Spanish (SPAN)

SPAN 101. Beginning Spanish I. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment requires any student with previous exposure to Spanish to take the placement test to determine eligibility. For students with no prior knowledge of Spanish. Beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.

SPAN 102. Beginning Spanish II. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 101 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Continuation of beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.

SPAN 201. Intermediate Spanish I. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 102 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Spanish. Building toward intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.

SPAN 202. Intermediate Spanish II. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 201 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Spanish. Increasing intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.

SPAN 205. Intermediate Spanish Conversation. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 201. Designed to increase the student's proficiency in the spoken language through audio-oral exercises, dialogues and free conversation.

SPAN 300. Communication and Composition. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 202, SPAN 205 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Spanish. Building toward intermediate-high proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. Authentic materials enhance intercultural competence and communication skills.

SPAN 301. Self and Society: Effective Writing. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Conducted in Spanish. Students advance their knowledge of the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking cultures while developing their reading and writing skills. Students examine a variety of texts and media and gain strategies for interpretation and discussion, with a focus on effective writing.

SPAN 302. Literary Readings and Composition. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Conducted in Spanish. An introduction to literary genres, stylistics and analysis designed to increase the student’s mastery of persuasive, descriptive and narrative skills, including creative writing.

SPAN 305. Oral Communication. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 202, SPAN 205, SPAN 300 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Spanish. Practice in the spoken language with emphasis on discussions relating to topics of current interest.

SPAN 307. Spanish Conversation and Film. 3 Hours.

Semester courses; 3 lecture hours. 3, 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 202, SPAN 205 or SPAN 300. Designed to develop the student's conversational skills, oral comprehension ability and knowledge of contemporary culture through discussion of selected Spanish and Latin American films. Emphasis is also placed on vocabulary development and writing practice.

SPAN 311. Spanish Through the Media. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 202, SPAN 205 or SPAN 300. Further development of listening, reading, writing, speaking and cultural skills through a focus on mass media in Latin America and Spain. Spanish language and current events will be taught through direct contact with newspapers, journals, television and radio programming, and online media. Students will view programs outside of class, participate actively in class discussions, create presentations and conduct research.

SPAN 320. Civilization of Spain I. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 300; SPAN 305 or 307 or 311; corequisite: SPAN 301. Conducted in Spanish. A treatment of salient manifestations of Spanish culture and civilization from its origins to the present.

SPAN 321. Latin American Civilization I. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 300; SPAN 305 or 307 or 311; corequisite: SPAN 301. Conducted in Spanish. A treatment of salient manifestations of Latin American culture and civilization from pre-Columbian times to the present.

SPAN 322. Hispanic Immigrants in the U.S.. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 300; and SPAN 305, SPAN 307 or SPAN 311. Corequisite: SPAN 301. Conducted in Spanish. Analysis, research and discussion of the life and history of Hispanics in the U.S. Topics such as identity, assimilation, immigration laws, education, jobs, housing, health, religion and politics will be covered. Students will apply their course learning through 20 hours of community service for Hispanics.

SPAN 330. Survey of Spanish Literature. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 300; SPAN 305 or 307 or 311; corequisite: SPAN 301. Conducted in Spanish. A survey of Spanish literature up to the present.

SPAN 331. Survey of Latin American Literature. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SPAN 300; SPAN 305 or 307 or 311; corequisite: SPAN 301. Conducted in Spanish. An introduction to major authors and trends up to the present. Crosslisted as: INTL 331.

SPAN 332. Latino Writers in the U.S.. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 300; SPAN 305 or 307 or 311; corequisite: SPAN 301. Conducted in Spanish. Explores Latino cultural identity and the Latino contribution to U.S. cultural life through a variety of works in the different literary genres produced by Latino writers, both immigrants and those raised in the U.S.

SPAN 402. Language Issues in the Spanish-speaking World. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different topics up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. Through a variety of topics this course explores the links between language and human behavior as exemplified by language phenomena in the Spanish-speaking world. Topics will be drawn mainly from sociolinguistics, language and culture, and education and applied linguistics. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific topic to be offered each semester. Crosslisted as: LING 402.

