Spanish (SPA) - Courses

SPA 101 Cr.4

Spanish in a Global Society I

This course is the first of two introductory courses in Spanish. The five language skills are introduced: listening, speaking, writing, reading and culture. (Not open to students with more than two years of high school Spanish.) Offered Occasionally.

+SPA 102 Cr.4

Spanish in a Global Society II

This is the second introductory course in Spanish comprehension, speaking, writing, reading, and culture. Prerequisite: SPA 101 or placement based on UW System Spanish Placement Test score. Offered Occasionally.

+SPA 103 Cr.4

Spanish in a Global Society I & II

This is an accelerated course that covers in one semester the essential content of introductory Spanish with the goal of developing foundational communicative competence. Prerequisites: students with no evidence of prior study of Spanish are required to begin at SPA 103. Not open to students with credit in SPA 101 or SPA 102 (or equivalent). Offered Fall, Spring.

+SPA 201 Cr.4

Spanish Language and Cultures in Action I

This course is the first of two intermediate-level Spanish courses. Students continue to develop all language skills with special emphasis placed on refining speaking and listening comprehension. Prerequisite: SPA 102 or SPA 103 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Fall, Spring.

+SPA 202 Cr.4

Spanish Language and Cultures in Action II

This course is the second of two intermediate-level Spanish courses, designed specifically to transition students to upper-level content courses. Students continue to develop all language skills with special emphasis placed on refining reading and writing in Spanish. Topics in Spanish culture history and contemporary Spanish speaker countries society are explored while obtaining a grasp of more complex grammatical structure. Prerequisite: SPA 201 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Not open to students with credit in SPA 221. Offered Fall, Spring.

+SPA 221 Cr.4

Introduction to Spanish for the Health Professions

In this course, students will strengthen their linguistic skills through the lens of the world of healthcare. More specifically, students will continue to work on the grammatical foundations of Spanish while acquiring vocabulary they can use in basic interactions with their patients. Particular attention will be paid to the experiences of patients and healthcare providers through cultural readings and stories. Class activities and assignments will be designed to allow students to understand and define cultural exchanges between Spanish-speaking patients and healthcare providers, and compare them with the products, practices and perspectives of their own cultural experiences. Prerequisite: SPA 201 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Not open to students with credit in SPA 202. Offered Annually.

SPA 302 Cr.3

Faces of Spain: Conversation and Culture

This course is an introduction to the concepts of diversity and social responsibility through the study of the construction of national identity in Spain. A main focus will be on describing these themes in their social and cultural contexts, especially through the analysis of films in Spanish. This course explores issues related to origins of Spanish identity, diversity in communities, changing social structures, and independence movements. Students will also develop all four language skills, with an emphasis on oral proficiency (focusing on listening and speaking), along with critical thinking. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 307 Cr.3

Latin American Texts: Reading Between the Lines

In this course we will focus our attention on Latin American texts, reading for both their literal and figurative meanings so as to discover underlying messages of social justice. Because texts represent the communities in which they are created, students will learn how the text, as a cultural product, responds to the socio-historical contexts in which they are created. Along with reading and writing skills, students will build their vocabulary, expand their knowledge of grammar, and create their own short narratives. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 309 Cr.3

Spanish Culture Through Art

This course explores concepts of diversity and social responsibility in Spanish culture through the study of its artistic production. A main focus will be on exploring how artists represent and reflect on the most relevant social and cultural processes of the Spanish civilization through their art. This course also examines the impact other cultures have left in Spain throughout its history of migrations, focusing on cultural diversity. Students will investigate and reflect on the role of art as an agent to promote a sense of identity, awareness, and social responsibility in Spanish society. As students develop critical thinking and language skills - with an emphasis on written proficiency - they will explore architecture, painting, sculpture, music, performance, film, and mass-media in their social and cultural contexts from the origins of Spanish culture to the twenty-first century. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 310 Cr.3

