Spanish

SPA 100 Spanish I 3 Credits

Introduction to the fundamentals of Spanish grammar, with emphasis on communicative skills, in culturally authentic contexts. Students are required to work extensively with audio and/or video materials and online sources. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Essential Competencies element of the CLAS general education curriculum.

Prerequisite(s): placement test if Spanish has been studied elsewhere.

SPA 101 Spanish II 3 Credits

Continuation of Spanish 100. Emphasizes the use of language for communicative and cultural competency while developing a solid grammar foundation in Spanish. Students are required to work extensively with audio and/or video materials and online sources. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Essential Competencies element of the CLAS general education curriculum.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 100 or placement test.

SPA 102 Elementary Spanish II Abroad 3 Credits

This course is the second part of the first-year experience in Spanish and is designed for students who have taken Spanish for Beginners I and who are interested in experiences abroad in a Spanish speaking culture. The aim is to develop the four basic skills (listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing) in and beyond the classroom. The discussion of distinctive cultural aspects of the Hispanic world is an integral part of this course as well as to encourage students to experience the world through the eyes of the other culture by exposing them to the literature and arts of the local culture. This course takes 8 weeks in total, 7 weeks at Rider online and 1 week abroad. During the seven weeks, students practice linguistic skills and gain cultural knowledge related to the country of destination. These skills and knowledge will prepare the students for the one week abroad experience.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 100 with a minimum grade of D.

SPA 103 Introductory Medical Spanish 3 Credits

The language program objectives of our department are based on the premise that students must be able to demonstrate increased proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication skills as well as growth in cultural, literary, and interdisciplinary knowledge as they move through a sequence of study. This course is the second part of the first-year experience in Spanish during which the development of communicative and cultural competencies is at the center of this experience. At the end of the course, successful students will be able to handle a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. They will also develop a sense of the cultural aspects of peoples who speak the target language. This course offers an additional focus on the use of Spanish across a variety of medical professions. Students interested in careers in medicine, nursing, counseling, physical therapy, chiropractic education, healthcare communication, public policy or other related fields will benefit from the linguistic (i.e., vocabulary and grammar) and sociocultural topics examined in this course. In addition to learning grammar and vocabulary that will translate into real-world skills in medical and healthcare professions (e.g., talking to patients, navigating a hospital setting, diagnosing illnesses), students will also explore sociocultural topics on how Latinx communities in the United States relate to medical and healthcare services and industries. In order to take this course, students must have taken Spanish I (SPA 100) at Rider or placed into Spanish II or Introductory Medical Spanish (SPA 101 or SPA 103) on the Foreign Language Placement Test.

SPA 200 Spanish III 3 Credits

A focus on key communicative structures in Spanish with emphasis on aural-oral (listening and speaking skills) and composition writing. Cultural and literary readings and films will be used to develop these skills. A special section may be offered to address the needs of native speakers. Students may be required to work with audio and/or video materials and online sources. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Essential Competencies element of the CLAS general education curriculum.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 101, 102, 103 or placement test.

SPA 201 Spanish IV 3 Credits

A continuation of communicative Spanish review with emphasis on aural-oral and written skills to prepare students for further study. The discussion of distinctive cultural aspects of the Hispanic world is an integral part of this course. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Essential Competencies element of the CLAS general education curriculum.

Prerequisites: SPA 200 or placement test.

SPA 300 Advanced Grammar & Composition 3 Credits

A systematic review of grammatical structure. The development of writing skills, in preparation for upper level courses in literature, culture and professional language.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 301 Spanish for Business 3 Credits

A solid foundation in business vocabulary and cultural concepts; situational practice in geographic and cultural contexts necessary to be successful in today’s Spanish-speaking world. Practice in writing business letters and other documents. Oral and written assignments to help students improve their critical thinking and become better communicators.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 302 Writing and Translating 3 Credits

Practice in writing and an introduction to translation for students who will use Spanish in their professional lives. Using literary, cultural and journalistic sources, students learn various writing discourses including narration, description, exposition, argumentation, and journalistic and letter writing. Translation involves preliminary study of translation theory and techniques, and practice with texts from students’ chosen careers. Additional study of Spanish grammar as necessary.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 303 Advanced Communication and Popular Cultures 3 Credits

