Spring 2021 Undergraduate Courses | Spanish and Portuguese

Spanish 092-401 Corona Capitalism: Crisis and Inequality Across the Americas

Prof. Brownstone

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The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated existing social inequalities. It has also accelerated the pace of history so sharply that the course of events has become nearly impossible to predict. This CWiC critical speaking seminar takes as its starting point our shared participation in the experience of uncertainty. At the same time, in looking to Latin America and the US, it articulates the fact that COVID-19 is anything but a “great equalizer”: its impact varies widely and decisively across race, class, and gender. As the world confronts multiple layers of wreckage, not only biological but also ecological and economic, how can we frame and communicate both uncertainty and truth in a thoughtful way? We will examine social problems that have been laid bare by the pandemic and have since become sites of ethical and political reevaluation, namely health disparities, ecological racism, the distribution of labor, and criminal justice. This seminar’s aim is to collaboratively assess one fundamental question: How can we understand COVID-19 not as an exceptional moment in history, but as a crisis of racial capitalism? By studying media, activism, policy, and scholarship produced during the pandemic alongside foundational critical theory, students will gain the analytical tools to contextualize its disproportionate global impact on poor communities and people of color, and to envision a just post-pandemic recovery. We will engage Marxist, feminist, and anti-racist theoretical approaches, and while familiarity with these methods is not necessary, an openness to them is. Self-examination is crucial to the success of the course, which requires students reflect on their own political, intellectual, and emotional investments in racialized inequality. This is a speaking intensive seminar intended to improve students’ oral communication and listening skills through class discussions, prepared presentations, and mixed-media communication projects.

This course will be conducted in ENGLISH and may not be applied to the Hispanic Studies major, Hispanic Studies minor, or the Certificate in Spanish.

Spanish 115 Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary I

Staff
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Course Description
Spanish 115 is a first-semester elementary Medical Spanish Language course and the first in the Spanish for Medical Professions sequence. It is designed for students with no prior coursework in Spanish. This course teaches beginning students the fundamentals of practical Spanish with an emphasis on medical situations and basic medical terminology. In this course, particular attention will be given to developing speaking and listening skills, as well as cultural awareness. It incorporates activities, vocabulary, and readings of particular interest to healthcare practitioners, while adhering to the goals and scope of Spanish 110, the first-semester Spanish language course.

Students who have already taken Spanish 110 will not receive credit for Spanish 115. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level. Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 115).

Prerequisite(s)

NEVER studied Spanish before, or
a score below 380 on the SAT II exam, or
a score below 285 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
a score below 380 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses)

Spanish 120 Elementary Spanish II

Staff
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Course Description
Spanish 120 is a second-semester language course designed for students who have some prior experience in Spanish. As in other Spanish courses, Spanish 120 emphasizes the development of foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and videotaped interviews with native speakers, your aural and oral abilities will improve at the same time that you will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. You will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that you can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and linguistic structures. Reading strategies will facilitate your comprehension of the texts included in the course syllabus. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, films) and a class project will advance your knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing your intercultural competence.

Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide you with guided practice before moving to more independent and spontaneous language production. You will participate in paired, small-group and whole-class activities that simulate real-life situations that will help you gain confidence communicating in Spanish.

Goals
By the end of this course students can handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:

Introduce themselves, use greetings, describe people, places and things, give instructions, tell time, go shopping, order meals in a restaurant, and make travel plans
Talk about themselves, families and friends regarding academic life, daily routines, health, work, leisure, and preferences (using the present and past tenses)
Use the cultural information learned in class as an icebreaker to find common ground with Spanish-speaking people around the globe

Prerequisites

the successful completion of SPAN 110 or SPAN 115 at Penn, or
a score on the SAT II exam between 380-440, or
a score on the online placement exam between 285-383 (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
a score on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam between 380-440 (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
moving up a level from a score below 380 on the SAT II exam, or
moving up a level from a score below 285 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
moving up a level from a score below 380 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
permission from the Director of the Spanish Language Program