SPAN 403. History of the Spanish Language. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different topics up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. A study of the evolution of Spanish from Latin through the Middle Ages to the Modern era. Historical phonology, etymology, morphology, orthography, semantics and syntax of standard Castilian. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific topic to be offered each semester.

SPAN 414. Commercial Spanish. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different topics up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. This course will develop the student's ability to use the Spanish language as a means of oral and written communication in the business world. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific topic to be offered each semester.

SPAN 420. Civilization of Spain II. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different topics up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. This course explores the cultural diversity and differences of Spain. Topics focus on a particular interdisciplinary theme, such as the formation of cities, ethnicity and on a particular area of Spain. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific topic to be offered each semester.

SPAN 421. Civilization of Latin America II. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different topics up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. This course explores the cultural diversity of Latin America and the social and political forces behind cultural change. Topics will focus on a specific interdisciplinary theme, such as urban life, the politics of identity and on a specific area of Latin America. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific topic to be offered each semester. Crosslisted as: INTL 421.

SPAN 422. Spanish and Latin American Cinema. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different themes, up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. Spanish and/or Latin American cinema from the 1940s to the present, including the works of important directors, such as Bunuel, Saura, Almodovar, Emilio Fernandez, Glauber Rocha, Solanas or Gutierrez-Alea. The formal and aesthetic issues of cinematic texts and the historical, cultural and social contexts of their production. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific theme to be offered each semester.

SPAN 423. 20th-century Latin American Revolutions: Mexico and Cuba. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. A study of the Mexican revolution (1910-17) and the Cuban revolution (1959-present), as well as their aftermaths. Notions of political theory, such as revolutionary violence, the people and a classless society, will be discussed, as well as the ways in which art is used to both foster revolutionary ideals and criticize the shortcomings or paradoxical effects of the original emancipatory project. The ways in which European and American intellectuals were fascinated by "third-world revolutions" are also included.

SPAN 430. Literary Genres. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different topics up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. An in-depth look at the development and expression of varieties of literature in Spanish. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific topic to be offered each semester.

SPAN 431. Literary Periods. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Course can be repeated with different topics up to a total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. An in-depth synchronic look at movements and their context in literature in Spanish. See the Schedule of Classes for the specific topic to be offered each semester.

SPAN 432. Hispanic Culture Through Literature. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. An in-depth analysis of Hispanic texts dealing with cultural topics such as love relationships, death, family, religion, politics, gender and ethnicity, as well as their relationships to cultural values, behaviors, ideologies, beliefs and the histories of Spain and Spanish America.

SPAN 433. Don Quixote. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. Conducted in Spanish. An in-depth analysis of Miguel de Cervantes’s masterpiece. Focuses on questions of the literary, linguistic and cultural complexity of “Don Quixote.” Examines the work in the social and historical context of Early Modern Spain.

SPAN 485. Spanish Study Abroad. 1-12 Hours.

Semester course; 1-12 lecture hours. 1-12 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. This course offers all students the opportunity to improve their oral and written proficiency in Spanish, to enhance their awareness of cultural diversity and to become independent learners of Spanish language and the cultures of its speakers.

SPAN 491. Topics in Spanish. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of nine credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. An in-depth study of selected topics in Spanish. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

SPAN 492. Independent Study. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 independent study hours. 1-3 credits. Maximum of three credits per semester; may be repeated for total of six credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; and SPAN 320, SPAN 321, SPAN 322, SPAN 330, SPAN 331 or SPAN 332. A course designed to give students an opportunity to become involved in independent study in a literary or linguistic area or subject in which they have an interest.

SPAN 533. Spanish for the Professions. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 1-4 lecture hours. 1-4 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 305 or 307 or 311; SPAN 320 or 321; SPAN 330 or 331; SPAN 404. An intensive study of specialized communication in Spanish. The content of this course will emphasize the knowledge and language skills for particular professions, which may include business, education, health sciences and translation. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topic offered each semester.

SPAN 543. Texts and Contexts in Spain and Latin America. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 1-4 lecture hours. 1-4 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits. Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 305 or 307 or 311; SPAN 320 or 321; SPAN 330 or 331. Restricted to seniors in Spanish concentration with at least 85 credit hours taken toward the degree. An exploration of themes concerning Spain, Latin America and/or Latinos in the U.S. as reflected in a variety of textual genres, including film.