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Spanish & Portuguese Curriculum
Spanish
Major
The Spanish major consists of a total of eleven courses numbered 200 and above. Required courses are 230 (Advanced Grammar), 231 (Spanish Composition), 305 (Introduction to Literary Analysis and Theory) and 410 (Seminar in Hispanic Literature). A maximum of 4 of the courses may be at the 200 level. A minimum of ten courses must be conducted in the Spanish language; only one course in English related to Luso-Hispanic themes can count towards the major. This course should be taken with the FLIC option if it is available. Before taking a 400-level course students should complete at least two courses at the 300 level. SPAN 410 must be taken in the senior year.
For Majors Intending Off-Campus Study and Transfer Students: Regardless of the amount of transfer credit or off-campus study credit earned, a student majoring in Spanish must complete a minimum of five courses on campus. Of these five, at least two regular courses must be completed during the senior year.
Minor
The Spanish minor consists of a total of six courses numbered 200 or above. Required courses are 230 (Advanced Grammar), 231 (Spanish Composition), and 305 (Introduction to Literary Analysis and Theory). A maximum of four courses may be at the 200 level. Exceptions can be made by permission of the Chair.
Suggested Four Year Program
First Year: 230 231, 305
Second Year: 200-level courses not taken in the first year, 305 if not taken in first year, and/or 300-level
Third Year: Junior Year Abroad, or 300-level courses not taken in second year. 300-level courses may also be taken in the third year.
Fourth Year: 300 and 400-level courses, including 410
NOTE: The courses for the Spanish major should be carefully planned in consultation with the student's major advisor.
Teacher Certification
For information, see the Director of Teacher Education, or visit the Education Department web site.
Independent Study
This is an opportunity to explore individually an area of special interest to the student within the discipline. It is normally arranged through individual contact between the student and the professor involved in the semester preceding the actual project, and approved by the department chairperson.
Honors in the Major
Spanish majors wishing to graduate with honors in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese should speak with the department Chair during the fall semester of the senior year. Honors will be awarded to students who successfully complete a significant scholarly essay (normally thirty to fifty pages in length) and defend the work during an oral examination given by a committee of departmental faculty. This project should be done in close collaboration with a department faculty member and cannot be undertaken before fulfillment of the senior seminar requirement. Essays done for the senior seminar or other advanced course will often be the starting point for the Honors project.
Opportunities for Off-Campus Study
Dickinson offers fall semester or full year programs at the University of Málaga, Spain. This program is intended to enhance and enrich the strong Spanish major the student has initiated on the Carlisle campus. Students wishing to study in Latin America may take advantage of Dickinson's program in Querétaro, Mexico. Dickinson also has Partner Programs in Argentina and Brazil. Information is available from faculty in the Spanish Department or the Center for Global Study and Engagement.
NOTE: Spanish majors going abroad should carefully plan their course schedule with the assistance of their faculty advisor.
Courses
101 Elementary Spanish
This course is designed for students who have never taken Spanish previously. The course focuses on all four language skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking, with an emphasis on vocabulary development and listening comprehension development.
Prerequisite: No prior study of Spanish and permission of department.
104 Elementary Spanish
This course is a continuation of Spanish 101. The course focuses on all four language skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking, with increasing emphasis on speaking.
Prerequisite: 101. Upon completion, students go to 116.
116 Intermediate Spanish
This course is a continuation of Spanish 104. The course focuses on all four language skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking, with increasing emphasis on writing and speaking.
Prerequisite: 104, 108, or placement by department.
120 Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Spanish for Heritage Speakers is an intermediate language course designed for heritage learners, but which includes other student interests in specific content areas, such as US Latino immigration, identity, ethnicity, education, and representation in the media. Linguistic goals include vocabulary acquisition, improvement in writing, and enhancement of formal communicative skills.
Prerequisite: Placement by department. This course is for students with no previous formal training, no high school Spanish, who live in a home in which Spanish is spoken. This course fulfills the foreign language graduation requirement.
