Courses
Students complete the program in Latin American, Latino, & Iberian Studies with more than a knowledge of languages, literatures and cultures, but also an understanding of the phenomena that build cultural identity and political communities.
Latin American, Latino, and Iberian Studies
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LAIS 121 Intensive Elementary Spanish
Units: 2
DescriptionFor students with no prior experience studying the Spanish language. Stresses development of skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in a fast-paced environment, which includes an introduction to the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Taught in Spanish, with two additional weekly practice sessions.
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LAIS 151 Spanish for Advanced Beginners
Units: 1
DescriptionAdvanced beginner's course is designed for students who took 1-3 years of Spanish in the past and now need a review of elementary Spanish before continuing on to Spanish 221. This need should be established by a placement exam, because many students are ready for 221 without the review course. The course will concentrate on the fundamentals of the Spanish grammar system as applied to the skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Taught in Spanish, with two additional weekly practice sessions.
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LAIS 221 Intensive Elementary Spanish with Drill
Units: 2
Fulfills General Education Requirement (Communication-Foreign Language (COM2))
DescriptionMeant for students who have completed LAIS 121 or LAIS 151 and/or who have approximately 3-4 years of prior Spanish study and have placed into 221 via a placement exam. LAIS 221 stresses further development of language production and reception skills through expanded creative activities including class discussions, written compositions, and in-class presentations. The cultural component includes readings, films, and Web-based authentic materials from the Spanish-speaking world. Taught in Spanish, with two additional weekly practice sessions.
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LAIS 231 Intensive Intermediate Portuguese
Units: 2
Fulfills General Education Requirement (Communication-Foreign Language (COM2))
DescriptionReinforcement and further development of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Portuguese; detailed survey/study of Lusophone cultures.
PrerequisitesLAIS 131 with a minimum grade of D-
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LAIS 301 Spanish in the Community
Units: 1
DescriptionDevelopment of aural, oral, and written communication skills through the study of the Latin American immigrant experience. In addition to the classroom study of Hispanic immigrant literature, newspapers, and films, students will participate in an outreach project in the local Hispanic community. Note: The community-based learning component may also be undertaken independently. Contact the department for more information.
Prerequisites -
LAIS 302 Spanish in Fiction
Units: 1
DescriptionDevelopment of aural, oral, and written communication skills through literary texts of the Hispanic world. Reading of poems, short stories, plays, and short novels and interpretion through class discussions and regular writing assignments. This is not an FSLT course.
Prerequisites -
LAIS 303 Spanish in the Media
Units: 1
DescriptionDevelopment of aural, oral, and written communication skills through a focus on mass media in Spanish and Latin American culture. Spanish will be taught through direct contact with newspapers, journals, TV programming, and films. Students are expected to participate actively in class debates and presentations, complete written assignments on a regular basis, and view all programs and films assigned by the instructor.
Prerequisites -
LAIS 304 Spanish in the Theater
Units: 1
DescriptionDevelopment of aural, oral, and written communication skills through the study and performance of contemporary plays from Latin America. Special attention will be given to the discussion of social, cultural, historical, and political aspects of the texts studied, as well as their genre-specific characteristics.
PrerequisitesLAIS 221
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LAIS 305 Spanish in Politics and Society
Units: 1
DescriptionDevelopment of aural, oral, and written communication skills through the study and discussion of current events and issues in the Spanish-speaking world.
Prerequisites -
LAIS 306 Spanish in Business
Units: 1
DescriptionDevelopment of aural, oral, and written communication skills relative to commercial documents and transactions commonly used in the Hispanic world. Practice in writing based on materials needed for conducting business in Spanish.
Prerequisites -
LAIS 307 Medical Spanish: Health and Medicine in the Community
Units: 1
DescriptionSelection of readings and conversational practices in Spanish from the medical and health care fields with a professional, historical, linguistic and cultural perspective focused on Spanish speaking communities will form the basis of this course.
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LAIS 308 Let's Talk About Film
Units: 1
DescriptionDevelopment of aural, oral, and written communication skills in Spanish through the study of representative films, fiction and documentary.
Prerequisites -
LAIS 309 Spanish Writing Workshop
Units: 1
DescriptionAnalysis of grammatical structure of Spanish. Writing practice.
Prerequisites -
LAIS 310 Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Units: 1
DescriptionSpanish instruction for students with at-home Spanish-language experience (heritage speakers). Covers a variety of topics relevant to Spanish speakers in the United States, including, but not limited to, immigration, hybrid identity and Spanglish. Meant to broaden Spanish vocabulary, sharpen grammatical accuracy, and improve awareness of what it means to be a native Spanish speaker in the United States.
