< updated for summer 2020 >
Everyone will take two courses, with a choice among three options:
- Option 1
- ENG 3378: Travel Writing
- LING 1305: Language in Society
- Option 2
- Spanish class (SPA 1301, 1302, 2310, 2320, or 3302)
- LING 1305: Language in Society
- Option 3
- SOC 3309/REL 3340: Religion & Society
- SOC 4v70: Peruvian Life and Culture
Scroll down to find descriptions of each of these courses.
LING 1305 Language in Society
This course, as taught for Baylor in Peru, will investigate the interaction of language and society in the context of Americans studying abroad in Peru. The usefulness of language comes from its ability to shape and share meanings, and the construction of meaning is deeply embedded within our social structures. Language in Society will help students see the interwoven nature of social meanings and help them grow in understanding their similarities and differences with the people of Peru.
Language in Society will be taught by Dr. Clay Butler, who has taught linguistics at Baylor since 2001.
This course satisfies a Contemporary Social Issues requirement for all BA, BS, and BBA majors.
Textbooks
- Kim MacQuarrie, The Last Days of the Inca (Simon & Schuster, 2008). ISBN 0743260503
- Access to all other readings will be provided on Canvas
Assignments
- Book Quiz – students will read The Last Days of the Inca and complete a short online quiz
- Reading Quizzes – most classes will start with a short quiz based on the reading assigned for that day
- Blog – each student will create blog posts and comment on posts by fellow students
- Cultural Engagement (CE) – students will participate in multiple CE sessions
- Final Exam – students will write a final paper reflecting on their experience in Peru while incorporating topics covered in the course
ENG 3378 Travel Writing
This course, as taught for Baylor in Peru, will help students think critically and creatively about the interesting people, places, and experiences they encounter during their study abroad. Class members will produce multiple articles based on their observations from walking around Lima and Cusco, touring the countryside, and hiking to Machu Picchu.
Travel Writing will be taught by Dr. Clay Butler, who has taught linguistics at Baylor since 2001.
This course satisfies requirements for English and Professional Writing & Rhetoric majors. It also satisfies a Communication Option for all BBA majors.
Textbooks
- Access to all readings will be provided on Canvas
Assignments
- Journal – students will keep a daily journal reflecting on each day’s experiences
- Comments – all papers will be posted to a private blog, and students will be required to read each other’s papers and make comments
- Papers – the core project for this course will be writing papers about your observations, evaluations, and explanations of your experiences in Peru
- Revisions – the final assignment will be revising the previous papers incorporating comments from both the instructor and fellow students. This assignment is also the final exam.
Spanish all levels
Each Spanish course taken with Baylor in Peru will cover the basic content found in the corresponding course taught at Baylor. The primary emphasis will be on speaking and listening skills. Classes will be highly interactive with activities designed to encourage students to use what they are learning.
All Spanish classes will be taught by native Peruvians at Amauta Spanish School in Cusco.
- SPA 1301 Elementary Spanish I
- SPA 1302 Elementary Spanish II
- SPA 2310 Intermediate Spanish I
- SPA 2320 Intermediate Spanish II
- SPA 3302 Conversation & Composition
We can only offer these five SPA courses.
Placement
If you currently have no SPA credits, you will take SPA 1301. If you would like to take 1302, 2310, 2320, or 3302, you will need to either have credit for the prerequisite course on your transcript or have the required score on the Spanish Language Placement Exam. Learn more about the exam here:
Textbooks
- Spanish/English and English/Spanish Dictionary – either a hard copy or app is acceptable. If you choose to use an app, be sure you are able to download the Spanish part so that it works offline
Class Time
The Spanish class will meet in the morning from 8:30-12:30. Each day you will have one teacher until 10:30, take a short break, then finish the day with a different teacher. Expect class to be discussion based and very interactive, with occasional trips to cultural sites and ice cream parlors.
SOC 3309 Religion and Society
This course, as taught for Baylor in Peru, will explore historical and contemporary issues concerning the complex relationship of religion and society, including religion’s propensity to alternatively legitimate the status quo and promote social change. It will concentrate on the intersection of religion with other major social institutions of family, education, politics, and the economy. As part of the Baylor in Peru program, the course will emphasize a comparative analysis of religion and society in the United States and Peru.
Religion and Society will be taught by Dr. Kevin Dougherty, a professor in the Department of Sociology at Baylor University.
This course is cross-listed as REL 3340.
Textbooks
- Rodney Stark, America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists (Templeton Press, 2013). ISBN 159947445X
- Access to all other readings will be provided on Canvas
Assignments
- Quizzes, 60% – We will have 15 quizzes over assigned readings. Each quiz will have five questions worth one point each. The purpose of quizzes is to provide accountability for the reading material. Your top 12 quiz scores, worth 60 points, will count toward your final grade.
- Final Exam, 40%.– The course will conclude with a final exam. The final exam will be four essay questions. You will have access to your notes and books when completing the final exam. The exam is worth 40 points.
SOC 4v70 Peruvian Life and Culture
Sociologists are keenly interested in culture. Culture is a group’s way of life. It includes beliefs, behaviors, and the built environment. A primary purpose of the Baylor in Peru program is to immerse you in Peruvian culture. We will trade baseball and apple pie for fútbol and picarones. We will learn by experiencing life in Peru. SOC 4V70 will supplement experiential learning with readings of prominent Peruvian novels, discussions, and cultural engagement activities.
Peruvian Life and Culture will be taught by Dr. Kevin Dougherty, a professor in the Department of Sociology at Baylor University.
Textbooks
- Kim MacQuarrie, The Last Days of the Inca (Simon & Schuster, 2008). ISBN 0743260503
- José María Arguedas, Yawar Fiesta (translated by Frances Horning Barraclough, Waveland Press, 2002). ISBN 1577662458
- Mario Vargas Llosa, Death in the Andes (translated by Edith Grossman, Picador, 2007). ISBN 0312427255
Assignments
- Quizzes, 50% – We will have 14 quizzes over assigned readings. Each quiz will have five questions worth one point each. The purpose of quizzes is to provide accountability for the reading material. MacQuarrie’s book, The Last Days of the Inca, should be read before the first day of class. Quiz 1 is over MacQuarrie. All other readings will be done during our time in Peru. Your ten highest quiz scores, worth a total of 50 points, will count toward your final grade.
- Cultural Engagement, 25% – You will participate in five cultural engagement activities during the course to expand your understanding of Peruvian life and culture. These activities will include Spanish tutoring sessions, interactions with guest speakers, and possible field trips. You will earn five points for participating in each activity, for a total of 25 possible points.
- Final Exam, 25% – The course will conclude with a final exam, which you will write during our last class session. The final exam will be two to three essay questions selected at random from a list of question. The full list will be provided in advance. You will have access to your notes and books when completing the final exam. The exam is worth 25 points.