230 Advanced Grammar
The primary goal of this course is to develop students' formal knowledge of Spanish by reviewing and studying the more challenging grammatical structures. The course will also work on development of skills in reading, oral expression, and vocabulary development. The purpose of the course is to equip students with the formal grammatical background necessary to be successful in courses on Hispanic literatures, linguistics and cultures.
Prerequisite: 116, 120, or the equivalent.
231 Spanish Composition
The primary goal of this course is to develop students' writing skills in Spanish. Course topics will consist of a focused cultural theme chosen by the professor. Examples of possible topics include: Hispanic Cultures through Film: Students will learn about the current culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries through discussion of films. This course will emphasize acquisition of the critical skills necessary to analyze Spanish-language cinema within the context of its country of origin. Hispanic Cultures through Painting: This course will analyze major themes in Hispanic cultures through the lens of painting. Readings that illuminate social, political, and cultural contexts will prepare students to better appreciate the historical significance of a wide variety of well-known painters. Hispanic Cultures through Literature: Students will learn the literary tradition of selected countries through novels, poems and short plays by representative writers. Emphasis will be on tracing the development of the culture of the country studied. Hispanic Cultures through Media: Students will learn the values, mores and traditions of selected Spanish-speaking countries through popular media and its portrayal of current events. Emphasis will be on analyzing Spanish-language newspapers, magazines and television in order to understand their imagined audience.
Prerequisite: 230. This course fulfills the WR graduation requirement.
238 Spanish for Business Professions
This is a specialized course that emphasizes the language of business. Students will study the lexicon and language protocols appropriate to the basic functions of international business. The goal is to improve oral, reading, and writing skills while acquiring a general business vocabulary, and a broadened intercultural perspective.
Prerequisite: 230, or permission of instructor.
239 Spanish for Health Professions
This is a specialized course emphasizing Spanish language and culture as they relate to health and medicine. The course goal is written and oral communication and cultural fluency as they relate to the delivery of health-care services to Limited-English-Proficient, Hispanic patients. Off-campus volunteer work with native Spanish speakers is required.
Prerequisite: 116 and permission of instructor, or, 200 level placement, or 230. Offered every fall semester.
295 Introduction to U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture
This interdisciplinary introduction to Latina/o Studies discusses foundational historical, cultural, political, artistic, and literary texts of the U.S. Latina/o community. This class will cover diasporic movements and issues of identity, with a particular focus on the Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban-American diaspora.
Prerequisite: 231. This course fulfills the DIV I.b. distribution requirement and US Diversity graduation requirement. This course is cross-listed as LALC 295 and AMST 200.
305 Introduction to Literary Analysis and Theory
This course introduces students to different methods of reading and analyzing literary and non-literary texts. These may include - among others - formalist, psychoanalytic, feminist, semiotic, and poststructuralist approaches. Students will read both primary texts and theoretical studies, and they will be required to analyze texts themselves.
Prerequisite: 231. This course fulfills the WR graduation requirement.
310 Medieval Iberian Texts and Literatures
This course explores texts written from the 8th-through the 15th-centuries, in the Medieval Iberian Peninsula, within the cultural context of Medieval Iberia's pluralistic society of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Topics may include the chivalric tradition, folklore, and the literature of courtly love. Earlier texts may be studied in modernized versions.
Prerequisite: 305.
311 Pre-Columbian and Colonial Spanish American Texts
This course will cover literatures of Spanish America produced before 1492 as well as during the colonial period. In their consideration of the development of what can be considered American discourses during this period, students will explore how local and regional identities were formed and expressed in the pre-colonial and colonial context.
Prerequisite: 305. This course is cross-listed as LALC 311.
320 Studies in Spanish Golden Age Texts
This course will present the diversity of Spanish literature during a moment of great achievement. The evolution of various genres will be studied, and various works by writers such as Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Calderón, Góngora, Quevedo and others will be read. The purpose is to acquaint the student with works that have had a significant impact on Hispanic cultures and literatures.
Prerequisite: 305.
