Modern languages and literature
Asignaturas:
Introduction to Composition
Catalog Description
This advanced writing course prepares ESL students for Critical Reading and Writing by introducing them to the fundamentals of academic writing. The textbook introduces students at the intermediate to high-intermediate level to paragraph organization and structure through writing argumentative, cause-and-effect, and compare-and-contrast compositions. In addition, students are introduced to the basic elements of essay writing.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Develop strong analytical thesis statements.
- Exhibit effective paragraphing and organization of ideas.
- Analyze rhetorical strategies.
- Write essays considered appropriate for the college level in a well-developed, academic voice.
- Write in order to satisfy the reader's understanding.
Introduction to Literary Studies
Catalog Description
This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of literary study. The course focuses on interpretation and criticism of fiction, poetry, and drama. Critical methodologies for literary analysis, literary terminology, and appropriate research methods are also examined.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Recognize and define the basic literary genres
- Recognize and define the basic literary structures and devices
- Respond to, and evaluate literary texts in oral and written form
- Analyze a literary text from a variety of literary critical perspectives
- Understand the history and social roles of L/literature
- Use the College citation system
English Communication
Catalog Description
This course is intended for students whose skills are between upper-intermediate and advanced level. It reflects real-world circumstances, with materials from authentic sources. Students study business topics and acquire proficiency in written and oral communication. Students learn about the causes of communication breakdowns and how to avoid them through effective listening and note-taking. They analyze case studies, role-play authentic business situations, and begin to understand the effects different styles of management have on business outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Self-evaluate personal communication skills and identify areas for academic & personal improvement.
- Demonstrate a familiarity with the norms of academic written communication by using an academic voice and the APA style in writing assignments.
- Apply their knowledge of the skills necessary for effective visual and verbal communication by designing and delivering effective presentations.
- Engage interpersonal communication skills by successfully completing group assignments.
- Demonstrate intercultural understanding and sensitivity by examining the different styles of communication used in different cultural contexts.
- Demonstrate active listening by following instructions, paraphrasing, asking relevant questions, and reflecting.
Critical Reading & Writing I
Catalog Description
Introduces the fundamentals of critical reading and writing. The course helps students assess the arguments of others for their logic and use of evidence and to form well-reasoned arguments of their own. Through regular drafts and revision, students learn to develop and defend positions on issues, incorporate and explain evidence to support those positions, and express their ideas in clearly written essays.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Analyze and assess written arguments through active reading, fair summary, and evaluation of reasoning.
- Develop and support a position on an issue, using the viewpoints of others as a context for their own argument.
- Substantiate claims through the use of appropriately documented evidence (includes proficiency in at least one citation style).
- Implement a sustained process of drafting and revision to achieve transparent reasoning and expression in written essays.
- Transfer critical reading and thinking skills across learning contexts.
Critical Reading & Writing II
Catalog Description
Builds on the skills of critical reading and writing introduced in CRWI. CRWII requires students to locate and select evidence from primary and secondary sources and to synthesize multiple perspectives on a problem. Students survey the conversation on a selected topic in an annotated bibliography and literature review and enter that conversation by developing their own argument in a final research essay.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Assess, relate, and synthesize a range of positions on a specific topic to develop a context for their own argument.
- Design and defend an imaginative argument that takes into account its own limits, acknowledges the complexities of an issue, and enters into the ongoing academic conversation on a specific topic.
- Select, explain, and integrate evidence to develop an argument and corroborate subclaims (includes proficiency with APA style).
- Implement a sustained process of drafting, revision, and research (including an annotated bibliography) to craft clearly argued and well-structured research papers.
- Transfer critical reading, thinking, and research skills across learning contexts.
Hemingway in Spain
Catalog Description
This course focuses on Ernest Hemingway’s encounter with Spain and Europe in his fiction and non-fiction. We examine his years in Paris and then focus on the elements of culture, history, and society that attracted him to Spain. Course includes tours of Hemingway’s favorite Madrid hangouts and the Guadarrama mountains (setting of For Whom the Bell Tolls) and optional attendance at a bullfight at the Plaza de Toros in Madrid.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Explain and evaluate Hemingway’s position as a modern/modernist writer, focusing on literary innovations and significant thematic concerns of the early twentieth century (the effects of war on soldiers; social, cultural and moral changes in the 1920s; psychology and modern individuals; anti-Semitism; the rise of communism and fascism as dominant ideologies; the advent of modern warfare; the role of propaganda in war; etc.)
