WCL300 Reading & Contexts
Development of reading strategies and skills needed for analyzing and understanding literary/cultural texts. The course is organized around a topic based on a theme, period, or major writer and chosen to meet the needs of students who are just beginning upper-level coursework in their language of choice. Special attention given to vocabulary development, to the advanced grammar and to the historical context required for understanding literary/cultural texts. By analyzing texts and writing frequently, students learn how ideas are formed through language. The course teaches students to pay close attention to how a piece of writing creates meaning at the level of the word, the phrase, the sentence, and the paragraph or verse. Students become critical readers not only of texts but also of the world around them. Pre-requisite: Students must demonstrate at least the intermediate level of proficiency in Spanish either by successfully completing a 200-level Spanish course or by demonstrating that proficiency through a placement test.