Spanish 320A  History and Culture of Spain.

(3 credits – Fall 2014)

Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00am – 9:50am.

Instructor: Mrs. Tatjana Durand

Office: Basement Honsey Hall, Room 117

Telephone: 344-7303 (office) 387-1357 (home)

Email: Durand@blc.edu

Office hours: M-W-TH-F: 10:30-11:30 and by appointment 

Description:  This is an introductory course in Spanish civilization with a focus on the history and culture of Spain.  The objective is to survey the different periods of the history of Spain through each period’s cultural manifestations.  During the semester we shall look at a broad view of the economic, sociological and political factors that configure each period and study examples of each period’s cultural products (including architecture, literature, visual arts, music, gastronomy, etc.).  This is a non-specialized interdisciplinary course where the student is invited to amplify his or her analytical perspectives in order to develop a more comprehensive view of the civilization of Spain; one, it is hoped, that is free of bias and stereotypical images.

Obligatory Textbook Culturas de España por  Carmen Pereira-Muro. Houghton Mifflin Company - ISBN: 0-618-06312-9 ed.: 2003

Learning Outcomes

1. Possess Spanish listening and speaking skills equivalent to the level of advanced-low on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: Understand the main ideas of most speech in a standard dialect and use oral Spanish to speak about a variety of everyday activities, school, and work situations, but also to support opinions, explain in detail and hypothesize.
2. Possess Spanish reading skills equivalent to the level of advanced-low on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: Understand parts of texts that are conceptually abstract and linguistically complex; demonstrate awareness of the aesthetic properties of language and of its literary styles, which permits comprehension of a wider variety of texts, including literary texts.
3. Possess Spanish writing skills equivalent to the level of advanced-low on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: the student will be able to write about a variety of topics with significant precision and detail, and to produce organized compositions and short research papers.
4. Be able to identify the primary grammatical and functional components of the Spanish language and to use the language in such a way that native speakers most of the time receive the intended message within the situations mentioned above. Questions regarding clarification may occur.
5. Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of cultural differences regarding ways of thinking, behavioral practices and the cultural products of the Spanish-speaking world.

Evaluation: The final grade is based on the following:

1. Participation (including attendance, written homework and oral presentations): 40%
2. Tests: 40%
3. Final project 20% (to be announced)

Departmental attendance policy:  Students should be aware that any absences from class may adversely affect the class participation component of their final grade.  In any case, no student may have more than three (3) absences.  Students should also note that it is their responsibility to ensure that they comply with this attendance requirement.  The student is responsible for any material or information missed due to absences.  It is important to communicate an absence ahead of time.

Class protocol:  Besides completing the assigned homework, students are required to read the assigned pages and to prepare other materials for the class in advance.  In class, students are required to be involved in the activities and they must show their preparation by participating in the discussions, by asking relevant questions, being critical and analytical with contents presented in class as well as by sharing their ideas and opinions.  Siempre los estudiantes tienen que hablar en español.

Goals and objectives:  At the end of the semester the student will have improved the following learning outcomes:

• International experience
• Advanced language skills in Spanish
• Oral communication in Spanish
• Writing intensive in Spanish
• Global good citizenship and ethics
• Critical thinking
• Student engagement