ChooseWhy Choose This Program?
Why Study Spanish at Goucher?
The HLx celebrates the political, social, and cultural contributions of the 55 million Hispanic and Latinx individuals currently living in the United States. This plurality of experiences and identities is reflected in our center’s name, which seeks social justice for the peoples under its umbrella and beyond. Teaching and studying Spanish in the United States is a political act. Our Spanish courses and our academic stance reflect this mission. In its commitment to social justice, the HLx will serve as a source of support and mentorship to bilingual and second language learners, and international, heritage, and native speakers of other languages.
LearnWhat Will You Learn?
What Will You Learn?
Our Spanish courses have been designed for the 21st-century student, with online components in which students Skype with native Spanish speakers living abroad, or with community-based learning components in which students interact and learn with the local Latino community on campus and in Baltimore. We offer courses cross-listed with programs such as history; women, gender, and sexuality studies; peace studies; sociology; education; environmental studies; and literary studies, and a wide variety of Intensive Courses Abroad (ICA) in Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Perú, and Spain. We teach language and Latin American studies courses in the Goucher Prison Education Partnership. Check out our incredibly diverse curriculum, with courses in a broad variety of topics! Learn More
DoWhat Will You Do?
What Will You Do?
Once you graduate, you might follow the footsteps of our distinguished alumnae/i. Recent majors have chosen top-notch graduate schools to continue their formal education in studying Spanish, are working at international NGOs, or have joined the Peace Corps. Spanish graduates work in rural communities focusing on environmental issues, as translators and interpreters, in mental health centers, and as legislative aides for councilmembers. Some work for the media and film industries or for national and international companies. Spanish graduates are also teaching all over the world, from China and Thailand to Spain, Argentina, and California; or as close as Baltimore County and City.
Course Curriculum
Faculty
Major & Minor program contacts
Spanish major and minor: Viki Zavales Eggert
Full-Time Faculty
Florencia Cortés-Conde, Professor, Hispanic and Latinx Studies: Language, identity and nation; literature and bilingual identity; gender and identity; Spanish in the media; and Spanish in the United States.
Viki Zavales Eggert, Chair and Associate Professor, Hispanic and Latinx Studies: Peninsular and Latin American Literature and theater.
Maite Gomis-Quinto, Instructor Hispanic and Latinx Studies.
Citlali Miranda-Aldaco, Assistant Professor, Hispanic and Latinx Studies: Foreign Language Teaching/learning and Technology, Intercultural Communication, Latinx Representation in the United States, Diversity Teacher Training, Professional Development, Assessment.
Isabel Moreno-López, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Professor. Teaching focus: Studies on Language, Literacy and Culture, Intercultural Communications, Critical Pedagogy, Spanish and Latin-American Literature, Queer Studies, Interdisciplinary and Study-Abroad Programs.
Jeanie Murphy, Center Director for Humanities and Intersdisciplinary Studies and Professor, Hispanic and Latinx Studies: Latin American literature and theater; Latin American cultural studies; Latin American history; gender studies.
Frances Ramos-Fontán, Instructor Hispanic and Latinx Studies: Community-based learning, Latin American and Latino Studies, and foreign language acquisition.
Aida Ramos-Sellman, Assistant Professor, Hispanic and Latinx Studies.
Study Abroad
To provide students an experience of immersion in the language, the program offers a variety of interdisciplinary ICAs in different countries, such as Astronomy in Granada, Spain; Environmental Studies in Ecuador; Multicultural Education in Nicaragua; and Peace Studies in Bilbao, Spain. Spanish majors are required to spend a semester in one of the program-approved study-abroad courses in Argentina or Spain. If students wish to spend a semester in one of the program approved semester-long courses, they should speak to Dr. Citlali Miranda-Aldaco, director of study abroad.
Semester Abroad in a Spanish-Speaking Country—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 a Spanish-speaking country, where they will live with local families, attend classes and explore the country and culture through fieldtrips. Eligibility: Students must have completed SP 235 or its equivalent to go. Abroad, students may also take a placement exam which will determine the level of the courses they will be eligible to take.
