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Major

The following Spanish & Portuguese Studies major requirements are effective with the class entering in Fall 2024 and after.  Students beginning prior to Fall 2021 should reference the requirements in the Academic Bulletin for their entering class.

Please note that SPAN 299 is formerly SPAN 305.

For all concentrations:

• SPAN 231 and 299 will have different topics listed, but students may only take these courses once.
• Majors are allowed no more than two courses in the Spanish & Portuguese department taught in English. For these courses FLIC is required.
• Any course outside the Spanish & Portuguese Studies department should be related to the Spanish- and/or Portuguese- speaking world and must be approved by your academic advisor. No more than two are allowed.

A. Concentration in Language and Culture:

• 11 courses starting with 202 and above
• SPAN 231: Spanish Composition
• Two courses from Section V.

Notes:

• PORT courses 200 and above count towards this concentration. Students can combine this concentration with a Portuguese and Brazilian Studies (PBST) minor to gain a more comprehensive perspective of Ibero-America

B. Concentration in Hispanic Studies

• 11 courses starting with 202 and above
• SPAN 231: Spanish Composition
• SPAN 299: Reading and Thinking ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app Texts
• SPAN 401: Senior Research Seminar
• Two additional courses from Section V.

Notes:

• Must take one course designated “pre-contemporary”. This designation is for courses that have part or all of their topics of study before 1900.
• No more than (5) five 200-level SPAN courses on campus.  
• SPAN 401 Senior Research Seminar project must compare the Brazil and Spanish-speaking worlds

C. Concentration in Brazilian and Hispanic Studies

• 12 courses starting with SPAN and PORT 202 and above  
• PORT 231: Portuguese Conversation and Composition
• SPAN 231: Spanish Composition
• SPAN 299: Reading and Thinking about Texts
• SPAN 401: Senior Research Seminar
• Three additional courses from Section V.

Notes:

• Must take one course designated “pre-contemporary”. This designation is for courses that have part or all of their topics of study before 1900.
• No more than (5) five 200-level SPAN courses on campus.
• SPAN 401 Senior Research Seminar project must compare the Brazil and Spanish-speaking worlds

Course groupings referenced in the major concentration:

I. Spanish and Portuguese Language and Culture Courses 
These courses comprise the language program in Spanish and Portuguese. SPAN 201 fulfills the language graduation requirement in Spanish, while PORT 201 does so in Portuguese. PORT 202 is the gateway course to the PBST minor.  SPAN 202 is the gateway course to the SPAN major.

SPAN 101: Elementary Spanish
SPAN 102: Elementary Spanish
SPAN 201: Intermediate Spanish
SPAN 202: Intermediate Spanish II
SPAN 203: Spanish for Heritage Speakers
PORT 200: Portuguese for Speakers of a Romance Language
PORT 202: Intermediate Portuguese II

II. Spanish or Portuguese for Academic and Professional Contexts
These courses include the Writing in the Discipline (WiD) courses and courses that advance writing and linguistic proficiency in professional and academic contexts.

SPAN 229: Spanish Conversation
SPAN 231: Spanish Composition
SPAN 238: Spanish for Business Professions
SPAN 239: Spanish for the Health Professions
PORT 231: Portuguese Conversation and Composition

III. Study Abroad Language, Culture, and Topics Courses
These courses are offered exclusively in the study abroad programs supported by the department: Dickinson in Spain, Dickinson in South America, and Dickinson in Brazil.

SPAN 205: Málaga Summer Immersion
SPAN 251: Spanish for Academic Contexts in Málaga
SPAN 252: Ecuador and the Andes: Culture, History and Society
SPAN 253: Engaging Málaga
SPAN 281: Topics on Spanish-Speaking Worlds and Cultures
SPAN 298: Literary Analysis of Hispanic Texts
SPAN 362: Argentina in a Latin American Context
SPAN 372: Spanish Society and Culture
SPAN 381: Topics in Hispanic Studies
PORT 240: Brazil in a Latin American Context                                                             INTD INTD 390:   Intercultural Seminar

IV. Introductory Courses in Hispanic and Brazilian Cultures, Linguistics, and Literatures
These are introductory courses in the diverse disciplines that are encompassed by the major, minor, and PBST minor.

