Language and Cultural Studies

Faculty
Description
Major Requirements
Minor Requirements
Program Policies
Course Descriptions

Faculty

Sandra Falcon, Assistant Professor of Spanish (Program Chair)
Patricia Portillo, Assistant Professor of Spanish

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Description

The Language and Cultural Studies Program offers language courses in Spanish to all undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Program also supports both a major and a minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. This program invites students to consider individual values and their sociopolitical consequences, encourages an appreciation and experience of the artistic expressions of the cultures addressed, and requires students to contemplate the interdependent nature of the world, considering the complexity of diverse cultures while developing their language skills. The Program concentrates on the contemporary as well as on the historical contributions made by the different Hispanic cultures.

The major in Language and Cultural Studies integrates curricular and co-curricular experiences presented in an interdisciplinary manner, dealing with cultural, geo-political, economic, social, and technological matters. In addition to course work, students are required to do at least one internship in Washington D.C., to acquire cultural experience through direct involvement with organizations such as Amnesty International, Hermanas Unidas, the Inter-American Commission on Women, The House of Ruth, or the Inter-American Children Institute among many others.

The language and cultural studies major may lead to a career in scholarly research and teaching by providing the undergraduate with a basic linguistic, cultural, and political knowledge of specific countries. The program also offers the opportunity to construct an individualized major combining language and cultural studies with other disciplines in a professional preparation program. In addition, the Program provides a well-defined series of courses for the major in international affairs.

A Certificate of Proficiency for students who are planning careers that require adequate knowledge of Spanish is awarded after the student has successfully completed the required courses and passed a written and an oral examination.

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Major Requirements

Required Courses (39 credits)

ALL of the following courses:

SPAN 205 Cultural Perspectives of Spanish America
SPAN 211 Spanish and Spanish American Voices*
SPAN 212 Latina Voices*
SPAN 301 Reading & Writing for Native Speakers I

ONE survey course in Hispanic literature chosen from between:

SPAN 221 Introduction to Hispanic Literature I
SPAN 222 Introduction to Hispanic Literature II

ONE course in special topics chosen from between:

SPAN 321 Literature and Art of the Mexican Revolution
SPAN 322 Storytelling for Women and by Women: Listening to our Mothers and Sisters

ALL of the following interdisciplinary courses:

INT 333 Culture and Society in Mexico*
INT 373 A Culture and Society in Latin America*
INT 373 B Culture and Society in the Caribbean*
INT 407 Human Rights in the Americas*

ONE internship:

SPAN 491 Internship

ONE Senior Seminar

SPAN 499 Senior Seminar

* Taught in English.

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Minor Requirements

The program supports a minor with a concentration in Hispanic Studies, which requires completion of 18 credit hours at the 200-level and above, with a minimum of nine credits taken at Trinity.

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Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Credit is granted for a score of 4 or 5 on the AP examination. These credits may replace the Core or FLC language requirement, but do not count toward the major.

CLEP Policy:
The standard score or above on the CLEP examination satisfies the language requirement of the Core and FLC programs.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.

Pass/No Pass:
Courses fulfilling the requirement for a major may not be taken pass/no pass (except for 488 Internship).

Senior Assessment:
Majors would be required either to take written and oral comprehensive examinations, or to write a final comprehensive work (thesis) on a given topic approved by the program.

Study Abroad:
Students are encouraged to spend one or two semesters or a summer in approved programs abroad.

TELL Policy:
Students applying for experiential learning credit should consult with the program faculty.

Transfer Credits:
Students may apply transfer credits toward the major in Languages and Cultural Studies, provided that the accepted courses parallel those required for the major at Trinity. In all, transfer students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours in Language and Cultural studies courses at Trinity, to be distributed as follows:

• A minimum of six credit hours must be in seminars.
• A minimum of nine credit hours must be in upper-level courses in Spanish.

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Course Descriptions

Spanish Course Descriptions

SPAN 102 Elementary Spanish II
Serves as a continuation of Elementary Spanish I. Students learn to speak and write about past events, and further develop their capacity to interact in spontaneous situations and comprehend and discuss simple texts related to vocabulary studied. Visual aids and special materials will be used in class to help students achieve basic competency.
3 credits
FLC Area I
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: First semester of college Spanish , one year of HS Spanish or equivalent

SPAN 109 Intensive Elementary Spanish
Introduces language skills to students who desire an intensive presentation to the Spanish language. Equivalent to SPAN 101 and SPAN 102 but taught in a single semester.
6 credits
FLC Area I
Core I-Foreign Language

SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish for Communication
Develops and builds increasing confidence and competency in using Spanish. Special materials will be used to develop speaking and listening comprehension abilities without neglecting the writing and reading skills necessary to achieve higher levels of proficiency.
3 credits
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: SPAN 102, SPAN 109, two years of HS Spanish or equivalent

SPAN 202 Spanish for Professional Communication
Develops basic effective communication with Spanish-speaking co-workers, clients, students, their parents and others who don’t master the English language. Specific professional focuses of the course will vary according to students’ needs. Class materials centers on simulated communication situations to build listening and oral comprehension through simple and clear linguistic structures. Generates a useful communication style generated from cross cultural understanding to be acquired from readings and class discussions.
3 credits
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: SPAN 201, three years of HS Spanish or equivalent

