its contributions to world civilization. Pre- or corequisite(s): SPAN 220, 321 and 325 or departmental consent.

SPAN 627.  Latin-American Civilization   (3).

Intensive study of Latin-American culture, including the historical and geographical factors of its development and its contributions to world civilization. Pre- or corequisite(s): SPAN 220, 321 and 325 or departmental consent.

SPAN 632.  Hispanic Cooking Communities   (3).

Analyzes food and food representation as potential national symbols and examines their cultural meanings. Examples of the importance of Hispanic and Latino foods and culinary traditions through the years with particular attention to the diasporic communities and the impact of immigrant food are studied. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220/SPAN 321 and SPAN 325 or departmental consent.

SPAN 633.  Latin@ Studies   (3).

Introduces students to the range of issues that form the foundation of Latin@ studies. Students analyze the histories of the diverse Latin@ subgroups and acquire a multidisciplinary and panoramic perspective on the Latin@ collective and individual experience in the U.S. Special consideration is paid to the experiences of Latin@s in the Midwest and the representation of Latin@s in media. Course is taught in Spanish and includes readings in both Spanish and English. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 220, 321 and 325 or departmental consent.

SPAN 641.  Seminar in Hispanic Applied Linguistics   (3).

Topics include: (1) learning and teaching Spanish, (2) Spanish in the professions, (3) discourse and intercultural communication, (4) social and political contexts. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): MCLL 351 or instructor's consent.

SPAN 750.  Workshop in Spanish   (2-4).

Repeatable for credit.

SPAN 750C.  Contextualized Language Instruction   (2).

Cross-listed as FREN 750C. Workshop on foreign language pedagogy. Required for GTAs in Spanish; open to advanced undergraduate French, Latin, or Spanish teaching majors. Prerequisite(s): enrolled in the MCLL Teaching Major, acceptance into the MA program in Spanish or French, or departmental consent.

 

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