Business and Spanish Studies in Seville, Spain

This course is designed to help students learn more about the process involved in composing short research papers and effective support of different points of view and hypotheses. Key concepts of discourse analysis and rhetorical devices will also be studied. Classroom activities include written tasks, prose style analyses, translations and coherent paragraphing.

This course focuses on improving accuracy in reading comprehension and fosters the development and refinement of literacy skills. Various activity formats, such as comprehension checks, paraphrasing and understanding discourse structure and intentions will be applied to a variety of texts, including newspaper articles, short stories and excerpts from novels.

Designed to increase students’ listening comprehension skills, as well as introduce them to the general phonetics and phonology of Spanish. Students develop the ability to analyze the Spanish sound system and distinguish the phonetical features of its principal dialects.

This intensive course is designed for native and near-native speakers of Spanish. In addition to a thorough review of challenging grammatical aspects of Spanish, this course incorporates preparation for the DELE (Diploma de Español de Lengua Extranjera). Course materials may also include films, music, selections from the press, as well as literary readings. The performance of short excerpts of plays, combined with advanced work on oral expression and phonetics, will help students increase their fluency and ease of expression. This course is taught in the Intensive Period.

This intensive language course is intended for students who grew up listening to and speaking Spanish in their homes, but without receiving formal training in the language. Course includes a review of complex grammar structures, spelling and punctuation, with a special emphasis on reading and writing skills.

The vocabulary and structures current in Spain today are practiced in realistic situations, focusing on the practical functions that language must fulfill in speech and written communication. Emphasis on the appropriate use of different degrees of formality using multiple resources. An extensive review of Spanish language. Oral drills, role playing, conversations, and practical exercises with attention to underlying structures are reinforced with readings, writing exercises, and vocabulary building. Intensive Language Course taken during the Intensive Period (first 3 weeks).

Through observation, description, and analysis of their own experiences in Seville, students will develop a deeper understanding of the process of cultural adaptation and the cultural realities of contemporary Spain. In addition to the readings, workshop exercises, and written assignments, students are required to participate in an “intercambio” and are encouraged to further participate in the culture through volunteer work, participation in sports or cultural groups, internships and service learning projects.

Engagement in the culture through community service in a local organization.

Practical experience through placement in a local company or organization.

Students learn to dance the sevillanas that characterize the folk music and fiestas of the South of Spain. This studio course of 20 hours is taught in the flower-lined patio of the Center.

This course focuses on the motivational factors, personality traits, cognitive and learning styles, the degree of adaptation to a foreign language context, and other psychological factors (such as emotional and multiple intelligences), which influence second language acquisition. Students acquire tools to identify the psychological aspects that facilitate and sometimes impede the learning of a foreign language. Taught in Spanish.

Introduction to the theoretical principles, concepts, and terms currently used in foreign language teaching. Survey of major language teaching methods and approaches with related techniques. A practical component provides students with experience in actual classroom management procedures. Students are encouraged to develop their own methodology, drawing from different orientations in pursuit of their own teaching objectives. Taught in English.

Practical experience in international business through placement in a local company. (135 or 180 hours, 3 or 4 credits)

This course provides an in depth introduction to political and economic aspects of the European Union (EU) and detailed analysis of how they affect international business. The monetary, fiscal, and labor policies of the EU, as well as the economic differences among member states, will be examined. Students will also study the principal businesses and companies of the EU, their management, relations with Spain and the US, and their role in the globalized economy.

The course’s goal is focused on the publication of a virtual magazine related to Spain, the city of Seville and the study abroad experience, always from a student-centered perspective. Written and audiovisual texts (creative or purely journalistic), including blogs, podcasts, digital video and photography, produced by students interested in participating in the project, organized and edited by members of the course, and published online. Throughout the semester, example texts will be explored and analyzed through open conversation: photography, video, print and digital media, and documentary film.

