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Undergraduate Courses Spanish | Italian | Portuguese | French

Graduate Courses

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Spanish

SPAN 101   1st Year Spanish

Spanish 101-102-103 is a three-quarter sequence designed for students with no experience or up to two years of previous study. Students with two or more years of experience, should consider taking Span 111-112 during the winter and spring terms.

Emphasis on the development of speaking, reading, and writing skills; introduction to Hispanic culture. Sequence. Conducted in Spanish.

The first-year program in Spanish at UO aims to develop real-world, on-demand proficiency for all students. Our goal is Benchmark III on the scale used by the Center for Applied Second Language Studies.

SPAN 201   2nd Year Spanish >1 >GP >IC

Development of Spanish language proficiency beyond beginning level through the study of the cultural products, practices, and perspectives of the Spanish-speaking world. Topics include history, geography, demographics, foodways, social movements, art, politics, and other cultural phenomena.

The Spanish 200-level sequence is an intermediate-level course designed to provide you with an active and rewarding learning experience as you (1) strengthen your language skills (real-world, or instrumental, use of Spanish), (2) deepen your knowledge of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, and (3) use a second language to improve your overall literacy (reading, writing, listening, speaking).

The completion of this sequence (SPAN 203) is one means of satisfying the UO BA language requirement. These courses devote extensive practice to oral skill development in real-world contexts; by the end of the sequence, the average student should be able to converse with native speakers on many topics of everyday interest (family, studies, travels, holidays, etc.), as well as articulate the most important cultural, social, and historical information about Spanish-speaking communities around the world. The goal we set for most students corresponds roughly to the Intermediate-Mid level of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, although many students may surpass this basic level, depending on their personal investment in the course and hours of study.

Language study is a crucial part of a broad education. As a core part of a humanities curriculum, these courses expose students to the diversity of cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will be exposed to and asked their views on current political and social issues, history events, expressions of art and music, and other related areas.

SPAN 218   Latino Heritage I >1 >AC >US: 14985, 14986 and 14987

Designed for heritage learners—students who grew up with Spanish in their community and want to build communication skills in Spanish. Content focuses on personal experiences in U.S. Latinx communities. Cannot be combined with SPAN 201, SPAN 202, SPAN 203 for more than 15 credits of second-year Spanish. Sequence with SPAN 228.

As the title suggests, course content focuses on students’ expression of personal identity as members of a Spanish-language heritage community in the U.S. Course work is designed to develop a range of bilingual abilities, with a focus on oral production in informal contexts (similar to the SPAN 101-102-102-201 sequence for second language students of Spanish), through building vocabulary, teaching basic grammatical terminology, and basic literacy (reading and writing).

The courses in the Latino Heritage series (SPAN 218, 228) have an obvious focus on the development of Spanish-language proficiency. However, they use the approach known as “content-based instruction” in language teaching: language ability is developed through the study, in Spanish, of content that is typically included in humanities courses across campus. These new classes will cover the basics of human and cultural geography and ethnography, necessary for an understanding of the origins and demographics of Latino heritage communities in the U.S. and their relationship to the communities of origin. Coursework leads students through an examination of cultural production (music, literature, and plastic arts) and also include issues of linguistic and cultural prejudice by examining the connections between language, power, and social inclusion. This multi-faceted study of the make-up and dynamics of Latino communities in the U.S. therefore satisfies the Arts and Letters area requirement.

SPAN 228   Latino Heritage II >1 >GP >IC: 16084

Designed for heritage learners—students who grew up with Spanish in their community and want to continue developing communication skills in Spanish. Content focuses on personal experiences in U.S. Latinx communities. Cannot be combined with SPAN 201, SPAN 202, SPAN 203 for more than 15 credits of second-year Spanish. Sequence with SPAN 218.

This course belongs to the Herencia Latina series (with SPAN 218), courses designed to integrate heritage learners of Spanish into the curriculum of the Spanish-language program at UO. The target audience is defined as students with at least Intermediate Low oral proficiency for whom Spanish is a community/home language and whose oral communication skills may be more developed than their literacy skills. The completion of this series (SPAN 228) is one means of satisfying the UO BA language requirement.

As the title suggests, course content focuses on the use of Spanish as a vehicle of communication in the U.S. and around the world and serves to help students establish a personal connection between their Spanish-language heritage and the wider Spanish-speaking world. Course work is designed to develop a range of bilingual abilities, improving their oral production in informal and formal contexts and preparing them to use Spanish in academic/formal contexts (similar to the SPAN 202-203 sequence for monolingual English speakers), through expansion of vocabulary and exposure to normative (standard) Spanish. Course content will also include issues of linguistic and cultural prejudice by examining the connections between language, power, and social inclusion.

