Course Offerings - Spring 2012

Students are connected to life in Spain through language and cultural history in multiple activities: museum visits; a day trip to Segovia; practical training workshops (students choose one) in cuisine, wine, dance; and lectures with experts in Spanish cinema, literature, politics, history, and sociology.

Open to students with no previous training in Spanish and to others on assignment by placement test. NYU students: After completing this course, students who wish to continue studying Spanish must take a qualifying exam. Students who pass the exam may go into SPAN-UA 20. Students who do not pass the qualifying exam go into SPAN-UA 18. (Not offered in Madrid.) Completes the equivalent of a year's elementary course in one semester.

Sample Syllabus

Completes the MAP language requirement for NYU students. Prerequisite for NYU students: SPAN-UA 2 or SPAN-UA 10 and passing grade on qualifying exam.

Promotes proficiency in reading and writing as well as oral performance. Completes the equivalent of a year's intermediate course in one semester.

Sample Syllabus

Continuation of SPAN-UA 3 or SPAN-UA 3A. Readings and discussions of contemporary Hispanic texts and review of the main grammatical concepts of Spanish. Completion of this course fulfills the MAP foreign language requirement. 

Sample Syllabus

Prerequisites: SPAN-UA 20 or SPAN-UA 4; permission of the department; or a satisfactory score on the SAT II, AP or NYU language placement exam. For non-native speakers only.

Advanced course designed to expand and consolidate lexical and grammatical understanding of the language and to introduce fundamental principles of expository writing as they apply to Spanish, through exercises, readings, and intensive practice of various expository prose techniques and styles. For nonnative speakers only.

Sample Syllabus

Only for students concurrently registered in V95.9020.

The course is designed for students in V95.9020.001 that would like to perfect their Spanish, as they expand their knowledge regarding literature, cinema, and social and political problems that exist today within modern Spanish society. The reading of different dramatic texts and viewing of various films throughout the semester will serve to expand lexicon, strengthen grammar and improve the student's style. The objective of this course is that the students familiarize themselves with everyday language of current newspapers and magazines, at the same time as they enter into the world of Spanish literature.

The most important goal of the course is to offer a methodologically simple approximation that helps the student to develop a greater verbal and communicative dexterity. To this end, every week the students will analyze and debate the cultural and literary content texts that are to be studied and every two weeks the students will present a written composition of the topics covered in class. In the classroom linguistic correction will be emphasized along with auditory practice through the use of a wide range of materials and resources: theoretical explanations, comprehension and vocabulary exercises, film viewing, as well as exercises that highlight certain morphological aspects or grammatical usage of Spanish. 

Sample Syllabus

Only for students concurrently registered in V95.9020.

This course is directed to students in V95.9020 that would like to perfect their Spanish and acquire knowledge about Hispanic language and culture in the United States. The study and debate in class on a variety of materials (literary texts and periodicals, advertisements, radio programs from the Internet, movies) will permit us to take on current topics related to the Hispanic presence in American society, for example, emigration, border culture, Hispanic media, "Latin" identity, problems of gender and ethnicity, the political importance of Hispanic communities and bilingualism.

The principal objective of the course is the development of the student's communicative capacity through written and oral presentations, debates, and commentaries on each week's materials, as well as listening comprehension and vocabulary exercises. As a secondary objective, the student should acquire a consciousness of the reality of the United States as a place of encounter and transformation of different cultures, including Hispanic cultures that today play a predominant role. 

Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite for NYU students: V95.0030 and concurrently with V95.0100 or permission of the director of undergraduate studies. For non-native Spanish speakers only.

The course Debating Current Issues in Spain aims to develop students’ awareness about the contemporary culture of Spain, while improving students’ oral competence in Spanish. With this purpose, the course will analyze different conversational techniques and linguistic resources in order to facilitate the students’ performance on presentations, debates, formal and informal conversations, interviews, reports, etc. The culture and daily life of Spain in the 21st century will be examined through these oral practices in Spanish. Spain will be presented in its diversity, richness, and uniqueness with the help of supporting materials such as newspaper articles, TV and radio programs, commercials, short films, chats, etc. Finally, our goal is that the students gain an understanding of the new culture and that they be able to create new intercultural spaces by means of the comparisons to their own culture. This course is based on culture, language and training in oral communication. 

