Historical memory in the Spanish-speaking world

Aims

Aims

This course will look into different dictatorships in Spanish-speaking countries and will reflect on the cultural, social, and historical consequences they had in society. The student will look into human rights and social justice in the Hispanic world from the 1940s up to the present, highlighting the historical Memory. The course will give the student the opportunity to explore the richness of social compromise within the Hispanic societies of the XX and XXI centuries, through literature, music, cinema, and the plastic arts.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Students must have successfully completed the two first year core Spanish modules:

• S05C Spanish language and society I (LAN00005C)
• S08C Spanish grammar (LAN00008C)

OR

• S21C Ab initio Spanish language skills (LAN00021C)
• S22C Ab initio Spanish language and society (LAN00022C)

Programme

Programme

Contact hours

Two hours a week.

Teaching programme

The medium of instruction is Spanish. There will be a weekly lecture to introduce the context and key facts related to a particular aspect of the theme. This will be followed by of 1 hour seminar devoted to the analysis of selected extracts of written and audio-visual materials in Spanish through a number of activities. Oral/aural and written exercises will help students develop an understanding of the Spanish language used in a variety of Spanish speaking countries.

Teaching materials

Bibliographical references will be supplied during the course. Consultation of Spanish daily newspapers and weekly magazines is essential for the students to keep up to date with current issues.

Assessment and feedback

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on formative work

• Oral commentary and dialogue within class on oral and written language work, given immediately both to individuals and to group
• Oral commentary and dialogue on seminar presentation, given to the individual presenter following the seminar
• Written comments and mark on University scale given to individual students for practice essays, with opportunity for individual consultation. The essays will be returned to students two weeks after seminar.

Assessment and feedback

• Open examination
  • Duration: 2 weeks, collected in Week 5 and submitted by noon on Thursday of Week 7 in Spring term
  • Weight: 30%
  • Feedback: Individuals will be allowed to see their exam paper with comments, under supervision, at an appointed date after the external examiner has reviewed the papers.
• Closed examination, Summer term, Weeks 5-7
  
  • Duration: 2 hours
  • Weight: 70%
  • Feedback: Individuals will be allowed to see their exam paper with comments, under supervision, at an appointed date after the external examiner has reviewed the papers.