Spanish class (Taylor’s Version): CSU professor plans pop-based language course
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DENVER (KDVR) — There’s a multitude of reasons why people learn a new language and a new Colorado State University course is helping Spanish language students embrace their love of someone not necessarily associated with the language directly: Taylor Swift.
CSU said that it’s going to be a “Cruel Summer” during the 8-week 2024 class, titled “Spanish for Swiftie Purposes (Taylor’s Version).” The class will be taught by Alyssia Miller De Rutte, an assistant professor of Spanish for specific purposes.
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This class is not for beginners — as a 300-level course, students are expected to have an intermediate Spanish proficiency when they enroll. It’s also a three-credit course — so “Don’t Blame Me” if the class is difficult.
Miller De Rutte said the popstar’s songs are “fascinating” when considered through linguistic and intercultural lenses.
“In class, we’re going to do some corpus linguistics, thematic analysis, intercultural comparisons,” Miller De Rutte said. “We’ll talk about storytelling and compare how Taylor Swift tells stories to Spanish-speaking singer/songwriters like Bad Bunny.”
Bad Bunny lit up Ball Arena in late March, literally: The artist gave his audience members light-up lanyards that created choreographed patterns in the crowds. That’s also something that pop-icon Taylor Swift did on her Eras tour: Fans were given light-up bracelets that offered a visually pleasing background to her stadium shows.
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Swift’s clever lyrics and puns also present unique challenges to students who will be tasked with translating her lyrics without losing the songs’ meanings.
“We’re doing some translating and talking about the intricacies of translating lyrics while maintaining the meaning and the rhythm. And, we are doing all of this in Spanish, so we’re building Spanish proficiency while talking about Taylor Swift,” Miller De Rutte said.
The class is scheduled for June 10 through Aug. 4 and can be found under the course code LSPA 380A5.
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