Course Outline

Faculty of Education & Arts

Course Number LITR 2357

Course Title: Latin American Literature I

Course Instructor: Tracey Sangster

Credits: 3

Section: 1

Semester: 2019-1

Class Meeting Times Tu/Th 11 – 12:15

Class Venue: SM - D1

Pre-requisites/
Co-requisites LITR 1157

Office Location Please see FEA Secretary

Office Hours: Tu/Th 8 – 9:30

Telephone: Please contact FEA Secretary ext. 350

E-Mail Address: tsangster@ub.edu.bz

Required Texts:
Alvarez, Julia. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. Plume: New York, 1992. Print.

Garcia-Marquez, Gabriel. Chronicle of a Death Foretold. New York:

Ballantine Books, 1982. Print.
Gonzales, Roberto E., ed. The Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories.
Oxford UP: New York, 1997. Print
Kelly, Ivory. Pengereng. The Image Factory: Belize, 2019. Print.

Resource Text:
Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide. New York: Routledge, 2006.
 COURSE DESCRIPTION
Literature 2357 introduces students to various Latin American writers. They will examine the roles of
Latin American writers and the historical, cultural, social, and political milieus that give rise to the
works studied. Students will become familiar with the styles, techniques, and devices utilized in Latin
American Literature.
Additionally this course examines Latin American literature from the pre-Colombian period to the early
“Boom” Period of the 1960s. Works are situated within their historical contexts to enable students to
appreciate the socio-cultural and political dynamics of the time. Students will study various literary
forms including myth, poetry, drama and prose, beginning with the Popol Vuh and other indigenous
writings through to the writings of García-Márquez and other major Boom writers.

COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. outline key events in Latin American history, especially up to the 1960s, and explain how these
are conveyed in the literature of the region.
2. identify common themes, techniques and stylistic features in Latin American literature, and
discuss how these are employed by various authors.
3. evaluate the roles of Christianity and other religions such as Santeria (African) and traditional
Mayan beliefs in Latin American cultures.
4. identify important aspects of literature and intelligently discuss these using pertinent literary
terms.
5. write various types of responses to literature, including essays, reports, journals and critiques.
6. use research information and other intellectual property ethically so as to avoid plagiarism and
other forms of academic dishonesty.
7. work and study effectively both individually and in collaboration with others.

Presentation on a Latin American country and Poet For this assignment you are asked to work with a
partner or small group and:

Select one of the following Latin American countries and one of its major poets:
1. Guatemala 4. Colombia
2. El Salvador 5. Chile
3. Cuba 6. Argentina

.Your presentation will be judged on the following criteria:

Content: 70 points The information presented includes the details indicated in No. 2 and 3
The discussion or analysis of the poem is insightful—don’t just summarize
the poem or point out the obvious.

Delivery: 20 points Effective use of voice and body language

Creativity & Interaction with the audience
Use of visual aids.

Cooperation & Evidence of group collaboration and thoughtful preparation

Overall Effort: 10points

*Note that although this presentation is a group effort and ideally all members should receive the same
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grade, individuals will receive a lower grade than the group if there is sufficient evidence that those
persons did not do their fair share of the work.

Furthermore, all partners must be sufficiently familiar and equipped with the material to be presented.
Except under very unusual circumstances, presentations will not be postponed since in most cases the
timing of these presentations is crucial to the smooth running and logical sequencing of the course.
These policies apply to all group work done in this course.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Date Topics/Sub- Teaching Strategies & Readings & Assignments Assessments

topics Activities & Due
Dates
Wk1 Introductions Discussion of Trends in Latin Languages of Region Wk 1 Sess. 2
Overview of American Literature
course outline Timeline of literary
& formation of Lecture and Interactive development in Latin
work groups Discussion on: Timeline of America
Literary movements, from the
Trends in Ancient to contemporary. Research Terms of
Latin Brief examination of each Reference:
American period, major authors, and  Oral Tradition
Literature: the seminal works.  The Fantastic
fantastic, social  The Pre Colombian  Romanticism
realism,  Colonial  Social Realism
magical  19th Century  Magical Realism
realism,  Modern  Naturalism
revolutionary  The Boom  Revolutionary
discourse,
Discourse
nationalism, the
 Nationalism
female
discourse.  Modernismo

Timeline of
literary
movements.

