Fall 2016

Catalan

C105 Intensive Catalan Language

10176 (3) 11:15A-12:05P MWF SY 137

Note: This course can fulfill the S300/S400-level elective requirement for the Spanish major.

Note: This class meets with HISP-C 491 & C 494

Globalization has unified economies, torn down political barriers, and turned local spaces into tourist attractions. In this context, Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, has become a successful global city that offers a balanced combination of vibrant economic activity and Mediterranean relaxed lifestyle. Its cultural centers, its architectural and artistic heritage, its sunny beaches, and its cool nightlife have also turned Catalonia into one of the world’s most fashionable tourist destinations. The names of some modern Catalan creators are familiar to all: Gaudí, Miró, Dalí, to name just three.

At the heart of this success lies an enigmatic element: the presence and vitality of the Catalan language. In the last decades, Catalan, spoken by approximately 10 million people, has both maintained a high cultural prestige and increased its public presence remaining a key political tool in Catalonia and the other Catalan-speaking areas.

This introductory course to Catalan language and culture aims at providing a basic knowledge of the Catalan language. The intensive study of Catalan, geared primarily at reading knowledge, but not limited to it, will be complemented with a cultural overview of Catalonia and the Catalan-speaking lands (Catalunya, País Valencià, Illes Balears, Andorra, Catalunya Nord, and the city of l’Alguer in Sardinia). The case of Catalonia and its unique and exemplary characteristics will be a perfect occasion to undertake more general reflections on the intricate relations between language, culture, politics, and globalization.

C491 Elementary Catalan for Graduate Students

10177 (3) 11:15A-12:05P MWF SY 137

Note: this class meets with HISP-C 105 & C 494

Globalization has unified economies, torn down political barriers, and turned local spaces into tourist attractions. In this context, Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, has become a successful global city that offers a balanced combination of vibrant economic activity and Mediterranean relaxed lifestyle. Its cultural centers, its architectural and artistic heritage, its sunny beaches, and its cool nightlife have also turned Catalonia into one of the world’s most fashionable tourist destinations. The names of some modern Catalan creators are familiar to all: Gaudí, Miró, Dalí, to name just three.

At the heart of this success lies an enigmatic element: the presence and vitality of the Catalan language. In the last decades, Catalan, spoken by approximately 10 million people, has both maintained a high cultural prestige and increased its public presence remaining a key political tool in Catalonia and the other Catalan-speaking areas.

This introductory course to Catalan language and culture aims at providing a basic knowledge of the Catalan language. The intensive study of Catalan, geared primarily at reading knowledge, but not limited to it, will be complemented with a cultural overview of Catalonia and the Catalan-speaking lands (Catalunya, País Valencià, Illes Balears, Andorra, Catalunya Nord, and the city of l’Alguer in Sardinia). The case of Catalonia and its unique and exemplary characteristics will be a perfect occasion to undertake more general reflections on the intricate relations between language, culture, politics, and globalization.

C494 Individual Readings in Catalan Studies

9608 (1-3cr) permission required 11:15A-12:05P MWF SY 137

Note: This class meets with HISP-C 105 & C 491

Globalization has unified economies, torn down political barriers, and turned local spaces into tourist attractions. In this context, Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, has become a successful global city that offers a balanced combination of vibrant economic activity and Mediterranean relaxed lifestyle. Its cultural centers, its architectural and artistic heritage, its sunny beaches, and its cool nightlife have also turned Catalonia into one of the world’s most fashionable tourist destinations. The names of some modern Catalan creators are familiar to all: Gaudí, Miró, Dalí, to name just three.

At the heart of this success lies an enigmatic element: the presence and vitality of the Catalan language. In the last decades, Catalan, spoken by approximately 10 million people, has both maintained a high cultural prestige and increased its public presence remaining a key political tool in Catalonia and the other Catalan-speaking areas.

This introductory course to Catalan language and culture aims at providing a basic knowledge of the Catalan language. The intensive study of Catalan, geared primarily at reading knowledge, but not limited to it, will be complemented with a cultural overview of Catalonia and the Catalan-speaking lands (Catalunya, País Valencià, Illes Balears, Andorra, Catalunya Nord, and the city of l’Alguer in Sardinia). The case of Catalonia and its unique and exemplary characteristics will be a perfect occasion to undertake more general reflections on the intricate relations between language, culture, politics, and globalization.