The courses in the Latino Heritage series (SPAN 218, 228) have an obvious focus on the development of Spanish-language proficiency. However, they use the approach known as “content-based instruction” in language teaching: language ability is developed through the study, in Spanish, of content that is typically included in humanities courses across campus. These new classes will cover the basics of human and cultural geography and ethnography, necessary for an understanding of the origins and demographics of Latino heritage communities in the U.S. and their relationship to the communities of origin. But the bulk of coursework leads students through an examination of cultural production (music, literature, and plastic arts). Course content will also include issues of linguistic and cultural prejudice by examining the connections between language, power, and social inclusion. This multi-faceted study of the make-up and dynamics of Latino communities in the U.S. therefore satisfies the Arts and Letters area requirement.

SPAN 301   Identidades Hispanas >1 >GP >IC: 14988, 14989, 14990 and 16936

Develops advanced language skills through analysis of major historical influences in the cultures of Spanish-speaking regions: Spain, Latin America, and the United States. Taught in Spanish.

One of three Culture and Language courses (SPAN 301, 303, and 305) that begin a student’s advanced-level work in the Spanish major/minor. These three courses are designed to empower students as they make the transition from language-based study in first- and second-year Spanish, into the use of the Spanish language in the study of works of literary art and other cultural expressions of the Hispanic world. Each course presents specific social, cultural, and historical issues through literary works and journalistic, cinematic, and artistic materials. Primary attention is given to the development of the analytical and critical skills that are a crucial part of a humanities-based education.

At the same time, students continue to improve abilities in speaking, reading, and writing Spanish by enriching advanced-level vocabulary, practicing written and oral expression, and improving aural and reading comprehension. All three classes seek to develop students’ capacities, in Spanish, for the integration of humanities content through synthesis, reflection, and critical thinking. These courses thus serve as an effective “bridge” in preparing students for upper-division literature survey courses (SPAN 316-319) and further literary and cultural study in the Spanish major and/or minor.

Note: These “stand-alone” courses may be taken in any order and as they fit the student’s interest and schedule, to fulfill requirements for the Spanish or Romance Languages majors or minors. SPAN 301 Culture and Language: Identities in the Hispanic World (Cultura y lengua: Identidades hispanas) explores various social and cultural identities that have formed in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world (especially Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean). Through literary and journalistic texts and films–ancient legends, colonial-era accounts, present-day narratives, essays, and dramatic works–we study the historical presence and the contemporary realities of various ethnic groups and social classes.

SPAN 303   Expresiones Artisticas >1: 14992, 16086 and 16666

Develops advanced language skills through the study of cultural products (e.g., art, literature, film, music) in Spanish-speaking societies. Taught in Spanish.

One of three Culture and Language courses (SPAN 301, 303, and 305) that begin a student’s advanced-level work in the Spanish major/minor. These three courses are designed to empower students as they make the transition from language-based study in first- and second-year Spanish, into the use of the Spanish language in the study of works of literary art and other cultural expressions of the Hispanic world. Each course presents specific social, cultural, and historical issues through literary works and journalistic, cinematic, and artistic materials.

Primary attention is given to the development of the analytical and critical skills that are a crucial part of a humanities-based education. At the same time, students continue to improve abilities in speaking, reading, and writing Spanish by enriching advanced-level vocabulary, practicing written and oral expression, and improving aural and reading comprehension. All three classes seek to develop students’ capacities, in Spanish, for the integration of humanities content through synthesis, reflection, and critical thinking.

These courses thus serve as an effective “bridge” in preparing students for upper-division literature survey courses (SPAN 316-319) and further literary and cultural study in the Spanish major and/or minor. Note: These “stand-alone” courses may be taken in any order and as they fit the student’s interest and schedule, to fulfill requirements for the Spanish or Romance Languages majors or minors.

SPAN 303 Culture and Language: Arts in the Hispanic World (Cultura y lengua: Expresiones artísticas) focuses on the varied artistic expressions (including but not limited to fine arts, photography, film, popular art, literature, and music) with the goal of broadening the student’s knowledge and understanding of the cultures, history, geography and other related areas of the Spanish-speaking world.

These objectives will be achieved through reading and analyzing cultural and literary texts, examining and interpreting works of art, and research and discussion of related topics. Students will write both essays of literary or visual analysis and creative works.

SPAN 305   Cambios Sociales >1 >GP >IC: 14995 and 16643

Develops advanced language skills through the investigation of major currents of change in modern Spanish-speaking societies, gender issues, technology, revolution and counter-revolution. Taught in Spanish.

One of three Culture and Language courses (SPAN 301, 303, and 305) that begin a student’s advanced-level work in the Spanish major/minor. These three courses are designed to empower students as they make the transition from language-based study in first- and second-year Spanish, into the use of the Spanish language in the study of works of literary art and other cultural expressions of the Hispanic world. Each course presents specific social, cultural, and historical issues through literary works and journalistic, cinematic, and artistic materials.

