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Spanish: Language, Literature, Culture (including courses in English)

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  • CAS LS 111: First-Semester Spanish
    For students who have never studied Spanish, or by placement test results. Introduction to grammatical structures. Emphasis on aural comprehension, speaking, and pronunciation. Introduction to Hispanic culture. Lab required. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS LS 112: Second-Semester Spanish
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLS111) or placement test results. - Completes study of basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on speaking and aural comprehension. Readings on contemporary Hispanic culture. Writing assignments. Lab required. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS LS 123: First-Year Spanish
    For beginners only. Intensive equivalent of one year of college Spanish. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS LS 211: Third-Semester Spanish
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLS112) or placement test results. - Completes study of grammatical structures of Spanish. Use of spoken language in conversation. Reading in Hispanic civilization and of contemporary short stories. Writing exercises involving more complex grammatical and syntactical patterns. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS LS 212: Fourth-Semester Spanish
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLS211) or placement test results. - Review of the structures of Spanish. Intensive practice of spoken language. More advanced readings from Hispanic culture. Frequent compositions. Satisfactory completion of CAS LS 212 fulfills the CAS language requirement. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS LS 306: Spanish Through Translation
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results. - Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Advanced study of the Spanish language through the translation of written texts. Analysis of the theory and practice of translation as a catalyst of cultural transfer. Taught in Spanish. Topic for Fall Fall 2025: Techniques of Literary Translation. Practice in translating different forms of literary prose including novels, short stories, letters, speeches, plays, children’s literature, songs and poetry from and into Spanish. Students explore key elements of cultural transfer while analyzing translation challenges and solutions of major translation theorists. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS LS 307: Spanish Through Literature and the Arts
    Prerequisites: CASLS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results. - Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Advanced study of the Spanish language through the analysis of literature in its relations to the arts and society. Topics for Fall 2025: Section A1: This course explores Darwin's experiences, observations, and discoveries during his voyage to South America aboard the Beagle in 1831. We use Darwin's diary to map his trajectory, yet focus on original works written by naturalists, scientists, and authors of fiction. Section B1: Spanish through music and literature. Students study music videos, lyrics, criticism, and literature to better understand how musicians in Latin America and Spain have engaged with social movements that question discourses of politics, power, race, and gender. Creative work encouraged. Section C1: Visual Creations in the Hispanic World: In this advanced course of Spanish language, we analyze and discuss works of art, including paintings, street art, sculptures, architecture, and film from the Hispanic World with an emphasis on the thematic and cultural messages contained within them. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS LS 308: Spanish Through Film and New Media
    Prerequisites: CASLS 212; or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results. - Advanced study of the Spanish language through the analysis of films and media of the Spanish- speaking world: cinema, the internet, and social media. Topics for Fall 2025: Section A1: La Road Movie. The course analyzes how films from Hispanic countries portray these quests for meaning and/or change. Students learn to analyze socio-political, narrative, and cinematographic elements of each film. This knowledge informs their own multimedia projects. Section B1: Hispanic Culture on Screen. This course explores contemporary Hispanic culture through films from Spain and Latin America, including Pan’s Labyrinth and La Llorona, examining social, political, and cultural changes of the past two decades. Students complete a multimedia project inspired by the films. Section C1: A rebel tour through Spanish-language cinema—from silent ghosts to today’s vanguard. Meet the artists who broke rules, reimagined literature, and turned film into a battleground of power, language, and desire. Explore Spanish as shape and substance of artistic expression. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS LS 309: Spanish for Heritage and Native Speakers
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). Not open to stude nts who have completed any 300- level Spanish Language course. - Designed for heritage speakers who have lived part of their lives in Spanish-speaking settings (including Spanish-speaking households in the U.S.), who speak at an advanced level, and who wish to strengthen their reading and writing skills while exploring Hispanic cultures. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • The Individual in Community
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS LS 310: Spanish for the Professions
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLS212) or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results. - Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Transition to advanced study of Spanish as used in the health and business world. Analysis and discussion of intercultural professional communication, acquisition of specialized vocabulary, and interpretation of authentic materials in the context of the healthcare and business professions. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS LS 311: Spanish Through Performance: The Theater of Everyday Life
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher; or placement test results. - Invites students to tap into their creative, playful and risk- taking selves to gain confidence, fluency and expressiveness in their communicative skills in Spanish, while exploring drama, music, dance, and the performance of family, work, gender, and social roles. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS LS 318: Spanish through Public Speaking
    As public speakers, how can we engage different communities at different times and places' This course explores theories concerning how to construct narratives and arguments that resonate with specific audiences in Spanish and invites students to put such theories into performative practice. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS LS 350: Introduction to Analysis of Hispanic Texts
    Prerequisites: any 300-level Spanish language course or placement exam results. - Development of techniques for reading and interpreting Hispanic literary texts; reading of lyric poetry, drama, and fictional narrative. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS LS 401: Senior Independent Work
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: approval of the Honors Committee. - SR INDEP WORK
  • CAS LS 402: Senior Independent Work
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: approval of the Honors Committee. - SR INDEP WORK
  • CAS LS 410: Religion and Literature in Medieval Spain
    Prerequisites: CASLS 350 and a first-year writing seminar (e.g. CAS WR 100). Explores religion and literature in medieval Spain through a critique of Convivencia, the notion of a peaceful coexistence among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Close readings of medieval literary works that imagine religious identity and relationships across religious boundaries. To enrich exploration of interrelated themes and learning outcomes, student registrants of LS 410 will meet with student registrants of RN/HI 410/RN 710 during scheduled class time on 2/20, 3/6, 3/27, 4/24, and 5/1. Effective Spring 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS LS 450: Topics in Contemporary Spanish Literature
    Prerequisites: CASLS 350 - May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. Topic for Fall 2025: TBA.
  • CAS LS 452: Topics in Latin American Literature and Culture
    Prerequisite: CASLS 350 - May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. Provides new and contemporary perspectives on Latin American literature and culture. Can focus on some specific works through their connection to avant-garde movements, questions of identity and politics, media and the arts, canonical and marginal authors. Topic for Fall 2025: Tell Me Your Story. Creative writing and translation. Bilingualism, travel, communication. Students interview and write each other’s stories as well as their own. Exercises in flash fiction and popular lyrics in Spanish and English. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS LS 456: Medieval and Early Modern Iberian Literature
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLS 350 and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120). - May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. A literary and cultural approach to Iberian writers of the medieval and early modern periods. Explores interactions between the literary production of Christians, Jews, and Muslims and their diverse linguistic, historical, and cultural contexts. Topics Fall 2025: Section A1: Honor, Loyalty, & Betrayal. What do soldiers, lovers, or friends owe to one another in premodern Iberia? What do they owe themselves? We explore these moral and social obligations in literature, theater, and visual arts by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Section B1: Under the Spotlight: Theater in the Age of Cervantes. Deep dive into the most important mode of mass entertainment in early modern Iberia: theater. From the classic five-act play to the revolutionary comedia nueva, this course explores themes such as humor, empire, gender and sexuality, stage technology, and race. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS LS 491: Directed Study: Spanish
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of department and CAS Academic Advising, 100 Bay State Rd., Ro om 401. - Application form available in CAS Academic Advising.

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