Course Descriptions
Descriptions for graduate courses in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. See below for current and projected Course Offerings.
Area of Emphasis: Literary and Cultural Studies
SPA 411 Spanish-American Novel
SPA 415 Studies in Seventeenth-Century Spanish Lit
SPA 418 Studies in Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Spanish Lit
SPA 423 Span lit, Medieval, and Renaissance
SPA 424 Span lit, 18th Century to Present Day
SPA 426 Span-American Lit – Foundations to Late 19th Century
SPA 427 Span-American Lit – Late 19th Century to Present Day
SPA 431 Studies in Early Spanish-American Lit
SPA 434 Studies in Modern Spanish-American Lit
SPA 436 Selected Topics in Spanish-American Lit
SPA 437 Selected Topics in Peninsular Spanish Lit
SPA 470 Don Quixote
SPA 482 Selected Topics in Spanish Literature
SPA 484 Studies in Twentieth Century Spanish Lit
LAN 405 Topics in Cultural Studies
LAN 490 Topics in Literary Studies
Area of Emphasis: Theoretical and Applied Linguistics
SPA 410 Spanish Syntax
SPA 412 Spanish Phonetics and Phonology
SPA 421 History of the Spanish Language
SPA 425 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics
SPA 460 Studies in Spanish Linguistics
SPA 472 Topics in Spanish Pedagogy
LAN 319 Principles in World Language Learning
LAN 320 World Language Teaching in the K-12 Setting
LAN 421 Integrating Technology into the Foreign Language Classroom
LAN 450 Foreign Language Testing and Assessment
LAN 475 Foreign Language Teaching Methodologies at the College Level
LAN 480 Advanced Topics in Foreign Language Instruction
Course Offerings
Fall 2022
LAN 421 Integrating Technology into the Foreign Language Classroom
5:30 – 8:20 Wednesday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Rachel Shively, rshivel@ilstu.edu
In this course, you will develop skills in selecting, creating, using, and evaluating technological resources and tools for language teaching and assessment, with an emphasis on integrating technology into the world language curriculum in a manner informed by theories of second language learning and best practices in communicative language teaching. We will explore web-based tools for creating engaging lessons and synchronous and asynchronous tools for student communication, as well as consider topics such as digital literacies and equitable access. You will engage with the course content through hands-on experiences with technology tools, readings, discussion, and reflection. You will have the opportunity to apply what you learn to both research and teaching practice through an original research project and the creation of instructional materials.
LAN 475 Foreign Language Teaching Methods – College Level
4:00 – 5:15 Tuesday & Thursday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Montserrat Mir, mmir1@ilstu.edu
The objective of this course is to give incoming language instructors in the Department of Languages a working knowledge of second language learning as well as an overview of current approaches to language teaching and assessment. In addition, this course is highly recommended if your area of concentration in the MA program is Linguistics. For this reason, we will spend time learning and theoretical aspects of second language acquisition (SLA).
By the end of this course, successful students will be able to...
...critically evaluate teaching practices and materials based on theory and research that explains how adults acquire a second language.
...develop teaching materials informed by theory and research in SLA.
...describe and justify their own approach to foreign language instruction.
LAN 485 Selected Studies in Linguistics
5:30 – 8:20 Monday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Benjamin Schmeiser, schmeis@ilstu.edu
This course treats key issues in the teaching of Spanish pronunciation. We will examine different perspectives on a variety of topics related to Spanish pronunciation and the teaching of it. Topics will also include Spanish phonetics, with practice on the symbols and general concepts. The textbook that we will use is in English.
In addition, the course offers you a unique opportunity to conduct a study in a step-by-step approach in which you analyze a particular topic of interest within the topics we discuss in the textbook; by doing so, you conduct original research, illustrate excellence in research and investigation, and exhibit strong academic writing skills. Both the course and the text assume some basic previous knowledge of Spanish phonetics and interest in pedagogy and/or Second Language Acquisition. The course will be mainly conducted in a seminar/workshop blend; the language of instruction is English.