Primary attention is given to the development of the analytical and critical skills that are a crucial part of a humanities-based education. At the same time, students continue to improve abilities in speaking, reading, and writing Spanish by enriching advanced-level vocabulary, practicing written and oral expression, and improving aural and reading comprehension. All three classes seek to develop students’ capacities, in Spanish, for the integration of humanities content through synthesis, reflection, and critical thinking.

These courses thus serve as an effective “bridge” in preparing students for upper-division literature survey courses (SPAN 316-319) and further literary and cultural study in the Spanish major and/or minor. Note: These “stand-alone” courses may be taken in any order and as they fit the student’s interest and schedule, to fulfill requirements for the Spanish or Romance Languages majors or minors.

SPAN 305 Culture and Language: Social Change (Cultura y lengua: Cambios sociales seeks to extend students’ knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language while studying some of the major political, economic, and historical changes of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in Spain and Latin America, with an emphasis on how these have affected everyday life.

SPAN 308   Comunidades Bilingues >2 >GP >IP: 14997, 14998 , 14999 and 15000

Designed for heritage learners—students who grew up with Spanish in their community and want to continue developing communication skills in Spanish. Explores socio-linguistic dynamics of communities in which Spanish is in contact with another language. Open to all students. Taught in Spanish.

Course Description: SPAN 308, Bilingual Communities, examines the social and linguistic dynamics of the various communities in which Spanish is in contact with other languages. The Spanish language, a communication system resulting from language contact over many centuries, is a means of expression for multilingual people in the United States, Latin America, Spain, Africa, and Asia. This class aims to illuminate various topics related to this reality while at the same time expanding students’ language repertoire and skills in Spanish and promoting and developing their critical language awareness skills. This class is open to all students of the Spanish language. At the same time, it is part of the Romance Languages initiative for the development and learning of Spanish for heritage learners.

As in all SHL (Spanish Heritage Language Program) courses, we will use, as a starting point, the belief that languages are a social phenomenon and therefore include, by necessity and nature, variety as a result of the constant movement and change of its people – universally human aspects. Thus, we must approach the study of languages in a way that overcomes linguistic hierarchies and assumptions based on the paradigm of a “standard” language. This paradigm works on the assumption that there is a “correct” way to speak a language and that there are “native” speakers who speak this “standard,” ignoring the realities of language variety based on identity and social context.

The most appropriate position to study Spanish/Castilian in an ethical and honest way is not to consider the language as a simple linguistic object independent of its speakers and sociopolitical realities, but as a living and constantly evolving instrument of many nations and cultures which is closely linked to the identities of its speakers.

SPAN 311   Adv Writing in Spanish: 15001

This requirement for the Spanish major provides additional language development for students early on in the major, emphasizing academic writing skills in Spanish.

¡Bienvenides a Span 311!

Este curso de escritura avanzada – con formato taller – desarrolla las habilidades de escribir de los estudiantes.  Aprenderán técnicas y formas de escritura, incluyendo la escritura veloz, los resúmenes y los ensayos argumentativos– sobre la literatura y sobre los aspectos socio-lingüísticos en los medios de comunicación. El desarrollo de pensamiento crítico es una parte esencial de ese proceso.  Además, los estudiantes mejorarán su redacción y aprenderán a editar mejor la estructura de sus oraciones y párrafos. Finalmente, este curso prepara al estudiante para los cursos más avanzados de español.

Nota– Este curso fue diseñado para estudiantes de español como segunda lengua (L2).  También son bienvenides estudiantes de herencia (estudiantes que crecieron hablando español), aunque la clase alternativa Span 312 – también sobre la escritura avanzada – se diseñó específicamente para ellas/ellos.

SPAN 312   Spanish in the Media: 15002 and 16087

Designed for heritage learners. Examines the role of Spanish in various forms of media such as television, Internet, and literature. Students practice advanced writing skills necessary to participate in argumentative writing and close textual readings.

No Expanded Description

SPAN 320   Intens Grammar Review: 15003 and 15004

Review and development of the more complex aspects of Spanish grammar with special attention to idiomatic usage.

This course is a study and review of some of the central complex themes of Spanish grammars. We will use Critical Language Awareness (CLA) to study, review and practice elements of both the privileged normative varieties of Spanish and the minoritized varieties. We will also reflect on which variations we and our classmates use in our daily lives.

SPAN 322   Intro Hispanic Ling: 16088

Linguistic description of the Spanish language, including phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, history, and social and geographical variation.

No Expanded Description

SPAN 324   Pronunciation & Phonet: 15005

Study of Spanish sounds, rhythms, and intonation; supervised pronunciation practice. Offered alternate years.

No Expanded Description

SPAN 343   Hispanic Cul Lit III >1 >GP >IC: 15008

Introduces students to a variety of texts written in the Hispanic world in their literary, artistic, and historical contexts, from the revolutionary wars of the Nineteenth century to the Spanish Civil War.

