Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures

Professor Pérez de Mendiola

Associate Professor Sanjuán-Pastor

Associate Professor Arteaga
Associate Professor Bacsán (on leave spring 2025)

Assistant Professor Vega

Spanish is spoken in Spain, Latin America, Equatorial Guinea, Western Sahara, and parts of the United States, the Caribbean, Northern Morocco and the Philippines. Being proficient in Spanish and studying the Spanish-speaking cultures help students to better understand the historical legacies and cultural contexts that make up today’s world. Moreover, beginning or continuing your study of Spanish at Scripps will allow you to establish links with Spanish-speaking people in your community and abroad.

The department is committed to two main educational goals: 1) provide a contextualized knowledge of the multiple cultural and linguistic exchanges that permeate the Spanish-speaking cultures; 2) prepare students for advanced work in literature and cultural studies and/or in a range of professional fields, while improving their competence in the language.

The Major in Spanish, Latin American and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures offers students the possibility of a concentration in three different tracks: in three different tracks: Latin American, Caribbean or Peninsular (Spain) Literary Studies; Interdisciplinary Latin American, Caribbean or Peninsular Cultural Studies (audio and visual cultures, politics, history); and Translation Studies (as expressed in culture and politics). Related majors of interest to students of Spanish are Latin American Studies, Chicanxo/ao & Latinxo/a Studies, and Indigenous Studies.

The advanced courses (101 and higher) offered in the Scripps Spanish department take up a diverse range of literary and cultural forms, from traditional literature (short stories, novels, and poetry) to comic strips, graphic novels, film, television shows, the plastic arts, music, food, and herbalism. This expanded understanding of literature and culture reflects the diverse forms of expression found across the Spanish speaking world. In this vein, the Scripps Spanish faculty brings to the classroom specific expertise, based on their current research agendas, on Indigenous activism and documentary film, queer theater, Spanish cinema, and the intersection of culture and plant uses; they also bring a deep understanding of regions such as Spain, the Andes, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. The Scripps Spanish department consistently brings cultural practitioners into their classrooms and to the Claremont Colleges to speak about their work.

Lower Division Curriculum

The Department offers a placement test in order to determine the student’s level. Students who have never studied Spanish must enroll in Spanish 1.

Spanish 1, 22, and 33 teach students the fundamentals of the Spanish language through the development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. One more course leads to the mastering of the language: Spanish 44, Advanced grammar and culture.

Spanish for Heritage Speakers

Those students who can understand and speak Spanish because they belong to a Spanish-speaking communities, or because they have been exposed to a situation where they acquired a practical use of Spanish, but who lack formal instruction in the language, are encouraged to take Spanish for Heritage Speakers (Spanish SCR 65 or SPAN50 PZ ). This course offers students an intensive overview of grammar. Students will learn effective written and oral expression, and will read and discuss selected texts dealing with Latinxs, Latin American and Chicanxso/a topics histories, cultures and problems.

Studying Abroad

Study abroad is required to complete the major. Students may choose programs in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Granada) and Latin America (in countries such as Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico.) On campus students have the opportunity to live in the Spanish Corridor, which is directed by the Spanish Language Resident.

After four semesters of college Spanish, Scripps students may choose to study in a Spanish-speaking country for either a semester or a year. Most students study in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Cuba. You can discuss study abroad options with any professor in the department or with Neva Barker, the Director of Study Abroad and Global Education (SAGE). The department may count a maximum of 4 upper division courses taken in our programs abroad toward the Major, and a maximum of 3 upper division courses taken abroad towards the Minor. Before registering in courses abroad, students need to consult and get approval from the SLACLC Department.

Sigma Delta Pi

Sigma Delta Pi is the National Spanish Honor Society that recognizes excellence in the study of Spanish. You do not need to be a Spanish major. The requirements for admission to Epsilon Zeta, the Claremont Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi are:

Nomination by a faculty member
Completion of 3 semesters of college work with a GPA of 3.67 or above
Completion of at least 2 upper division Spanish courses
A grade point average of 3.67 in all Spanish courses

A ceremony of initiation of new members is held each semester. Please contact the chapter advisor, Professors Carmen Sanjuán Pastor and Rita Alcalá for more information.

Learning Outcomes of the Program in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures

Department Goals and/or Objectives

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Speak and understand Spanish, as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
2. Read and write the target language.
3. Learn the important issues in one or more national traditions represented by the target language.
4. Use the target language to discuss, orally and in writing, literary and visual texts of the target culture(s) critically and analytically, with appropriate vocabulary.
5. Learn how to identify and incorporate appropriate sources in the target language in their research papers and presentations.

Student Learning Outcomes

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

SLO1: Students will be able to speak and understand Spanish at the advanced level.
SLO2: Students demonstrate proficiency, clarity and fluency in written expression. Students will exhibit knowledge of and the ability to think critically about the historical, cultural, and literary content of the course.
SLO3: Students demonstrate an understanding of the important issues in one or more national traditions represented by the target language.
SLO4: Students are able to use target language to discuss, orally and in writing, literary and visual texts of the target culture(s) critically and analytically, with appropriate vocabulary.
SLO5: Students are able to identify and incorporate appropriate sources in the target language in their research papers and presentations.
SLO6: Write a senior thesis that articulates a sophisticated argument about a text, series of texts or cultural or sociopolitical topics from the target culture.