The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures offers Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. It also offers a program for minors in French, Italian, and Spanish. The Department offers General Education language courses at the introductory and intermediate levels. Languages offered within the Sophia Program in liberal learning include Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish. French, Italian, and Spanish are taught at the introductory and intermediate levels, and Arabic and Mandarin Chinese at the introductory level. Saint Mary’s students may continue the study of Arabic and Chinese beyond the introductory or intermediate level at the University of Notre Dame.
At the introductory and intermediate levels, the program of Modern Languages and Cultures aims to develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language. Class discussion and activities in the Language Learning Center supplement a thorough foundation in language structure. Cultural aspects of the various countries are emphasized in order to foster the student’s appreciation of cultural diversity and interest in international affairs.
The aim of the advanced courses is twofold: to broaden and deepen the student’s knowledge and appreciation of the literature, culture, and history of the country or countries studied.
Students planning to major in Spanish, or minor in French, Italian, or Spanish, are encouraged to study abroad with one of the affiliated College programs, or under any plan approved by the department. They should see their major advisor about which courses taken abroad will satisfy major or minor requirements.
Saint Mary’s has a long history of providing quality international programs as an essential part of our educational mission—forming women leaders who will make a difference in the world. As this world becomes increasingly interdependent, the College offers an expanding range of semester, year, semester break, and summer study and service programs in a wide variety of countries, and encourages students to take advantage of them. Learn more about the various Study Abroad opportunities.
The language requirement, competency in a modern language, may be fulfilled by completing two semesters of the same language at the appropriate level.
Eight college hours in French or Spanish are granted to entering students who receive a grade of four (4) or above on the Advanced Placement Examination or a score of 5 on the International Baccalaureate examination. Entering students scoring 58 or above on the CLEP Modern Language Examination receive four college hours, which satisfies one semester of the language requirement.
Saint Mary’s is affiliated with the center for Spanish Studies Abroad in Seville, Spain, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Córdoba, Argentina, for Spanish language study. The College is also affiliated with the Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, France, for students studying French abroad, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, for Arabic and/or French, John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
Study abroad in an immersion program, including our affiliated programs in Angers, Córdoba, Seville, and San Juan, requires previous study of the language. Prior study of Italian at Saint Mary’s is strongly recommended for students going to Rome. It is possible to study in Morocco and San Juan without any previous study of the specific country’s language(s) since there are courses offered in English at these programs, although prior study of the country’s language(s) is strongly recommended. For Angers, students with intermediate French language skills will take primarily French language courses, but may also take 1–2 content courses at UCO. We strongly recommend that interested students complete a year of college-level intermediate French. Students should consult with their academic advisor in the Modern Languages Department or with the Chair of Modern Languages regarding the specific foreign language study requirement for any of the affiliated programs.
Students who, after completing the second semester of language instruction, enroll in JCU’s IT 201 (3rd semester,) will receive two additional elective credits upon successful completion of the course. Students who, after completing the third semester of language instruction, enroll in JCU’s IT 202 (4th semester,) will receive one additional elective credit upon successful completion of the course.
Individual programs for those spending a semester or a year abroad are carefully planned with the student’s academic advisor and/or foreign study advisor.
Ty West
115 Spes Unica
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D. Jorza, T. Smithson, R. Solarte-Hensgen, U. Taccheri, M. Valencia, T. West, J. Zachman
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the Arabic language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to Arabic and Islamic cultures. Strongly recommended for prospective students of the Morocco program. Students who have earned high school credits in Arabic enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the Arabic language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to Arabic and Islamic cultures. Strongly recommended for prospective students of the Morocco program. Students who have earned high school credits in Arabic enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
Designed to develop the ability to hold everyday conversation in Arabic and to introduce the student to Arabic cultures. Strongly recommended for study abroad in Morocco.
Designed to develop the ability to hold everyday conversation in Arabic and to introduce the student to Arabic cultures. Strongly recommended for study abroad in Morocco.
Designed for students who have completed MLAR 101, MLAR 102, MLAR 103 and/or MLAR 104 or who have an equivalent competency, MLAR 220 focuses on Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) as well as spoken Arabic. It is designed for non-native Arabic speakers who wish to acquire a proficiency in Arabic Conversation and Arabic Writing which will enable them to communicate fluently with native speakers on a wide range of competencies and strategies.
