Intensive Elementary Portuguese V87.0010 Open to students with no previous training in Portuguese and no knowledge of Spanish and to others on assignment by placement test. 6 points.
Intermediate Portuguese I V87.0003 Prerequisite: V87.0010, placement, or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Continuation of V87.0010. 4 points.
Intermediate Portuguese II V87.0004 Prerequisite: V87.0003, placement, or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Continuation of V87.0003. 4 points. Portuguese language courses V87.0010, V87.0003, and V87.0004 are oriented toward achieving oral proficiency and are taught in the native language. The elementary-level course stresses the structures and patterns that permit meaningful communication and encourages spontaneous and practical proficiency outside the classroom. The intermediate-level courses aim to promote fluency in speaking, as well as proficiency in reading and writing. They include readings and discussions on contemporary Portuguese and Brazilian texts.
Intensive Elementary Portuguese for Spanish Speakers V87.0011 Prerequisite: native or near-native fluency in Spanish. 4 points. Accelerated introduction to spoken and written Portuguese.
LANGUAGE AND CIVILIZATION COURSES CONDUCTED IN PORTUGUESE
Modern Brazilian Fiction V87.0821 Prerequisite: V87.0004, V87.0021, or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. When conducted in English, this course is numbered V87.0820. Offered every other year. 4 points. Introduction to the fiction of 19th- and 20th-century Brazil. Studies the development of a national literature within the broad context of cultural and literary history.
The Brazilian Short Story V87.0830 Prerequisite: V87.0004 or permission of director of undergraduate studies. Offered every other year. 4 points. Examines formal aspects of the Brazilian short story while developing skills in written and spoken Portuguese. Authors include Machado de Assis, Lima Barreto, Mário de Andrade, João Guimarães Rosa, Clarice Lispector, Rubem Fonseca, and João Gilberto Noll.
Readings in Portuguese Literature V87.0811 Prerequisite: V87.0004, V87.0021, or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Offered every other year. 4 points. Introduction to the evolution of Portuguese literature through representative works from the Middle Ages to the present. Genres studied include poetry, fiction, and didactic prose.
Topics in Brazilian Literature and Culture V87.0850 Prerequisite: V87.0004, V87.0021, or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Offered every semester. 4 points. Sample topics include the novel and the city, representations of poverty in narrative fiction, film adaptations of Brazilian novels, and Brazilian poetry and song.
Independent Study V87.0997,0998 Prerequisite: permission of the department. Open only to majors. Available every semester. 2 or 4 points per term.
COURSES CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH
The following courses are open to all undergraduates.
Modern Brazilian Fiction V87.0820 Formerly Fiction in Translation: Modern Brazil. Offered every other year. 4 points. See Modern Brazilian Fiction (V87.0821) above.
Topics in Brazilian Literature and Culture V87.0851 Offered every semester. 4 points. See Topics in Brazilian Literature and Culture (V87.0850) above.
Courses—Spanish
LANGUAGE COURSES
Placement in Spanish language courses: The placement of students in Spanish language and literature courses is explained under “Placement Examinations” in the Academic Policies section of this bulletin. To enroll in a Spanish language course, students must have taken the SAT Subject Test in Spanish Language or the placement examination administered by the University. Students from a Spanish-speaking background who wish to study the language may not enroll in Spanish for Beginners (V95.0001, V95.0002, and V95.0010) or Intermediate Spanish (V95.0003, V95.0004, and V95.0020), but must take Spanish for Spanish Speakers (V95.0011) or Advanced Spanish for Spanish Speakers (V95.0111) instead. (See below for description.)
Fulfillment of the MAP language requirement: A student fulfills the foreign language requirement in Spanish by completing any one of the following courses of study:
A series of 4-point courses (V95.0001, V95.0002, V95.0003, and V95.0004; or V95.0001, V95.0002, and V95.0004) for a total of 16 points. (See below for descriptions of the two tracks.)
Two 6-point courses (V95.0010 and V95.0020) for a total of 12 points. (See provisions below.)