Communities of Resistance in the Spanish-Speaking World

For Spanish majors and minors, this course will continue the process of developing global competency by refining oral proficiency skills and learning to engage with some of the cultural products and practices of different communities in the Spanish speaking world. Students will learn to use their language skills as a tool to discover themes related to social justice that inform each community under study. Such themes may include religion; violence; social, political, economic and criminal justice; oppression; power; ideology; corruption; environmental degradation; racism; sexism; homophobia; and the role of social change movements. The goal is to have the ability to better understand cultural perspectives of Spanish speaking communities, and students will learn how to independently identify and engage with the cultural perspectives of any community. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 312 Cr.3

Cinema and Social Justice in the Spanish-Speaking World

This course will develop oral expression skills in Spanish by focusing on the relationship between cinema, culture, and society in communities around the world where Spanish is spoken. Emphasis will be placed on the development of critical and analytical skills, as students will learn to interpret and compare film aesthetics, visual narratives, sound, and other aspects of cinema production in Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latino and migrant communities in the U.S. Students will engage with issues of diversity and social justice by understanding the relationship between the creation of meaning in cinema and the specific historic and socioeconomic processes of the communities and regions studied. General topics may include migration, gender and race disparities, trauma and memory, colonization and neoliberalism, among others. Film selection will vary according to the instructor of the course. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 322 Cr.3

Spanish for Mental Health Professionals

This intermediate-level Spanish course is specifically designed to prepare students to work with Latinx populations in the United States and abroad. Hispanics in the United States are expected to comprise nearly a quarter of the future workforce, and they are affected by mental health morbidity e.g., anxiety, depression, PTSD, alcohol and drug abuse, and family conflict, to cite a few, in part due to the lack of linguistically and culturally accessible services. In this oral proficiency course, to be conducted primarily in Spanish, students will not only learn the appropriate vocabulary and jargon associated with the discipline, they will also develop awareness of the strengths, resilience, and protective factors that emanate from Latina/o culture through a selection of adapted videos and readings, grammar exercises, in-class simulations, and a mock video consultation. At the end of the course students will be better positioned to deliver more linguistically and culturally congruent interventions. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 323 Cr.3

Spanish for Heritage Speakers

This course celebrates students' multilingual and multicultural skills while supporting their competency in reading, writing, and grammar in Spanish. Students achieve these goals by understanding linguistic diversity and social responsibility through the lens of language awareness. The course focuses on the many varieties of Spanish that exist, how these varieties are accepted or stigmatized in the context of the United States, and what this means for the speakers of these varieties. This is a Spanish writing proficiency course. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Consent of department. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 325 Cr.3

Spanish for Professional Communication

This course enhances a student's ability to function effectively in an increasingly important commercial language locally, in the United States, and abroad. A variety of adapted readings and videos provide a solid foundation in the vocabulary and written discourse used in Spanish in a variety of professions such as business and marketing, sports sciences, psychology, and human resources, among others. This course also develops a cultural understanding of the Spanish-speaking world, which is key to being able to successfully conduct formal conversations with native professionals. The course, to be conducted primarily in Spanish, includes various activities, grammar topics, and assignments that provide preparation for the final task: writing a cover letter in Spanish for a job in the student's knowledge area where knowledge and/or proficiency of Spanish is required. This intermediate-level course has a strong written-proficiency focus. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Annually.

SPA 332 Cr.3

Spanish Speakers in the U.S.: Language, Community, (In)justice

In this course students develop and refine their listening comprehension and speaking skills by listening to and discussing the experiences of Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. Students will learn about language and identity by exploring Spanish across the generations and Spanish dialects in context; language ideology by reflecting on Mock Spanish and Spanglish; and language in society by understanding language access in places like schools, healthcare, and other public services. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 333 Cr.3

Spanish Beyond the Classroom: Navigating the Personal and Professional World

Throughout this course, students will explore diverse Spanish-speaking communities through the lens of both the professional world and the personal world. To do so, students will analyze the societal impacts of work and play in different cultural contexts while also reviewing and mastering important grammatical concepts in Spanish. Students will have opportunities to apply their knowledge regularly in real-world tasks related to the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. Content and grammar instruction and practice will be presented in relevant cultural contexts, paying special attention to the ways in which different forms can be used to make meaning and do things with the language in different spheres of society. Students will build upon their previous language experience to achieve a greater level of proficiency for reading and writing in Spanish while also gaining a deeper understanding of diversity and social responsibility in both the professional and personal sectors. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 335 Cr.3