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the French language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to French and Francophone cultures. Strongly recommended for study abroad in Morocco. Students who have earned high school credits in French enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the French language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to French and Francophone cultures. Strongly recommended for study abroad in Morocco. Students who have earned high school credits in French enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is designed to develop an intermediate-level proficiency in French focusing on all four skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Emphasis is also placed on French and Francophone cultures. Students enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is designed to develop an intermediate-level proficiency in French focusing on all four skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Emphasis is also placed on French and Francophone cultures. Students enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam. MLFR 111 is required for study abroad in Angers, France for students applying after completing MLFR 101 and MLFR 102.
Designed to continue the development of the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course will combine language practice with a content focused on contemporary social and cultural issues within France and the Francophone world, with a particular focus on Africa and Asia. Prerequisites:MLFR 111, 112, or equivalent or permission of the department.
Building on and continuing the development of the four skills—speaking listening, reading, and writing, this course will combine language practice with a content focused on contemporary social and cultural issues within France and the Francophone world, with a particular focus on North America and the Caribbean. Prerequisites:MLFR 111, 112, or equivalent or permission of the department.
Designed to develop the student’s writing skills through the practice of writing as process and the study of French structure and vocabulary. Various themes, styles, and types of composition are considered. May be repeated once for credit if taken during study abroad. Prerequisites:MLFR 111, 112, or equivalent or permission of the department.
This course provides an overview of French and Francophone cinema. Through readings and film screenings, students will learn about major French and Francophone filmmakers. In addition, student will acquire the vocabulary and language skills to discuss cinema. Prerequisites:MLFR 111, 112, or equivalent or permission of the department.
Provides qualified advanced students with an opportunity for independent study and research. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.
Provides qualified advanced students with an opportunity for independent study and research. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the Italian language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to Italian culture. Strongly recommended for prospective students of the Rome Program. Students who have earned high school credits in Italian enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the Italian language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to Italian culture. Strongly recommended for prospective students of the Rome Program. Students who have earned high school credits in Italian enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
Designed to develop the ability to hold everyday conversation in Italian and to introduce the student to Italian culture. Strongly recommended for students planning to study in Rome program.
Designed to develop the ability to hold everyday conversation in Italian and to introduce the student to Italian culture. Strongly recommended for students planning to study in Rome program.
This course is a continuation of MLIT 101 - MLIT 102 and is designed to develop an intermediate proficiency in Italian focusing on all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Emphasis is also placed on Italian culture. Prerequisite: MLIT 102 or equivalent, or the requisite score on the Italian placement exam, or permission of the department. Strongly recommended but not required for study in Rome.
Designed to develop conversational Italian and to explore Italian culture. Strongly recommended but not required for study in Rome.
This course is designed to develop accuracy and fluency in spoken and written Italian, and improve students’ self-confidence in the target language. May be repeated once for credit if taken during study abroad. Prerequisites:MLIT 111 or equivalent or permission of the department
The primary objective of this course is to review the most salient and difficult points of Italian grammar. Prerequisite: MLIT 112 or equivalent or permission of the department. Prerequisites:MLIT 111 or equivalent or permission of the department
An overview of Italian cinematography during the two decades following WW II, with special emphasis on the masterpieces of Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti, Fellini, Antonioni, and Pasolini. Prerequisites:MLIT 111 or equivalent or permission of the department
An introduction to the Italian short story. Prerequisites:MLIT 111 or equivalent or permission of the department
Designed to give students an understanding of modern Italian culture, and the formation of national values through the study of meaningful historical developments from 1870 to the present and an analysis of “high” and “popular” culture. Prerequisites:MLIT 111 or equivalent or permission of the department
Provides qualified advanced students with an opportunity for independent study and research. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.
Practical experience in a position that requires the use of Italian on a regular basis. Position may be in a variety of fields. A reflection paper appropriate to the nature of the internship must be submitted by the end of the semester. Requires a faculty supervisor. Graded S/U. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing and permission of the department.
