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Introduction
The Program
Career Opportunities
Courses
Spanish - B.A.
Spanish - Minor
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Spanish
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
College of Arts and Sciences
910 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4620
(716) 645-2191
Fax: (716) 645-5981
Web: Modern Languages and Literatures
Rosemary G. Feal, Chair
Jorge Guitart, Director of Undergraduate Studies
(716) 645-6000, ext. 1194
E-mail: guitart@acsu.buffalo.edu
Barbara Avila-Shah, Director of Language Program
(716) 645-6000, ext. 1193
E-mail: bia@acsu.buffalo.edu
Spanish is the official language, not only of Spain, but also of Mexico; Central America; the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic; and most of the countries of South America. Spanish, with approximately 320 million speakers, is the fourth most spoken language on the planet, and the United States is now officially the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Spanish is spoken by approximately 10 percent of the total population of the United States (nearly 25,000,000 people). In the United States alone, more than five million people use Spanish as a first or second language. Spanish is a major international language of banking, commerce, cultural production, diplomacy, and science.
The undergraduate program leading to the B.A. in Spanish is intended to introduce students to a wide range of disciplines within the area of Hispanic language and civilization. Students may focus on literature, linguistics, language teaching, or other related areas. To this end, the program offers a broad selection of courses, as well as opportunity for independent study, directed work in allied fields, and summer programs in Salamanca, Spain and Havana, Cuba.
Implicit in the program is building the students' proficiency in the Spanish language.
Graduation requirements for the Spanish major include completion of three 200-level courses (9 credit hours) with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and ten 300-400 level courses (30 credit hours) with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
For students who have chosen a major in another field, there is the possibility of doing a joint major with Spanish. Graduation requirements for the joint major are three Spanish courses at the 200-level with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and seven courses at the 300/400 level with a minimum GPA of 2.0. A Spanish minor calls for two courses at the 200-level with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and four courses at the 300/400 level with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
An honors program in Spanish is open to students who achieve a minimum GPA of 3.25 overall and a minimum GPA of 3.75 in at least five upper-division Spanish courses. Students in the honors program in Spanish must complete two honors projects in two upper-division Spanish courses.
For study abroad options, see the Study Abroad section or contact the Study Abroad Programs Office at (716) 645-3912.
Students wishing to satisfy the requirements for teacher certification should plan their programs with particular care in order to accommodate the required semester of the professional sequence during their senior year. For certification requirements, students should contact the Teacher Education Institute in the Graduate School of Education.
The ability to read and speak Spanish allows communication in one of the major languages of international business and finance. Because of the strong likelihood that many of their future clients will be Spanish-speaking, students of nursing and the health-related professions and other occupations requiring direct client contact, such as law and social work, would be especially well advised to consider a major or minor in Spanish. With involvement of the United States in NAFTA (with Canada and Mexico), Spanish has become even more essential in the world of international commerce.
Not all courses are offered every semester. Check with the department for listings and course descriptions.
Any native Spanish speaker wishing to register for a course below SPA210 must first obtain the permission of the language director.
101-102 Elementary Spanish 1st-2nd Semester (5-5)
SPA102 prerequisite: SPA101 or permission of instructor
For students who have never had Spanish or had one year or less in high school. Fundamentals of Spanish pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, emphasis on oral proficiency. LEC
104 Transitional Elementary Spanish (5)
One-semester review course designed for students who have taken the Regents' exams, but who are not yet able to go into the second year of language study. Involves all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and, to some extent, writing), emphasizing the grammatical structures and vocabulary fundamentals of simple, everyday conversation. LEC
151-152 Intermediate Spanish 1st-2nd Semester (3-3)
SPA151 prerequisites: SPA102, SPA104, or three or more years of high school Spanish
SPA152 prerequisite: SPA151 or permission of instructor
Grammar and pronunciation review structured around extensive conversation practice; vocabulary expansion through literary and nonliterary readings. LEC