Wk2 Brief Overview Discussion on overview and Research: Construct a list Wk 2 Sess. 1
of Latin research material on a current of countries that constitute &2
American affairs article highlighting a Latin America. Print a map
History, country in the region of the region, noting the
including a countries position and their
definition of capitals.
the region’s Find a Current affairs
geography article on a country in the
Latin American Region;
read and be prepared to
present the content of the
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Date Topics/Sub- Teaching Strategies & Readings & Assignments Assessments
topics Activities & Due
Dates
article.
Wks. Introduction to Discussion of themes as Research: Biographical Wk3
3-5 selected portrayed in the lives of information on Alvarez
Author: Julia characters in Alvarez’s novel.
Alvarez Read Wk 4-5
Julia Alvarez’s How the
Terms of Garcia Girls Lost Their
Reference Accents.
Creolization Wk 5 Sess. 2
and Double Essay 1 Write a 2pg
Consciousness reflective essay on the
with Latin elements of injustice as
American depicted through the lives
Cultural of the characters in the
Context novel

Topics
Dominican
Republic’s
History
(particular
attention to
political
background
information)

Current
issues- Haiti
and the
Dominican
Republic

Analysis of
book-themes
and
characterization

Wks Latin Presentation on Guatemala Do research to learn as Wk 5

5-8 American and Guatemalan poet much as you can about: Sess. 2
Poets and The country: its
their countries Presentation on El Salvador geography; pre and post- Wk 6 Sess. 1
of origin and Salvadoran poet colonial history; traditional
foods, clothing, music and
Presentation on Cuba and dances; folk beliefs and

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Date Topics/Sub- Teaching Strategies & Readings & Assignments Assessments
topics Activities & Due
Dates
Cuban poet. superstitions; and its Wk 6 Sess. 2
present economic and
Presentation on Chile and political situation. (This
Chilean poet will constitute the first half Wk 7
of your presentation for Sess. 1
Presentation on Mexico and which one partner is
Mexican poet. responsible.)
Wk 7 Sess. 2
Presentation on Panama and The poet: his or her
Panamanian poet. biography and literary
career; the place and era in
Presentation on Argentina which the poet grew up, Wk 8
and Argentinean poet lives or lived; the most Sess. 1
prevalent subjects that the
poet writes about, and any Wk 8
other information that you Sess. 2
feel is important for your
classmates to know about
your poet. (This will
constitute the second half
of your presentation for
which the second partner is
responsible.)

Selected Poem: Choose

one of the poet’s works to
read and discuss with the
class.

Prepare and present on the

information you have
gathered. Be sure to bring,
for each member of the
class, a one-page handout
(no longer) that outlines
the key information on the
poet’s biography as well as
a copy of the poem that
you present
Wks A look at a Discussion and analysis of Select a short story, gather Wks 9 & 10
9 - 10 range of Latin selected short stories, while information on the author,
American looking for commonalities of and be prepared to present
authors from genres and style evident in your first response and an
The Oxford the work of authors analysis of the selected Wk 10 Sess.
Book of Short work. 2
Stories
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Date Topics/Sub- Teaching Strategies & Readings & Assignments Assessments
topics Activities & Due
Dates
Essay 2: What are some of
the commonalities among
Latin American authors;
cite select short stories
.

Wks Novella: Identifying the genre, style, Research: Author’s Bio Wk 10 Sess.
10 - Chronicle of a biographical, and historical 1
13 Death Foretold relevance of the book. Read: Text Wks 10- 12
Author’s Bio;
Historical Essay 3: Select one or Wk 13 Sess.
Context; more elements of the 2
Literary novella that effectively
elements; present the major theme(s).
social, cultural
and political
issues

Wks Belize’s history Discussion: How Belize’s Research historical and Wk 14 Sess.
14 and current history and current socio- current data, from the 1&2
socio- political political context differ from National Archives and
context. other countries in the Latin current media networks.
American region. Read Pengereng. Select
Looking at What are Belize’s similarities and present a comparative
Belize’s with the Caribbean? analysis of a piece within
writers. How have these factors the text that highlights
influenced the literature of what is uniquely Caribbean
Belize? but may also be considered
Latin American in context,
content, or style
Wk FINAL Prep. Presentation of Literature FINAL Research Paper Wks 15
15 Review Having chosen a writer, Sess. 1-2
students will create a
focused, well developed,
well-researched and well-
documented essay response
to a question of
approximately 4-5 pages in
length, integrating properly
documented quoted
passages from central texts
and at least 3 secondary
critical sources. All

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 Date Topics/Sub- Teaching Strategies & Readings & Assignments Assessments
topics Activities & Due
Dates
sources must be properly
listed in an MLA “Works
Cited” reference list.
Wk1 EXAM WEEK
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ASSESSMENTS

