Spanish Courses
SPA 101 Introduction to Spanish I - 3 credits
Introduces students to a general knowledge and practical understanding of basic Spanish vocabulary and grammar. This course also presents socio-cultural aspects of Spanish speaking countries and prepares students for basic oral and written communication in Spanish.
SPA 102 Introduction to Spanish II - 3 credits
A continuation of SPA 101. Increases students’ development of vocabulary and grammar and further advances simple conversational, written and reading skills. Students continue to be introduced to aspects of socio-cultural aspects of Spanish speaking countries, such as customs, traditions and people. Prerequisite: SPA 101 or equivalent, or by placement evaluation.
SPA 201 Intermediate Spanish I - 3 credits
This course strengthens and expands the concepts and oral and written skills learned at the introductory level. It focuses on real communication in meaningful contexts to develop and consolidate student’s speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. The class also broaden students’ knowledge and understanding of the socio cultural aspects of the rich Hispanic world through the study of different lifestyles, traditions and customs. Prerequisite: SPA 102 or equivalent, or by placement evaluation.
SPA 202 Intermediate Spanish II - 3 credits
A sequence of Spanish 201. This course emphasizes on building and applying the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills already acquired in Spanish. It provides students the opportunity to develop greater oral and written proficiency. This course exposes students to new vocabulary, grammatical forms and to different cultural and literary manifestations of the Spanish speaking world, including the Hispanic communities in the United States. Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or equivalent, or by placement evaluation.
SPA 203 Spanish in the Workplace - 3 credits
This course is designed for students interested in using Spanish across different career/professional situations. It enhances students’ Spanish understanding, reading, translation and communication skills, and provides information on Hispanic business and commercial customs and practices. Pre-requisite: SPA 102 or the equivalent.
SPA 205 Spanish for Health Professionals - 3 credits
This is a communication-oriented course. It intends to provide students with an introductory/intermediate level of oral, reading, listening, and writing proficiency in Spanish, with special emphasis on learning vocabulary and practical reference information that will be useful for those in health related professions or who are pursuing health care professions. It presents students with everyday situations that health care professionals may encounter at hospitals, emergency rooms, doctor's offices, clinics, and other work settings when dealing with Spanish-speaking patients and personnel. Much of the vocabulary is also appropriate for the layperson wishing greater facility with anatomical and other common medical terms in Spanish. All non-native speakers of Spanish at various levels are encouraged to enroll in this course. The course’s thematic focus is health issues as they pertain to Hispanic populations in the United States. Pre-requisite: SPA 102 or the equivalent.
SPA 210 Spanish for Law Professionals – 3 credits
This is a communication-oriented course that emphasizes the learning of law-related vocabulary and provides practical references as a means to understand the ways in which Hispanic cultural practices and social contexts inform law-related scenarios. After completion of this course, students will be able to understand the basics about the different systems of law, translate basic legal documents from English to Spanish and vice versa, manage some daily law-related situations in Spanish that can be encountered in any public or private setting such as law offices, courts, and administrative offices. Ultimately, this course will help the student to make better connections between law providers and clients, and to promote mutual understanding. Prerequisite: SPA 201 or the equivalent.
SPA 301 Spanish Grammar and Composition - 3 credits
This course is designed to develop students’ skills for understanding and producing Spanish texts. It reviews Spanish grammatical structures and provides students with opportunities to apply those structures and gain skills in writing by composing and revising their own or their peers’ texts in various genres. Students are also introduced to Spanish literature through readings. The class is taught in Spanish, with support in English when necessary. Prerequisite: Spanish 202 or equivalent, or by placement evaluation.
SPA 302 Spanish Conversation - 3 credits
Students continue to acquire vocabulary, grammatical structures and idioms and to improve their communication and presentation skills in Spanish. They will also work with accents and orthography to understand how they influence communication. Students will also focus on developing their listening skills in order to use them to advance their ability to speak and learn the essential skills to express themselves orally with clarity and confidence on a range of topics, including current events, personal values and situations of everyday life. This course includes practice in speaking through role-playing, debates, simulated interviews, discussions and exercises to develop oral fluency. Class is conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 202 or equivalent, or by placement evaluation.
SPA 303 and 304 Survey of Spanish Literature and Culture- 3 credits each term
An overview of the richness and variety of Spanish literature and culture from its origins in the Middle Ages through the twentieth century. The course readings consist of a variety of genres of work (including poetry, prose and drama), presented in chronological order. The analysis of the works incorporates not just to the literary techniques employed by their authors but also the social, historical, ideological, religious and political backgrounds that contributed to their creation. The course also includes critical discussions and reflections in connection with the culture and everyday life in Spain. Class is taught in Spanish. Co-/Pre-requisite: SPA 301 or 302 or the equivalent.
