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Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
(585) 395-2269
Chairperson and Associate Professor: Elaine K. Miller, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. Professors: Patricia J. Siegel, PhD, Yale University; Joseph Siracusa, PhD, University of Illinois-Urbana. Associate Professors: Andrea Parada, PhD, University of Michigan; Victor J. Rojas, PhD, Indiana University at Bloomington. Assistant Professor: Donna Wilkerson, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, in cooperation with the Department of Education and Human Development, offers an MS in Bilingual-Multicultural Education. Details on this program are found under the listings of the Department of Education and Human Development.
Courses from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures may be applied through the advisement process as partial requirements or as electives in degree programs such as the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS).
French Courses
Prerequisite for admission to courses: BA or demonstrated equivalent proficiency in French.
FRN 502 Advanced Translation and Stylistics (A).
Requires students to translate literary texts from English to French and French to English, to develop greater familiarity with French idioms, to increase accuracy in translation, and to sharpen their awareness of style. Also requires oral (language lab) and written theme et version. 3 Cr.
FRN 550 French Studies (A).
Closely studies a specific topic in French/Francophone language, civilization, or literature. Analyzes a feature chosen from the historical or contemporary perspective and gives the opportunity to examine a particular aspect of Francophone reality in great depth. Requires practice in oral and written French at the advanced level. 3 Cr.
FRN 551 Doing Business in French (A).
Helps students to communicate in a French business environment by increasing their knowledge of French geography and economics, by helping them acquire the vocabulary and syntactical structures related to business, and by making students more aware of cultural differences in the conduct of business between the U.S. and France. Emphasizes the reinforcement of oral and written skills. 3 Cr.
FRN 553 French Women Writers (A).
Studies the presence of eminent women in France's cultural and literary history, contributions they made, difficulties they encountered, and how they embody the French spirit as it lives today. 3 Cr.
FRN 555 French Attitudes (A).
Identifies the basic values underlying French culture and analyzes how these values affect the opinions, decision making, and behavior of French people in personal, social, cultural, political, and economic life. Differentiates between stereotypes and genuine cultural patterns. Compares aspects of the French value system with its American counterparts. Encourages cross-cultural investigation. 3 Cr. Fall.
FRN 557 French Thought in Social Context (A).
Examines collage of literature, philosophy, and history to give students a broad perspective of the major intellectual currents in their social context. Uses readings selected from early periods to the 19th century. 3 Cr.
FRN 599 Independent Study in French (A).
Prerequisites: Six credits of 400-level French with 3.0 average in French and instructor's permission. Arranged in consultation with the instructor-sponsor prior to registration. 1-3 Cr. Every Semester.
FRN 699 Independent Study in French (A).
Graduate status and appropriate background in French. Provides an in-depth study on a given topic arranged in consultation with the instructor-sponsor prior to registration. 1-3 Cr. Every Semester.
Spanish Courses
Prerequisite for admission to courses: BA or demonstrated equivalent proficiency in Spanish.
SPN 550 Topics in Hispanic Literature/Culture (A). Covers specific issues and topics in Latin- American or Spanish literature and culture. Topics and historical perspective defined according to faculty and student interest. Requires active class discussion and advanced skill in written Spanish. 3 Cr.
SPN 551 Spanish for the Professions (A). Provides vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural information useful in professions such as education, health services, business, and law enforcement. Provides extensive practice in specialized oral and written Spanish through simulations involving real life situations in intercultural settings. 3 Cr.
SPN 552 Hispanic Cultures Through Film (A). Studies Spanish and Spanish-American cultures through analysis of films concerning the Spanish-speaking world. Gives special attention to the political domain and the ways in which it affects people's lives, to the evolving role of women in a changing society, and to the influence of indigenous cultures. 3 Cr.
SPN 553 Spanish-American Women Writers (A). Studies outstanding women writers from Spanish America, including Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (Mexico, 17th century), Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda (Cuba, 19th century), Gabriela Mistral (Chile, 19th century), Delmira Agustini (Uruguay, 19th century), Juana de Ibarbourou (Uruguay, 19th century), Alfonsina Storni (Argentina, 19th century), Elena Poniatowska (Mexico, 20th century), Rosario Castellanos (Mexico, 20th century), and Isabel Allende (Chile, 20th century). 3 Cr.
