ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
2013—2014
Assistant Professors: Maria Ospina, Spanish; Stéphanie Ponsavady, French; Olga Sendra Ferrer, Spanish
Adjunct Instructor: Daniela Viale, Italian
Departmental Advising Experts 2013-2014: Jeff Rider, French Studies; Octavio Flores-Cuadra, Hispanic Literatures and Cultures; Daniel Leisawitz (fall), Daniela Viale (spring), Italian Studies; Michael Armstrong-Roche, Romance Studies
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (RL&L) is a cornerstone of the humanities at Wesleyan and the University’s gateway to the French-, Italian-, and Spanish-speaking worlds. We represent literary and cultural traditions that extend from the Middle Ages to the present. We teach languages, literatures, and cultures that span Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our students develop and apply their knowledge and skills through the extracurricular activities and study-abroad opportunities that we promote. Through a network of collaborations across departments and divisions, we support a wide array of majors, academic programs, and initiatives.
Students interested in enrolling in French, Italian, or Spanish at the elementary or intermediate levels are urged to do so during their first and sophomore years.
Department policy gives priority to first-year and sophomore students in our language classes (numbered 101-112) to allow students to study abroad and to meet the requirements of those programs requiring language study. Juniors and seniors who wish to take elementary and intermediate language courses should submit an online enrollment request and attend the first class. They may be accepted during the drop/add period if seats become available. Should a junior or senior enroll in the first course of an ampersand sequence (such as 101-102), he or she will have priority for the second course, just like first-year and sophomore students.
French Studies
French studies major provides students with a command of the French language sufficient to live and work successfully in a French-speaking environment. It enables them to develop an in-depth knowledge of French-language literatures and critical approaches, and, through it, an awareness of French and Francophone modes of thought and expression. It also offers them the opportunity to develop simultaneously a broad knowledge of French and Francophone cultures through a flexible, interdisciplinary program combining course work in a number of fields that may serve as the basis for future work or further academic or professional studies.
Our criteria for admission in the major is a grade of B or higher in FREN215 or its equivalent.
The major consists of a minimum of eight courses:
* Four FREN courses numbered 220-399.
- FREN215 or the equivalent is the prerequisite for all FREN courses numbered 220 or higher.
- Courses numbered 220-299 are introductory courses intended for students who have completed FREN215; who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere; who have placed out of FREN215 through the placement test. In general, these courses are designed for students who have not yet studied abroad in a French-speaking country.
- 300-level courses are upper-level courses intended for students who have already completed two courses in French beyond FREN215 or who have studied abroad in a French-speaking country for at least a semester:
* Four other courses whose content is devoted substantially to the study of French or Francophone literature, history, culture, or society.
These courses may be in French or English and may include
- Courses from the French section's normal offering of 200- or 300-level courses.
- Courses listed as FRST (French Studies) or FIST (French, Italian, Spanish in Translation).
- Courses taken through approved study-abroad programs.
- Courses offered by other departments and programs on campus that treat French or Francophone culture, politics, or history. These courses must be approved by the student's major advisor.
A minimum grade of B- is required for courses taken on campus to count toward the FRST major or the RMST major where the student is combining French with one or two other Romance cultures. Starting with the graduating class of 2015, a minimum grade of B will be required for courses taken on campus to count toward the FRST major or the RMST major.
Our criteria for admission in the minor is a grade of B or higher in FREN215 or its equivalent.
The French studies minor provides students with a command of the French language sufficient to live and work in a French-speaking environment. It enables them to develop a good knowledge of French-language literatures and cultures, and, through it, an awareness of French and Francophone modes of thought and expression. The minor consists of a minimum of 5 courses.
* Four FREN courses numbered 220-399:
- FREN215 or the equivalent is the prerequisite for all FREN courses numbered 220 or higher.
- Courses numbered 220-299 are introductory courses intended for students who have completed FREN215; who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere; who have placed out of FREN215 through the placement test. In general, these courses are designed for students who have not yet studied abroad in a French-speaking country.
- 300-level courses are upper-level courses intended for students who have already completed two courses in French beyond FREN215 or who have studied abroad in a French-speaking country for at least a semester:
* One FRST course:
The other credit may be in French or English and may include any one of the following course:
- A course from the French section’s normal offering numbered 220-399.
- A course listed as FRST (French Studies) or FIST (French, Italian, Spanish in Translation).
- A course taken through approved study-abroad programs.
- A course offered by other departments and programs on campus that deal partly or primarily with France or a Francophone region. This course must be approved by the student’s minor advisor.