SPA 405 Current Topics in Hispanic Civilization and Culture
2:00 – 3:15 Tuesday & Thursday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Bruce Burningham, brburni@ilstu.edu
Through an examination of several of the films of Pedro Almodóvar, including ¿Qué he hecho para merecer esto?, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, ¡Átame!, Tacones lejanos, and Volver (among others), this course will explore the major themes and cinematic aesthetics of Spain’s best-known contemporary director.
SPA 410 Spanish Syntax
3:35 – 4:50 Monday & Wednesday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Patxi Laskurain, ilascur@ilstu.edu
The objectives of this class are:
(i) to increase the students' awareness of the form (syntactic structure) of Spanish sentences, and (ii) to increase the students' ability to manipulate the formal (grammatical) devices offered by the language in order to express complex ideas in Spanish. Academic or formal writing generally require the use of complex sentences, sentences where more than two verbal forms are present, and where complex temporal and modal interdependencies are established among the verbs in the sentence. This makes the task of selecting the appropriate tense or mood (and the appropriate clausal connectors) difficult for the students. This class is designed to help students overcome these difficulties, and also to equip them with analytical tools and notions that will enable them to provide explicit explanations of grammatical phenomena.
Specific topics that will be covered in the class are: i) the structure and grammatical form of complex sentences in Spanish ii) different types of subordination, their grammatical form and clausal connectors iii) comparative study of sentence structures in Spanish and their equivalents in English.
SPA 426 Spanish American Lit: Foundations to Late 19th Century
5:30 – 8:20 Thursday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Alejandro Enriquez, aenriqu@ilstu.edu
Awaiting details from instructor.
SPA 482 Hispanic Literature Topics
2:00 – 3:15 Monday & Wednesday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Kimberly Nance, kanance@ilstu.edu
“Unraveling the Real” is critic Cynthia Duncan’s description of the aim and effect of the Latin American Fantastic, a variety of narrative linked to the gothic, ghost stories, and detective fiction. Contributing to the Boom with which Latin American literature burst onto the global literary marketplace, these writers would go on to influence artists and works as varied as Mick Jagger, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Nolan, and Marvel’s Secret Avengers comic book series. This spring SPA 434 will focus on short stories and novellas by three key writers— Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar, who quickly rose to global fame and fortune; and María Luisa Bombal, who continues to gain attention for her strategic employment of the genre’s “did she or didn’t she?” aspect to push social boundaries.
Spring 2022
LAN 350 Foreign Language Testing and Assessment
5:30 – 8:20 Wednesday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Montserrat Mir,
mmir1@ilstu.edu
The objective of this class is to explore theoretical and practical issues related to foreign language assessment. The course will offer step-by-step guidance on how to design assessments that motivate students to offer language samples that accomplish authentic purposes. Participants will learn to create evaluation rubrics that focus on proficiency and will examine guidelines for how to design integrated performance assessments and portfolio assessment models that inform the background design of a unit. We will explore suggestions on how to provide effective feedback to improve learner performance. Evaluation requirements will include written evaluative reports of existing assessment instruments and creation of performance-based assessments with their accompanying rubrics.
This is a hybrid course, which means 50% of class meetings will be on campus, starting the first week of classes, and the other 50% will be online asynchronously. In class, we will focus on discussing assessment related concepts and online, students will work individually and/or in groups to complete different assessment tasks.
LAN 405 Introduction to Cultural Studies
5:30 – 8:20 Thursday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Kimberly Nance,
kanance@ilstu.edu
As Chris Barker and Emma Jane write, “Cultural studies does not speak with one voice, it cannot be spoken with one voice, and we do not have one voice to represent it.” LAN 405 offers an introduction to contemporary theories of culture with emphasis on applications across languages and cultures. Join us this spring to explore the theory and practice of cultural studies in global contexts. In addition to their lively and informed participation in class discussion, students will take exams, present articles, write research papers, and present their findings.
