Learning Goals in the Latin American and Latina/o Studies Major

Language

Students demonstrate sufficient written and oral proficiency in Spanish to express analytical thought, to understand non-dialectical speech, and to read literary and scholarly works. They also show an emerging ability to function linguistically in an environment of native speakers. Students also exhibit metalinguistic awareness of usage and dialectal variation, in addition to an emerging ability to function linguistically in an environment of native speakers.

Content

Students demonstrate a breadth of knowledge, with depth in some areas, of the literatures and cultures of Latin America, and Latinx communities in the United States. This cultural competence is supported by basic knowledge of historical, political, social, geographic, and economic situations and conditions in the Spanish-speaking world. Students demonstrate cultural sensitivity of the countries/regions under study in terms of race, class, gender and sexuality.

Skills

Critical Thinking. Students demonstrate the ability to analyze texts, make connections, compare perspectives, think independently, identify writers′ (and readers′) biases, identify and understand the uses of rhetorical devices, evaluate evidence and identify fallacies, argue in favor or against a particular viewpoint, and coherently synthesize information from diverse sources.

Research. Students demonstrate knowledge of seminal scholarly research and the current direction of inquiry in subfields of Hispanic Studies that are relevant to their particular curricular path. They demonstrate an ability to gather, organize, and present information from diverse sources, thus evidencing advanced competence in the use of libraries and electronic resources. Students should demonstrate evidence of how knowledge is constructed in Latin American and Latino Studies.

Life Skills. Students demonstrate multiliterate and multicultural skills conducive to living and working among diverse populations in the United States and abroad. They practice sociocultural sensitivity and support an inclusive environment.