Although there is no overall GPA requirement to stay in the minor, a grade of B or higher is required to receive minor credit for a course.
All majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester studying abroad in a French-speaking country. We encourage students to participate in Wesleyan's program in Paris (the Vassar-Wesleyan Program), but other Wesleyan-approved study-abroad programs currently exist in Cameroon, France (Aix-en-Provence), Madagascar, and Senegal. Wesleyan also sends one exchange student a year to the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. Students who have strong academic reasons for wishing to participate in other French-based programs may also petition the International Studies Committee for permission to do so. For information on the approved programs and the petition process, contact the Office of International Studies, 105 Fisk Hall (gwinter@wesleyan.edu).
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
Hispanic Literatures and Cultures
As of January 2012, the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures is offering Wesleyan students the opportunity of majoring in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures. This program combines features of the options—Spanish or Iberian Studies—previously available. Students enrolled at Wesleyan in the fall of 2011 may choose to major in either Hispanic Literatures and Cultures, Spanish, or Iberian Studies. As of January 2012, newly matriculated Wesleyan students will choose Hispanic Literatures and Cultures.
The major is designed for students committed to achieving fluency in Spanish and a broad and deep knowledge of the literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. The major emphasizes both the historical interest and cultural diversity of a world whose geographic reach is vast and whose heritage extends from the Middle Ages to the present. The major focuses primarily on literary and related modes of representation (performance and the visual media). It recognizes course work outside the department insofar as such courses bear on the Spanish-speaking world and contribute to a fuller understanding of the themes writers and artists routinely address or the conditions for literary, theatrical, and media production. Students majoring in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures have the flexibility to tailor the major to their intellectual interests as long as they meet our expectations for coherence.
Students qualify for this major with a grade of B- or better in SPAN221 or the equivalent.
- Nine coursesnumbered 221 and above.
- Five courses in SPAN taken on Wesleyan’s Middletown campus.
- Breadth requirements: at least one course in early modern (Spanish Golden Age or colonial Latin America), modern Spain, and modern Latin America. Breadth requirements may be fulfilled at Wesleyan or abroad.
- Students will take at least one course in SPAN at Wesleyan during their senior year. (Tutorials do not apply.)
- Students are expected to maintain at least a B- average in the major program.
- Courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the student is also majoring in COL.
Options:
- Students may apply up to four units for courses taken in Spanish in related fields on selected programs abroad. (See criteria for related field courses taken in Spanish and English and list of selected programs below)
- Of the nine required courses, students may take one course in a related field through the medium of English.
- Students who do not study abroad may, with approval from the advisor, take up to two courses in a related field through the medium of English.
- Special provision for students interested in majoring in both HISP and LAST: Students may count no more than four courses toward satisfying requirements of both majors concurrently.
Sample transcripts:
| STUDENTS WHO DO NOT STUDY ABROAD | ||
| SPAN (Spanish Golden Age – Colonial Latin America) | SPAN (Spanish Golden Age – Colonial Latin America) | SPAN (Spanish Golden Age – Colonial Latin America) |
| SPAN (Mod Spain) | SPAN (Mod Spain) | SPAN (Mod Spain) |
| SPAN (Mod Latin America) | SPAN (Mod Latin America) | SPAN (Mod Latin America) |
| SPAN | SPAN | SPAN |
| SPAN | SPAN | SPAN |
| SPAN | SPAN | SPAN |
| SPAN | SPAN | SPAN |
| SPAN | SPAN | SPAN |
| SPAN | SPAN | Related field in English at Wesleyan |
| SPAN | Related field in English at Wesleyan | Related field in English at Wesleyan |
| STUDENTS WHO STUDY ABROAD | |
| SPAN (breadth req or elective) | SPAN (breadth req or elective) |
| SPAN (breadth req or elective) | SPAN (breadth req or elective) |
| SPAN (breadth req or elective) | SPAN (breadth req or elective) |
| SPAN | SPAN |
| SPAN | SPAN |
| Span or related field | Span or related field |
| Span or related field | Span or related field |
| Span or related field | Span or related field |
| Span or related field | Related field in English at Wesleyan |
Notes: Breadth requirements may be satisfied at Wesleyan or abroad
Related-Field Courses Taken Abroad in Spanish
Courses in related fields that will be accepted toward the major are defined as ones that have a strong interpretive dimension, with a focus on matters of representation and/or discourse, courses, therefore, whose content does not rely on methods linked to either empirical analysis, the measurement and application of data, or mathematical or statistical models. Courses that meet the above criteria are commonly found in sociology, anthropology, history, art history, music, and philosophy but can also be found in government, economics, and psychology when the goal is not mastery of critical terms, concepts, and methods proper to the field in question but critical engagement with how the field is represented, conceived, or used in particular debates or contexts involving the nation, culture, ideology, etc.