SPA 305 Survey of Latin-American Literature and Culture- 3 credits
A study of Latin American literature from the pre-Columbus period to the present, with particular attention to the relationship between literature, cultural colonization, social change, and globalization, in order to help students to understand the Latin American heritage and cultural history. Special attention is given to exploring literature as a fundamental reflection of culture. The course will engage in comparisons, contrast and analysis of the work of representative authors from individual countries and different genres and their relation to Latin America’s colonial legacy and historical and cultural development. The course also includes critical discussions and reflections in connection with the culture and everyday life in Latin America, its history, politics, gender roles, human rights and social activism. Class is taught in Spanish. Co-/Pre-requisite: SPA 301 or 302 or the equivalent.
SPA 310 Hispanic Women Writers - 3 credits
A study of well-established Hispanic women writers and their world(s) through the media of text, film and cyber text. Students read and write short stories (by, for and about women), hear the biography of Hispanic writers through the ages, discover and share information on prominent Hispanic women figures available on the Internet, and participate in a classroom literary gathering. Emphasis is placed on living Hispanic women writers and their perspectives, and how they relate to the Cedar Crest students’ experience as women. Class is taught in Spanish. Co-/Pre-requisite: SPA 301 or SPA 302 or the equivalent.
SPA 311 Hispanic Culture and Civilization - 3 credits
A survey designed to acquire a general understanding of the Spanish speaking world, the relationship between Spanish and Latin-American history, and Latin American identity in the modern world through language, geography, history, folklore, sociopolitical issues, economics, art and culture. Focus on individual countries or particular Hispanics groups will be made. Oral, comprehension and writing skills will be develop by the production of texts, class discussions, oral presentations and readings. Additionally, students experience the culture by seeing Spanish-language films and/or theatrical works. Class is taught in Spanish. Co-/Pre-requisite: SPA 301 or SPA 302 or the equivalent.
SPA 312 Hispanic Popular Culture in the United States - 3 credits
Explores in-depth the cultural variety of the Hispanic experience in the U.S., both as it exists currently and as it developed over the past five centuries. Students acquaint themselves with Latino history in the United States and better understand their evolving relationships with other ethnic groups and compare the United States and Hispanic cultural trends. Discussions include social issues such as politics, gender, religion, and education. They also reflect upon the presence and portrayal of Hispanics in the U.S. film, television and other performing arts, and read literature written by U.S. Latinos. We focus our inquiry particularly upon the Latino community of the Lehigh Valley. Class is taught in Spanish. Co-/Pre-requisite: SPA 301 or SPA 302 or the equivalent.
SPA 313 Caribbean Literature and Culture- 3 credits
An examination of the history of the literature and cultural trends of the Spanish speaking Caribbean, focused on Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. It considers the historical, political, and cultural factors that have shaped Caribbean literature. The course will evaluate how to characterize the identity of any of these three Caribbean countries based on the pictures conveyed in their literature and will engage in critical discussions and reflections in connection with the culture and everyday life in the Hispanic Caribbean. Class is taught in Spanish. Co-/Pre-requisite: SPA 301 or SPA 302 or the equivalent.
SPA 315 Topics in Hispanic Literature and Culture - 3 credits
Study of the major cultural and literary developments of a Spanish-speaking country during a particular historical period. The content of the course allows students to make connections among literature, history, and cultural studies while improving their Spanish communication skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Sample topics may include: Mexican literature; the Spanish Civil War; the generation of 1898; contemporary Spanish and Latin-American literature; southern Mediterranean civilization. Class is taught in Spanish. Co/Pre-requisite: SPA 301 or SPA 302 or the equivalent, or permission of instructor.
SPA 316 Advanced Spanish for Health Professionals – 3 credit
This is a communication-oriented course that will improve the medical language skills of students beyond an introductory level. It emphasizes the learning of the subject-related vocabulary and provides practical reference information through culturally appropriate cases that mirror real life and help students to think about ways to reduce disparities in healthcare outcomes. After completion of this course, students will be better able to serve as translators or facilitators in a professional manner, in both English and Spanish, within daily health care related situations that can be encountered in any public or private health provider setting, such as hospitals, emergency rooms, clinics, and doctor’s offices. Prerequisite: SPA 201.
SPA 160, 260 and 360 Special Topics - 1-3 credits
Highlights special topics that are not covered by regular departmental offerings. Class is taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: variable, depending on the course content and student interest.
SPA 391 and 392 Independent Study - 1-3 credits each term
Consists of an individual research project in Spanish overseen by a Spanish instructor. Students electing this course prepare a reading list and outline of the proposed project in consultation with a member of the department. Prerequisite: Permission of the department.