This class introduces students to a variety of literary works from Latin American Independences to the Spanish Civil War, with emphasis on their relationship to historical events and critical representation of Iberian and Latin American societies. The “long nineteenth century” is the century of crisis, flanked by revolutions, transformations, and wars. We will cover from the Wars of Independence in Latin America and the Napoleonic Wars in the Iberian Peninsula to the Spanish Civil War. We will study changes in the key concepts that articulate 19th and early 20th century debates in a Transatlantic framework, without losing sight of the intellectual context that runs parallel to the changes in these concepts: revolution and freedom, nation building and subject formation, civilization, progress, national identity, democracy, modernity, modernization. Among other topics, will trace: the colonial legacy in the hegemonic nation building projects of the intellectual liberal elites; the conflict between lettered elites and popular masses; bourgeois revolutions; imperial nostalgia for the lost colonies; the inextricability of fiction from politics; aesthetic innovations at the brink of the Spanish civil war.  

Prerequisites: two from SPAN 301, 303, 305, 308. 

SPAN 348   US Latino Lit & Cul >1 >AC >US: 15010 and 16089

Introduction to Hispanic literature written in the United States. Close reading and discussion of selected texts by Hispanic authors; emphasis on literary trends and themes.

This course is an introduction to Latinx literature, art, film, and other forms of cultural production in the United States. Students will study a range of 19th- through 21st-century Latinx thought and creative expression and will address relevant literary, cultural and social themes in class discussion and writing assignments. Topics include: borderlands, US-Latin American relations, the politics of language, Chicano/Latino/Latinx identities, Chicana/Latina feminisms, migration and exile, foodways, and popular culture. Students are expected to read, discuss, and write in Spanish, although course material vary in linguistic registers (Spanish, English, Spanglish, Caló, etc.). This course satisfies the USDIA Category for the UO Cultural Literacy Requirement.

SPAN 350 Intro to Poetry

Prof. Cecilia Enjuto Rangel
Spring 2025

In this course we will study poetry in multiple eras and countries, from Nahuatl poetry to Baroque, Romantic, Avant-garde poetry and Contemporary Poetry in Spain and Latin America written in Spanish, Portuguese, Maya, Mixteco and Mapudungu/Mapuche. We will study how literary texts establish a dialogue with their historical and cultural contexts. Our discussions will also focus on the formal analysis of the poems. Throughout the term we will work to write well-structured essays with original critical readings. We will often study poetry in connection with art, music, and films.

Prerequisites: two from SPAN 301, 303, 305, 308.

SPAN 351   Intro to Theater >1: 15011

Explores important aspects of Spanish theater; reading plays from different periods of Spanish and Spanish American literature. Emphasizes formal aspects and critical reading.

An introduction to theater in Spanish, drawing on the theatrical traditions of Spain and Latin America. Plays from a variety of historical periods and dramatic traditions provide an opportunity to study both the genre of theater in its many varieties (such as the Golden Age comedia, the monologue, the experimental theater of the late 20th century) and the cultural contexts of which the plays form a part. The goal is to provide students with the tools to read dramatic literature (how is reading a play different from reading a poem?) and an understanding of some of the major movements within the theaters of the Spanish-speaking world, while also fostering opportunities for the development of Spanish language skills, Class activities might include dramatic readings, student performances, and group discussion. Taught in Spanish.

SPAN 420/520   Top Applied Linguistics: 15016/15019

Variable topics in Spanish linguistics, including advanced grammar, history of the Spanish language, the language of Iberia, Spanish sociolinguistics. Repeatable when topic changes.

This applied sociolinguistics course examines topics related to the use of Spanish in public spaces with a focus on publicly displayed signs (e.g. window graphics, yard signs, murals, billboards, graffiti) and Spanish speakers in Oregon and the local Eugene/Springfield community. Through various academic texts on “linguistic landscapes,” we will explore how the visibility and salience of Spanish on public signs (along with other languages) relates to issues of ethnolinguistic vitality and social justice, social equity and inclusion, and the commodification of language and culture within communities and institutional settings. As part of this course, students will participate in fieldwork documenting Spanish language signage where they will gain experience with a variety of methods of ethnographic data collection (photographic methods, interviews, field notes). For their final projects, students will analyze sociolinguistic data, use their research findings to recommend inclusive policies and practices regarding the creation of bilingual signs to a public audience, and summarize these findings and recommendations in a final paper. This course entails a significant commitment of time outside the classroom where students will work in coordination with a partner or small group.

SPAN 480/580   Top Puerto Rico >GP >IC: 16091/16092

Topics include issue of literary periods, authors, narrative and nation, genres, and indigenismo. Repeatable twice when topic changes for maximum of 12 credits.

