Skip top navigation Skip to main content
Lasell University
Lasell University

2015 - 2016 Academic Catalog

Spanish Language Studies Minor

The Minor in Spanish Language Studies comprises a plan of study under which students achieve spoken and written Spanish language proficiency. In addition, students engage in meaningful activation of Spanish language learning in an authentic context. The minor calls for 17-19 credits of coursework. In addition to studying the Spanish language, students must complete one of the following: a service-learning trip to a Spanish-speaking country (Lasell arranges service in Mexico and Ecuador), a semester of study in a Spanish-speaking country, or a service-learning activity (1-3 credits) in the Hispanic community.

Course Code Course Title Credits
Choose 4 from the following:
SPAN112 Elementary Spanish II 4
SPAN211 Intermediate Spanish I 4
SPAN212 Intermediate Spanish II 4
SPAN311 Advanced Spanish I 4
SPAN312 Advanced Spanish II 4
SPAN314 Cinemundo 4
Choose 1 from the following:
HUM207X Mexico/U.S.: Poverty & Human Rights 3
SVL203 Env Service-Learning in Ecuador 1

Additional Requirement:

  • Choose one of the following:
    • HUM 207: 3 credits
    • SVL 203: 1 credit
    • Study Abroad in a Spanish-speaking country (intermediate or advanced course in language or culture, taught in Spanish and designed beyond or apart from the 211-212/311-312 sequence): 3 credits
    • Service Learning (via linked SVL credits) involving Spanish language application in the Hispanic community: 1-3 credits

Credit Requirements for minor: 17-19 credits.

SPAN112 - Elementary Spanish II

This course is a continuation of SPAN 111, with continued focus on understanding, speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural awareness. Prerequisite: SPAN 101 or 111 (with C or better), demonstrated competency through placement, or permission of instructor.

SPAN211 - Intermediate Spanish I

This course reviews and reinforces prior grammar knowledge through speaking, listening, reading, and writing; more advanced grammar constructs are introduced to support written and spoken language growth. Texts and discussion focus on Hispanic culture, art, and society. Prerequisite: SPAN 102 or 112 (with C or better), demonstrated competency through placement, or permission of instructor.

SPAN212 - Intermediate Spanish II

In this course, students continue to develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills through the analysis and discussion of cultural and literary texts. The course includes a review of advanced grammatical structures. Prerequisite: SPAN 201 or 211 (with C or better), demonstrated competency through placement, or permission of instructor.

SPAN311 - Advanced Spanish I

Students in this course study composition and conversation, with emphasis on the Hispanic cultures and their contribution to world civilizations. Geography, history, and the artistic evolution of Spain and Latin America are presented through readings, literary texts, and visual materials. Prerequisite: SPAN 212 or SPAN 202 (with C or better), demonstrated competency through placement, or permission of instructor.

SPAN312 - Advanced Spanish II

Students in this course engage in textual and cultural analysis through writing. Students learn to read and interpret complex literary texts and visual materials, to discuss them analytically in class, and to write about them in formal and informal writing assignments. By the end of this course, students should be able to approach a text (narrative, poetry, drama, or film) with a series of critical questions and write interpretively about the work. Students also acquire a general understanding of literary and cultural movements in Hispanic cultures. Grammar points are reviewed as needed. Prerequisite: SPAN 311 or SPAN 301 (with C or better), demonstrated competency through placement, or permission of instructor.

SPAN314 - Cinemundo

This course is designed as an advanced seminar in Spanish. Discussions focus on films, historical writings, and literary texts, as four general categories are explored: memory and oblivion, immigration and exile, identities marginalized, and the Hispanic in the globalizing world. Native speakers are welcome, and the course offers a special opportunity for Honors students to complete an Honors component. Prerequisite: SPAN201or SPAN211 (with C or better) or permission of instructor.

HUM207X - Mexico/U.S.: Poverty & Human Rights

In this course, we will study poverty from the perspective of poor people themselves. Examining the diverse cultures and peoples of Mexico, we consider the way in which people in one Mexican state help themselves. Their history and struggles will shed light on the dire poverty in which half the world’s population lives, as we work shoulder to shoulder with a farming community taking its future into its own hands. The course includes an immersion component in January, involving daily service and study in Mexico through the international nonprofit Niños de Veracruz. The course also includes fifteen hours of service to Niños de Veracruz in November. This course fulfills the Area of Inquiry – Multicultural [AI(MC)] and the Area of Inquiry – Moral/Ethical [AI(ME)] and supports the Human Rights Minor.

SVL203 - Env Service-Learning in Ecuador

This fall semester course is linked to ten days of service-learning and study in Ecuador during January break.  The course is designed to educate students about the history, people, culture, politics, eco-systems, climate, and language of Ecuador.  The experience in Ecuador includes group accommodations in home-stays or lodges, full days of travel, outdoor manual labor and reflective intellectual work. We learn through service alongside community members at foundations, schools, government agencies, and local businesses.  The goal of both the course and the experience is to immerse students in the culture of Ecuador, while exploring the natural environment and the impact humans have over time.  Students must apply and may only register with the permission of the Ecuador program director.