ESU's Spanish Department
ESU's Spanish Department is a branch of the English, Modern Languages, & Journalism Department.
We currently offer two undergraduate degrees:
and
as well as a Spanish minor.
Why learn Spanish?
Learning Spanish opens up doors to a wide range of travel and work experiences and gives you opportunities to communicate and connect with many more of your fellow citizens in the United States and around the world.
According to the Eton Institute for World Languages, Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world, with over 470 million native speakers and a growing number of non-native speakers. It is second only to Mandarin Chinese.
Spanish is the official language in 21 nations (most of the Western Hemisphere).
In the United States, according to the 2016 Census, more than 41 million people speak Spanish. Nationwide, about 1 in 12 students in our public schools are Spanish speakers.
Clearly, bilingual people are needed in service industry jobs and also fair better in our competitive global market.
Data tells us that bilingual individuals in the workforce show average increases in income of 5-20%.
"The 5 Cs"
In all its classes, ESU's Spanish department works to incorporate "The 5 Cs"
(standards laid out by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).
The 5Cs are:
Use reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to foster Communication in languages other than English
Gain knowledge and understanding of the perspectives and products of other Cultures
Develop Connections to other disciplines and reinforce and acquire knowledge
Draw Comparisons between the second and first language in order to develop insight into the nature of language and cultures
Participate in multi-lingual Communities at home and around the world
Classes Offered:
Communication Focused Courses:
SA 110- Spanish Language and Culture I
SA 210- Spanish Language and Culture II
SA 313- Spanish Language and Culture III
SA 314- Spanish Language and Culture IV
SA 339- Reading and Conversation
SA 359- Advanced Grammar and Composition
SA 410- Phonetics and Conversation
Literature/Culture Focused Classes:
SA 365- Introduction to Literature
SA 379- Civilization of Spanish-Speaking Countries
SA 389- Studies in the Culture of Spain
SA 399- Studies in the Culture of Latin America
SA 435- Survey of Peninsular Literature
SA 446- Readings in Peninsular Literature
SA 455- Survey of Latin American Literature
SA 466- Readings in Latin American Literature
SA 495- Special Topics in Spanish
Classes in Language Education:
FL 479- Foreign Language Acquisition
FL 540- Language Teaching Methodology
Opportunities for Independent Work:
SA 475- Independent Study
FL 499- Foreign Language Capstone Seminar
We also offer many of these courses at the graduate level, as well as the following:
SA 635- Directed Studies in Spanish
SA 695- Special Topics in Spanish Language and Literature