- Identify and interpret the use of literary tropes in Hemingway’s work, such as irony, metaphor, symbol and aphorism; identify and analyze the use of literary techniques, such as dialogue, narrative perspective, repetition and omission.
- Provide informed oral and written commentary on the role that 1920s Paris plays in Hemingway’s work, focusing on artistic influences and social changes; provide informed oral and written commentary on the role that Spain plays in Hemingway’s work, focusing on the use of customs and traditions in The Sun Also Rises and on the socio-political context of the Spanish Civil War in For Whom the Bell Tolls.
- Identify, interpret, and evaluate the dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality in Hemingway’s work and persona.
- Discuss and evaluate Hemingway and his fellow expatriates as examples of the “abroad” experience, linking their travels and experiences to yours as students in Spain and Europe.
- Demonstrate ongoing development and application of critical and communicative skills: class discussion, reading questions, group presentations, response papers, written exams and off-site visits are all designed to challenge students to articulate informed personal responses to the reading materials and important themes.
Present, Pitch, Persuade
Catalog Description
An interdisciplinary course that draws on the fields of rhetoric, persuasive writing, interpersonal communication, and design. Develops students’ ability to communicate effectively and persuade audiences, which is crucial in any industry. Combines strategies for presenting and pitching ideas both verbally and in multimedia-rich presentations. Students will also practice defending their ideas, responding to questions, and explaining their reasoning.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of rhetorical situations and rhetorical appeals (logos, pathos, ethos).
- Apply principles of persuasion to create compelling messaging tailored to a specific audience and context.
- Use design principles and multimedia elements to make arguments with effective visuals.
- Use active listening strategies and critical thinking skills to respond to audience questions, defend arguments, and revise in response to feedback.
- Deliver compelling presentations with effective body language, voice articulation, and other key elements of interpersonal communication.
- Conduct targeted research to develop expertise and gain the depth of knowledge needed to deliver thorough and confident pitches and presentations.
Business English III
Catalog Description
This course is an upper-intermediate Business English course intended for students who are interested in business practice and concepts. An intensive task-based approach and authentic material help students build on their skills and feel more confident in areas of communication. Students practice writing skills and discuss real situations in groups and report their recommendations and findings through presentations.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Have a greater understanding of written Business English.
- Speak fluently on Business related topics.
- Write more accurately using Business contexts.
- Use the language and communication skills which they have acquired for further discussion through active group work and presentations.
Business English IV
Catalog Description
This course is an upper-intermediate Business English course intended for students who are interested in business practice and concepts. An intensive task-based approach and authentic material help students build on their skills and feel more confident in areas of communication. Students practice writing skills and discuss real situations in groups and report their recommendations and findings through presentations.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Have a greater understanding of written Business English.
- Speak fluently on Business related topics.
- Write more accurately using Business contexts.
- Use the language and communication skills which they have acquired for further discussion through active group work and presentations.
Elementary Spanish I
Catalog Description
This introductory course focuses on the acquisition of basic communicative skills (speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing), in addition to the examination of topics related to Hispanic cultures around the world. Particular attention will be paid to developing conversational skills and grammar knowledge in the Spanish language.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Reflect on Spanish basic grammar rules and use them in appropriate contexts.
- Describe his/her immediate environment using a basic vocabulary in simple sentences (e.g., student life, family, weather, etc.).
- Solve several real-life tasks in basic Spanish. In order to solve these tasks, they will have improved:
- Their oral skills, working on the rules of Spanish conversation and academic presentation, paying attention to both fluency and correction.
- Their written skills, working on organization and structure, coherence, grammar and sentence structure, and word choice.
Elementary Spanish II
Catalog Description
This course is a continuation of SP 101 and further develops conversational skills and grammar knowledge in the Spanish language. Focus is on the acquisition of basic communicative skills (speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing), in addition to the examination of topics related to Hispanic cultures around the world.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Reflect on Spanish basic grammar rules and use them in appropriate contexts.