SPAN 295: Introduction to U.S. Latinx/Chicanx Literature and Culture
SPAN 299: Reading and Thinking ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app Texts
SPAN 360: Introduction to Translation Studies
SPAN 365: Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
SPAN 366: Introduction to Spanish Sociolinguistics
PORT 242: Brazilian Cultural and Social Issues
PORT 290: Brazilian Cinema

V. Advanced Topics in Hispanic and Brazilian Studies
These courses study significant cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning the Lusophone and/or the global Hispanophone world. Depending on the course, content may be focused by region(s): Brazil, Caribbean, Iberia, Interamerican Studies, Latin America, Latinx/Chicanx Studies, or Transatlantic Studies. The approach to these courses can be thematic or more narrowly focused. Courses may be comparative and interdisciplinary in nature. As long as course topics are different, these courses (except 401) may be repeated. They may be taken concurrently. Additional courses taken abroad may also count if deemed comparable to advanced-level department offerings.

PORT 304: Afro-Brazilian Literature
SPAN 380: Topics in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies
PORT 380: Topics in Luso-Brazilian and Hispanic Studies
SPAN 382: Topics in Hispanic Linguistics
SPAN 385: Topics in Latinx/Chicanx Studies
SPAN 401: Senior Research Seminar

Minor

The following Spanish Studies minor requirements are effective with the class entering in Fall 2021 and after.  Students beginning prior to Fall 2021 should reference the requirements in the Academic Bulletin for their entering class.

The Spanish Studies minor consists of a total of six courses numbered 202 and above.*

Two required courses:
202 Intermediate Spanish II (Students who place out of 202 will still need to complete six courses). Students who take 205 do not need to take 202, but will still need to take 6 courses. 
231 Spanish Composition

And four electives

• Students may count up to two SPAN departmental courses toward the minor that are taught in English provided that they complete specific FLIC criteria established by the professor.
• *Only one approved non-SPAN course at any level on campus at Dickinson (e.g., LALC, PORT, AMST, etc.) related to the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking world and cultures may count toward the minor (students are encouraged to take the FLIC option if available). Students should consult with a department faculty member for approval.

Suggested curricular flow through the major

Majors must take a total of 11 courses for the Language and Culture and the Hispanic Studies concentrations, 12 for the Brazilian and Hispanic Studies concentration. If students place higher than SPAN 202, they will still be required to complete 11 or 12 courses depending on the concentration they choose.
 
A maximum of 5 courses at the 200-level (SPAN 202 and above) will count toward the major with a language and culture concentration, and a maximum of 4 SPAN courses at the 200 level will count for the Hispanic Studies concentration and the Hispanic and Brazilian Studies concentration. 
 
Both the Hispanic Studies and the Brazilian and Hispanic Studies concentration have an additional requirement of SPAN 401, which is offered in the fall semester. This enables eligible students to pursue an honors project in the spring semester of their senior year. 
 
The Brazilian and Hispanic Studies concentration requires 12 courses and proficiency in both Portuguese and Spanish. Students are encouraged to study abroad in Brazil and in a Spanish-speaking country. 

Students in all concentrations should note that SPAN 299 is a prerequisite for many 300-level courses.

a. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CONCENTRATION 

b. HISPANIC STUDIES CONCENTRATION

c. BRAZILIAN AND HISPANIC STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Independent study and independent research

This is an opportunity to explore individually an area of special interest to the student within the discipline. It is normally arranged through individual contact between the student and the professor involved in the semester preceding the actual project, and approved by the department chair.

Honors

Spanish majors wishing to graduate with honors in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese should speak with the department chair during the fall semester of the senior year. Honors will be awarded to students who successfully complete a significant scholarly essay (normally thirty to fifty pages in length) and defend the work during an oral examination given by a committee of departmental faculty. This project should be done in close collaboration with a department faculty member and cannot be undertaken before fulfillment of the senior seminar requirement. Essays done for the senior seminar or other advanced course will often be the starting point for the Honors project.  Detailed are available on the department's web page.  

Opportunities for off-campus study

Dickinson offers fall semester or full year programs at the University of Málaga, Spain. This program is intended to enhance and enrich the strong Spanish major the student has initiated on the Carlisle campus. Students wishing to study in Latin America may take advantage of Dickinson's South America program in Cuenca, Ecuador and Mendoza, Argentina.  Dickinson also has a Partner Program in Brazil. Information is available from faculty in the Spanish department or the .

NOTE: Spanish majors going abroad should carefully plan their course schedule with the assistance of their faculty advisor.