321 Late Colonial and Nineteenth Century Latin American Literatures
This course covers literature produced in Latin America during the late colonial and early national periods. Possible themes include the role of literature with regard to the development of national, regional, and hemispheric identities, nationalism, gender, race, and visual cultures.
Prerequisite: 305. This course is cross-listed as LALC 321.
330 Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Spanish Literature
This class will focus on literature from the eighteenth- and nineteenth-centuries in Spain, with particular emphasis on literary movements, including Neoclassicism, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism. Readings will include poetry, novels, essays and plays. We will pay particular attention to textual analysis and to the relevant cultural, social and historical contexts of the literature under study.
Prerequisite: 305.
331 Modernismo and Vanguardias
This course will explore major literary and cultural trends in Spanish America Poetry from the Modernista and Vanguardia movements. The study of the concept of Modernity, its impact on humanity and the reaction of the intellectuals to it will be the main focus of the class. Emphasis will be given to poets such as Rubén Darío, José Martí, Delmira Agustini, and Jorge Luis Borges. Special attention will be paid to the connections of poetry and socio-politics in late Nineteenth-Century and early Twentieth-Century Spanish America.
Prerequisite: 305. This course is cross-listed as LALC 331.
340 Modern and Contemporary Spanish Literature
This course introduces students to a variety of texts from different genres and periods, with an emphasis on significant cultural trends and the texts that reflect them. Close critical reading and attention to relevant cultural, social, and historical contexts will be emphasized.
Prerequisite: 305.
341 Studies in Twentieth-Century Spanish American Texts
This course will analyze major literary and cultural trends in Spanish American narratives and drama of the 20th Century. Special attention will be given to the connection between these works and the important socio-political movements of the time.
Prerequisite: 305. This course is cross-listed as LALC 341.
350 Latino/Latina Literatures
This course provides a literary and interdisciplinary examination of the Latina and Latino experience in the United States. Students will become familiarized with various theoretical perspectives on the artistic, social, political, and economic condition of Latinos as producers of American culture. Attention will be given to understanding the ties between literary and social transformation in the literature of Latinas and Latinos.
Prerequisite: 305. This course fulfills the DIV I.b. distribution requirement and US Diversity graduation requirement. This course is cross-listed as LALC 350.
351 U.S. Latina/o-Caribbean Literature
This course, taught in Spanish, provides a literary and interdisciplinary examination of the experience of members of the Latina/o-Caribbean diaspora in the United States (Cubans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Haitians). Students will become familiarized with various theoretical perspectives on the artistic, social, political, and economic condition of Latina/o-Caribbean writers as producers of American culture. Attention will be given to understanding the ties between literary and social transformation in cultural production of the Latina/o-Caribbean diaspora.
Prerequisite: 305. This course fulfills the DIV I.b. distribution requirement and US Diversity and WR graduation requirements. This course is cross-listed as LALC 351 and AMST 301.
360 Introduction to Translation Studies
An introduction to translation as a professional discipline. Emphasis will be on literary translation (principally Spanish to English). Students will learn how translation advances their knowledge of both English and Spanish and how it makes them more perceptive readers as well as more critical observers of the cultural presuppositions that inform all texts. Attention will also be given to some of the major theoretical issues that have vexed translators historically.
Prerequisites: 305 and one additional 300-level course; or, 305 and permission of the instructor.
365 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
This course serves as an introduction to the concepts of phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax of the Spanish language. Students are introduced to the concept of descriptive linguistics and linguistic analysis. Students are introduced to linguistic development, historical linguistics and linguistic variation and change.
Prerequisite: 231.
366 Introduction to Spanish Sociolinguistics
This course will introduce students to the study of variation and change in Spanish based on a variety of sociological factors. Topics will include phonological variation, morphological and morphosyntactic variation, discourse analysis, and languages in contact.
Prerequisite: 365.
380 Topics in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies
Study of significant cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning the Spanish and/or Portuguese speaking world. Some topics offered recently were: Medieval Women Writers, Perverted Subjects in 19th century Spain, Latin American Jewish Women Writers, The Growing Up Theme in Hispanic Literatures.
