SPLA20882
Modern Latin American Literature
20
Semester 2
Undergraduate
Level 2
Karl Posso
Unit coordinator
Spanish, Portuguese and Latin
1
FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Middle part of Bachelors '
European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0
<p>This course introduces students to a broad range of short-format prose literature from across Latin America from the early 20th-century to the present day. These texts, produced by both canonical and lesser-known authors, are used to consider important themes in Latin American culture, such as history, politics, race, gender, generational difference and modern living. Texts will be read in Spanish, but two Brazilian short stories will be made available in English. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;">This course introduces students to a broad range of short-format prose literature from across Latin America from the early 20th-century to the present day. These texts, produced by both canonical and lesser-known authors, are used to consider important themes in Latin American culture, such as history, politics, race, gender, generational difference and modern living. Texts will be read in Spanish, but two Brazilian short stories will be made available in English. </span></p>
<ul><li>To familiarise students with Latin American literature from the start of the twentieth century to the present</li><li>To introduce students to a range of literary prose texts that can be read as responses to key historical moments and cultural developments in the region</li><li>To help students think about the relationship between literature, culture and history across Latin American so that they can develop an analytical framework for thinking about such issues in other contexts</li><li>To improve students’ intercultural awareness</li><li>To improve students’ knowledge of Spanish</li></ul>
<p>By the end of this course students will be familiar with:</p><ul><li>Some of the most important authors of twentieth century Latin American literature as well as the writing of key contemporary writers</li><li>Key moments in Latin American history of the last 100 years</li><li>How politics, culture and literature inform each other</li><li>Key literary theories</li><li>Enhanced principles of close critical reading, and literary analysis</li></ul>
<p>By the end of this course students will be able to:</p><ul><li>Read several literary works critically within specific cultural and historical contexts in Latin America</li><li>Analyse the way that written texts represent or respond to historical events, political ideology and/or cultural concerns</li><li>Evaluate and compare literary techniques</li><li>Structure critical arguments</li></ul>
<p>By the end of this course students will be able to demonstrate:</p><ul><li>An increased ability to carry out close-textual analysis</li><li>Enhanced skills for presenting and defending an argument</li><li>Improved written and spoken skills</li></ul>
<p>By the end of this course students will have improved the following transferable skills:</p><ul><li>Written and oral communication</li><li>Intercultural awareness and understanding</li><li>Participating in group discussions</li><li>Independent thinking, research and planning</li><li>Working with primary and secondary sources, both in English and Spanish</li></ul>
Analytical skills
TOURISM AND TRAVEL (intercultural communication, historical knowledge, and cultural understanding)
POLITICS AND POLICY-MAKING (awareness of history of political events; role of culture in responding to and creating social change)
CHARITIES AND NGOS (knowledge and assessment of social issues)
Other
In addition to academic jobs (in teaching and research), the skills outlined above can be valuable assets for, among others, the following job sectors, both in relation to Latin America and beyond:
JOURNALISM AND MEDIA (familiarity with Latin American social and historical contexts; greater command of Spanish and written English)
TRANSLATION AND PUBLISHING (enhanced knowledge of literature and language; greater cultural awareness)
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (organisational skills; critical thinking and problem-solving)
<p>The lectures will introduce the various authors, cultural contexts and set texts studied on this unit. The seminars will be used to allow students to go into greater analytical depth by discussing and comparing the set texts and accompanying readings. Seminar readings and activities will be posted on Blackboard in advance and other supplementary materials will also be made available there. Set texts will be read in Spanish (Brazilian texts will be available in English). The language of instruction is English. </p>
0
Other
100%
<figure class="table"><table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Assessment task</td><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Formative or Summative</td><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Weighting within unit (if summative)</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Critical commentary</td><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Summative and formative</td><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">40%</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Critical commentary</td><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Summative and Formative</td><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">60%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p> </p><p>Resit Assessment:</p><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">Essay</td><td style="border-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;">2500 words</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p> </p>
<figure class="table"><table aria-rowcount="5" border="1" data-tablelook="480" data-tablestyle="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr aria-rowindex="1" role="row"><td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{40}" paraid="1076651174">Feedback method </p></td><td data-celllook="4369" role="columnheader"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{47}" paraid="35521698">Formative or Summative </p></td></tr><tr aria-rowindex="2" role="row"><td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{55}" paraid="1099657424">Written feedback on both critical commentaries</p></td><td data-celllook="4369"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{62}" paraid="494122900">Formative and summative </p></td></tr><tr aria-rowindex="3" role="row"><td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{72}" paraid="394062298">Peer feedback on in-class formative exercises</p></td><td data-celllook="4369"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{79}" paraid="774110101">Formative </p></td></tr><tr aria-rowindex="4" role="row"><td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{87}" paraid="997065875">Oral feedback in seminar discussions </p></td><td data-celllook="4369"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{94}" paraid="112350373">Formative </p></td></tr><tr aria-rowindex="5" role="row"><td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{104}" paraid="500625774">Individual consultations with teaching staff during office hours or by appointment </p></td><td data-celllook="4369"><p paraeid="{a0868c18-5155-4164-a196-95c9376576d1}{111}" paraid="1509479473">Formative </p></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>
<p>Primary texts will be read in Spanish; teaching and assessment will take place in English.</p><p>Available on: All programmes related to Spanish.</p>
N
<p>Echevarría, Roberto. <i>Modern Latin American Literature: A Very Short Introduction</i>. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.</p><p>Castro-Klarén, Sara. <i>A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture</i>. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2008.</p><p>Hart, Stephen M., <i>A Companion to Latin American Literature</i>. New ed. Woodbridge, Suffolk UK: Tamesis, 2007.</p>
Lectures
11
Seminars
22
0
156