Courses in Barcelona, Spain

Academic Program

This is a study program. Students must carry a 15-credit load and are expected to fully participate in all class activities. Students will take Spanish Language, and two other courses for a total of 15 credits. 

Course Descriptions

All students must take one Spanish language class and two additional courses, for a total of 15 credits. 

Spanish Language - All levels available (5 credits)

Students will take a placement test and be placed in the appropriate level (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced).  Instructors will combine different methods of communicative language teaching to reach every type of student. The main aim is to teach the students all skills and concepts needed to feel comfortable in a Spanish-speaking atmosphere, and increase confidence in order to encourage more direct contact with native speakers, leading to a better understanding of the culture.

English &112 - Introduction to Fiction

What was Barcelona like for local Catalans and international writers residing in the city during key moments of its development: Modernisme (19^th and early 20^th centuries), International Expositions (1888, 1929-30), Second Republic (1930s), Francoist Regime (1930s-1970s), La Movida (post-Franco regime), Olympics (1992), among other significant turning points in the city’s design and identity? How do these narrative moments connect with our own experiences of the city today? This class will explore what it was like to be in Barcelona at different points in its history through examining important literary creations (including short fiction, novella, vignette, memoir, epistolary, etc.) from Spanish/Catalan and international writing that focus on the city of Barcelona in different time periods and spatial perspectives. Studying short literary works will provide us with detailed snapshots of the changing personality of Barcelona as captured through cross-sections of its unique inhabitants. We will use spatial theory to explore gender and culture, relationship to place, the unique Catalan identity, among others. This class will employ Barcelona as an integral extension of the classroom to cross-connect the select writings with key areas of the city (streets, parks, districts, plazas, architectural features, etc.) as ways to recognize and understand the city’s distinct and ever-evolving identity.

English 115 - Introduction to Novels (This is the GRC course number. Actual number may differ at other WCCCSA colleges)

How do spaces and places within literary works reveal the identity and personality of a city? Can locations described in such novels (streets, rooms, plazas, buildings, restaurants, parks, etc.) capture important features about who characters are and what has influenced them? Do these elements collectively create a city’s distinctiveness and nature? This class will focus on Spanish/Catalan novels in translation that express the various spatial identities of contemporary Barcelona. We will explore narratives that are centered in and around the city of Barcelona, while learning to analyze and interpret how the literature reflects culturally rich urban layers. An important idea we will examine together is how the spaces and places within the novels reflect the architectural sites and layout of Barcelona and how this helps us understand the city’s identity today. How does Barcelona (and Catalonia) function as a transformative character in the novels? What role do issues of social justice and civil liberties play in creating the city’s cultural identity? As a class, we will visit key locales identified in the novels and use the literature and additional readings to learn how to interpret Barcelona’s many faces and recognize its literary and spatial identities.

Additional Courses to be offered if program enrollment reaches 25+ students 

Art &100: Art Appreciation

This course will help students understand, analyze, and appreciate the historical and cultural contexts of art from Pre-History to the contemporary with emphasis on critical thinking and developing visual literacy. By studying the purposes of art and the methods used by artists through study of the formal elements and principles of design, students will be exposed to a range of topics that will provide them with a basis for approaching art and recognizing its relevance. This class will examine Barcelona, from its rich history up to modern times, to learn of its multifaceted culture, leading to a better appreciation of the art of the region and helping to instill a greater understanding of Barcelona’s influence on its artists and how their distinctive creations have inspired other artists, while also sometimes showing an embrace of other cultures in their style.

Art: Modern Art History (check with you college study abroad coordinator for course number)

This class focuses on the evolution of modern art from the mid-19th to 20th century and introduces students to its many art styles, and its innovations in painting, sculpture, photography, and architecture. Students will realize how modern art has developed into its current state and understand how much modern art responds to and reflects sociocultural, biographical, religious, and political perspectives. This class will especially draw on the wealth of great artists and architects from the mid-19th and 20th centuries represented throughout this inspiring region. Barcelona has many museums and buildings that celebrate artists and architects of the Modern Era, including Antoni Gaudí, considered to be the greatest exponent of modern architect in Barcelona and Pablo Picasso, arguably the greatest artist of the 20th century.