Course Schedule

PORT 540 – Portuguese Phonetics and Phonology

Introduction to Portuguese articulatory phonetics and phonology for the purpose of exploring the theory and the practice of pronunciation. Comparison with Spanish and English patterns. Discussion of geographic, social and diachronic variation. Practice of pronunciation and transcription of sounds. Graduate-level requirements include 15-20 page research paper, presentation of the results to class, and demonstration of greater depth and sophistication in their tests and homework.

PORT 563 – Topics in Luso-Brazilian Literature

Representative topics include: major works, authors and tendencies in the literature of the Portuguese speaking countries (Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guin-Bissau, Porto Principe). Graduate-level requirements include additional research and reports.

SPAN 510 – Development of Spanish Medieval, Renaissance, and Golden Age Literature

Spanish medieval, renaissance, and golden age literature (short fiction, poetry, novel and drama) from the twelfth through the seventeenth century.

SPAN 561 – Topics in Hispanic Literature

Representative topics include Hispanic women writers; U. S. Hispanic literature; trends in modern and contemporary Spanish film; trends in modern and contemporary Hispanic American film.

SPAN 574A – Language in the Mexican-American Experience

This introductory course focuses on the role of language in the development of Mexican-American experiences in the Southwest. In particular, it focuses on the Mexican American language experience in the borderlands of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Some of the topics included in this course are: bilingualism, language attitudes, prestige, pride, and identity as well as other linguistic issues related to Spanish in the Southwest.

SPAN 581A – Foreign Language Teaching Theory and Methodology

The goal of this course is to systematically examine methods, approaches, techniques and activities for the teaching of foreign languages and its use in the classroom. It will include an overview of learner strategies and cooperative learning, the use and adaptation of textbooks, and some of the journals available in the field. Participants will be introduced to second language acquisition theories, course design, lesson planning and testing, and have experience creating a cohesive instructional unit.

SPAN 581C – Online Course Design for Advanced Language Courses

Online Course Design for Advanced Language Courses is a course that provides language instructors with a foundation in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) theory and best practices for online language course design. Through this course, students will become familiar with publications on digital pedagogy theory, be introduced to Quality Matters (QM) online design standards, and create online shells for advanced language courses, including the fields of linguistics and literature. The course will provide students with the opportunity to experience the digital classroom and, based on that experience, evaluate crucial content/design components of online FL courses. The capstone project requires each student to create and present their own online Spanish language course that complies with the QM rubric.

SPAN 582A – Spanish Syntax I

This course involves an examination of the methods and argumentation used in syntactic analysis, both from a general point of view and from the perspective of generative grammar. Emphasis is placed on analyzing language data, on constructing and evaluating syntactic argumentation, and on understanding the Principles & Parameters approach to the study of sentence structure. Secondarily, this course is also an introduction to scientific theorizing: what it means to construct a scientific theory, how to test a scientific theory, how to choose among competing theories. Linguistic data will be drawn from Spanish.

SPAN 585 – Introduction to Translation Studies

The main goal of Introduction to Translation Studies is to introduce students to the interdisciplinary field of translation studies, the scholarly discipline that focuses on translation and interpreting research. A secondary goal is to guide participants in the design of their own research projects in an area of translation studies. The course consists of a survey component that reviews the main areas of translation studies and various issues in translation and applied linguistics, and of a more practical section that applies the concepts reviewed to the design of research projects and/or curriculum. Although there is a clear focus on those areas of translation studies relevant to applied linguistics and language acquisition, topics in literary and cultural studies will be reviewed (e.g. cultural studies, polysystems theories, etc.). Introduction to Translation Studies is aimed at students of linguistics, SLAT, literature, cultural studies, and related fields.

SPAN 586 – World Languages for Professional Purposes

World Languages for Professional Purposes is a course designed to help language instructors understand and meet the demands of 21st century professionals. This course introduces students to Language for Specific Purposes (LSP), a growing branch of applied linguistics. LSP is the primary approach used by language/cultural experts who educate individuals in community and professional venues. Students enrolled in this course will learn how to perform a need analysis of linguistic and cultural skills required in specific professional fields (e.g. health care, social work, and education) as well as create course curricula based on needs analysis.

The course is languages agnostic and open to graduate students from various areas of specialization. However, this course was specifically designed to meet the needs of students enrolled in the Masters in the Teaching of Spanish Education program.

SPAN 594 – Practicum

The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation. This might include participation in collaborative research projects and development of practical skills to design and teach upper-level undergraduate courses in an area of specialization.

SPAN 696B – Spanish American Literature

This course is designed to explore theoretical/critical readings in order to discuss key issues involving Spanish American literatures and cultures contemplated. Throughout the course we will examine an array of perspectives as modes of understanding the creative texts. In the light of the readings students will develop original research projects.