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Courses

Course Placement

Placement in Spanish

Students who have no previous experience with Spanish should begin their studies in Spanish 1100 (Spanish for True Beginners). Students with previous experience in Spanish who wish to go on must take the departmental placement test and enroll according to their score. Spanish 1102 is only for students continuing from Spanish 1100 or 1101. Incoming students cannot place into 1102. Entering students should consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese for advice on placement.

Which course to enroll In:

Department Placement TestCourse to be taken
Not taken1100
0-2741101
275-3641103
365-4092201
410-4592204
460 or above*3301W

*If you receive a score of 700 or above on the Department Placement Test, please retake the test to confirm the result.

Placement in Portuguese

Students with a strong background in Spanish or another Romance language may take Portuguese 1103 (Intensive Elementary Portuguese), which covers two semesters in one semester.

Ready to take the Placement Test?

See the Spanish & Portuguese Department Language Placement Test. If you need further assistance, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Spanish Courses

SPAN 1100-1101Spanish for True Beginners. Designed exclusively for students with no previous exposure to Spanish. Development of basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with Spanish-speaking culture through a communicative approach. Conducted primarily in Spanish. Not open to students with previous training in Spanish. Four hours of classroom instruction plus one hour of independent research activities. Students continuing in Spanish take Spanish 1102. No credit for students who have earned credit for a more advanced Spanish language course.

Elementary Spanish I. Basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Cultures through a communicative approach. Conducted entirely in Spanish. Prerequisite: some previous study of the language. Four hours of classroom instruction plus one hour of independent research activities. Serves as repeat credit for 1100. No credit for students who have earned credit for a more advanced Spanish language course.

SPAN 1102:  Elementary Spanish II. Further development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Communicative approach, exposure to aspects of Spanish-speaking culture. Conducted entirely in Spanish. Four hours of classroom instruction plus one hour of independent research activities. Prerequisite: 1100 or 1101. No credit for students who have earned credit for a more advanced Spanish language course.

SPAN 1103:  Intensive Elementary Spanish. A communicative approach to reading, writing, listening, and speaking for students who have studied one to three years of Spanish. Provides a rigorous review of elementary Spanish through four hours of class instruction and one hour of independent research activities. Departmental Spanish placement exam score of 275-364. No credit for students who have completed 1100, 1101, or 1102. No credit for students who have earned credit for a more advanced Spanish language course.

SPAN 2201: Development of intermediate linguistic competence in Spanish using a communicative approach. Study of cultures of Spanish-speaking countries by incorporating authentic materials. Three hours of classroom instruction. Intended for students who have earned credit for 1102 or 1103 or in consultation with the placement test scores on departmental website. No credit for students who have earned credit for a more advanced Spanish language course. [3] (INT)

SPAN 2202:  Development of intermediate linguistic competence in Spanish using a communicative approach. Study of cultures of Spanish-speaking countries by incorporating authentic materials. Three hours of classroom instruction. Intended for students who have earned credit for SPAN2201. No credit for students who have earned credit for a more advanced Spanish language course. [3] (INT)

SPAN 2204:  Development of intermediate linguistic competence in Spanish using a communicative approach. Study of cultures of Spanish-speaking countries by incorporating authentic materials. Three hours of classroom instruction. Intended for students with the indicated placement test scores. Not open to students who have completed 2201 or 2202. No credit for students who have earned credit for a more advanced Spanish language course. [3] (INT)

Spanish Specialization Courses (minor and major)

