World Languages and Cultures

General Information

The Department of World Languages and Cultures offers the B.A. in Spanish, and minors in French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili. A sequence of courses in Chinese is also offered. Additional courses are offered under the Foreign Language Studies (FLS) inventory, and through the University of North Carolina Language Exchange. Language courses offered in the department fulfil general education requirements and provide opportunities for students to develop communicative competencies in the target languages. The advanced courses in culture, history, and literature prepare students to engage in a diverse and multicultural society, find employment in areas where foreign language skills are required, and pursue graduate studies. Students enrolled in the department enjoy a convivial atmosphere of learning supported by a dedicated faculty, and participate in extracurricular activities that promote community engagement and volunteerism. World Languages and Cultures’ majors and minors are currently working in various professions including banking, business, counseling, health professions, law, teaching, and travel.

Departmental Goal

The goal of the department is to prepare world language students to succeed in professional or postgraduate careers by designing a program of study that provides the requisite skills in language learning, cross-cultural and intercultural understanding.

Departmental Objectives

Language courses in the department are designed to fundamentally develop functional, grammatical, lexical, and sociolinguistic competencies in students wishing to earn the undergraduate degree in Spanish, or minor in a world language. In addition to providing opportunities for improved communicative skills, students also study the historical, political, social, cultural, and literary aspects of the target languages. The departmental objectives comprise:

Offering courses that lead to the development of standard-based competencies in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Providing in-depth studies of the cultures of the target languages.
Introducing students to the literary expressions of the target language-speaking world.
Preparing students for graduate studies.
Preparing students for careers that require training in a foreign language.

Policies

World Languages and Cultures: Where to Begin

Normally, students begin the language sequence with the elementary course (xxx 1311) if they have not studied that language before. However, if students are continuing a language that they have previously studied or with which they have had other experience, the department strongly suggests that they consider the Retroactive Credit Policy or Placement by examination.

Retroactive Credit Policy for World Languages

The Retroactive Credit Policy is designed to grant credit to students with previous world language study. Under this policy students who enroll in and successfully complete a course beyond the first semester of a world language (xxx 1311) receive credit for courses they bypassed, up to 6 credit hours. Students receive credit towards graduation but no grade for the lower course(s). Retroactive credit is available only for the first language course in which a student enrolls and is given only when the student achieves a grade of C or better. Retroactive credit is not available if a student has received Advanced Placement or transfer credit in the language. Retroactive credit is applied for at the completion of the course.

Proficiency Assessment for Students with World Language Experience

Students may also take a placement examination or an appropriate department proficiency examination in an attempt to qualify for courses above the intermediate level. World language majors and minors may also receive credit toward their program by taking and passing appropriate department proficiency examinations.

Students are advised to contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures for guidelines and further information concerning placement and assessment.

Study Abroad

In conjunction with the Office of International Programs, the department supports study abroad and internship programs which provide students with opportunities to earn semester hours toward the major and minors, and to develop intercultural and cross-cultural sensibilities. The department encourages students to participate in study abroad programs as part of their undergraduate experience.

Undergraduate Studies

B.A. in Spanish

Number of Semester Hours Required for the Major

123 – 126 semester hours are required for the major in Spanish.

Program Description

There are many reasons to study Spanish at Winston-Salem State University. The university’s location in North Carolina, a state that has become an important location for Latino immigration in the southern United States, makes learning Spanish a good choice for careers in education, health professions, and law. Students at WSSU may earn the degree in Spanish, or pursue a Spanish minor. Combining a Spanish minor with any degree plan will make students more marketable in the job market. Students who successfully complete the Spanish major or minor programs will possess knowledge of the historical, literary, and sociopolitical components of the Spanish-speaking world as well as develop functional language, sociolinguistic, and intercultural skills to make them more competitive in the globally interconnected twenty-first century workforce.

Program Objectives

The Spanish Program objectives include the following:

To develop standard-based competencies in foreign language learning in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
To provide an in-depth study in the language, literature, culture, and civilization of Spanish-speaking peoples.
To prepare majors to do research, and study at the graduate level.
To prepare majors for careers that require knowledge of, and fluency in Spanish.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, the student will:

Demonstrate advanced level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Demonstrate the ability to apply Spanish language use in real-life situations.
Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between language learning and culture.
Demonstrate understanding of the connections between Spanish and other disciplines after an extensive capstone research project.
Develop cross-cultural understanding and intercultural skills.
Demonstrate the ability to use knowledge of Spanish to participate in diverse, multicultural settings, and live in a global society.

General Major Requirements

Students majoring in Spanish must satisfy the general education course requirements, complete SPA 2311 and SPA 2312*, complete the required major courses outlined, and take electives for a minimum total of 120 semester hours in order to graduate. Upon completion of all major requirements students must pass a standardized oral proficiency test (Exit Interview.) A grade of C or better is required in each major course.

* Before taking courses in the major, students must have completed SPA 2312, or show evidence that they have achieved an equivalent level of proficiency in Spanish.

Major Curriculum

Spanish Major Core (24 Semester Hours)

The core courses for the Spanish major include nine (9) hours of composition and linguistics, six (6) hours of advanced conversation, six (6) hours of literature and culture, and three (3) hours of the senior capstone course.

SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: SPA 2312 – Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3311 - Hispanic Civilization (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3312 - Spanish Phonetics (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3316 - Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature (3SH), or SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature (3SH), or

SPA 3339 - Survey of Latino Literature (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 4309 - Advanced Spanish Conversation (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 4350 - Senior Composition in Spanish (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar (3SH), or departmental approval)

SPA 4391 - Senior Seminar in Spanish (3SH)

(Prerequisites: senior status and a 2.5 grade point average in Spanish major core courses)

Spanish Major Electives (12 Semester Hours)

Major electives allow students to pursue special interests, benefit from internships or study abroad, and deepen their knowledge of Hispanic culture.

Students may choose major elective courses from the following courses:

*SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature (3SH)

*SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish American Literature (3SH)

*SPA 3339 - Survey of Latino Literature (3SH)

SPA 4333 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Fiction (3SH)

SPA 4334 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Drama (3SH)

SPA 4335 - Masterpieces of Hispanic Poetry (3SH)

SPA 4336 - Independent Study (3SH)

SPA 4338 – Masterpieces of Afro-Hispanic Literature (3SH)

SPA 4340 - Cervantes (3SH)

SPA 4390 - Special Topics or Readings in Hispanic Culture (3SH)

SPA 4093 - Spanish Internship

*Any of the survey literature courses may count as electives if not already counted in the core.

Related/Suggested Electives

Students may also choose major electives from the following list of courses in consultation with their academic advisors and approval of the department.

AAS 3306 - Negritude and Afrocentricity (3SH)

HIS 3352 - The African Presence in Mexico (3SH)

HIS 3353 - The African Presence in the Americas (3SH)

ENG 3301 - Introduction to Linguistics (3SH)

ENG 3334 - Literature of the African Diaspora (3SH)

ENG 4355 - Literary Criticism (3SH)

Notes:

Study Abroad for Spanish Majors

With the approval of the department, and in conjunction with the Office of International Programs, students may earn transferable credits from study abroad programs. Courses must have content related to the Spanish language or the Spanish-speaking world to transfer. Students may include up to fifteen (15) hours of study abroad transfer credits:

SPA 3020 - Study Abroad in Spanish (SH 1 - 6)

SPA 4020 - Study Abroad in Spanish (SH 1 - 6)

Minor Programs

Spanish

Program Minor (18 Semester Hours)

The program of study for the minor in Spanish consists of eighteen (18) semester hours above the elementary level. SPA 2311 and SPA 2312 are prerequisites for all upper level courses leading to the minor. To satisfy the minor requirement in Spanish, all courses must be taken and completed with a grade of C or better.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, the student will:

Demonstrate intermediate level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Demonstrate the ability to apply Spanish language use in real-life situations.
Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between language learning and culture.
Develop cross-cultural understanding and intercultural skills.
Demonstrate the ability to use knowledge of Spanish to participate in diverse, multicultural settings, and live in a global society.

Minor Requirements

Students who want to minor in Spanish must begin with the course sequence SPA 2311 - SPA 2312, or show evidence that they have achieved an equivalent level of proficiency in Spanish.

SPA 2311 - Intermediate Spanish I (3SH)

SPA 2312 - Intermediate Spanish II (3SH)

SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar (3SH)

SPA 3311 - Hispanic Civilization (3SH)

SPA 3316 - Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation (3SH)

Students should choose the remaining three (3) semester hours from the following courses:

SPA 3333 - Survey of Spanish Literature (3SH)

SPA 3335 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature (3SH)

SPA 3339 - Survey of Latino Literature (3SH)

SPA 4338 - Masterpieces of Afro-Hispanic Literature (3SH)

(Prerequisites: SPA 3333 or SPA 3335, or departmental approval)

Minor Course Sequence

SPA 3310 - Spanish Composition and Grammar, and SPA 3316 - Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation are offered in the fall and spring semesters respectively. Students are strongly encouraged to take these courses in this order and before they take other 3000- or 4000- level courses.

Notes

Study Abroad Opportunities for Spanish Minors

With the approval of the department, and in conjunction with the Office of International Programs, students may also include up to six (6) semester hours of credit from study abroad programs as long as these courses are taught in Spanish and have content related to the Spanish language or the Spanish-speaking world.

French

Program Minor (18 Semester Hours)

The program of study for the minor in French consists of eighteen (18) semester hours above the elementary level. FRE 2311 and FRE 2312 are prerequisites for all upper level courses leading to the minor. To satisfy the minor requirements in French, all courses must be taken and completed with a grade of C or better.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, the student will:

Demonstrate intermediate level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Demonstrate the ability to apply French language use in real-life situations.
Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between language learning and culture.
Develop cross-cultural understanding and intercultural skills.
Demonstrate the ability to use knowledge of French to participate in diverse, multicultural settings, and live in a global society.

Minor Requirements

Students who want to minor in French must begin with the course sequence FRE 2311 - FRE 2312, or show evidence that they have achieved an equivalent level of proficiency in French.

FRE 2311 - Intermediate French I (3SH)

FRE 2312 - Intermediate French II (3SH)

(Pre-requisite: FRE 2311 - Intermediate French I (3SH), or departmental approval)

FRE 3306 - French Composition and Grammar (3SH)