Course Descriptions
Placement Exam and 9 credit policy
New students can take the online Placement Exam anytime here /spanish/placement-exam.php .
If you are a native, near native or a Spanish heritage speaker you don鈥檛 need to take the online placement exam. Please, schedule a five-minutes-ling interview with Dr. Majfud ( jmajfud@ju.edu )
Students who place at the 300-level on Spanish placement exam will be awarded six (6) hours of credit for SPAN 201 and 202 (9 credits in all) only upon satisfactory completion with a grade of 鈥淐鈥 or better of a Spanish course on the 300-level (3 credits).
For further admissions information please contact Dr. Majfud at jmajfud@ju.edu or the Office of Admissions at admissions@ju.edu or +1 (904) 256-7000.
Course Descriptions
Level I
SPAN 101 to 102. Elementary Spanish (3 each; F, S)
Three hours per week. SPAN 101 is a prerequisite for SPAN 102. Qualified students
may enter SPAN 102 directly on the basis of a placement test. These courses initiate
a student鈥檚 development of the four basic language skills 鈥 speaking, listening, reading,
and writing 鈥 through daily in-class activities, frequent assignments completed at
home, and regular visits to the Language Lab. In addition, the student is introduced
to the world鈥檚 Hispanic peoples and their cultures through texts, video excerpts,
and World Wide Web sites. These courses are designed for those with little or no prior
knowledge of Spanish. Students who have completed one year of high school Spanish
or its equivalent must take a placement test through the Office of Academic Development
to confirm appropriate registration for this course.
SPAN 201 to 202. Intermediate Spanish (3 each)
Three hours per week. Prerequisite: SPAN 102; SPAN 201 is a prerequisite for SPAN
202. A student may enter SPAN 201 or 202 directly on the basis of a placement test.
These courses continue the student鈥檚 development of the four basic language skills
鈥 speaking, listening, reading, and writing 卢鈥 and augment their knowledge of the
world鈥檚 Hispanic peoples and their cultures. Building on the foundation of previous
Spanish study or direct experience with the language, these courses are designed for
those who have already achieved an elementary mastery.
Level II
SPAN 301. Spanish Conversation (3)
Three hours per week. This course is required of Spanish majors and minors. Native
speakers of Spanish must have the consent of the instructor before registering for
this course. This course is designed primarily to improve the student鈥檚 speaking proficiency
through debate, playacting, and analysis of literary selections and films.
SPAN 302. Spanish Composition (3)
Three hours per week. This course is required of Spanish majors and minors. Native
speakers of Spanish must have the consent of the instructor before registering for
this course. This course concerns itself primarily with developing the student鈥檚 Spanish
writing skills. Students learn and practice a wide range of composition strategies,
creating and revising formal assignments as well as maintaining a journal of in-class
and daily exercises.
Level III
SPAN 330. Hispanic Civilization (3)
Three hours per week. This course is required of Spanish majors. This course provides
an introduction to the pre-Roman through contemporary histories and cultures of the
peoples who have inhabited the lands that today from Spain and Spanish America. The
course is designed for those with an advanced intermediate or advanced level of proficiency
in spoken and written Spanish.
SPAN 350. Special Topics on Spain and Latin America (3)
Three hours per week. May be repeated for credit when the content has significantly
changed. Possible topics are on a survey of Spanish and Spanish-American writers,
periods, genres, or film.
SPAN 412. Spanish and Latin American traditions (3)
This course provides the necessary context and critical analysis of traditional and
contemporary popular culture of Spain and Latin America, including popular festivals,
religious rites and ceremonies, traditional and popular music, and television programs.
SPAN 420. Spanish Essay (3)
Survey of non-fictional creative writings from Spain and Latin America, which may
include Spanish articles and essays from the United States. Usually focuses on the
analysis of different ways in which Spaniards and Latin Americans deal with philosophical
issues, political problems, and cultural identity.
SPAN 321. Contemporary Hispanic Issues (3)
Three hours per week. May be repeated once for credit when the content has significantly
changed. This course is required of Spanish majors and of those minors who are native
speakers of Spanish and have been denied entry into SPAN 301 and/or SPAN 302. This
course considers Spanish and/or Latin American contemporary issues; e.g., revolution,
poverty, liberation theology, gender, and dictatorship; through a reading of varied
texts and viewing of films. The course is designed for those with an advanced intermediate
or advanced level of proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
SPAN 430 Spanish Literature (3)
Three hours per week. May be repeated once for credit when the content has significantly
changed. Representative Spanish poets, novelists, and dramatists since the Middle
Ages to the twenty-first century. Likely to be included are such authors as Juan Manuel,
Santa Teresa, Cervantes, Larra, Pardo Baz谩n, Ortega y Gasset, Machado, Valle Incl谩n,
Garc铆a Lorca, Machado, Cela, and Juan Goytisolo.
SPAN 431. Latin American Literature (3)
Survey of fictional narratives from Spain and Latin America (short story, and novel)
with emphasis on major authors such as Sor Juana, Sarmiento, Quiroga, Arlt, Rulfo,
Borges, Cort谩zar, Walsh, S谩bato, Onetti, Benedetti, Galeano, Monterroso, Garc铆a M谩rquez,
Carpentier, Vargas Llosa, Fuentes, Bola帽o, Poniatowska, Anaya, Cisneros, Dorfman,
Allende, Mastretta, and Volpi.
SPAN 440. Spanish and/or Latin American Film (3)
Using a selection of recognized films, this course seeks to expand the view on Spain
and Latin America through an emotional approach and a critical analysis of Spanish
and Latin American societies, the construction of genders, and the political components
in cinema.
SPAN 445. US Latino Culture and literature (3)
Critical analysis of Latino and Hispanic literature, visual arts, cinema, popular
culture, and social movements of the communities living in the United States, with
special emphasis on the contemporary period.
SPAN 450. Special Topics on Spain and Latin America (3)
Three hours per week. May be repeated for credit when the content has significantly
changed. Possible topics are on a single author, a survey of Spanish and Spanish-American
writers, periods, genres, themes, or film.