Introduction to Spanish Literature: SPAN 33700

Profesora DiFrancesco, Assistant Professor

Ithaca College, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Office: 411 Muller Faculty Center

Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:00-12:00 p.m, and by appointment

Phone: 274-3547

E-mail: mdifrancesco@ithaca.edu

Course Description and Goals: In “Introduction to Spanish Literature” I aim to provide students with an overview of Spanish Peninsular literature and its cultural contexts from the Medieval period to the present day. This course introduces principal literary movements and authors; it trains students to read critically and to analyze literary Spanish. By the end of the semester, students will have (1) improved their reading skills,

(2) increased their ability to think, discuss, and write critically and analytically about Spanish literature, and

(3) gained insight into the historical and social contexts in which the literature studied was written. As a result of taking this course, students should learn to appreciate the richness of Spanish literature.

This course furthers the mission of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and the State and National Learning Standards by providing students frequent opportunities to communicate in the target language, both orally and in writing, and by developing an awareness and appreciation for the cultures to which the Spanish language belongs.

Mode of Assessment: Portfolio: You will hand in a portfolio for evaluation twice during the semester, once around mid-semester and again at the end of the semester. Each time you hand in the portfolio, it must be as complete as possible (i.e., include as many completed assignments as possible). I suggest you use a 1.5” binder or a very sturdy folder to compile your work. Use labeled dividers to organize sections (i.e., “Ensayos cortos,” “Guías de lectura,” etc.). Make sure the outside of the binder or folder is clearly labeled with your name, a place/phone number where you can be reached, your e-mail address, class level and section. If you lose your binder or folder at any time during the semester, you must make up all lost work. No exceptions. On that note, make multiple copies of your work (i.e., have homework assignments, essays, etc. saved on your computer/zip drive/CD, etc.). Each time your portfolio is collected, it will be evaluated/graded. Your portfolio must include:

1. Ensayos cortos: You will write a one (250-300 words) to two-page (500-600 words) (250-300 words) short essay per week in Spanish about the literature you are reading in class. Short essays must be typed (use 12 point, Times New Roman font, with margins of 1”), stapled and printed for class each week. Due dates for these weekly assignments are clearly marked on the class schedule.

The purpose of these short essays is to help you think critically about literature, historical/social periods and the themes we are studying on a regular basis. In your writing, you are expected to reflect on and critically respond to the literature we are reading. I may, at times, specify a short essay topic in class and ask that students share their writings on the topic once they have had time to complete the task. However, there are a variety of other ways you will be able to approach the literature we are reading. For example, you might want to write about a quote in a short story or poem and try to explain its significance within the context of the period. Other ideas might be: thinking about an alternative ending to a play, telling a story from another point of view than that in which the original story is told (i.e., the point of view of a minor character or an outside observer) or you may ask a question about the literature and then explain why this question is important, interesting, or troublesome to you. You might also choose to write about some literary device or figure used within the literature (i.e., images, language, structure, setting, etc.), and think about how it functions within the work.

I will regularly collect short essays to be graded. Your grade will be based on your overall written performance (standard grammar, syntax, vocabulary, etc.) as well as your in-class participation, discussion, thoughtfulness and originality. I assign grades based on the following system:

√+ (check-plus, A): This is a truly exceptional analysis or discussion. It shows keen insight and understanding; it is written in excellent, standard Spanish; it is logical and coherent.

√ (check, B): This is an average short essay, of average length. It uses good, standard Spanish; it is logical and coherent, but it may lack in clearly demonstrating insight or understanding.

√- (check-minus, C): This is an average short essay; it may contain sub-standard Spanish and/or be illogical and/or be incoherent, and/or be too short/too long. Please note that if the essay is not in class for any reason on any given due date, it will also receive a √-, no matter how well it is written. If, however, there are unusual extenuating circumstances that have kept you from completing work, please let me know. Such circumstances merit exception.

√-- (check-minus-minus, D): This is a below average short essay; it contains all the characteristics of a “C” paper; it may also contain English words or phrases; it clearly demonstrates a lack of understanding or knowledge.

0: if your short essay is simply never handed in to me.