Related-Field Courses Taken at Wesleyan in English
Courses in related fields that will be accepted toward the major are defined as ones that (a) concentrate predominantly on Latin America or Spain and (b) have a strong interpretive dimension, with a focus on matters of representation and/or discourse, courses, therefore, whose content does not rely on methods linked to either empirical analysis, the measurement and application of data, or mathematical or statistical models. Courses that meet the above criteria are currently found in College of Letters, history, sociology, art history, music, and the Center for the Humanities.
- Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid (Spain)
- CIEE in Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- Middlebury in Chile (Various cities)
- CIEE in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)
- IFSA Butler at the Universidad Autónoma (Mérida, Mexico)
Students may petition for ad hoc approval of other programs abroad. For more information concerning study-abroad opportunities, visit the Office of International Studies, 105 Fisk Hall.
Students are encouraged to present a substantial piece of work during their senior year that is comparative and transnational in nature, either within the framework of a single course (a term paper, for instance) or as their senior essay or thesis.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
Italian Studies
The study of Italian language, literature, and culture brings into proximity humanistic tradition and global concerns. The excellent language training Wesleyan students receive serves as the base from which to explore Italian history, culture, and society from the Middle Ages to the present. The rich and renewing curriculum enables students to develop and refine capabilities Wesleyan has defined as essential. Those capabilities that Italian studies fosters and increases include writing, speaking, interpretation, intercultural literacy, and effective citizenship, skills that are in service to a variety of professions and courses of study. The small classes, typically conducted through the medium of Italian, a characteristic of Wesleyan’s Italian curriculum, allow professors and students to work closely on a variety of critical topics. The cross-disciplinary composition of the major allows students to explore their interests in an array of different departments (history, the College of Letters, art history, classics).
- Nine courses above the level of 102 (i.e., 111 and higher)
- At least one course taken in Italian at Wesleyan after study abroad
Allowance: one course of these nine may be taken through the medium of English
The major at a glance
- One course in Italian post study-abroad required
- Students are highly encouraged to satisfy the post study-abroad requirement in the semester they return to campus.
- Four credits from Bologna accepted
- Only one of these may be on a topic that is not Italian in nature (i.e., Economy of Russia taken at the UniBo).
- Lecce credit accepted only for students who have completed through 102 only before study abroad.
- If a student attends a study-abroad program other than ECCO, a review of the number of credits that will be accepted into the major will be required.
- Students placing into 221 or higher are required to complete nine courses, three of which may be in English. One of the six minimum courses in Italian must be taken in the senior year.
|
YR |
SEM |
Student 1 |
Student 2 |
Student 3 |
Student 4 |
Student 5 |
|
FR |
F |
ITAL101 |
ITAL101 |
|
|
ITAL221 |
|
S |
ITAL102 |
ITAL102 |
|
|
ITAL2++ |
|
|
SO |
F |
ITAL111 |
ITAL111 |
ITAL101 |
ITAL101 |
ITST** |
|
S |
ITAL112 |
ITAL112 |
ITAL102 |
ITAL102 |
ITAL2++ |
|
|
JU |
F |
ECCO ECCO ECCO ECCO |
ITAL221 |
ITAL111 |
Lecce (=ITAL111) ECCO (=ITAL112) ECCO ECCO ECCO |
ECCO ECCO ECCO ECCO |
|
S |
ITAL2++ or ITST* |
ECCO ECCO ECCO ECCO |
ECCO ECCO ECCO ECCO |
ITAL2++ ITAL2++ or ITST* |
ITAL2++ or ITST** (or 0) |
|
|
SE *** |
|
ITAL2++ or ITST* ITAL2++ or ITST* |
ITAL2++ or ITST* ITAL2++ or ITST* |
ITAL221 and ITAL2++ ITAL2++ and ITST* or ITAL |
ITAL2++ or ITST* ITAL2++ or ITST*
|
ITAL2++ (or 0)*** ITAL2++ (or 0) |
- * 1 ITST course permitted for the major.
- ** Up to 3 ITST permitted for the major for students placing into 221 or higher.
- *** One ITAL must be taken in the student’s senior year.
