Spanish (SPAN)
Spanish Undergraduate Courses
SPAN 1100 ELEMENTARY SPANISH I FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS (5 credits)
Spanish 1100 presents an introduction to the Spanish language and fosters the mastery of all linguistic skills; i.e., speaking, listening, reading, and writing, via a communicative approach. It also promotes an understanding of the target language's culture with an emphasis on sociocultural issues relevant to healthcare services.
SPAN 1110 ELEMENTARY SPANISH I (5 credits)
Elementary Spanish I emphasizes the mastery of all four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) and introduces cultural topics from across the Spanish-speaking world.
Distribution: Global Diversity General Education course and Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course
SPAN 1120 ELEMENTARY SPANISH II (5 credits)
Spanish 1120 is the second course in the 16-hour Arts and Sciences Foreign Language requirement. It is communicative in approach and emphasizes the mastery of all language skills including speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 1110 with a grade of C- or better, or placement by department diagnostic exam. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
SPAN 1140 INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH FOR HEALTH SCIENCES (1 credit)
This course introduces students in the Spanish for Health Sciences concentration to fundamental topics that emerge from the intersection between healthcare and the Spanish language. These topics include: language diversity; language policy in the US; and historical and sociocultural factors that prevent access to care.
SPAN 1200 ELEMENTARY SPANISH 2 HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS (5 credits)
Spanish 1200 is built on the content introduced in Spanish 1100 and presents to students more complex communicative tasks that are typical of the interactions between patient/client and healthcare providers. The course fosters the mastery of all linguistic skills; i.e., speaking, listening, reading, and writing, via a communicative approach. It also promotes an understanding of the target language's culture with an emphasis on sociocultural issues relevant to healthcare services.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 1110 or SPAN 1100 with a grade of C- or better, or placement by department diagnostic exam. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
SPAN 2110 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I (3 credits)
Spanish 2110 is the third course in the 16-hour Arts and Sciences Foreign Language requirement. It is communicative in approach and emphasizes the mastery of all language skills including speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 1120 with a grade of C- or better, or placement by department diagnostic exam. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
SPAN 2120 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II (3 credits)
Spanish 2120 is the fourth course in the 16-hour Arts and Sciences Foreign Language requirement. It is communicative in approach and emphasizes the mastery of all language skills including speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 2110 with a grade of C- or better, or placement by department diagnostic exam. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
SPAN 2130 ACCELERATED SECOND-YEAR SPANISH (6 credits)
This accelerated course combines the content of Intermediate Spanish I and Intermediate Spanish II. It is communicative in approach and emphasizes the mastery of all language skills including speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Successful completion of this course fulfills the College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement. The entire course must be completed to receive credit.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 1120 or placement by Department of Foreign Languages diagnostic examination. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
SPAN 2150 INTRODUCTION TO HISPANIC LITERATURES AND CULTURES (3 credits)
In this course, students become acquainted with canonical texts within the Spanish and Spanish American literary traditions. The course focuses on developing reading and writing skills, and on helping students distinguish between literal and metaphorical meanings, which serves as a preparation for the development of more advanced interpretive skills.
Prerequisite(s): Placement exam results or advisor permission
SPAN 2300 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS (3 credits)
The course integrates and refines learners' Spanish competencies, and allows students to apply them to real-life situations in the healthcare field. As such, this course enhances all linguistic skills, with a focus on the issues of register, dialect, and culturally appropriate vocabulary in the healthcare context. Also, the course fosters control and ease of speaking and listening; reading and writing are approached within the context of health literacy.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 1110 & SPAN 1120 or SPAN 1100 & SPAN 1200; or enrollment via placement exam
SPAN 3010 SPANISH FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I (3 credits)
This course is designed to offer Spanish-speaking students an opportunity to study Spanish in an academic setting. Students will acquire Spanish literacy skills, develop their academic language skills in Spanish, and learn more about the Spanish language and their cultural heritage.
Prerequisite(s): Placement exam results or adviser permission
SPAN 3020 SPANISH FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS II (3 credits)
This course will continue to build upon the Spanish language skills students have covered in Spanish for Heritage Speakers I. Students will develop strategic academic vocabulary, learn to critically analyze a text, produce a variety of written texts, and acquire new information in different academic content areas.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3010 or adviser permission
SPAN 3030 SPANISH CONVERSATION (3 credits)
Practice in a variety of conversational situations and levels.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 2120 or SPAN 2130 or placement by Department of Foreign Languages diagnostic examination, or departmental permission. The course is for second-language learners. Heritage and native students should not enroll.
SPAN 3040 SPANISH GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION (3 credits)
Review of grammatical principles and practice in written composition.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 2120 or SPAN 2130 or placement by Department of Foreign Languages diagnostic examination, or departmental permission. The course is for second-language learners. Heritage and native students should not enroll.
SPAN 3050 LATIN AMERICA IN CONTEXT: HEALTH, BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENT, AND SOCIETY THROUGH ORAL PRACTICE (3 credits)
This course focuses on the development and intensive practice of oral expression in Spanish, and is intended for students interested in the fields of business, health, education, environmental sciences, social work, and cultural studies, who are either heritage speakers of Spanish or who are completing a major/minor in Spanish. The class provides a broad context of current relevant issues in Latin America, including politics and society; the state of the economy after decades of neoliberalism; racism; indigenous and Afro-descendent identities; domestic and gender violence; health and disabilities; adult, youth, & child immigration; and ecology and the environment. (Cross-listed with LLS 3050).