Portuguese

HISP-P 400/500 Literatures of the Portuguese Speaking World I (3 credits) CASE A&H, CASE GCC

#30417 4:00P-5:15P TR WH 109 Vieira

This course introduces students to Portuguese, Brazilian, and Lusophone-African literature. It is the first of a two part survey covering works written from the medieval period through romanticism in Brazil and Portugal—students are not obliged to take both parts of the survey. The emergence of an African and African-Brazilian literature will also be discussed. Representative literary authors and works serve as the basis for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural commentary of important social, political and historical issues, including imperialism and overseas expansion, nation building, and revolution. The course combines lecture and discussion, and is conducted in Portuguese. Students not taking the course for Portuguese credit can write assignments, exams, and essays in English or Spanish.

HISP-P 491 Elementary Portuguese for Graduate Students (3 credits)

An accelerated introduction to the structure of the Portuguese language, covering in one semester content matter usually reviewed in two semesters. This course is taught in Portuguese

HISP-P 491 #4020 9:05A-9:55A MTWR BH 314 STAFF

Note: Above class meets with HISP-P 135, #6887

Note: Above class for Graduate Students Only.

HISP-P 492 Reading Portuguese for Graduate Students (3 credits)

Prerequisite: P491 or equivalent.

An advanced course designed to build vocabulary and competence in more sophisticated written Portuguese. It involves composition, reading and grammar. Themes are drawn primarily from current issues in Brazil.

This course is a continuation of P491 and is taught in Portuguese.

HISP-P 492 #4021 11:15A-12:30P MW BH 205 Prof. Luciana Namorato

Note: Above class meets jointly with HISP-P 311.

Note: Above class for Graduate Students only.

HISP-P 676 MACHADO DE ASSIS (3 credits)

#30422 2:30P-3:45P MW WH 008 Professor Luciana Namorato

Machado de Assis (1839-1908) is a literary titan whose unlikely rise to prominence is legendary in Brazil. Born into poverty and orphaned at a young age, he was the grandson of slaves. Once an obscure name in the U.S., Machado de Assis has since acquired a distinguished following. Susan Sontag called him “the greatest writer ever produced in Latin America” and literary critic Harold Bloom describes the Brazilian writer as “the supreme black literary artist to date.” In this course, we will study selected works by Machado de Assis. Our discussions will include, but not be limited to, Machado’s social and political criticism of the Brazil of his time, as well as his literary dialogue with Brazilian and European predecessors and contemporaries. Readings and discussion in Portuguese.

Note: This course meets with HISP-P 495 and HISP-P 498.

Hispanic Linguistics

HISP-S 513 Introduction to Hispanic Sociolinguistics (3 credits)

#31137 2:30P – 3:45P MW BH 134 Professor Manuel Diaz-Campos

1. Descripción del curso:

El curso de introducción a la sociolingüística hispánica tiene como principal objetivo iniciar a los alumnos de postgrado en el manejo de los conceptos básicos en el área con especial énfasis en el estudio de la variación y el cambio en diversos niveles de análisis lingüístico. El curso ofrece las herramientas metodológicas básicas no sólo para que puedan interpretar de manera crítica artículos especializados en la disciplina, sino también aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos en el diseño y escritura de una investigación piloto basada en datos orales de manera individual o en grupos pequeños sobre algún tópico de variación sociolingüística que sea de interés. La evaluación del curso se basa en varios aspectos que incluyen presentaciones en clase, discusión, exámenes, trabajos experimentales de codificación y análisis de datos, así como la elaboración del trabajo final.

2. Objetivos:

Al finalizar esta asignatura los estudiantes estarán en capacidad de:

  • Reconocer los conceptos básicos y la metodología de la sociolingüística variacionista.
  • Establecer la distinción entre las nociones de variable dependiente y variable independiente
  • Interpretar las tendencias reflejadas en tablas y cuadros de artículos especializados.
  • Identificar y definir el ámbito de los fenómenos de variación fonológica.
  • Identificar y definir el ámbito de los fenómenos de variación morfosintáctica.
  • Interpretar y establecer la influencia de los factores internos y externos en los fenómenos de variación sociolingüística.
  • Incorporar las nociones básicas de los modelos basados en el uso en el campo de la investigación sociolingüística.
  • Emplear los programas de computación disponibles para el estudio de la variación sociolingüística.
  • Interpretar de manera crítica artículos especializados en el área.
  • Emplear las nociones estudiadas acerca de los mecanismos del cambio lingüístico en la interpretación de los fenómenos de variación.
  • Reconocer la importancia de los fenómenos de variación sociolingüística en comunidades bilingües o multilingües.
  • Aplicar los conocimientos básicos adquiridos en la elaboración de una investigación piloto.

3. Temario:

Tema 1: Fundamentos conceptuales y metodológicos

Tema 2: La sociolingüística cuantitativa

Tema 3: La variación fonológica. La definición de las variables y sus variantes. Los factores internos y externos.

Tema 4: Factores lingüísticos y extralingüísticos que condicionan la variación fonológica.