Writing to Effect Change: Global and Responsible Citizenship

In this writing-focused course, students will examine concepts of social responsibility and advocacy, paying specific attention to the power of language to effect change. In particular, students will analyze social justice movements, such as the plight of various indigenous groups, protests in Latin America, and other current events occurring in the Spanish-speaking world. Learners will analyze how language is used in these movements to advocate for change and will hone their skills of critical and creative expression through the completion of different written advocacy-related tasks. Such tasks seek to challenge stereotypes and confront biases, focusing specifically on perspectives of diverse communities in the Spanish-speaking world. Prerequisite: SPA 202 or SPA 221 or placement based on UW System Placement Test scores. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 352 Cr.3

Latin American Voices of Revolution

Revolutions inform the way nations identify themselves as individuals and as a community in the post-war era. These identities continue to inform the nation's culture long after the conflict ends. This course explores the way in which the social and historic aspects of the revolution form and inform the cultural output during and after the conflict. Students will examine and reflect on the formation of national identity, and through cultural texts such as narratives, film, art, and song they will interpret and engage with the many perspectives, or faces of revolution. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 353 Cr.3

Perspectives on Contemporary Spain: Culture and Society

Spain has gone through deep transformations during the last few decades that have affected the concept of its national and cultural identity. In the light of these changes, this course analyzes aspects of contemporary Spain related to its economy, politics, culture, and social structures. It investigates trends on immigration and emigration, nationalisms, role of the European Union, environmental concerns, and popular culture. This social and cultural context will also be analyzed through its practices and cultural products, especially through contemporary Spanish film. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 354 Cr.3

Artistic Expression and Society in the Spanish-Speaking World

This interdisciplinary course introduces students to the literary and artistic production of the Spanish-speaking world in its social and cultural contexts. Students will study the visual arts, short films and narratives, and poetry. A main focus will be on identities and cultural perspectives, as well as the development of intercultural competence. In addition, students will review language functions specific to the genres studied. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 355 Cr.3

Latinx in the U.S.: Culture and Society

This course is an introduction to the historic, social and cultural contexts of Latinx culture in the United States. Using an interdisciplinary approach, students analyze literature, art, music, media, film, performance, and social activism which reflect the main events and social movements in the trajectory of Latinx culture in the U.S. The course focuses on the impact of U.S. colonialism and imperialism on Latinx social systems in the U.S., as well as Latin American migrations and their impact on modern-day Latinx identities. The course also explores issues of statehood, racism, gender inequalities, cultural hybridization, and immigration. Conducted in Spanish with some materials in Spanglish. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 369 Cr.3

Topics in Hispanic Cultures

This course is designed to investigate areas of current social and cultural interest in Hispanic/Latin American culture. Topics will vary. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 370 Cr.3

Spanish for the Health Professions

In this course students will develop linguistic, professional, and cultural skills necessary to work with and advocate for Spanish-speaking patients in the healthcare professions. To do this, students will learn how Limited English Proficient patients experience the United States healthcare system and reflect on their own role as cultural brokers in this setting. Class activities and assignments are designed to allow the student to engage with and interpret the healthcare system from the perspective of Spanish-speaking patients. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 371 Cr.3

Business Spanish

This course enhances students' ability to function effectively in an increasingly important commercial language locally, in the United States, and abroad. This course is designed to introduce students to essential business terminology and language situations in common business contexts, reinforcing strategies for understanding, interpreting, and responding to new information. Students learn the importance of cultural awareness in doing business in Spanish-speaking countries or with Spanish speakers in the United States in general. The course, to be conducted primarily in Spanish, includes some translating and interpreting activities of special importance for managers and leaders. The course also develops students' geographic literacy and cultural understanding of the Spanish-speaking world, as these are central to conducting business successfully in Spanish. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Annually.

SPA 372 Cr.3

Intercultural Medical Experience Abroad/Away

This course is designed for future healthcare providers who want to increase their intercultural competence in the world of healthcare. The goal is to provide the student with the necessary linguistic competence and confidence to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients, and to develop intercultural competence that complements the student's existing discipline knowledge. Through daily language classes, cultural excursions, hands-on service-learning activities, home-stay living, and invited talks, students further develop their linguistic and intercultural skills, thus providing more humane treatment to patients with limited English proficiency. If this course is to be part of a faculty-led study abroad/away program in a Spanish-speaking location, it is expected that students use the second language at all times throughout the experience. Consent of instructor. Offered Summer.

