Spanish Course Descriptions

The curriculum in Spanish encompasses three levels.

  • Early courses focus primarily on language acquisition, with a secondary focus on cultural competency (101 through 208).
  • At the next level, courses introduce students with early advanced language proficiency to the breadth and diversity of the literature and cultures/civilizations of the Spanish-speaking world (220, 222, 270, 280, 285).
  • At the highest level, our courses provide an in-depth study of an author, period, genre, or issue in Hispanic literature or culture (300 and 400-level courses).

101.  Elementary Spanish I (I; 5, 0)
Beginning language skills, with practice of points of grammar through listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the context of Hispanic cultures. SPAN 101 is prerequisite to SPAN 102.

102.  Elementary Spanish II (II; 5, 0)
Continues development of basic language skills, with practice of points of grammar, in the context of Hispanic cultures. Prerequisite: SPAN 101 or two years of Spanish in high school.

103.  Toward Intermediate Spanish (I; 4, 0)
Through grammar review and the development of new linguistic skills, in the context of Hispanic cultures, students reach intermediate competency in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPAN 102 or three years of secondary school Spanish.

105.  Intermediate Spanish (I and II; 4, 0)
Review of grammar and development of new linguistic skills and cultural competency to reach high-intermediate level in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPAN 103 or four years of secondary school Spanish in secondary school Spanish.

207.  Toward Advanced Spanish (I and II; 4, 0)
Students demonstrating high-intermediate skills progress toward advanced language proficiency. Reading, discussion and writing about brief literary or cultural texts advances cultural competency. Prerequisite: SPAN 105 or five years of secondary school Spanish. 

208.  Advanced Conversation and Composition (I and II; 4, 0)
Advanced study and practice to enhance oral and written proficiency. A variety of texts and media, including literature, film and internet sources provide a point of departure for class discussion and written assignments. Prerequisite: SPAN 207 or six years of Spanish.

220.  Introduction to Spanish Literature (I and II; 3, 0)
Introduction to Spanish literature across major artistic and cultural periods: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Golden Age, Romanticism, Realism, and 20th-century literature in its cultural context.

222.  Introduction to Latin American Literature (I and II; 3, 0)
Introduction to the authors, topics and genres that constitute the literary tradition of Latin America. Literary works are studied in their historical and cultural context.

239.  Hispanic Linguistics (I or II; 3, 0)
Introduction to phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and dialects of the Spanish language. Prerequisite: SPAN 208.

245.  Vida y Cultura en España (I and II; 3, 0)
Guides students in their experience of life and culture in Spain and fosters their reflection on the cross-cultural learning experience. Prerequisite: SPAN 105 or equivalent. Only given in the Bucknell en España program.

270.  Spanish Cultural Tradition (I or II; 3, 0)
An introduction to the cultural tradition of Spain through the study of art, history, literature, and film.

280.  Latin American Cultural Traditions (I or II; 3, 0)
An introduction to the cultural traditions of Latin America through the study of art, history, literature, and film.

285.  Latino Literature in the U. S. (I or II; 3, 0)
This course focuses on issues of cultural identity within the literary and some film production of Hispanic peoples living in the U.S.

290.  Independent Study (I or II; R)
Subject to be selected by student in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

295.  Topics in Spanish (I or II; R; 3, 0)
Deals with a different aspect of the literature or culture of Spanish-speaking peoples each time it is given.

315.  Structure of Modern Spanish (I or II; 3, 0)
Introduction to morphology, syntax, semantics and discourse analysis with particular attention to the problems faced by the non-native learner of Spanish. Prerequisite: SPAN 208.

322.  Modern Spanish Literature (I or II; R; 3, 0)
Spanish literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. Course will be devoted to a different major author, movement, or genre each time it is given. Prerequisites: two courses at 200-level beyond SPAN 208.

323.  Latin American Short Story (I or II; 3, 0)
Art and theory of the short story in Latin America. Topics include Colombian Short Stories, Stories by Women Writers, Children's Stories. Prerequisites: two courses at 200-level beyond SPAN 208.

325.  The Spanish Civil War (I or II; 3, 0)
This course examines the memory of the Spanish Civil War in the narrative and film from the 1940s to the present. Prerequisites: two courses at the 200-level beyond SPAN 208.

326.  Spanish Literature and Society of the 19th Century (I or II; R; 3, 0)
Devoted to major authors of the 19th century - Galdós, Clarín, Pardo Bazán. Topics include science and literature, gender and sexuality, and class relations. Prerequisites: two courses at 200-level beyond SPAN 208.

328.  Epics of the Spanish Empire (I or II; 3, 0)
This course examines how epic poets portrayed conquistadors and explorers of the Spanish Empire and the rebels and pirates who threatened to undermine it. Prerequisites: two courses at 200-level beyond SPAN 208. 

334.  Garcia Lorca, Salvador Dali, and Luis Buñuel (I or II; 3, 0)
Study of works by Lorca, Dali, and Buñuel in contest of cultural and intellectual issues from the interesting realms of literature, film and painting. 

339.  Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (I or II; 3, 0)
Advanced study of topics or issues in Hispanic linguistics. Prerequisites: two 200-level courses beyond SPAN 208.

346.  Utopia/Dystopia in Urban Latin America (I or II; 3, 0)
This interdisciplinary course explores cities of Latin America through the lens of utopia and dystopia. Sources of inquiry include film, architecture, art, fiction, poetry, and readings in history, politics, economics, and environmental studies.

348.  Gender in 20th-century Latin American Literature (I or II; 3, 0)
Examines the construction of gender in selected works by Latin American and Latino writers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Prerequisites: two courses at 200-level beyond SPAN 208.

354.  Don Quijote (I or II; 3, 0)
In this course students read, analyze and discuss Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quijote in light of its social, historical and cultural contexts. Prerequisites: two 200-level courses beyond SPAN 208.

355.  Colombia's Caribbean Literature (I or II; 3, 0)
Studies literary expressions from Anglo-Hispanic islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina including traditional oral tales, religious poetry, historical novels, short stories, travel narratives, and communal plays. Prerequisites: two-200 level courses beyond SPAN 208.

361.  362. Topics in Hispanic Literature (I or II; R; 3, 0)
These courses will deal with topics in Spanish or Latin American literature on an advanced level.

364.  Topics in Spanish Civilization (I or II; R; 3, 0)
This course will deal with different topics in the civilization of Spain on an advanced level.

366.  Mexican Revolution: Literature and Art (I or II; 3, 0)
Charts the creation of a national identity, exploring literature and visual arts that depict the massive social changes brought about by the Mexican Revolution. Prerequisites: two courses at 200-level beyond SPAN 208. 

367.  Latin American Fiestas and Identity (I or II; 3, 0)
A comparative study of the fiesta phenomenon in Mexico, the Andes, and the Caribbean, through the analysis of colonial and contemporary texts, paintings, and films. Prerequisite: SPAN 208 or permission of the instructor. 

390.  Independent Study (I or II; R)
Subject to be selected by student in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

399.  Honors Course in Spanish (I or II; R)
For selected seniors, who will be supervised in individual work. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Courses offered occasionally
240 Vida y Cultura en Granada, 264 Hispanic Topics, 275 Structural Analysis of Spanish, 327 Translation and Advanced Grammar, 360 Literature and Film of the Hispanic World, 365 Topics in Latin American Civilization