SPA-Spanish Courses

SPA 101. Introductory Spanish I. 3 Hours.

This course introduces students to the language by focusing on the acquisition of essential elements for basic communication and development of the practical language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) for communicating in daily life situations, as well as provides a broader awareness of and appreciation for the cultures of the countries where Spanish is spoken. This course meets Blazer Core Communicating in the Modern World with Flags in Global Multicultural Perspectives & Civic Engagement.

SPA 101L. Introductory Spanish I Lab Practice. 1 Hour.

Lab for Introductory Spanish I. This course meets Blazer Core Communicating in the Modern World with Flags in Global Multicultural Perspectives & Civic Engagement.

SPA 102. Introductory Spanish II. 3 Hours.

This course continues to develop the language-learning process by focusing on the acquisition of essential elements for basic communication and development of the practical language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) for communicating in daily life situations, as well as provides a broader awareness of and appreciation for the cultures of the countries where Spanish is spoken. This course meets Blazer Core Communicating in the Modern World with Flags in Global Multicultural Perspectives & Civic Engagement.

SPA 102L. Introductory Spanish II Lab Practice. 1 Hour.

Lab for Introductory Spanish II.

SPA 108. Introductory Intensive Spanish. 4 Hours.

Accelerated essentials of language and culture needed for communication. Includes listening comprehension, speaking, writing, and reading. Fast-paced review of SPA 101 and SPA 102. Conducted in Spanish. This course meets the Core Curriculum requirements for Area II: Humanities.

SPA 180. Spanish for Health Professionals. 3 Hours.

Intensive conversation course to expose health professionals to basic vocabulary of Spanish-speaking patients. Focus on practical vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural patterns of Spanish-speaking patients with little or no proficiency in English. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 190. Study Abroad. 1-8 Hour.

Approved program in a Spanish-speaking country.

SPA 201. Intermediate Spanish I. 3 Hours.

This course is designed to help students make the transition to natural communication and develop the language-learning process by focusing on the expansion of necessary elements for development of the practical language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) by using cultural and literary readings as well as grammatical exercises. It also provides a broader awareness of and appreciation for the cultures of the countries where Spanish is spoken. This course meets Blazer Core Communicating in the Modern World with flags in Wellness/Wellbeing and Global Multicultural Perspectives.

SPA 202. Intermediate Spanish II. 3 Hours.

Continuation of SPA 201. Conducted in Spanish. This course meets the Core Curriculum requirements for Area II: Humanities.

SPA 203. Intermediate Spanish Review. 3 Hours.

This course is designed as a review of the content covered in Introductory Spanish I, Introductory Spanish II, Intermediate Spanish I, and Intermediate Spanish II, while deepening the knowledge and understanding about different grammatical and cultural topics. This course is especially useful for students who have already taken Spanish courses at the intermediate level but whose exposure has been limited or fragmented in recent times. The primary focus of this course is to improve communication skills in Spanish. Therefore, Spanish is the language of instruction.
Prerequisites: SPA 201 [Min Grade: D]

SPA 206. Intermediate Spanish for the Professions. 3 Hours.

This intermediate course bridges the gap between personal and professional contexts. Course aims to facilitate acquisition of more sophisticated vocabulary related to the professional world, increased grammatical accuracy, sentence- to paragraph-level discourse, and a deeper understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures. Both course and online learning management system, Canvas, are delivered in Spanish. The online version of this course is Quality Matters (QM) certified.
Prerequisites: SPA 201 [Min Grade: C] or SPA 202 [Min Grade: C]

SPA 210. Conversation and Culture. 3 Hours.

Development of oral expression within the context of contemporary Spanish-speaking cultures. Intermediate Spanish course recommended for students who have completed Spanish 201. Oral proficiency developed through conversation partners and teams. Internet technology is used to facilitate communication. Culture is learned through film and other authentic texts. Final project synthesizes cultural topics and oral language skills. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisites: SPA 201 [Min Grade: C] or SPA 202 [Min Grade: C]

SPA 214. Introduction to Translation for the Professions. 3 Hours.