Tema 5: Factores extralingüísticos (nivel socioeconómico, edad, género y estilo)

Tema 6: Variación morfosintáctica: Definición de la variable dependiente. Factores lingüísticos y extralingüísticos.

Tema 7: Bilingüismo y español en los Estados Unidos

Tema 8: Actitudes e identidad lingüísticas

HISP-S 517 Methods of Teaching College Spanish (3 credits)

#12353 2:30P-3:45P TR GA 0009 Professor Laura Gurzynski-Weiss

This course provides a foundation in the theory and techniques for teaching university-level foreign language in a classroom setting. The theoretical background of communicative language teaching will be emphasized with particular attention to task-based language teaching. Students will critically review theories on second language acquisition and learn how to implement current research findings into effective teaching practices. Internal and external factors that affect the language acquisition process will be discussed, as well as how instructors can maximize in-class learning in their role as instructors. The relationships between instructor characteristics and learning opportunities will also be examined. Throughout the semester, students will lead and participate in discussions, complete classroom observations, and carry out teaching evaluations. Students will also collaboratively design classroom tasks, assessments and lesson plans for future use in an online teaching portfolio. This course is guided by three basic questions:

  1. How do adult students learn a foreign language in a classroom setting?
  2. What internal and external factors contribute to/complicate learning in this context?
  3. How can we as instructors utilize this information to maximize opportunities for language learning within our current and future classrooms?

HISP-S 612 Topics in Linguistic Variation and Language in Context (3 credits)

VT: Pragmatic variation: Theory and method

#31183 11:15A – 12:30P MW FA 010 Professor César Félix-Brasdefer

This course takes a fresh look at current issues in pragmatic variation and the methods used to examine linguistic and social variation. We will critically review the variationist model to analyze the extent to which it can be applied to investigate variation (regional, social, age, and gender) at the pragmatic/discourse level. The first part of the course will review basic concepts of pragmatics and discourse, followed by a study of two current models of linguistic variation: the 'variationist linguistic model' and ‘variational pragmatics’, which examines variation in pragmatics from a sociolinguistic (dialectology/applied linguistics) perspective. The second part of the course focuses on empirical studies that analyze pragmatic and discourse variation. Research methods for the analysis of pragmatic/discourse variation will also be covered: experimental methods in pragmatics, sociolinguistic interviews, field-notes, corpus linguistics, recording of natural conversation, and online data for the analysis of computer-mediated discourse. Evaluation is based on short assignments, an exam, class participation, and a research project that examines pragmatic variation in a first or second language context.

HISP-S 614 Topics in the Acquisition of Spanish (3 credits)

Topic: Acquisition of Spanish

#31141 4:00P - 5:15P TR GA 0009 Professor Laura Gurzynski-Weiss

This research-oriented course offers in-depth investigation into learner individual differences and instructor characteristics, variables that are present and have been documented as influencing second language (L2) learning in many contexts. Each individual difference and characteristic will be examined from historical and contemporary perspectives contextualized within the field of second language acquisition and allied fields including psychology and education, with particular focus on the evolution of operationalization and measurement of each construct. A main goal of the course will be to create a single, cohesive instrument to measure individual differences and characteristics informed by the latest research that could be adaptable for use in many studies. This instrument will be informed by individual student work throughout the semester, to include student-led discussions and individually written critical review papers providing novel synthesis of the latest research available on an individual difference or characteristic. The instrument will be piloted and revised during the semester based on analyses of reliability and validity to ensure its comparability across studies and potential contribution for future presentation and publication.

Students enrolled in this course should have a background in the field of second language acquisition and linguistic theory (S515 or equivalent), and permission from the instructor.

Course components:

  • Thoughtful preparation and active participation in each session
  • Student-led course discussion(s)
  • Critical review paper
  • Novel, comprehensive, contextualized and up-to-date synthesis
  • Critical discussion of operationalizations and measurements
  • Informed and specific recommendations for instrument inclusion
  • Two exams
  • Individual contribution to the course instrument
  • Creation of research-informed items for sub-section of instrument
  • Piloting
  • Reliability and validity analyses
  • Recommendations and revisions of sub-section of instrument
  • Collaboration in design of instructions for use, analysis, and interpretation

Hispanic Literatures

HISP-S 512 Theory and Criticism (3 credits)

#31135 4:00P – 6:30P M WH 204 Professor Patrick Dove

This course provides an introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of literary and cultural criticism, with a dual emphasis on (1) becoming familiar with major debates and trends in modern and contemporary theoretical work; and (2) exploring how theoretical questions and perspectives can inform our interpretive practices. Readings will be drawn from a variety of traditions including Continental philosophy, Marxism and post-Marxism, Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, feminism, deconstruction, and other variations on post-structuralist thought. The course will provide students with opportunities to experiment with how trends in contemporary thought drawn from other fields of study might be brought into productive dialogue with scholarship and criticism in Hispanic Studies.