Co-curricular activities/programs

The department's co-curricular activities include: (1) a Spanish Club, which is open to majors and non-majors alike, sponsored lectures, field trips and other cultural activities, (2) the Spanish Table, held once a week in a private dining area of the Holland Union Building, where students and professors meet over dinner for conversation and informal discussions in Spanish, and (3) the Casa de Lenguas Romances, which offers a unique opportunity for the students to live in a Spanish-speaking environment, using the Spanish language as the main vehicle for daily communication.
International students from the University of Málaga and from the National University of Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina (where Dickinson students take classes when they study abroad) play a key role in these extra-curricular activities. These Overseas Student Assistants live in the Casa de Lenguas Romances and/or the International House during the school year, are in charge of the Spanish Table, and assist faculty with language courses and special events in the department.

Courses

The following courses are offered only at the Dickinson in Spain program in Málaga:

205 Málaga Summer Immersion
Offered only at the Dickinson in Spain program in Málaga. A five-week course in contemporary Spanish language and culture offered at the University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain. Students will reside with Spanish families, speak only Spanish during this five-week period, and participate in intensive language and culture classes, special lectures, and field trips arranged by Dickinson in cooperation with the Centro Internacional de Español (CIE-UMA) of the University of Málaga.
Prerequisite: 201 or equivalent and permission of the department.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

251 Spanish for Academic Contexts in Málaga
An advanced and in-depth study of grammatical structures to prepare students for the demands of Spanish university classes, with a focus on achieving the necessary command of the language according to DELE standards. Students will learn some of the intricacies, complexities and subtleties of Spanish grammar through personalized instruction, oral presentations and written analysis of diverse texts. These will include cultural texts, literature, art, current affairs, politics, etc. This is an intensive, four week pre-semester required course, which includes weekly exams in addition to other specific assignments.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

253 Engaging Málaga
This course provides a structured framework for students to learn from and connect their experiences in and outside the classroom in Málaga and Spain to issues with local and global significance through several lenses such as sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. Students will expand their own cultural and self-awareness as they engage with the history, people and communities of Málaga. It has four primary goals. (1) It teaches students about the history and diverse cultures of the region, including how different communities have sought to sustain their cultural inheritances and advocate for a more just society. (2) It helps students understand the structure and culture of the Spanish university system, and the University of Málaga in particular, so they are better able to navigate it and be successful in their course work.(3) It provides an academic context to better understand and reflect on the history and cultures of the sites visited on program excursions. (4) It facilitates students’ civic engagement in the Málaga community and enables them to learn with and from the community in informed, thoughtful, and reciprocal ways.
Meets once a week for 3 hours a week during the semester. 1 credit
Attributes: SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

298 Literary Analysis of Hispanic Texts
Offered only at the Dickinson in Spain program in Málaga. An in-depth study of texts of a specific period and/or genre. This course often focuses on contemporary writers and includes class visits by authors being studied. (br> This course counts as 299.
Attributes: Humanities, SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

372 Spanish Society and Culture
Offered only at the Dickinson in Spain program in Málaga. In-depth study of several aspects of Spanish cultural traditions and values. Contrasts Andalusian culture with other peninsular cultures. Oral and written reports concerning cultural aspects of life in Málaga. Local field trips and interviews are an important part of the course.
Offered in the fall semester.
Attributes: Humanities, SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

381 Topics in Hispanic Studies
Offered only at the Dickinson in Spain program in Málaga. Study of significant cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning the Spanish-speaking world. Peninsular and Latin American topics may be offered. Specific topics to be announced.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

The following courses are offered in the Dickinson in South America Program:

252 Ecuador and the Andes: Culture, History and Society
This interdisciplinary class examines the culture, history, philosophy, and literature of Ecuador and the Andes. Students will explore topics such as social and value systems, environmental diversity, and colonial encounters. Special emphasis will be placed on identities through the lens of gender, ethnicity, and race. This class also includes a Spanish language component. Class trips will be made to selected areas of Ecuador that are of archaeological, cultural, and historical significance.
Prerequisites: 231 and acceptance into the Dickinson in South America program. This course is cross-listed as LALC 203. Offered every semester.
Attributes: Global Diversity, INST Latin America Course, SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