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the Spanish language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to Hispanic cultures. Students who have earned high school credits in Spanish enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is an introduction to the Spanish language for students with no or limited previous study of the language. The focus is on developing language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sequence also introduces students to Hispanic cultures. Students who have earned high school credits in Spanish enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is designed to develop an intermediate-level proficiency in Spanish focusing on all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Emphasis is also placed on Hispanic cultures. MLSP 111 or MLSP 115 is required for study abroad in Seville, Spain and MLSP 111 - MLSP 112 or MLSP 115 - MLSP 216 is required for study abroad in Cordoba, Argentina. Students enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is designed to develop an intermediate-level proficiency in Spanish focusing on all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Emphasis is also placed on Hispanic cultures. MLSP 111 or MLSP 115 is required for study abroad in Seville, Spain and MLSP 111 - MLSP 112 or MLSP 115 - MLSP 216 is required for study abroad in Cordoba, Argentina. Students enroll in this sequence on the basis of a placement exam.
This two-semester sequence is designed to develop an intermediate-level proficiency in Spanish focusing on all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing, but with increased attention given to reading, writing, and grammar, as appropriate to heritage speakers. Emphasis is also placed on Hispanic cultures. MLSP 111 or MLSP 115 is required for study abroad in Seville, Spain and MLSP 111 - MLSP 112 or MLSP 115 - MLSP 216 is required for study abroad in Cordoba, Argentina. Only heritage speakers who receive the requisite score on the Spanish placement exam may enroll in this sequence.
A thorough review of the more challenging grammatical aspects of the Spanish language is applied to the development of writing skills through the lens of professions that may include, but are not limited to, law, the medical field and business. Prerequisites: (MLSP 111, MLSP 112,) or (MLSP 115, MLSP 216,) or equivalent or permission of the department.
Designed to develop the student’s writing skills through the practice of writing as process and the study of Spanish structure and vocabulary. Various themes, styles, and types of composition are considered. May be repeated once for credit if taken during study abroad. Prerequisites: (MLSP 111, MLSP 112,) or (MLSP 115, MLSP 216,) or equivalent or permission of the department.
This is the second course in the MLSP 115-216 sequence and is designed to develop an intermediate-level proficiency in Spanish focusing on all four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing, but with increased attention given to reading, writing, and grammar, as appropriate to heritage speakers. Emphasis is also placed on Hispanic cultures. MLSP 111 or MLSP 115 is required for study abroad in Seville, Spain and MLSP 111 - MLSP 112 or MLSP 115 - MLSP 216 is required for study abroad in Cordoba, Argentina. Only heritage speakers who receive the requisite score on the Spanish placement exam may enroll in this sequence.
The development of Latin America from pre-Colombian civilizations to the present. While lectures and discussions will be within a historical and chronological framework, emphasis will be on major social, economic, political, artistic, and ideological developments of Latin American countries. Prerequisites: (MLSP 111, MLSP 112,) or (MLSP 115, MLSP 216,) or equivalent or permission of the department.
This course is an introduction to the study of cultural artifacts (literature, film, photography, journalism, art, theatre, etc.) from the Hispanic world. Students will acquire the necessary skills and critical vocabulary to carry out analyses of multiple types of cultural production from different historical periods and associated with a variety of socio-political contexts.
While focusing on reading and analysis of literary production by Spanish women writers of the 20th century, the course also explores the changing status of women in Spain, examining issues of personal identity, feminist discourse, changing gender roles, and literary movements. Prerequisites:MLSP 320 or equivalent or permission of the department.
This course is an introduction to the history, politics, and cultures of the geopolitical region known as Latin America. This class will explore the region’s historical, political, economic, and cultural significance in today’s world. Studying the constructs of Latin America from the time of colonial encounters to the movements of independence and their post-colonial legacies, students will examine relevant historical and contemporary issues regarding colonialism, nation-state formation, neoliberalism, and globalization, immigration and the so-called war on drugs through an interdisciplinary approach that includes films, literature, history, and politics. In addition to considering the processes of democratization, students will analyze sociopolitical phenomena such as dictatorships, the rise of populism, and guerrilla movements, among others. Finally, students will examine the political struggles of ethnic movements to address long-standing gender and racial inequalities. Prerequisites:MLSP 320 or equivalent or permission of the department.
