School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Areas of interest/ specialization
Teaching of Spanish as Second Language from an interdisciplinary and cross-regional approach; Hispanic Literatures, with a keen interest in Afro and Indo Hispanic Literatures; Sociology of Literature; Cultural Heritage; Education for Sustainable Development; Caribbean languages, literatures and arts; Literature and public space; Experimental poetry and arts; Cultural Studies.
Bio

Prof. Plana Freixas is an Assistant Professor in Spanish at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. She has held a number of teaching/ research positions at different educational institutions: CODEF-Adunare Foundation, Spain; University of the West Indies (UWI), Barbados; Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand; Washington University in Saint Louis (Wash U), United States; and Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea. She has also collaborated in programs of socio-cultural affairs related to Spanish with Spanish Agency of International Cooperation and Development (AECID), Spain; Embassy of Spain in Jamaica and in Trinidad; Embassy of Mexico in Jamaica; Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation (APC-Colombia), Republic de Colombia; Royal Project Foundation, Thailand; and UNESCO, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Her academic and professional background both in Spanish and in Arts, together with her international experience and a profound social awareness shape her interdisciplinary career within Hispanic Studies.

Academic Degrees

• PhD in Art History (in process), Thesis title “Jaume Plensa: el poder de la palabra en el espacio público”- University of Zaragoza (UZ), Spain- Expected Thesis Defence: by end of 2020.
• MA in Hispanic Literatures- Washington University in Saint Louis (WASH U), United States of America- 2015.
• Diploma in Filmmaking Documentary- International School of Cinema and Television (EICTV), Cuba- 2007.
• Master of Advanced Studies (D.E.A.) in Art History- University of Zaragoza (UZ), Spain- 2006.
• Master´s Degree in Teacher Training for Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching (C.A.P.): Spanish Language and Literature- University of Zaragoza (UZ), Spain- 2004.
• BA (Licenciatura) in Hispanic Philology- University of Zaragoza (UZ), Spain- 2003.

Selection of publications and other works

Articles:

• “El curso de la Historia en Santa, de Federico Gamboa: una crítica velada a la política exterior del Porfiriato”, Asociación Coreana de Hispanistas (ACH), Kyung Hee University, Memoria del Congreso Internacional de Invierno, 2016 (208-212).
• “El uso del color en Los Ríos Profundos: construcción de una teoría social desde la cosmovisión quechua”. Jornadas Andinas de Literatura (JALLA): “Latinoamérica indo, afro, pluriétnica y multicultural”, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica. Memoria Digital, 2014 (36-44).
• “El Español en Barbados¨ in Anuario del Instituto Cervantes 2006- 2007: El Español en el Mundo, Madrid: Instituto Cervantes, Spain. (205-208).

Translation/ editing works:

• English-Spanish translation of My Baby Compass, Volume 1, by MA CCC-SLP Kathryn Thorson Gruhn, Charlotte-North Carolina, USA. (2010) http://www.mybabycompass.com/
• Editing of Para una crítica de la Modernidad Capitalista. Dominación y resistencia en Bolívar Echeverría, by Mabel Moraña. Quito: Corporación Editora Nacional, 2014.

Audio-visual projects:

• Design and illustration of the CD-Comic Book History Hunter by Richie Castro (Multimedia project on teaching of World History and cultural awareness to children through music, storytelling and theatrics). Denver, Colorado, USA. (2010) http://historyhunter.org/
• Adaptation, stage design and co-direction of the theatre comedy in Spanish Mi Fino y Gentil Amigo, by the Mexican dramatist Román Calvo. Performed at The University of the West Indies-Modern Languages Intercampus Theatre Festival, Mona Campus Jamaica; and at Port Royal, Jamaica under patronage of Office of Cultural Affairs of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2008)
• Filmmaking and co-direction of the documentary A Room in La Habana (sociocultural policy and impact of the Restoration Project of Old Havana), International School of Cinema and Television (EICTV), San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba (2007)
• Adaptation, stage design and co-direction of the theatre play in Spanish El Método, by the Catalonian dramatist Jordi Galcerán. Performed at The University of the West Indies-Modern Languages Intercampus Theatre Festival: Cave Hill Campus, Barbados and San Agustin Campus, Trinidad W.I. (2007)

Teaching

United States International University- Africa (USIU-Africa), Kenya. September 2018 to present:

• Latino American Culture and Civilization
• Spanish Culture and Civilization
• Beginners Spanish II
• Beginners Spanish I

Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea. September 2015-July 2018:

• Advanced Spanish Composition
• Intermediate Spanish Composition
• Intermediate Spanish Conversation
• Current Spanish: Hispanic Topics and up-to-date Language Uses
• Basic Spanish 1
• Workshop on Spanish Pragmatics: Subjunctive Subordinate Clauses.
• Advanced-Intensive Course on Spanish Language and Culture (“SNU in Madrid” Summer Immersion Program)
• Intermediate-Intensive Course on Spanish Language and Culture (“SNU in Madrid” Summer Immersion Program)
• Seminar in Spanish Language and Culture (SNU Program of Study Abroad: Centro Complutense para la Enseñanza del Español, CCEE -Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain)

Washington University in Saint Louis (Wash U), United States of America. January 2011-December 2014:

• Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition
• Intermediate Spanish Language, Composition, and Literature
• Intermediate Spanish Grammar
• Beginners Spanish

Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand. August 2008-September 2010:

• Implementation of a Minor in Spanish (5 courses): Basic Spanish, Beginners Spanish, Intermediate Spanish, Advanced Spanish, Spanish and Latino American Culture and Civilization.
• Intermediate Spanish Language
• Beginners Spanish Language (International Group)
• Beginners Spanish Language
• Basic Spanish Language
• Seminar in Spanish for Tourism: Doi Suthape and Wat Suan Dok
• Seminar in Spanish for Tourism: Space and History of Wat
• Seminar in Spanish for Tourism: Town of Lamphum
• Seminar in Spanish for Tourism: Cultural Heritage in North Thailand
• Seminar in Spanish for Tourism: Tourism and Thai Cultural Heritage

At The University of the West Indies (UWI), Barbados. August 2005-July 2008:

• Advanced Spanish Language
• Intermediate Spanish Language
• Beginners Spanish Language
• Theatre workshop in Spanish: Mi fino y gentil amigo, by Mexican dramatist Norma Román Calvo (35hs).
• Theatre workshop in Spanish: El método, by Catalonian dramatist Jordi Galcerán (53hs)

Centro Obrero de Formación (CODEF)- Adunare Foundation, Spain. September 2004-June 2005:

• Literacy in Spanish Language for Immigrants
• Spanish Language and Culture for Immigrants