Spanisch: Haupt- und Nebenfach in Lateinamerikanischen und Latino/a-Studien

Explore the diverse cultures and histories of Latin American societies and the Latino/a communities of the United States, while gaining the necessary skills to effectively communicate in spoken and written Spanish. The Spanish Program welcomes students at all levels of fluency and from all backgrounds. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, heritage, or native speaker, we are excited to have you join our community.

Why Study Spanish: Latin American and Latino/a Studies at Albion?

Spanish is not a foreign language in the United States. Not only does the U.S. have the second-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world (after Mexico), but the language has been spoken in this country for a longer time than English has. In the Spanish: Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program you will not only improve your communication skills in the language, but you will also learn about the interconnected cultures and histories of Latin American societies and the United States–itself a country with its own Latino/a heritage.

On-campus, you will experience the richness of Spanish-language cultures by interacting with our Native Speaker Teaching Assistants, living in our language-learning house (I-Space), and attending our yearly events and festivals. You will also have the opportunity to study off-campus and participate in internships in Spanish-speaking countries, or in Spanish-speaking communities in the United States.

If you are a Heritage or Native Speaker of Spanish, this program will give you the opportunity to pursue a multilingual course of study: you can choose to take some electives in English about Latin America.

Albion College is an undergraduate, liberal arts institution committed to academic excellence. We are learning-centered and recognize that valuable learning takes place in and outside the classroom, on and off-campus. We prepare students to translate critical thought into action.

Albion College prepares bold, purpose-driven students to act.

We’re a nationally-recognized liberal arts school with strong ties to our local community. Our students pursue their passions while gaining a true understanding of the world. They learn to turn critical thought into meaningful action. Our faculty make mentorship their top priority. We prioritize building a culture of belonging that makes space for everyone. Albion students graduate ready to thrive in rewarding careers, live meaningful lives, and help build a better world.

Our Purpose

Albion College is committed to liberal education in the arts and sciences. We believe such an education empowers individuals to live lives of constructive purpose and accomplishment, enriched by the confidence and pleasure that come from thinking logically, imaginatively, and humanely. In light of this vision, we seek to create and maintain, in a residential setting, a supportive, intellectually stimulating community that exhibits and prizes curiosity, creativity, dissent, and diversity.

We believe in the fundamental worth of a broad exposure to intellectual and artistic achievement, to the best that has been thought and said about the world and our place in it. An Albion College education introduces students to classical modes of analysis, interpretation, and argument; to unfolding scientific inquiry into the nature of the physical world; to the ways in which contemporary debates derive from and extend a historical but continuing dialogue about enduring questions.

At Albion College we invite students to engage in ongoing conversations centered upon their cultural heritage, yet responsive to global concerns. We believe our students will find their own voices by paying attention to the finest expressions of Western and other intellectual and spiritual traditions. Far from inviting a passive acceptance of such traditions, we encourage students to question and challenge them, to evaluate ethically the social uses they serve and the ends they advocate. In our view, liberal education is an education in active citizenship and service.

Teaching and learning are central to our mission. This means that while the faculty are productive in scholarly and creative endeavors, their primary commitment is to teaching–specifically, to fostering the intellectual engagement and growth of students. The primary responsibility of students at Albion College is to develop mastery of the methods by which knowledge is acquired, critically evaluated, and appropriately applied. We believe such an emphasis prepares students for a lifetime of learning and a multiplicity of possible careers by developing their broad reasoning, writing, and speaking abilities. While the classroom is at the heart of our educational mission, we believe that the entire College community should share in the learning experiences found in our residential setting and through involvement in out-of-classroom opportunities and experiences, including those in the City of Albion.

In recruiting new members to the College community, we seek men and women of intellectual promise from various racial, class, ethnic and geographic backgrounds, whose perspectives can contribute to a process of mutual education within and outside the curriculum. This aim can best be achieved in an environment where individuals value differences and enter into constructive dialogue toward common goals. By pursuing our educational mission, we believe all members of the Albion community will grow in the capacity to work, live and serve effectively with others.