362 Argentina in a Latin American Context
This class approaches Argentine reality from an interdisciplinary perspective, including culture, economic and social life, geography and history, and philosophical and social factors. It will examine the diversity of Argentine society in the context of Latin American political, social, and cultural developments. National and regional perspectives will be included as well. Class trips will be made to selected areas of the Mendoza region that are of cultural and historical significance.
Prerequisites: 231 and acceptance into the Dickinson in South America program. This course is cross-listed as LALC 204. Offered every semester.
Attributes: Global Diversity, INST Latin America Course, SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

Spanish Courses

101 Elementary Spanish
This is the first course in the language sequence. The course focuses on all four language skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking, with an emphasis on vocabulary development and listening comprehension development.
Prerequisite: Placement exam.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

102 Elementary Spanish
This course is a continuation of Spanish 101. The course focuses on all four langage skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking, with increasing emphasis on speaking.
Prerequisite: 101. Upon completion, students go to 201.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

201 Intermediate Spanish
This course is a continuation of Spanish 102. The course focuses on all four langage skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking, with increasing emphasis on writing and speaking.
Prerequisite: 102 or placement by department. This course fulfills the language graduation requirement.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

202 Intermediate Spanish II
The primary goal of this course is to develop students' formal knowledge of Spanish by reviewing and studying the more challenging grammatical structures. The course will also work on development of skills in reading, oral expression, and vocabulary development. The purpose of the course is to equip students with the formal grammatical background necessary to be successful in courses on Hispanic literatures, linguistics and cultures.
Prerequisite: 201 or the equivalent.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

203 Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Spanish for Heritage Speakers is an intermediate language course that incorporates student interests in specific content areas, such as US Latino immigration, identity, ethnicity, education, and representation in the media. Linguistic goals include vocabulary acquisition, improvement in writing, and enhancement of formal communicative skills.
Prerequisite: Placement by department. This course is for students with little or no previous formal training in Spanish -- one year or less of high school Spanish-- who live in a home in which Spanish is spoken and who speak Spanish at home. This course fulfills the foreign language graduation requirement.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

229 Spanish Conversation
The primary goal of this course is to continue to strengthen students' oral, aural, reading, and writing skills in Spanish while acquiring a broadened intercultural perspective. Course topics will consist of a focused cultural theme chosen by the professor. Examples of possible topics include: Current Events in Hispanic Societies, Chronicling Everyday Life, Geographical Explorations in the Spanish-Speaking World, and Gastronomy and Health in the Hispanic World.
Prerequisite: 202, 203 or 205. NOTE: May be taken concurrently with 202, 231, 238 or 239. Students who have completed 231 or courses above 239 may not take this course.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Acad & Prof Contexts

231 Spanish Composition
The primary goal of this course is to develop students' writing skills in Spanish. Course topics will consist of a focused cultural theme chosen by the professor. Examples of possible topics include: Hispanic Cultures through Film: Students will learn about the current culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries through discussion of films. This course will emphasize acquisition of the critical skills necessary to analyze Spanish-language cinema within the context of its country of origin. Hispanic Cultures through Painting: This course will analyze major themes in Hispanic cultures through the lens of painting. Readings that illuminate social, political, and cultural contexts will prepare students to better appreciate the historical significance of a wide variety of well-known painters. Hispanic Cultures through Literature: Students will learn the literary tradition of selected countries through novels, poems, and short plays by representative writers. Emphasis will be on tracing the development of the culture of the country studied. Hispanic Cultures through Media: Students will learn the values, mores and traditions of selected Spanish-speaking countries through popular media and its portrayal of current events. Emphasis will be on analyzing Spanish-language newspapers, magazines and television in order to understand their imagined audience.
Prerequisite: 202 or 205.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Acad & Prof Contexts, Writing in the Discipline

238 Spanish for Business Professions
This is a specialized course that emphasizes the language of business. Students will study the lexicon and language protocols appropriate to the basic functions of international business. The goal is to improve oral, reading, and writing skills while acquiring a general business vocabulary, and a broadened intercultural perspective.
Prerequisite: 202 or 205.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Acad & Prof Contexts

239 Spanish for the Health Professions
This is a specialized course emphasizing Spanish language and culture as they relate to health and medicine. The course goal is written and oral communication and cultural fluency as they relate to Global Health Care, Food Security, Immigration, and the delivery of health-care services to Limited-English-Proficient, Hispanic patients. Off-campus volunteer work with native Spanish speakers is required.
Prerequisite: 202 or 205. This course is cross-listed as LALC 239.
Attributes: Food Studies Elective, Health Studies Elective, NRSC Non-Div 3 Elective, Service Learning, Sustainability Connections, US Diversity

