It's Inauguration Day!
Congratulations, Matt vandenBerg, OWU's 17th President!
View details for Inauguration Day and stream the event live.
Congratulations, Matt vandenBerg, OWU's 17th President!
View details for Inauguration Day and stream the event live.
There are 40 million Spanish speakers in the United States, and the Spanish-speaking population is growing rapidly. With over 400 million speakers, Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the world. Spanish is an official language on four continents and is a native language in 21 countries, including the United States.
As a Spanish major at Ohio Wesleyan, you will acquire the ability to read, write, and converse in Spanish at a proficient level, while also gaining an understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures that make up the Hispanic world. At the advanced level, you will have the opportunity to take courses that delve deeper into a variety of topics related to the Spanish language, cultures, literatures, and cinemas, in their specific sociohistorical and geographical contexts, and in dialogue with other languages spoken in Latin America and Spain. In some courses you will learn to analyze and interpret authentic cultural materials with an awareness of the sociocultural, historical and political contexts in which cultural and artistic productions take place. In other courses, you have the chance to think about language scientifically as you study topics in linguistics ranging from the sounds and structures of Spanish to language acquisition and bilingualism.
All Spanish majors must satisfy an immersion requirement. This can be done in one of the following ways:
The study abroad connection experience:
Every year, more than 300,000 American students study, intern, or volunteer abroad for academic credit on programs ranging from two weeks to a full academic year. An international experience should be part of your education, whatever your goals, socioeconomic status, or field of study. As a future global leader in a fast-changing world, through this immersive experience you will gain new perspectives and learn to navigate different cultures, work with diverse peers, and communicate in other languages. Whether you are a future innovator, entrepreneur, engineer, scientist, doctor, journalist, teacher or diplomat, these are the skills that will prepare you to solve the world’s toughest challenges, make you more competitive in the job market, and transform you into a responsible, engaged citizen.
Most Spanish majors fulfill the immersion requirement by spending a semester abroad. Many of them do so by participating in OWU’s signature study abroad Pamplona program in Spain, either in fall, spring and summer. If interested in studying at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, contact the Program Director Eva Paris-Huesca, eeparish@owu.edu. If choosing a program other than Pamplona, Spanish majors must first make an appointment with the Chair of the WLC Department and complete the academic guidelines for study abroad. Detailed information about approved off-campus study programs, financial aid, and billing is available in the Office of International and Off-Campus Programs.
Pamplona is a small medium-size city (population: 300,000). It has a local airport with direct daily flights to Madrid and Frankfurt (Germany). Very well connected by rapid trains (ALVIA) to Madrid, Barcelona and other cities. It is also close to the other four major Spanish cities: San Sebastián, Vitoria, Logroño, and Zaragoza.
In Pamplona, students will spend a semester at one of Spain’s prestigious universities, the University of Navarra. The University of Navarra is a private institution, number one overall in educational innovation and number three in Europe, after Oxford and Cambridge, in teaching quality (Times Higher Education Ranking 2019).
Travel-Learning Courses combine classroom study with travel to areas of the world where you may study the issues discussed in class in the settings where those events are occurring. If you have an aptitude for Spanish, you also may benefit from trips sponsored by other departments to such destinations as Mexico, Argentina, or Peru.
You may compete for a University-funded Theory-to-Practice Grant to support your independent research almost anywhere in the world.
Undergraduate research, performed under the mentorship of expert faculty, is a central component of The OWU Connection.
We emphasize intellectual curiosity, creativity, initiative, and synthesis. OWU provides opportunities, including travel abroad and Theory-to-Practice Grant funding, for you to examine an existing problem or dig into a new avenue of exploration. You can present your research at the Student Symposium in the spring.
Every year Ohio Wesleyan hosts Film Festivals and Series, showcasing award-winning and internationally acclaimed films in their original languages. Screenings are followed by live discussions with students and guest artists. Admission is free for all films, which also feature English subtitles.
VIVA is a cultural group / club that seeks to foster understanding of Latin American cultures and issues on the OWU campus, as well as to provide programs and venues through which the campus can get involved. All students with interest and willingness to participate are welcome and encouraged to join, regardless of ethnic backgrounds and experiences.
LA CASA is a Small Living Unit (SLU) that seeks to bring together the students who come from different Latin American countries to promote inclusivity within the community and to encourage each other personally, culturally, socially, and academically. LA CASA is a safe and welcoming place for all our identifying Latin students, as well as any other student who is excited to learn, embrace, and promote Latin American, Hispanic, and Latinx cultures on campus.
House of Linguistic Diversity (HOLD) is a Small Living Unit (SLU) that promotes cultural diversity through language, encourages language learning among the Ohio Wesleyan and Delaware communities, and provides a safe space for multicultural people to share their diverse experiences. HOLD opposes the political exacerbation of linguistic minorities. They welcome students and native speakers of non-English languages who are dedicated to improving multicultural awareness and understanding.
Masters of Public Health student studying Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation
MAJOR: Biology and Spanish
OWU CONNECTION EXPERIENCE: Study-abroad in Salamanca, Spain; Theory-to-Practice Grant to Costa Rica; and Internship at Cenit Support Systems.
Students in World Languages and Culture can explore their passion in languages and cultures by completing an Internship. In the past, our students have gained experience as: interpreters for nonprofit organizations, teaching assistants at the university level, creators of original theatrical pieces under the guidance of international artists, and developers of a bilingual website with educational materials for the OWU Hispanic Film Festival.
The Spanish curriculum will allow you to acquire transferable skills, such as verbal and written communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, project management, decision-making, creativity, and leadership skills, that you can apply to any future job or life situation. These valuable skills are honed both in the classroom, through homework, individual and group projects, and through internship and study abroad opportunities.
Many students seek to major in Spanish in order to pursue a career in education. Immediately after graduation, OWU Spanish graduates start working as teachers in Ohio and across the U.S. Many also choose to teach English in Spain.
Click here for more information about our recent alumni and their OWU Connection experiences.
Ohio Wesleyan Senior Translates Play from Spanish to English, Works with Theatrical Production
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Ohio Wesleyan Students Learn from University's International 'Leaders Across Borders' Program
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