Course Meeting Times
Seminars: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session
Prerequisites
One intermediate subject in Spanish or permission of instructor.
In Class
All work in this class will be done in Spanish, with the exception of a few secondary readings, which can be read in their English-language version. However, when a Spanish version of one of these texts is also available, class discussion will be based on the Spanish version.
Required Texts
Márquez, Gabriel García. Cien años de soledad. Catedra, 2006. ISBN: 9788437604947.
Bolaño, Roberto. Estrella distante. Vintange Espanol, 2010. ISBN: 9780307476128.
Boullosa, Carmen. El velázquez de París. Siruela, 2007. ISBN: 9788498410563.
Assignments
There will be five papers, with a total of 15 double-spaced pages (250 words per page minimum) during the semester. Each student will participate in two oral presentations to the class. In preparation for at least one of these, students will meet with the professor in her office for an hour session prior to the date of presentation. There will not be a final exam.
Distribution of Final Grade
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Oral class participation (quantity and quality), and attendance | 35% |
| Two student presentations | 20% (10% each) |
| Five short essays (2 two-page essays, 2 three- page essays, 1 five-page essay; each page = 3%) | 45% |
Improvement Over the Semester
The above percentages are approximate and are provided so that students can keep track of their progress. However, I also value demonstrated improvement in the quality of participation and interpretative and expository skills in written exercises. If I see a clear demonstration of improvement in these areas, I may consider enhancing the result of the numerical calculation based on percentages. My most important objective for students is that they improve their interpretative and expository skills as a result of their sustained hard work throughout the semester.
Plagiarism Clause
When writing a paper, you must identify the nature and extent of your intellectual indebtedness to the authors whom you have read or to anyone else you have gotten ideas from (ie. classmates, professor, etc.). You can do so by means of footnotes, bibliography, or some other kind of scholarly apparatus. Failure to disclose your reliance on the work or thought of others is Plagiarism, which is considered the most serious academic offense and will be treated as such. If you have any questions about how you should document the sources of your ideas, please consult the document “Pauta Para La Correccion De Los Ensayos: Observaciones Sobre Contenido Y Estilo.” (PDF) Also, the following MIT website on academic integrity is available to you. Finally, please do not hesitate to ask the professor for further explanation before you submit your written work.
