SPAN 304: Introduction To Hispanic Literature
Conducted in Spanish, the course introduces the principles of literary analysis, based on reading and discussion of Hispanic literary texts. Includes fiction, drama, essay, and poetry from Spain and Spanish America.
Instructor: Dr. Ovidio Casado-Fuente
Instructor: Dr. Ovidio Casado-Fuente
Course Narrative
This was the second course I took at CSU-MB that centered around Hispanic Literature. Unlike the first course I took, SPAN 304 focused on works from Spanish as well as Latin American authors. Through literary analysis, this course assisted me in developing my critical thinking skills and improve my writing in Spanish. The lecture was taught in Spanish and assignments were required to be written in the target language as well. This course fulfills Major Learning Outcome 1: Language Proficiency and Major Learning Outcome 3: Literary Culture and Knowledge.
The course took a chronological approach towards analyzing Hispanic literature. We began by studying the early history of the Iberian Peninsula and exploring the importance of the Arabian influence on Spain’s culture. One of the most important early works to come from this time period are Las Jarchas, a collection of popular songs and poems that would become some of the very first examples of written Spanish literature. An important aspect of this class was how the instructor encouraged us to think critically about the sociopolitical context of some of the works we read. We were encouraged not only to analyze the document on a literary basis but to see it as a mirror to that society. A great majority of the class dealt with the time period known as “El siglo de oro” and the literature that emerged from this time highlighted that vast social changes that Spain was experiencing. The course required us to write a number of pieces of literary analysis throughout the semester and a final assignment which consisted of a written portion and an oral presentation. My final presentation project was based on Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s El Gran Teatro del Mundo. This work has been interpreted as a play and has captivated audiences since 1641. With its deeply religious symbolism and a sharp social critique it is easy to see why this novel has withstood the test of time.
This course supported the cultural immersion process that I had begun last semester. By requiring me to write at a more advanced level of Spanish this course helped me develop my writing skills and at the same time allowed me to express myself in Spanish with more ease.
The course took a chronological approach towards analyzing Hispanic literature. We began by studying the early history of the Iberian Peninsula and exploring the importance of the Arabian influence on Spain’s culture. One of the most important early works to come from this time period are Las Jarchas, a collection of popular songs and poems that would become some of the very first examples of written Spanish literature. An important aspect of this class was how the instructor encouraged us to think critically about the sociopolitical context of some of the works we read. We were encouraged not only to analyze the document on a literary basis but to see it as a mirror to that society. A great majority of the class dealt with the time period known as “El siglo de oro” and the literature that emerged from this time highlighted that vast social changes that Spain was experiencing. The course required us to write a number of pieces of literary analysis throughout the semester and a final assignment which consisted of a written portion and an oral presentation. My final presentation project was based on Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s El Gran Teatro del Mundo. This work has been interpreted as a play and has captivated audiences since 1641. With its deeply religious symbolism and a sharp social critique it is easy to see why this novel has withstood the test of time.
This course supported the cultural immersion process that I had begun last semester. By requiring me to write at a more advanced level of Spanish this course helped me develop my writing skills and at the same time allowed me to express myself in Spanish with more ease.
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