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Click here for Fall 2009 syllabi, posted as they become available.
Pronunciation, grammar essentials, conversation and reading. Three class hours a week plus one hour of tutorial. Minimal introduction to history and culture of hispanophone countries. Prerequisites: for 101 there is no prerequisite. For admission into 102, students must have completed Hispanic Studies 101, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C–. Every semester. (4 credits, each course)
Accelerated Spanish 110 meets the goals of Beginning Spanish I and II (101 and 102) in one semester. Students will not receive credit for this course if they've previously taken or been awarded credit for 101 and/or 102. Registration in the course is contingent on instructor's approval. Student must pass 110 with a minimum grade of C for admission into any 200-level course. Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial. Every semester. (5 credits)
Intensive instruction in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Portuguese. Brazilian usage emphasized. This course is appropriate for students who are highly self-motivated and able to learn foreign languages quickly. These students must have high intermediate to advanced skills in Spanish or another Romance language or previous work in Portuguese. Exceptions to these guidelines may be made with the instructor's approval. Successful completion allows enrollment in in the Portuguese language course 331. Three class hours a week plus tutorial. Fall semester. (4 credits)
For centuries, indigenous peoples have been fighting to be recognized by states and nation states of the world. In recent years, the rights of indigenous peoples recaptured the global attention from nations and institutions who have been involved in preserving their way of life and their future. Since 1993, the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations has been responsible for developing a universally accepted document entitled “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” Susurros del Pasado: Whispers toward the 21st Century will explore the definition of “indigenous peoples” and its implication within the context of the Americas, and provide a forum for discussing the suffering, oppression and discrimination experienced by this particular population. The course will also outline the continuing struggle for freedom, for cultural and physical survival, by examining specific literature and cultural production authored by 20th and 21st century indigenous and non-indigenous authors from North, Central and South America. The chosen literature and cultural texts will illustrate trans-cultural and de-colonization processes, and resistance to assimilation. Authors and films will be the source of our readings and class discussion, including: Sherman Alexie, Jose Maria Arguedas, Victor Montejo, Rigoberta Menchú, El Comandante Marcos; “Apocalypto (2007),” “Cabeza de Vaca (1993),” “The Mission (1986),” “A Place Called Chiapas (1998).” First-year students only. Fall semester. (4 credits)
Intermediate Spanish extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Spanish. Formal introduction to history and culture of Hispanophone countries. Prerequisites: for admission into 203, students must have completed 102, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C–. For admission into 204, students must have completed 203, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C–. Every semester. (4 credits, each course)
Accelerated Spanish 220 meets the goals of Intermediate Spanish I and II (203 and 204) in one semester. It extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Spanish, and it introduces the history and culture of Hispanophone countries. This course is appropriate for students with significant prior experience in Spanish and for students who are highly self-motivated and able to learn foreign languages quickly. Successful completion allows enrollment in 300-level courses in Spanish. Students will not receive credit for this course if they've previously taken or been awarded credit for 203 and/or 204. Registration in the course is contingent on instructor's approval. Student must pass 220 with a minimum grade of C for admission into any 300- or 400-level course. Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial. Every semester. (5 credits)
Primarily designed to improve oral communication and to strengthen the student's written proficiency and his or her awareness of grammar intricacies in relation to writing, it serves as a bridge to upper-level courses. Conversations and compositions are based on cultural and literary topics. Class activities vary according to the instructor but usually include five to fifteen minute presentations, interviews with native speakers, commentary on videos and movies, short stories, plays and short novels, writing strategies, and self-correction exercises. It often involves extensive reading appropriate to the level. Prerequisite: 204, 220, or consent of the instructor. Every semester. (4 credits)
(Same as Latin American Studies 307)
This course presents the student with some basic tools for the systematic analysis of a broad range of topics and forms of cultural production (literature, cinema, art, e-texts...) in the Hispanic world. It also seeks to develop advanced language skills in composition and presentation. Prerequisite: 305 or consent of the instructor. Every semester. (4 credits)
By 2003, individuals of Latin American descent living in the United States numbered approximately 38 million, constituting the country's largest minority group. In this course, we will study the interdisciplinary field of contemporary U.S. Latino Studies that has emerged in response to this growing population. Here we will trace the fundamental questions and concerns within Latina/o Studies, ranging from the field's activist origins in the Chicano and Puerto Rican movements of the 1960s and 70s to its current emphasis on pan-Latino, comparative, and new Latino avenues of inquiry. For example, what is a U.S. Latina/o? What is U.S. Latina/o Studies, and how is it different from (and similar to) Latin American Studies? Where does U.S. Latina/o Studies belong in institutions of higher learning? In addition to these questions regarding the academic location of U.S. Latina/o Studies, in this class you will learn to describe the main demographic features of the various U.S. Latino communities and compare each group's unique (im) migration history, settlement patterns, and transnational activities. Finally, we will devote a significant portion of the course to a broader discussion of U.S. Latina/o identity as it relates to questions of class, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and national origins. Prerequisite: 305 or consent of instructor. Fall. (4 credits)
A linguistic survey of the Spanish language aimed at improving pronunciation and increasing comprehension of the structure of the language, deepening students’ understanding of the sound system, word formation, grammar and meaning. Study will emphasize phonetics and provide an introduction to transcription, phonology, morphology and syntax, as well as provide an overview of linguistic change and geographic variation. Prerequisite: 305 or consent of instructor. Every year. (4 credits)
NOTE: This course is cross-listed with Linguistics and is classified in Area 3 of the Hispanic Studies major.