- F = Fall / S = Spring
- ITAL = courses taken through the medium of Italian at Wesleyan (in RLL)
- ITST = courses on Italian literature/culture taken through the medium of English at Wesleyan
- ECCO = courses taken on the ECCO Program in Bologna
Program in Bologna, Italy. Wesleyan University cosponsors with Vassar College and Wellesley College a program in Italy for up to 15 students from each of the three schools without regard to their choice of major. ITAL102 or the equivalent of one year of college-level Italian is the prerequisite for participation. Students may choose to participate in either the fall or spring semesters, or (optimally) both. For fall or full-year participants, the program begins with a seven-week (2 credit) intensive language and culture course that consists of three weeks in Siena in the month of August, followed by a short break, and then four more weeks in Bologna before the beginning of the academic year; spring-only participants will have a similar three-week (1 credit) course in Bologna in January. A full complement of courses taught in Italian dealing with Italian literature, history, government, art history, and other areas is offered at the program’s center, taught by faculty from the Universita’ di Bologna and by the program director.
Qualified students are strongly encouraged to enroll in courses at the Universita’, and, thus, students with good language skills will have a wide range of fields from which to choose, including economics, government, and the natural sciences. All courses carry one Wesleyan credit. Literature courses may count toward the Italian studies major. Courses in other disciplines must be approved for credit toward the major by the appropriate advisor.
Cost of the program is approximately equivalent to that of staying on the home campus for the same period, and it includes round-trip air transportation between New York and Italy. Applications for the fall semester are due by March 1, for the spring semester, by October 1, and must be submitted to the Office of International Studies.
Students participating in Wesleyan’s Program in Bologna for any duration may receive credit for four courses. Students attending study-abroad programs other than ECCO are required to have those credits reviewed by their advisor before they will be accepted for the major.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
Course assistantships in Italian. Majors and other accomplished students returning from overseas may apply to serve as a course assistant for elementary Italian. Students may not receive academic credit for this exercise; rather, they will receive a stipend for their work. Students should express their interest to the faculty advisor in the spring for the fallowing fall semester and in the early fall for consideration for the spring semester. Please note that students may serve as course assistant for only one course in the University per semester.
Romance Studies
The Romance studies major provides students the opportunity to develop a broad knowledge of two or more of the Romance cultures taught at Wesleyan (French, Italian, Spanish) through a flexible, interdisciplinary program combining course work in a number of fields that may serve as the basis for future work or further academic or professional studies. Students who are interested in this major should contact the chair of the department.
- Nine courses at or above determined levels (FREN223, ITAL112, SPAN221) in two Romance Languages
- Determination of a “major” (five courses, “1L”) and “minor” (four courses “2L”) focus
- A minimum of two comparative projects to be completed on Wesleyan’s Middletown campus in a course within each of the two language groups
- At least one course taken in both 1L and 2L following the student’s study-abroad experience
- At least one course taken in both 1L and 2L in the student’s senior year
- Study abroad for 2L to take place on a Wesleyan-sponsored study-abroad program. Alternatively, students may, with the advisor’s advanced statement of support, study on another approved program. This practice is intended to promote the intellectual coherence of a major in which students acquire one language (2L) more recently than another.
- Students may take one course through the medium of English in 1L only.
- With the advisor’s approval, students may satisfy the comparative requirement by way of course work and/or written work conducted on a study abroad program.
- Students whose 1L placement is higher than FREN215, ITAL112, SPAN221 are required to complete nine courses, two of which may be in English in 1L only.
- Up to three courses taken during study abroad may be used for the major, combining both 1L and 2L, unless the student has very high standing in 1L. See the sample transcripts below.
- Except in extremely rare circumstances, students may not double major in any of the majors sponsored by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures: RMST, IBST, SPAN, FRST, ITST.
- Senior essays or theses must be comparative and involve the literatures and/or cultures of both 1L and 2L.
Sample transcripts: two students, staggered start of 2L, study abroad one semester
| YR | SEM | Student 1 1L (major) | Student 1 2L (minor) | Student 2 1L (major) | Student 2 2L (minor) |
| FR | F | 1L 221 | 2L 101 | 1L 221 | |
| S | 1L 2++ | 2L 102 | 1L 2++ | |
|
| SO | F | 1L 2++ | 2L 111 | |
2L 101 |
| S | |
2L 112 | 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)* | 2L 102 | |
| JU | F |
Wes abroad 1L Wes abroad 1L Wes abroad (not RLANG or 2L) Wes abroad (not RLANG or 2L) |
|
1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)* | 2L 111 |
| S | 1L 2++ OR related course in English*/**(Or 0) | 2L 2++ (or 0) | |
Wes abroad 2LWes abroad 2L Wes abroad (1L or not RLANG) Wes abroad (1L or not RLANG) |
|
| SE | |
1L 2++ OR Eng*/**(Or 0)____________1L 2++ OR Eng*/**(Or 0) | 2L 2++ ** (or 0) 2L 2++ ** (or 0) | 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)** 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)** | 2L 2++ **2L 2++ ** |
- *1 course on the subject matter of the culture/country in English permitted for the major in 1L.