Cinema is one of the most exact representations of a country’s culture. For over a century, Spanish film directors have imbued with their unique style a large part of the collective imagery that defines us. Their artistic and aesthetic criteria, along with the sociopolitical context of each director, have helped shape the image of contemporary Spaniards. In this class, we will approach cinema from two perspectives: as a cultural expression and as an art form with its own language. We will study cinematographic language and the genres and styles of the most emblematic directors. From Buñuel to Almodóvar, we will explore comedy, drama and other genres and movements, because understanding our cinema is a fundamental step to achieving a deeper comprehension of our culture.

This thematic course studies the influences of Jews and Muslims in political, intellectual, and artistic life from the earliest history to the present. Particular attention is paid to the period of convivencia, when Jews, Muslims, and Christians co-existed in medieval Spain. The course will also examine the influences from this period still visible in Seville and Spain.

This course serves as an introduction to the historical, political, social, anthropological, and cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking nations in the Americas. Beginning with the great civilizations which arose before the Spanish arrived, students follow development through encounter, colonization, and independence to the present day in the different countries in the hemisphere. Seville becomes a unique classroom setting for this course, as the opening of new transatlantic commercial routes in the 16 th century made this city-port a flourishing epicenter of commerce and trade all throughout Europe.

This course explores the history of Spanish gastronomy and its influence in shaping the culture and society of modern day Spain. It is conceived as a tasteful journey that takes students from the beginnings of cooking in ancient cultures to the influence of Mediterranean, Arabic and American civilizations in Spanish cuisine. Students will learn and experience first-hand the most known Mediterranean products, like olive oil, bread and wine, and the importance of the Mediterranean diet in the daily life of Spaniards.

The study of the cultural development of Spain begins with the dawn of the Modern Era in 1492 and continues through to the civilization of Spain today. The course considers the impact of the New World on Spain’s economy, demography, and culture, the turbulence of the 20th century, the 1936-39 Civil War, Franco, and the Transition to democracy and present-day Spain.

This course studies Spanish civilization from the earliest period to 1492. The geography of Spain, the main ethnic groups, their cultures and economies, and the evolution of the Spanish identity are considered.

Students examine the structures of Spanish society and the currents of change which continue to influence contemporary Spain. The Spanish family, youth, and women; migratory movements, the process of urbanization, and conflict between national and regional interests; political parties and labor unions in society; and, in particular, Andalusian society.

What elements define Spain’s current political situation? After a brief historical introduction to post-Franco Spain, the course will center on the pressing debates in Spanish society after the year 2000: from the downfall of the Spanish economy to the pro-independence movement in Cataluña, from the collapse of a bipartisan system to the rise of new political and social forces like Ciudadanos and Podemos. Students will be encouraged to express their ideas through debates based on readings and class lectures.

Political organization and economic structure of contemporary Spain, through the analysis of significant events in recent history, and the challenges in the process of economic, political, and social modernization. Consideration of restoration, dictatorship, the 2nd Republic, the Civil War, Franco, and the ultimate success of the Transition to democracy, with the formation of a state of laws rooted in the Constitution. Analysis of the perspectives of Spain in the European Union and discussion of ETA and Basque identity. (45 hours, 3 credits)

This course studies Spain’s encounters with new populations from the earliest period of national consciousness to the present. The course starts with consideration of the contemporary reality that recent waves of immigrations have brought, looking beyond to the political, economic and social realities that underlie our observations. The many layers of past civilizations show their presence in the evidence they have left throughout Spain, especially Seville. We consider the effects of the centuries of contacts which formed Andalusian and Spanish identity, through the movements of peoples from the south and east across the Mediterranean. Finally, we turn our attention to Spain’s unique experience and relationship with the Arab world, in history and in the reality of Seville today. Presentations, guest lectures, and visits to relevant sites and monuments, all combine to enrich and illustrate the focus of study, as we seek out the multiple perspectives necessary to understand this complex topic.

In Seville’s streets, monuments, and museums, this course studies the development of Spanish art and culture from the 16th century Renaissance to the present. Special attention is given to the art and culture during the unique Siglos de oro of the Baroque period in the 17th and 18th centuries as exemplified in the painters Murillo, Velázquez, and Valdés Leal. From Goya, to the contemporary period with Gaudí­, Picasso, Miró, and Dalí­, consideration of present-day artists and cultural currents.