Course Load and Credits in a Spanish-Speaking Country
Students will attend local universities taking tailor-made courses taught entirely in Spanish by accomplished local university professors, and they will have the opportunity to take courses alongside local 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. Upon satisfactory completion of the program abroad, students will return to Goucher having earned a minimum of 12 credits.
For more information, visit the Office of Global Education. A sample program can be found in the Center for Cross-Cultural Study: http://www.spanishstudies.org
Intensive Courses Abroad (ICA)
Intermediate Readings in Spanish and Astronomy in Granada (8 Cr.)
(AST 110G) (GEN. ED. #2, #3, and #6) (LER-FL) Regularly scheduled every other odd year in the spring semester at Goucher, in combination with a three-week intensive course in Spain during the month of May. This course will encourage a great deal of interdisciplinary study among our students by studying sciences and Spanish in a Spanish city that is known for its astronomical observations, such as IRAM, and its multiethnic environment. Credits will be distributed as follows: 2.5 Astronomy and one Spanish credit in the spring, and 1.5 Astronomy and three Spanish credits in the summer. Prerequisite: SP 130, SP 130G, SP 130S or SP 130V, or placement. Students will receive credit for SP 229 or for independent work in Spanish (1-3 credits, the equivalent to SP 299). Spring/summer variable years. Sugerman and Miranda-Aldaco.
Intermediate Readings in Spanish and Environmental Studies in Ecuador (6 Cr.)
ES 130E (GEN. ED. #2, #3, and #11). Regularly scheduled every even year in the spring semester at Goucher. This interdisciplinary course allows students to study environmental sustainability issues and Spanish in Ecuador, which is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world. It encompasses a pre-program course and an international field experience that includes living on San Cristóbal Island, visiting several other islands in the Galapagos, and visiting Otavalo (an indigenous community) in Ecuador. This course will examine the tensions that exist in the Galapagos between preserving one of the world's most pristine ecosystems and sustaining the people who live and depend on the islands' resources. We will also consider the role of the indigenous cultures in helping the government of Ecuador advance progressive sustainability initiatives in the face of demands to extract the non-renewable resources that exist in this bio-diverse country. 3 credits during the pre-program course in the Spring semester at Goucher (2 Spanish and 1 Environmental Studies), and 3 credits during the three-week intensive course in Ecuador (2 Environmental Studies and 1 Spanish). Prerequisite: SP 130, SP 130G, SP 130S, or SP 130V, or placement. Students will receive credit for SP 229 or for independent work in Spanish (1-3 credits, the equivalent to SP 299). Spring/summer even years. Cortés-Conde and Kasniunas.
Intermediate Readings in Spanish and Peace Studies in Bilbao (8 Cr.)
(PCE 272Y) UNDERSTANDING CONFLICT: A PEACE HISTORY IN SPAIN This interdisciplinary course builds Spanish language skills into the curriculum of peace studies through a seven-week pre-program course in the fall dedicated to the study of current conflicts in Spain (two credits); a three-week immersion experience in Granada and Bilbao (Spain) in January (four credits); and a seven-week, post-immersion course in the spring (two credits). This course will explore contemporary conflicts through a study of their historical roots. The final seven weeks will be conducted mostly in Spanish to increase awareness of the importance of attaining proficiency in a second language in understanding and participating in conflict resolution. Prerequisite: PCE 110 and/or PCE 148, or permission of the instructor, and SP 130, SP 130G, SP 130S, or SP 130V or placement. Students will receive credit for SP 229 or for independent work in Spanish (1-3 credits, the equivalent to SP 299). Spring/summer variable years. Miranda-Aldaco and Dawit.
Intermediate Readings in Spanish and Education in Nicaragua (8 Cr.)
