Spanish Courses

SPAN 101 and SPAN 102 are our most exciting courses! You can enroll in SPAN 111 without any knowledge of Spanish and can be sure that, if you complete successfully SPAN 101 and SPAN 102, you will be able to communicate with Spanish speakers at the end of the academic year. Now, that’s a skill you can use in your future professional career! 

In SPAN 101 students learn how to effectively communicate in Spanish. It is a rigorous course in which you will be required to hand in on-line homework assignments and short compositions on regular basis, take tests and oral exams, participate in language labs, and present collaborative projects.

SPAN 102 is the continuation of SPAN 101. It is offered to students who succesfully completed SPAN 101 and to students with some knowledge of the target language. 

If you enjoyed SPAN 101 or if you studied Spanish before coming to StFX and would like to refresh your langage skills in a structured way, join us in SPAN 102. You can expect the same type of activities than in SPAN 101. Some sections of SPAN 102 offer a service learning component.

SPAN 221 is the continuation of SPAN 100 and its objective is to train students to communicate effectively at an intermediate level. In this course you will review the main grammatical and communicative concepts you learned in SPAN 100, refine your language skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and learn about the cultures of the Hispanic world. 

In SPAN 221 you can expect similar type of assignments than in SPAN 100 (on-line homework, compositions, tests, oral exams, written exams, collaborative projects). Some sections of SPAN 221 offer a service learning component. 

Although SPAN 100 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the intermediate level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override.

SPAN 222 is an intermediate to advanced Spanish language course and a continuation of SPAN 221 and/or SPAN 299. In this course you will build on the language skills you acquired at the beginner and intermediate levels (SPAN 111, SPAN 112, SPAN 221, and/or SPAN 299), study and apply more advanced grammatical structures, expand your vocabulary, and deepen your understanding of the cultures and traditions of the Hispanic world. 

In SPAN 222 you can expect similar type of assignments than in SPAN 221 (on-line homework, compositions, tests, oral exams, written exams, collaborative projects). Some sections of SPAN 222 may offer a service learning component. 

Although SPAN 221 or SPAN 299 are a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete any of these courses but whose proficiency in Spanish corresponds to the intermediate level II. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override.

SPAN 299 is a new offering in our department. This course focuses on the development of students’ oral communicative skills while reviewing and applying grammatical notions studied in SPAN 111 and SPAN 112, and introducing students to different aspects of Hispanic cultures. 

If you want to have more expertise in speaking Spanish, this is definitely a course for you! Although you can expect some grammar assignments in the course of the term, the emphasis of SPAN 299 is on oral practice. You will prepare and participate in presentations, role-plays, discussions, and debates that incorporate specific aspects of Spanish grammar, a range of new vocabulary, and information about the Spanish-speaking world. 

Students can take this course together with SPAN 221 or as an independent course. Both courses, SPAN 221 and SPAN 299 allow you to continue with the next level of Spanish, SPAN 222. The requirement for this course is SPAN 112 or the consent of the department. Please, contact any of the faculty members for more information.

SPAN 306 is a requirement for students willing to complete a minor in Spanish. It is offered always in the Fall Term and is one of our most advanced language courses. We encourage students to take it together with SPAN 334 (Spanish Composition) offered in the Winter Term. 

This course is designed for students who successfully completed SPAN 200 and have a working knowledge of the language. The objective of the class is to improve your overall proficiency in spoken and written Spanish to an advanced level. 

In SPAN 306 you will use Spanish in a variety of contexts, review complex grammatical constructions, and be exposed to representative texts from the target culture appropriate to developing your critical reading and writing skills. You will also attain a deeper understanding of the significant social, cultural, historical, and political aspects of the Spanish-speaking world, which will prepare you to participate in higher-level academic courses in Spanish. 

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override.

SPAN 334 is a requirement for students willing to complete a minor in Spanish and it is always offered in the Winter Term. We strongly encourage our students to take SPAN 306 (Advanced Spanish) in the Fall Term before enrolling in SPAN 334, but it is not a prerequisite. 

This course is useful for anyone who is interested in improving their writing skills in Spanish. In SPAN 334 you will learn how to effectively organize your writing, how to write an anecdote, a formal letter, a summary, a project proposal, an expository essay, and an argumentative essay in Spanish. 

