Offerings in the Spanish department include a wide range of courses in the language, cultures, and literatures of Spain and Latin America. All readings, class discussions, and written work in courses beyond the intermediate level (Spanish 201) are in Spanish, unless specified otherwise. At the advanced level, students examine a variety of significant language and cultural issues through intensive reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish. This preparation provides the necessary background for careers in foreign language teaching, in bilingual education, in government service, and in the international marketplace and for graduate study in such fields as languages, library science, or literature, to name a few. Spanish is already the second language of business in the United States, and, in conjunction with another area of specialization, the competence gained in the Spanish major program prepares the student for careers in fields such as international business and commerce, law, and communications.

Goals

The student who receives a major in Spanish has learned the following skills and knowledge: to develop and improve the student’s ability to communicate; to know and understand different cultures through their literatures, visual arts, films, and other cultural artifacts; to establish connections with additional bodies of knowledge, cultures, and peoples; to make comparisons between Spanish and his/her native language, and between the cultures in Spanish-speaking countries and his/her own culture; in short, to communicate and to participate critically in multilingual communities. These goals, which follow the 5c’s national standards, are attained through a reasonably high competency in the Spanish language and through the study of Latin American and Peninsular literatures and cultures. From the beginning, Spanish is used exclusively in the classroom and, except where specified, all class discussion, essays, and examinations are conducted in Spanish.