[wrholt]

Poli, students who complete undergraduate degrees in Spanish language and literature in US universities start their coursework with a 2-semester class on the history of Spanish literature that covers the period from the 10th century through to the end of the 19th century. Later coursework starts from that foundation with classes that focus on specific time periods, genres, and/or authors, or on specific works such as _Don Quixote_. Systematic written use of Castilian dates from the 13th century in Toledo.

Many scholars of Spanish language and literature consider the efforts of Nebrija and his contemporaries as distinguishing the transition of medieval Spanish into early modern Spanish, in much the same way that scholars of English language and literature consider the works of Shakespeare and the publication of the King James translation of the Bible as distinguising the transition from Middle English to early Modern English.