Spanish at St. Olaf
The Spanish faculty is committed to making the Spanish language and Hispanic literature and culture come alive for our students. Our immediate objective, of course, is to help students learn the basic skills of communication, and our broader aim is to enable them to understand and appreciate the peoples of Spain and Latin America. To this end we provide a variety of opportunities to study in Spain and Latin America, in addition to offering courses in all periods and genres of Spanish and Latin American literature. At St. Olaf, every student who wishes to do so may experience Hispanic culture first hand.
Why Study Spanish?
The President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies reported that knowing only one language has become a serious handicap for Americans in business, trade, and international relations. For these reasons, as well as personal and cultural ones, learning an additional language is important. And learning Spanish can be particularly important. Why? Because Spanish is spoken in twenty countries, including most of our neighbor countries in Latin America, and in the U.S. as well. Clearly, the coming decades will bring a rich diversity of challenges and multiplied opportunities for bilingual professionals, as well as for informed citizens.