This course focuses on the improvement of the Spanish language through translation. While studying basic aspects of translation and translating short texts from a variety of sources in the context of contemporary situations, students review the most important and complex structures of the Spanish language as they relate to English. Students will work in a collaborative workshop format –in Spanish– in order to better understand the process of translating and editing one’s work.
Prerequisites: SPA 201 [Min Grade: C]

SPA 233. Intermediate Spanish Grammar in Context. 3 Hours.

This course is an intermediate-level Spanish course that focuses on the language skills of writing and speaking. It has been designed to help students improve their proficiency and fluidity in the language and in the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, focusing on grammatical understanding, and written and oral communication in formal and informal situations. All the while, the course exposes students to a variety of authentic cultural contexts in the Hispanic world.
Prerequisites: SPA 201 [Min Grade: C] or SPA 202 [Min Grade: C]

SPA 280. Spanish for Health Professionals. 3 Hours.

This course focuses on the Spanish-speaking health-related culture, presenting practical vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, medical terminology, and cultural attitudes of Spanish-speaking patients towards health issues. This course builds and develops the speaking, listening, and reading skills by emphasizing intensive conversation, technical reading, and vocabulary acquisition. Conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisites: SPA 201 [Min Grade: C] or SPA 202 [Min Grade: C]

SPA 290. Study Abroad. 1-12 Hour.

Approved program in a Spanish-speaking country.

SPA 299. Special Readings in Spanish. 1-3 Hour.

Directed readings in intermediate Spanish. Studies select texts of the Spanish-speaking world to increase overall literacy in Spanish.

SPA 300. Advanced Grammar in Context. 3 Hours.

Designed to improve the use of fundamental grammatical structures of Spanish in diverse contexts. Strong emphasis is given to the development of writing skills that are appropriate for this level. Six hours of SPA courses at the minor level required. Writing is a significant component of this course. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 304. Phonetics and Phonology. 3 Hours.

Course focuses on how the Spanish sound system functions in various regions. Development of pronunciation through oral practice. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 310. Cultures of the Spanish-Speaking World. 3 Hours.

Historical overview of the heritage of Spain, Latin America, and the Hispanic U.S., with emphasis on social, political, and economic institutions. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 311. Greatest Hits of Hispanic Literature I. 3 Hours.

This course is an overview of Spanish civilization, culture, literature, and the arts from early to contemporary times. Highlights of best selling works of various authors, with emphasis on fundamental literary concepts and distinctive stylistic features of Spanish discourse, will be reviewed. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 312. Greatest Hits of Hispanic Literature II. 3 Hours.

This course is an overview of Latin American civilization, culture, literature, and the arts from early to contemporary times. Highlights of best selling works of various authors, with emphasis on fundamental literary concepts and distinctive stylistic features of Spanish discourse, will be reviewed. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 313. Business Spanish. 3 Hours.

This advanced course introduces the student to essential business terminology and language situations in common business contexts. Course reinforces strategies for understanding, interpreting, responding to new information and the importance of cultural awareness in doing business in Spanish-speaking countries or with Hispanics in the United States. Both course and the online learning management system, Canvas, are delivered in Spanish. The online version of this course is Quality Matters (QM) Certified.

SPA 314. Applied Spanish Translation and Interpretation. 3 Hours.

This course focuses on the improvement of the Spanish language for the professions through translation. While studying general aspects of translation and interpretation, and translating short texts from a variety of sources within the context of the professions, such as business, health, journalism (magazines, papers, and TV), legal, sports, and technology, students review the most important and complex structures of the Spanish language as they relate to English with an emphasis on vocabulary building. Students will work in a collaborative workshop format –in Spanish– in order to improve the process of translating, interpreting, and editing one’s work. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 320. Hispanic Cultures Through Culinary Art. 3 Hours.

This course has been designed for advanced Spanish students to develop an understanding of cultural differences within the Spanish-speaking world through culinary art. The course focuses on cultural competence in order to appreciate the importance of food in culture and the different cooking styles of the Hispanic World. Students will discover how Hispanics shape cultural values around the kitchen table, such as business, family, holidays, and traditions. Such a thematic approach will allow students to penetrate into the universal commonalities among cultures, as well as to appreciate important differences in the various cultures. This course also develops necessary communicative skills for a professional career in the culinary sector. Offered in Spanish.

