Spanish
UD's Spanish Program celebrates the splendor of the Hispanic World, of Hispanidad, concentrating on the grand, the heroic, the poetic, the creative, the artistic,
the holy, the stoic and other admirable facets of the legacy and contemporary reality
of Spain and Spanish America.The Program also offers an interdisciplinary approach
to Hispanidad through courses in Spanish language, literature, history, linguistics, and art history.
Finally, the courses examine the tension between the unity and the rich diversity
within the Hispanic world.
Language Skills
Language classes at UD aim at the acquisition of the four skills: listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. Students gain knowledge and confidence as they progress through
the lower division sequence: First Year Spanish I, II and Second Year Spanish I. For
students who want to continue improving their language skills we offer two upper division
courses: Advanced Communication/Grammar and Advanced Composition/Grammar.
Heritage
Our Second Year Spanish II introduces students to the heritage of the Spanish-speaking
world within the context of the Western Tradition emphasized in the Core Curriculum
at UD. The survey includes literature, history, art history, and music. This interdisciplinary
course is the point of departure for advanced study in literature, history, art history,
and linguistics.
Advanced Studies
Advanced courses in literature, history, art history, and linguistics continue our
exploration of the Hispanic world. On this level students do research papers, written
in Spanish, in many of the courses. Topics can be chosen from a wide spectrum of subjects.
Featured Alumni
Giada Mirelli
I graduated from UD with majors in Spanish and French and concentrations in Italian
and Comparative Literature. After UD, I started my graduate studies with the goal
of becoming a foreign language university professor.
I am currently an Assistant Instructor teaching Spanish to undergraduate students,
a position I was already prepared to have by enrolling in UD’s Foreign Language Pedagogy
course, completing the Spanish Outreach Teaching Practicum, and working as a Spanish
and Italian tutor in the Modern Languages Department. Because I was able to take Spanish,
Italian, French, German, and Russian literature courses at UD, I am now able to analyze
texts with a unique cross-disciplinary approach which stands out in the classroom.
These courses and jobs –offered throughout my undergraduate years–have well-equipped
me to be a language instructor.