154 Intensive Intermediate Spanish (5)
Prerequisites: SPA102, 104 or permission of instructor
A one-semester accelerated review of grammar and pronunciation structured around extensive conversation and writing practice. Covers, in one semester, the material offered in SPA151-152. LEC
171-172 Elementary Spanish for Heritage Speakers I-II (3-3)
Prerequisite: open to students who have not studied in a school in which Spanish was the language of instruction
Provides intensive practice of basic grammatical patterns and vocabulary expansion through reading and writing in the target language. Aims at teaching standard Spanish to students who learned Spanish at home but have little or no formal instruction in the language. SPA172 satisfies the intermediate proficiency requirement for general education. Students who need a fourth semester of a foreign language must continue with SPA241. LEC
207-208 Spanish Conversation and Composition (3-3)
SPA207 prerequisite: SPA152 or equivalent
SPA208 prerequisite: SPA207 or permission of director of undergraduate studies
Oral communication and development of writing skills in Spanish; intensive conversation; writing of themes on contemporary topics; oral participation required. LEC
210 How to Read a Spanish Text (3)
Prerequisite: SPA152 or permission of instructor
Development of ability to analyze a piece of Spanish literature; prose and poetry from Peninsular Spanish and/or Spanish American literature. LEC
215 Intermediate Review of Spanish Grammar (3)
Prerequisite: SPA152 or permission of director of undergraduate studies
Reviews troublesome grammatical points through oral and written exercises; oral participation required. LEC
216 Hispanic Civilization (3)
Prerequisite: intermediate Spanish or three years of high school Spanish
Aims not only to strengthen the student's knowledge of twentieth-century Hispanic cultures and civilizations but also to improve the student's command of spoken and written Spanish. Examines some of the major events and trends of the twentieth century that are helpful in understanding the contemporary scene, including the Mexican Revolution, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, World Wars I and II, the Spanish Civil War, the ascent of the United States as a global power, and the phenomena of neocolonialism and dependency in developing countries. Emphasizes contemporary issues and movements (from 1972 to the present) relevant to Hispanics in the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Spain, and South America. Gives students the opportunity to learn how to access cultural information on the Internet. Taught in Spanish. LEC
225 Spanish Language Through Theatre (3)
Prerequisite: SPA152 or permission of instructor
Reading and discussion of Spanish and Spanish American plays; emphasizes improvement of oral and written expression in Spanish. LEC
241 Spanish for Bilinguals (3)
Further development of reading and writing skills of heritage speakers of Spanish; spelling and style; grammar review; expository writing. Satisfies fourth-semester foreign language requirement for those who have completed SPA171-172. SEM
301 Survey of Spanish Literature: Middle Ages to Seventeenth Century (3)
Study of the early history of Spanish literature, from its roots in Mozarabe and the oral tradition to the Golden Age of Spanish baroque drama, verse, and prose. Emphasizes the development of literature in its socio-historical context, as well as on its relation to the history of the language. LEC
302 Survey of Spanish Literature: Eighteenth Century to Present (3)
Introduces the student to the major cultural trends and some important literary works of modern Spanish literature. Class lectures present general background information on the artistic movements, philosophical vogues, and historical events that have directly contributed to the course of Spanish literature of the past three centuries. We read and discuss works by such authors as Bécquer, Galdós, Pardo Bazán, Unamuno, Lorca, Cela, and Martín Gaite. LEC
303 Romanticism and Realism in Spain (3)
Historic and aesthetic backgrounds and literary analysis of some representative works of the romantic and antiromantic (realist) movements in nineteenth-century Spain. LEC
304 Early Spanish American Literature (3)
Covers works from the time of the encounter between Spain and the Americas and from the colonial period. Study of texts emphasizes cultural and historical issues. LEC
305 Spanish Literature of the Middle Ages (3)
Examines the literature and culture of the Spanish Middle Ages, from the origins of the language to the unification of the peninsula under the Catholic kings. LEC
310 Introduction to Literary Criticism (3)
Introduces salient features of various critical methods; their application to novels, plays, and poetry from Peninsular Spanish and/or Spanish American literature. LEC
311 Survey of Spanish American Literature (3)
Overview of Spanish American literature from the earliest times to the present. LEC
313 Advanced Grammar (3)
Grammatical categories of Spanish; extensive oral and written practice. LEC
314 Advanced Composition and Conversation (3)
Develops advanced grammatical and writing skills through literary and nonliterary translations from English to Spanish and vice versa.