SPA 350. Hispanic Children Stories. 3 Hours.

This course has been designed to help students of Spanish transition from an intermediate to an advanced level of proficiency in the language, and move students to learn content through language and language through content. It focuses on the language skill of reading, through the exploration and understanding of Hispanic Children’s literature. This is an innovative way to introduce the literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 380. Advanced Spanish for Health Professionals. 3 Hours.

This advanced course emphasizes intensive Spanish conversation, technical readings and vocabulary pertinent to the medical field. The course focuses on practical vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, medical terminology and cultural patterns of Spanish-speaking patients, and further expands on functions and notions of the language related to the medical field. Course conducted in Spanish.

SPA 390. Study Abroad. 1-9 Hour.

Approved program in a Spanish-speaking country.

SPA 399. Special Readings in Spanish. 1-3 Hour.

Directed readings in Spanish.

SPA 401. Voices of Imperial Spain. 3 Hours.

Culture and civilization of Imperial Spain from the age of the Catholic Monarchs to the close of the Hapsburg Dynasty (1469-1716). Includes a study of the art, historical documents and literature from both the center and periphery of the Empire. Selected works by representative authors will vary according to instructor. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 402. Voices of Colonial Latin America. 3 Hours.

Culture and civilization of Colonial Latin America from the advent of European dominance to the decades following the Spanish American War (1492-1920). Emphasis on the blending of Spanish, Amerindian, and African cultural forms and their diverse literary expressions. Selected works by representative authors will vary according to instructor. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 403. Contemporary Spanish Literature and Film. 3 Hours.

Cultural and literary trends of Spain from the transformation of Spanish society in the late nineteenth century to the post-Franco era. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 404. Medicine and Literature in the Spanish-Speaking World. 3 Hours.

How does literature help us to understand the relationship between medicine, culture, and politics? This class, which seeks answers and related questions, focuses on the role of medical science in literary and cultural texts from Latin American countries, Spain, and the United States. Students will read short stories, poems, novel excerpts, and essays, and they will interpret films and visual art to discuss how science and the humanities supplement one another to create a richer understanding of the human body and its role in the historical development of Europe and the Americas. Offered in Spanish.

SPA 405. US Latino Writers. 3 Hours.

Focus on the growing body of literature written by Latinos in the United States. Explores Latino issues and cultural identity through the analysis of their narrative works and experience. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 407. Indigenous and Indigenist Latin America. 3 Hours.

Cultural and literary forms of Amerindian, Hispanic or mixed-descent writers of Latin America. Focus on the concepts of hybridity, syncretism and mestizaje. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 409. Spanish-Speaking Nobel Laureates. 3 Hours.

This course offers a survey of the Hispanic authors who have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature since the award’s founding in 1901, such as Gabriela Mistral (1945), Pablo Neruda (1971), Gabriel García Márquez (1982), Camilo José Cela (1989), and Octavio Paz (1990). The panorama will include critical discussions and reflections on the writings of these authors. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 411. Cervantes and the Quixote. 3 Hours.

This course will review the major episodes of Don Quixote de La Mancha, one of the most influential works of Spanish and World literature, as well as other selected works written by Cervantes. Emphasis will be given to the author’s unique contribution to the birth of the modern novel and his ingenuity to create stories that transformed all literary genres. These readings will be analyzed within the civilization of the Golden Age of Spain, while exploring a diverse array of topics, such as: love and marriage, religion, race, class, magic, madness, and honor. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 412. Voices of Contemporary Latin America 1920-Present. 3 Hours.

Cultural and literary trends of Latin America from la nueva narrativa through the Boom and post-Boom periods. Focus on Mexico, Northern Latin America, and the Southern Cone. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 414. Afro-Latin American Literature and Culture. 3 Hours.

The diverse cultures of many Latin American nations will be discussed with a focus on the descendants of Africa in the Americas. Slavery will be discussed during the colonial and independence periods. Black identity and cultural forms will be discussed through the writers, musicians, and filmmakers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Parallels and connections will be drawn to race and history in the United States. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 416. Special Topics in Spanish. 3 Hours.