The focus of the course is to strengthen the student’s aural comprehension and speaking skills by providing a framework for regular guided practice of fundamental grammar structures and vocabulary enhancement in the context of Hispanic cultures. Listening activities will include live speech, video recordings, film shorts and one full-length movie. Speaking tasks will be reinforced with written exercises.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 305 Cervantes 3 Credits

A detailed study of Cervantes’ masterpiece, El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha. Lectures, discussions, and supplementary readings.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 310 Spanish Culture & Civilization 3 Credits

Spain’s cultural achievements are studied in light of the country’s unique historical and social reality through the use of historical, artistic, architectural, cinematic and literary sources. Cross-cultural awareness is enhanced through exercises that compare Spanish and American society. Classes are in English. No knowledge of Spanish required. This course may contain an optional travel component offered before or after the semester or during spring break.

SPA 311 Latin American and Latinx Cultures 3 Credits

This course offers a panoramic survey of Latin American culture and civilization, in light of the unique social, cultural and political history from the pre-Columbian period to the present. We will take a transdisciplinary approach, and thus we will consider literary texts (e.g., short stories, films, novels, essays, poems), historical and anthropological studies, and sociological works in our examination of Latin American and Latinx cultures. The analysis and discussion of selected texts will show how Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a/x artistic and creative endeavors express the social, cultural, and political context of the Americas. Videos and films will provide the sights and sounds of these complex and interconnected regions. This course is taught in English; no knowledge of Spanish is required. This course DOES NOT count for the General Education Foreign Language Proficiency requirement.

SPA 312 Latinx Cultures 3 Credits

This course focuses on the cultural formation of Latinos/as/x in the United States, as well as the social and political motivations for Latin American migration to this country. Our class will analyze and question how various Latinx communities are grouped into a single U.S.-Latino Diaspora. This course takes a transdisciplinary approach, thus we will consider literary texts (short stories, poems, films, novels), historical and anthropological studies, and sociological works in our examination of Latinx cultures. The main goals of the course are for students to begin to conceptualize: 1) how the United States has been shaped by the presence of Latino/a/x communities, and 2) how Latino/a/x experiences are reflected in literature and art. Classes are in English. No knowledge of Spanish is required.

SPA 320 Introduction to Spanish Literature 3 Credits

Examines through lectures, readings and class discussions selected texts and their relationship to the main currents of European literary history. Introduction to the practice of literary analysis through written composition. Required for majors. Course taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 325 Introduction to Latin-American/Latino Literature 3 Credits

A study of the development of Latin-American and Latino literature from its origins to the present through the reading, analysis and discussion of representative works by major authors. This course increases the understanding of how social, historical, and political events, together with native as well as foreign literary movements, create a unique literature, conveying the Hispanic-American reality. Required for majors. Course taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 395 Phonetics for Communication 3 Credits

A systematic study of the production of Spanish sounds with practice in phonetic transcription and a preliminary investigation of dialects.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 403 Medieval Literature 3 Credits

Surveys the literature of Spain during the Middle Ages, with special emphasis on major writers such as Gonzalo de Berceo and Don Juan Manuel, and attention to the epic and the medieval ballad. Modern versions of medieval Spanish are used.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 410 Modern Hispanic Poetry 3 Credits

Surveys the poetic genre, emphasizing how to read, analyze, and appreciate poetry. Major poets from Spain and Spanish America of the 19th and 20th centuries representing the main currents of modern lyricism are studied. Focuses on such major writers as Rosalía de Castro, Darío, Jiménez, Machado, Vallejo, Mistral, Neruda, Lorca, Paz, Ana Rossetti, Nicolas Guillen, and Nancy Morejon.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 411 Modern Spanish Novel 3 Credits

Traces the development of the Spanish novel, paying particular attention to the masters of the 19th-century Realism (Galdos and Clarín), the innovations and experimentation of the Generation of ’98 (Unamuno, Baroja, Valle-Inclan, and Pérez de Ayala), and the novelists of the post-Civil War and contemporary periods (Cela, Delibes, Goytisolo, Martín Gaite, Matute, Fernandez Cubas, and Javier Marías). Emphasis on the aesthetics of the novel as a literary form.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 412 Theater and Film of the Hispanic World 3 Credits

