2002-2003

Intermediate Spanish: Language, Literature, and Film
Semester: Year
Level: Intermediate

This course is intended for students who have mastered the basics of Spanish, both theoretically and as vehicle of oral exchange. Although due importance will be given to the formal study of Spanish morphology and syntax, the approach to teaching will be eminently practical. The emphasis of the course work will be placed on the development and consolidation of increasingly effective communicative skills, seeking to have students put their linguistic competence to work outside the classroom content. Whenever possible, they will be encouraged to engage in activities related to service learning and community service. Conceptually, the seminar will revolve around the relationship between literature and film throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Besides the regular class meetings, students will be required to attend film screenings on a weekly basis. Conversation classes with the language assistant will be carefully integrated into the structure of the course. Conference work will be tailored to the individual needs of the students.

First-Year Studies: Impossible Landscapes: Literatures of the Spanish-Speaking World

Semester: FYS
Level: FYS
In this course we will embark on an unusual journey of discovery and exploration: the mapping of a world whose geography seems to be the dream of a visionary cartographer. However, such world exists. Unified by language, our aim will be to study the literary manifestations of the Spanish-speaking world. The journey will take us from the imaginary kingdom of Aztlán in the USA to the cities of contemporary Iberia; from the Latino neighborhoods in Chicago, the Bronx, and L. A., across the Río Grande, to the plains of Mexico. From the jungles of Meso-America to the straits off Tierra del Fuego — where the rough cold waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans meet. From the islands of the Caribbean to the heartland of Amazonia. This is a literature that blends the worldview of the Amerindian peoples, with those of African and European cultures. Ours will be a global approach, so we shall incorporate works written in English by Latinos, as well as Luso-Brazilians authors. We shall travel back in time, tracking down the historical steps that converged into the formation of the different canonical traditions. During the first semester we will not go beyond the twentieth century. After the winter break, we shall explore the historical roots of the pan-Hispanic world, which hark back to the Mediterranean cultures of Greece and Rome — together with elements from the Arab, the Jewish, and the Gothic. Although literature will be our main concern, there will be ample room for the study of other cultural manifestations, such as music, art, and film.