One of the following combinations of 4- and 6-point courses: V95.0001, V95.0002, and V95.0020; V95.0010, V95.0003, and V95.0004 (See below for further explanation.)
V95.0011 or V95.0111
Admission to courses beyond Intermediate Spanish: Students who have completed Intermediate Spanish I and II (V95.0003 and V95.0004) or Intensive Intermediate Spanish (V95.0020) must take Advanced Grammar and Composition (V95.0100) as a preparation for upper-level courses.
Spanish for Beginners I V95.0001 Open to students with no previous training in Spanish and to others on assignment by placement test. 4 points. Beginning course designed to teach the elements of Spanish grammar and language structure through a primarily oral approach. Emphasis is on building vocabulary and language patterns to encourage spontaneous language use in and out of the classroom.
Spanish for Beginners II V95.0002 Prerequisite: V95.0001 or placement. Continuation of V95.0001. 4 points. After completing V95.0002 or V95.0010 (see below), students who wish to continue studying Spanish at an intermediate level must take a qualifying exam. Students who pass the exam may enroll in V95.0003, which is preparation for V95.0004. Alternately, students who complete V95.0002 or V95.0010 with a final grade of a B+ or better, and pass the qualifying exam with high scores may enroll in V95.0020, a 6-credit intensive intermediate course that is the equivalent of Intermediate Spanish I and II. Completion of either V95.0020 or V95.0004 satisfies the MAP foreign language requirement.
Intermediate Spanish I V95.0003 Prerequisite: V95.0002, V95.0010, or placement. 4 points. Review of grammar, language structure, and culture, concentrating on fluency and accuracy through listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. After completion of this course, students take V95.0004 in fulfillment of the MAP foreign language requirement.
Intermediate Spanish II V95.0004 Prerequisite: V95.0003 or placement. Continuation of V95.0003. 4 points. Readings and discussions of contemporary Hispanic texts and review of the main grammatical concepts of Spanish. Completion of this course fulfills the MAP foreign language requirement.
Elementary Spanish (Intensive) V95.0010 Open to students with some previous training in Spanish or another Romance language (one year of high school Spanish or the equivalent, or two years of high school French, Italian, or Latin) and to others on assignment by placement exam or in consultation with the director of the Spanish language program. This is a one-semester intensive course that covers the equivalent of one year of elementary Spanish (V95.0001 and V95.0002). 6 points. After completing this course, students who wish to continue studying Spanish must take a qualifying examination. Students who pass the examination may go into V95.0003, which is preparation for V95.0004. Students with a final grade of B+ or better in V95.0010 and high scores on the qualifying exam may enroll in V95.0020. Completion of either V95.0020 or V95.0004 fulfills the MAP requirement.
Spanish for Spanish Speakers V95.0011 Prerequisite: permission of the director of Spanish language programs. Offered every semester. 4 points. An introductory course in Spanish designed for heritage students who understand spoken Spanish but need to develop their speaking, reading, and writing skills. This course serves as a formal introduction to Spanish grammar. In addition to grammar and vocabulary review, this course incorporates cultural and literary readings in Spanish to develop written and oral communication skills.
Intermediate Spanish (Intensive) V95.0020 Prerequisite: V95.0010, V95.0002, with passing final grade of a B+ or better, and aqualifying examination, or in consultation with the director of the Spanish language program. 6 points. Promotes proficiency in reading and writing as well as oral performance. V95.0020 is an intensive intermediate course that covers the equivalent of one year of intermediate Spanish (V95.0003 and V95.0004) in one semester.
Catalan I V95.0051 Open to students with no previous training in Catalan. 4 points. Beginning-level course designed to introduce students to the Catalan language. Elementary grammar and language structure are introduced through a communicative approach. The aim is to provide students with basic tools for written and oral communication in Catalan. The course is taught in the target language.
Catalan II V95.0052 Prerequisite: Catalan I (V95.0051) or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. 4 points. An intermediate-level course that provides students with a deeper understanding of the Catalan language. Its aim is to promote fluency in speaking, as well as proficiency in reading and writing. Emphasis is on building vocabulary and language patterns to expand students’ language skills.