281 Topics on Spanish-Speaking Worlds and Cultures
This course focuses on topics that aid students in better understanding the relationship between disciplines and cultural competency. Courses may include the study of literature and film, Spanish-speaking culture and art, Spanish-speaking culture and business, and other topics. This course emphasizes cultural and linguistic awareness.
Prerequisite: 202
Attributes: Humanities, SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

295 Introduction to U.S. Latinx/Chicanx Literature and Culture
This interdisciplinary introduction to Latinx/Chicanx Studies discusses foundational historical, cultural, political, artistic, and literary texts of U.S. Latinx/Chicanx communities. This class will cover the varied lives and identities of Latinx/Chicanx individuals, with a particular focus on the Mexican, Central American, and Caribbean diaspora. Specific course emphasis will depend on the professor. This course may be taught primarily in Spanish or English, depending on the material covered.
Prerequisite: SPAN 229; 231; or permission of the instructor. This course is cross-listed as LALC 295.
Attributes: AMST American Lit Elective, AMST Representation Elective, Lat Am, Latinx, Carib St Elect, SPAN/PORT Intro Cult/Ling/Lit, US Diversity

299 Reading and Thinking ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app Texts
The goal of this course is to introduce students to techniques and/or approaches to read and interpret a variety of texts (literature, film, art, photography, music, etc.), while developing the necessary skills in the field to examine discourses, analyze arguments, and construct and defend arguments of their own, orally and in writing. Depending on the professor, this introduction to reading and analyzing different texts may focus on historical, social, cultural, political, methodological, and/or aesthetic contexts, through an interdisciplinary approach.
Prerequisite: 231.
Attributes: Humanities, SPAN/PORT Intro Cult/Ling/Lit

360 Introduction to Translation Studies
An introduction to translation as a professional discipline. Emphasis will be on literary translation (principally Spanish to English). Students will learn how translation advances their knowledge of both English and Spanish and how it makes them more perceptive readers as well as more critical observers of the cultural presuppositions that inform all texts. Attention will also be given to some of the major theoretical issues that have vexed translators historically.
Prerequisites: 299 and one additional 300-level course; or, 299 and permission of the instructor.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Intro Cult/Ling/Lit

365 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
This course serves as an introduction to the concepts of theoretical linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, etc.) as well as applied linguistics (language pedagogy, pragmatics, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, etc.). The approach to this course can be thematic or more narrowly focused and comparative in nature. The course can be taught in English with a Spanish FLIC option and when offered with a FLIC option, advanced learners of other foreign languages are welcome.
Prerequisite: 231 or approval of the professor.
Attributes: FLIC Spanish, SPAN/PORT Intro Cult/Ling/Lit, Taught in English

366 Introduction to Spanish Sociolinguistics
This course will introduce students to the study of variation and change in Spanish based on a variety of sociological factors. The course will incorporate specific examples both in Spanish and in English. The course will be taught in English with a Spanish FLIC option. Advanced learners of other languages are welcome. Topics will include phonological variation, morphological and morphosyntactic variation, discourse analysis, and language in contact.
Prerequisite: Spanish 299 or approval from the professor.
Attributes: FLIC Spanish, SPAN/PORT Intro Cult/Ling/Lit, Taught in English

380 Topics in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies
Study of significant, cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning the Spanish and/or Portuguese speaking world. Some topics offered recently were: The Medieval Song, Borges and the Universe in Numbers, Entanglements in the Colonial Americas, Postwar Spanish Diaspora and the Politics of Remembrance in Contemporary Spain. Specific class topic to be decided by professor. This course may be taught primarily in Spanish or English, depending on the material covered.
Prerequisite: 299 or permission of the instructor.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Advanced Topics

382 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics
This course will treat one or more specific areas of linguistics. The focus of particular semesters will vary, with some covering theoretical and some covering applied linguistics. Specific topics may include bilingualism, contrastive analysis, dialectology, discourse analysis, historical linguistics, language pedagogy, morphology, phonetics, phonology, pragmatics syntax, second language acquisition semantics, and sociolinguistics. The course could also focus on task design or research methods. This course may be taught primarily in Spanish or English, depending on the material covered.
Prerequisite: 299 or permission of instructor.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Advanced Topics