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LAIS 311 Perspectives on Peoples and Cultures of Spain
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of society, cultures, arts, history, and ideas of Spain.
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LAIS 312 Introduction to Latin American Studies
Units: 0.5-1
DescriptionStudy of society, cultures, arts, history, and ideas of Latin America.
PrerequisitesTwo units from LAIS 301-LAIS 310 or permission of instructor.
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LAIS 313 Building Brasilia: From Idea to Reality
Units: 1
DescriptionThrough engaging with a selection of analytical, historical, archival, and fictional texts that provide context, this course is an in-depth exploration of the various processes that led to the construction of Brazil’s capital city. Readings and discussions in English; students may opt to register for a C-LAC component in basic Portuguese language.
.Prerequisites -
LAIS 314 Luso-Brazilian Studies
Units: 1
DescriptionA comprehensive overview of the many cultures that comprise the Luso-Brazilian world, with attention to texts that have played significant literary, cultural, social, and historical roles in the construction of Lusofonia. Taught in English. Students may opt to complete complementary coursework in Portuguese or Spanish with the available C-LAC components. Elective credit for LALIS major/minor granted only with completion of corresponding C-LAC component in Spanish.
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LAIS 321 Literary Spain: Poetry, Drama, Fiction
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (Literary Studies (FSLT))
DescriptionIntroduction to literary analysis within the cultural context of Spain. Critical tools for approaching specific literary genres: short story, novel, poetry, and drama. Readings are selected for their literary, cultural, and historical significance.
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LAIS 322 Spain on Stage
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (Literary Studies (FSLT))
Description500 years of theatre in Spain, with a framework and methodology for reading and interpreting dramatic texts and for contemplating their transference to the stage and the screen. Special attention devoted to the evolution of performance practices, as well as the sociocultural, economic, political, and aesthetic conditions inspiring a series of representative plays from the late Middle Ages to the present.
PrerequisitesTwo units from LAIS 301 -LAIS 310 or permission of instructor.
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LAIS 329 The African Novel
Units: 1
DescriptionA selection of novels from Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries in Africa. Critical and theoretical tools for engaging these literary texts, with a focus on the 20th and 21st centuries. Readings and discussions in English; students may opt to register for a C-LAC component in basic Portuguese language.
.PrerequisitesAny two courses from LAIS 301-LAIS 310
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LAIS 331 Introduction to Latin American Literature I
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (Literary Studies (FSLT))
DescriptionIntroduction to Spanish-American literature and critical literary analysis. Focus on primary texts dating from the 15th through 19th centuries (331); 20th century (332).
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LAIS 332 Introduction to Latin American Literature II
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (Literary Studies (FSLT))
DescriptionIntroduction to Spanish-American literature and critical literary analysis. Focus on primary texts dating from the 15th through 19th centuries (331); 20th century (332).
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LAIS 339 Stories from Elsewhere: Africa, Asia, Brazil, Portugal
Units: 1
DescriptionAn election of short fiction from Portuguese and Spanish speaking areas in Africa, Asia, America, and Europe. Critical and theoretical tools for engaging these literary texts, with a focus on the 20th and 21st centuries. Readings and discussions in Spanish; students may opt to register for a C-LAC component in basic Portuguese language.
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LAIS 350 Sociolinguistic approaches to Spanish
Units: 1
DescriptionThis course presents the basic concepts, insights, debates, and research methodologies present in the field of sociolinguistics, which is concerned with the study of language in relation to society. Students will learn how to approach the study of social variation in the Spanish language by reading empirical investigations of linguistic variables in relation to factors such as age, gender, social class, and geographic region, among others.
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LAIS 357 Seville in History & Fantasy
Units: 1
DescriptionAn introduction to Seville as one of the most important cities in the history and culture of Spain, from its ascendancy during the Roman Empire to its decline in the 18th century. The course focuses on Seville as [1] an ideal entry point to learn about both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic history of Europe up until the eighteenth century, and [2] one the major fantasy sites of European and North-American Romantic orientalism in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Most readings for this course will be in Spanish.
PrerequisitesTwo units from LAIS 301 -LAIS 310 or permission of instructor.
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LAIS 361 Spanish Misfits
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of the character of “the outsider” in the short fiction of 19th and early 20th century Spain, with special emphasis on the cultural and political history of the Iberian Peninsula.