Spanish 121 Elementary Spanish

Staff
See Timetable for time(s)

Course Description
Spanish 121 is designed for students who have some prior experience in Spanish. It is an intensive elementary-level language course that in one semester covers the material studied over two semesters in our Spanish 110 and Spanish 120. The course provides a quick-paced review of material normally covered in a first semester Spanish course and then proceeds to introduce new material so students will be prepared to take Spanish 130 during the subsequent semester. As in other Spanish courses, Spanish 121 emphasizes the development of foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and mini documentaries shown in class, students will develop their aural and oral skills at the same time that they will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. Students will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that they can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and linguistic structures. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, and films) and a class project will advance students’ knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing their intercultural competence.

Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide you with guided practice before moving to more independent and spontaneous language production. You will participate in paired, small-group and whole-class activities that simulate real-life situations that will help you gain confidence communicating in Spanish.

Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:

Introduce themselves, use greetings, describe people, places and things, give instructions, tell time, go shopping, order meals in a restaurant, and make travel plans
Talk about themselves, families, and friends regarding academic life, daily routines, health, work, leisure, and preferences (using the present and past tenses)
Use the cultural information learned in class as an icebreaker to find common ground with a wide a variety of Spanish speakers

Prerequisite(s)

a score on the SAT II exam between 380-440, or
a score on the online placement exam between 285-383 (this does not apply to Wharton students), or

a score on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam between 380-440 (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or

moving up a level from a score below 380 on the SAT II exam, or
moving up a level from a score below 285 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or

moving up a level from a score below 380 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
permission from the Director of the Spanish Language Program

Spanish 125 Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary II

Staff
See Timetable for times

Course Description

Spanish 125 is a second-semester elementary Medical Spanish Language that continues to develop the fundamentals of practical Spanish, with a special focus on medical situations and basic medical terminology. In this course, particular attention will be given to developing speaking and listening skills, as well as cultural awareness. Students will be expected to participate in classroom activities such as role-plays based on typical office and emergency procedures in order to develop meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language. The class will be conducted entirely in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s)

the successful completion of SPAN 110 or SPAN 115 at Penn, or
a score on the SAT II exam between 380-440, or
a score on the online placement exam between 285-383 (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
a score on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam between 380-440 (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
moving up a level from a score below 380 on the SAT II exam, or
moving up a level from a score below 285 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
moving up a level from a score below 380 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
permission from the Director of the Spanish Language Program

Spanish 130 Intermediate Spanish I

Staff
See Timetable for time(s)

Course Description

Spanish 130, a first-semester intermediate-level course, emphasizes students’ acquisition of new vocabulary and linguistic structures in a cultural and communicative context while building on their previous speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. A substantial amount of the course is devoted to learning and using the past tenses. As in other Spanish courses, students will take part in a wide range of activities including video blogging, role-plays, film viewings, listening to music, and class discussions of current social and cultural topics. Unique to this course is the creation of a “cultural journal” throughout the semester in which students pursue their own interests in the Spanish-speaking world while taking advantage of some of the rich resources within Philadelphia’s own Hispanic community.

Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of common situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:

Narrate past actions, ranging from personal anecdotes to historical events
Give advice, recommendations, and commands to people
Express their feelings and doubts when reacting to what others have said
Talk about their future expectations and wishes
Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Hispanic cultural practices and products

Prerequisite(s)

the successful completion of SPAN 112, SPAN 120, SPAN 121 or SPAN 125 at Penn, or
a score on the SAT II exam between 450-540, or
a score on the online placement exam between 384-453 (this does not apply to Wharton students), or

a score on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam between 450-540 (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or

moving up a level from a score between 380-440 on the SAT II exam, or
moving up a level from a score between 285-383 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or

moving up a level from a score between 380-440 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
permission from the Director of the Spanish Language Program

Spanish 135 Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate I

Staff
See Timetable for time(s)

Course Description

Spanish 135 is a first-semester intermediate-level language course that emphasizes the development of the four basic skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and the acquisition of medical terminology. Students will be expected to participate in classroom activities such as role-plays based on everyday situations that they may encounter at work settings such as doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms in order to develop meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language. Students will also review and acquire other essential tools of communication in the target language applicable both within and outside the medical field. Major course goals include: the acquisition of intermediate-level vocabulary, the controlled use of the past tense, and the development of writing skills at a paragraph level with transitions.