385 Topics in Latinx/Chicanx Studies
This class studies significant cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning U.S. Latinx, Chicanx, and/or Latin American and Caribbean communities and diasporas. A sampling of topics includes: The Mexican-American Border; Nueva York, Diaspora City; U.S. Latinos: Between Two Cultures; Latina/o Poetry; New Latino Narratives; Latina Writers; Afro-Latino Cultural Production in the U.S., Semiotics and the Aesthetics of Latina/o Cinema. Specific class topic to be decided by professor. This course may be taught primarily in Spanish or English, depending on the material covered.
Prerequisite: 299 or permission of instructor. This course is cross-listed as LALC 385.
Attributes: Lat Am, Latinx, Carib St Elect, SPAN/PORT Advanced Topics, US Diversity

401 Senior Research Seminar
Students will work on a semi-independent basis along with the professor on a focused research project. Students will choose a research project that investigates a particular aspect of Hispanic or Luso-Brazilian studies. Students will be required to submit regularly scheduled progress reports and will participate in discussions on research strategies, the writing process, and peer review of their writing. Students will be required to present their research at various stages. The culmination of this course will be a research paper that may serve as a launching pad for the Honor’s Thesis in the spring semester.
Offered regularly in the fall. Students may write their papers in Spanish or English, depending on their priorities and interests.
Prerequisite: SPAN 299, two 300-level courses, and permission of the professor based on the professor’s advanced approval of the student’s topic. This course is cross-listed as LALC 390.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Advanced Topics

Portuguese

General Information

The College offers an interdisciplinary minor in. Students may take significant course work on the language, culture, and literature of the Luso-Brazilian world through regular courses and independent studies.

Students interested in taking Portuguese should consult with the chair of the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies.

Opportunities for off-campus study

Students in the PBST minor, and students interested in the Portuguese-speaking world in general, can enhance their learning experience by participating in Dickinson's study abroad program in Brazil. Dickinson's Brazil program offers the best of all worlds, immersion in Brazilian culture and the Portuguese language, direct enrollment at the University of São Paulo and the support they need to navigate Brazils biggest city and thrive at its most prestigious university. Academic opportunities are enriched with homestays and excursions. Please visit CGSE webpage for more information. 

Courses

In addition to the offerings below, Portuguese is offered on a tutorial basis.

200 Portuguese for Speakers of a Romance Language
This course is designed for students who have previously studied another Romance language and would like develop speaking, reading, writing and listening skills in Portuguese. The course assumes no previous knowledge of Portuguese, and will rely on the comparative grammar and cognate vocabulary of Spanish and other Romance languages to develop language skills over the course of the semester. In addition, the class will explore aspects of Portuguese-speaking cultures in Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Prerequisites: four semesters of a Romance language (or the equivalent), or permission of instructor.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

202 Intermediate Portuguese II
The primary goals of this course are to review and study advanced grammatical structures, as well as develop writing skills. The course will aim to further develop students’ formal knowledge of Portuguese by studying challenging grammatical structures and producing formal and informal texts, such as letters, reports, narrations, summaries, etc. In order to familiarize students further with the cultures of Portuguese speaking countries, the course will use diverse target-language materials, such as short stories, films, newspaper clips, blog entries, YouTube videos, songs, etc. This course is intended as the gateway to the Portuguese and Brazilian Studies minor.
This course will be offered as determined by student needs and on a tutorial (one-on-one) basis based on faculty availability. Prerequisite: 200 or 201
Attributes: Portuguese & Brazilian Studies, SPAN/PORT Language & Culture

231 Portuguese Conversation and Composition
Advanced practice in oral and written Portuguese. In-class work focuses primarily on oral practice through presentations and class-wide discussions of these presentations, of current events, readings and films, as well as small group practice emphasizing everyday situations. Out-of-class work focuses on writing and revision of compositions with emphasis on both grammar and style.
This course will be offered as determined by student needs and on a tutorial (one-on-one) basis based on faculty availability. Prerequisite: 200 or permission of the instructor.
Attributes: Portuguese & Brazilian Studies, SPAN/PORT Acad & Prof Contexts