315 Advanced Writing for Native Speakers I (3)
Prerequisite: SPA241
For native speakers of Spanish; practice in developing and sustaining forms of complex writing in Spanish. LEC
316 Advanced Writing for Native Speakers II (3)
Prerequisite: SPA315
Continuation of SPA315. LEC
317 Spanish Literature of the Golden Age (3)
Golden Age of Spanish culture refers to the period stretching roughly from the end of the sixteenth to the beginning of the seventeenth centuries, a time identified by many historians and scholars today as the dawn of the modern age. Examines this "early modernity" through careful attention to the works of such authors as Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco de Quevedo, Lope de Vega, and Calderón de la Barca. LEC
320 Contemporary Spanish American Literature (3)
Study of the principal characteristics of contemporary Spanish American literature, centered in the analysis of poems and short stories. LEC
323 Business Spanish (3)
Spanish for the business world: correspondence; commercial terminology; readings and occasional translation of articles on financial subjects; discussions of documents; business customs; practice in practical application. Oral participation required. LEC
325 Phonetics (3)
Theory and practice of Spanish pronunciation; development of near-native pronunciation. LEC
327 Spanish Culture and Civilization (3)
History, geography, art, architecture, music, cuisine, and customs of Spain. LEC
328 Spanish American Culture and Civilization (3)
History, geography, art, architecture, music, and cuisine of Spanish America. LEC
330 Spanish American Themes (3)
Some of the most important themes in Spanish American life through selected readings (The Indian; Emancipation and Revolution; Country and City; Education: The University Reform of 1918), music, song, and dance. The majority of the readings that illustrate the themes are literary works but their content deals with historical, political, sociological, anthropological, educational, and artistic matters. LEC
333 Intensive Communicative Spanish Abroad (3) (Su)
Prerequisite: two semesters of intermediate Spanish or the equivalent
Intensive oral and written practice in Spanish for participants in the department's summer program at the University of Salamanca in Spain. LEC
350 Spanish American Short Story (3)
Involves the study of theories on the short story and their application to selected works of Isabel Allende, Juan José Arreola, María Luisa Bombal, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, Horacio Quiroga, Juan Rulfo, Arturo Uslar Pietri, and others. Conducted in Spanish. LEC
360 Spanish American Literature in Translation (3)
Prerequisite: ENG201
Study of English versions of major works by Spanish American authors. LEC
361 Spanish Literature in Translation (3)
Prerequisite: ENG201
Study of English versions of major works by Spanish authors. LEC
382 Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Theory (3)
Prerequisite: none, although basic linguistics courses and/or language courses helpful
Examines second language acquisition (SLA) from a variety of vantage points. Explores the factors that affect learning a second language (e.g., age, native language, environment, goals, and learner strategies), as well as outlines the succession of theories about how people acquire a second language. Students survey and share some of the relevant research literature on an SLA issue that interests them. Students engage in and reflect upon a practical observation or tutoring session. LEC
383 The Folktale in Spanish Literature (3)
Content, structure, and function of the traditional types of the folktale; ramifications of other literary genres between the Middle Ages and the eighteenth century in Spain. LEC
405 The Quijote (3)
Introduces students to questions of life, literature, and art in the time of Cervantes and to the meaning these problems can have for us today. Stresses the importance of genre as a means of interpretation. Gives attention to how modern feminist studies impact the experience of reading and understanding a literary text. LEC
406 Early Twentieth-Century Spanish Literature (3)
Historic and aesthetic backgrounds and selected readings of the works of Unamuno, Valle-Inclán, Azorín, Baroja, A. Machado, and others. Treats all literary genres (poetry, drama, novel). Gives special emphasis to the theme of Spain, its history, and its myths as they were recreated by these writers. LEC
407 Contemporary Literature of Spain (3)
Main trends and analysis of some of the most significant works written in Spain after 1936. Includes all genres (poetry, novel, drama). LEC
408 History of Spanish Cinema (3)
Prerequisites: two years of college Spanish or the equivalent; completion of, or concurrent enrollment in a 200-level Spanish course; one literary survey course recommended
Introduces Spanish film history, including renowned directors, the current scene, and the principles of film theory. Accompanying readings deal with cinema as an integral part of the Spanish cultural heritage. Class discussions conducted in Spanish. LEC
409 Age of Lorca (3)
Centered on García Lorca's poetry and theatre, the course deals with one of the most important poetic groups in Hispanic letters and in twentieth-century European literature: the so-called Generation of 1927 (Lorca, Salinas, Guillén, Diego, Alexandre, Alberti, Cernuda). Several important avant-garde movements, such as surrealism, are studied, as well as currents in the contemporary period. LEC
411 Spanish American Novel (3)
Prerequisite: SPA210 or SPA310
Even though many critics agree that the Spanish American novel dates back to 1816, this course focuses on novels published between 1955 and 1990. Examines representative texts of what has been termed the New Novel. Explores some of the main theses in the works (dictatorship, revolution, love, death, and writing) and looks closely at narrative technique. Writers include Allende, Cortázar, Ferré, Fuentes, García Márquez, Puig, and Rulfo. LEC