Essays (3) 45%

Special Project- Comparative Analysis 15%
Group Presentation (1) 10%
Final Exam 30%
Total 100%

UNIVERSITY OF BELIZE POLICIES

1. Academic Honesty: The administration of student discipline in the university community is a
responsibility shared by students, faculty, and administrative staff. The University of Belize Academic
Honesty Policy outlines the University’s expectations for the integrity of student’s academic work, the
procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of
students and faculty throughout the process. All students are expected to conform to the Academic
Honesty Policy. Lecturers are expected to consult with academic department chairpersons to prevent and
respond to violations of the Academic Honesty Policy. Students wishing to dispute a charge of academic
dishonesty or a sanction made upon them because of such allegations can do so by appealing to the Dean
of Student Affairs to invoke the Discipline Appeals Process as detailed in the Student Handbook. (Please
visit www.ub.edu.bz for a full description of violations to the Academic Honesty Policy and sanctions.)

2. Class Attendance: Students are expected to attend all sessions and to be on time. Students must
attend at least 80% of class sessions. Unexcused absences beyond this point may result in a reduction in
your grade. You must provide the necessary documentation for any other absences, e.g. a doctor’s
certificate, if you are ill. You are expected to participate fully in class discussions and come to class
prepared to contribute to class discussions and group work. Because participation in class is imperative
for success, each student’s final grade will be positively or negatively affected based upon the number of
class sessions they attend. Absent students are responsible for obtaining class notes, handouts, and
activities as well as any other pertinent information.

If an instructor is late to class, the students are required to wait for the instructor at least fifteen minutes
after the scheduled start of the class period. If the instructor has not arrived by that time, the students are
free to leave unless specifically notified to await the instructor's arrival.

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3. Disability Consideration: Where necessary, and with adequate notice, instructors are required to
make special arrangements to allow students with special needs to participate in assessment without
being placed at a disadvantage, for example the use of enlarged fonts or Braille. Students requiring such
considerations must be medically certified as having a specified special need.

COURSE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS:

CLASS ATTENDANCE:
You are expected to attend all sessions and participate fully in discussions and other activities in order to
gain the maximum benefits from this class. Because class participation is imperative for success, your
final grade will be positively or negatively affected based upon the number of class sessions you attend.
You are responsible for any information you miss during any absence.

Be sure to sign the Attendance Roster for each class meeting. If you fail to do so, you will be marked
absent. Students must attend at least 80% of class sessions. Unexcused absences beyond this point may
result in a reduction in your grade. You must provide the necessary documentation for any other
absences e.g. doctors certificate if you are ill.

READINGS:
Readings will be assigned for each class period. You will be expected to attend the class session,
prepared to discuss the readings from the required text and/or any additional readings assigned. The aim
is to enhance your understanding and skills related to the analysis of literature and to enable you to share
your understanding with class members. Readings are a regular part of your English composition skill
building. You may only participate in class discussions if you have completed the reading for the day.

FORMAT FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:

You are expected to complete all assignments conscientiously and submit them via email by 11:55 p.m.
on the due dates.
All major papers must be typewritten in Standard English, carefully proofread and formatted according
to the MLA style.
ONLINE ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSIONS:
You may submit all writing assignments via email. Name any attached document with your full name
and assignment title only [James Brown 2B.docx].

MISSED OR LATE ASSIGNMENTS:

Students are expected to do all class assignments, and turn them in on time. There are only three
exceptions:

1. You may ask for an extension up to 24 hours before an assignment is due and not lose points.
You may do this only once.

2. Students may submit late work only once during the semester without losing 5 points per class
day late. This one time late assignment must be submitted within a week of its due date.

3. Any other late work submissions will lose 5 points per class day late regardless of the excuse or
reason. It is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor before or after missing a class to
keep up with assignments.

If you are absent on a day when an assignment is due, please do not email or phone me to ask for work
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you’ve missed in class. Rather, you’re advised to consult with a classmate or see me after class or in my
office immediately after you return to class.

Students with documented illness, family deaths, or other emergencies must contact me with
documentation before arranging to turn in any assignments.

Any late work must be submitted in hardcopy format according to the protocols below. No work
will be accepted by email.

TECHNOLOGY:
Students are required to utilize word processing programs to complete all assignments. Internet and
electronic mail systems will be used as needed to develop strategies, facilitate class discussion, and
enhance communication between professor and students.

Students are advised to backup all assigned work. Computer viruses, lost flash drives, and ruined
hardcopies do not constitute valid excuses for submitting late work. Use an online backup system
[Google Drive, Cloud, Dropbox, etc.], print documents when completed, or e-mail your documents to
yourself or your writing partner to avoid lost or destroyed documents.