Students who have already taken Spanish 130 will not receive credit for Spanish 135. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level. Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 135). The class will be conducted entirely in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s)

the successful completion of SPAN 112, SPAN 120, SPAN 121 or SPAN 125 at Penn, or
a score on the SAT II exam between 450-540, or
a score on the online placement exam between 384-453 (this does not apply to Wharton students), or

a score on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam between 450-540 (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or

moving up a level from a score between 380-440 on the SAT II exam, or
moving up a level from a score between 285-383 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
moving up a level from a score between 380-440 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
permission from the Director of the Spanish Language Program

Spanish 140 Intermediate Spanish II

Staff
See Timetable for time(s)

Course Description

Spanish 140 is a fourth-semester language course that both reinforces and enhances the communicative skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) previously acquired while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Class activities are designed so that students can build up these four skills in order to function at an intermediate language level. Readings focused on contemporary social and political issues of the Hispanic world will advance your knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices while increasing your intercultural competence. Unique to this course is the preparation of an oral presentation on a topic related to the Hispanic world throughout the semester and presented during the last days of classes. The purpose of this task is to help students develop their presentational competence in Spanish.

Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide students with ample opportunities to work in small groups and in pairs while gaining confidence communicating in Spanish. This course satisfies the language requirement at Penn.

Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:

Express their opinions on a variety of contemporary events and issues
Defend their position when presented with a hypothetical situation
Deliver short presentations on a chosen subject after thorough preparation
Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Hispanic cultural practices and products

Prerequisite(s)

the successful completion of SPAN 130 or SPAN 135 at Penn, or
a score on the SAT II exam between 550-640, or
a score on the online placement exam between 454-546 (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
a score on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam between 550-640 (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
moving up a level from a score between 450-540 on the SAT II exam, or
moving up a level from a score between 384-453 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
moving up a level from a score between 450-540 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses)

Spanish 145 Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate II

Staff
See Timetable for time(s)

Course Description

Spanish 145, the continuation of Spanish 135, is an intermediate-level integrated skills language course. It emphasizes the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities. Students will be expected to participate actively in classroom activities such as communicative activities, role-playing based on typical doctor/patient interactions as well as other medical situations. Students will also review and learn other essential tools of communication applicable both inside and outside the medical field. The class will be conducted entirely in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s)

the successful completion of SPAN 130 or SPAN 135 at Penn, or
a score on the SAT II exam between 550-640, or
a score on the online placement exam between 454-546 (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
a score on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam between 550-640 (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses), or
moving up a level from a score between 450-540 on the SAT II exam, or
moving up a level from a score between 384-453 on the online placement exam (this does not apply to Wharton students), or
moving up a level from a score between 450-540 on the paper-and-pencil departmental exam (for Wharton students; for transfer students seeking transfer credit for previous courses)

Spanish 180 Spanish Conversation

Staff

La Casa Hispánica residents only.

Spanish 202 Advanced Spanish

Staff
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Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or equivalent.

The purpose of this course is twofold: (a) to develop students' communicative abilities in Spanish, that is, speaking, listening, reading and writing, and (b) to increase their awareness and understanding of Hispanic cultures and societies. Homework and classroom activities are designed to help students build their oral proficiency, expand and perfect their knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures, improve their reading and writing skills, and develop their critical thinking abilities. The material for this class includes short stories, newspaper articles, poems, songs, cartoons, video clips and a novel, such as César Aira’s La villa. At the completion of this course students will feel confident discussing and debating a variety of contemporary issues (cultural and religious practices, family relationships, gender stereotypes, political events, immigration to the USA, etc.).