PrerequisitesTwo units from LAIS 301 -LAIS 310 or permission of instructor.
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LAIS 371 Introduction to Latin American Film
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of prominent examples of Latin American film production with special attention paid to aesthetic aspects of cinematographic language and cultural questions embodied in the films examined (same as FMST 371).
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LAIS 386 Community Translation and Interpretation
Units: 1
DescriptionTheory and practice of community translation and interpretation by engaging with local agencies and organizations. Practice communicative skills with sociocultural competency through Community-Based Translation Projects (CBTP) in fields as distinct as healthcare, education, welfare, local governance, justice, immigration, environment and Human Rights.
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LAIS 388 Individual Internship
Units: 0.25-1
DescriptionNot to be counted as credit toward the major or minor. No more than 1.5 units of internship in any one department and 3.5 units of internship overall may be counted toward required degree units.
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LAIS 389 Practice Assistantship
Units: 0.25
DescriptionStudents lead practice sessions associated with the elementary and intermediate language sequences in Spanish. The practice assistantship does not count as course credit toward the major or minor. Up to one unit can be applied toward graduation credit.
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LAIS 390 Portuguese for Romance Language Speakers
Units: 1
DescriptionAccelerated introduction to Brazilian Portuguese language and culture for students already proficient in Spanish. Focus on developing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through the study of grammar and selected readings.
PrerequisitesLAIS 321, 331, 332, ITAL 321, FREN 320, 324, 325, 326, or 327
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LAIS 391 Conversations on Luso-Brazilian Film
Units: 1
DescriptionA selection of films from Portuguese-speaking areas in Africa, Asia, America, and Europe, with a focus on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In depth analysis of films to develop reading and speaking skills in Portuguese. Films, readings, and discussions in Portuguese.
PrerequisitesLAIS 390
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LAIS 397 Selected Topics
Units: 1
DescriptionSpecial interest topics offered at department's discretion.
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LAIS 406 Summer Undergraduate Research
Units: 0
DescriptionDocumentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 6 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at least 40 hours per week) during this period, and the student must be the recipient of a fellowship through the university. Graded S/U.
PrerequisitesApproval by a faculty mentor.
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LAIS 411 Bilingualism in the U.S., Latin American, and Spain
Units: 1
DescriptionExamines phenomena related to societal bilingualism (e.g. language shift, policies, and education) in various communities within the US, Latin America, and Spain, as well as phenomena related to individual bilingualism (e.g. acquisition, processing, and code switching).
PrerequisitesTo enroll, students must have taken at least 1 course between LAIS 311-LAIS 397
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LAIS 412 The Sounds of Spanish
Units: 1
DescriptionTaught in Spanish. Salient differences between the sound systems of English and Spanish to improve pronunciation of Spanish. How sounds are represented in the mind and why first languages impact accent in second languages. Analysis of a variety of regional and social dialects in order to improve aural comprehension as well as understand the social significance of language variation and how language is used to craft identities. Requires original research projects in sociophonetics.
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LAIS 413 Spanglish
Units: 1
DescriptionTaught in Spanish (and “Spanglish”). Investigates the linguistic practices (e.g., code-switching, lexical borrowing) commonly known as “Spanglish,” with a particular emphasis on understanding both (a) why bilingual speakers employ these linguistic practices (un)consciously in their speech and (b) how speakers’ use of such practices can serve to highlight or downplay their racial and ethnolinguistic identities. Methodological discussions prepare students to conduct research on a Spanglish topic of their own choosing.
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LAIS 421 Christians, Jews and Muslims from Frontier to Empire: Medieval Spanish Literature
Units: 1
DescriptionAnalysis of the interaction between Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Spanish Peninsula from the establishment of Al-Andalus to the consolidation of the Spanish Empire. An analysis of this cultural period in light of the attention given (or not given) to it in contemporary historiography, either as an exemplary moment of religious tolerance or "convivencia," or as early proof of what is now called "the clash of civilizations" or "clash of cultures."
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LAIS 431 Imperial Spain: The Age of Conflict
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of literary responses to the new constitution of Spain as Empire and new definitions of Spanish identity.
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LAIS 432 True Lies: Fiction and Truth in Don Quijote
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of Cervantes' successful formula for the novel. Analyzes conflict between fiction and truth as the basis for a new realist novel proposed by Cervantes.
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LAIS 451 Literature of Exile
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of Spanish exile literature and multiple constructions of the exilic imagination in relation to Spanish cultural and political history.