CELL PHONES: You are allowed to use your cell phone, tablet or laptop in class only to do legitimate,
class-related work. Otherwise, please have cell phones and other devices on silent and put away during
class. If an urgent matter is at hand and you anticipate having to answer your cell phone, please let me
know before the session, and kindly put your phone on vibrate.

EMAIL: You are asked to provide me with an email address not later than the end of the Drop/Ad
period. Please check your email regularly—at least once or twice daily—for important course updates
and information.

RECORD KEEPING:
Keep all of your assignments electronically, including all drafts (scanned), peer review feedback
(scanned), and graded work in order to have a record of your progress or in case you need to query a
grade. Note that it is your responsibility to audit your grades as the semester progresses. Do not wait
until the end of the semester to investigate your performance. Please visit my office to verify your
grades during the final two weeks of classes.

SEMESTER WRITING CONSULTATION:

My consultation hours are posted on the cover page of this course outline. Please feel free to come and
see me if you have questions about an assignment, if you would like to try out ideas before an
assignment is due, or to discuss any other class related matter. If you find yourself falling behind, come
in and talk to me ASAP.

All students are encouraged to make an appointment with the instructor during the semester to discuss
writing assignments. Students must bring a draft or outline of their work in progress for discussion and
focusing. Students will receive extra credit for this appointment, not to mention good writing feedback!

WITHDRAWAL:
If you cannot complete the coursework and want to avoid a failing grade, it is your responsibility to drop
the course by the term's last day for students to withdraw with a “W”: October 2, 2017. The last day to

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withdraw with a “WP” or “WF” is November 6, 2017 .

PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Plagiarism is copying or using the words, sentence structure, or ideas of another person or source and
presenting same as one’s own original work. Be aware that the writing you do for all of your courses
must be your own work and, primarily, your words. It is okay to use the words and ideas of others from
articles, essays, interviews, etc. as evidence to support your ideas, but when you do so, you must be sure
to cite each source appropriately.

Other forms of academic dishonesty involve using, without your instructor’s approval, one of your own
papers, or parts of it, that you’ve already submitted for a grade in another class. Penalties for plagiarism
are severe. If you are found guilty of intentional plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty,
you will receive a zero for the paper or an outright “F” for the course, and a report will be forwarded to
the Administration.

Be sure to see your instructor if you have any questions about plagiarism before you turn in an
assignment. Feel free to ask any of your instructors for guidance on proper documentation of sources
and how to avoid plagiarism at any time during the semester. (This paragraph has been adapted from
East Carolina University’s ENGL 1200 Spring 2011 Course Outline and is in line with the University of
Belize’s Academic Honesty Policy).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

This segment of this handout is adapted from the Department of Rhetoric and writing of the University
of Texas at Austin, 2013).
<http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/rhetoric/firstyearwriting/plagiarismcollusion.php>
You commit plagiarism if:

 You fail to acknowledge the source of any information in your paper which is not common
knowledge or personal knowledge. Common knowledge includes facts, dates, events,
information, and concepts that belong generally to the educated public. You can acknowledge a
source through in-text citations, attribution lines (for example, Gloria Steinem explains that ….),
through footnotes, or other forms of documentation approved by your instructor.
 You fail to acknowledge direct quotations either by using quotation marks when quoting short
passages or by indenting when quoting longer passages—that is, using the block quote format.
Without the quotation marks or indentation, a passage copied directly from a source might still
be considered plagiarized even if it is followed by an in-text citation or a footnote.
 You poorly paraphrase the original words of your source. Some students think they can avoid a
charge of plagiarism by changing a few words in each sentence, or by rearranging the order of
sentences in a paragraph. This is not true. When you paraphrase, you must be careful to put the
ideas in your own words—write in your own voice and with your own style.
 You take a paper written by someone else and present it as your own even if that person gives
you permission.
 You use one paper for two different courses, or re-use a paper previously submitted for credit
without the prior approval of the instructor or instructors.

Collusion is another major aspect of plagiarism.

You commit collusion:
 when you work with another person in writing a paper or preparing any written work that you

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 submit for credit, or when you collaborate with another person in any way to violate any of the
rules on academic honesty.
 if you allow someone else to write your papers.
 if you allow someone else to edit your papers. It is academically dishonest for students to pay
tutors to correct, edit, or modify their essays in any substantial way. The same restrictions apply
to any unreasonable amount of help you receive from a parent, friend, spouse, or tutor. Any
changes, deletions, rearrangements, additions, or corrections made in your essays, etc. should
represent your own work.

