Changes: Spanish Curriculum Looks Like New

A class studies the Argentina magazine El Sur and its writers who influenced a generation of literary figures. From Jorge Luis Borges to contributor Virginia Woolf, these authors had an immense impact on the culture of Latin America.
A small group discusses Spanish political history and how that history has influenced the country’s films, such as any of Pedro Almodóvar’s cinematic creations. These are just samplings of inclusive programs and classes that are offered through the newly created Spanish program, which aims to enrich students’ understanding of Hispanic literature and culture.

For current Spanish majors and minors, the study of culture throughout the Spanish-speaking community had been limited to literature and linguistics, with a lot of overlap between upper- and lower-level classes. By splitting up some literature courses so they can cover less material during a semester and adding Latin American civilization requirements, students are guaranteed to receive a broader education about Spanish-speaking areas of the world.

The department of Spanish and Portuguese, which offers a Spanish major and minors in both languages, needed an update for Spanish majors. According to chief departmental adviser and associate professor, Patricia Klingenberg, the new Spanish curriculum, which now includes a well-rounded study of Spain and Latin America’s culture, will be implemented next year.

“The new curriculum represents what the students appreciate about learning Spanish,” said Klingenberg. “There’s an effort being made to figure out how it fits as a whole.”

The new curriculum combines some old courses with new ones and offers more options to Spanish majors who wish to study specific areas of the world in more depth. The number of hours required to complete a Spanish major or minor remains the same (33 and 18, respectively); however, a senior seminar, which is similar to a capstone class in other majors, will be added to the list of necessary courses.

Charles Ganelin, a professor and the Spanish department chair, said that two current upper-level literature classes will be split into two courses each, for a total of four different classes. These courses, which are currently titled Texts and Contexts: Spain and Texts and Contexts: Spanish America, cram either Spanish literature or Latin American literature into only one class, but students often complain that they learn the same thing in these classes that they did in lower-level ones.

“We took a good major and made it a better, rounder major,” said Ganelin. “We are enriching the understanding of literature through a greater focus on culture.”
In addition to course changes, the Spanish department is close to requiring a summer or semester abroad for all majors.

“It is assumed that you will do everything you can to study abroad [in Spain or Latin America],” said Klingenberg. The department is currently looking at lowering the study abroad costs so that students will be able to finance a semester. They are also thinking about providing money to endow study abroad programs, according to Klingenberg.

Senior Spanish and Spanish education major Christi Holt understands the need for a new curriculum.

“I think I got a good general background [but] it would have been interesting to take another more specific course where I could learn more in-depth information about a few things,” said Holt.

Holt also agrees that a senior seminar would be beneficial for many Spanish majors.

“I took a Spanish [class] over Chile with [professor] Ramon Layera last semester and it was one of the best classes I took here at Miami,” Holt said. “I think it’s a great idea to have all seniors in the Spanish major take a senior seminar.”
Literature and culture blend together successfully in the new Spanish curriculum: whether reading El Sur or watching a movie directed by Almódovar, students are certain to expand their Hispanic horizons.

To read more of Kate Porick's articles:

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