BRIDGE AND INTRODUCTORY COURSES
This sequence links the language program to the upper-level literature and culture program and the major, and consists of four courses:
SPAN W3300 – Advanced Language through Content (title varies by section)
SPAN W3330 – Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Cultures
SPAN W3349 – Hispanic Cultures I (Islamic Spain through the Colonial Period)
SPAN W3350 – Hispanic Cultures II (Enlightenment through the Present)
The first two content-based language courses combine the explicit study of selected grammar points of continued difficulty for advanced students with the exploration of important topics in Hispanic literatures and cultures, as well as of relevant skills and approaches to their study. The second two courses, both transatlantic in focus, give a broad overview of literary texts and cultural artifacts in their historical context, and provide students with basic knowledge on which to draw in more advanced courses. While these do not include specific grammar instruction, special attention is paid to writing through a number of assignments closely corrected and always rewritten. Like the language courses, the bridge and introductory levels are taught in small sections (15), allowing for maximum participation and skill development. W3300 and W3330 may be taken sequentially or simultaneously after completion of the language requirement; except by special arrangement with the major advisor and/or instructor, these should come before W3349 and W3350 (which can also be taken simultaneously or in inverse order). Additional sections of these courses are offered through the Columbia Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and all are open to Barnard students.