Beginning Spanish II This course is a continuation of SPAN 0101. Intensive reading, writing, and oral activities will advance students’ proficiency in Spanish in an academic setting.

Intermediate Spanish II A course for students seeking to perfect their academic writing skills in Spanish. The course is also an introduction to literary analysis and critical writing and will include reading and oral discussion of literary texts. The course will also include a thorough review of grammar at a fairly advanced level. This course may be used to fulfill the foreign languages distribution requirement.

Beginning Spanish I This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of grammar and focuses on the development of four skills in Spanish: comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Emphasis will be placed on active communication aimed at the development of oral and comprehension skills. This course is for students who have not previously studied Spanish. Students are expected to continue with SPAN 0102 and SPAN 0103 after successful completion of SPAN 0101.

Peru: Identity, Ethnicity, History In this course we will study Peru’s diverse cultures, races, and ethnicities. Our discussion of Peruvian identity(-ies) will be connected to an exploration of selected topics of history and politics, with an emphasis on contemporary Peru: the Internal Conflict, Fujimori's dictatorship, and the return to democracy (1980-the present). We will read literary works and historical accounts, watch films and documentaries, and look at art and photography in order to extract their key themes and better understand the construction of Peru as a complex, multilingual nation, considering its past, present, and future. Relations with the United States and Latin America will be addressed.

The Latin American ‘novela total’ In this seminar we will read Latin American ‘total novels’: long and complex fictional artifacts that purport to map the whole of reality in all its perspectives. We will analyze the structure of landmark ‘total novels,’ explore the intersection of modernist aesthetics and Cold War politics that made them possible, and probe their current relevance. Texts may include Cien años de soledad (1967) by García Márquez and Conversación en La Catedral (1969) by Vargas Llosa, as well as more recent novels that attempt to renew this tradition.

Gabriel García Márquez's Cien años de soledad Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez is one of the most significant authors of 20th century literature, and Cien años de soledad is often considered the most important Latin American novel ever written. In this course we will delve into this masterpiece from different perspectives. Through close-reading we will focus on its literary aspects - form, style, metaphor - while making connections with García Márquez’s life, Colombian history, Cold War politics, the Latin American Boom, metafiction, magical realism, and issues of race and gender. (Two Spanish courses at the 0300-level or above, or waiver)

Creative Reading & Writing In this course we will read and write short stories in Spanish. After Borges, Latin American writers understand their task as the creative reading and rewriting of literary tradition. The first module of the course is devoted to developing students’ awareness of how reading and writing are intertwined through intertextuality. The second module offers a workshop in which students will produce their own fiction and comment on their classmates’ work. Through creative reading and writing, students will hone their skills in Spanish.

The Luso Hispanic Fiction Writer In this course we will study the representation of the writer of fiction in Luso-Hispanic contemporary narrative. As Julio Premat argues, writers often understand their task not only as the creation of literary works, but also as the fashioning of an authorial self within fiction and through essays, interviews, photographs. We will study how and why such images are crafted, and how they reflect ideas about the aesthetic and political role of the writer, the “truth” of fiction, the interplay between literature and reality, and the relationship between authorship and gender. Portuguese-language texts will be read in Spanish translation.

Luis Castaneda

Reviews and ratings for Luis Castaneda at Middlebury College.Luis Castaneda teaches Beginning Spanish II, Intermediate Spanish II, Beginning Spanish I and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Luis Castaneda good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

He was a very helpful teacher in learning the fundamentals of Spanish. Every class was a slightly new topic but each class built on the previous. He did not require a lot of connect work and had take home exams. 

Professor Castaneda is an excellent professor, he is kind, funny and compassionate. I really enjoyed this class even though it was tough at times. This class was tough, especially the grammar but the classes were fun and interesting. Would recommend Professor Castaneda.

I felt that this professor did not have time to actually teach the students. He has students do a lot of homework but does not grade the homework or really even look at it. I really wish I had more positive things to say because in class he is enthusiastic and pleasant. I just hope he adjusts the homework so it can be more helpful for the students. 