Professor Ana Merino
Dartmouth Hall room 322
Fall 2008 Term office hours: by appointment
The Department offers two LSA programs, one in Barcelona, Spain (Fall, Winter and Spring) and one in Puebla, Mexico (Winter and Spring). Each program is led by a faculty member of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Students live with Spanish-speaking families for the entire term. The program offers Spanish 3 (Advanced language instruction), Spanish 5 (Introduction to Mexican/Spanish Civilization) and Spanish 6 (Introduction to Hispanic Literatures). To qualify for a program, a student must have achieved a minimum grade of B- in Spanish 2, or the equivalent preparation, and be accepted into the program.
Barcelona is also the site of several universities, among them the University of Barcelona, host of our LSA. The University of Barcelona was founded by Alfonso V, King of Aragón, in 1430, and is one of the largest and most important universities in Spain. There are a number of museums and galleries, including an important collection of works by Picasso, Miro and Tapies, and one of the finest museums of Romanesque art in the world. Perhaps the most famous building in Barcelona is Antonio Gaudi's unfinished Sagrada Familia church, begun in the late 19th century and characterized by its cluster of openwork spires. But once visitors return home, the two images of this distinctive city that remain most vividly are its art nouveau architecture and the brightness of its beautiful Mediterranean light.
[This program coincides with Portuguese FSP]
LSA Brazil is oriented towards the acquisition of the Portuguese language (Brazilian Portuguese) through the experience of living with a Brazilian family, studying language, literature, and
civilization, and excursions to sites of interest around Bahia. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, occupying half of the continent of South America. It is as varied culturally, geographically and demographically as it is vast in size, combining indigenous, African, and European elements in a uniquely rich symbiosis. Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia, with a population of around 2,250,000 inhabitants, was the first major port and the capital of colonial Brazil for almost two centuries. The city lies between green tropical hills and broad beaches along the bay of Todos os Santos. Many of the city's baroque churches, private homes, squares, and even the hand-chipped paving bricks have been preserved as part of Brazil's historic patrimony. In Salvador, more than anywhere else in the country, the African influence in the makeup of Brazilian culture is readily visible, from the spicy dishes still called by their African names (caruru, vatapa, acaraje), to the ceremonies of "Candomble" which honor both African deities and Catholic holidays, to "capoeira" schools where a unique African form of ritualistic fighting is taught. Like our FSP, the LSA is located at the ACBEU (Associação Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos), which is one of the most important institutions of its type in Brazil.
The LSA program offers Portuguese 3 (Advanced language instruction), Portuguese 5 (Introduction to Afro-Brazilian Culture), and Portuguese 6 (Introduction to Brazilian Literature).
To qualify for the LSA in Brazil, a student must have completed Portuguese 1 with a grade of B or better, or have the equivalent preparation. Participants will be accepted on the basis of their application forms, letters of reference, and an interview; actual participation in the program is contingent upon the maintenance of satisfactory academic standing and compliance with orientation procedures.
The Department offers Foreign Study Programs in the Spanish language in Madrid, Spain and in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Students participating in the Foreign Study Program live with families and take three courses: Contemporary Issues, Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Literature. In Contemporary Issues, students read about, discuss and debate current issues and problems affecting the country of residence. The Cultural Heritage course focuses on historical development in Spain and Latin America through art, architecture, music, and popular culture. In the Contemporary Literature course, students read modern poetry, drama and fiction written by major Latin American and Spanish authors. The courses are taught by local faculty and by the accompanying Dartmouth faculty member. Two major credits are offered in each of the programs.
To be accepted into the program, a student must have achieved a minimum grade of B- in Spanish 20 (for Madrid) or Spanish 21 (for Buenos Aires), or have satisfactorily completed the LSA program in Mexico or Spain. Demonstration of the importance of the program to the student's overall academic program at Dartmouth is an important factor considered for acceptance. Foreign study may not be taken during a student's last Dartmouth term.
[This program coincides with Portuguese LSA]
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, occupying half of the continent of South America. It is as varied culturally, geographically and demographically as it is vast in size, combining indigenous, African, and European elements in a uniquely rich symbiosis. Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia, with a population of around 2,250,000 inhabitants, was the first major port and the capital of colonial Brazil for almost two centuries. The city lies between green tropical hills and broad beaches along the bay of Todos os Santos. Many of the city's baroque churches, private homes, squares, and even the hand-chipped paving bricks have been preserved as part of Brazil's historic patrimony. In Salvador, more than anywhere else in the country, the African influence in the makeup of Brazilian culture is readily visible, from the spicy dishes still called by their African names (caruru, vatapa, acaraje), to the ceremonies of "Candomble" which honor both African deities and Catholic holidays, to the "capoeira" schools where a unique African form of ritualistic fighting is taught. Curriculum: * Portuguese 25: Advanced Portuguese. Composition, * Portuguese 35: Advanced Studies in Brazilian Culture and Civilization, and * Portuguese 36: Studies in Contemporary Brazilian Literature.
Prerequisite: Portuguese 20 or equivalent; or permission of the program director.
Like the LSA, the Portuguese Foreign Study Program is located at the ACBEU (Associação Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos), in the coastal city of Salvador, Brazil.
