Catalog > Programs and Courses of Instruction > Departmental Majors > Spanish

Spanish

Iliana Alcántar

Latin American literature, Mexican theater and film, performance studies.

Diego Alonso

19th- and 20th-century Latin American literature.

Elizabeth Drumm

Peninsular literature, modern European and Hispanic drama, literary theory. On sabbatical and leave 2008-09.

Ariadna García-Bryce

Early modern Spanish literature and culture.

Sharon Larisch

Spanish American literature, colonial literature, literary theory.

Curtis Wasson

Modern and contemporary peninsular literature, gender and sexuality, film.

The Spanish department offers a balanced program leading to a major in Spanish language and literature. First- and second-year Spanish classes emphasize all aspects of Spanish, speaking as well as reading, writing, grammar, and the cultural context of the language. Both courses are conducted in Spanish. In the second year, emphasis on composition increases, and readings are drawn from a variety of genres. Primary readings in all literature courses are in the original language. The first priority in the upper-division courses is always an informed and accurate reading of each literary text, but this also implies a consideration of the artistic, historical, and cultural context of works, as well as questions of literary history and theory.

Students who major in Spanish are encouraged to select courses from a variety of periods in both Peninsular and Latin American literature and to enhance their studies with appropriate coursework in other areas, such as other literatures, humanities, history, art, and linguistics. They should also consult with the department to explore options for studying in a Spanish-speaking country.

For majors and nonmajors alike, the Spanish House provides an additional opportunity to practice and learn Spanish in an everyday setting.

Placement

Students who have studied Spanish before coming to Reed and who wish to enroll in Spanish courses should take the Spanish placement examination given every year during orientation week.

Non-majors

Students majoring in other departments in the Division of Literature and Languages may fulfill the divisional requirement with any of the third- or fourth-year courses.

Requirements for the Major

  1. A minimum of six units of literature at the 300 and 400 level. These must include at least two courses in Peninsular Spanish literature and at least two courses in Spanish American literature. At least one course in Peninsular literature and one course in Spanish American literature must cover pre-20th-century texts.
  2. Competence in Spanish equivalent to Spanish 321.
  3. Spanish 400.
  4. Spanish 470.

Recommended but not required:

  1. Spanish 321.
  2. French, and/or Latin, and/or another foreign language.
  3. Humanities 210 and/or 220.
  4. Latin American history.

Study Abroad

Majors in Spanish are encouraged to spend time in a Spanish-speaking country. Reed has study-abroad options in Ecuador at the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito and the Pontífica Universidad Católica del Ecuador; in Argentina at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales and the Universidad de San Andrés; in Spain at the Universidad de Barcelona, at the Universidad de La Rioja in Logroño, and through the Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain Program in Madrid; and, in Costa Rica at the Universidad de Costa Rica, in concert with Lewis & Clark College. These programs are not limited to Spanish majors. The department also helps students select study-abroad programs in other parts of Latin America and in Spain on an individual basis. See the “Off-Campus Study” section of this catalog for more information.

Spanish Course Descriptions



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