ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
2019-2020
ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES FACULTY
Departmental Advising Experts:
Jeff Rider, French Studies; Olga Sendra Ferrer, Hispanic Literatures and Cultures; Ellen Nerenberg, Italian Studies; Andrew Curran, Romance Studies
The 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 them, 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 coursework in a number of fields that may serve as the basis for future work or further academic or professional studies.
Students must have completed FREN215 or a higher level course with a grade of at least a B to be admitted to the major.
FREN215 or the equivalent is the prerequisite for all FREN courses numbered 220 or higher.
The major consists of a minimum of eight courses beyond FREN215:
- Four FREN courses numbered 220-399.
- These courses must be taken on campus in French.
- Courses numbered 220-299 are introductory courses intended for students who have completed FREN215, who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere, or 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 taken on campus or abroad, may be in French or English, and may be chosen from among the following courses:
- Courses from the French section’s normal offering of FREN courses numbered 220-399.
- Courses listed Romance Lang & Lit In Eng (RL&L).
- Courses taken through approved study-abroad programs.
- Courses offered by other departments and programs on campus that include a study of 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 Romance studies RMST major where the student is combining French with another Romance culture.
The French Studies minor 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 them, 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 coursework in a number of fields that may serve as the basis for future work or further academic or professional studies.
Students must have completed FREN215 or a higher level course with a grade of at least a B to be admitted to the minor.
The minor consists of a minimum of five courses beyond FREN215:
- Four FREN courses numbered 220-399.
- These courses must be taken on campus in French.
- Courses numbered 220-299 are introductory courses intended for students who have completed FREN215, who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere, or 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 other course whose content is devoted substantially to the study of French or Francophone literature, history, culture, or society. This course may be taken on campus or abroad, may be in French or English, and may be chosen from among the following courses:
- Courses from the French section’s normal offering of FREN courses numbered 220-399.
- Courses listed Romance Lang & Lit In Eng (RL&L).
- Courses taken through approved study-abroad programs.
- Courses offered by other departments and programs on campus that include a study of 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 minor.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/french/aptransferofcredit for more information.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/french/aptransferofcredit for more information.
HISPANIC LITERATURES AND CULTURES
The major in Hispanic literatures and cultures is designed for students committed to achieving fluency in Spanish and a knowledge of the literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. The major emphasizes both the history 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 (such as performance, film, and the visual arts) yet recognizes course work outside the department in related fields, as described below. 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 who complete the major in Hispanic literatures and cultures gain the knowledge and skills needed to successfully pursue their academic and professional interests:
- the language proficiency to live, study, and work in a Spanish-speaking environment, in the United States or abroad;
- strong communicative skills, in both Spanish and their native language;
- the capacity to understand diverse points of view; and
- the ability to draw on a wide range of sources to stimulate their own creative and critical capacities
Students qualify for this major with a grade of B or better in SPAN221 or the equivalent. Exceptions require the approval of the Spanish section.
- Nine (9) courses minimum numbered 203 and above. Students who count SPAN 203 must also take SPAN 221.
- Five (5) courses minimum in SPAN at Wesleyan numbered 221 or above. At least one in each of the following categories:
- Before 1700 (Medieval, Spanish Golden Age or colonial Latin America, normally SPAN230-249);
- Post-1700 Spain (normally SPAN250-269);
- Post-1800 Latin America (normally SPAN270-299).
- One (1) course in SPAN at Wesleyan during their senior year.
- A grade of B or better in courses taken for the major. Exceptions require the approval of the Spanish section.
Tutorials (for course assistants, essays, or honors) do not count toward the major.
Languages courses taken abroad do not count toward the major.
Courses in Related Fields.
Courses taken in Spanish on selected programs abroad may count toward the major if they have a strong interpretive dimension, with a focus on reading, writing, discussion, representation, or form (e.g., how genre, rhetoric, and/or style shape meaning). Such courses may also treat the subject’s history or the debates within it. Courses that meet these criteria are ordinarily found in anthropology, art history, history, music, philosophy, and sociology. They can also be found in economics, government, and psychology when the course focuses primarily on how the field is represented, conceived, or used in public debates or contexts.