413 Grammar: Writing and Translation (3)
Develops advanced grammatical and writing skills through literary and nonliterary translations from English to Spanish and vice versa. LEC
415 Spanish American Poetry (3)
Overview of the poetic production of Spanish America. Emphasis on period varies. Readings may be selected from baroque and romantic poetry, modernism; the avant-garde, and contemporary poetry. LEC
416 Spanish American Theatre (3)
Prerequisite: SPA210 or SPA310
Read and analyze ten plays while examining the following literary movements: realism, vanguardism, the Theatre of the Absurd, metatheatre, and postmodernism. Students use their Spanish speaking skills, as class participation is strongly encouraged. SEM
421 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics (3)
Contrastive linguistic study of the pronunciation and grammar of Spanish and English. LEC
422 History of the Spanish Language (3)
Traces the progressive changes that Spanish grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and pronunciation have undergone during the past 2,000 years, pointing out interesting parallels between Spanish and its sister Romance languages (French, Portuguese, and Italian) in their common evolution from Latin. The course has a strong historical focus and accounts for many of the linguistic changes in the light of political, cultural, and socioeconomic events, such as the eight centuries of Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. Taught in Spanish. LEC
423 Cervantes: Novel and Drama (3)
Focuses on Cervantes' dramatic and shorter prose works, including the Novelas Ejemplares, the Comedias, and the Entremeses. LEC
444 Special Topics Abroad (3) (Su)
Spanish civilization: history, geography, literature, art, culture. For participants in the department's summer program at the University of Salamanca. LEC
449 Special Topics I (3)
Prerequisite: junior/senior standing or permission of instructor
Independent study; variable content. Open only to students who have taken at least two courses at the 300/400 level. LEC
450 Special Topics II (3)
Prerequisite: junior/senior standing or permission of instructor
Independent study; variable content. Open only to students who have taken at least two courses at the 300/400 level. LEC
451 Catalán (3)
Modern Catalán syntax; readings in contemporary fiction and poetry; for those familiar with the grammar of another Romance language; oral participation required. LEC
452 Special Topics III (3)
Variable content. LEC
455 Spanish Phonology (3)
The sound system of contemporary Spanish: theoretical and descriptive treatments. LEC
456 Spanish Syntax (3)
Spanish sentence structure in its relation to semantic structure. LEC
488 Undergraduate Literature Seminar Abroad (3)
Major figures, works, and/or movements in Spanish literature; for participants in the department's summer program at the University of Salamanca. SEM
499 Independent Study (var)
Open only to students who have taken at least two courses at the 300/400 level and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their Spanish major or minor. Students must design a course of study they want to undertake in one semester. They choose a professor whose area of expertise most closely approximates their topic and must consult with the professor prior to registering for the course. The topic must not duplicate the content of a regular course. TUT
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in prerequisite courses or their equivalents: SPA101-102 or SPA104 and SPA151-152
SPA101-102 Elementary Spanish 1st-2nd Semester* or SPA104 Transitional Elementary Spanish*
SPA151-152 Intermediate Spanish 1st-2nd Semester*
Three 200-level courses with a minimum GPA of 2.5*
Ten 300/400-level courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0
See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (page 254) for general education and remaining university requirements.
First Year
Fall-Elementary or intermediate Spanish or a 200-level course*
Spring-Elementary or intermediate Spanish or a 200-level course*
Second Year
Fall-Elementary or intermediate Spanish or two 200-level courses*
Spring-Elementary or intermediate Spanish*; for those having completed two 200-level SPA courses: one 200-level SPA course and two 300-level SPA courses; for those having completed one 200-level SPA course: two 200-level SPA courses and two 300-level SPA courses
Third Year
Fall-Two 300/400-level SPA courses
Spring-Two 300/400-level SPA courses
Fourth Year
Fall-Two 300/400-level SPA courses
Spring-Two 300/400-level SPA courses
*Appropriate level is based on placement and/or previous experience, unless exempted. For clarification contact Professor Jorge Guitart, 645-6000, ext. 1194 or e-mail: guitart @acsu.buffalo.edu.
Total required credit hours in Spanish - 39
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in prerequisite courses or their equivalents: SPA101-102 or SPA104 and SPA151-152
SPA101-102 Elementary Spanish 1st-2nd Semester* or SPA104 Transitional Elementary Spanish*
SPA151-152 Intermediate Spanish 1st-2nd Semester*
Two 200-level courses with a minimum GPA of 2.5
Four 300/400-level courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0
*Appropriate level is based on placement and/or previous experience, unless exempted. For clarification contact Professor Jorge Guitart, 645-6000, ext. 1194 or e-mail: guitart @acsu.buffalo.edu.
Total required credit hours in Spanish - 18
Questions and Comments about this site should be sent to:
- Academic Affairs
- Phone: (716) 645-6003
- Fax: (716) 645-2549
Last updated: Thursday, 09-Dec-2004 15:21:20 EST
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