Study Abroad in Salamanca: Courses
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Orientation courses
Given by the University of Salamanca Cursos Internacionales department, classes at all levels are conducted in Spanish by University professors. AIFS participants attend classes with international students in a diverse, multicultural environment. Four main language levels (elementary to superior) are further subdivided to accommodate varying skills. A placement exam after arrival determines appropriate levels. Classes meet 50 contact hours in the spring and 60 contact hours in the fall.
| Orientation courses | |
| Spanish 102 fall only (4) | Intensive Elementary Spanish |
| Spanish 202 fall (4)/spring (3) | Intensive Intermediate Spanish |
| Spanish 302 fall (4)/spring (3) | Intensive Advanced Spanish |
| Spanish 402 fall (4)/spring (3) | Intensive Superior Spanish |
Semester courses
Elementary level
For students with little or no previous Spanish knowledge who wish to accelerate the process of language development through immersion. Offered only in the fall, this program is prepared and given by Cursos Internacionales of the University of Salamanca. The classes are composed of a mixture of students from all over the world and instruction will be given entirely in Spanish. This method of teaching foreign languages has been proven immensely effective.
| Elementary level | |
| Spanish 204 fall only (6) *required | Spanish Grammar (Gramática española) |
| Spanish 206 fall only (3) | Spanish Vocabulary Development (Vocabulario - Ampliación de léxico) |
| Spanish 208 fall only (3) | Spanish Phonetics (Fonética - Laboratorio de idiomas) |
| Spanish 210 fall only (3) | Spanish Conversation and Composition (Actividades para la comunicación) |
| Economics/Political Science 311 (3) | Economy of the European Union (taught in English) |
| Economics/Political Science 315 (3) | Economic History of Spain: from Franco to present (taught in English) |
| Economics 317 (3) | International Marketing (taught in English) |
| Sociology 315 (3) | Spanish Culture (taught in English) |
Intermediate and advanced levels
In fall semester students at the intermediate and advanced level may choose the Modular Program or the Spanish Language and Culture Program. Both are organized by Cursos Internacionales of the University of Salamanca. In the spring, intermediate and advanced students enroll in the Modular Program. Advanced students in either semester may choose to combine these courses with Superior Level courses if approved by the AIFS Academic Coordinator.
Modular Program
Cursos Internacionales of the University of Salamanca prepares the Modular Program for students at the intermediate and advanced level. Levels will be determined by a university placement exam. This program offers a wide variety of courses for international students to choose from. All of its classes are taught by university professors in Spanish unless otherwise indicated (four are given in English). The class environment is global which provides cultural diversity. Spanish students do not take these courses but the Cursos Internacionales classrooms are in the center of the university, close to the Translation and the Language Department. The University requires a minimum enrollment of 10 students for a class to open.
Advanced students, with approval of the AIFS Academic Coordinator, may choose to combine these classes with a superior level course or two as electives but they will most likely encounter scheduling conflicts so therefore need to be very flexible in course choice. Permission to enroll in superior level classes can only be granted once on campus after an interview.
| Modular Program | |
| Spanish 303 fall/spring (3) | Intermediate Spanish Grammar (Lengua española- intermedio) |
| Spanish 315 fall only (3) | Business Spanish (Español de los negocios) |
| Spanish 330 fall/spring (3) | Translation (Traducción) |
| Spanish 340 fall/spring (3) | Spanish Phonetics (Fonética) |
| Spanish 403 fall/spring (3) | Advanced Spanish Grammar (Lengua española - avanzado) |
| Spanish 417 fall/spring (3) | Spanish Academic Writing |
| Literature 305 fall only (3) | Poetry, Theater and Novel in Spanish Literature of the 20th Century (Literatura española) |
| Literature 306 spring only (3) | Contemporary Latin-American Literatura (Literatura hispanoamericana) |
| History 307 fall only (3) | History of Spain – Middle Ages to the 16th Century (Historia de España: desde la época medieval hasta la época de los Austrias Mayores) |
| History 309 fall/spring (3) | Women in Spanish Contemporary Spanish History (La mujer en la Historia de España) |
| History 311 spring only (3) | History of Spain - 17th Century to present (Historia de España: desde los Austrias Menores hasta la actualidad) |
| Art 307 fall/spring (3) | Spanish and Latin-American Film (Cine español e hispanoamericano) |
| Art 310 spring only (3) | Mass Media in Spain (Cine prensa y televisión en España) |
| Art 311 fall only (3) | Spanish Art – Origins to Middle Ages (Arte español: desde los orígenes hasta el Renacimiento) |
| Art 312 spring only (3) | Spanish Art – Renaissance to Present (Arte español: desde el Renacimiento hasta la actualidad) |
| Geography 316 spring only (3) | Demography and Population in Today’s Spain (Geografía humana) |
| Geography 317 fall only (3) | Spanish Geography (Geografía descriptiva) |
| Sociology 307 fall (3) | The Hispanic World and its Culture (Cultura española) |
| Sociology 315 fall/spring (3) | Spanish Culture (taught in English) |
| Sociology 320 fall/spring (3) | The Arab Influence on the Hispanic World (El mundo árabe en el mundo hispánico) |
| Economics 304 spring only (3) | Economy and Society of Today’s Spain (Economía de España) |
| Economics/Political Science 311 fall/spring (3) | Economy of the European Union (taught in English) |
| Economics/Political Science 315 fall/spring (3) | Economic History of Spain: from Franco to present (taught in English) |
| Economics 317 fall/spring (3) | International Marketing (taught in English) |
Spanish Language and Culture (fall only)
In fall semester students at the intermediate or advanced level may chose to integrate into the Spanish Language and Culture Program at Cursos Internacionales of the University of Salamanca. This program was especially designed to teach Spanish as a second language to foreigners from all over the world so the environment is diverse and multicultural. All classes are taught in Spanish by university professors. Students are required to take a 6 credit grammar course (311, 321 or 405) and a maximum of 9 credits in electives.
