Program in Spanish

Spanish is a global language spoken in 21 countries across the world, each with its own cultural identity that makes study of the language so intriguing. North Central's Spanish program blends rigorous language instruction with the exploration of these expressive cultures to give students not only a skill but an enriching educational experience.

Along with classroom exploration, Spanish faculty foster a vibrant environment to celebrate Spanish culture and customs through clubs and programs. Active student clubs such as Fusión Española (FUSE), La Malinche (LAM), and Latinx Student Association ensure a steady presence of Hispanic and Latino heritage programming on campus.

Our study abroad opportunities offer students the chance to study Spanish while experiencing a culture first-hand. The Costa Rica fall term allows you to perfect your Spanish while earning internship credit in the semi-tropics. Study at Pablo Olavide University in Seville lets you pursue rich course offerings at a respected university in southern Spain.

Our proximity to Chicago, with the nation's third-largest Spanish speaking population, provides real advantages. Students benefit from internships, service opportunities, community involvement, museums, cultural institutions and restaurants where they interact with the community and put their language skills into practice.

In short, the Spanish program at North Central College gives students the skills to be fluent speakers, the intellectual tools to be prepared professionals and the personal enrichment to be global citizens.

Spanish, B.A.

For additional programs and courses in this department, see World Languages and Cultures.

The Spanish major consists of a minimum of 34 credits. Thirty-two credits must be in SPAN at or above the 201-level including the following coursework. This major will automatically satisfy the elementary competency in a foreign language requirement of the B.A. degree as noted in the B.A. Degree Requirements within the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Note:

Students seeking teaching licensure must also complete the Secondary Education major requirements.

Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the B.A. Degree Requirements within the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Spanish Minor

For additional programs and courses in this department, see World Languages and Cultures.

A minimum of 24 credit hours in Spanish, including four credit hours at the 300-level.

Professional Spanish Minor

Students may not complete both a Professional Spanish minor and a major in Spanish.

For additional programs and courses in this department, see World Languages and Cultures.

A minimum of 20 credit hours, including:

Four credit hours from the following:

Note:

*With department approval, additional couses may also serve as electives.

NOTE: This page contains all of the regular course descriptions for this discipline or program. Academic credit for each course is noted in parenthesis after the course title. Prerequisites (if any) and the general education requirements, both Core and All-College Requirements (ACRs), which each course fulfills (if any) are noted following each course description. Not all courses are offered every year. Check Merlin, our searchable course schedule, to see which courses are being offered in upcoming terms.

SPAN 101 - Elementary Spanish I for Beginners (4.00)

Introduction to communication in the Spanish language and the cultures it represents. Students develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. For students with little-to-no prior exposure to the language. A technology-enhanced course. Taught in Spanish.

SPAN 102 - Elementary Spanish II for Beginners (4.00)

Continued development of elementary structures and modes for communication in the Spanish language and the cultures it represents. Development of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. A technology-enhanced course. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 101.

SPAN 177 - Elementary Spanish Abroad (4.00-12.00)

Intensive study of elementary Spanish abroad. Level is determined on site via placement exam. Fulfills the language requirement for the B.A. degree. Taught in Spanish.

SPAN 201 - Intermediate Spanish I (4.00)

Development of intermediate-level speaking, reading and writing skills for the discussion of socio-cultural topics in Spanish. A technology-enhanced course. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 102 or SPAN 177.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Global Understanding.

SPAN 202 - Intermediate Spanish II (4.00)

Continued development of intermediate-level speaking, reading and writing skills and more sophisticated modes of communication about socio-cultural topics in Spanish. A technology-enhanced course. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 201.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Global Understanding.

SPAN 250 - Composition (4.00)

Communicative approach to develop written proficiency in descriptive and narrative prose. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 202.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Writing Intensive.

SPAN 277 - Intermediate Spanish Abroad (4.00-12.00)

Intensive study of Intermediate Spanish abroad. Level is determined on site via placement exam.

SPAN 290 - Topics Through Conversation (4.00)

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 250 or SPAN 277.

SPAN 293 - Spanish Enrichment (1.00-2.00)

Individual projects related to other courses that support the development of proficiencies in Spanish. Taught in Spanish.

SPAN 295 - Practicum (1.00-4.00)

Students assist faculty with pedagogical or other projects in Spanish. Activities vary according to the project needs and student background, but may include such work as the preparation of materials for language learning or assisting faculty through bibliographic research. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): Instructor consent.

SPAN 297 - Internship (0.00-12.00)

SPAN 299 - Independent Study (1.00-12.00)

SPAN 320 - Introduction to Literary Analysis (4.00)

Introduction to textual analysis; including topics such as genre, narratology, prosody and figurative language focusing on the development of close-reading and analytical writing skills in Spanish. Texts chosen from transatlantic Spanish traditions. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.

SPAN 322 - Spanish for the Professions (4.00)

Oral and written practice focusing on the special terminology of various professions including business, the health professions, social services and legal/law enforcement. Emphasis is placed on simulation of real life situations and methods of communication. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.

SPAN 325 - Survey Literature of Spain (4.00)

An overview and analysis of the principal literary periods of Spain from The Middle Ages to the present. Special emphasis is placed on selected works, authors, and school of thought.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.

SPAN 327 - Civilization of Spain (4.00)

An overview of the history, customs, institutions, cultural patterns and heritage of the Spanish people from earliest times to the present. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.

