Catalog 2008-2009

MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES DEPARTMENT SPANISH PROGRAM

Division of Humanities

Assistant Professor Carlos A. De Oro, PhD, co-chair
Assistant Professor Catherine Ross, PhD, co-chair
Associate Professor William Christensen, PhD
Assistant Professor Abigail Dings, PhD
Assistant Professor Theodore Jobe, PhD
Assistant Professor Maria de los Angeles Rodriguez Cadena, PhD
Assistant Professor Laura Senio Blair, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor Darren Aversa, PhD
Visiting Instructor Alicia Cerezo Paredes, MA

Southwestern University offers major and minor programs in Spanish. The Spanish major requires a minimum of 30 semester hours, of which at least 24 must be upper level. The minor in Spanish requires a minimum of 21 semester hours, of which at least 15 must be upper level.

Courses taught in the Spanish program at Southwestern University integrate reading, writing, speaking, listening and cultural understanding. Students in Spanish undertake the shared tasks of oral work coupled with listening comprehension and reading in the context of culture. The shared pedagogy for language acquisition thus goes hand-in-hand with cultural immersion. This linguistic and cultural fluency in Spanish facilitates study abroad. Depending on the student’s interests, a student may choose from diverse programs in a number of Spanish speaking countries.

Students of Spanish are prepared for a variety of academic, business and professional careers. Special attention is given to the central importance of modern language study in this age of global awareness and economic interdependence. As we become increasingly international in outlook and are faced with the need to intensify our efforts to communicate and interact with other cultures, Spanish majors find themselves in a strong position to make significant contributions in a variety of fields. Furthermore, the study of modern languages provides a solid liberal arts foundation for any professional career.

Spanish majors are advised to pursue language courses until their proficiency assures successful work in the literary field. They are expected to acquire a general knowledge of the literature and civilization of Spain as well as the Americas. All Spanish majors are strongly urged to include plans for study abroad either during their junior year or through summer programs offered or approved by Southwestern University.

Students planning to do graduate work in languages are advised to have a strong background in analysis and interpretation of literature. Those planning to certify as language teachers must have a thorough background in the structure of the target language.

The capstone experience for Spanish majors consists of either a seminar or a study project stemming from a semester abroad or from an upper level course taken during the senior year. The program is intended to cover broad aspects of the discipline and culminates in an oral presentation.

Southwestern administers a placement examination in Spanish. Students with a high school background in language should place high enough to receive exemption from a beginning level course. Credit hours are not awarded. Students are not required to have studied a language in high school before starting language study at Southwestern. In fact, many enjoy studying a language not studied in high school.

Students taking language to fulfill the language requirement for their degrees are expected to attain proficiency in oral and written expression, listening comprehension and reading. These goals are usually attained at the end of a fourth semester course at the college level which is why students remain in the same language through the intermediate level. Students may take a proficiency test at the level required for their degree program or complete with a passing grade the specified semester requirement.

Unless they have special credits, such as a high score on an Advanced Placement or IB exam, all students entering Southwestern take a placement test for foreign language. Students can receive exemption if their placement scores so warrant; otherwise they will be advised as to which course they should take in that same language, based on the results of the placement exam and high school class time. Students may take the beginning course (-014) in a different language if they choose not to pursue the language taken in high school. Because language study is sequential, students begin language study at the level of placement, and take next courses in the sequence in order (i.e. 014, 024, 113, 123) and must earn a grade of C- or better prior to enrolling in the next course in the sequence. The courses may not be taken concurrently. Placement tests may be taken in more than one foreign language. International students whose native tongue is not English may satisfy the foreign language requirement by scoring at least 570 (paper), 88 (IBT) or 230 (computer) on the TOEFL exam.

Students who major or minor in Spanish, and who have placed out of the foreign language requirement based on the results of their language placement exam as entering first-year students, may earn up to six semester hours of lower level credit corresponding to Spanish 15-113/123 upon successful completion of the major or minor. Students who placed into Spanish 15-123 on the language placement exam may earn credit for Spanish 15-113 upon completion of the major or minor. This also applies to Education majors who intend to certify in Spanish. Under no circumstances may an individual earn credit for more than two courses in Spanish by AP or placement examinations (see “Credit By Examination”).

