Members of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Georgetown University believe that knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, and the many and varied cultures that speak them are integral elements of a twenty-first-century education. As a department that bridges the humanities and social sciences, our research advances knowledge of these languages, as well as the cultural production of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions. And in our teaching, we provide students with the linguistic and conceptual tools to interpret those cultures critically. The department seeks to further Georgetown University’s emphasis on producing the next generation of global citizens to lead and make a difference in the world.
As faculty, we see a vital connection between our research and our teaching. We are nationally and internationally active in publishing and in disciplinary conferences, serving many constituencies in Washington, DC, in the US, and beyond its borders. Our department regularly hosts national and international conferences in our fields, drawing scholars interested in Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics and cultures to Georgetown University. Our books, articles, and curricular design have been recognized with awards from major professional associations. In addition, a constant presence of Visiting Scholars enriches our research community. This dedication to scholarship and engagement is also central to our graduate programs, which attract talented students from around the world.
Dynamic Opportunities for Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Our Master’s and two separate PhD programs—one in linguistics and one in literature and cultural studies—attract advanced students to create a powerful dynamic for the development of new ideas. As scholars and teachers, they are a key part of fruitful synergistic relations with faculty and undergraduate students. Faculty and graduate students collaborate and often include undergraduate students in their research projects, professional presentations, and publications. Most of our alumni are highly productive academics with leadership positions at their own public and private universities. More recently, our alumni are putting the writing and analytical skills gained at Georgetown to good use through successful careers with major NGOs, technology companies, and cultural institutions. This rigorous academic environment and the success of our graduate alumni directly inform the undergraduate experience, preparing students for a wide range of future paths.
For undergraduates, the Spanish and Portuguese Department is dedicated to preparing students to engage with a globalized world by fostering high-level linguistic competence in Spanish and Portuguese. The department’s extensive course offerings cover not only traditional language learning at every level, but also specialized language courses for the professions, including law, business, and health sciences, and courses in Catalan, Euskera, and Quechua. The skills and topics explored in all these courses are foundational for a wide range of fields, such as the social sciences, the humanities, and the liberal arts. The growing global importance of Spanish and Portuguese, from their official status in Portugal, Spain, and over twenty countries in the Americas, to their increasing presence in the US, Africa, and Asia, makes them essential languages for navigating economic and global affairs. This is reflected in the department's popular double majors—Spanish and Government, Spanish and English, and pre-medical—and the fact that half of the department's minors are in the School of Foreign Service.
Going Beyond the Classroom: A Global, Flexible and Multifaceted Approach
Our upper-level courses in formal and applied linguistics, literature, film, and cultural studies give undergraduate students the opportunity to explore these fields and to develop research skills that enable them to continue their explorations beyond the classroom. We strongly encourage students to study abroad in one of our seven semester programs on both sides of the Atlantic, and to participate in extracurricular activities such as the Spanish Living/Learning Community (aka the Spanish Floor) and community service projects in DC. In and out of the classroom, our students develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills in Spanish and Portuguese that they can transfer to all their studies. We believe that these skills, along with a global emphasis, are critical to an integrated education and productive research in the liberal arts. We prepare our undergraduate students for graduate school, the professional world, and the exercise of responsible citizenship.
Acknowledging the pressures on today's students, the department has designed flexible programs and specialized courses to meet their diverse needs and backgrounds, offering courses in every area and at all levels year-round. It offers summer courses on the Hilltop as well as through faculty-led immersion programs in Quito and Barcelona. It also provides all qualified Spanish and Portuguese juniors the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree in their fifth year, and has developed Spanish and Portuguese courses for speakers of other Romance languages that allow students to fast-track through the basic level. This flexibility extends to a specific focus on our heritage speakers, who bring unique linguistic and cultural richness to our department.
To leverage our heritage language learners’ many linguistic and cultural strengths, we offer a special fast trackdesigned for students who have learned Spanish at home or in informal contexts, but who have completed their formal education in English. The main goal of the Spanish for Heritage Speakers courses is to develop students' bilingual range to achieve communicative, linguistic and sociolinguistic competence, with special emphasis on the development of writing skills appropriate for academic and professional situations. A multi-faceted approach to the language helps our heritage language students gain a solid grasp of the Spanish language and all of its varieties, and awareness of the diversity of the Hispanic communities both here in the United States as well as in other Spanish-speaking regions. The department takes pride in its multiple collaborations with Latine student associations and Latine-led initiatives on campus.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is committed to providing a comprehensive education that equips students of all backgrounds at all levels—from undergraduates to graduate students and heritage speakers—with the linguistic, cultural, and analytical tools necessary for success in an interconnected world.
About the author
Cristina Sanz (Lic. Universitat de Barcelona, PhD UIUC) is Professor/Catedrática of Spanish & Applied Linguistics at Georgetown University, where she directs the Intensive and School of Foreign Service Spanish Programs and the Barcelona Summer Program. She also served as Chair of the Department of Spanish & Portuguese.