- **Students required to take at least one course in both 1L and 2L following study abroad.
- Students required to take at least 1 course in both 1L and 2L in the senior year.
- Courses in bold: accepted as courses for RMST major
- 1L = major language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
- 2L = minor language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
- F = Fall / S = Spring
Sample transcripts: two students, staggered start of 2L, study abroad two semesters, 1 in each of the target cultures
| YR | SEM | Student 1 1L (major) | Student 1 2L (minor) | Student 2 1L (major) | Student 2 2L (minor) |
| FR | F | 1L 221 | 2L 101 | 1L 221 | |
| S | 1L 2++ | 2L 102 | 1L 2++ | |
|
| SO | F | 1L 2++ | 2L 111 | |
2L 101 |
| S | |
2L 112 | 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0) | 2L 102 | |
| JU | F |
Wes abroad (or another program) Wes abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG) |
|
|
Wes abroad Wes abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG) |
| S | |
Wes abroad (or another program) Wes abroad(not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG) |
Wes abroad Wes abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG) |
|
|
| SE | |
1L 2++ OR Eng(Or 0)____________ 1L 2++ OR Eng(Or 0) |
2L 2++ (or 0)2L 2++ (or 0) |
1L 2++ or Eng (or 0) 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0) |
2L 221 2L 2++ |
- *1 course in English on subject/culture permitted for the major in 1L.
- **Students required to take at least one course in both 1L and 2L following study abroad.
- Students required to take at least 1 course in both 1L and 2L in the senior year.
- Courses in bold: accepted as courses for RMST major
- F = Fall / S = Spring
- 1L = major language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
- 2L = minor language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
Sample transcripts: students with very high placement in 1L
| YR | SEM | Student 1 1L (major) | Student 1 2L (minor) | Student 2 1L (major) | Student 2 2L (minor) |
| FR | F | 1L 2++ or Eng* | 2L 101 | 1L 2++ | |
| S | 1L 2++ or Eng* | 2L 102 | 1L 2++ | |
|
| SO | F | 1L 2++ | 2L 111 | |
2L 101 |
| S | |
2L 112 | 1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)* | 2L 102 | |
| JU | F |
Wes abroad (or another program) Wes abroad (not RLANG or 2L) abroad (not RLANG or 2L) |
|
|
2L 111 |
| S | |
2L 2++** (or 0) |
Wes abroad (or another program) Abroad 2L abroad (not RLANG) abroad (not RLANG) |
|
|
| SE | |
1L 2++ OR Eng**/***(Or 0)____________ 1L 2++ OR Eng**/***(Or 0) |
2L 2++ ** (or 0)2L 2++ ** (or 0) |
1L 2++ or Eng (or 0)*/**/***1L 2++ or Eng (or 0) */**/*** |
2L 221 **2L 2++ |
- *2 courses in English on subject culture/country permitted for the major in 1L.
- **Students required to take at least one course in both 1L and 2L following study abroad.
- Students required to take at least one course in both 1L and 2L in the senior year.
- Courses in bold: accepted as courses for RMST major
- F = Fall / S = Spring
- 1L = major language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
- 2L = minor language focus: either French, Italian, or Spanish
All majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester studying abroad in a Romance-language-speaking country. In addition to Wesleyan's own programs in Bologna, Madrid, and Paris, there are currently Wesleyan-approved study-abroad programs in Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France (internships in Francophone Europe in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Grenoble), Italy (Florence, Padua, Rome), Madagascar, Mexico, and Senegal. Wesleyan also sends one exchange student a year to the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. Students who have strong academic reasons for wishing to participate in other programs may also petition the International Studies Committee for permission to do so. For information on the approved programs and the petition process, contact the Office of International Studies, 105 Fisk Hall (gwinter@wesleyan.edu).
Majors with a minimum grade point average of 92 in courses taken for the major may choose to complete a one- or two-semester project for departmental honors. The course credit(s) associated with the project are not applicable to the nine required for completion of the major. See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.
See department web site, click on Honors & Regulations.