John Sanders
Coursework
As a major of Sociology and Spanish, my coursework at Clemson University has equipped me with a professional understanding of the social sciences and Hispanic language and culture. My major in Sociology concentrated in sociological theory, studies of the social world, and methods of social research and social epistemology. My major in Modern Languages with a Spanish Emphasis concentrated in all aspects of the Hispanic world through language, including history, literature, translation, linguistics, and composition.
Language-Oriented Instruction
SPAN 4110: Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition
This course was oriented towards in-class participation and conversation in Spanish, with course material on grammar, pronunciation, and speech fluency. It was responsible for a noticeable progression in my spoken Spanish
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SPAN 4090: Comprehensive Writing in Spanish (UBP, Córdoba, Argentina)
In this writing-oriented class, I refined my ability to compose complex and intricate writing in the Spanish language. My writings for this course included historical analysis, prose and poetry, and fictional compositions. Studying comprehensive writing in Spanish also improved my ability to form more advanced concepts in my speech and refined my literacy of complex or artistic media in Spanish.
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SPAN 3140: Hispanic Linguistics
This class involved a comprehensive analysis of the linguistic structure of the Spanish language. Learning about syntax and phonetics allowed me to become more natural in my speech and writing. My professor also introduced Spanish phonology from a physiological standpoint, and highlighted some of the less-commonly recognized differences between English and Spanish phonetics. I consider this class to be a significant milestone in developing my natural accent and accurate pronunciation.
Writing Samples- Language Proficiency
​History and Political Science- Intervenciones del presidente Lyndon B Johnson
This is a historical essay on the importance of the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson in the influence of the United States in Latin America through military and intervening actions.
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​​​Creative Writing- Autoficción
This is was a self-reflective essay intended to illustrate the connection between my life's story and my current identity. In this essay, I talked about my home and my family, and how my childhood and upbringing have shaped who I am today.
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Culture and Literature Instruction
SPAN 4060: Hispanic Narrative Fiction (UBP, Córdoba, Argentina)
This class covered contemporary literary media from Argentina and Latin America as a whole. It involved analysis of literature, music, film, poetry, and even photography, and required students to critically analyze the elements, characteristics, and messages of various types of media. My professor for this class was notably enthusiastic for the literary arts and did an excellent job of engaging the students in assignments and participation. As well as an insight into the contemporary literature of Latin America, engaging in this class was also a culturally immersive experience.
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SPAN 4350: Contemporary Hispanic Culture (UBP, Córdoba, Argentina)
A survey of the social, political, and cultural history of post-colonial Latin America, this class incorporated historically significant sites in the Córdoba Provence to create a firsthand learning environment. With this class, I attended trips to an estancia- a historical remanent of the Jesuits who first colonized the region, a campo- providing insight into the rural and agricultural backbone of Argentina, a former detention center for political prisoners- an artifact from a brutal military regime, and an art museum- where I discovered the contemporary artistic identity of the city and country.
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Writing Samples- Culture and Liturature
​Creative Writing- San Jose de las Salinas
This is en exploration of prose poetry completed for my Comprehensive Writing in Spanish class. The objective of this assignment was to experiment with long and descriptive sentences, and creatively express juxtaposition of positive and negative characteristics of a subject. I chose to write about my host home in Argentina, located on the street San Jose de las Salinas.
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Literature- Cómo ser perfecto
This is an analysis of a piece of literature entitled 'Cómo ser perfecto', or 'how to be perfect'. In the paper, I analyze the unique literary tactics used by the author and describe specific messages and interpretations can be gathered from his style of writing. I also relate the literature to my experience during my semester abroad.
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​​​Creative Writing- La Zete
In this assignment, I explored rhythmic poetry in Spanish. compromising with the order and selection of words and phrases in order to maintain rhyme and rhythm is difficult in English, but doing so in Spanish tested my creative limits and allowed me to express myself more creatively in multiple languages. This poem is about a nearby Shawarma restaurant at which I ate frequently during my semester abroad.
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SPAN 4010: New Spanish Fiction
This class involved comprehensive analyses of various types and forms of fictional literature from Spain. Beginning with the period of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's and continuing through the 21st century, we studied short stories that commented on Spanish society, providing both literary references and insights into the history and culture of the Spanish world. The class also included in-depth analyses of five different Spanish movies from the 21st century.
Other Courses in Modern Languages
SPAN 3080: The Hispanic World: Latin America
This class was a comprehensive survey of Latin American history, beginning with the arrival of indigenous peoples, and continuing through the rise and fall of pre-colonial civilizations, the arrival of Iberian conquistadores, the colonial period, Latin American independence movements, and ending with the Latin American political sphere of the 20th century. This class sparked my interest in Latin American society, and inspired me to study abroad in the region.
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SPAN 4420: Translation Seminar
In this seminar-style class, students were trained in the art and profession of translation, with an emphasis on English to Spanish/ Spanish to English translation. We were taught theoretical frameworks of translation, tactics and methods, ethical practices, and professional application of translation. approaching translation through an empirical lens catalyzed my perception of the Spanish language, and made me more appreciative of translation as an art and profession and more aware of linguistic differences between English and Spanish. The class also involved participation in a translation project for another department at Clemson. In this project, myself and two classmates were responsible for translating official documents used by the Clemson University department of Agricultural Sciences
Writing Samples- Culture and Humanities
​Culture and Anthropology- El gaucho y su mundo
This is a descriptive history of the gaucho: a cornerstone of Argentinian identity which represents the rural and agricultural backbone of the country. In the essay, I composed a complete summary of the history of gauchos in Argentina, from the formation of the gaucho identity to their historical footprint in Argentinian society, and finally the modern identity of Argentinian gauchos.
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History and Political Science- El Proceso de Reorganización Nacional
In this a descriptive essay on a military regime that gripped Argentina in the 1970's. In this essay, I identified and described the four pillars which defined the characteristic of the regime and sustained its authority; kidnapping, torture, detention, and disappearance. I also summarize the implementation and effects of these brutal practices, and their residual effects on modern Argentinian society.
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History and Political Science: a Case Study of Guatemala
In this essay, I analyze the interventions and influence of the United States in Latin America as both a private sector and public sector entity with an in-depth case study of Guatemala.
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LANG 3710: Japanese Language and Culture
This was a class which included a comprehensive survey of historical and contemporary Japanese linguistics. It involved reading and discussing research literature in the field, learning about different aspects of Japanese society through language, and drawing connections between phenomena of the Japanese language and the discipline of linguistics as a whole. For me, this class was incredibly important in expanding my frame of reference of linguistics and culture outside of Spain and Latin America.