SPAN 3301W:  Intermediate Spanish Writing. [Formerly SPAN 201W] Development of abilities in composition tasks related to expository writing. Focus on rhetorical techniques for organizing information, vocabulary abilities, and emphasis on collaborative work. Students write several short papers and a final long paper. Intended for students who have earned credit for 2203 or have a departmental Spanish placement exam score of 441 or higher. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3302:  Spanish for Oral Communication through Cultural Topics. [Formerly SPAN 202] Development of speaking skills through the study of Spanish and Hispanic culture, and Spanish and Spanish-American current affairs. Texts drawn from contemporary articles, short stories, TV news, documentaries, and web materials. Different registers of spoken Spanish. The development of effective strategies for oral communication. Offered on a graded basis only. Prerequisite: 3301W. Students with advanced oral skills will be placed in a higher-level course. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3303:  Introduction to Spanish and Spanish American Literature. [Formerly SPAN 203] Critical reading and methods of literary analysis. Selections cover all genres in several periods. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4400:  The Origins of Spanish Literature. [Formerly SPAN 231] From its beginnings to the Renaissance; the creation of a social order and a cultural tradition. Close study of three literary landmarks—Poema del Cid, Libro de Buen Amor, La Celestina—and other prose and poetry selections. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4405:  Literature of the Spanish Golden Age. [Formerly SPAN 232] Representative works from early modern Spain, including poetry, prose, and drama of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4410: Spanish Literature from the Enlightenment to 1900. [Formerly SPAN 233] Essays and Neoclassic literature. Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. Representative works and authors from all genres. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4415: Spanish Literature from 1900 to the Present. [Formerly SPAN 234] Representative authors and works. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4420:  Spanish American Literature from the Conquest to 1900. [Formerly SPAN 235] Development of all forms from colonial times to the end of the 19th century. Patterns of interaction of Amerindian, African, and European cultural traditions. Unity and diversity of Spanish American literature. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4425: Spanish American Literature from 1900 to the Present. [Formerly SPAN 236] The works of Neruda, Borges, Paz, Garcia Márquez and others. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4440: Development of the Short Story. [Formerly SPAN 260] From early manifestations in Spain through its current forms in Spain and Spanish America. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4445: Development of the Novel. [Formerly SPAN 239] From the seventeenth century through Realism and Naturalism in Spain and Spanish America. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4450: The Contemporary Novel. [Formerly SPAN 240] New forms in the twentieth-century novel in Spain and Spanish America. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4455: Development of Drama. [Formerly SPAN 251] Spanish theatrical works from 1600 to 1900, including the Golden age comedia, neoclassicism, romanticism, and early realism in drama. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4465: The Theory and Practice of Drama. [Formerly SPAN 281] Critical works and plays from different periods. Introduction to the principles of dramaturgy. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4470: Development of Lyric Poetry. [Formerly SPAN 230] Popular and traditional forms; the sonnet and other Renaissance and Baroque classical forms. Romanticism. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4475: Contemporary Lyric Poetry. [Formerly SPAN 237] From Modernism to the present in Spain and Spanish America. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4550:  The Theory and Practice of Literary Translation. [Formerly SPAN 271] Theoretical approaches and their consequences for the interpretation of translated texts. Practical application of these principles in the translation of both Spanish and Portuguese texts into English. Taught in Spanish. Written work in Spanish or Portuguese. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4620:  Love and Honor in Medieval and Golden Age Literature. [Formerly SPAN 256] The evolution of the key themes of love and honor in works from various genres of medieval and Golden Age Spanish literature with special attention to sociohistorical context. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4640:  Don Quixote. [Formerly SPAN 246] Directed reading and intensive study of the novel. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4670:  Spanish Realism. [Formerly SPAN 258] Methods of, implications to, and pitfalls of creating realistic characters in nineteenth-century Spanish novels. Prerequisite 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4690:  Alterity and Migration in Spain. [Formerly SPAN 264] Historical and literary texts about nationalism and cultural difference. Representations of contact with Africa, the Americas, and Asia; regional identities; immigration; gender and racial issues. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 4720:  Literary Genres and National Identities in Latin America. [Formerly SPAN 277] A comparative approach to the rise of the national literary traditions from independence to the latter half of the twentieth century. Indigenist novels, abolitionist narratives, and gaucho poetry by colonial figures, including African slaves, indigenous peoples, and Argentine Gauchos. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 4725:  Jungle Narratives in Latin America. From the colonial period to the present. Evolution of the representation of the jungle. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4730:  Modern Latin American Poetry. [Formerly SPAN 273] Development of poetry in Spanish America and Brazil during the twentieth century. Major poets and movements, including both Spanish American Modernismo and Brazilian Modernismo. Poetry as a genre; composition and discussion of students’ poetry. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4740:  Spanish-American Literature of the Boom Era. [Formerly SPAN 247] The Boom novel of the 1960s: Carlos Fuentes’ La muerte de Artemio Cruz, Julio Cortázar’s Rayuela, Mario Vargas Llosa’s La ciudad y los perros, Guillermo Cabrera Infante’s Tres tristes tigres, and Gabriel García Márquez’s Cien años de soledad. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4741:  Spanish-American Literature of the Post-Boom Era. [Formerly SPAN 248] The post-Boom novel from the 1970s to the present; analysis of related films. Manuel Muig’s Boquitas pintadas, Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú, Laura Esquivel’s Coma agua para chocolate, Reinaldo Arena’s Viaje a La Habana, and Daisey Rubiera Castillo’s Reyita, sencillamente. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 4750:  Afro-Hispanic Literature. [Formerly SPAN 244] From nineteenth-century slave narrative to modern writers such as Miguel Barnet, Alejo Carpentier, and Quince Duncan. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 4755:  Latina and Latin American Women Writers. [Formerly SPAN 275] Contemporary writing of women in Latin America and of Latinas in the United States. Representation of sexuality and the maternal body. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 4760:  Literature and Medicine. [Formerly SPAN 274] Modern intersections of literature and medicine in Latin America. From the social hygiene literature of the nineteenth century to the autobiographical disease narrative of the late twentieth century. Prerequisite 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 4765:  Latin American Fiestas: Mexico, The Andes, and the Caribbean. Comparative analysis of the celebration phenomenon as a stark contrast to everyday reality. Festive integration of Amerindian, African, and European legacies embedded in the identity of three Latin American regions. Colonial and contemporary texts, paintings, and film. Serves as repeat credit for SPAN 3893 Section 01 in Fall 2017. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 4810:  Images of the City. [Formerly SPAN 263] Literary representations of cityscapes in Spain and Latin America. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 4300:  Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. [Formerly SPAN 212] Major linguistic subsystems of the Spanish language. Morphology, syntax, phonetics and phonology. Semantics and pragmatics, dialectology, and sociolinguistics. No previous knowledge of linguistics required. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4310:  Translation and Interpretation. [Formerly SPAN 213] Theory and practice of translation and interpretation, both from English to Spanish and Spanish to English. Practical knowledge of the basic modes of translation (direct and oblique) and interpretation (sight, consecutive, and simultaneous). Emphasis on the fundamentals of translation in legal, medical, literary, business, commercial, media, sports, and other fields. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4315:  Contrastive Analysis of Spanish and English. [Formerly SPAN 217] A comparison of the phonological, morphological, and syntactical structures of Spanish and English to demonstrate the similarities and differences between the linguistic systems of these two languages. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4320:  Phonology. [Formerly SPAN 216] Analysis of the production, nature, and systematic function of the sounds of the Spanish language, as well as of problems frequently experienced by non-native speakers. Both standard and dialect features of Spanish are examined. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4325:  Dialectology. [Formerly SPAN 214] Formation, general characteristics, distinctive features, and geographical extension of the principal dialectal regions of Spain and Spanish America. Both historical and modern dialects are considered. Emphasis on non-standard dialectal varieties of Spanish. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4330:  Words and Stems. [Formerly SPAN 215] A morphological presentation of the structural principles governing the creation of noun, verb, adjective, and adverb along with an overview of the formation of the underlying stems. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4335:  Morphology and Syntax. [Formerly SPAN 218] An introduction to the principles of modern Spanish morphology (word formation) and syntax (phrase structure and usage) through an analysis of the native speaker’s organization of reality and use of language to reflect and to express that organization. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4340:  History of the Spanish Language. [Formerly SPAN 219] Origins and evolution of the Spanish (Castilian) language. Emphasis on the phonological and morphological development of Spanish within historical and cultural contexts of the Iberian Peninsula. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4345:  The Languages of Spain. [Formerly SPAN 220] Origins, development, and the contemporary sociolinguistic situation of the principal languages and dialects of Spain, including Castilian, Catalan, Galician, and Basque. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4350:  Communicating Across Cultures. [Formerly SPAN 282] Relationships among discourse, identity, and culture. Linguistic construction of ethnicity and gender. Latin American and U.S. Latino ways of speaking. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4355:  Spanish in Society. [Formerly SPAN 283] Language variation and linguistic change. Regional, socioeconomic, gendered, and ethnic differences in spoken Spanish. Language as it shapes the identities of speakers. Language use in social contexts with comparisons to English. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 4360:  Discourse Analysis. [Formerly SPAN 285] Linguistic pragmatics. Speech acts in conversation as patterned activity rather than unpredictable behavior. Implications, presuppositions, discourse markers, and other pragmatic units. Comparisons with English. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (SBS)