At the end of the semester, choose your best eight short essays and put them in the portfolio in the order they were originally completed. Note that these essays should be versions that I have corrected/written on. You are to preface this section of the portfolio with a reflective paragraph or two telling me why you selected these particular essays for inclusion in the portfolio. In this reflective writing, you might comment on how these essays particularly shaped your way of thinking about Spanish literature, helped you to grow as a student/individual, or changed your thinking about the world. If you have questions regarding this reflective aspect of the portfolio, please speak to me individually. We will also be talking about reflective writing techniques in class. (20%)

2. Guías de lectura: At the end of each textbook section, there is a set of reading comprehension questions. Though you must complete all of these to fully participate in daily class sessions, choose your best 10 to insert, typed (use 12 point, Times New Roman font, with margins of 1”), in the portfolio. Be sure to place these in the portfolio in the order they were originally completed during the semester, and make sure that your work reflects the range of your abilities as a student. About half of the guided reading questions must come from the first half of the semester. The other half must come from the second half of the semester. We will discuss your answers to these questions in class. However, after class, you will reflect and respond to your original, typed answers, taking into consideration what your colleagues have said in class and what you may have learned from class discussion. Your written comments should reflect on the ways in which the material you are learning fits into your academic/individual life (i.e., how it relates to what you are learning about Spanish literature, other classes, or how it relates to the way you understand the world around you.). Remember that I will be grading your original, typed responses to the comprehension questions as well as your reflective, hand-written comments to these responses. Your typed guías de lectura should be well organized, coherent and detailed, but they do not need to be very long (3-4 sentences per question should suffice). Make sure that your responses show insight into the literature. Make references to the literature read to prove points you wish to make. (20%)

3. Mid-term and Final Exams: I will give mid-term and final exams that assess your learning of: pertinent rhetorical terms, knowledge of authors/literature and important social/historical contexts that inform the texts we have read. In your final portfolio, you will write two reflective paragraphs, one on the mid-term and one on the final. In these reflective writings, you may choose to comment on the way in which these exams helped you to assimilate and synthesize knowledge learned over the semester or write about your experience of the exams. Again, we will discuss reflective writing more in class. (20% mid-term, 30% final)

4. Ensayo auto-reflexivo sobre su experiencia académica: At the end of the semester, you will write a one (250-300 words) to two-page (500-600 words) reflective essay in Spanish about your experience in class. This essay should take into account what you have learned about Spanish literature from the Medieval period to the present day, as well as discuss your experience as a member of an academic community learning about the writing produced by the authors studied. In your writing, I encourage you to talk about how your portfolio writing, class participation, exams, attendance and engagement at all levels influenced your performance. (10%)

Requirements and Policies:

A. The fiction, poetry and mini-lectures for this course will be in Spanish. As such, the language to be used in class discussions and all other assignments, be they written or oral, must be Spanish.

B. All students are required to attend weekly sessions and actively and enthusiastically participate in class discussions. Students are permitted to miss a maximum of 3 class periods (i.e., one week of class). For each absence beyond three, your final cumulative grade will be reduced by 2% per missed class. After a total of 8 unexcused absences, the professor maintains the right to withdraw any student. Please note that I regard tardiness as equally offensive as excessive absence. Legitimate extenuating circumstances (grave illness, hospitalization, funeral of a family member, etc.) merit special consideration. Please see me if a special circumstance requires you to miss class.

Make an effort to arrive to class on time, and if some extenuating circumstance keeps you from arriving on time, please be kind to those already in class (do not interrupt the class more than necessary).

C. Students are required to have COMPLETED the reading assignment for each class period PRIOR to the class in which the reading will be discussed. By “completed,” I mean that students will have: 1) read the full text at least once and looked up difficult vocabulary, 2) taken notes in a notebook and/or in the margins of the textbook, 3) written out questions that emerged from the reading and 4) TYPED OUT assignments. If, for any reason, you have not completed the reading, please let me know privately prior to the beginning of class. This is not so that I can punish you, but so that I can refrain from calling on you, which would be embarrassing for both of us and slow down the pace of the class.

D. No make-up exams or quizzes will be given. Late assignments--essays, homework, etc--will NOT be accepted unless the student has obtained the professor’s permission in doing so.

E. No electronic submission of any assignment will be accepted. No handwritten submission of any assignment will be accepted.

F. Students should turn off cellular phones during class. Cellular phones distract your colleagues from the task at hand, and I find such distractions personally rude and annoying.

G. Academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism. All assignments handed in must reflect the individual work of the student handing in the assignment. I am personally offended and disturbed by acts of academic dishonesty, cheating and plagiarism. The Ithaca College Student Conduct Code describes these offenses and possible actions resulting from such behavior here: STUDENT CONDUCT CODE OF ITHACA COLLEGE, APPENDIX II. If you have ANY doubt as to how to cite or paraphrase a source, ask.