The student will be able to:

1. Discuss literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry) written by native speakers about a wide variety of topics, styles and writing techniques as models for writing.
2. Appraise points of view, development of arguments, and ideas in readings.
3. Analyze and criticize these literary works in written reports with an understanding of the cultural and historical contexts in which they were written.
4. Recognize the diversity of Spanish-speaking peoples and cultures, evaluating their contributions to literature, the arts and social and political life in Spain and Hispanic America.
5. Analyze and compare the student's personal values, experiences and point of view to those of Spanish-speaking peoples and cultures.
6. Write compositions that show grammatical refinement in vocabulary, tenses and syntax as well as an understanding of current issues in Hispanic society.
7. Write routine social correspondence, cohesive summaries, resumes and descriptions.
8. Proofread for errors in language and mechanics to be understood by native speakers not accustomed to speaking to foreigners.

1. Discuss and analyze literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry) of Spanish speaking countries, for example:
   1. Fiction:
      1. Gabriel García Marquéz: La siesta del martes, Un día de estos
      2. Isabel Allende: Segmento La casa de los espíritus
      3. Laura Esquibel: Como agua para chocolate
      4. Jorge Luis Borges: La casa de Asterión del Aleph
      5. Juan Ramón Jimenez: Platero y yo
      6. Elena Poniatowska: Las lavanderas
   2. Non-fiction:
      1. Carlos Fuentes: La Familia
      2. Carmen Laforet: Nada
      3. Mario Vargas Llosa: La ciudad y los perros
      4. Reinaldo Arenas: Con los ojos cerrados
      5. Zoé Valdés: La dificultad de ser artista y cubano
      6. Jorge Luis Borges: Borges y yo
      7. José Martí: Nuestra América
   3. Poetry:
      1. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Hombres necios; Este que ves, engaño colorido
      2. Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: Rimas
      3. Pablo Neruda: Yo acuso
      4. Emilia Pardo Bazán: Las medias rojas
2. Discuss and extrapolate social, cultural and historical issues from the reading material that provide a better understanding of the Hispanic world and its peoples, such as:
   1. Elena Poniatowska: Discurso Ceremonia de entrega Premio Cervantes
   2. Pablo Neruda: Yo acuso
   3. Emilia Pardo Bazán: Las medias rojas
   4. Jordi Pérez Colomé: Señor Rajoy, déjeme escribirle sus discursos
3. Analyze and criticize these literary works in written reports with an understanding of the cultural and historical contexts in which they were written
   1. Answer content questions and give opinions about the readings in class
4. Discuss and analyze current events, issues and historical developments in the Spanish-speaking world and the United States
   1. Give opinions about non-literary sources (films, newspapers, magazines, news reports, etc.) in written reports
   2. Paraphrase or summarize current events and issues in the Spanish-speaking world and the Unites States
   3. Discern unknown vocabulary from context
5. Analyze and compare the student's personal values, experiences and point of view to those of Spanish-speaking peoples and cultures
   1. Write summaries of personal experiences in all time frames
   2. Read and write about Hispanic immigrants in the United States like those in Francisco Jiménez's Cajas de cartón
   3. Evaluate and discuss the attitudes in Spain and in the United States toward Hispanic immigrants related to linguistic, cultural and sociopolitical issues in news articles
6. Write compositions that show grammatical refinement in vocabulary, tenses and syntax as well as an understanding of current issues in Hispanic society
   1. Demonstrate an understanding of complex and idiomatic grammatical structures and their practical uses in written communication, such as:
      1. The use of the indicative mood
      2. Present and past subjunctive
      3. The subjunctive mood in noun, adverbial and adjectival clauses
      4. The conditional, conditional perfect, and "if" clauses
7. Write routine social correspondence, cohesive summaries, resumes and descriptions
   1. Write letters to family, friends and letters to the newspapers
8. Proofread for errors in language and mechanics to be understood by native speakers not accustomed to speaking to foreigners
   1. Edit the student's own essays and those of their peers

Not applicable.

Compositions
Written examinations and quizzes
Discussion and oral participation
Daily preparation
Midterm
Final examination

Lecture and visual aids
Discussion of assigned reading
Exploration of internet sites
Quiz and examination review performed in class
Homework and extended projects
Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Ayllón, Cándido. Spanish Composition through Literature, 6th ed.. 2011.

Mullen, Edward J.. El cuento hispánico: A graded literary anthology, 8th ed.. 2017.

Bleichmar, Guillermo, and Paula Cañón. Taller de Escritores: Grammar Composition for Advanced Spanish, 2nd ed.. 2016.

Although some texts are older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, they remain relevant in this area of study.

When taught virtually: supplemental lectures, handouts, tests, assignments and class discussions delivered via Canvas, such as:
Media and communication in Latin America: http://lanic.utexas.edu/subject/media
Mass media directory of the Spanish-speaking world: https://www.bowdoin.edu/~eyepes/newgr/ats/
Instituto Cervantes: http://cvc.cervantes.es/portada.htm - official page of the Instituto Cervantes, dedicated to the knowledge and diffusion of Spanish in the world. It contains literary readings, reviews, grammatical exercises, Spanish-related news, educational forums, etc.
Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia: http://roble.pntic.mec.es/~msanto1/ortografia/ - dedicated to spelling and accent rules, especially focused on common spelling errors
https://ptaldehecun.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/programa_de_escritura.pdf
https://www.jotdown.es/2013/03/senor-rajoy-dejeme-escribir-sus-discursos/

1. Weekly reading and grammar assignments from textbook and outside sources.
2. Write a total of at least 5000 words; a minimum of five compositions (four out-of-class and one in-class), the shortest of which will be 500 words.