SPAN 3325:  The Way of Saint James. [Formerly SPAN 205] Origins and development of the Way of Saint James, or Camino de Santiago, through an examination of literature, art, history, and cultural and religious issues. Contributions from the cult of Saint James and the Way to Spanish national identity. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (HCA)

SPAN 3330:  Cultural Studies in the Andes. [Formerly SPAN 224] Contemporary Andean culture through the lenses of anthropology and archaeology. Popular and elite artistic productions, cultural syncretism, and festive culture. Gender and society. Emphasis on hands-on learning on site. Locations include Lima, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu. Maymester only. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3340:  Advanced Conversation. [Formerly SPAN 207] An intercultural approach contrasting Hispanic and American perspectives. Discussions and oral presentations on contemporary issues. For students with a high level of oral proficiency, especially those returning from a semester abroad. Offered on a graded basis only. Prerequisite: 3302. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3345:  Spanish for Business and Economics. [Formerly SPAN 206] Linguistic skills and cultural information for conducting business in the Spanish-speaking world. Basic syntactic and phonological structures within the context of business. Activities to develop written, oral, and aural skills in several areas, including finance, management, marketing, and tourism. Offered on a graded basis only. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3350:  Spanish for the Legal Profession. [Formerly SPAN 210] Advanced conversation course emphasizing specialized Spanish legal terminology. The development of linguistic proficiency and cultural competency. Vocabulary acquisition, grammar review, translation practice, oral presentations, and written

SPAN 3355:  Advanced Conversation through Cultural Issues in Film. [Formerly SPAN 208] Spanish and Latin American films as the basis for discussion and analysis of linguistic, historic, cultural, and social issues. Students are expected to have completed at least one Spanish language course beyond 3303. Prerequisite: 3301W, 3302, and 3303. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3360:  Spanish Civilization. [Formerly SPAN 221] The development of Spanish culture from the Middle Ages to the present in the context of Western civilization. Discussion of historical background, literary and artistic trends, and political and socioeconomic patterns. Not open to students who have attended Vanderbilt in Spain. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3365:  Film and Recent Cultural Trends in Spain. [Formerly SPAN 226] The cinema and Spanish cultural evolution during and after the Franco dictatorship. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3370:  Spanish American Civilization. [Formerly SPAN 223] The development of Spanish American culture from colonial times to the present; discussion of basic institutions, political and socioeconomic patterns, education, the arts, and folklore. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3375:  Film and Culture in Latin America. [Formerly SPAN 227] Latin American cinema in historical perspective. Screenings, critical readings, and supplementary texts. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (P)

SPAN 3380:  The Spanish Language. [Formerly SPAN 209] An advanced grammar course with emphasis on problem constructions, stylistics, and composition. Offered only in the Vanderbilt in Spain program. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3385:  Creative Writing and Advanced Grammar. Development of writing skills through advanced grammatical concepts, vocabulary, and writing techniques and the production of short stories, essays, poems, and other forms of textual discourse. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (INT)

SPAN 3830:  Spanish for the Medical Profession. [Formerly SPAN 211] Advanced conversation course incorporating linguistic skills and cultural information relevant to medical issues in the Hispanic world. Service learning with the Latino and Latina community as an important component. Prerequisite: 3301W and 3302. [3] (INT)

Portuguese Courses

Portuguese Specialization Courses (major and minor)

PORT 2203:  Review of Portuguese grammar with emphasis on conversation, composition, and reading of modern Portuguese literary texts. No credit for students who have earned credit for a higher level Portuguese language course. Prerequisite: 1103. [3] (INT)

PORT 3301:  Expository writing and development of speaking skills. Emphasis on pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Prerequisite: 2203. [3] (INT)

PORT 3302:  Development of written and oral communication skills through the study of Brazilian popular culture. Movies, music, television, and magazines. Prerequisite: 2203. [3] (INT)

PORT 3303:  Critical readings and methods of literary analysis. Masterpieces from Portugal and Brazil from all genres in several periods. Conversation and writing. Prerequisite: 3301 or 3302. [3] (HCA)

PORT 3891: Does not count toward a major or minor in Portuguese. May be repeated for credit more than once if there is no duplication in topic. Students may enroll in more than one section of this course each semester. [3] (No AXLE credit)

PORT 4350: Differences between spoken and written Portuguese in Brazil. Modern culture, including popular music, film, politics, family life, and sports. Prerequisite: 3301 or 3302. [3] (P)

PORT 3892: May be repeated for credit more than once if there is no duplication in topic. Students may enroll in more than one section of this course each semester. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (No AXLE credit)

PORT 4420: Main literary trends, principal writers and works of Brazilian literature, from colonial beginnings through the nineteenth century. Study of the works of Gregório de Matos, Gonçalves Dias, Alencar, Machado de Assis, and Euclides da Cunha. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

PORT 4425: Brazilian literature from the Semana de Arte Moderna to the present. Modernist and neo-Modernist movements. Prerequisite: 3303. [3] (HCA)

Honors Courses

Six hours of credit for Span 4998/4999: Senior Honors Thesis (3 fall, 3 spring).