Culture, History and Literature: Man and Environment in LatinAmerica (online)

Undergraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

How have humans been dependent on nature? How have humans been dependent on the man-made environment around us? And how have humans affected nature and other environments? This subject focuses on the relationship between human involvement and the environment in Latin America through the ages from one or more angles. Environment is understood in this course in a broad way, and can include both nature and climate-related issues, such as physical, intellectual, spiritual and other human-made environments.

The theme will be illuminated from a literary or an historical point of view, or from a combination of these. The in-depth topic and approach will change from semester to semester and will be linked to the ongoing research at the department and the teaching staff available. Information about which topics will be offered will be provided by the department at the start of the semester.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

  • has insight into some central themes and issues within Latin American history, literature and culture linked to humans and the environment as an extended concept.
  • has an understanding of how different perspectives shape the representations of the relationship between man and the environment in Latin America in a concrete context.

Skills

The student:

  • can understand and interpret different types of texts in Spanish.
  • can express themselves in writing and orally in Spanish, both on historical, literary and cultural subjects and more generally.

General competence

The student:

  • can analyze subject matter and draw own conclusions.
  • can further develop knowledge, skills and understanding through further study and working life.

ECTS Credits

10

Level of Study

Bachelor

Semester of Instruction

Autumn

Place of Instruction

Online. This course does also exist as a campus course SPLA118">(SPLA118).
Required Previous Knowledge
No formal requirement, but all teaching is in Spanish, and demands a solid command of the language.
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Introductory Spanish course or equivalent. It is an advantage to have completed one of the courses SPLA107, SPLA108, SPLA109, SPLA627, SPLA628 or SPLA629. These courses are taught and assessed in the spring.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
SPLA102 (5 ECTS Credits), SLAN614 (5 ECTS Credits), SPLA118 (10 ECTS)
Access to the Course
The course is open to students with admission to UiB Videre.
Teaching and learning methods

The teaching normally runs over a period of 8-10 weeks. It may also be relevant to intensify the teaching and schedule for blocks. Normally there will be two sessions a week. Key parts of the curriculum are taught in these sessions.

Student-active forms of learning are emphasized, and throughout the semester there will be a great focus on self-activity. It is expected that the students prepare thoroughly for the lessons and carry out follow-up work and problem solving. The students may also be asked to prepare and give short oral presentations in class.

If fewer than five students register for a course, the teaching offered can be adapted to the number of students. In that case, information will be given at the beginning of the semester.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

There are two obligatory assignments. These assignments must be completed by the given deadlines. More information about the types of assignment, assessment criteria and deadlines is given at the beginning of the semester. The assignments are assessed as a pass/fail.

In accordance with the Forskrift om studium ved UiB, the students have the right to a second try for each assignment, if one or more of the first hand-ins were not passed. The assignment must be approved before the student can be assessed in the course.

The compulsory assignment is valid for one semester after the teaching semester.

Forms of Assessment
The form of assessment is an online oral exam. At the oral exam, the student must give a 10-12 minute presentation on a topic given by the person with course responsibility, a week before the exam. Following the presentation, the student will be examined in another subject from the syllabus. The grade is assessed on the basis of both the presentation and the conversation afterwards. The exam language is Spanish.
Grading Scale
The exam is marked in the grade scale A-F, where F is a fail.
Assessment Semester
Autumn. An exam will also be held early in the spring semester for students with valid compulsory course work.
Reading List
The syllabus corresponds to approximately 450 pages and can be made up of subject texts and fiction texts as well as texts in the wider sense, e.g. audiovisual sources. The curriculum literature is mainly in Spanish. The reading list will be ready by July 1 for the autumn semester.
Course Evaluation
The teaching is evaluated in accordance with the quality control system of the University of Bergen.
Examination Support Material
Not relevant.
Programme Committee
The program committee is responsible for the academic content and the structure of the program, as well as for the quality of the study program and related courses.
Course Coordinator
The program committee of Spanish Language and Latin-American Studies.
Course Administrator
The Department of Foreign Languages at the Humanities Faculty is responsible for the administration of this course and study program.