This course allows the students to develop basic lexical and grammatical knowledge of the Spanish language, increase the students' confidence in their language abilities, provide them with opportunities to increase their fluency and accuracy in Spanish as well as to develop basic understanding of routine Spanish business procedures. Systematic review of Spanish grammar and study of Spanish through texts of cultural interest. Development of written and oral skills through compositions and audiovisual materials. This is an interdisciplinary course, focusing on fundamentally important themes in the development of Spanish culture. This course includes field trips, lectures, and visits to the theater and cinema.
Students see live performances in Madrid as well as videos.
The course will cover the first stage of Spain's Golden Age, from the Renaissance poetry of Garcilaso de la Vega through the first part of Don Quixote and the drama of Lope de Vega. Thus, poetry, novel and drama are the genres to be included in a period of time a little over a century that saw the rise of modern lyrical poetry, as well as the birth of the modern novel with Cervantes and of the comedia with Lope de Vega.