SPN 554 Hispanic Literature and Cultures in the U.S. (A). Examines a vast collection of worksplays, novels, poems, essays, and filmsby the Hispanic community with particular emphasis on those by Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Mexican-Americans. Provides students with historical, social, and cultural contexts that condition the increasing Hispanic presence in the U.S. and inform some of the most relevant concerns present in these works. Explores the formation of cultural identity and degree to which gender, race, and social class influence this process. 3 Cr.
SPN 555 Hispanic Popular Culture (A). Explores both the materials and the dynamics of popular culture in contemporary Hispanic societies. Analyzes forms such as telenovelas (soap operas), popular music, humor and cartooning, beliefs, and oral narratives; and gives attention to differing definitions and interpretations of the roles and functions of popular culture in societies. 3 Cr.
SPN 556 Literature and Culture of the Caribbean (A). Covers literary contributions made by the Spanish-speaking Caribbean (Cuba, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico) to world literature and culturally unique aspects of the region. Gives special emphasis to African heritage and women in society. 3 Cr.
SPN 557 Contemporary Spanish Writers (A). Studies 20th-century Spanish literature, e.g., essays, short stories, novels, poetry, and plays. Presents the historical and literary contexts in which the selected works emerge and discusses the relationship between the writers and their cultural environment. Also develops analytical perspectives in literary criticism and strengthens reading and writing skills in Spanish. 3 Cr. Every Two Years.
SPN 558 Contemporary Spanish-American Writers (A). Studies 20th-century Spanish-American literature, e.g., essays, short stories, novels, poetry, and plays. Presents the historical and literary contexts in which the selected works emerge and discusses the relationship between the writers and their cultural environment. Also develops analytical perspectives in literary criticism and strengthens reading and writing skills in Spanish. 3 Cr. Every Two Years.
SPN 559 Mexico Today (A). Provides an introduction to contemporary Mexico; its history and geography; political, social, and economic systems; art, literature, and music; and people and their lifestyles. Uses films and slides to supplement course content. 3 Cr.
SPN 560 Spanish Phonology (A). Provides a description and analysis of the sound system of modern Spanish, based on structural phonemic theory. Also provides intensive drilling on various sounds and sound-variants of Spanish designed to correct problems of language pronunciation. 3 Cr. Fall.
SPN 561 Advanced Spanish Grammar (A). Covers grammatical structures of Spanish and includes a study of Spanish morphology, syntax, and lexicon. Gives special attention to analysis and correction of interferences. Conducts discussions of specific structures in Spanish, followed by oral and written exercises, including translations. 3 Cr. Spring.
SPN 562 Spanish Language Variations in the U.S.A. (A). Studies the varieties of Spanish spoken in the U.S. by Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, Chicanos, etc. Provides an understanding of cultural, social, anthropological, linguistic, and historical factors that determine language variations. Provides practice in the varieties of Spanish spoken in the U.S. 3 Cr. Spring.
SPN 599 Independent Study in Spanish (A). Arranged in consultation with the instructor-sponsor prior to registration. 1-3 Cr. Every Semester.
SPN 699 Independent Study in Spanish. Arranged in consultation with the instructor-sponsor prior to registration. 1-3 Cr. Every Semester.
Foreign Cultures in English (FCE) (These courses are taught in English.)
FCE 520 Multiculturalism in the U.S.A. (A). Explores how race, social class and ethnicity have influenced in this country the cultural interrelations of different minority groups within the whole society. Analyzes the main theories on the subject, such as assimilation, amalgamation and cultural pluralism. Points out how social acceptance, economic possibilities and political rights are related to those cultural aspects included in the aforementioned concepts. 3 Cr. Spring.
FCE 522 Women's Education in the Developing WorldA Comparative Perspective (A). Examines women's education in the developing world. Raises questions on social mobility, inequality, women's role in the economic and social development of the third-world society. Reviews recent research on the topic; draws case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Uses comparative analysis approach. 3 Cr.
F FCE 526 Foundations of Bilingual Education (A).Studies basic bilingual multicultural topics; how they are closely related to any multilingual, multicultural society (whether in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world); and how such relationships and their different perceptions affect the conceptualization of national and international policies, political and social institutions, legal organizations, philosophical ideas, moral and religious concerns, and educational systems, etc. 3 Cr. Fall.
F FCE 599 Independent Study on Foreign Culture (A).Provides for an independent study conducted in English on some aspect of a foreign culture whose language is taught in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. 1-3 Cr. Every Semester.