This course provides an introduction to the making of modern Spain through the study of key cultural practices in literature, visual art, film, and performance from the 19th century to the present. We ask: what are the different materials that Spanish artists and writers have chosen to articulate the often complex understandings they have of themselves, their nation(s), their relation to modernity (its opportunities and challenges), and the broader international community? Rather than assume simplistic answers to these questions, or take for granted a relation between a specific form, be it literary, visual or performative, this class will ask students to critically approach Spanish culture by learning about specific works (and the close analysis of them) and the contexts within which they exist (when they were made, how they were perceived, and how we come to study them today). The time frame for this class is the mid-nineteenth century through the late-twentieth century. Among the different media and materials we will look at are:  fiction, poetry, film (fiction and documentary), painting, poster art, photography, performance, and architecture. Readings will be taken from a variety of sources (not just one textbook) and we will try as often as possible to incorporate works of art, films, lectures, and performances that are taking place in our community. The goal of this class is for students to actively engage in an informed analysis of cultural works from Spain in order for each student to better understand and question the relation between cultural forms and questions of national identity, tradition, modernity, and authorship as they relate to the historical moment and location in which they are produced. 

Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100 with permission of the director.

This course is designed for students who wish to attain a command of Spanish in relation to the worlds of business and international relations. Special emphasis on the development of oral expression through activities that focus on business practices. 

Sample Syllabus

 Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100 with permission of the director.

Art History Students: This course counts for Art History elective credit.

A gallery course focusing on the baroque schools of Rubens and Rembrandt, "tenebrist" painting, Velázquez, and the etchings and paintings of Goya. Ends with a survey of the painters of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100 with permission of the director.

Introduction to literary analysis through close readings of texts from the early to modern periods of peninsular Spanish and Spanish American literatures. Engages students in the practice of textual explication, provides basic critical skills, and encourages reflection on literature as a system.

Sample Syllabus

A study of society, culture, and ethnic groups in Spain and Iberoamerica. The Latin American social reality and the most important historical processes that have shaped present-day Latin America are discussed, as well as the cultural relationship that exists between Spain and Iberoamerica.

Sample Syllabus 

Prerequisite of SPAN-UA 100 or to be taken concurrently with SPAN-UA 9100 with permission of the director.

A study of Spain and its integration into the European Common Market. The historical background examines Europe in the aftermath of World War II, Spain under Franco's dictatorship and its relationship to other European countries, as well as the events leading up to the actual foundation of the European Economic Community (EEC). Emphasis is on the negotiations leading to Spain's incorporation into the EEC, and a detailed analysis is given of the present-day European Common Market and its goals for the future.

Sample Syllabus 

Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100 with permission of the director.

An introduction to Islam, with reference to both the Islamic religion as well as to the evolution of the Arab world. Special attention is given to the history of Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) and its important contribution to Europe and America. This course includes a Morocco Study Tour. In the past students visited culturally exciting cities of Morocco, including Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Ouarzazate.

Note:  Students MUST acquire a multi-entry visa in order to participate on the trip to Morocco.

Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100 with permission of the director.

A survey of Spanish cinema from the early beginnings of the silent movie to the present day. Important figures, such as Luis Buñuel, Luis García Berlanga, Edgar Neville, Juan Antonio Bardem, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Carlos Saura, and others are studied, as well as the phenomenon of cinema as a reflection of the political, social, and cultural development of the country and its people. A selection of the most representative films is shown in class.

Sample Syllabus 

This course aims to lay a foundation in 20th Century European theatre that will subsequently allow the student to better comprehend present-day Spanish theatrical productions. We will read excerpts from Gordon Graig, Peter Brook, Artaud, Brecht, Ionesco among others. We will also see several plays in Madrid throughout the course of the semester.

As we incorporate theatrical expression in a workshop environment, both oral and written Spanish language skills will be strongly reinforced. The classroom will serve as a free artistic space in which the student can express him/herself without inhibition yet with theatrical direction, ultimately writing/creating/performing a final short play.