Prerequisite: 305 or permission of the instructor.
385 Topics in Latina/o Studies
This class, which will generally be taught in Spanish, studies significant cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning the U.S. Latina/o community. A sampling of topics includes: The Mexican-American Border; Nueva York, Diaspora City; U.S. Latinos: Between Two Cultures; Latina/o Poetry; New Latino Narratives; Latina Writers; Afro-Latino Cultural Production in the U.S., Semiotics and the Aesthetics of Latina/o Cinema.
Prerequisite: 305. This course fulfills the DIV I.b. distribution requirement and US Diversity graduation requirement. This course is cross-listed as LALC 385 and AMST 301 (when topic is relevant).
The following courses are offered only at the Dickinson Study Center in Málaga:
200 Málaga Summer Immersion
A five-week course in contemporary Spanish language and culture offered at the University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain. Students will reside with Spanish families, speak only Spanish during this five-week period, and participate in intensive language and culture classes, special lectures, and field trips arranged by Dickinson in cooperation with the Cursos para Extranjeros of the University of Málaga.
Prerequisite: 116 or equivalent and permission of the department.
251 Language Tutorial
Oral practice and written compositions on a variety of topics including the students' first-hand encounters with key aspects of Spanish society. This course functions as an intensive language laboratory on location in the city.
371 Literary Analysis of Hispanic Texts
An in-depth study of texts of a specific period and/or genre. This course often focuses on contemporary writers and includes class visits by authors being studied.
372 Spanish Society and Culture
In-depth study of several aspects of Spanish cultural traditions and values. Contrasts Andalusian culture with other peninsular cultures. Oral and written reports concerning cultural aspects of life in Málaga. Local field trips and interviews are an important part of the course.
Offered in the fall semester.
373 Spanish and Hispanoarab Art
An overview of Spanish art followed by an emphasis on the Hispanoarab art of Andalusia. This course requires students to visit many museums and places of architectural importance. Includes on-site oral presentations and research.
This course fulfills the DIV I.c. distribution requirement.
374 Spain and the European Union
An interdisciplinary course that focuses on the institutions of the EU and how they impact Spain and the lives of Spaniards. Topics discussed include immigration, tourism, and national identity. Attention also given to bilateral and multilateral relations between Spain and other EU member states.
Does not count for credit towards the Spanish major.
381 Topics in Hispanic Studies
Study of significant cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning the Spanish-speaking world. Peninsular and Latin American topics may be offered. Specific topics to be announced.
The following courses are offered in the Dickinson in South America Program:
252 Ecuador and the Andes: Culture, History and Society
This interdisciplinary class examines the culture, history, philosophy, and literature of Ecuador and the Andes. Students will explore topics such as social and value systems, environmental diversity, and colonial encounters. Special emphasis will be placed on identities through the lens of gender, ethnicity, and race. This class also includes a Spanish language component. Class trips will be made to selected areas of Ecuador that are of archaeological, cultural, and historical significance.
Prerequisites: 231 and acceptance into the Dickinson in South America Program. This course fulfills the DIV II social sciences distribution requirement and the Comparative Civilizations graduation requirement. This course is cross-listed as LALC 203. Offered every semester.
362 Argentina in a Latin American Context
This class approaches Argentine reality from an interdisciplinary perspective, including culture, economic and social life, geography and history, and philosophical and social factors. It will examine the diversity of Argentine society in the context of Latin American political, social, and cultural developments. National and regional perspectives will be included as well. Class trips will be made to selected areas of the Mendoza region that are of cultural and historical significance.
Prerequisites: 231 and acceptance into the Dickinson in South America Program. This course fulfills the Comparative Civilizations graduation requirement. This course is cross-listed as LALC 204. Offered every semester.
Portuguese
The College offers an interdisciplinary minor in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies. Students may take significant course work on the language, culture, and literature of the Luso-Brazilian world through regular courses and independent studies.
Students interested in taking Portuguese should consult with the chair of the Department of Spanish & Portuguese.
