/ An intensive introduction to practical French with an emphasis placed on the four language skills: understanding, speaking, reading and writing. Cultural topics, film, music, cuisine, and the arts from across the French-speaking world will be highlighted. Regular internet access for online homework, practice and assessment is required.
A continuation of FREN 101. Prerequisite: FREN 101 or formal placement
This is the first part of a two-semester sequence (203-204) leading to a transcriptable certificate in French. It focuses on the development of communication and cultural competency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Class discussions focus on culturally significant films, and student presentations include topics such as art, music and cinema. This course takes students to a new level of proficiency and provides them with the self-confidence necessary to study and live in a Francophone country. Regular internet access for online homework, practice and assessment is required. Prerequisite: FREN 102, formal placement, or permission of instructor. Fall semester.
Students completing FREN 204 with a B average or better in all previous French classes at the college qualify for the certificate in French. Through the study of film, music and other media from the French and Francophone worlds, students continue to improve their proficiency in reading, writing and speaking. This course is especially designed to develop students’ communication skills in order to discuss contemporary topics of cultural and literary significance. It prepares students for advanced courses in French. Regular internet access for online homework, practice and assessment is required. Prerequisite: FREN 203, formal placement, or permission of instructor. Spring semester.
This course is an introduction to French literature and cultural studies. It is designed for students who seek to improve their French as well as learn about French literature, society and culture. This course examines a wide variety of literary texts, drawing on poetry, prose and drama from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the Classic period. History is incorporated in context with an interdisciplinary approach. Prerequisite: FREN 204 or instructor consent. Every other fall
An overview of representative masterpieces of French literature from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Topics covered include the classical period, ideas of the Enlightenment and the development of the 19th-century novel and existentialism. The course also includes film excerpts as visual texts. Prerequisite: FREN 204.
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to professional communication in French as a language for use in business, government and the non-governmental sector. Special focus is given to basic professional vocabularies, oral, written and nonverbal communication, and French-American cross-cultural interaction. Prerequisite: FREN 204 or instructor’s consent.
This course provides an analysis of the relations between France and its former colonies as manifested in the literature and film of France and the francophone world. Questions of race and gender relations, exile, nationalism, identity, and place are explored in written and visual texts. Prerequisite: FREN 204 or instructor’s consent.
This course is a continuation of FREN 305. It examines the representation of French identity through literature and the arts from the French Revolution to modernity. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach through the study of art, cinema and documentaries will enhance student understanding of the French intellectual tradition. Other topics will be drawn from history, human geography, the fine arts, philosophy and cultural iconography. Prerequisite: FREN 204 or instructor consent.
Topics of special interest, dealing with francophone literature, civilization or culture. Course may be taken more than once for credit if topic is different. Prerequisite: FREN 204 or instructor’s consent.
Emphasis on developing facility in more advanced oral and written expression based on Francophone literatures, film, arts and cultures. Prerequisite: FREN 204 or instructor’s consent.
A study of French society as it has been shaped by the major historical and cultural events since World War II (globalization, immigration, European construction, etc.), drawing on a wide variety of textual and audio-visual media and inspired by current events, such as the tragic events in Paris in January 2015. Prerequisite: FREN 204.
For upper-level students in lieu of a regular course; plan of work must be approved before registering. Reports, papers and examination required. Prerequisite: two courses above FREN 204 or instructor’s consent.
An introduction to the Spanish language and the diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Emphasis on the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
A continuation of SPAN 101. Prerequisite: SPAN 101 or formal placement.
Study of intermediate language through grammar, vocabulary, conversation, cultural and literary readings, and written composition. Prerequisite: SPAN 102 or formal placement.
A continuation of SPAN 203 with emphasis on continued development in oral and written expression. Prerequisite: SPAN 203 or formal placement.
This course builds on the language skills and cultural knowledge acquired at the elementary and intermediate levels and guides students toward a higher level of creative expression, reading comprehension, textual analysis, and grammatical and cultural understanding. Through such relevant themes as love and relationships, society and the individual, drugs and violence, and media and politics, students explore the dynamic intersections of language, society and artistic expression. Prerequisite: SPAN 204 or formal placement.