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LAIS 452 Spanish-American Poetic Texts
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of the communicative power of poetic language with special emphasis given to identification of basic tools for interpreting poetic texts in relation to individual and general contexts
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LAIS 453 Romantic Spain
Units: 1
DescriptionAn examination of Spanish romanticism, a cultural movement that was as artistically rich as it was intellectually contentious. Our perspective will be enhanced by the work of writers, painters, and composers from beyond Iberian borders (i.e., England, the United States, France, and Italy), whose fascination with the exotic lands of southern Europe inspired them to create their own portrayals of romantic Spain.
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LAIS 454 Modern Literature of Galicia
Units: 1
DescriptionAn interdisciplinary approach to the study of modern Galician literature and culture (Galician traditions, visual art, film) and their relevance within a global context.
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LAIS 455 Barcelona: Text and City
Units: 1
DescriptionThe cultural, intellectual, and urban history of the city of Barcelona from the mid 19th century to the present, with special attention to how the city is portrayed in literature and other works of art.
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LAIS 462 Visions of Contemporary Spain
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of the cultures of contemporary Spain since the transition to democracy with special attention given to literature, film, theatre, art, popular culture, and mass media.
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LAIS 463 Modern Spanish Narrative
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of representative narrative texts from the 19th to the 21st century. Emphasis on the technical and thematic innovations of the novel and short story as well as the social and historical contexts that have shaped literary production.
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LAIS 464 Modern Theatre in Spain
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of written dramatic texts and performance traditions from Spain. Selections may include works from the 18th century to the present.
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LAIS 465 Cinema of Spain
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of significant Spanish films with special attention to their relationship to politics, culture, society, and history.
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LAIS 472 Latin American Theater
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of leading contemporary theatrical movements in Spanish America with focus on universal aspects of language of the theater and uniqueness of Spanish-American themes and trends.
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LAIS 474 Contemporary Writing in Latin America
Units: 1
DescriptionAn interdisciplinary approach to the study of the literary movements currently taking place in Latin America. Special attention devoted to the literature published during the last decade of the 20th century as a defining period in which new trends become consolidated. Covers the entire region, focusing on works published in the Southern Cone, Colombia, Central America, Mexico, and Cuba.
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LAIS 475 Writing Sex and Gender in Latin America
Units: 1
DescriptionQuestion of representation and self-representation of women in selected Spanish-American texts. Attention given to recently developed theories relevant to women's writing and concerns.
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LAIS 476 Literary Journalism in Latin America
Units: 1
DescriptionExplores the intersections between journalism and literature through the reading and analysis of crónicas, a very popular genre in Latin America since the end of the nineteenth century. Discussion, readings, and assignments will focus on: 1) the chronicle as a flexible genre and an opportunity for writers to become cultural, literary, social and political critics; 2) the chronicle as a privileged site for the analysis of the social, political, and historical context and its connection with fields of cultural production.
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LAIS 477 Literature of the Spanish-Speaking Caribbean
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy of texts representative of multiple ethnic and cultural influences (indigenous, European, and African) at play in the Caribbean basin.
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LAIS 483 The Art of Embodiment: Space and Body in Colonial Spanish America
Units: 1
DescriptionProvides a framework for the articulation of colonial theories of space, body, and materiality through the analysis of a variety of textual and artistic traditions coming from both sides of the ocean. Themes include: indigenous and European cosmographies and cartographies, the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in the making of white supremacy fantasies, the debate on the linguistic legitimacy of indigenous pictographic languages versus European alphabetic languages, and the sacred/profane nature of objects in indigenous (idolatrous) religious practices.
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LAIS 486 U.S. Latino/a Literature
Units: 1
DescriptionComprehensive study of Hispanic-Americans' struggle for identity in light of their historical, ethnic, economic, and cultural positions in the United States.
PrerequisitesLAIS 321, 322, 331, or 332
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LAIS 487 Latin America: Encounter and Conflict
Units: 1
DescriptionThematic study of representative Spanish-American texts, focusing on the search for identity and confrontation occurring between different societies, systems of thought, and cultures.
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LAIS 495 Independent Study
Units: 0.25-1
DescriptionSpecial research projects pursued individually under faculty supervision. Project proposal must be fully developed in conjunction with a faculty member prior to presentation for department approval.
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LAIS 496 Senior Symposium
Units: 0.5
DescriptionPresentation at the Latin American and Iberian Studies Spring Symposium of research project carried out within the context of an LAIS seminar. Offered in spring semester only.
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LAIS 497 Selected Topics
Units: 1
DescriptionSpecial interest topics offered at discretion of the department.