About Hispanic Studies
Language competence, global perspective and understanding of Hispanic world culture.
Why study Spanish or Portuguese at the College of Charleston?
A major or minor in Spanish is more than conjugating verbs, it’s the ability to become linguistically savvy and culturally competent, 21st century skills that an app on your phone can’t reproduce and AI can’t imitate.
You’ve probably heard that Artificial Intelligence will make learning other languages obsolete. As good as those models may be now, there is still no comparison with understanding and speaking the language yourself.
Did you know that learning a second language helps you to be more successful in other classes? Or that bilingual brains have more gray matter than monolingual brains? Language learning teaches you a valuable skill that will help you land a great job – just ask our graduates! – but it also makes you smarter and more understanding of the world around you. Our program helps you build a better career and a better you!
- Build fluency in a second or third language
- Learn how language works
- Improve communication in your first language
- Understand the cultures of the Hispanic and Lusophone world
Across communities and in every sector of the economy we need people who can speak Spanish and Portuguese.
That’s why our classes are about more than fulfilling a requirement, they put you in a position to earn up to 20% more in your post-graduate career.
It’s not all about money, there is a world of people, literature, film, poetry, art, and philosophy waiting for you on the other side of fluency. It’s a world that will help you expand your own horizons and connect you with people across the globe and at home in your own community.
Studying Spanish is more than learning a vocabulary, it’s the ability to connect with más people across the world linguistically and culturally.
Mission & Vision
The Department of Hispanic Studies offers students and the community a broad range of courses and programs to develop language competence, a global perspective, and an understanding of the Spanish language, literatures and cultures of the Hispanic world. In addition, the Department seeks to promote the study of Portuguese at the college.
Specifically, the Department aims to:
- Ensure that College of Charleston students acquire sufficient knowledge of the language to build proficiency in the language when future personal or professional needs require it.
- Prepare majors and minors for success as professionals in career fields related to Spanish.
- Teach understanding and appreciation of Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian cultures, and provide knowledge about the literary and intellectual achievements of these worlds.
- Provide opportunities for study abroad in areas where Spanish and Portuguese are spoken.
- Enhance the education of students who are not Spanish majors by providing language skills that complement their chosen major.
- Lead with internationalizing the College of Charleston curriculum.
- Work with the School of Education to prepare Spanish language teachers both substantively and pedagogically for the South Carolina school system.
- Provide opportunities for continuing study of Spanish at the graduate level for language teachers and other professionals in the Charleston area.
- Promote articulation between secondary schools and the College in the teaching of Spanish and Portuguese.
- Provide service learning and internship opportunities for students of Spanish to use their skills in the community
Employment Opportunities: Hispanic Studies
Hispanic Studies continually seeks dynamic and dedicated adjunct professors of Spanish to join our faculty team.
Minimal requirements: 18 hours of completed graduate coursework in Spanish.
If you would like to be considered for future teaching opportunities, please email your CV to Susan Divine, Chair of Hispanic Studies.
Contact the Hispanic Studies Chair