Summer Session

Essentials of grammar; written and conversational exercises; reading of selected material based on cultural approach and knowledge of Spain and Spanish-America; systematic training in pronunciation. Instruction mainly conducted in Spanish.

A course intended to introduce the student to very simple every day conversational topics. No written work. To be taken concurrently with Spanish 101.

Review of grammar, composition and conversation. Intensive reading of contemporary texts. Outside assignments and conversation. Classes will be mostly conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 101 or 2 years of high school Spanish.

Conversation arranged among students, with the help of the instructor, on assigned topics dealing with contemporary life and culture. Prerequisite: Spanish 102 or the equivalent. To be taken concurrently with Spanish 201.

Study of the more complex grammatical structures: the verbs “ser” and “estar”; use of prepositions; uses of “por” and “para”: the imperative and the subjunctive.

Practical course in which students are encouraged to use the various verb tenses and modes as well as more complex sentences with a richer vocabulary. Preferably to be taken concurrently with SPAN 311.

The course is designed to help students meet the changing needs of professionals who are in contact with Spanish-speaking customers. The course addresses situations encountered by front-line workers in a variety of fields (tourism and travel, customer service, call centers, banking), with a special emphasis on health care professions.

Geography and Prehistory. Primitive Spain. Roman and Visigothic Spain. Moslem Spain. The Reconquest. The Catholic Kings. The Spanish domination during the XVI Century. The Spanish crisis of the XVII Century. Reformism in the 18th Century. The origins of contemporary Spain. The epoch of Isabel II and the Revolution (1868- 1875). The era of the Bourbon Restoration (1875-1902). Carlism and the Restoration. The XX Century. Political parties.

America as a cultural unity; geographical background. Cultures of the Mayans, Incas and Aztecs. Hispanidad; outline of Spanish culture. Discovery and conquest of America. Colonization, culturization of Spanish-America. Independence.

Introduction to Contemporary Spanish Literature. Romanticism. Realism and Naturalism. Modernism. The Generation of ’98. The Avant-Garde Movements. The Generation of ’27. The Spanish Civil War and Literature. Postwar Spanish Literature.

Precedents: The Colonial Period and the struggle for independence. The XIX Century before Modernism. Modernism and Realism, and the Contemporary Period. Required reading and written assignments. Lectures in Spanish.

Introduction to some of the best authors from Spain and Latin America of the past and present and their outlook on life by reading and reflecting on some their works. Analysis and appreciation of the structural elements typically associated with the various genres (fiction, poetry, essays and drama). Examine and reflect on universal themes and messages and/or in particular what these works want to communicate.

Revision and intensive study of the more difficult points of Spanish grammar and their application in written expression.

The pronunciation of the Spanish language as spoken today by the educated people of Spain and Spanish America. Particular emphasis on vowels, consonants, sound changes, intonation of sentences, Spanish American pronunciation. General concepts of phonetics: intensity, quantity, intonation. Articulation drills. Use of phonetic texts and transcriptions. Intonation drills. Etc.

Advanced level conversation course where students will be able to put into practice their command of the language. Preferably to be taken concurrently with SPAN.401

Vocabulary and terminology used in literary texts of general interest: newspapers, magazines, news bulletins, prose, etc. Translation from English to Spanish and Spanish to English.

This course is a Spanish language course geared toward individuals studying or working in health-related areas. The course is devoted to the study of medical Spanish terminology and the cultural issues related to successful interactions with Spanish-speaking patients and their families in the clinical encounter.

As the title indicates, this course is a round table discussion class about the various facets of Spain: political, economical, cultural, educational, etc.