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override.

Did you know that Spanish is called Castilian in Spain and that many other languages, such as Catalan, Euskera, and Galician are spoken in that country? Did you know that a substantial part of what constitutes Spain today was under Muslim sovereignty? Did you know that the encounter between Indigenous people and Spaniards in the 15th century led to religious and artistic syncretism still observed in parts of Latin America? 

This fascinating course explores the foundations of the astonishingly diverse Hispanic cultures. You will learn about the pre-1800 cultures of Spain formed by a mosaic of Arabic, Jewish and Christian influences, examine the world of pre-Hispanic cultures of Latin America, and look into the question of the encounter between Indigenous people and Spaniards, and the influence it had on the colonial period.  

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override. 

SPAN 315 is taught entirely in Spanish and students are required to submit substantial essays in the course of the term. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 315 or to take them simultaneously.

If you want to understand the contemporary Spanish-speaking world, you can’t miss this course! It offers an extensive yet tangible view of contemporary cultures, historical events, and political conflicts that shaped Latin America, Spain, and the Spanish-speaking communities in Canada and the United States. 

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override. 

SPAN 325 is taught entirely in Spanish and students are required to submit substantial essays in Spanish in the course of the term. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 325 or to take them simultaneously.

This course is an excellent introduction to Hispanic cultures. In SPAN 327 you will have the opportunity to watch movies in Spanish, discuss them with your instructor and your classmates, and learn about Latin American and Spanish cinematography. 

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override. 

SPAN 327 is taught entirely in Spanish and in the course of the term students are required to submit substantial essays. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 327.

Spain was once the most powerful Empire on the planet and created an influential literature that left its mark on the rest of the world. In this course you will learn about El Cid, Don Quijote, Don Juan, and other icons of the literary tradition of the Spanish Golden Age that to this day exist in the popular imagination of the Western world. 

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override. 

SPAN 364 is taught entirely in Spanish and students are required to submit substantial essays in Spanish in the course of the term. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 364.

The encounter between Europeans and Indigenous peoples in the Americas is one of the most intriguing moments in history. In SPAN 374 you will discuss texts produced by Spanish conquistadors and Indigenous peoples throughout the colonial period.  

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete it but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override. 

SPAN 374 is taught entirely in Spanish and students are required to submit substantial essays in that language in the course of the term. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 374.

In SPAN 427 you will have the oportunity to explore films based on Spanish and Latin- American novels, and acquire a critical perspective on contemporary issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, politics, globalization and human rights in Latin America and Spain. 

SPAN 222 is a prerequisite for this course but we strongly encourage students to complete SPAN 306 and/or SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 427. If your level of Spanish is advanced but you did not complete SPAN 222 or if you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override.

This is a survey course of the literature and cultural contexts of Spain from the 19th to the 21st century. It includes the literary production of Benito Pérez Galdós, Emilia Pardo Bazán, Leopoldo Alas “Clarín”, Miguel de Unamuno, Pío Baroja, Antonio Machado, Federico García Lorca, Camilo José Cela, Ramón J. Sender, Carmen Martín Gaite, and Arturo Pérez Reverte. 

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override. 

SPAN 463 is taught entirely in Spanish and students are required to submit substantial essays in Spanish in the course of the term. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 463.

The soul of a culture lies in its stories. This course offers you a unique insight into Latin American literature. In short, SPAN 464 is an overview of Latin American fiction from the 19th to the 21st century. But it is so much more! In this course you will be exposed to foundational narratives that shaped independent Latin American states; you will discuss issues of race, gender, and social class; and you will study texts by great Latin American writers such as Juan Rulfo, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Luisa Valenzuela, and Elena Poniatowska.  

Although SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for this course we accept students who did not complete that course but whose proficiency corresponds to the advanced level. If you have any questions concerning your level of Spanish and/or your placement, please, contact one of our faculty members and request an override. 

SPAN 464 is taught entirely in Spanish and students are required to submit substantial essays in Spanish in the course of the term. In order to take full advantage of this course we encourage our students to take SPAN 306 and SPAN 334 before enrolling in SPAN 464.