Advanced students, with approval of the AIFS Academic Coordinator, may choose to take a superior level course or two as electives but they will most likely encounter scheduling conflicts so therefore should be very flexible in course choice. Permission to enroll in superior level classes can only be granted once on campus after an interview.
NOTE: courses in the same block are offered at the same time. Only one course may be chosen from each block. A placement test given by the University will determine students’ grammar course level.
| Spanish Language and Culture - Block 1 | |
| Spanish 311 fall only (6) | Intensive Intermediate Spanish Grammar (Gramática española) |
| Spanish 321 fall only (6) | Intensive Advanced Spanish Grammar (Gramática española) |
| Spanish 405 fall only (6) | Intensive Superior Spanish Grammar (Gramática española) |
| Spanish Language and Culture - Block 2 | |
| Spanish 317 fall only (3) | Spanish Conversation and Composition (Conversación y redacción) |
| History 303 fall only (3) | Political History of Contemporary Spain (Historia de España) |
| History 309 fall only (3) | Women in Contemporary Spanish History (La mujer en la Historia de España) |
| Spanish Language and Culture - Block 3 | |
| Sociology 302 fall only (3) | The Arab Influence on the Hispanic World (El mundo árabe en el mundo hispánico) |
| Sociology 305 fall only (3) | Spanish Culture and Civilization (Cultura española) |
| Literature 307 fall only (3) | Spanish and Latin-American Contemporary Literatura (Literatura española e hispanoamericana) |
| Spanish 319 fall only (3) | Spanish Oral and Writing Skills (Destrezas orales y escritas) |
| Spanish Language and Culture - Block 4 | |
| Art 307 fall only (3) | Spanish and Latin-American Film (Cine español e hispanoamericano) |
| Art 309 fall only (3) | History of Art Tendencies in Spain (Arte español) |
| Spanish 323 fall only (3) | Business Spanish (Español de los negocios) |
Superior level
AIFS students with excellent written and oral command of Spanish attend regular University lecture courses with Spanish students. Because the academic environment and teaching methods are so different, the AIFS academic coordinator, Dr. Carlos Cabrera of the University’s Spanish Language Department, counsels and orients AIFS students.
Although these University courses run on a different semester calendar, students may take an early exam to comply with the AIFS calendar in the fall. However, spring semester students who choose to take superior level courses are required by the University to stay until the end of May to take their exam (AIFS housing in homestays is included until the end of May. Students housed in the student residency, however, will incur extra expenses to stay the extra week in May.) Superior level courses can be combined with Spanish Language and Civilization courses (intermediate and advanced levels) and may be audited if space is available. Flexibility is essential, as courses frequently change and scheduling conflicts may be encountered. Courses may be offered either semester, but the confirmed list is available only at the start of each semester. Selections can be approved only after arrival. Some courses have prerequisites.
Please note: If Spanish 417 is not available, superior level students will be required to take Spanish 403 in its place.