Sample Syllabus 

Prof. Argonés

Este curso plantea el surrealismo como hecho histórico, y como sistema vigente, de alguna utilidad para establecer relaciones creativas. Se desarrollará un temario basado en el estudio del fenómeno surrealista, desde sus precedentes históricos, sus creadores y sus descendientes. Realizando, ejercicios prácticos para que los alumnos tengan su propia experiencia surrealista. Es fundamental la participación al máximo en las clases aportando las ideas  compartiendo opiniones sobre los temas de estudio. Creando un espíritu de “tertulia” con la participación de todos.

Prerequisite of V95.0200 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9200 with permission of the director.

In this course, we will read both the first and second part of the Don Quijote and analyze it's significance from literary, philosophical, political and social perspectives.

Sample Syllabus   

Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100 with permission of the director.

This course provides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of Spanish cultural expression of the early 20th Century. We will examine the influence and the evolution in Spain of the different artistic movements that originated at the start of the 20th century in Europe, movements that radically changed the way we understand the different disciplines within contemporary art today. Beginning with Pablo Picasso and Cubism, we will examine the new artistic languages and ideas in poetry, music, dance, theatre, and film inside and outside of Spain, focusing primarily on readings by Spanish authors who were not only influenced by all these new approaches, but also participated in an active form during this period. The principal aim of the course is to arrive at a better understanding of daily life in Madrid during this period, the evolution of the great metropolis as an indisputable symbol of progress, and the historical context that framed this very rich cultural moment. This was a time shared by the great geniuses of the 20th century such as Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, Erick Satie, Jean Cocteau, Manuel de Falla, Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Filippo Marinetti, Marcel Duchamp, André Breton, Coco Chanel, Joan Miró, and those who would later be known as the ¨Generation of 27,¨ such as Francisco Ayala, Miguel Mihura, Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, or Federico García Lorca, among others. 

Prerequisite of V95.0100 or to be taken concurrently with V95.9100 with permission of the director. For students of Spanish speaking background this course replaces V95.9100.

This course will provide students with basic journalistic skills so that they may report on their cultural experience in Spain. We will work with newspaper articles, podcasts, radio and TV programs from the Spanish media to cover current social, political and cultural issues, such as immigration, national identities, regional differences, gender roles, tourism and famous personalities. The coverage of political and cultural developments in Spain in the American media will also be examined to complement our newsgathering and research. Course projects include the publication of a blog with articles on the students´ experience at NYU in Madrid – planned trips, visits to museums and other activities - as well as visits to a radio or TV station in Madrid. Our aim will be to acquire a broad understanding of contemporary Spanish society while developing new linguistic skills in Spanish. 

Prof. Dubin

Millions of lives around the world are impacted by natural disaster, war and other crises every year. Men, women and children are left homeless and vulnerable, and domestic infrastructure and institutions are often completely destroyed. Frequently, the people affected tend to live in countries that lack the autonomous capacities to pursue development without the assistance of international development agencies, foreign governments and NGOs. The development of a country requires a multi-layered approach, taking into account the diversity of failures caused by the crisis, the particularities of country related issues and, in most cases, the lack of development that already existed in the period preceding the crisis.International Development in Post Crisis Countries explores how countries develop in post-crisis periods and looks at the role of the international community in contributing to development. This course introduces students to a cross section of academic topics relevant to development, including, but not limited to, economic development, international relations, law and rule of law, human rights and gender studies. The majority of the course will focus on exploring each of these topic areas in depth, examining them from a wide array of theoretical perspectives and methodologies.

 Art History Students: This course counts for Art History elective credit.

A gallery course focusing on the baroque schools of Rubens and Rembrandt, "tenebrist" painting, Velázquez, and the etchings and paintings of Goya. Ends with a survey of the painters of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sample Syllabus

This course examines the interaction between two coupled systems, the Earth system and humanity’s political systems. Beginning with an analysis of the effects of anthropogenic industrial carbon dioxide gas emissions on the Earth system as derived from the scientific evidence this course attempts to understand the reaction of the global, European and Spanish political governance systems to these transformations. In order to understand something as apparently specific as the impact of climate change in the Iberian peninsula and the Spanish state’s response to it we must first understand, therefore, how the United Nations and the European Union are responding to climate change since the Spanish political system’s control and mitigation policies are largely determined by these two larger governance systems’ responses.