Readings in Catalan V95.0053 Prerequisite: Catalan I and II (V95.0051,0052) or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. 4 points. Designed to introduce students to representative works from the Middle Ages to the present. Includes readings and discussions on texts encompassing different genres. The aim is to familiarize students with a variety of Catalan literature: poetry, fiction, essays, prose, and journalistic writing.
ADVANCED LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION, AND INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY STUDIES
The courses in this section are all conducted in Spanish.
Advanced Grammar and Composition V95.0100 Prerequisite: V95.0004, V95.0020, or permission of the director of the Spanish language program. Offered every semester. 4 points. For non-native speakers only. Spanish Native Speakers should register for V95.0111.
Advanced Spanish Conversation V95.0101 Prerequisite: V95.0100 or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Offered every semester. 4 points. Intensive course in spoken Spanish, designed to give the student fluency in the use of idiomatic, everyday language as well as a comprehensive, practical vocabulary. For non-native speakers only.
Advanced Spanish Conversation for the Medical Profession V95.0102 Prerequisite: V95.0100, SATII score
of 720, or equivalent. Offered periodically. 4 points. This course is designed to expand students’ speaking
skills beyond the practical, day-to-day language functions in a medical
context. The goal is a more complex and technical proficiency of Spanish in a
medical context, through the practice of pronunciation, vocabulary, idioms, and
linguistic structures. Students learn specific vocabulary related to the
medical field and engage in active conversations and role-play activities. The
course includes readings as well as Spanish films and documentaries related to
health and medicine. Recording, transcribing, and editing actual classroom
conversations also helps students improve their Spanish by focusing on individual
self-correction. Listening comprehension activities related to the medical
field are included to fine-tune the student’s ear to Spanish sounds. Students
also conduct an interview in Spanish specifically related to the themes in the
class, possibly with a professional in the health sciences. For non-native speakers only.
Techniques of Translation V95.0110 Prerequisite: V95.0100 or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Offered in the fall. 4 points. Theory and practice of translation through comparison of Spanish and English grammar, syntax, and style.
Advanced Spanish for Spanish-Speaking Students V95.0111 Prerequisite: V95.0011 or permission of the director of Spanish language programs. Offered every semester. 4 points. For native and quasi-native speakers of Spanish whose formal training in the language has been incomplete or otherwise irregular.
Advanced Translation Workshop V95.0214 Prerequisite: V95.0110 or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Offered in the spring. 4 points. Advanced work in the translation of literary texts.
Advanced Poetry Workshop in Spanish V95.0320 Offered every semester. 4 points. Students refine their skills in poetry writing through close reading of individual poems, excerpts from poetry collections, and complete books of poems written by contemporary Latin American and Spanish poets. In class, students reflect on the creative process of poetry writing while they work on their own poems. Collaborative work and individual meetings with the instructor are key to the dynamics of this workshop.
Advanced Fiction and Nonfiction Workshop in Spanish V95.0325 Offered every semester. 4 points. Students refine their skills in fiction and nonfiction writing through close reading of short stories, a novella, and personal essays and excerpts from testimonies and autobiographies written by contemporary Latin American and Spanish authors. In class, students reflect on the creative process of prose writing while they work on their own texts. Fiction and nonfiction prose are studied side by side, to analyze specific techniques and structures of each particular form.
Critical Approaches: Reading, Writing, and Textual Analysis V95.0200 Prerequisite: V95.0100 or equivalent. Offered every semester. 4 points. Introduction to literary analysis through close reading of texts from the early to modern periods of peninsular Spanish and Spanish American literatures. Engages students in the practice of textual explication, provides basic critical skills, and encourages reflection on literature as a system.
Introduction to Spanish Culture V95.0261 Prerequisite: V95.0200 or equivalent or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. When conducted in English, this course is numbered V95.0262. Offered in the fall. 4 points. Drawing on literature, film, visual arts, music, and mass media, the course explores the culture of Spain, placing special emphasis on the present time. Works by Cervantes, Velázquez, Unamuno, Gaudí, Picasso, Buñuel, Dalí, García Lorca, Rodoreda, Riera, Tusquets, Carlos Saura, Almodóvar, Millás, Bigas Luna, and Bolláin, among others.
