Putting the world in perspective
"It opened up my perspective on the world," says a recent graduate about her Spanish major. A junior with both a Spanish major and an art history minor says, "It helps give you a confidence in speaking with people of other cultures and a respect and love for cultures other than your own." Another junior, who is also majoring in mass communication, says, "I like how languages can bring you closer to other cultures and really help you get to know other people."

Spanish in USA, and at Principia
"I like the opportunity to speak Spanish, and having native speakers here at Prin from Argentina and Mexico has really helped me. It's a good way to practice," says a junior Spanish major. "They come to our classes, and we ask them questions. They teach us stuff the books can't." A professor adds, "I think it's a wonderful introduction to dealing with other cultures. There are so many Hispanics in this country that I think it's important to have some understanding of where they're coming from." A Spanish major from Miami agrees: "I like the fact that I can speak almost fluently. It helps because I can use my Spanish where I live."

Practice + immersion = fluency
A student with a double major in Spanish and sociology offers this advice for learning the language: "You've got to allow yourself the same opportunities [as when you were a child learning English] and certainly put yourself in a position to be making mistakes, because if you don't allow yourself to make the mistakes, you can't get the mastery of it." A junior Spanish major says, "The professors are very dedicated to helping you learn the language both grammatically and culturally." Concerning her own efforts in learning the language, she adds, "It's not just something you can blow off, because you have to take the time to memorize, and your heart has to be in it."

From listening skills to people skills
"The language center is very helpful because it has several cassette players with headsets . . . verb computers . . . lots of opportunities to improve," notes a junior Spanish major. "The center is just loaded with Spanish news, movies, and tapes." A professor who uses drama techniques in teaching the language says, "We try to set up situations that students can be involved in, and we make it so they're actively learning the language, rather than just listening to it, or passively learning it." Another professor adds, "We put them in situations, acting out scenarios, where they really have to act as if they're in the culture." A recent graduate, who also had minors in history and dance, says she took from her classes "people skills and presenting skills" in addition to learning a language. Another graduate adds that in the more interactive classes she learned how to master "thinking on your feet quickly."

Touring the globe, learning the language
"I went on as many abroads, internships, and specialized programs as possible without writing a special major of my own," says a recent graduate. "I really gained a lot of knowledge going to Mexico and Spain. I felt, and was told by some people in Spain, that I was really approaching a good ability to speak—sounded like a native at some points and really developed a vocabulary. It's hard to do that unless you actually go to the country, because you don't do it by studying vocabulary lists. You do it by getting into conversations with people who are constantly using words that you have to ask them to explain."

The language of marketability
"It's given me an additional job skill," reports a senior of his Spanish major. "I have insights into cultural differences, and I can appreciate those things and be sensitive to them, whereas someone who is limited strictly to English will not have that same ability." He adds, "I could accept a position overseas, which someone else would not be qualified for." A junior, also majoring in mass communication, says she would like to become a journalist, with Latin America as her beat. But, she says, her "first goal is to stay in a Spanish-speaking country for awhile so I can become as fluent as I can, to speak as well as a native speaker, because that's the only way to be effective." Another Spanish major, with a second major in education, plans to become a Spanish teacher.