The Language Learning Center at Southwestern offers students wide-band access to the latest in multimedia courseware within the center’s subnetwork and to native language materials from all over the globe. Students engage in a wide variety of language related activities in the center. These include accessing Web-based digital lab manuals for introductory language courses, writing papers, developing multimedia presentations, and accessing print, audio and video media through Internet, cable and satellite connections. Functioning as a vehicle for the delivery of local instructional materials and as a portal onto a vast world of native language and cultural content, the center is an invaluable resource for students of language, culture and international affairs.

Major in Spanish: 30 semester hours, including Spanish 15-333, 343; 413 or 423; 933 (Capstone); nine semester hours of upper-level Spanish literature; nine additional hours of Spanish, three hours of which must be upper-level.

Minor in Spanish: 21 semester hours, including Spanish 15-333, 343; three hours of upper-level Spanish literature; 12 additional hours of Spanish, six hours of which must be above the introductory level.

See the Education Department for information regarding teacher certification in Spanish.

Spanish (SPA)

All courses are taught in Spanish.

15-014, 024SPANISH I & II. Introduction to the language, with emphasis on listening, speaking, writing,, reading and cultural study.
15-113SPANISH III. Continued practice in the target language. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-024 or equivalent.
15-123SPANISH IV. Intermediate course designed to develop communicative skills in Spanish, focusing on four areas of listening, speaking, writing and reading. An additional goal is to develop some basic knowledge of cultural differences and similarities between the US and Spanish-speaking countries. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-113 or equivalent.
15-213INTERMEDIATE ORAL AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION. A course designed to improve the students’ skills in oral and written expression, while also furthering their development in oral and written comprehension. The goal of this class is to increase students’ self-confidence in using Spanish and in controlling complex grammatical aspects, with emphasis on the use of already learned grammatical structures. The course is organized primarily around presentations and discussions of cultural readings. This course is not recommended for native speakers. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-123 or permission of instructor.
15-333ADVANCED COMPOSITION. An intermediate course designed to introduce students to the interpretation of literary texts and to help them acquire the technical vocabulary needed to describe and debate literary issues. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-123 or permission of instructor.
15-343CULTURES OF THE HISPANIC WORLD. Exploration of Peninsular Spanish and Latin American cultures incorporating a variety of materials and approaches, such as geography, history, architecture, literature, music, art and religion. Involves use of Internet resources. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-123 or permission of instructor. (H) (IP)
15-413PENINSULAR LITERATURE: MEDIEVAL TO ENLIGHTENMENT. Interpretation and analysis of pre-19th century representative texts from Spain, emphasizing Medieval and Golden Age literature. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-333 or permission of instructor. (H)
15-423LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE: PRE-COLOMBIAN TO ENLIGHTENMENT. Interpretation and analysis of pre-19th century representative texts from Spanish America, focusing on both the Colonial and Post-Colonial periods. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-333 or permission of instructor. (H)
15-513CONTEMPORARY PENINSULAR LITERATURE: 19TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT. Interpretation and analysis of 19th, 20th, and 21st century representative texts from Spain. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-333 or permission of instructor. (H)
15-523CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE: 19TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT. Major figures and literary movements of the 19th, 20th, and 21st century in Latin America will be studied. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-333 or permission of instructor. (H)
15-613TOPICS IN HISPANIC FILM AND THEATRE. Interpretation and analysis of selected works by Spanish and/or Latin American directors and dramaturges. Course may be repeated when content varies. Prerequisites: Spanish 15-333 and a 400 or 500 level course, or permission of instructor. (H)
15-623TOPICS IN HISPANIC LITERATURE. Interpretation and analysis of selected works by Spanish and/or Latin American authors. Course may be repeated when content varies. Prerequisites: Spanish 15-333 and a 400 or 500 level course, or permission of instructor. (H)
15-001, 002, 003, 004SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
15-301, 302, 303, 304SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
15-403SELECTED TOPICS IN LITERATURE. May be repeated with change in topic. Prerequisite: Spanish 15-333.
15-901, 902, 903, 904TUTORIAL.
15-933RESEARCH SEMINAR FOR SENIORS. Fulfills the requirements for a capstone experience in Spanish. Prerequisites: SPA15-333, 343, either 413 or 423, and one from 513, 523, 613 or 623. (H)
15-941, 942, 943, 944ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP. Must be taken Pass/D/F.
15-951, 952, 953, 954INDEPENDENT STUDY. May be repeated with changed content.
15-983HONORS. By invitation only.