Opportunities for Off-Campus Study
Students with at least two years of college-level Spanish or one year of Portuguese (or the equivalent) may take advantage of the CIEE Program in Saõ Paulo, Brazil, located at the Catholic University. All classes are taught in Portuguese. Contact the Center for Global Study and Engagement for information about the Partner Program in Brazil.
Courses
*101, 104 Elementary Portuguese
An intensive study of the fundamentals of Portuguese grammar, with special attention given to pronunciation and oral expression. Composition and literary and cultural readings.
115 Portuguese for Speakers of a Romance Language
This course is designed for students who have previously studied another Romance language and would like to develop speaking, reading, writing and listening skills in Portuguese. The course assumes no previous knowledge of Portuguese, and will rely on the comparative grammar and cognate vocabulary of Spanish and other Romance languages to develop language skills over the course of the semester. In addition, the class will explore aspects of Portuguese-speaking cultures in Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Prerequisites: four semesters of a Romance language (or the equivalent), or permission of instructor.
116 Intermediate Portuguese
Review of Portuguese syntax. Introduction to conversation and composition through selected cultural and literary readings.
Prerequisite: 104 or the equivalent.
231 Portuguese Conversation and Composition
Advanced practice in oral and written Portuguese. In-class work focuses primarily on oral practice through presentations and class-wide discussions of these presentations, of current events, readings and films, as well as small group practice emphasizing everyday situations. Out-of-class work focuses on writing and revision of compositions with emphasis on both grammar and style.
Prerequisite: 116 or the equivalent.
242 Brazilian Cultural and Social Issues
In this class students learn about a variety of aspects of Brazilian culture and social issues. While highly discussed topics in Brazil and about Brazil, such as carnival, malandragem, and jeitinho are examined, throughout the semester students explore three different types of encounters: Native encounters, African and Afro-Brazilian encounters, and gender encounters. Students analyze these ideas concentrating on the nature of the encounters and the criticisms generated. Also, the class examines issues of representation related to marginalization, violence and banditry. In order to carry out the analysis of ideas and cultural representations and their development, students work with a variety of texts from different disciplines - literature, anthropology, sociology, history, and film - and follow an intersectional methodology.
This course is cross-listed as LALC 242. Offered every year.
290 Brazilian Cinema
This class focuses on important examples of Brazilian cinema, as well as on critical episodes, manifestos, and challenges faced by Brazilian directors, screenwriters, and actors. The class will also analyze diverse periods and genres, such as chanchadas, Cinema Novo, and retomada. Particular attention will be paid to the representation of native Brazilians, Afro-Brazilians, women, and marginalized places (Backlands, favelas, etc.), and how their representation has had social and economic repercussions in Brazil. Taught in English. Available as a FLIC option in Portuguese.
This course fulfills the DIV I.b. distribution requirement. This course is cross-listed as FLST 290 and LALC 290. Offered every two years.
304 Afro-Brazilian Literature
This class analyzes the literary production of Afro-Brazilians writers, as well as the representation of Afro-Brazilian characters in literary texts. It reviews different literary periods and the images those periods created and/or challenged and how they have affected and continue to affect the lives of Afro-Brazilians. Also, by paying particular attention to gender and social issues in different regional contexts, the class considers how Brazilian authors of African descent critically approach national discourses, such as racial democracy and Brazilianness. Taught in English. Available as a FLIC option in Portuguese.
This course fulfills the DIV I.b. distribution requirement and the WR graduation requirement. This course is cross-listed as AFST 304 and LALC 304. Offered every two years.
380 Topics in Luso-Brazilian and Hispanic Studies
Study of significant cultural,literary, and historical topics concerning the Portuguese and, when appropriate, the Spanish speaking world. A sampling of topics includes the Medieval Song, Gender Transgression in Brazilian literature, Malandragem and Bandits in Brazil, Gender and Race in the literatures of the luso-phone world, Writing after the 1964 Brazilian Coup d'etat, Performing Gender in Latin America.
Prerequisite: 242 or permission of the instructor.
In addition to the above offerings, Portuguese is offered on a tutorial basis.