Text: Barker, Chris, and Emma A. Jane. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. Fifth Edition. London: Sage, 2016.
SPA 305 Current Topics in Hispanic Civilization & Culture
4:00 – 5:15 – Tuesday & Thursday – 3 semester hours
Dr. James Pancrazio,
jjpancr@ilstu.edu
More information coming soon.
SPA 311 Spanish Phonetics & Phonology
3:35 – 4:50 – Monday & Wednesday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Benjamin Schmeiser,
schmeis@ilstu.edu
This course treats the core components that comprise the Spanish sound system. The objectives for this course are two-fold. First, the student will learn the basic components of Spanish Phonetics and Spanish Phonology for both ‘Standard Spanish’ and regional varieties. Second, the student will compare these components to English and his/her own pronunciation of Spanish. By learning these basic components and applying them to his/her own Spanish, the student will gain insight into the Spanish language and s/he will also improve upon his/her own language skills. Prerequisite: SPA 215 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics or consent of instructor. This course will be conducted in Spanish.
SPA 323 Spanish Literature: Medieval & Renaissance
2:00 – 3:15 Monday & Wednesday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Bruce Burningham,
brburni@ilstu.edu
This course is designed to familiarize students with the literary, social, and cultural movements of the Iberian Peninsula from the 11th
century to the 17th
century. Topics of discussion will include the multicultural confluence of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions during the Middle Ages as well as the literary and cultural innovations of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
SPA 327 Spanish American Lit: Late 19th
Century to Present Day
12:35 – 1:50 Tuesday & Thursday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Kimberly Nance,
kanance@ilstu.edu
During this time Spanish American literature rose to international prominence in a phenomenon known as the “Boom,” a literary explosion of new styles and writers. The second half of the 20th
century and start of the 21st ushered in a turn toward the politically-engaged personal experience genre of testimonio. In 327 we will consider writers and works both as products of their cultural and historical contexts and as shapers of new projects.
In addition to their lively and informed participation in class discussion, students will take unit and final exams, write research papers, and present their findings. This course is taught in Spanish.
Text: Letras de Hispanoamérica, Ortega, Pellón & Gaspar. Vista, 2014. (The book is also used in many sections of SPA 326, which treats the earlier periods of Spanish American literature—the first section of the book. 327 deals only with the more recent works of the second section of Letras and does NOT require 326 as a prerequisite.)
Prerequisite: SPA 233
SPA 337 Selected Topics in Peninsular Spanish Literature
5:30 – 8:20 Monday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Ryan Davis,
rdavis2@ilstu.edu
Pain, truth, life, death, human imagination. How does literature engage with these and so many other big questions that make up the human experience? In this class, we will read works about fictional persons who wrestle with challenging issues and we will observe and discuss the consequences of their actions. As we accompany them on their journeys, we will reflect on how literature reverberates beyond the confines of the text and inform life. Our primary texts will be taken from modern Spain and will include short stories, plays, legends, and a novel. We will augment our primary texts with critical readings that help us think through the deep an abiding questions that seem to constitute human experience. The course will be taught in Spanish.
SPA 421 History of the Spanish Language
5:30 – 8:20 Tuesday – 3 semester hours
Dr. Benjamin Schmeiser,
schmeis@ilstu.edu
This course treats the historical changes that took place from Latin to Modern Castilian Spanish. The course combines discussion of crucial historical events that shaped Castilian Spanish with linguistic analysis of the diachronic changes that occurred. Topics include, but are not bound to, the Pre-Roman era on the Iberian Peninsula; the vowel and consonant inventory of Latin, both Classic and Vulgar; the phonological, morphological and syntactic changes over time; and major linguistic influences from other languages and cultures. This course will be conducted in Spanish.
*No previous knowledge of Latin is required for this course.*
*Students must obtain the second edition of the text in Spanish.*