Spanish

This course provides a study of pre-Hispanic Nahuatl literature and culture as it interacts and changes with the beginning of colonization. Topics include: characterization of Nahuatl literary genres, alphabetization of oral traditions, Spanish conquistador influence and basic comprehension of the Nahuatl language of Central Mexico. Texts covered include: Miguel León-Portilla, EL DESTINO DE LA PALABRA; Patrick K. Johansson, LA PALABRA, LA IMAGEN Y EL MANUSCRITO; Rafael Tena, MITOS E HISTORIAL DE LOS ANTIGUOS NAHUAS; Elizabeth Hill Boone, CICLOS DE TIEMPO Y SIGNIFICADO EN LOS LIBROS MEXICANOS DEL DESTINO.

This class covers Mexican literature of the colonial period from the beginning of the 17th Century to the end of the 18th Century, providing a historical and critical overview of the literature that developed in New Spain during this period. Through the reading of representative texts (poetry, narratives, drama and essays), the course examines the principal characteristics of the literature of New Spain from Mannerism and the Baroque to neoclassicism. The course further identifies the most important characteristics of the diverse literary currents and genres of this period and the importance of the studied texts and authors in the history of Mexican literature. Topics and readings may vary by semester and course instructor.

The Iberian Peninsula was home to the first ventures of global empire. Drawing on key medieval and early modern texts in Portuguese and Spanish from the peninsula and its colonies this course examines the literary representation of frontiers and colonization. Students learn about the emergence of the modern states we now call Spain and Portugal and how they were not only the initiators of worldwide transformations, but also the products of a complex process of colonization. Through the literary representation of the relations between Christians, Iberian Muslims, and the indigenous peoples of Africa and the New World, key concepts of frontier, conquest, reconquest, conversion and coexistence are examined as part of global movements and dynamic cultural (ex)change.

This course analyzes language from diverse perspectives (biological, cognitive, social, and cultural) and discusses its fundamental questions, such as its evolution, variation, acquisition, and relationship with other semiotic systems. 

This is the first part in the introduction to Spanish series. The course helps students acquire a basic level of Spanish language ability while broadening their overall understanding of the Spanish language, culture, and society. The course begins with the Spanish alphabet, basic vocabulary, and grammar review. It also develops a basic level of reading and writing skills in Spanish. 

The course provides students with specialised knowledge of language, literature, film and society in Spain or Latin America. It contains an independent thematic study in the area of Spanish-speaking culture. The course provides further practice in oral and written proficiency.

This five-week intensive Spanish course is geared for students with previous language study experience and aims to build on this foundation to develop further communicative skills. The lectures are divided into five units which cover one or more forms of grammar each week and are complemented with readings, exercises, games, and songs. Basic forms of grammar covered include: accentuation; gender/number agreement; review of ser and estar; reflexive verbs; perfect present; conditionals, past perfect; subjunctive; imperative; relative pronouns; por and para; future tense. Assessment is based on class participation and a final exam.

This course focuses on Spanish theater and dramatic literature. It examines the world of the theater: actors, producers, and the public; theatrical movements at the turn of the century; continuity and modernization; innovative playwrights and conceptual theater; tradition and avant-garde; the theater of "urgency" during the Civil War and the playwrights of exile; post-war theater, escapist conformity, and humor; the new realism; theater as spectacle and experiment; and new trends and "theatre groups."

This course examines the early linguistic development of the Spanish language, with special emphasis on the sociological and historic elements that have influenced this development. It covers the basics of diachronic linguistics, the evolution from Latin to hispanicized Latin to Romance to Spanish, the Germanic and Arabic substrata of Spanish, medieval Spanish and its linguistic affinity with other Romance languages, modern Spanish including major changes of the 15th to 17th centuries, and contemporary trends and variations in the Spanish language.

This course provides a study of the theoretical and methodological approaches used in teaching and learning comprehension, oral, and written expression skills necessary for the acquisition of Spanish as a second language. It covers linguistic and non-linguistic elements of oral and written communication; the relationship between speaking and writing; conversational, standard, formal and specialized styles.