This course explores through theater and cinema the compelling issues that have shaped Hispanic cultures and consciousness throughout the centuries. Sample topics include war and remembrance; myth and history; freedom and authority; immigration; globalization; and race, class, and gender. The course may focus on specific authors or historical periods. Representative playwrights include Lope de Vega, Zayas, Zorrilla, Avellaneda, Lorca, Buero Vallejo, Sastre, Solorzano, Carballido, Lopez Mozo, and Pedrero. Directors include Buñuel, Saura, Gutiérrez Alea, Almodovar, Rocha, Salles, Erice, Zambrano, and Bollaín.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 413 The Hispanic Short Story: Transatlantic Connections 3 Credits

This course will introduce students to the most representative writers of the short story in Spain and Latin America from Romanticism to the present. Students will be prepared to perform close readings of the literary genre under study, to analyze the form and content of the texts read, paying due attention to all internal and external aspects that impact the narrative process and the evolution of the short story. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Disciplinary Perspectives element of the CLAS general education curriculum. Course taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 415 Spanish Renaissance 3 Credits

The origins and evolution of the Renaissance in Spain and of the literary expression of Renaissance culture as reflected in the development and perfection of prose and lyrical styles through the 16th century. Topics include the medieval heritage, Spanish Humanism, the Celestina, the Renaissance ideal in amatory prose and poetry, mysticism, the ballad, and the picaresque novel.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 416 The Spanish Golden Age 3 Credits

The literature of Spain during a period of political decline and outstanding aesthetic achievement: Lope de Vega and the rise of a national theatre; Calderon’s drama of ideas; the development of the novella and the picaresque novel; the poetry and prose of Gongora, Quevedo, and Gracian. Also includes an introduction to literary theory.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 420 From Colonies to Nations 3 Credits

This course consists of a panoramic survey of Colonial Latin American literature in light of the unique social, cultural and political history from the pre-Columbian to the Independence period (1825). Course taught in Spanish. Note: This course is cross-listed as LAC 420. Students may not get credit for both SPA 420 and LAC 420.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 426 Latin American/Latino Film and Fiction 3 Credits

A study of the main trends in contemporary Hispanic fiction written in Latin America and the United States. Analysis and discussion of selected novels and short stories, and their cinematic representation on film. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Disciplinary Perspectives element of the CLAS general education curriculum. Course taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above, or placement test at 300-level or above.

SPA 430 Latinx Community Engagement 3 Credits

This course explores the experiences of Latinx individuals and communities across the United States through a) class meetings and discussions, and b) community engagement with pre-established partner organizations in and around Lawrenceville, NJ. Broadly, our course will examine questions related to identity, race, ethnicity, language, transnationalism, (im)migration, the border, (im)migrant detention, and solidarity movements.

Prerequisite(s): SPA 201 or above.

SPA 490 Independent Study: Research and Creative Expression 1-4 Credits

Independent Research and Study allows juniors and seniors in good academic standing to investigate topics of interest under faculty supervision. Projects must be approved by the faculty member, department chairperson, and academic dean no later than the third week of the semester in which the project is to be conducted. Only one project can be scheduled in a semester, and for no more than four semester hours; up to 12 semester hours of independent research and study may be counted toward graduation. Note that individual departments may have additional restrictions.

SPA 491 Internship in Foreign Languages 1-4 Credits

A supervised work experience in an approved organization to gain knowledge of the importance and interrelationship of foreign languages and cultures in the workplace. Placements can be made in international governmental agencies, international trade associations, multinational corporations, social service agencies and other appropriate workplace environments both in the United States and abroad. With permission of the supervisor and faculty advisor, a three-credit internship may be substituted for a collateral requirement as credit toward the major.

Prerequisite(s): students should have completed at least one 300-level course in the foreign language.

SPA 496 Special Studies 3 Credits

A seminar open to a variety of topics treating a particular author, period, genre, theme, or issue.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.