Welcome

The Department of Spanish offers a variety of courses intended not only to facilitate proficiency in the language but also to contextualize and analyze issues relevant to Spanish-speakers abroad and in the U.S., such as terrorism, migration, and imperialism, among others. To that end, intermediate and advanced-level courses adopt a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, including literary studies, film and media studies, social history, and politics. The Department of Spanish also collaborates closely with a number of other departments and programs on campus, frequently cross-listing courses with Latin American Studies, Film Studies, Gender Studies, and Romance Languages and Literatures. Regular extracurricular activities organized by the department (film series, lectures, the mesa de español, etc.) also engage the larger college community in the interests of our students and faculty. In addition to providing opportunities for learning on campus, the department also strongly recommends that students study off campus in a Spanish-speaking context in order to enhance their language skills and to forge their own connections to place through language.
Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States today and one of the three most spoken languages in the world. It is therefore not a “foreign” language but rather an integral part of civic engagement and global citizenship both abroad and in the U.S. The Spanish language has also been an important part of graduating students’ careers in government, law, business, international affairs, education, journalism, medicine, and the performing arts, among others.