Sample Syllabus 

Studies the principal poetry and dramatic works in relation to the historical period culminating in the Spanish Civil War and contemporary literary movements from impressionism to surrealism.

Sample Syllabus 

Prof. Kavanagh

The recent changes in both Spain and Portugal are only the latest in a series of important transformations which these two countries have undergone over the past fifty years or so. In that time, they have both gone from being predominantly rural societies where the majority of the population live and work on the land to become industrial societies not unlike those of northern Europe and North America. Yet the underlying cultural heterogeneity of the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula has meant that different regions have often had very distinct reactions to the various pressures towards political, economic and social change. 

As well as introducing you to some of the basic concepts used in the study of social change, this course concentrates on examining the ethnographic diversity of the various regions of Spain and Portugal. Knowledge of this underlying diversity is essential in comprehending the importance that regionalism has played in Iberian history and its relevance to the understanding of the acceptance or rejection of such change by the different regions in contemporary Spain and Portugal. The course will specifically examine the rapidly changing role of women in both countries.

Prof. Walliser

Course description coming soon.

This course has two separate components.

Intensive Language
This section is designed to offer the student basic communicative skills in Spanish in an efficient and concentrated way. The student will be exposed to linguistic—functional, grammatical, and lexical— objectives which are clearly defined. Moreover, cultural topics related to the Spanish speaking world will be examined in each unit. Oral and written competence are the primary focus, thus ensuring a communicative ability at all levels.

Practicum

This section focuses on the practice of the contents previously introduced in the grammar class. Consequently, the linguistic (grammar, lexicon, functions, orthography, and pronunciation), sociolinguistic (social conventions, courtesy, customs, etc…), and pragmatic (cultural surroundings, etc…) competencies, adequate for this level, will be worked on. This practice will especially focus on oral expression, including some written exercises with the aim of getting the student to communicate in real life. 

This course has three separate components.

Module on Real life Situations through Drama Representation
This section uses theatrical exercises to improve knowledge and drill both written and oral Spanish skills.
This module will help reduce inhibition by means of games and theatrical exercises, with the final aim to improve expression in Spanish. Students will receive feedback on pronunciation by means of dramatic readings, tongue twisters, and small representations in class. Students will have to create their own theatrical texts, supervised and corrected by the professor.

Module on Spain Today: Pair Group Student Project
The module aims to perfect the students’ Spanish while increasing their knowledge of literature, cinema, as well as the social and political problems that exist today in modern Spanish society. Through the reading of different texts as well as the projection of films, the students’ lexicon, grammar, and written and oral style will be expanded and improved. The definitive objective of this course is to achieve that the student become familiarized with the direct and everyday language of current newspapers and magazines, meanwhile initiating the student in the world of Spanish literature.

Module on the Creation of a Journal: An Overview of Hispanic Literature, Film, and Art

The purpose of this module is to introduce the student to various aspects of Spanish and Latin American culture by means of reading as well as producing journalistic texts. The students will become familiar with the distinct genres of written press—news, reviews, interviews, chronicles, report, and opinion articles—based on the reading and in-class commentary of magazine and newspaper articles in Spanish. The analysis and discussion of the assigned articles will allow the integration of grammatical aspects, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions common in journalistic language.  

This course has two separate components.

Intensive Language
For the first four weeks this language class is focused on furthering the students` knowledge of Spanish by means of a series of units in which the functional linguistic, grammatical, and lexical objectives are well defined. In these units, more complex language topics will be covered such as the correct selection of past tenses or the modal selection in complex sentences. Moreover, cultural topics related to the Spanish-speaking world will be examined in each of these units. Then, during these last four weeks of the immersion program, the students will strengthen the foundations of Spanish by means of a detailed review of the most conflictive points for English speakers in the process of learning Spanish.

Module on Spanish through Different Linguistic Tasks: Projects

This section of activities allows the student to complete a series of tasks or projects. From a perspective that views learning as a process, this module makes the student participate and be responsible for his/her work, cooperating with others as well as working independently. All of this will be carried out inside the classroom as well as outside, with the constant supervision of the professor.