Spanish 3/4: España y el África Negra: Esclavitud y Colonialismo

What is the course about?

This course is an exploratory journey that will look at the history of Spanish Black Slavery and Colonialism. We will start on the western coast of sub-Saharan Africa where so many human lives were stolen to be sold on the Iberian Peninsula, sent on a deadly voyage across the Atlantic and exploited in the Caribbean plantations. We will continue with their return to Spanish slavery ports in Africa and study the development of a colony in Equatorial Guinea. Finally, we will go turn our focus on Spain to explore the country''s African legacy .

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

We will explore how slavery and colonialism was developed from the fifteenth to the twenty-first century in Spain, the Spanish Caribbean, and Spanish Guinea. We will look at a variety of cases from the perspective of slaves. For example: “Seville: slave shopping centre”, “Cuba: sugar at the cost of black blood”, “Colonial Guinea: a cacao paradise seeded with discrimination”. We will conclude by unveiling the heritage their story left behind in those lands.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Become familiar with the historical vocabulary and terminology of Slavery and Colonialism.
- Understand the chronology of the most important events in the Spanish Black Slavery.
- Be more knowledgeable about slavery and colonialism.
- Have more awareness of example of black African culture influences in Spain and the Caribbean.
- Critically analyse hidden black history.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

Upper intermediate to Advanced knowledge of Spanish is essential: you should have done a minimum of 4 years of Spanish recently. It is not necessary to have any prior knowledge of Black History studies or Spanish society.

For further details of the specific foreign language skills required for this level, please see the languages self-assessment chart at the start of the languages section of our course guide or at https://www.citylit.ac.uk/self-assess-your-level.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Our courses are characterised by spoken interaction and communication. This course will be more presentation-based but student participation will be highly recommended. A range of resources will be used to support your learning including presentations, hand-outs, and audio-visual material.
Homework is highly recommended to consolidate learning.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

The course is based on the tutor’s own resources.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Other Spanish advanced courses or workshops at level 3. Please email languages@citylit.ac.uk for advice.