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.

PORT 503 – Contemporary Luso-Brazilian and Lusophone African Literatures: an Introduction

Through an interdisciplinary approach, the students will be in contact with the contemporary literature produced in Brazil, Portugal and Lusophone Africa. Graduate-level requirements include a final paper.

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 531 – Topics in Spanish-American Literature: Pre-Columbian Period to Independence

Representative topics include pre-Columbian Aztec, Mayan, and Maya-Quiche literature; the chronicle; Renaissance and baroque poetry.

SPAN 571 – Topics in Literary Theory and Criticism

Topics include historical overview of major developments in literary theory and criticism with theoretical and critical analysis of Hispanic texts.

SPAN 580B – Spanish Phonology II

This course continues the study of the generative analysis of the phonological system of Spanish started in Spanish phonology I. SPAN 580 (Spanish Phonology II) reviews recent analyses of important phonological processes of Spanish, highlighting advances, difficulties and unresolved theoretical and empirical issues. The course aims to provide students with: (a) the knowledge and resources necessary to read and critique/analyze generative analyses of the phonological system of Spanish; (b) a general understanding of major theoretical models of phonology through their application to Spanish; (c) a general understanding of the challenges presented by Spanish to modern linguistic analysis, as well as the ability to formulate research questions. Students who wish to enroll in the course are required to have a sound knowledge of the descriptive facts of the phonology of Spanish and of major concepts/tools of generative phonology.

SPAN 587 – Assessment in Second/Foreign Language Learning

The primary objective of this course is the development of language teachers' assessment literacy, which includes knowledge of key assessment principles and skill in creating or adopting assessment tools and procedures for the language classroom. Participants in this course will develop their knowledge and skills related to assessing all skill areas in the language classroom, including productive skills (writing, speaking), receptive skills (reading, listening), and assessing grammar and vocabulary. Grading and student evaluation will also be important topics of consideration and exploration in this course. Designed specifically for in-service (and pre-service) language teachers, the course combines theory with practice by covering essential principles of effective classroom assessment and the development of effective assessment tools for classroom use. Participants completing this course will become more assessment literate and better able to evaluate student performance in their classrooms fairly and effectively.

SPAN 587A – Introduction to Pragmatics

The topic of the seminar is pragmatics. Pragmatics is the study of language use in different social contexts, and it raises many important questions about language use in different cultures, such as "How can I speak appropriately in a new language?", "How can I be polite (or impolite) when interacting with other speakers?", among many others. Speakers have a variety of ways of communicating their ideas in social interaction. Among many expressions and structures at their disposal, speakers choose particular ones based on the identity they want to project, the identity of their interlocutor(s), and the situation in which the interaction is taking place. Quite often, speakers also convey meaning in indirect ways. In this seminar, we will examine five broad domains: (1) pragmatic constructs and foundational theories, (2) common research methodologies and methods, (3) cross-cultural pragmatics, (4) pragmatics and technology, and (5) pragmatics in specific discourse domains (e.g., legal and medical discourse). Through critical examination of the literature in these three areas, we will refine your understanding of the role of pragmatics in (applied) linguistics research, and some of the common methods of data collection and analysis in this field.

SPAN 696D – Hispanic Linguistics

This course is designed to explore theoretical and applied issues involving language and linguistics. Throughout the course we will examine an array of perspectives. In the light of the readings students will develop original research projects.