General Information

Program Description

The Spanish major provides students with two options: Literature or Linguistics. These options prepare students who intend to go on to graduate school to study Spanish Linguistics, Romance Linguistics, Latin American Literature and Iberian  Literature. These options are also designed for students who plan to teach Spanish in high schools. A Minor in Spanish is also offered, which is particularly useful to students majoring in business, in the public service fields, or in any other field where knowledge of another language is desirable.

Features

For students planning to teach at the elementary level and majoring in Liberal Studies, the Spanish program provides them with a Liberal Studies Spanish Option. The department offers three courses necessary towards receiving bilingual authorization for teaching in Spanish. Moreover, the Subject Matter Preparation Program in Spanish (also known as the Waiver Program) is  available to students who plan to teach Spanish at a secondary school level.

Language Learning Center

The Language Learning Center (LLC) provides a place for students to access software and media related to primarily second language acquisition, linguistics and music courses. The software includes Rosetta Stone (Spanish, French, and Japanese), and the media include audio files from textbook publishers and video series such as French in Action and Destinos. Workstations are equipped with headsets that include earphones and microphones, allowing students to experience audio files optimally and provide oral feedback. Students can record and edit audio files using  Audacity software and type phonetic symbols using specially-installed fonts. The LLC is open to all students, providing a place for students to write papers, do research, and complete other types of coursework. Printing and scanning are also available for lab users. The LLC is open 25 hours a week, staffed by director Dr. Galant and a student assistant.

Academic Advisement

The Department of Modern Languages is eager to provide all its students with the advisement they will need to complete their studies in a foreign language. Students must see an advisor upon admission, upon completion of 60 semester units, and during the first semester of the senior year.

Preparation

High school students who plan to study Spanish are encouraged to take at least two years of Spanish. Students who have taken AP Spanish, French, or Japanese may receive credit for some lower-division courses. Community college transfer students planning to take upper-division Spanish courses should have completed four semesters of college-level Spanish successfully. Those having taken fewer than four semesters of Spanish in a community college will be placed at an appropriate level by advisement

Student Organizations

Membership in our Nu Psi Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish National Honorary Society, requires students to complete at least 18 upper-division units in Spanish (with at least 1 upper-division course in literature/culture). Applicants must have an overall 3.2 GPA, and a 3.0 GPA in all Spanish courses. Students interested in applying should consult the chair of the Department of Modern Languages.

Graduation With Honors

A student may graduate with honors in the Spanish BA provided that the following criteria are met:

1. A minimum of 36 units in residence at CSU Dominguez Hills

2. A minimum GPA of at least 3.5 in all courses used to satisfy the upper-division requirements in the major

3. Recommendation by department faculty member

Second Language

It is strongly recommended that SPA majors planning to attend a credential program or graduate school take one year of French (FRE 110 and FRE 111) or  one year of Japanese (JPN 110  and JPN111).

JPN 110 Beginning Japanese I (3) 

An intensive audio-lingual approach to modern spoken Japanese for students who have no previous work in Japanese.

JPN 111 Beginning Japanese II (3) 

Prerequisite: JPN 110 or equivalent.

A continuation of Japanese 110. Introduction of Hiragana and Kanji (characters) gradually during the semester; elementary reading exercises accompany the spoken language materials.

FRE 110 Beginning French I (3)

Basic instruction in French. Training in speaking, listening, reading, and writing for students who have had no previous work in French.

FRE 111 Beginning French II (3)

Prerequisite: FRE 110 or consent of instructor.

A continuation of French 110.