Spanish, B.A.

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Spanish

Member of the Division of Humanities

Chair(s):

Carmen Valentín

Faculty:

Yvette Aparicio
Valérie Benoist
Francisca Escoriza Gallardo
Mirzam Pérez
John Petrus
Nick Phillips

Courses in Spanish examine the diverse cultural achievements of Latin America, Latin@ America and Spain and enable students to respond with intelligence and sensitivity to other cultures. The department seeks to develop in students from all disciplines the critical ability to identify problems and view them from multiple perspectives: cultural, historical, literary, and linguistic. The growing importance of bilingual areas in urban America underscores the advisability of Spanish-language study for careers in health care, bilingual education, community development, and social services.

Students with training in Spanish receive a recommendation as to the appropriate course level (100, 200, 300) for continued language study. Those beginning the language take SPN 105 . The first two years of study in the department follows the sequence SPN 105 , SPN 106 , SPN 217 , and SPN 285 . All courses are conducted in Spanish.

The program for majors provides essential skills for communication in the language, a sound and comprehensive introduction to literature, and an exploration of various aspects of Latin American, Latin@ American, and Spanish cultures. Students should balance their Spanish program with a broad selection of interdepartmental courses and study in all three major divisions in order to ensure breadth of learning. The department encourages participation in one of the approved off-campus programs in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, or Spain.

Major Requirements: A minimum of 32 credits

Courses numbered SPN 105 , SPN 106 , SPN 204 , and SPN 205 do not count toward the major. Required are:

Courses in SPN 217 , SPN 285 , SPN 311 , SPN 312 , SPN 314 , SPN 315 , SPN 317 , or SPN 320 as needed to count toward the minimum of 32 credits*.
Four credits of SPN 343
Eight credits or two seminars each one in a different area of study offered by the department.

Core Requirements: 20 credits*

SPN 217 - Intermediate Spanish 4 credits
SPN 285 - Introduction to Textual Analysis 4 credits
SPN 311 - Constructing Identities in Independent Latin America 4 credits
SPN 312 - Women and Gender in Spanish Literature 4 credits
SPN 314 - Studies in Modern Spanish Literature 4 credits
SPN 315 - Creativity and Dissidence in Modern Latin America 4 credits
SPN 317 - Readings in U.S. Latin@ Literature and Culture 4 credits
SPN 320 - Cultures of the Spanish-Speaking World 4 credits

Additional Requirement: 4 credits

SPN 343 - The Art of Language 4 credits

Seminar Requirement: 8 credits

Eight credits or two seminars; each one in a different area of study offered by the department. Majors may select two seminars from the following groups:

Latin America
SPN 377 - Modernization and Innovation in Contemporary Latin America 4 credits
SPN 383 - The Latin American Colonial World 4 credits
or
SPN 379 - U.S. Latin@ Identities and Sexualities 4 credits
or
SPN 395 - Advanced Special Topics in Literature and Culture 4 credits (on a Latin American or Latin@ topic)
Spain
SPN 385 - Studies in Contemporary Spanish Literature and Film 4 credits
SPN 386 - Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature 4 credits
or
SPN 395 - Advanced Special Topics in Literature and Culture 4 credits (on a Spanish topic)
Spanish Lingusitics
SPN 384 - Spanish Dialectology 4 credits
or
SPN 395 - Advanced Special Topics in Literature and Culture 4 credits (on a Spanish Linguistics topic)
After completing any of the seminar courses mentioned above, students cannot enroll in SPN 311 , SPN 312 , SPN 314 , SPN 315 , or SPN 317

Note:

*With permission of the department, LAS 111 and/or up to 4 credits of coursework with content solely on Latin America, Latin@ America or Spain (taken at Grinnell or at a Grinnell-approved off-campus study program) may count toward the major.

Additional Information

At least 20 credits must be taken within the Department of Spanish at Grinnell. Upon declaration of a Spanish major, students will consult with the department concerning their objectives in order to plan an approved program of courses. Off-campus study courses or transfer courses are not allowed to fulfill the requirement for the two seminars listed above.

Honors

To be considered for honors in Spanish, graduating seniors, in addition to meeting the College’s general requirements for honors, must complete a third seminar in any area of study offered by the department.

Spanish Courses

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Spanish Course Descriptions

Click here to list Spanish course descriptions.