A study of selected novels and short stories by the most influential Latin American writers of the 20th century. Prerequisites:MLSP 320 or equivalent or permission of the department.
An intensive study of a literary movement, theme, genre, or author. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.
Provides qualified advanced students with an opportunity for independent study and research. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.
Practical experience in a position that requires the use of Spanish on a regular basis. Position may be in a variety of fields. A reflection paper appropriate to the nature of the internship must be submitted by the end of the semester. Requires a faculty supervisor. Graded S/U. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing and permission of the department.
Note: Minimum prerequisite for all 200 and 300 level course listings: MLSP 111 Intermediate Spanish I–MLSP 112 Intermediate Spanish II, MLSP 115 Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers I–MLSP 216 Advanced Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Introduces students to language acquisition theory and its implications for the classroom. Topics covered include development of student competency in each of the four skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing), the teaching of culture, and the use of authentic materials. This course is organized around the National Standards and includes familiarization with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Recommended for any language major, especially those considering teaching as a profession, as well as those students considering graduate study. Taught in English. Fall semester only. Prerequisite: EDUC 345 or permission of instructor. (Also listed as EDUC 445.)
What is theatre? How does a theatrical text construct meaning and how is meaning communicated in performance? How can theatre denounce injustice? In this Critical Thinking Seminar we will consider these questions and more as we study the work of contemporary Hispanic women playwrights from Latin America and Spain. We will figuratively travel through time and space in the Spanish-speaking world (including a visit with Latinas in the U.S.) as we examine the works of these dramatists and performers and the ways in which their work highlights and criticizes injustice, violence, and oppression.
The Spanish major consists of a total of eight courses beyond the MLSP 111/112 sequence, distributed as follows:
Two courses at the 200-level- these include MLSP 210 Advanced Grammar, MLSP 212 Composition, and MLSP 208 Conversation, and MLSP 216 Advanced Spanish for Heritage Speakers.
Two courses at the 300-level - MLSP 320 Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies and either MLSP 316 or 317, Spanish or Latin American Civilization, respectively.
Four advanced seminars in cultural studies (at the 400 level).
The plan outlined below includes study abroad in the sophomore year. This is typical of our majors but not required. Students may study abroad in almost any semester (or summer) and get up to 3-4 courses for the major (up to 2 courses in the summer). Some of these courses may also fulfill Sophia requirements when taken abroad. For example, Latin American and Spanish Civilization, when taken in one of our programs in Argentina, Spain, or Puerto Rico, will fulfill a History requirement. Additionally, while abroad, students may also fulfill one or more of the following Sophia’s, which, because they are in taught in Spanish, may also count as advanced seminars in the major--this is not an all-inclusive list, just a few examples--Art History (Historical Perspectives), Spanish Society or Political Science (Social Science I), etc.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | |
| MLSP 111 or MLSP 115 |
Intermediate Spanish I (Sophia Language I ) or Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers I |
4 |
| CTS or W (3cr/4cr) | ||
| SPLL 101 (1 cr) | ||
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Elective (1-3cr) | ||
| Credits | 4 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| MLSP 112 or MLSP 216 |
Intermediate Spanish II (Sophia Language II) or Advanced Spanish for Heritage Speakers |
4 |
| CTS or W (3cr/4cr) | ||
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Credits | 4 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| MLSP 210 or MLSP 212 |
Spanish for the Professions or Spanish Composition |
3 |
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Credits | 3 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Study Abroad: 3 or 4 courses in the major which may also be Sophias | ||
| MLSP 208 | Spanish Conversation (If no study abroad ) | 3 |
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Sophia (3cr) | ||
| Credits | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| MLSP 320 | Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies | 3 |
| MLSP 4xx * | 3 | |
| Sophia (4cr) | ||
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| MLSP 316 or MLSP 317 |
Civilization of Spain (Unless taken on Study abroad) or Latin American Civilization |
3 |
| MLSP 4xx * | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| MLSP 4xx * | 3 | |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| MLSP 4xx * | 3 | |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
One of these seminars may be fulfilled while on study abroad.
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