Spanish (Hispanophone Studies)

Undergraduate

Through the lenses of social history, politics and literary, film and media studies, we seek to understand the past, current state, and emerging realities of the cultures of Latin America, Spain, the Caribbean, and the Latina/o heritage populations within the United States; and their relations with each other and with the wider world.

Program Overview

The study of Spanish encompasses the entire Spanish-Speaking world through courses taught in Spanish. We engage in the multidisciplinary study of the past, current state, and emerging realities of societies and cultures of Latin America, Spain, the Caribbean, and the Latina/o heritage populations within the United States and their relations with each other and with the wider world.

Spanish — the second most spoken language in the United States today and one of the three most spoken languages in the world — has become a crucial part of civic engagement and global citizenship. Facility with the language has been an important component of career success for many Mount Holyoke graduates in fields including government, law, business, international affairs, education, journalism, medicine, and the performing arts.

 

 

Upcoming events

Community Voices

Spotlight on Spanish students and alums

Our courses

We offer courses at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. Most courses are conducted in Spanish. Elementary and Intermediate courses in Spanish up to 201 focus on understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Spanish, while introducing students to Spanish and Hispanophone literatures and cultures. Advanced courses above 209 continue the development of the Spanish proficiency through the study of aspects or elements of Spanish, Latino/a and Latin American history, literature, arts, and social and political issues.

Selecting courses in your first year

Review the information about taking your first MHC Spanish course for information on the Spanish placement exam.

You are strongly encouraged to take your language courses in close succession, without lapses between one level and the next.

First-Year students may consider enrolling in the following (course descriptions can be found in the Courses and Requirements section):

  • SPAN-101f - Elementary Spanish
  • SPAN-199f - Preparation for Intermediate Spanish
  • SPAN-201f - Intermediate Spanish
  • SPAN-209fs - Composition and Culture
  • SPAN-212fs - Preparation for Advanced Studies

Note: Only students that have taken an equivalent to SPAN- 212 at another institution may enroll in advanced courses above 212.

Courses and Requirements

The major and minor in Spanish (Hispanophone Studies) include a variety of courses intended to facilitate proficiency in the language and contextualize and analyze issues relevant to Spanish speakers abroad and in the U.S., such as terrorism, migration, and imperialism.

Learning Goals

  • Develop linguistic and cultural proficiency in Spanish to interact and communicate (read, write, speak, and listen) in different settings and for different purposes. 

  • Build analytical and problem-solving skills through the interpretation of cultural materials (literary, visual, linguistic, historical, etc.) that represent the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.

  • Learn about and question the past, current state, and emerging realities and histories of the societies and cultures of Latin America, Spain, and/or U.S. Latinxs, the relationship among them and with other regions around the world.

  • Become aware of the similarities and differences within our Spanish-speaking global communities and challenge their representation in dominant discourses.

  • Engage in research across multiple sources and viewpoints, build arguments through evidence, and be able to communicate them in different formats and to different audiences. 

  • Learn to assess their own learning practices and their multilingual experiences to become autonomous learners and more responsible members of the world.

Contact us

The Department of Spanish, Latinx, Latin American Studies helps students understand the past, current state, and emerging realities of the cultures of Latin America, Spain, the Caribbean, and the Latina/o heritage populations within the United States.

Cara Lapenas
  • Academic Department Coordinator

Next Steps

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