| Superior Level - Spanish Courses | |
| Spanish 417 fall/spring (3) | Required course: Spanish Academic Writing (Escritura académica) |
| Spanish 403 fall/spring (3) | Alternate if Spanish 417 is unavailable: Advanced Spanish Grammar (Lengua española) |
These courses are samples from the University’s 30 specialty areas:
Art
Contemporary Spanish Art, Spanish Romanesque and Gothic Art, Spanish Art in the Golden Ages, Video, Art History: prehistory to Middle Ages, History of Art: Renaissance to Twentieth Century
Economics
Economy in the European Community, Spanish and World Economy, Latin American Economy, Economic Foundations, Fundaments of Commercialization, History of Economy I, International Economy, Business History, Economic History of Spain
History and Politics
Social Movements in Contemporary Spain, Contemporary History of Spain, Modern History of Spain, Women in Contemporary History, Society and Conflict in Spain: Second Republic and Francoism, Peninsular Islam, Pre-Hispanic and Indian America, Politics and Society in Latin America, History of Spain through Art, Contemporary History, Politics in Contemporary Spain, History of Spanish Music, History of the European Integration, History of Music, History of Sexuality, Social Politics, History of America, Contemporary Political Ideologies, Politics of the Economic Development of Latin America, Contemporary Comparative Social Politics, Contemporary Politics and International Relations
Languages
I, II and III levels in French, German, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian and Chinese (note: Chinese is offered as a full year course).
Linguistics
Varieties of Spanish, History of the Spanish Language, The Spanish Rule, Spanish Morphosyntax, Spanish Phonology and Phonetics,
General Linguistics, Lexical Competence, Sociolinguistics, Spanish Language in Communications, Spanish of Latin-America, Applied Linguistics, History of Spanish Linguistics
Teaching of Spanish
Practical Spanish Grammar, Methodology for Teaching Spanish, Teaching Spanish as a Second Language, Grammar for the teaching of Spanish as a Second Language
Spanish Literature
20th Century Literature, Spanish Theater, Spanish Poetry, Introduction to the Spanish Novel, General Literature of Spain, Medieval Literature, Golden Age Literature, 18th and 19th Century Literature, Introduction to Spanish Poetry
Hispano-American Literature
20th Century Hispano-American Literature, Colonial Hispano-American Literature, 19th Century Hispano-American Literature, Hispano-American Poetry of the Twentieth Century, Hispano-American Literature of the Golden Age
Other Literature
English and North American Literature, French Literature, German Literature, Portuguese Literature, Italian Literature, Ancient Christianity and its literature, History of English Literature
Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology
Psychological anthropology, Social Anthropology, Anthropology and folklore
Anthropology of IberoAmerican Culture, Arabic Thinking, Psychology of Memory,
Sociology of Communication and Culture, Sociology of Organizations, Political Sociology, Hispano-Hebrew Culture, Hispano-Arabic Culture, Cultural Studies of Great Britain, Cultural Studies of the USA
The following are examples of some of the most popular superior level courses with AIFS students:
| Superior level courses | |
| Art 405 spring only (3) | Contemporary Spanish Art (Arte Español Contemporánea) |
| Art 409 spring only (3) | Islamic and Hispano-Muslim Art (Arte Islámico y Arte Hispanomusulman) |
| Art 411 fall only (3) | History of Spanish Modern Art (Historia del Arte Moderno Español) |
| Art 413 fall only (3) | Hispano-Flamenco Art and Architecture (Arte y Arquitectura Hispanoflamenca) |
| Art 415 spring only (3) | History of Contemporary Spanish Art (Historia del arte contemporáneo español) |
| Art 417 fall only (3) | History of Hispano-American Art (Historia del arte hispanoamericano) |
| Art 419 fall only (3) | History of Spanish Cinema (Historia del Cine Español) |
| Economics 411 fall only (3) | Economy in the European Community (Economía en la Comunidad Europea) |
| History 417 fall/spring (3) | Contemporary History of Spain (Historia contemporánea de España) |
| History 419 fall/spring (3) | History of Latin America (Historia de América Latina) |
| History 421 spring only (3) | Contemporary History of Latin America (Historia de América Latina actual) |
| Linguistics 417 fall only (3) | Varieties of Spanish (Variedades del Español) |
| Linguistics 419 fall only (3) | Spanish Morphosyntax (Morfosintaxis del Español) |
| Linguistics 421 fall/spring (3) | History of Spanish (Historia del español) |
| Literature 421 fall only (3) | Spanish Theater (Teatro Español) |
| Literature 423 spring only (3) | Spanish Poetry (Poesía Española) |
| Literature 425 fall only (3) | The Spanish Novel (Novela Española) |
| Literature 427 fall/spring (3) | 20th Century Hispano-American Literature (Literatura Hispanoamericana del siglo XX) |
| Methodology 429 fall only (3) | Practical Spanish Grammar (Gramatica Práctica del Español) |
| Methodology 430 fall only (3) | Grammar for the teaching of Spanish as a Second Language (Gramática para la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera) |
| Methodology 431 spring only (3) | Methodology for Teaching Spanish (Metodologia para la Enseñanza del Espanol) |
Honors Program
This program is open to students in good standing with a 3.0 minimum GPA and an excellent command of the Spanish language. Acceptance into the Honors Program will be determined by a University of Salamanca placement test and an interview with the AIFS Academic Coordinator, Carlos Cabrera, once on campus. No guarantee is given in advance of acceptance.