In this course Spanish 480/580 Puerto Rico and its Diaspora we will study the construction of national identity in Puerto Rico and in the Latinx/Puerto Rican community in the US. Our exciting approach to rethinking Puerto Rico as a “cultura fronteriza” and our study of its national identity will be interdisciplinary in nature. We will study Puerto Rico from an interdisciplinary perspective, fields such as History, Politics, Sociology, Philosophy, Music, Art, Film, and Literature. We will bring speakers from these diverse fields into our classroom through zoom interviews and as invited lecturers. How do language dynamics shape visions of national identity? Since Puerto Rico became territory of the US in 1898, its neocolonial political state defines how languages such as Spanish and English are taught and spoken. Through essays, articles, images, films, documentaries, music, art pieces, short stories and poetry we will study Puerto Rico’s cultural production and sociopolitical situation. We will also learn about Puerto Rico’s current financial crisis and how Puerto Ricans are responding to it in the island and in the US. 

This course embraces the collaborative process of “community engaged teaching” since we will visit the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art with Adriana Miramontes (Art/JSMA) and learn about salsa, and bomba y plena with Prof. Ed Wolf (Music), exploring Puerto Rico’s cultural diversity. Prof. Moira Fradinger (Yale University) will visit our class and discuss La pasión según Antígona Pérez, an assigned play by Luis Rafael Sánchez. Paloma Suau will join us through zoom for an interview on her award-documentary El accidente feliz on artist Antonio Martorell (whose works we will see in the museum), and JuanMa Pagán Teitlebaum will also visit our class to discuss his award-winning documentary on the agricultural crisis, Serán las dueñas de la tierra. 

SPAN 490/590   Top Narcocultura >GP >IC: 15018/16093

Explores major literary trends, authors, and works. Recent topics are Avant-garde in the Mexican Revolution, Testimonial Literature, Latin American Theater. Repeatable twice when topic changes for maximum of 12 credits.

This seminar explores the borderlines of recent representations of violence in the Western Hemisphere. While gangs, traffickers, and states exert violence in their struggles to delimit and control the circulation, price, and access to narcotics, the representation of these struggles takes different shapes. Footage of executions, pictures, and other materials such as graffiti or narcocorridos, are both a representation of violence and its cultural byproduct. As such, they create and naturalize discourses about the body, death, and social violence that disrupt and transform notions about gender, the economy, and society. This seminar studies those discourses and their glamorized ossification in mainstream culture by looking at several recent texts that have in different ways challenged this routinized view of social and cultural relations.

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Italian

ITAL 101   1st Year Italian: 12692, 12693, 12694, 12695, 12696, 12697 and 12698

Introduction to Italian stressing speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension skills. Sequence.

No Expanded Course Description

ITAL 201   2nd Year Italian >1: 12699, 12700 and 12701

Review of grammar, reading of short literary and cultural texts, development of speaking and writing skills. Sequence. Conducted in Italian.

The Italian 200-level sequence is an intermediate-level course designed to provide you with an active and rewarding learning experience as you (1) strengthen your language skills (real-world, or instrumental, use of Italian), (2) deepen your knowledge of Italian culture, and (3) use a second language to improve your overall literacy (reading and writing). This completion of this sequence (ITAL 203) is one means of satisfying the UO BA language requirement. (1) Many students’ main reason to study Italian is to improve their conversational skills. These courses devote extensive practice to oral skill development in real-world contexts; by the end of the sequence, the average student should be able to converse with native speakers on many topics of everyday interest (family, studies, travels, holidays, etc.).

The goal we set for most students corresponds roughly to the Intermediate Mid level of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (see below), although many students may surpass this basic level, depending on their personal investment in the course and hours of study. (2) Our departmental philosophy supports second-language study as a crucial part of a humanities education. As a core part of a humanities curriculum, these courses expose students to the diversity of cultures in the regions of Italy. Students will be exposed to and asked their views on current political and social issues, historical and current events and various artistic expressions. (3) These courses aim to promote the continued development of students’ overall literacy by exposing them to Italian literary and journalistic texts. Reading and writing are included to support the development of oral and listening skills and to prepare students to continue their study of Italian at more advanced levels.

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: Speaking Level: INTERMEDIATE MID Speakers at the Intermediate-Mid level are able to handle successfully a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. Conversation is generally limited to those predictable and concrete exchanges necessary for survival in the target culture; these include personal information covering self, family, home, daily activities, interests and personal preferences, as well as physical and social needs, such as food, shopping, travel and lodging. Intermediate-Mid speakers tend to function reactively, for example, by responding to direct questions or requests for information. However, they are capable of asking a variety of questions when necessary to obtain simple information to satisfy basic needs, such as directions, prices and services. When called on to perform functions or handle topics at the Advanced level, they provide some information but have difficulty linking ideas, manipulating time and aspect, and using communicative strategies, such as circumlocution. Intermediate-Mid speakers are able to express personal meaning by creating with the language, in part by combining and recombining known elements and conversational input to make utterances of sentence length and some strings of sentences. Their speech may contain pauses, reformulations and self-corrections as they search for adequate vocabulary and appropriate language forms to express themselves. Because of inaccuracies in their vocabulary and/or pronunciation and/or grammar and/or syntax, misunderstandings can occur, but Intermediate-Mid speakers are generally understood by sympathetic interlocutors accustomed to dealing with non-natives.