Introduction to Latin American Cultures V95.0762 Prerequisite: V95.0200 or equivalent or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. When conducted in English, this course is numbered V95.0760. Offered in the fall. 4 points. Drawing on literature, film, visual arts, music, and mass media, the course explores the diverse cultures, histories, and politics of Latin American countries from the pre-Hispanic period to the present, placing special emphasis on contemporary Latin America.
Readings in Spanish American Literature V95.0211 Prerequisite: V95.0200 or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. 4 points. Survey course that traces the development of Spanish American literature from the colonial period to the present. Representative works of various genres are examined in their cultural and historical contexts. Readings include selections from pre-Hispanic texts, Columbus, Cortés, Juana Inés de la Cruz, Sarmiento, Bello, Carpentier, Borges, Rulfo, García Márquez, Cortázar, Allende, and others.
Readings in Spanish Literature V95.0215 Prerequisite: V95.0200 or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. 4 points. Survey course that traces the development of Spanish literature from the Middle Ages to the present. Representative works of various genres are examined in their cultural and historical contexts. Readings include selections from Hispano-Arabic and Hispano-Hebrew poetry, El Cid, El Libro de Buen Amor, Don Quijote, and La vida es sueño, as well as works by Galdós, Clarín, Unamuno, García Lorca, Goytisolo, Carmen Martín Gaite, and others.
ADVANCED COURSES IN LITERATURE AND CULTURE
The prerequisite for all of these courses is V95.0200 or permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
Chronicles and Travel Literature of the Colonial World V95.0273 Identical to V65.0273. See under section heading for prerequisite. Offered every other year. 4 points. Chronicles of the encounter between Spain and non-European cultures. Diaries and memoirs of explorers and travelers such as Columbus, Bernal Díaz, el Inca Garcilaso, and Cabeza de Vaca.
Pre-Hispanic Literature: The World of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas V95.0370 See under section heading for prerequisite. Offered every other year. 4 points. Texts from the Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations as expressions of their society, religion, and relationship with nature, as well as reflections of a highly developed aesthetic sensibility.
Cervantes V95.0371 Identical to V65.0335. See under section heading for prerequisite. Offered every other year. 4 points. Close readings of the principal prose works, particularly Don Quijote and/or the Novelas ejemplares, supplemented by critical and historical readings. Special attention paid to questions of madness and desire, authorship, the seductions and the dangers of reading, the status of representation, the relation between history and truth, the Inquisition, Spanish imperialism, the New World, the Morisco expulsion, and more.
Theatre and Poetry of the Spanish Golden Age V95.0421 See under section heading for prerequisite. Offered every other year. 4 points. Selected texts from Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries (traditionally considered the Golden Age of Spanish art and literature), read in the context of Counter-Reformation culture and Spain’s changing place in early modern Europe. Authors include Garcilaso, Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Calderón de la Barca, Quevedo, and Góngora. The course may be taught with a focus on theatre or poetry (or both).
Forms of the Picaresque in Spain and Spanish America V95.0438 Identical to V65.0421. See under section heading for prerequisite. Offered every other year. 4 points. Examines novels in which the protagonist-narrator is a rogue and social outcast who, in telling his life story, reveals not only his own character but that of society as a whole. Includes the anonymous Lazarillo de Tormes and works by Cervantes, Quevedo, Cela, Lizardi, José Rubén Romero, and Roberto Payró.
Women’s Writing in Spain/Latin America V95.0640 See under section heading for prerequisites. Offered every other year. 4 points. Feminist critical perspectives on a selection of fiction, essays, and poetry written by women. May include works by María de Zayas, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, Rosalía de Castro, Delmira Agustini, Ana María Matute, Alejandra Pizarnik, Emilia Pardo Bazán, Carmen Martín Gaite, Ana María Bombal, Isabel Allende, Laura Esquivel, Diamela Eltit, Ana Lydia Vega, and others.