- Describe his/her immediate environment using a basic vocabulary in simple sentences (e.g., student life, family, weather, etc.).
- Solve several real-life tasks in basic Spanish. In order to solve these tasks, they will have improved:
- Their oral skills, working on the rules of Spanish conversation and academic presentation, paying attention to both fluency and correction.
- Their written skills, working on organization and structure, coherence, grammar and sentence structure, and word choice.
Intermediate Spanish I
Catalog Description
Emphasis is on communicative and interactional competence in Spanish by increasing grammatical proficiency, vocabulary knowledge, and conversational skills. Students will expand their knowledge of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures by working with authentic texts and audiovisual materials and through the production of compositions and oral presentations.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Reflect independently on low intermediate Spanish grammar rules and use them in appropriate contexts.
- Write compositions and give oral presentations on relevant and well-known issues of their daily lives (personal information, family, shopping, etc., but also describing their past, their first necessities, plans...)
- Solve several real life tasks in low intermediate Spanish. In order to solve these tasks, they will have improved:
- Their oral skills, working on the rules of Spanish conversation and academic presentation, paying attention to both fluency and correction.
- Their written skills, working on organization and structure, coherence, grammar and sentence structure, and word choice.
Intermediate Spanish II
Catalog Description
This course is a continuation of SP 201 and builds on previously acquired linguistic and cultural knowledge. Advanced grammatical structures (subjunctive, perfect tenses, etc.) will be addressed. Topics connected to the Spanish-speaking world are examined via a variety of authentic Spanish-language media and readings. Emphasis is placed on good command of grammar and sentence structure, as well as on communicative and interactional competence (e.g., oral production and listening comprehension skills).
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Reflect independently on upper intermediate Spanish grammar rules and use them in appropriate contexts.
- Write compositions and give oral presentations about personal experiences and events, wishes and expectations, opinions and assessments based on relevant issues.
- Solve several real life tasks in low intermediate Spanish. In order to solve these tasks, they will have improved:
- Their oral skills, working on the rules of Spanish conversation and academic presentation, paying attention to both fluency and correction.
- Their written skills, working on organization and structure, coherence, grammar and sentence structure, and word choice.
Spanish for Business Professionals
Catalog Description
This course is a beginning Spanish language course designed for individuals studying or working in business careers. Students study essential business vocabulary and the cultural issues related to successful interactions with Spanish-speaking clients in the business world. The course presents everyday situations that students in fields such as business, accounting, and marketing may encounter at their workplace, on business travel, or while communicating with business partners abroad.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Employ business vocabulary in interactions with Spanish-speaking clients.
- Apply skills and strategies for successful communication with Spanish speakers in common business scenarios.
- Demonstrate awareness of cultural factors that may influence interactions between business managers and their Spanish-speaking colleagues and customers.
- Compose professional business correspondence and documents, such as cover letters, resumes, and internal communications, adhering to appropriate Spanish business formats.
Advanced Topics in Spanish
Catalog Description
Focus is on fine-tuning advanced communicative skills. Taught in Spanish, this course provides students with the opportunity to further develop interactional competence in the language through a focus on speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. Emphasis is placed on developing a good command of grammar and sentence structure, as well as expanding knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures through film, literature, modern media, and/or poetry.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Use vocabulary related to Spanish-speaking cultures in an advanced level.
- Use Spanish grammar in an advanced level.
- Write, give oral presentations and have oral interactions with and advanced level of fluency.
- Write and talk about topics related to Spanish-speaking cultures.
The Cinema of Spain
Catalog Description
An introduction to contemporary Spanish cinema. This course acquaints students with the historical and cultural contexts of Spanish film. Students explore and analyze the works and artistry of prominent Spanish filmmakers. The class is taught in Spanish with the goal of increasing fluency in Spanish.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Increase fluency in speaking Spanish
- Develop vocabulary in Spanish, with special focus on film vocabulary
- Be able to analyze and criticize the technical and cultural factors of some relevant Spanish films.
- Know some of the most important films of the 20th and 21st centuries in Spain and understand their relevance in Spanish political and social contexts.