© 1999 American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages

ITAL 301   L’Italia contemporanea >1 >GP >IC: 16410

Analysis of Italian history and society since the unification of Italy through the readings of a short novel. Vocabulary enrichment activities and grammar review.

Contemporary Italy is an important migrant destination and the site of key debates about citizenship and belonging. In this course, we will take up literature, film, art, and media by people who narrate Italy from social and legal margins. What vision of Italy do migrant and second-generation authors and artists put forward in their work? How do notions of citizenship and otherness intersect with questions of race, gender, religion, and class? How do these issues shape social movements? Engaging creative works that are at the forefront of these debates, we will think expansively about ideas of belonging and what it means to be Italian. Taught in Italian.

ITAL 317 Surv Mediev/Renaiss >1 >GP >IC: 16520

This course serves as an introduction to pre-modern Italian culture through the lens of “firsts,” of Italy’s foundations and contributions to literature, the arts, philosophy, political science, and women’s writing. You will read some of the earliest “Italian” texts and understand how the idea of Italy developed in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This course will take us through some of the major literary works of the Italian peninsula before 1600, including excerpts from Dante’s Divine Comedy, Machiavelli’s The Prince, and feminist treatises by women. Readings will be either in bilingual format (Italian-English) or in modernized Italian. Activities include a visit to Special Collections at Knight Library and the Schnitzer Museum. 

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Portuguese

PORT 101   1st Year Portuguese: 14532

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese language and culture, with emphasis on speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension skills. Sequence with PORT 102, PORT 103.

No Expanded Course Description

PORT 201   2nd Year Portuguese >1: 14533

Development of Brazilian Portuguese speaking, reading, writing and comprehension; study of short literary and cultural materials. Sequence with PORT 202, PORT 203.

Builds upon the skills developed in the first year Portuguese sequence and further develops the ability to produce and comprehend Brazilian Portuguese. Students will be asked to produce language through speaking and writing, and to receive it through listening and reading. A primary goal of the course is to improve the students¿ ability to communicate in Portuguese. To this end, regular conversation and composition in Portuguese as well as an intensive review of grammatical structures is provided. The students will be given the opportunity to refine their language skills through language use in everyday situations. Another focus of the course is on gaining familiarity with the culture and society in which Portuguese is spoken. Students will engage with material from Brazilian and Portuguese cultural and literary contexts. Throughout the course, students will read, listen to, and discuss various Portuguese written texts and authentic spoken material, including dialogs, short narratives, and newspaper articles.

This course will create meaningful opportunities for students to engage actively in cultural and textual analysis through the language and cultural material presented as part of the curriculum. Proposed courses are broad in scope and liberal in nature in that Portuguese language and Portuguese, Brazilian, and African culture will be approached through a variety of methods and world outlooks. For example, linguistic, cultural, textual, historical and geographical materials will be introduced, discussed, and analyzed. Students will be encouraged to view topics discussed through non-US perspectives, such as those of South America, Africa and Europe. The multiplicity of perspectives within these regions will also be highlighted.

PORT 301   Expressoes Artisticas >1 >GP >IC: 14534

Develops advanced language skills through the study of key representations in Brazilian art, literature, film, and music. Taught in Portuguese. Prereq: PORT 203 or equivalent. Offered alternate years.

No Expanded Course Description

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French

FR 101   1st Year French: 12217, 12218, 12219, 12220, 12221 and 16446

Introduction to French stressing the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through a communicative approach. Sequence. Conducted in French.

In this proficiency-based beginning course, you will learn to interact in French in a variety of basic, everyday situations. You will learn to express situations and ideas in the present, past, and future, to ask and understand questions, and to write messages and short descriptions, and to read authentic materials, such as signs, advertising, newspaper articles, tourist brochures, and brief literary works. You will be introduced to, and gain a greater understanding of, France and the wider Francophone world.

 FR 111   Intens Begin French: 12224 and 12225

Intensive study for experienced language learners; introduction to French culture. Sequence. Cannot be combined with FR 101, FR 102, FR 103 for more than 15 credits of first-year French.

In this proficiency-based course, students with diverse previous language experiences and different strengths and weaknesses begin an intensive review and refinement of the basics French. By the end of the intensive sequence (FR 111 & FR 112), you will be able to talk about everyday things in various temporal contexts, understand simple face-to-face conversations, short routine telephone communications, and deliberate speech announcements. You will also be able to read simple texts written for a general audience, meet most basic social and practical writing needs, and you will gain a wider appreciation of how French speakers around the world see the societies in which they live and how they act in them.