An exploration of Hispanic identities through contemporary films from the Spanish-speaking world. Throughout the semester, students will develop the skills needed to analyze and interpret movies and familiarize themselves with genres, styles, and cinematographic terms in Spanish. This course will tackle the cultural diversity and complexity of Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Venezuela, and other Spanish-speaking regions by discussing cinematic and media portrayals of race, violence, gender, migration, economic struggle, authoritarianism, and discourses of memory. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Fall semester.
An introduction to Hispanic literature and media, this course covers representative works and themes that will enrich students’ understanding of Hispanic cultures and societies. It also aims to familiarize students with the literary and scholarly conventions that will enhance their ability to critically engage with and respond to literature and other forms of media. Through close readings, literary and cultural analysis, and in-class discussions, students will explore social issues and the diversity of the human experience, which will allow them to gain a better understanding of the world and one’s place in it. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Spring semester.
This course is an introduction to the study of the structure of the Spanish language, emphasizing practical application of linguistic principles as they pertain to Spanish in real-world language use contexts. Addressing the core sub-fields of linguistics: phonetics (individual sounds), phonology (organization of sounds), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence formation), semantics (word meaning), and pragmatics (the ways in which context contributes to meaning), students will learn how these linguistic components interact to convey conceptual and social meaning in Spanish. In addition, we will examine relevant issues in contemporary Hispanic linguistics including second language acquisition, regional variation (dialects), sociolinguistic variation (variation in language use attributed to social factors), and Spanish in the United States. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Fall semester.
This course introduces the student to the culture and history of Latin America, with an emphasis on South America and the Caribbean. Topics include the pre-Columbian period, the Spanish conquest, the colonial era, independence, the consequences of the Mexican Revolution, the Cuban Revolution, the dirty wars and dictatorships, and the emergence of democratic societies. Students reflect on the interconnectedness of Latin American history and culture and its relationship to their own. Historical readings are supplemented by literary works, music, visual arts, architecture and film. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Spring semester, alternate years.
This course introduces the student to the culture and history of Latin America, with an emphasis on Mexico and Central America. Topics include the pre-Columbian period, the Spanish conquest, the colonial era, independence, the Mexican Revolution, the dirty wars and dictatorships, and the emergence of democratic societies. Students reflect on the interconnectedness of Latin American history and culture and its relationship to their own. Historical readings are supplemented by literary works, music, visual arts, architecture and film. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Spring semester, alternate years.
This course introduces students to the culture and history of Spain. Topics include the Muslim conquest in the eighth century; the Christians’ centuries-long effort to “reconquer” the peninsula; the cultural struggle between “enlightened” progressives and Spanish traditionalists, which began in the 18th century and eventually culminated in civil war; the repressive Franco dictatorship of the 20th century; and the successful transition to democracy. Historical readings are supplemented by an examination of literary works, paintings and film. Prerequisite: SPAN 300. Fall semester.
This course explores topics of special interest. Topics may include Hispanic cinema, Hispanics in the U.S., Latin American detective fiction, the Spanish Golden Age, medieval and early modern women writers of Spain, contemporary Hispanic theatre, recent Latin American narrative or poetry, or Hispanic linguistics. The course may be taken more than once for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: SPAN 300.
The material of this course centers on a particular topic, which may change from year to year. This topic is examined through various media, including literary and non-literary texts and film. Prerequisites: One academic semester in a Spanish-speaking country and successful completion of other required courses in the major.
This course will focus on sociocultural and linguistic analysis of the Spanish language in the United States. The course will examine the linguistic diversity of Spanish spoken in different communities throughout the United States, including Spanish-speaking communities in New York, California, and Texas, among others. We will also examine the presence of Spanish in our local community, the greater Green Bay area, through community-based learning activities. As a way of connecting what we do in the classroom to what goes on outside of the classroom, students enrolled in this course will participate in English-Spanish conversation exchanges with native Spanish speakers in a community-based non-profit program. Students will examine the linguistic features of the Spanish they hear, explore how concepts covered in class, such as language maintenance, manifest in our local Spanish-speaking community, and gain first-hand insight into Hispanic culture through interactions with their conversation partner. Students will reflect on the presence of Spanish in our local community, its features, and their experiences participating in these English-Spanish conversation exchanges in discussion and in writing. As we study the features of Spanish spoken in different communities throughout the U.S., including our local community, we will also consider questions such as whether Spanish is the same as or different from other immigrant languages in the United States today, the relationship between language and identity, and what is Spanglish, among other questions. Prerequisite: SPAN 311.
