Course Schedule

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

GIDP: Second Lang. Acquisition & Teaching (SLAT)

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

Cross Listed · GIDP: Second Lang. Acquisition & Teaching (SLAT)

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

GIDP: Second Lang. Acquisition & Teaching (SLAT)

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.