Amor, aventuras, guerra, imperio, personajes legendarios como Don Juan y otros muchos temas y personajes fascinantes llenan las obras teatrales del Siglo de Oro español que vamos a estudiar en esta clase. También conoceremos a un poeta que llegó a escribir más de mil obras de teatro, a una monja mejicana que asombró al mundo entero con su prodigioso intelecto y a un veterano de guerra lisiado que escribió una de las novelas más importantes de la historia de la literatura. Por medio de la discusión en clase y de la expresión de nuestras opiniones y creatividad en trabajos escritos y la representación de algunas escenas de teatro, tendremos la oportunidad de descubrir por qué estas obras fueron tan populares en su época y cómo nos hablan a nosotros y a nuestro mundo de hoy. Prerequisite: 307 or consent of the instructor. (4 credits)
En este curso se explorará la producción cultural latinoamericana que resulta del trauma de los regímenes autoritarios en el continente. Se enfocará en la producción literaria, cinematográfica y artística del Cono Sur, incluyendo el discurso cinematográfico de Brasil. L@s estudiantes leerán y asistirán a una variedad de textos literarios, críticos y fílmicos y analizarán cómo estos resultan, reaccionan y/o critican sus respectivos contextos sociales y políticos. A la vez, examinaremos cómo la producción cultural latinoamericana dialoga con el trauma de la violencia política, social y económica desde el contexto post-dictatorial. En específico, los textos/películas examinados en el curso reflejan los regímenes dictatoriales del Cono Sur. De tal suerte, leeremos textos de autores como Sergio Chejfec (Argentina); Rafael Courtoisie (Uruguay) y Carlos Franz (Chile). También asistiremos a películas como Lamarca (Sérgio Rezende, 1994) y Acción entre amigos (Beto Brant, 1998) que retratan la realidad (post)dictatorial en Brasil. Como parte de la clase, l@s estudiantes y la profesora visitarán la exposición Los desaparecidos que estará en exhibición en el Weisman Museum of Art, Minneapolis, MN (Octubre 10, 2009 – Enero 10, 2010). Prerequisite: 307 or consent of the instructor. (4 credits)
This course will provide an in-depth overview of the intricacies of Spanish grammar with the goal of fine-tuning students’ reading, writing and speaking skills. To that end, comprehensive grammar study will provide the backdrop for intense oral and written practice that will continue throughout the semester. The oral component will consist of presentations and conversations derived from literary and journalistic readings as well as movies, art and current events. The writing component will include a variety of assignments, including two written exams, designed to improve students’ grammatical accuracy as well as their overall understanding of the structure of the language. Prerequisite: 305 or 309 or consent of the instructor.
(4 credits)
The rise in femicide across Latin America, most shockingly exhibited in the city of Juárez, Mexico, has resulted in broad discussions of women’s relationship with violence. However what happens when the traditional paradigm is inverted and we explore women as perpetrators, rather than victims, of violence? This class will dialogue with selected Latin American and Latino narratives (including novels, short stories, films, and newspapers) constituting different representations of women who kill. Why are violent acts perceived to be more disturbing when a woman commits them? What type of language is used to describe a woman’s violence? How do archetypes such as the femme fatale or scorned woman filter our perception? These questions will motivate our reading, discussion, and writing for the semester. Prerequisite: 305 or 309 or consent of the instructor.
(4 credits)
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