All students enrolled in this course are required to submit a written plagiarism pledge in Wk 3, stating
that you understand what plagiarism is and you will not plagiarize or commit any other form of
academic dishonesty in doing any assignment.

Grading Scale
The final grade will be assigned in adherence with the University of Belize’s Grade Policy. Thus, final
grades will be computed using a combination of semester grades (quiz, essays, tests, presentations, blog,
wiki, quizzes, e-portfolio/ portfolios) and a final examination. The final letter grade will be assigned
using the following University Grading Scheme:

Description Letter Range Quality

A 100-95 4.0
Excellent A- 94-90 3.7
Good B+ 89-85 3.5
B 84-80 3.0
Satisfactory C+ 79-75 2.5
C 74-70 2.0
Passing D+ 69-65 1.5
D 64-60 1.0
Failure F 59-0 0

Table of Specifications—Assessments & Assignments

Type of Assessment
Individual & Group
Presentations
Critiques, Reader Responses & All
Class Activities Special
Project_ Comparative Analysis
CILO Description Grade
All Eclectic activities to test a variety of concepts 10 %
presented throughout the course. Students will
present on contextualized information about the
historical and cultural concerns that inform the study
of Latin American literature.
Continual and eclectic guided activities to build 15%
communicative competencies in written and oral
discourses. In analytical essay format, students will
submit 4 of the 5 assignments of 300-500 words
each in response to proposed questions. Response
should briefly summarize the reading and discuss
the question asked. These responses should be well-
written with a solid thesis and supported by
evidence from the work we are studying. CAs may
include questions about major plot details,
characters, and contextual information that assess

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 your careful reading of assigned texts and attention
to lectures and discussions
Essays All Critical Response to a “Position” or Literary 45%
Argument. Students will write a focused well-
developed essay response to a position. Responses
will be approximately 4-5 pages in length and must
integrate a variety of primary and secondary sources
[online, print, interview, film, etc.]. All sources
must be properly listed in an MLA “Works Cited”
reference list.
Final Assessment All Having chosen a writer, students will write a 30 %
focused, well developed,well-researched and well-
documented essay response to a question of
approximately 4 -5 pages in length, integrate a
variety of primary and secondary sources [online,
print, interview, film, etc.], integrating properly
documented quoted passages from central text and
at least 3 secondary critical sources. All sources
must be properly listed in an MLA “Works Cited”
reference list.
Total Points 100%
GRADE RUBRIC DESCRIPTIONS:
A: Essay contains few, if any errors in sentence structure and coherence; it develops an interesting,
insightful, tightly focused argument. The argument is complex and fully developed, and the essay
provides the reader with clear, well-researched support, argumentation, fully justifies the author’s
conclusions. The style of paper is eloquent and sophisticated.

B: Essay contains few errors in sentence structure, and develops a clear, coherent argument. Support
and explanation of that argument, however, are either insufficient to convince the reader completely or
do not make clear how the author reaches his or her conclusions.

C: Essay is fundamentally sound at the level of sentence structure and diction, but its arguments rely too
heavily on assertion, not research. Specific support is either unclear or missing, and the focus of the
essay may stray from its general or unrelated point; there may be problems of coherence, complexity, or
in the overall development of the argument.

D: Essay contains serious problems at the level of sentence structure and diction. It is marred by
repeated mechanical errors and or awkward constructions that obscure meaning. The argument relies
almost completely on assertion, with no clear support, development, or analysis.

Grading Rubric for Essays

Criteria [%] Description
Introduction Context[foundation for your thesis’ perspective]
& Summary Topic [specific issue and element/ technique to be discussed]
[ 10 ] Thesis [clear statement and logical argument/map to follow]
In 3-4 lines summarize the text relative to your focus
Thesis Sufficient support for thesis [topic sentences, in your writer dominant voice,

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& Support evidence]
[ 40] Use appropriate analytical terms
Describe, interpret and analyze parts of the text as evidence
Locate the evidence and tell where it happens in the action.
Research Use Well framed Quoted and paraphrased passages from secondary sources
[ 20 ] MLA in text & MLA Works Cited
Sufficient sources for support
Conclusion Reflects the new knowledge you have gained from the interpretation and analysis of
[ 10 ] the text.
Includes a creative restatement of your thesis/reading and how your interpretation
enlarges the discourse.
Conventions Double-spacing
[ 20 ] Page numbers
12 point font
Title
Sufficient page length
Cohesive sentence structure
Cohesive paragraphs
Grammar & mechanics

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