Drawing on the resources of Seville and its region, this course analyzes Spanish artistic expression from cave paintings of Paleolithic time through the 15th century Gothic period, including the Pre-Roman and Roman eras, and the Visigothic period. Special emphasis is given on the Hispano-Arab heritage of Al-Andalus in Seville and Southern Spain, from the eighth century North African invasion to the Nazarí of Granada, last Muslim realm in Spain. Finally, the course considers the Romanesque age and the Gothic period, whose ultimate expression is the cathedral of Seville.

Using the rich variety of anthropological studies by both foreign and Spanish researchers, students examine the peoples and cultures of contemporary Spain. Areas of study include rural and urban life, regional and ethnic identities, the gypsies and other marginal peoples, rituals and festivals, gender and family, work cultures, and tourism. Students also use techniques of anthropological investigation (participant-observation, life histories) to examine more closely contemporary Andalusian culture and everyday life in Seville.

Students examine the role of women in Spanish literature from the jarchas to the Neoclassic, a period in which few women’s voices are heard, to their appearance as major figures in Romanticism and Realism, and into the 20th century. We study how these authors portray the social and historical moment in which they lived, and their attitude towards it.

This course presents a literary vision of Spain from the loss of the Americas in 1898 through turmoil, Civil War and dictatorship, to democracy. Modernism, the Generation of 1898, the vanguardias, the Generation of 1927, the Civil War in literature, critical realism, parody and humor, the novel of the Transition and beyond.

This rich period in literary production is studied through a selection of texts and authors from the beginning of the 20th to today. Vanguardias, realismo mágico, innovations in poetry, narrative, and theater, regional and ethnic expression, and the Boom and post-Boom periods.

This course analyzes literary expression from indigenous tradition through Modernism and the early years of the 20th century. Primarily focusing on Colonial Literature, the course includes the study of early Spanish and American works, and the literary expression of the region’s search for cultural emancipation, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Modernism, and post-Modernist trends.

Students gain a panoramic vision of the literature of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, through formal analysis of selected works. The course analyzes the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, Romanticism in theater and poetry, Realism and Naturalism, Modernism, the Generation of 1898, the Generation of 1927, and literature of the Civil War and after.

This course surveys Medieval and Golden Age literature from earliest lyric poetry through the Baroque period. The jarchas, epic, didacticism, romances, poetry and prose, new narrative forms, and the Baroque period.

This course, designed for native and near-native speakers of Spanish, focuses on complex aspects of grammar, vocabulary and writing. In addition to a thorough review of challenging grammatical aspects of Spanish, this course incorporates preparation for the DELE (Diploma de Español de Lengua Extranjera). The DELE is administered internationally by the Instituto Cervantes which measures and certifies Spanish language competency. Taking the DELE is not a course requirement.

A practical examination of the forms of business communication in the Hispanic world including commercial vocabulary, the writing of business letters, and oral practice with business dialogs. Discussions of business news and study of business documents.

Effective written communication through practical exercises in both free and directed composition in Spanish. Attention to the organization necessary in writing various types of compositions. Selected aspects of Spanish grammar are reviewed. The development of self-correction skills is encouraged as is an appreciation of form and style.

A course designed to help students develop language skills for health-related professions. Students participating in this course will learn how to communicate more effectively with Spanish-speaking patients and their families as well as how to consult with other health professionals. Medical health terminology, patient/client-interviewing skills, and cultural factors affecting health care delivery will also be studied.

The vocabulary and structures current in Spain today are practiced in realistic situations, focusing on the practical functions that language must fulfill in speech and written communication. Emphasis on the appropriate use of different degrees of formality using multiple resources. An extensive review of Spanish language. Oral drills, role playing, conversations, and practical exercises with attention to underlying structures are reinforced with readings, writing exercises, and vocabulary building. Language Course taken during Continuation Period.