This course is part of the post-intermediate, 300-level program that forms the introduction to the major or minor in Spanish. Students may begin with any one of the three or they may be taken concurrently. Spain focuses on the cultures of Spain, the autonomous regions and the creation of a national identity as a reaction to the multiple ethnicity's that have inhabited the peninsula since ancient times. The course advances proficiency in grammatical accuracy, the ability to communicate one's ideas in Spanish, and cultural proficiency. The focus of in-class activities is on written and non-written sources such as history, literature, film, art, and elements of popular culture; the building of reading and writing skills will be complemented by continued oral practice in the form of small and large group discussions and class presentations. Treatment of reading selections is designed to increase students general familiarity with a variety of genres, devices, and discourse types and to build a foundation for the department's more advanced courses in literature, history and culture. Writing assignments will involve reflective essays, individualized research, and the generation, expression, analysis and re-writing of ideas. Prerequisite: Completion of the intermediate level or the equivalent or permission of the instructor.