Questions about placement should be addressed to the Director of the Spanish Language Program.

Spanish 205 Advanced Spanish for the Medical Professions

Prof. Grabner-Travis
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Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or 145 or equivalent.

The goal of this course is to provide advanced practice in Spanish to those students who are interested in pursuing careers in the medical and healthcare fields. Through readings and authentic materials on contemporary health issues—for example, H1N1 influenza, comparative healthcare systems, malnutrition, Chagas disease, etc.—students will acquire the vocabulary and grammatical structures needed to discuss a wide array of topics pertaining to the health-related professions. Students will also gain awareness of those healthcare issues affecting the Hispanic/Latino patient. Short oral presentations and a poster session at semester’s end will complement topics covered in class.

Spanish 208 Business Spanish I

Prof. Lebaudy
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Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or equivalent.

Spanish for Business I provides advanced-level language students with technical vocabulary and communicative skills covering business concepts as they apply to the corporate dynamics of the Spanish-speaking world, with a special emphasis on Latin America. Through readings, presentations, videos, and class discussions, we will analyze the current business environment in the region taking into consideration local economies and markets in light of their recent history, politics, resources, and relevant current events.

Questions about placement should be directed to the Director of the Spanish Language Program or the Instructor.

Spanish 212 Advanced Spanish II: Grammar and Composition

Staff
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or equivalent.

Spanish 212 focuses on the acquisition of the tools necessary for successful written expression in Spanish. These tools include a solid knowledge of the grammar, an ample vocabulary, control of the mechanics of the language (spelling, punctuation, etc.), and a thorough understanding of the writing process. Throughout the semester students sharpen their skills as they analyze thought-provoking texts (short stories, essays, articles, interviews, reviews, podcasts, and films) and produce a variety of written assignments. By the end of the course they will have developed their awareness of the norms of standard Spanish and learned to incorporate these features into their own writing. Spanish 212 prepares students for the writing requirements of upper-level courses and study abroad. The class will be conducted in Spanish, and students will be expected to use Spanish at all times.

Questions about placement should be addressed to the Director of the Spanish Language Program.

Spanish 215 Spanish for the Professions I

Prof. Carlo
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or equivalent.

Spanish for the Professions is designed to provide advanced-level language students with a wide-ranging technical vocabulary and the enhancement of solid communicative skills within the cultural context of several developing Latin American countries. Focusing on topics such as politics, economy, society, health, environment, education, science and technology, the class will explore the realities and underlying challenges facing Latin America. Through essays, papers, articles, research, discussions, case studies, and videotapes, we shall take an in-depth look at the dynamics of Latin American societies. The course will focus on - but not be restricted to - Mexico, Cuba, and Argentina.

Any questions about placement should be addressed to the Director of the Spanish Language Program.

Spanish 219 Hispanic Texts and Contexts

Staff
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or Spanish 212.

The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts in those regions where Spanish is used. At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through readings, class discussions, and frequent writing assignments. This course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work and study abroad.

Spanish 223 Introduction to Literary Analysis

Staff
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Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or Spanish 212.

Literature from Spain and Latin America contains a wealth of information about language, history and culture. The goal of this course is to help students develop skills to carefully read Spanish literary works while preparing them for upper-level courses and study abroad. We begin reviewing the main characteristics of various literary movements and of the four genres (narrative, poetry, theater and essay). During the second part of the semester students become familiarized with a wide variety of theoretical approaches to the study of literature with the purpose of applying them to their own analytical writing. In the last part of the course students produce their own essays on a text chosen by them and based on research. Sample essays written by other students and included in the textbook will serve as models. Throughout the course students will have ample opportunities to hone their skills through the close reading and class discussion of varied and stimulating works by Miguel de Cervantes, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, Roberto Bolaño, etc. This class will be conducted in Spanish.