Spanish

Kelly Roehl, Tomson Hall 331
507-786-3230

wp.stolaf.edu/spanish/

Department: Romance Languages 

The Spanish Program at St. Olaf approaches language as more than just a mode of communication. More than 485 million people in the world use Spanish as a first language, including more than 50 million in the United States. Spanish is the vehicle of cultures, beliefs, and experiences of wide-ranging, transnational communities. Studying Spanish at St. Olaf empowers students on multiple paths to enter a variety of professions and engage ethically in the multilingual society of the United States and beyond. 

We welcome and seek to nourish students from all linguistic backgrounds and with diverse lived experiences. In our program, students examine critically and reflect on cultures, languages, histories, and literatures of the Spanish-speaking world. Beyond the classroom, students can share meals and spaces, enjoy events organized by student organizations that uplift Latin American and U.S. Latinx experiences, and take part in Spanish Program celebrations. There are also opportunities for community engagement and participation in the larger Latinx communities beyond campus.

We invite you to become a part of the “Familia Ñ” at St. Olaf!

Overview of the Major

In courses for the Spanish major, students gain understanding of the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world (Spain, Latin America, and the Latinx/a/o United States) through the study of literature, non-literary texts, culture, language, and linguistics. At the same time, they develop communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills.

Level II courses are divided into two levels. In SPAN 250 or SPAN 251, the gateway course for all majors, students develop academic reading and writing skills in Spanish through textual analysis of cultural documents and literature. 270-level courses introduce students to a variety of ways to explore the Spanish-speaking world further through literature, linguistics, culture, and contemporary issues.

Level III courses build upon the analytical skills and knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world acquired by students in 270-level courses. These courses examine particular topics, genres, or critical or theoretical issues through textual analysis or analysis of linguistic data. Some of these courses focus on comparative analysis across geographical areas of the Spanish-speaking world.

 

Special Programs

To encourage students to speak Spanish outside the classroom, the department organizes events and sponsors the Casa Hispánica, a residence where Spanish is the language of daily interaction. In addition, faculty teaching Spanish collaborate with colleagues in other disciplines in developing and teaching courses with a Language Across the Curriculum credit. These courses enable students who have completed the fourth semester of college Spanish to apply and develop their proficiency in Spanish across the curriculum.

St. Olaf also operates its own January terms in Puerto Rico and Spain and affiliates with long-established consortia — CIEE, SIT, IFSA and IES — that administer semester study abroad programs in Spain, Mexico, and South America, as well as study away programs in the United States.

St. Olaf's Spanish Education program has been discontinued. Students interested in obtaining a K-12 Spanish teaching license are encouraged to complete an undergraduate major in Spanish and then apply to a graduate program that offers a Master's degree combined with teaching certification in Spanish.