The division of Spanish Studies offers a major and a minor in Spanish, a BA/MA in Hispanic Studies, and a MA in Hispanic Studies.
The Value of Knowing Spanish
Spanish is the language that the majority of students in the United States (and in Villanova) chooses to study at the present time for very good reasons: It is the second major language spoken in the world (after Mandarin)* and it is the second language spoken in the United States. Therefore it will be very useful and advantageous to know Spanish in any career path that students may choose. Approximately 800 students take Spanish undergraduate courses every semester at Villanova. Students are encouraged to spend summers and semesters abroad in Spain and Central and South America, to obtain a greater proficiency in the language.
The faculty are involved in the Honors Program, and other interdisciplinary pursuits on campus, and they serve as advisors of the Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honors Society. They also organize a summer-long study abroad program in Cádiz, Spain, as well as a semester long program at the University of Cádiz, Spain. In addition to emphasizing language skills, the Division offers literature courses and interdisciplinary studies in the faculty's areas of specialization: Medieval, Renaissance, Modern and Contemporary literature, Linguistics and Cultural Studies. The Division also offers an on-going Internship with the Villanova Law School and the local Hispanic Community.
The influence of Spanish crosses centuries as well as geographic boundaries. It is a dynamic and exciting language used in diverse parts of the world, such as: Central, South, North America, the Caribbean and Spain. Spanish and its different cultures are taught at Villanova in interdisciplinary courses, in the Liberal Arts Program, Cultural Studies program, and in courses that were designed in response to these developments. The classes provide students with a thorough grounding in the history, politics, cultural production (literatures, film, theater), sociolinguistics, post-colonial experiences, and development of the Hispanic world.
* Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers
PrimeroHayQueAprenderEspanol.RanhouZaiXueZhongwen.-NYTimes.pdfPlease read more about the value of knowing Spanish: NY Times Article "Primero Hay Que Aprender Español. Ranhou Zai Xue Zhongwen." By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Published: December 29, 2010