Seminar on individual authors, specific genres, literary movements, literary discourse/theory, or transatlantic studies. Conducted in Spanish. May be repeated for credit.

SPA 420. Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics. 3 Hours.

This advanced Spanish linguistics course is intended to analyze, clarify and expand upon critical aspects of the Spanish language. The course will provide a general understanding of the Spanish sound system (phonetics and phonology), morphology and syntax, as well as an introduction to relevant topics within the field of Hispanic linguistics.

SPA 430. Spanish Sociolinguistics. 3 Hours.

This advanced Spanish linguistics course provides a general overview of sociolinguistics and the pragmatics of oral communication in Spanish. This course studies the Spanish language in its social context. In addition to specific regional linguistic features, social factors such as geography, social class, politics, race, gender, economics, education and history are discussed as determiners of the linguistic landscape.

SPA 440. History of Spanish Language. 3 Hours.

This advanced Spanish linguistics course provides a general overview of the evolution of Spanish language, while relating it to relevant historical events. It pays special attention to diachronic change in order to understand the phenomenon of language variation in a multicultural society.

SPA 450. Spanish Second Language Acquisition. 3 Hours.

This course describes the cognitive, developmental and linguistic processes involved in the acquisition of Spanish as a second language while exploring the basic research techniques used in the field.
Prerequisites: SPA 300 [Min Grade: D]

SPA 455. Pop Culture in Translation. 3 Hours.

This course aims at further developing students’ proficiency in the language as well as an understanding of the process of translation through translation from English into Spanish and vice versa. Students will develop their translation skills through a number of activities translating cartoons, popular songs, professional documents, and slam poetry. Students will also increase their theoretical understanding of the translation process from a linguistic point of view. This course involves a translation project originated and connected with the professional needs of the Birmingham area and beyond. Offered in Spanish.

SPA 460. Globalization in the Hispanic World. 3 Hours.

This course develops a constructivist framework for the study of contemporary globalization issues in the Hispanic world by engaging students in higher-level discussions and critical thinking. Through films, music and literature, and guided research, course explores history, politics, economics and sociocultural issues of the recent Spanish-speaking world. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 461. Contemporary Spain. 3 Hours.

This course develops a constructivist framework for the study of contemporary Spain by engaging students in higher-level discussions and critical thinking. Through films, music and literature, and guided research, course explores recent Spanish history, politics, economics and sociocultural issues. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 462. Contemporary Latin America. 3 Hours.

This course develops a constructivist framework for the study of contemporary Latin America by engaging students in higher-level discussions, critical thinking, and active learning. Through films, music and literature (poems, short stories and novel excerpts), and guided research, course explores recent Latin American history (late 20th and 21st centuries), politics, economics and sociocultural issues and their global impact, such as the construction of a new Hispanic American identity and nationalism; the new Mexico after the Revolution; the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath; Central American revolutions and their peace processes; and the processes of democratization, development and integration in South America. Course conducted in Spanish.

SPA 480. Applied Spanish and Medical Interpreting. 3 Hours.

The course blends an academic curriculum on Spanish for healthcare and medical interpreting with a semester-long service-learning project where students will work with a community partner and apply course materials to real-life situations pertaining the health of Latinos. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have satisfied the medical interpreting training required to take the medical interpreting examinations offered by the two certification organizations in the area (CCHI and NBCMI). Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 485. Spanish for Leadership at the Workplace. 3 Hours.

This is a culminating course in the Applied Professional Spanish major concentration. The course provides an opportunity to practice professional Spanish through service-learning by requiring a practical experience locally or abroad. Students work side by side with well-established community partners to explore and transform the community’s linguistic landscape in order to make public spaces more accessible, inclusive and welcoming to the Spanish-speaking community. Course conducted in Spanish.

SPA 490. Study Abroad: Spanish. 1-9 Hour.

Approved program in a Spanish-speaking country.

SPA 499. Directed Studies. 1-3 Hour.

Directed readings in Spanish. Conducted in Spanish.