SPAN 335 - Survey of Latin American Literature (4.00)

An overview and analysis of the principle literary periods of Latin America from the pre-Hispanic era to the present. Focus is on selected works, authors and schools of thought.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.

SPAN 337 - Latin American Area and Civilizations (4.00)

Natural, social and political characteristics of contemporary Latin America. Particular focus on the social contexts and their cultural production. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Global Understanding, Thinking Globally.

SPAN 360 - Literary Traditions From Latin America (4.00)

An inquiry into how Latin American authors explore cultural, historical and personal identities through fiction. Special focus given to the expression of racial and ethnic identies and the question of national identity and myth, including issues of emigration and the role of imagined communities. SPAN 360 cannot be counted toward a major or minor in Spanish. Taught in English.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.

SPAN 370 - Hispanic Linguistics (4.00)

An examination of the basic linguistic features of the Spanish language and its various dialects including the Spanish of the United States. Phonetics, syntax, morphology and sociolinguistic aspects are explored through class discussions and research projects. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.

SPAN 377 - Advanced Spanish Abroad (4.00012.00)

4.00-12.00 credit hours

Credit earned at the advanced level of Spanish abroad. Level is determined on site via placement exam. Taught in Spanish.

SPAN 380 - Communicative Spaces in Spanish (4.00)

An examination of the various platforms through which contemporary Spanish writers and speakers choose to communicate their messages. Sources may include, but are not limited to, creations by Latino/a communities with special consideration of the larger transnational and hemispheric Hispanic issues. Depending upon the work(s) studied, approaches may range from literary to linguistic to socio-linguistic forms of analysis. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.

SPAN 390 - Topics (4.00)

Special topics in Spanish. Recent topics have included: Literary Analysis, Hispanic cinema, Golden Age Theatre, Cervantes, Translation. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 290.

SPAN 397 - Internship (0.00-12.00)

SPAN 399 - Independent Study (1.00-12.00)

SPAN 477 - Advanced Spanish Abroad (4.00-12.00)

Credit earned at the advanced level of Spanish abroad. Level is determined on site via placement exam.

SPAN 490 - Topics (4.00)

Special study of cultural or literary topics in Spanish. Recent topics have included: Ghosts in Latin American Literature, Contemporary Mexican Literature, Boom and Post-Boom literature and Spanish Theatre. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course.

SPAN 497 - Internship (0.00-12.00)

SPAN 499 - Independent Study (1.00-12.00)

Extra-curricular, professional, and academic activities that will enrich your Spanish education

En el campus:

You can use your Spanish on campus in real-life situations with the community or in social clubs.

Fusión Española (FUSE) hosts a wide variety of cultural, academic, and professional events for NCC students. The purpose of this organization is to foster interest in the Spanish language and Hispanic/Latinx cultures. Yearly events include film and flamenco festivals, speaker talks, cultural excursions, job fairs, restaurant outings, dance classes, and alumni reunions.

La Malinche (LAM) is a student club whose mission is to improve and facilitate bilingual communication to non-profit community organizations through accurate translation and interpretation services. The goal is to empower students with professional skills and networking opportunities, while providing the community with essential language services.

Latinx Student Association is a club geared toward raising awareness and celebration of Latino and Chicano themes while advocating diversity and academic excellence on campus and in society.

Sigma Delta Pi is the National Hispanic Honors Society in which high academic achievement among students in the Spanish Program is recognized by inviting students to be inducted and honored on the national level. International Club, Students in Free Enterprise, and many service opportunities also help to put students in contact with the Spanish-speaking world.

En la ciudad de Chicago:

Many Spanish courses include educational excursions to Chicago.  Professors often take students to the city to further examine cultural and social topics discussed in class.  Students explore key questions through professor-led trips to the Cervantes Institute, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Gene Siskel Film Center, and the Chicago Cultural Center.  Events such as film screenings, conference talks, and author visits engage students in dialogue on contemporary issues.  Students also have opportunities to discover a variety of restaurants that offer traditional and avant-garde cuisine from Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru.  These unique experiences provide students with a deeper understanding and appreciation of literature, art, music, dance, food, language, society, and politics in Spain and Latin America.

En el extranjero:

Fall and Spring semester study abroad opportunities in Seville and Granada (Spain) and Costa Rica and Peru (Latin America) enrich and enhance cultural and linguistic proficiency.  Spanish program students may also take advantage of the two week winter December term course offerings to travel to Ibero-American destinations to earn three academic credits in these accelerated courses.

May Term Study Abroad - Cardinal Destination Courses Abroad (CDCA) 

A Cardinal Destination Course Abroad is a short-term faculty-led course that takes place shortly after the spring semester ends, during the month of May. Students travel internationally as a group with a NCC faculty and staff member. Each CDCA course abroad includes a linked prerequisite course completed in the spring semester before departure (CARD 260, 2 credits). Seniors are able to enroll too, and still graduate.

CDCA experiences fulfill the Global Understanding Designation, as well as the Experiential Learning Requirement for graduation.

The enrollment deadline is November 1, 2024

 

Faculty Members in the Spanish Program have led NCC students to the following Spanish-speaking countries:

SPAIN

URUGUAY

ARGENTINA 

COSTA RICA

Click below for a list of next year's CDCA courses:

https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/global-education/abroad/may-term