HISP 206 - Reading and Writing about Hispanic Culture

Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
1 unit(s)

Reading, writing and speaking skills are developed through study of cultural and literary texts and audiovisual materials. Mr. Grünfeld (a); Ms. Postigo-Guzmán (b).

Topic for 2015/16a: Latin America: Past and Present. This course is an introduction to Latin American history and culture, while it develops reading, writing and speaking skills in Spanish. Through the study of cultural and literary texts (short stories, poetry and essays) and audiovisual material (music, fine arts and films) we cover the main Latin American historical periods and also discuss the Hispanic presence in the United States. Some of the texts studied are: Popol Vuh, Nicolás Echevarría’s Cabeza de Vaca, María Luisa Bemberg’s Yo la peor de todas and Camila, the murals of Diego Rivera, Nicolás Guillén’s afro-Cuban poetry, Violeta Parra’s protest song, Luisa Valenzuela’s short novel Cambio de armas and Luis Valdes’s Zoot Suit. Mr. Grünfeld.

Topic for 2015/16a: Reading, writing and speaking skills are developed through study of cultural and literary texts and audiovisual materials. Mr. Aronna.

Topic for 2015/16a: Reading, writing and speaking skills are developed through study of cultural and literary texts and audiovisual materials. Mr. Bush.

Topic for 2015/16b: Indigenous Currents of Thought in Latin America: Subversive Influences and Connections. In this course, we focus on indigenous epistemologies in Latin America. We study non-Western conceptions of reality and history in different indigenous texts and performances. In order to do so, we examine how contemporary indigenous thinking is related to the colonial system that began in the sixteenth century and remains today. Reviewing historical details about constitutive moments in Latin America, including the development of the first indigenous government in the region (Bolivia), permits us to understand the political significance of our texts. Material for this class includes texts from the colonial period to the present, along with mythic narratives, poetry, songs, performances and films. At the same time, we review important grammatical structures for improving writing and speaking in Spanish. Improvement of Spanish language skills is one of the main goals of this class. Ms. Postigo-Guzmán.

Topic for 2015/16b: Reading, writing and speaking skills are developed through study of cultural and literary texts and audiovisual materials. Mr. Aronna.

Prerequisite: HISP 205 or four years of high school Spanish.

Two 75-minute periods, plus one hour of oral practice.