Modern Hispanic Cities V95.0650 See under section heading for prerequisites. Offered in the summer. 4 points. Using an interdisciplinary, multimedia, and comparative approach, the course examines various cities in the Spanish-speaking world and their physical, spatial, literary, musical, and imaginary constructions. Cities covered may include Mexico City, Havana, Lima, Buenos Aires, San Juan, Madrid, Barcelona, and New York.
Fictions of Power in Spain and Latin America V95.0732 See under section heading for prerequisite. Offered every other year. 4 points. Details about the texts, authors, and films covered in any particular semester may be found on the department’s Web page and in course descriptions available in the department.
Latino Literature in the United States V95.0755 See under section heading for prerequisite. Offered in the spring. 4 points. Focuses on the growing body of literature written by Latinos in recent years. Explores Latino cultural identity through analysis of narrative and poetic works.
Before the Law: Order and Tales of Crime V95.0763 See under section heading for prerequisites. Offered every other year. 4 points. Examines the ways in which fictions about the law and the definition of crime have been constructed in Latin American literature and culture. Focusing on films and fictional texts, the course explores questions of political power, of the definition of truth, and of the role of rationality in modern society.
Literature and Film of the Cuban Revolution V95.0795 See under section heading for prerequisites. Offered every other year. 4 points. Critical readings of speeches, essays, novels, and films from and about the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Texts by Castro, Guevara, Barnet, Fernández Retamar, Padilla, Cabrera Infante, Desnoes, and Arenas, and films by Kalamazov, Gutiérrez Alea, and Almendros.
Topics in Spanish American Literature and Culture V95.0550 See under section heading for prerequisite. When conducted in English, this course is numbered V95.0551. Offered every semester. 4 points. Sample topics include literature of the fantastic, history and fiction in Spanish America, literature of the neobaroque, cultural relations between Spain and Spanish America, literature and ethnicity, and construction of gender in Spanish American literature.
Topics in Peninsular Spanish Literature and Culture V95.0950 See under section heading for prerequisite. When conducted in English, this course is numbered V95.0951. Offered every semester. 4 points. Sample topics include the medieval epic, Spanish mysticism, theory and literary practice in the Spanish baroque, Spanish romanticism, contemporary Spanish poetry, Spanish postmodernism, and contemporary Spanish culture.
Internship V95.0980,0981 Prerequisite: permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Open only to majors. Available every semester. 2 or 4 points per term. Course credit for internship projects in approved businesses, schools, social service agencies, and cultural or governmental offices. Supervised by the director of undergraduate studies. Interested students should apply to the department early in the semester before they wish to begin their internship.
Independent Study V95.0997,0998 Prerequisite: permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Open only to majors. Available every semester. 2 or 4 points per term. Research and reading project carried out under the supervision of a faculty sponsor. Interested students should arrange for faculty sponsorship and permission of the director of undergraduate studies during the semester prior to the project.
COURSES CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH
The following courses are open to all undergraduates. With the prior consent of the director of undergraduate studies, Spanish majors may receive credit for up to two Spanish courses conducted in English, provided their written work for the course (papers, exams, etc.) is completed in Spanish.
Introduction to Spanish Culture V95.0262 Offered in the spring. 4 points. See Introduction to Spanish Culture (V95.0261) above.
Introduction to Latin American Cultures V95.0760 May be used toward the literature in translation minor. Offered in the spring. 4 points. See Introduction to Latin American Cultures (V95.0762) above.
Topics in Spanish American Literature and Culture V95.0551 4 points. See Topics in Spanish American Literature and Culture (V95.0550) above.
Topics in Peninsular Spanish Literature and Culture V95.0951 4 points. See Topics in Peninsular Spanish Literature and Culture (V95.0950) above.
GRADUATE COURSES OPEN TO UNDERGRADUATES
Courses at the 1000 level in the Graduate School of Arts and Science are open to seniors who have a B (3.0) average in three full courses (12 points) of advanced work in Spanish. If these courses are offered toward the completion of requirements for the baccalaureate degree, no advanced credit is allowed for them in the graduate school. Before registering for these courses, students must obtain the permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