Courses offered through the medium of English by other Wesleyan departments and programs primarily on the Hispanophone (including the U.S. Hispanic) world may count toward the major. These courses must be approved by the student’s major advisor.
With the advisor’s approval, majors may count courses in related fields as follows:
- For students who do not study abroad, up to two (2) courses through the medium of English.
- For students who study abroad, four (4) courses maximum on selected programs abroad and one (1) course through the medium of English at Wesleyan.
Courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the student is also majoring in COL.
Students majoring in both HISP and LAST may count no more than four (4) courses toward satisfying requirements of both majors concurrently.
Advising. Upon acceptance into the major, students will meet with their assigned HISP advisor in order to review their plan for completing the major. Advisees will meet with the advisor at least once each semester for the purpose of revising their progress and discussing any other matters related to their interest and goals in Spanish.
The following programs abroad are recommended for majors in Hispanic literatures and cultures:
- Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid (Spain)
- Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá (Colombia)
- 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 Study Abroad, 201 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 wesleyan.edu/romance/spanish/honors for more information.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/spanish/aptransferofcredit for more information.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/spanish/aptransferofcredit for more information.
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).
The Italian studies major combines the study of Italian language, literature, film, and culture, bringing humanistic tradition together with current global concerns. The major is designed to provide students with a comparative, international, and interdisciplinary education. Language training at Wesleyan serves as the base from which to explore Italian history, culture, and society from the Middle Ages to the present. Likewise, the in-depth study of a variety of texts (literary, filmic, and cultural) enhances the study of the language. The study of a foreign language and culture complements students’ understanding of their own native cultures, enriching their critical understanding of it. Small classes taught through the medium of Italian, along with the extracurricular activities and study-abroad opportunities, allow students to study in detail and collaborate on a variety of critical topics and foster abilities considered essential in an ever-globalizing world, such as critical thinking, intercultural interpretation and literacy, and effective citizenship. These skills, in turn, prepare students for a variety of professions and lifelong inquiries.
Students qualify for this major with a grade of B or better in ITAL111 or the equivalent.
- Nine courses above the level of ITAL102 (i.e., ITAL111 and higher) are required. Sophomores who are satisfactorily completing ITAL102 and intend to pursue Italian will be admitted to the major even though that course does not itself count for the major;
- All courses that count toward the major must be taken for a grade. Normally, only courses passed with a B or better will count for the major. Students are expected to request permission from the Italian section to count courses with a lower grade toward the major;
- Essay, thesis, and other (e.g., CA/TA) tutorials and language courses do not count toward the major, although they are encouraged;
- One of the nine required courses may be taken in English;
- For students placing into ITAL221 or higher, three of the nine required courses may be taken in English;
- One course in Italian at Wesleyan following study abroad is required;
- All students are required to take at least one course for the major in their senior year.
Additional Information
- The Italian major is designed to allow students to start Italian at Wesleyan in their first or second year and complete the major. Completion is further helped by spending one semester abroad in Italy through the ECCO program or another program.
- Students are highly encouraged to satisfy the post study-abroad course requirement in the semester they return to campus.
- Four credits from the ECCO program in Bologna are 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 is accepted only for students who have completed ITAL102 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 is required.
ECCO 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 colleges 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 (two-credit) intensive language and culture course that consists of three weeks in Lecce 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 (one-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 Universitá di Bologna and by the program director.
Qualified students are strongly encouraged to enroll in courses at the Universitá di Bolgona, 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. Since the Italian studies major emphasizes linguistic and cultural competency, most courses taken at the Universitá di Bologna in Italian will normally count for the major. Only one course that is not Italian in nature, yet taught in Italian (i.e., The Economy of Russia) taken at the Universitá di Bologna will be accepted.
The 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 Study Abroad.
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. Learn more at: wesleyan.edu/romance/italian/studyabroad.html.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/italian/honors for more information about capstone experience options.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/italian/honors for more information about honors.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/italian/aptransferofcredit for more information.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/italian/aptransferofcredit for more information.
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 following 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 at the University per semester.
ROMANCE STUDIES
The Romance studies (RMST) 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.
