SPAN 5220 - Variations of Spanish Language

Goals: Students will be able to appreciate the different variations of Spanish language; improve their listening, speaking and reading skills in Spanish; become familiar with the history of Spanish in the world, alone and in contact with other languages; reflect on migratory movements of Spanish-speaking communities.

Content: This course introduces students to the dialectal diversity of the Spanish language, spoken throughout the world, alone and in contact with other languages. The course provides historical and linguistic background leading to the presence of Spanish across the six continents; the effects of language contact in the development of the various dialects of Spanish; and the current sociolinguistic circumstances of Spanish within multiple regions. These regions include not only countries where Spanish is the official language, but places where Spanish is spoken by large minorities. Students will be introduced to the variations of Spanish in Latin America, Spain, Gibraltar, West Africa, the United States, the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and in Judeo-Spanish dialects spoken in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Students will learn through audiovisual materials and by analyzing phonetic variations and different modes of pronunciation and intonation.

Prerequisite: Any Spanish course numbered above 3220, with a grade of C- or better, or department chair permission

Credits: 4