SPAN 204 Conversation and Composition
Develops effective oral and written communication to communicate with Spanish speakers both here and abroad through an activity-based approach focusing on useful vocabulary and cross-cultural analysis, while working to expand and refine students’ functional grammar using a wide variety of communicative exercises and activities.
3 credits
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: Three semesters of College Spanish, four years of HS or equivalent

SPAN 205 Cultural Perspectives of Spanish America
Provides the student with continued practice in language skills, while addressing a synoptic though comprehensive study of the history and culture of Spanish America. This course is designed for the non-native speaker of Spanish and satisfies the language requirement for the international studies majors. 
3 credits
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: SPAN 204 or equivalent or instructor's permission

SPAN 211 Spanish & Spanish-American Voices
Introduces the student to selected major works within the Spanish and Spanish American literary tradition. Besides learning to identify basic characteristics of different genre, students will be challenged to recognize and respond to the profoundly human concerns that inhere in all great literature of every time and place. Class discussions will suggest ways to interpret literature and students will receive direction in expressing their insights in speech and writing. Readings and discussions will be in English. Native speakers of Spanish may choose to do written assignments in Spanish.
3 credits
FLC Area II, Literature Cluster

SPAN 213 Latina Voices
Fosters awareness and understanding among women of the Americas, their different cultures and traditions as told through their own stories. Students will also reach a better understanding of the ethnic and racial diversity that characterizes the whole American continent including the United States, thus becoming more able to participate in a multicultural environment, both in the labor force and in their personal lives. Readings and discussions will be in English. Native speakers of Spanish may choose to do written assignments in Spanish.
3 credits
FLC Area II, Literature Cluster

SPAN 221 Introduction to Hispanic Literature I
Provides students with a foundation in liberal arts through further developing their Spanish language proficiency and improving their reading and writing skills. This course uses both a socio-cultural and a critical literary approach to a variety of texts from Spain (12th - 19th centuries) and Spanish America (19th century). Native or near-native speakers of Spanish are encouraged to register in this class.
3 credits
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: SPAN 205 or equivalent

SPAN 222 Introduction to Hispanic Literature II
Follows same approach as Spanish 221 but in relationship to 20th century literature. Uses a variety of texts from both Spain and Spanish America through the four basic modern genres: poetry, theater, narrative, and essay. Native or near-native speakers of Spanish are encouraged to register in this class.
3 credits
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: SPAN 221 or permission of instructor

SPAN 301 Reading and Writing for Advanced or Native Speakers I
Draws from the students’ linguistic background in Spanish and English in order to teach them to write effectively in Spanish. Activities include news reporting, book reviews, essays, and business and formal letters. Students may suggest their own topics of interest to be used in three out of the six papers required. Grammar explanations including accentuation, orthography, verb tenses and uses of the subjunctive mood will be used in relation with vocabulary and idiomatic expressions to enhance language development. Readings based on the cultural life and experience of Spanish-speaking people in the U.S.
3 credits
Core I-Foreign Language
Prerequisites: Native or near-native proficiency in Spanish

SPAN 302 Reading and Writing for Advanced or Native Speakers II
Serves as a continuation of SPAN 301, expanding and refining many of the grammar explanations and raising the writing activities to a higher level of proficiency and sophistication. Students may suggest their own topics of interest to be used in three out of the six papers required.
Prerequisites: SPAN 301 or permission of instructor
3 credits

SPAN 321 Literature and Art of the Mexican Revolution
In addition to further developing the student's skills in reading, speaking, understanding and writing in Spanish, this course will help her to perceive the study of literature as vehicle of human expression within a larger cultural and social context of the 1910 Mexican Revolution and its continuous influence in the development of Mexican culture. Native or near-native speakers of Spanish are encouraged to register in this class.
3 credits
Core I-Literature
Prerequisites: Native or near-native fluency in Spanish

SPAN 322 Storytelling for Women and by Women: Listening to our Mothers and Sisters
Through a varied range of stories told by some of Latin American best writers, students would enrich their understanding of their own culture, in addition to further developing their reading, speaking, understanding and writing skills in the Spanish language. The texts to be read are rooted in passions and politics, from the earthy sensuality and magical realism of the Latin American world to the dramatic and violent Spanish sense of honor. Students will be encouraged to work on the cultural background of their own family roots, or else to choose an area with which they can identify the best.
3 credits
Core I-Literature
Prerequisites: Native or near-native fluency in Spanish

SPAN 491 Internship
Provides students with the opportunity to perform an internship to apply the academic knowledge they have learned in the classroom.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
3 credits

SPAN 498 Independent Study
Allows students to study independently under the supervision of a faculty member.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
3 credits

SPAN 499 Senior Capstone
Provides majors with a capstone to synthesize their course of study.
Prerequisites: Senior status in major
3 credits

Seminars

The Language & Cultural Studies Program offers the following interdisciplinary seminars in English :

INT 333 Culture and Society in Mexico
INT 373A Culture and Society in Latin America 
INT 373B Culture and Society in the Caribbean
INT 407 Human Rights in the Americas

Descriptions for these courses appear in the Interdisciplinary Courses section of this catalog.

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