240 Brazil in a Latin American Context
This course approaches Brazilian cultures and society from an interdisciplinary perspective, with emphasis on social, economic, and environmental justice. The course will examine the diversity of Brazilian society in the context of Latin American cultural, historical, social, philosophical, political, and economic developments, with a special focus on São Paulo. Students will analyze a variety of written and visual texts (from literature, art, popular culture, sociopolitical groups, and the media), scholarly works (articles/book chapters), as well as music and multimedia (documentaries/films/television/new media). Classroom activities will be enhanced with visits to selected areas of metropolitan São Paulo of cultural and historical significance. This course also functions as an introduction to the Brazilian university system and supports the writing and research skills required for study at the University of São Paulo.
Prerequisite: PORT 200 or 201. This course is cross-listed as LALC 205.
Attributes: Global Diversity, Lat Am, Latinx, Carib St Elect, Portuguese & Brazilian Studies, SPAN/PORT St Abd Lang/Cult/Top

242 Brazilian Cultural and Social Issues
In this class students learn about a variety of aspects of Brazilian culture and social issues. While highly discussed topics in Brazil and about Brazil, such as carnival, malandragem, and jeitinho are examined, throughout the semester students explore three different types of encounters: Native encounters, African and Afro-Brazilian encounters, and gender encounters. Students analyze these ideas concentrating on the nature of the encounters and the criticisms generated. Also, the class examines issues of representation related to marginalization, violence and banditry. In order to carry out the analysis of ideas and cultural representations and their development, students work with a variety of texts from different disciplines - literature, anthropology, sociology, history, and film - and follow an intersectional methodology.
This course is cross-listed as LALC 242. Offered every year.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, Global Diversity, Lat Am, Latinx, Carib St Elect, Portuguese & Brazilian Studies, SPAN/PORT Intro Cult/Ling/Lit, Taught in English

290 Brazilian Cinema
This class focuses on important examples of Brazilian cinema, as well as on critical episodes, manifestos, and challenges faced by Brazilian directors, screenwriters, and actors. The class will also analyze diverse periods and genres, such as chanchadas, Cinema Novo, and retomada. Particular attention will be paid to the representation of native Brazilians, Afro-Brazilians, women, and marginalized places (Backlands, favelas, etc.), and how their representation has had social and economic repercussions in Brazil. Taught in English. Available as a FLIC option in Portuguese.
This course is cross-listed as LALC 290. Offered every two years.
Attributes: Humanities, Lat Am, Latinx, Carib St Elect, SPAN/PORT Intro Cult/Ling/Lit, Taught in English

304 Afro-Brazilian Literature
This class analyzes the literary production of Afro-Brazilians writers, as well as the representation of Afro-Brazilian characters in literary texts. It reviews different literary periods and the images those periods created and/or challenged and how they have affected and continue to affect the lives of Afro-Brazilians. Also, by paying particular attention to gender and social issues in different regional contexts, the class considers how Brazilian authors of African descent critically approach national discourses, such as racial democracy and Brazilianness. Taught in English. Available as a FLIC option in Portuguese.
This course is cross-listed as AFST 304 and LALC 304. Offered every two years.
Attributes: AFST - Diaspora Course, Humanities, Lat Am, Latinx, Carib St Elect, Portuguese & Brazilian Studies, SPAN/PORT Advanced Topics, Taught in English, Writing in the Discipline

320 Popular Musics of the Portuguese Black Atlantic
Samba, semba, fado, morna, tropicália, bossa nova, kudero: these are all popular music/dance forms from Portuguese speaking cultures. This interdisciplinary course explores popular music from 20th-21st century Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, and Portugal as lenses into histories of Portuguese colonialism and African diaspora. We will listen to sound recordings, watch documentary films about performance, and read and discuss widely. We will ask questions about relationships between musical expression and the enduring legacies of colonialism. We will study music making in relation to power and resistance. We will explore issues of cultural appropriation, musical exoticism and hybridity in the marketing of local musics for international “world music� consumers.
This course is cross-listed as AFST 220, LALC 212, and MUAC 212.
Attributes: Global Diversity

380 Topics in Luso-Brazilian and Hispanic Studies
Study of significant cultural, literary, and historical topics concerning the Portuguese and, when appropriate, the Spanish speaking world. A sampling of topics includes the Medieval Song, Gender Transgression in Brazilian literature, Malandragem and Bandits in Brazil, Gender and Race in the literatures of the luso-phone world, Writing after the 1964 Brazilian Coup d'etat, Performing Gender in Latin America.
Prerequisite: 242 or permission of the instructor.
Attributes: SPAN/PORT Advanced Topics