We will give each theoretical text a “hands-on” treatment by reading it in conjunction with a specific literary work (short story, poem or novel fragment) or cultural phenomenon. The goal is not so much to apply a theoretical model to the literary or cultural text but rather to ask how theory and literature inform one another. We will regard with skepticism the association of theory with knowledge and will instead entertain the possibility that “theory” and “literature” are names for different forms or attunements of thought.

The course will be organized in seminar format, with—class size permitting—each student responsible for leading one class session in collaboration with the professor. Students will write several short response papers and a longer final research paper.

S548 Spanish Literature of the 20th & 21st Centuries

Topic: “20th-Century Spain: Intellectual and Popular Responses to Power”

#14115 TR 11:15A – 12:30P BH 235 Professor Reyes Vila-Belda

The aim of this course is to survey 20th century Spanish literature, situating literary texts in their intellectual and socio-historical context. This will allow us to rethink their cultural meanings and implications, as well as to view them as a response to power. Reading works by authors such as Machado, Valle-Inclán, García Lorca, Martín Santos, Martín Gaite, and Vázquez Montalbán, among others, will enable us apply techniques and theories of literary analysis to the cultural and historical developments that have shaped contemporary Spain. Starting with the Fin de siglo, we will consider the cultural implications of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza and the Residencia de Estudiantes, the Vanguardias, the Second Republic, the Civil War, the dictatorship of Franco and the transition to democracy. Along the way, we will discuss concepts such as national identity and periphery, hegemony and popular culture.

This course is entirely conducted in Spanish.

Requirements: midterm exam, class presentations and a paper.

Active participation in class discussion is expected.

HISP-S 558 Colonial Spanish American Literature (3 credits)

#31139 1:00P – 2:15P TR AC C107 Professor Kathleen Myers

Through a study of canonical texts from Colonial Spanish America this course will focus on the development of colonial discourse and on theories about it. First we will examine the chronicles of exploration, conquest and colonization (ca. 1492 – 1600), focusing in particular on the foundation of European concepts about the “New World” (Columbus, Cortés, Bernal Díaz, Las Casas). We will then study indigenous and mestizo authors who draw on these concepts but combine them with local indigenous systems to create a dynamic re-interpretation of colonial processes (Sahagún, El Inca Garcilaso, Guaman Poma). Lastly, we will study the formation of a “barroco de Indias” during the mid-colonial period (ca. 1600-1750) and its flowering in a variety of poetic and dramatic texts (Catalina de Erauso, Ercilla, Balbuena, and Sor Juana). We will study primary sources from the period in conjunction with recent critical works to help us reformulate traditional paradigms about conquest and colonialism. As an extension of our work on primary texts, students will conduct archival research on first editions and manuscript materials at the Lilly Library.

HISP-S 628 Topics in Early Modern Spanish Literature (3 credits)

#31147 4:00P – 6:30P W WH 205 Professor Ryan Giles

This course will examine the formation and development of the picaresque narrative in Renaissance and early modern Spain. We will study what have been identified as precursors and prototypes-- canonical as well as lesser known works. The second half of the semester will explore sequels, spin offs, and other adaptations of picaresque themes and conventions that destabilize and transform accepted parameters of the genre. The course will, at the same time, consider an array of critical and theoretical perspectives in order to better understand the various roles the picaresque narrative mode played in the emergence of what are now recognized as modernizing ways of seeing the world and representing subjectivity.

HISP-S 678 Topics in Contemporary Spanish American Literature (3 credits)

Topic: Paranoia in Hispanic Film and Literature

#31164 9:30A – 10:45A MW AC C107 Professor Jonathan Risner

Various historical and geographical contexts have been characterized by their collective paranoia with select critics often deeming paranoia to be a contemporary global condition. This course will depart from Freud’s notion that paranoia functions a narrative structure. Though inevitably reflective of the contexts from which they emerge, there is no shortage of paranoid expressions in Latin American and Spanish textual and filmic narratives. We will examine paranoid narratives as they relate to a range of topics such as nationalism, modernity, gender, immigration, and neoliberalism. The texts and films will also provide a frame in which to engage with select fields such as narratology, gender studies, affect studies, cognitive studies, genre studies, and spatial studies. Written texts will include Facundo, La vorágine, Blanco nocturno, and Luna caliente, and possible films will include Muerte de un ciclista, Tesis, REC, La zona, Canoa, Distinto amanecer, Joven y alocada, Los últimos días de la víctima, and La mujer sin cabeza.