Hispanic Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department

Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world and the second in the United States. It is the native tongue of approximately 390 million people in 21 countries, and it is widely spoken in many more countries where it is not an official language. It is also one of the official languages in the United Nations and the European Union. There are 48.5 million Hispanics living in the United States, 16 percent of the population according to the most recent census estimates. Spanish is also the most widely taught foreign language in this country.

As the importance of the Spanish language continues to grow worldwide, the Department of Hispanic Languages, Literatures, and Cultures challenges students to go beyond the basic language skills to fulfill a college requirement. Our mission is to engage students in understanding the richness and diversity of Hispanic cultures and their continuing impact on the U.S. and the world. We recognize language variations within the Spanish-speaking world as an expression of distinguishing cultural, historical, and political experiences. Our courses examine these experiences as they have manifested themselves in a complex tradition of literary production, from pre-Hispanic poetry and the origins of the modern novel to the magic realism of the Boom and the contemporary literary movements. Our curriculum is broad and diverse, with courses in a variety of topics, including: Spanish and Latin American media and press, narratives of the Spanish Civil War, crime and punishment in Latin American cinema, Spanish-speaking cultures and language varieties, and the Latino presence in the U.S. We offer courses cross-listed with departments and programs such as History, Women’s Studies, Sociology, Education, and World Literature.

General Education Requirement

The study of a foreign language is an essential part of a general education requirement at any liberal arts college. At Goucher, all students are required to complete the 100-level language sequence through the last semester of the intermediate level (SP 130 , SP 130C , SP 130E , SP 130G , SP 130S , or SP 130V ) We offer students the opportunity to fulfill the requirement abroad through intensive programs in Quito and the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Alicante and Granada, Spain. Students must complete a placement test before enrolling in a language class or taking language courses abroad. On the basis of a placement test and interview, students may be exempt, but not receive credit for certain courses and enter the language sequence at a higher level. Transfer credits are awarded pending placement test results. These results have an expiration date of one year—i.e., students need to retake their placement test after two or more semesters if they have not taken the language course in which they were placed, unless they have opted to satisfy their language requirement with the study of another language altogether.

The Language House and the Thormann International Center

Outside the classroom, opportunities to practice Spanish and attend international cultural events are provided through the Language House program. The Language House, located in Katharine and Jane Welsh Hall, is staffed by native speakers, and aims at promoting the daily practice of foreign languages outside the classroom by organizing a variety of events throughout the semester, such as plays, a weekly language table, teas, colloquia, film series, and guest speakers.To further enrich students’ awareness of the Spanish-speaking cultures, the language house and the department sponsor an annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. These events often take place throughout the campus and in particular, in the Thormann International Center, a space dedicated to the promotion of international cultural awareness. For information about the Language House, contact María Teresa Gomis-Quinto, coordinator of the Spanish programs in the Language House.

Study-Abroad Programs

To provide students an experience of immersion in the language, the department offers a variety of ICAs in different countries, such as Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Spain. Spanish majors are required to spend a semester in one of the department-approved study-abroad programs in Argentina or Spain.

Department Faculty

Associate Professor

Isabel Moreno López, chair (critical pedagogy, literature), Florencia Cortés-Conde, study-abroad director, (sociolinguistics, Latin American media), Jeanie Murphy, director of Latin American studies (Latin American literature)

Assistant Professors

Viki Zavales Eggert (Spanish peninsular literature), Alison Tatum-Davis (Spanish peninsular literature), Aida Ramos-Sellman (community-based learning, language, and culture)

Instructors

Maria Teresa Gomis-Quinto, Language House coordinator (language and culture), Citlali Miranda-Aldaco, (language, culture and technology), Frances Ramos-Valdez, community-based learning coordinator (language and culture, community-based learning coordinator)

Study Abroad in Spain and Argentina—Program Objectives and Description

The objective of the study-abroad semester is to provide Spanish majors an opportunity to advance their knowledge of the Spanish language and to pursue their specialized fields of academic interest while developing cross-cultural competency. High-quality instruction by distinguished local professors is combined with immersion in Spanish speaking societies with the goals of improving understanding of a variety of cultures and allowing students to explore the world from more than one perspective. Students majoring in Spanish must spend at least one semester abroad in Spain or Argentina, where they will live with local families. Eligibility: Students must have completed SP 235  or its equivalent to go to Spain. To go to Argentina, students must have completed SP 254  or SP 294 . If students wish to spend a semester in one of the department approved semester-long programs in Latin America, they should speak to Dr. Cortés-Conde, director of study of abroad.

Course Load and Credits in Spain

Students will attend a Spanish university taking tailor-made courses taught entirely in Spanish by accomplished local university professors, and they will have the opportunity of taking courses alongside Spanish students if they show sufficient proficiency in the placement exam abroad. Students will have a complete immersion experience with home stays and participation in the cultural life of the region. During their semester abroad they will complete all the 200 electives required for the major in addition to SP 254  or SP 294 . After an initial intensive language period, students attend Spanish courses in literature, history, cinema, sociology, art history, and education. Upon satisfactory completion of the program in Spain, students will return to Goucher having earned a minimum of 15 200-level credits (or 12 200-level credits and 3 credits at the 300 level).

Course Load and Credits in Argentina

Students will take a four week Intensive Language & Culture Course (5 credits) and a Cultural Realities of Argentina Course (1 credit), after which they will take tailor-made courses taught entirely in Spanish by professors from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. This university founded by the Jesuits in 1613 attracts students from all over Argentina and South America. After the intensive period program students will chose among the courses offered by UNC to foreign students such as:

Argentine Literature
Argentine History
Latin American History
Latin American Cinema
Contemporary Argentina Art
Latina American Social and Economic Issues

This program also offers the opportunity to take course with Argentine students in psychology, sociology, anthropology, mathematics and many other areas of studies if students show sufficient proficiency in the placement exam abroad. Additionally, students will have a home stay experience, and participate in cultural excursions to Buenos Aires, among other points of interest in the region. During this semester abroad, they will complete all the 200 electives and in addition the SP 294  requirement if this has not been completed at Goucher. Upon satisfactory completion of the Argentina program, students will return to Goucher having earned a minimum 15 200-level credits (or 12 200-level credits and 3 credits at the 300 level).