It is required that students participating in the Honors Program take the AIFS course SPA 417 Spanish Academic Writing or, if not open, SPA 403 Advanced Spanish Grammar, and the remainder of their semester courses at the Superior Level (400 level courses). In the spring semester, Honors Program students must stay on until the end of May to properly complete these upper level Spanish courses.(AIFS housing in homestays is included until the end of May. Students housed in the student residency, however, will incur extra expenses to stay the extra week in May.)
| Honors Program - Superior Level | |
| Spanish 417 fall/spring (3) | Required course: Spanish Academic Writing (Escritura académica) |
| Spanish 403 fall/spring (3) | Alternate if Spanish 417 is unavailable: Advanced Spanish Grammar (Lengua española) |
The Honors Program also includes an optional course of independent study:
Spanish 425 fall/spring (3)
Independent Study
This course will have monthly tutorial supervision. Each student must write a research paper (15,000 to 20,000 words) in Spanish, from the following topics:
- The influence of the University of Salamanca In Iberoamerica
- Cervantes and Don Quixote
- The voyages of Columbus and the role which Salamanca played in the expansion of Spain in the New World
- The Spanish Civil War
- Salamanca’s role in Spanish Literature of the Golden Age
- Subject of your choice - with approval of the Academic Coordinator
For participants in the Honors Program, two years of high school Spanish or one year of college Spanish is required. Students who took Spanish in high school must send a copy of their high school transcript to AIFS for review.
Enrollment in the Honors Program is contingent upon passing the University placement test. Students who do not meet the language requirement will be placed into the standard semester courses offered in the regular AIFS program at the University.
Courses - See the list of courses detailed in the Superior Level.
Superior Level - Concentrations
Part of the Superior Level (University courses), AIFS offers concentrations for bilingual students: The Teaching of Spanish as a Second Language or, with the approval of the AIFS Academic Coordinator, a concentration of your choice in Economy, Literature, History, Political Science, Art History, etc. Students should first consult with the appropriate Admissions Officer for details.
It is required that students participating in this program take the AIFS course: Spanish Academic Writing (SPA 417) or, if not open, Advanced Spanish Grammar (SPA 403). The remainder of the semester courses must the Superior Level (400 level) courses. Spring semester students are required by the University to stay until the end of May to take their exam. (AIFS housing in homestays is included until the end of May. However, students housed in the student residency will incur extra expenses to stay longer.). With the permission of the AIFS Academic Coordinator, Dr. Carlos Cabrera, some of the classes listed for the Teaching of Spanish as a Second Language concentration may be substituted for an alternative course related to the subject. This may be due to a particular interest on the part of the AIFS student or necessary in the case of scheduling conflicts.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Superior level classes are normally given in a lecture style and require a rigorous and continued academic dedication and diligence. Participation in University lecture courses can only be approved once you are on campus. Flexibility is therefore essential. Approved students will receive a special orientation and continued guidance from Dr. Cabrera.
| Teaching of Spanish as a Secondary Language Concentration fall courses | |
| Spanish 417 fall/spring (3) | Required course: Spanish Academic Writing (Escritura académica) |
| Spanish 403 fall/spring (3) | Alternate if Spanish 417 is unavailable: Advanced Spanish Grammar (Lengua española) |
| Methodology 429 fall only (3) | Practical Spanish Grammar (Gramatica Práctica del Español) |
| Methodology 430 fall only (3) | Grammar for the teaching of Spanish as a Second Language (Gramática para la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera) |
| Spanish 418 fall only (3) | Correct Spanish (El Español Correcto) |
| Teaching of Spanish as a Secondary Language Concentration spring courses | |
| Spanish 417 fall/spring (3) | Required course: Spanish Academic Writing (Escritura académica) |
| Spanish 403 fall/spring (3) | Alternate if Spanish 417 is unavailable: Advanced Spanish Grammar (Lengua española) |
| Spanish 419 spring only (3) | Correct Spanish (El español correcto) |
| Spanish 423 spring only (3) | Applied Linguistics (Lingüística Aplicada) |
| Spanish 431 spring only (3) | Methodology of the Teaching of Spanish (Metodología para la enseñanza del español) |
January Term
For an extra fee full year students that prefer to stay and study in Salamanca between semesters (during January) can acquire an extra 3 semester credits from among the following courses. Please consult the Admission’s Officer for details and fee.
| Literature 308: Salamanca in Literary Texts | 15 hours/1 credit | |
Sociology 318: The Arab World in Hispanic Culture |
15 hours/1 credit | |
| Art 305: Spanish and Spanish American Cinema | 15 hours/1 credit | |
| Dance 301: Spanish Dance | 15 hours/1 credit | |
| Sociology 305: Popular Culture | 15 hours/1 credit | |
| Independent study (course number to be assigned) | 45 hours/3 credits |
