Course Description

Program Description Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world. Cervantes’ Don Quixote (1605), Garci­a Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), and Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits (1985) are three of the most read novels today. Pablo Picasso’s and Salvador Dali’s paintings have shaped modern art. The current impact of Spanish and Latin American music and cinematography is more than obvious. The Spanish and Hispanic Studies Program at the University of Guelph examines the wealth of Hispanic literature, art and culture, addresses some of the complex Spanish and Latin American historical and political moments, and touches on folk and popular culture. Above all, it strives to help make its students fluent in the Spanish language. The curriculum of the program is established in the context of present realities such as the demand for graduates who speak more than one language, and for those who possess an interdisciplinary background. It addresses Canada’s growing economic and cultural ties with the Hispanic world through multiple free trade agreements, and the general globalization of the job market. A previous knowledge of Spanish is not required to begin the Spanish and Hispanic Studies Program. Students with grade 12 Spanish or equivalent, students who have lived extensively in Spanish speaking countries and students whose mother tongue is Spanish usually begin in SPAN*2000, Intermediate Spanish I. While it is possible for students to complete their degree in Spanish and Hispanic Studies by taking Spanish courses on campus only, students are encouraged to take advantage of the University of Guelph’s exchange programs and the semester abroad opportunities in Spanish speaking countries.

Intake