SPA 380 Cr.3

Spanish Language in Contexts

This course focuses on developing students' pragmatic competence in Spanish, or knowledge of how to use the language appropriately in different social contexts. Even with advanced linguistic proficiency, we can experience breakdowns in communication or even offend others if we are unaware of the cultural norms and perspectives that govern how to use linguistic forms appropriately in different situations. Thus, the objective of this course is to equip students with the linguistic and cultural knowledge they need to use Spanish appropriately in real and meaningful contexts. To do so, students will analyze how culturally-confined politeness norms, contextual elements, and speakers' identities impact how language is used to carry out different speech acts such as requests, invitations, and apologies, among others. Furthermore, students will compare variation in pragmatic norms among different Spanish and American English-speaking communities and reflect upon how cultural perspectives and identities influence how we do things with words. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 381 Cr.3

The Sounds of Spanish

Through a cross-linguistic approach, students reflect on the major phonetic and phonological differences between Spanish and American English in order to promote awareness and thus development of their second language pronunciation. Students will also analyze authentic and meaningful audiovisual materials, which will expose them to major geographical, social and contextual varieties of Spanish-speaking communities. Finally, following a sociolinguistic approach, students reflect on the relationship between phonetic/phonological variation and the formation, development and perception of social and cultural identities; as well as on the development of their own identity as adult speakers of a second language. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 382 Cr.3

Spanish Storytelling

This course focuses on developing learners' linguistic and cultural competence in Spanish at the ACTFL intermediate-mid level through the process of storytelling. Adopting a multiliteracies approach to learning, students will analyze and evaluate various types of stories and/or texts in Spanish and discuss the different visual, cultural, and/or linguistic elements. Content in this course might include, but is not limited to, TED Talks, podcasts, personal narratives, written histories, and short films. Through the analysis of the content in this course, students will then create a culminating story of their own, one in which they will share about diverse perspectives and identities that are present in the Spanish-speaking world. Prerequisite: three courses from the following: SPA 302, SPA 307, SPA 309, SPA 310, SPA 312, SPA 322, SPA 323, SPA 325, SPA 332, SPA 333, SPA 335. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 403 Cr.3

Studies in Hispanic Literature

This course is designed to allow flexibility in the study of current topics of interest in Spanish or Latin American literature. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: two courses from the following: SPA 352, SPA 353, SPA 354, SPA 355, SPA 369, SPA 370, SPA 371, SPA 380, SPA 381, SPA 382. Offered Annually.

SPA 443 Cr.3

Studies in Hispanic Linguistics

This course introduces students to the discipline of linguistics through a focus on Spanish-speaking communities and the linguistic diversity amongst them. Students will learn key theoretical concepts in linguistics by addressing areas of study such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, acquisition of a language, variation, and linguistic change. Students will reflect on diversity and on their identity as speakers of multiple languages in order to develop their role as multilingual agents for social responsibility. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: two courses from the following: SPA 352, SPA 353, SPA 354, SPA 355, SPA 369, SPA 370, SPA 371, SPA 380, SPA 381, SPA 382. Offered Annually.

SPA 450 Cr.1-4

National/International Intern Program

A course in Spanish individually tailored to fit career needs: cultural awareness, technical vocabulary in Spanish to prepare students who elect internship credits in other departments. Spanish majors or minors, or other students having the equivalency of SPA 202 may elect to take these credits off campus. Repeatable for credit - maximum four. Consent of department. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 498 Cr.1-3

Independent Study

Fieldwork, research and individual projects in a specific area of Spanish language, civilization or literature. Registration with the consent of instructor and the department chair. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: two advanced courses and junior standing. Consent of department. Offered Occasionally.

SPA 499 Cr.1-3

Independent Study

Fieldwork, research, individual projects in a specific area of Spanish language, civilization or literature. Registration with the consent of instructor and the department chairperson. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: two advanced courses and junior standing. Consent of department. Offered Occasionally.