SPAN 3060 READINGS IN SPANISH (3 credits)
This course aims to increase students' fluency in reading and to develop comprehension skills that will help them in advanced language studies. The course will also enrich students' vocabulary through the use of a variety of primary sources; many genres will be sampled.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 2120 or SPAN 2130. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
SPAN 3170 SURVEY OF SPANISH LITERATURE I (3 credits)
Introduction to the principal authors and works of Spanish literature from El Cid to the 17th century.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040, or departmental permission. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
SPAN 3180 SURVEY OF SPANISH LITERATURE II (3 credits)
Spanish 3180, Introduction to Spanish Literature II, aims to familiarize students with the most important writers and literary movements from the 18th to the 21st centuries, giving an overview of the history, society and culture of these times. This course will also focus on the continued development of students' listening, speaking, reading, and essay skills. In pursuit of these goals, students will have the opportunity to read not only the specific texts but critical and introductory articles that will help them situate themselves within this particular historical and literary context. Students will also have to write essays, take tests, and develop their critical skills.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040, or departmental permission.
SPAN 3410 SPANISH CIVILIZATION (3 credits)
History, geography, national economy, politics, society, education, art, music and literature of Spain.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3020, and SPAN 3060.
SPAN 3420 LATIN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION (3 credits)
What do we know about Latin American culture, geography, politics and languages? How has Latin America been imagined from the United States? Does it make sense to think of Latin America as one space brought together by a similar history or is it better to imagine it as twenty particular countries with intersecting pasts and futures? This course will attempt to answer these questions by introducing you to a number of key topics and debates common to contemporary Latin American culture, including issues such as democracy, class, race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality, religion, family and globalization. (Cross-listed with LLS 3420).
SPAN 3510 SPANISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY (3 credits)
Introduction to basic concepts in phonetics and phonology, and intensive practice in Spanish pronunciation.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3040. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
SPAN 3570 SPANISH FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS (3 credits)
Spanish for Healthcare Professionals provides an introduction of specialized communication in the healthcare context. Course objectives include the development of essential informal and formal vocabulary and expressions,and sociocultural competencies necessary for successful interaction with patients and other healthcare providers.
SPAN 3580 BUSINESS SPANISH (3 credits)
An introduction to the Spanish business world. Students will acquire the necessary skills and strategies to understand the differences in business practices and cultures between the US and Spanish-speaking countries. No prior business knowledge is required.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020, or permission from a Spanish advisor.
SPAN 4020 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 8026).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040, and SPAN 3060 OR SPAN 3010, SPAN 3020, and SPAN 3060
SPAN 4030 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 8036)
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010 or departmental permission
SPAN 4040 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 8046).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3020 and SPAN 3060; Majors only, senior standing. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
Distribution: Writing in the Discipline Single Course
SPAN 4060 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 8066).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010 or SPAN 3570 and declared minor in Spanish for Health Sciences or SPAN 3050 and declared minor in Spanish for Health Sciences
SPAN 4070 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 8076).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040, SPAN 3060 or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3020, SPAN 3060 and SPAN 4080 or instructor permission
SPAN 4080 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 8086).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040 OR SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020
SPAN 4120 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 8126).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3020, SPAN 3060 and SPAN 4080 or instructor permission
SPAN 4130 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 8136).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010 or instructor permission or SPAN 3570 and declared minor in Spanish for Health Sciences or SPAN 3050 and declared minor in Spanish for Health Sciences
SPAN 4140 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 8146, LLS 4140).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3020, SPAN 3060
SPAN 4150 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 8156, CACT 8416)
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040 and SPAN 3060 or permission of instructor
SPAN 4170 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 8176, LLS 4170).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040, or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3020; SPAN 3060.
SPAN 4190 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 8196).
SPAN 4220 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 8226).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and 3040 or SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020
SPAN 4330 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 8336).
Prerequisite(s): Instructor permission
SPAN 4510 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 8516, LLS 4510, LLS 8516).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020 or SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3050 and declared minor in Spanish for Health Sciences or SPAN 3570 and declared minor in Spanish for Health Sciences or special permission from instructor.
SPAN 4530 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 8536).
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3020, SPAN 3060 and SPAN 4080 or instructor permission
SPAN 4760 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 8766).
SPAN 4800 INTERNSHIP IN SPANISH (3 credits)
This course is a supervised internship in a professional setting with a for-profit, government or non-profit organization. Students will receive hands-on experience involving translation, interpretation, community outreach, planning of educational opportunities or community events in Spanish. Internship specific projects and goals will be decided between employer and student and approved by the Spanish internship director. Some internships will be paid, but most will not.
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010, SPAN 3040 or SPAN 3020, SPAN 3060, junior or senior standing, and internship director permission. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
SPAN 4900 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
Specially planned readings in a well-defined field of literature or linguistics carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign language faculty. As independent study courses are intended to enrich a student's regular academic program, they may not be taken as substitutes for scheduled classroom courses of the same nature, nor should they be taken by majors or minors in the department prior to fulfilling required course work..
Prerequisite(s): Senior status, no incompletes outstanding, and departmental permission.
SPAN 4950 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 8956)
SPAN 4960 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 8966)
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010 or SPAN 3570 and enrolled in Spanish for Health Sciences minor or SPAN 3050 and enrolled in Spanish for Health Sciences minor
SPAN 4970 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 8976)
Prerequisite(s): SPAN 3030 or SPAN 3010 or SPAN 3570 and enrolled in Spanish for Health Sciences minor or SPAN 3050 and enrolled in Spanish for Health Sciences minor