The Romance studies major provides students with the proficiency in two Romance languages (among French, Italian, and Spanish) to live, study, and work successfully in the corresponding French-, Italian-, and/or Spanish-speaking environments. They learn about their literatures and other cultural forms such as film and, through them, about their modes of thought, expression, and creative achievement. As a result, they improve their ability to communicate in French, Italian, and/or Spanish as well as their native language; become more adept at understanding other points of view; and learn to draw on a wide range of sources to stimulate their own creative and critical capacities. Students are encouraged to bring the resources of their two Romance cultures to bear together on problems that interest them, providing a depth of perspective unavailable in English only or a single foreign language. Finally, students explore the enormous cultural diversity of the French-, Italian-, and/or Spanish-speaking worlds through a flexible interdisciplinary program (often including study abroad) that can serve as the basis for future work or further academic or professional studies.
Students qualify for this major with a grade of B or better in any combination of two of the following courses or the equivalent: FREN215, ITAL111, or SPAN221.
- Determination of a major (five courses in your primary language) and minor (four courses in your secondary language) focus.
- A minimum of two comparative projects. The idea is to suspend, for a moment, the nationalist assumption that languages and cultures exist in isolation from each other. Writers, artists, scientists, and businesspersons routinely cross borders and languages. We ask you to do the same in two short or long papers, to be completed at Wesleyan or during study abroad. A comparative project means simply that, in consultation with a course instructor, you will draw substantially on both your Romance major languages and cultures to explore a problem that interests you. The project could be about border-crossing movements, reception, influence or adaptation, intertextuality, or dialogue between languages, literatures, and/or cultures. Or it could be an exploration of an issue that interests you (the environment, health care, urban planning, food, science, queer identities, fashion, etc.) in cross-cultural perspective, drawing on both your major languages and cultures. The projects may also be more informal or essayistic reflections (the equivalent of two short papers in length) on something significant you have learned or a perspective gained through study of two languages and cultures that you are unlikely to have learned through English only, a single foreign language, or another major. These essays may draw on work or study abroad or on the multiple courses you have taken at Wesleyan in your major languages. They may be written in English or in one of your major languages. If you write in English you are expected to draw on sources in your major languages.
- Nine courses at or above determined levels (FREN223, ITAL111, SPAN221) in two Romance languages.
- At least one course taken in both the student’s primary and secondary languages in the student’s senior year.
- Students are expected to earn a B or better in courses that count for the major. Students wishing to count a course with a lower grade toward the major are expected to consult with the chair of Romance Languages and Literatures (who will consult with the department) about it as soon as the grade is recorded.
- Courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless the student is also majoring in COL.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Study abroad is expected to take place on a Wesleyan-sponsored study-abroad program. Alternatively, students may, with the advisor’s prior 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 more recently than another.
- Students may petition their advisor for special permission to count take one course in English centered on the culture of their primary language towards the major.
- With the advisor’s approval, students may satisfy the comparative requirement by way of coursework and/or written work conducted on a study-abroad program.
- Students whose primary language placement is higher than FREN215, ITAL112, SPAN221 are required to complete nine courses, two of which may be in English in the primary language’s culture only.
- You may count up to three courses taken during one study abroad toward the major, and up to four courses if going abroad twice (once in each of your language of study). These courses may be taken in one or both of the major languages.
- Except in rare circumstances, students may not double major in any of the majors sponsored by the Romance Languages and Literatures Department: RMST, SPAN, FRST, ITST.
- Senior essays or theses must be comparative and involve the literatures and/or cultures of the student’s major languages.
- Essay, thesis, and other (e.g., CA/TA) tutorials and language courses do not count toward the major, although they are encouraged.
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, Italy (Florence, Rome), Madagascar, Mexico, and Senegal. Wesleyan also sends one exchange student each 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 Fries Center for Global Studies for permission to do so. For information on the approved programs and the petition process, contact the Fries Center for Global Studies.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/romancestudies/honors for more information about capstone experience options.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/romancestudies/honors for more information about honors.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/romancestudies/aptransferofcredit for more information.
See wesleyan.edu/romance/romancestudies/aptransferofcredit for more information.
Students are responsible for ensuring that major communications with the primary language advisor about the essay or thesis work also go to the secondary language advisor at the same time (and vice-versa: communications with the secondary language advisor should go to the primary language advisor).