FR 201   2nd Year French >1 >GP >IC: 12226, 12227, 12228, 12229, 12230 and 12231

Development of French language proficiency beyond beginning level through the study of the cultural products, practices, and perspectives of the Francophone world (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Caribbean, Lebanon, Magreb, Senegal, etc.). Topics include history, geography, demographics, foodways, social movements, art, politics, and other cultural phenomena. Sequence with FR 202, FR 203.

The French 200-level sequence is an intermediate-level course designed to provide you with an active and rewarding learning experience as you (1) strengthen your language skills (real-world, or instrumental, use of French), (2) deepen your knowledge of the cultures of the French-speaking world, and (3) use a second language to improve your overall literacy (reading, writing, listening, speaking).

The completion of this sequence (FR 203) is one means of satisfying the UO BA language requirement. These courses devote extensive practice to oral skill development in real-world contexts; by the end of the sequence, the average student should be able to converse with native speakers on many topics of everyday interest (family, studies, travels, holidays, etc.), as well as articulate the most important cultural, social, and historical information about Francophone communities around the world. The goal we set for most students corresponds roughly to the Intermediate-Mid level of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, although many students may surpass this basic level, depending on their personal investment in the course and hours of study.

Language study is a crucial part of a broad education. As a core part of a humanities curriculum, these courses expose students to the diversity of cultures of the French-speaking world. Students will be exposed to and asked their views on current political and social issues, history events, expressions of art and music, and other related areas.

FR 202   2nd Year French >1: 12232

Development of French language proficiency beyond beginning level through the study of the cultural products, practices, and perspectives of the Francophone world (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Caribbean, Lebanon, Magreb, Senegal, etc.). Topics include history, geography, demographics, foodways, social movements, art, politics, and other cultural phenomena. Sequence with FR 201, FR 203.

The French 200-level sequence is an intermediate-level course designed to provide you with an active and rewarding learning experience as you (1) strengthen your language skills (real-world, or instrumental, use of French), (2) deepen your knowledge of the cultures of the French-speaking world, and (3) use a second language to improve your overall literacy(reading, writing, listening, speaking).

The completion of this sequence (FR 203) is one means of satisfying the UO BA language requirement. These courses devote extensive practice to oral skill development in real-world contexts; by the end of the sequence, the average student should be able to converse with native speakers on many topics of everyday interest (family, studies, travels, holidays, etc.), as well as articulate the most important cultural, social, and historical information about Francophone communities around the world. The goal we set for most students corresponds roughly to the Intermediate-Mid level of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, although many students may surpass this basic level, depending on their personal investment in the course and hours of study.

Language study as a crucial part of a broad education. As a core part of a humanities curriculum, these courses expose students to the diversity of cultures of the French-speaking world. Students will be exposed to and asked their views on current political and social issues, history events, expressions of art and music, and other related areas.

FR 301   France Contemporaine >1 >GP >IC: 16419 and 16420

Training in language and culture of modern France using newspapers, short stories, poetry and film. Vocabulary enrichment activities. Conducted in French.

These two courses (FR 301 & 303) are designed to empower students as they make the transition from language-based study in first- and second-year French, into the use of the French language in the study of works of literary art and other cultural expressions of the francophone world. Each course presents specific social, cultural, and historical issues through literary works and journalistic, cinematic, and artistic materials. Primary attention is given to the development of the analytical and critical skills that are a crucial part of a humanities-based education. At the same time, students continue to improve abilities in speaking, reading, and writing French by enriching advanced-level vocabulary, practicing written and oral expression, and improving aural and reading comprehension. Both classes seek to develop students’ capacities, in French, for the integration of humanities content through synthesis, reflection, and critical thinking. These courses thus serve as an effective “bridge” in preparing students for upper-division literature survey courses (FR 317-319) and further literary and cultural study in the French major and/or minor. This course (FR 301) explores French society, politics and culture in the 21st century. It questions stereotypes, investigates current debates and controversies, explore tensions between tradition and change through a variety of documents (news articles, polls, songs, poems, cartoons, websites, print and TV news). Exemples of themes include immigration, cultural practices, environment, globalisation, the recent presidential elections, and the new Europe. Note: These “stand-alone” courses may be taken in any order and as they fit the student’s interest and schedule, to fulfill requirements for the French or Romance Languages majors or minors.

FR 302   Culture et langage >1 >GP >IC: 16421

Training in language and cultures of the French-speaking world using literary texts, newspapers, short stories, poetry, films, websites, videos. Grammar review and vocabulary enrichment. Conducted in French.

