The Spanish program is the largest of all of Pacific's language offerings. We have a top-notch program that has produced four Fulbright scholars in the last two years alone, and several other Fulbright finalists. Although students with prior language experience can begin at a higher level, our Spanish sequence begins with two semesters of Introduction to Spanish Language and Culture, followed by two semesters of Intermediate Spanish. Students wanting to major or minor in Spanish choose from a variety of upper-division course offerings which serve to strengthen their linguistic skills while learning about the history, literature, film, art, and cultures of Spain, Latin America, and U.S. Latinos. In addition to their studies on campus, all Spanish majors spend a semester or a year abroad in a Spanish speaking country. Currently we send students to Ecuador, Mexico, and Spain. After returning from abroad, our majors enroll in Senior Seminar and complete a major Capstone project in Spanish.
In addition to our regular courses, in recent years we have offered several two/three-week travel courses during Winter III and the summer to Spain and Mexico. In Spain, our students have traveled across Spain through the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Cordoba, Toledo, Segovia, and more. In Mexico, for the past seven years our students have traveled to the small town of Tapalpa, near Guadalajara, to live in the small community for three weeks and take part in a teaching practicum, working in local rural schools. While there, students get involved in the community, like Caitey Anderson in this picture from 2006.
There are many opportunities on campus for students to speak Spanish and partake in cultural events. Every year we host a native Spanish speaker from another country who serves as our Spanish Language Assistant. The Spanish Language Assistant organizes events throughout the year for our students to practice their Spanish and learn about Spanish and Latin American culture. These events include the weekly conversation tables at lunchtime in the UC and Spanish Nights. Students can also get involved in the Spanish Club.
Students interested in the Spanish Club should contact President Nicole Chatelain at chat7891@pacificu.edu.
Why major or minor in Spanish?
Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States and is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Spanish is the principal language of twenty-one countries in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa and is commonly spoken in several others. Students who major or minor in Spanish will be able to communicate with the more than 500 million people in the world who speak Spanish and will have a competitive edge over other graduates. Knowing Spanish is a practical skill that can be combined with just about any other area of study to make students more marketable in the workforce and more appealing to graduate schools.
"Our majors graduate fluent in Spanish, and that ability is a plus for any career in the US these days. We also give them opportunities to actually teach before they graduate-- teaching Spanish to Anglos here at Pacific (Span 320) and teaching English to Mexican kids in Mexico (Span 467)--so our students interested in becoming teachers have a leg-up on most other college grads. Our minors are able to participate in all three of these experiences as well." -Nancy Christoph; Associate Professor of Spanish and Chair, World Languages and Literatures