See complete syllabus in Modules: Referencias.
Course description:
Spanish 303 is an advanced-level reading and writing course that is designed to develop reading, writing, editing, and discussion skills relating to the analysis of literature and cultural topics from the Spanish-speaking world. We will discuss and debate aspects of written and visual works (short stories, poems, plays, essays, films), interpret narratives of identity from 20th- and 21st-century Spanish America, develop character analysis strategies, refine close-reading and “serious noticing” skills, and interpret and dialogue with critical academic arguments in secondary source articles. You will plan and write two original academic essays (writing an annotated bibliography, specifying a thesis statement, integrating secondary sources, writing effective introductions and conclusions, writing strong interpretive claims and organized paragraphs, conducting useful peer editing sessions, and recognizing and responding to rhetorical arguments). Following the “Pre-texts” protocol, you will also enjoy several days of creative activities with the literary works we study and interpret. Methodology: close reading, passage analysis, argument and counterargument strategies, critical debates, collaborative tasks, creative work. You will be expected to challenge your abilities in argumentation, interpretation, and critical thinking, and be a responsible member of an intellectual community: engaged discussants, attentive peer editors, and generous collaborators. The class is taught in Spanish, but you should feel free to speak in English if you think you can express a certain point better. We are all here to listen to your ideas and help you.
Course format: Taught in person with no simultaneous remote learning option.
Required course text and dictionary:
Comfort, Kelly, ed. Cien años de identidad: Introducción a la literatura latinoamericana del siglo XX. Washington: Georgetown University Press, 2018. ISBN: 978-1626165670
Also available as an e-book.
http://press.georgetown.edu/book/languages/cien-a%C3%B1os-de-identidad (Links to an external site.)
This book contains all the readings, homework questions, and prep material for essays. Available for purchase at UW Bookstore and internet retailers. Book is on course reserves at Odegaard Library (2-hr checkout period); you can scan or photocopy the book and bring your copies to class.