This course introduces students to the societies and cultures of diverse regions of the contemporary French-speaking world. We will explore and analyze the cultural legacies of colonialism and the complexities of evolving national and linguistic identities. Focusing on francophone societies in North America, Europe, North Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, we will examine cultural practices, artistic production, and current social and political issues.

The two courses, FR 301 & 302, are designed to empower students as they make the transition from language-based study in first- and second-year French, into the use of the French language in the study of works of literary art and other cultural expressions of the francophone world. Each course presents specific social, cultural, and historical issues through literary works and journalistic, cinematic, and artistic materials. Primary attention is given to the development of the analytical and critical skills that are a crucial part of a humanities-based education. At the same time, students continue to improve abilities in speaking, reading, and writing French by enriching advanced-level vocabulary, practicing written and oral expression, and improving aural and reading comprehension. Both classes seek to develop students’ capacities, in French, for the integration of humanities content through synthesis, reflection, and critical thinking. These courses thus serve as an effective “bridge” in preparing students for upper-division literature survey courses (FR 312, 317, 318, 319) and further literary and cultural study in the French major and/or minor. This course (FR 302) explores the richness and variety of the societies and cultures of the contemporary French-speaking world, going beyond the cultural material covered in the 200-level sequence by adding depth and detail to the geographical coverage. Through readings and films, we consider and analyze the cultural legacies of colonialism and the complexities of evolving national and linguistic identities. Focusing on francophone societies in North America, Europe, North Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, we examine cultural practices, artistic production, and current social and political issues. Note: These “stand-alone” courses may be taken in any order and as they fit the student’s interest and schedule, to fulfill requirements for the French or Romance Languages majors or minors.

FR 331   French Theater >1: 16422

Explores important aspects of French theater. Reading plays from different periods. Emphasizes formal aspects and critical reading.

In this course we will read, view, and, yes, act out some of the best-known plays of the modern French tradition. We will read comedies and tragedies to consider major themes such as love, civic and political duty, and the nature of art, as well as how the medium of theater so powerfully conveys the complexities of the human experience. We will read plays representing three moments in French history: la Belle Epoque, World War II, and post-war France, in order to examine the changes and developments in theatre as genre and performance.  Assignments will include brief writing assignments, group presentations on a topic of choice, and a final creative project. 

FR 362   Francophone Cinema >1 >GP >IC: 16423

Focuses on the differences between American culture and French and Francophone cultures. Addresses a sensitive issue exemplified by the attitude of the international movie industry.

No Expanded Course Description

FR 425   French-Eng Translation:16424

Offers an overview of translation theory and practice from English to French and French to English.

No Expanded Course Description

FR 480/580   Top Transgressions: 16425

This course examines transgressions in 19th-century France. Transgressions disobey norms and unsettle conventions. We will study authors, artists and activists who transgressed received ideas of genre, gender, and beauty in their pursuit of meaning, identity, and art. We will begin with Grandville’s fantastical illustrated text “Un autre monde” that animates objects, plants, and animals. Then, we will turn to Nerval’s wanderings in Paris at night in “Nuits d’Octobre” in a challenge to the realism of newly invented photography. We will read the tragic autobiography of hermaphrodite Herculine Barbin who defied gender norms. With Baudelaire’s prose poems and Rimbaud’s Saison en Enfer, we will ask how poetry crosses moral and artistic boundaries. Our last text, Monsieur Venus, is a short novel by non-conformist female novelist Rachilde who flips gender roles. Michel Foucault and Walter Benjamin will be our guides to interpret the significance of 19th-century transgressions in their historical and socio-cultural context. They invite us to reflect on current transgressive practices and their necessity. Assignments include a written close analysis, an oral presentation on a transgressive artist, and a final research project.

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Fall   Winter  Spring

Fall 2024

FR 580   Top Transgressions: 16447

Prof. Fabienne Moore

This course examines transgressions in 19th-century France. Transgressions disobey norms and unsettle conventions. We will study authors, artists and activists who transgressed received ideas of genre, gender, and beauty in their pursuit of meaning, identity, and art. We will begin with Grandville’s fantastical illustrated text “Un autre monde” that animates objects, plants, and animals. Then, we will turn to Nerval’s wanderings in Paris at night in “Nuits d’Octobre” in a challenge to the realism of newly invented photography. We will read the tragic autobiography of hermaphrodite Herculine Barbin who defied gender norms. With Baudelaire’s prose poems and Rimbaud’s Saison en Enfer, we will ask how poetry crosses moral and artistic boundaries. Our last text, Monsieur Venus, is a short novel by non-conformist female novelist Rachilde who flips gender roles. Michel Foucault and Walter Benjamin will be our guides to interpret the significance of 19th-century transgressions in their historical and socio-cultural context. They invite us to reflect on current transgressive practices and their necessity. Assignments include a written close analysis, an oral presentation on a transgressive artist, and a final research project.

LT 536 Design for Learning Language Systems: 13172

Prof. Keli Yerian