(ED 272Y) (GEN. ED. #3) MULTICULTURALISM AND EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE U.S. AND NICARAGUA In this interdisciplinary, bilingual course we will build awareness of multiculturalism in the context of the education system in the United States and Nicaragua. Students will explore their core beliefs through reflective practice, develop cultural competencies especially as they related to high poverty/culturally and linguistically diverse students, observe and practice culturally responsive teaching, and contemplate the influence of educational systems on difference and learning. This interdisciplinary course builds Spanish language skills into the curriculum of education through the completion of 3 credits during the pre-program course in the Spring semester at Goucher (1.5 Spanish and 1.5 Education), and 3 credits during the three week intensive course in Nicaragua (1.5 Spanish and 1.5 Education). Prerequisites: SP 130 or, SP 130G or, SP 130S or, SP 130V or placement. Students will received credit for SP 229G or for independent work in Spanish (1-3 credits, the equivalent to SP 299G). Prerequisites for Education: One course in education or permission of the instructor. Variable semesters starting Spring-Summer 2015. Ramos-Sellman and Smith.
LAM 272Y - Intensive Course Abroad (4 Cr.)
EMERGING MARKETS IN CUBA (BUS 272Y) This interdisciplinary course will allow students to gain a better understanding of Cuba's history, culture, politics, economics and changing business environment, as a country in transition from a firmly state-controlled market to a more open market. A seven-week pre-course at Goucher during the spring semester will introduce students to the economic structures and business models now in place in Cuba as well as the history of the revolution in that country. This will be followed by a three-week intensive course in Cuba in June during which time students will visit Cuban businesses, large and small, will meet with local businessmen and businesswomen and will take part in various cultural excursions and activities. During the spring semester students will receive 1 credit for their work in the pre-course and, upon successful completion of the three-week ICA, they will receive an additional 3 credits cross-listed in Latin American Studies and Business Management. Prerequisite for LAM: LAM 105 or LAM 125 or instructor's permission. Prerequisite for BUS: BUS 231 or instructor's permission. Variable years. Grossman, Murphy.
For more information visit:
Opportunities & Internships
Outside the classroom, opportunities to practice Spanish and attend international cultural events are provided through the Language House program and the Futuro Latino Learning Center.
The Language House
The Language House 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 program sponsor an annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. These events often take place throughout the campus. Christopher Torres is the coordinator of the Spanish programs in the Language House.
Futuro Latino Learning Center
Since its inception in the fall of 2009, the Futuro Latino Learning Center (FLLC) has provided unique educational opportunities on campus to Goucher students and to the Latino community of Baltimore County. The center offers computing classes in Spanish and English as a Second Language classes for adults, a cultural enrichment program in Spanish for kids, and other programs. The FLLC provides a distinct learning experience to Goucher students, who teach the classes for adults and run the programs for kids. For more information on how to get involved, contact Frances Ramos-Fontán, director of the Futuro Latino Learning Center.
Internships
Internships help students explore possibilities, apply classroom learning, and gain experience. Explore internships and credit options.
Student Employment
Student employment connects students to both on and off-campus opportunities. The Career Education Office provides resources and support to students with or without Federal Work Study to find jobs, submit applications, and learn more about the job search process. Students have access to Handshake — a website for job postings, events, resumes/cover letters, and career management.
Major & Career Exploration
Exploring career options, choosing a major, and making career decisions is a multi-step process in which all students are encouraged to engage early and often. Goucher students have a variety of resources available through the Majors and Career page to assist them in this process.
Job Search
A Goucher education prepares students for today’s job market and beyond. Students can explore job opportunities and access job search resources through the CEO Job Search page.
Graduate & Professional School
Students access resources for searching and applying to graduate and professional school through the CEO Graduate and Professional School page, through faculty and staff members, or utilizing their own resources, network and tools.
Middlebury College 4+1 B.A./M.A. Programs
For French transnational studies and Spanish majors who want to expand their studies with immersive graduate experiences abroad, earn your B.A. and M.A. in only five years.
Alumni ProfileAlicia Copeland '01
Alicia Copeland '01
Read My Story“I’m really happy to see where Goucher is going, where it once was, and where it is now. It makes me proud. So, when I do the hashtag, #goucherproud, I really mean it.”