Spanish (SPAN)

SPAN 8026  LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT THROUGH VOCABULARY LEARNING (3 credits)

This class aims to expand students' vocabulary in Spanish. This will be achieved through doing an overview of current research that investigates how vocabulary is learned; identifying effective vocabulary learning strategies; and exploring topics not commonly encountered in Spanish classes such as commerce and science. The course also includes points of contact with the Spanish-speaking community in Omaha, where students can participate in interactions that connect what has been learned in the classroom to language use in real life. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4020).

Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing

SPAN 8036  ADVANCED SPANISH CONVERSATION (3 credits)

This course targets the development of oral skills in Spanish through the incorporation of complex and sophisticated conversational structures and nuanced lexicon. In particular, the course focuses on presentational (i.e., expressing or exposing ideas or opinions), and interpersonal speaking (i.e., engaging in conversation where learners narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with control of aspect). (Cross-listed with SPAN 4030)

Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing

SPAN 8046  ADVANCED COMPOSITION AND STYLISTICS (3 credits)

In this capstone course, required for the completion of the major, learners will explore and practice advanced grammatical structures, write compositions in a variety of genres, and familiarize themselves with advanced stylistics. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4040)

Prerequisite(s): Not open to non-degree graduate students.

SPAN 8066  INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION (3 credits)

This course offers an introduction to the translation and interpretation field. Course objectives include (a) understanding translation theory; (b) comprehending the role of communication in translation and interpretation; (c) targeting common grammatical and pragmatic errors; (d) increasing vocabulary knowledge in a variety of fields; and (e) gaining an increased awareness of the rigor and demands innate to the translation and interpretation fields. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4060).

Prerequisite(s): Admission to MALT program or permission of instructor

SPAN 8076  HISPANIC BILINGUALISM (3 credits)

This course explores bilingualism among Spanish speaking populations. Topics include societal bilingualism, the history of Spanish and language policy in Spain, Latin America, and the U.S., psychological aspects of bilingualism, monolingual vs. bilingual acquisition, first vs second language acquisition, and Spanish as a heritage language in the U.S. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4070).

SPAN 8086  INTRODUCTION TO HISPANIC LINGUISTICS (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the field of linguistics by exploring the following areas: phonetics and phonology (sound systems), morphology (word formation), historical linguistics (language development over time), and sociolinguistics and pragmatics (language in society and context), among others, as framed within the study of the Spanish language. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4080).

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040 OR SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020; Graduate standing

SPAN 8126  HISPANIC SOCIOLINGUISTICS (3 credits)

This course introduces sociolinguistics, the study of the relationship between language and society, with an emphasis on the Spanish language. Its focus will be on correlational linguistics (how social factors such as age, gender and socioeconomic status affect language) and language and society (the role language plays in human conduct and social organization). Course topics will include the concept of speech communities, sociolinguistic variables, phonological and syntactic variation as well as languages in contact, bilingualism, Spanish in the U.S., Spanish as a heritage language, and language attitudes and ideologies. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4120).

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 8086 or instructor permission

SPAN 8136  SPANISH IN THE UNITED STATES (3 credits)

This course looks at Spanish in the U.S. from a sociolinguistic perspective. Course topics include: Dialectal/regional differences, dialect contact, Spanish- English bilingualism and code-switching, "Spanglish", language maintenance, language ideologies surrounding Spanish in the U.S., and Spanish in public spheres (e.g., TV, movies, radio, music, stand-up comedy). (Cross-listed with SPAN 4130).

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 8086 or instructor permission

SPAN 8146  INTRODUCTION TO LATIN AMERICAN FILM (3 credits)

The course will be a thematic study of significant Latin American films emphasizing and further investigating their relationship to history, culture, society and political issues that have often given rise to social movements. Films from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Bolivia, etc. will be studied in their socio-political context. At the 8146 level, students will be introduced to theoretical approaches such as early film theory, montage theory, feminist theory, race theory, and phenomenological film theory in order to deepen their understanding these themes. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4140, LLS 4140).

SPAN 8156  LITERATURE/CULTURE: CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 1898-2000 (3 credits)

"Literature/ Culture: Central America and the Caribbean 1898- 2000" studies major historical and socio-cultural events in Latin American history in the 20th century, through their articulation in literary texts, film, and other cultural expressions from Central America and the Hispanic Caribbean. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4150, CACT 8416)

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040 and SPAN 3060 or permission of instructor

SPAN 8176  INTRODUCTION TO LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURES (3 credits)

The course is intended as an introduction to the study of canonical and non-canonical texts in Latin American literatures, from the 16th to 21st centuries. It seeks to acquaint students with the rich literary traditions of a large region, from South America to Central America and Mexico, as well as with the historical challenges posed by the salient heterogeneity of texts included in the Latin American corpus, from the standpoint of ethnicity, gender, social class, and literary genre. The course also focuses on continuing to develop Spanish language skills, specifically reading for comprehension and interpretation of metaphorical meaning, writing, and presentational speaking skills in Spanish. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4170, LLS 4170).

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040, or SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020; SPAN 3060

SPAN 8196  REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR IN FILM AND POPULAR CULTURE (3 credits)

This course explores the principal social, economic, political, and cultural implications of the Spanish Civil War, including its antecedents and consequences, in order to critically analyze the ways in which such historical matters have been represented over time through film, as well as through other media. The course also focuses on the continued development of Spanish language skills, such as formal and informal essay writing, presentational speaking skills in Spanish, advanced reading, and interpretation of film theory and criticism. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4190).

Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing

SPAN 8226  THE STRUCTURE OF SPANISH (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the structure of the Spanish language with a focus on its morphology and syntax as seen in the study of constituents of a sentence, lexical categories, content and function words, the pronominal system, the structure of simple and complex sentences, and the verbal system, among others. It reviews frequent syntactical errors in Spanish L2 and Heritage learners with the purpose of advancing their linguistic competence. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4220).

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and 3040 or SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020; graduate standing

SPAN 8336  LINGUISTIC JUSTICE AND LATINO HEALTH (3 credits)

Language barriers compromise the quality of health care for millions of Spanish-speaking patients each year. Spanish-speaking patients, for example, have disease (e.g., musculoskeletal diseases, pesticide poisoning, cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS), mortality, and pain burdens at least twice as high as English-speaking patients. At the same time, they have been disproportionately affected by infectious diseases such as the tuberculosis outbreaks or the COVID-19 pandemic. These facts make language a crucial concern for the improvement of health among Latinos in the US. Students in this course examine the relationship between language, health care, and health among Spanish speakers in the US through the dual lens of sociolinguistics and public health. We consider the effect of linguistic and discursive practices on access to health information and examine some of the measures currently in place to improve the transmission of health information across language boundaries. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4330).

Prerequisite(s): Instructor permission

SPAN 8440  SEMINAR:SPANISH COMPOSITION (3 credits)

This course provides opportunities for students to refine their composition skills in Spanish through extensive writing workshops and peer editing. Computer applications to composition will be employed.

Prerequisite(s): Admisssion to the Graduate College.

SPAN 8516  ILLNESS AND DISEASE IN SOUTHERN CONE LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURES AND CULTURES (3 credits)

The course will examine representations of illness, disease, and affections in literary and cultural texts from the Latin American Southern Cone, focusing in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. It will explore notions of health and disease, as embedded in literary and cultural texts from the late 19th to the 21st centuries. We will examine the ways in which physical ailments, mental health symptoms, and other conditions or disorders have been conceptualized and portrayed, co-relating the individual "disruptions" caused by unwellness with a host of social and cultural factors. The course will also explore current treatments and therapies for the illnesses discussed in the texts, taking into account the integration of western and alternative medicine and practices. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4510, LLS 4510, LLS 8516).

Prerequisite(s): Graduate student standing

SPAN 8536  DIALECTS OF THE SPANISH-SPEAKING WORLD (3 credits)

This course explores the diversity and variation of the various dialects within the Spanish-speaking world. Special attention will be devoted to understanding phonetic and phonological processes that make up these dialects. Students will increase their familiarity with the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world and the complexity of the relationship between languages and dialects. Through the course, students will employ data-collection skills and methods commonly used in the field of linguistics. Course will be conducted in Spanish. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4530).

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 8086 or instructor permission; Graduate standing

SPAN 8546  THE LANGUAGE OF REGGAETÓN: RACE, GENDER & CARIBBEAN FLOWS (3 credits)

This course applies theories and methods from the field of linguistics to the analysis of reggaetón and its surrounding cultural practices. It explores ties between language, race, gender, sexuality, and latinidad as connected to this musical form. This course involves a deep-dive into this Afro-Latino genre, which has evolved from its origins in Puerto Rico and Panamá - including its roots in West Africa, Jamaica, and other locals within the Black diaspora - to a global musical phenomenon. Students will analyze "El Movimiento" through various levels of linguistic and social analysis: structural linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphosyntax, lexicography, etc.), discourse analysis, sociocultural and linguistic anthropology, critical race theory, and feminist & queer theory. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4540).

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 8086 or instructor permission; Graduate standing

SPAN 8766  FORENSIC LINGUISTICS (3 credits)

This course will present an overview of forensic linguistics with an emphasis on the areas where linguistics (i.e., the study of language and its structures) and the law intersect. We will especially focus on these items: the nature of legal language, linguistic methods for determining the meaning of laws and statutes, types of linguistic analysis used for investigating deception and fraud, language used for profiling and identifying suspects in criminal cases, the relationship between language proficiency and defendants' ability to understand their rights, the legal and linguistic complexities of invoking one's rights, the language-related factors that lead to false confessions, the role of linguistic analysis in civil cases, and the challenges faced by court interpreters and other linguistic complexities of the courtroom. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4760).

SPAN 8900  SPANISH INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)

Specifically planned projects and readings in a well-defined field within the areas of language, literature, culture, linguistics, or language acquisition, carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign languages faculty holding graduate faculty status.

Prerequisite(s): (1) Acceptance into the Master of Arts in Language Teaching Program (MALT). Must have completed a minimum of six graduate credit hours. (2) Acceptance in Graduate Certificates. Must have completed a minimum of 6 graduate credit hours.

SPAN 8906  INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)

Specially planned readings in a well-defined field of literature, carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign language faculty. Designed primarily for the student who has need of work not currently available in the departmental offerings and who has demonstrated capability of working independently. May be repeated for credit once.

Prerequisite(s): Senior status, no incompletes outstanding, and departmental permission.

SPAN 8956  PRO-SEMINAR: LITERATURE AND/OR FILM (3 credits)

This course is dedicated to the study of a narrower field of the literature and/or cinema of the Spanish-speaking world. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4950)

Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing

SPAN 8966  PRO-SEMINAR: CULTURE AND SOCIETY (3 credits)

This course will address a narrow field of study of the civilization, history, film, contemporary culture, art, politics, and/or cultural studies of the Spanish-speaking world. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4960)

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3010 or SPAN 3570 and enrolled in minor in Spanish for Health Sciences or SPAN 3050 and enrolled in minor in Spanish for Health Sciences

SPAN 8976  PRO-SEMINAR: LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE FOR THE PROFESSIONS (3 credits)

This course addresses a narrow field of study in linguistics or the professional language of the Spanish-speaking world. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4970)

Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing.