Spanish Major with Inclusive Early Childhood/Childhood Education Major

The purpose of the Spanish Major Program with Inclusive Early Childhood/Childhood Education is to prepare students to think in an informed manner and critically about the Spanish language, its evolutions, and its cultural uses in contemporary Spanish-speaking societies, including the United States, with the goal of becoming effective teachers. 

It is now documented that the languages that human beings speak impact the ways in which they think. An important focus of our program is the multilayered connections between Spanish-speaking countries and the United States, which might illuminate the reasons behind the presence of Latinx people in the United States. By critically analyzing texts, movies, songs, websites, paintings, art, and different cultural artifacts, students will learn the language while gaining a better understanding of these neighboring Spanish-speaking societies, in order to become inspiring change-makers who will strive for making a difference in our world. Through our program, students are given opportunities to participate in various community engagement projects with migrants, providing experiences that have been described by students as “life-changing” and “incredibly fulfilling.” 

Study Abroad, Language Houses, and Language Lab

Nazareth University offers different options for study abroad programs in Valencia, Spain, as well as in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Chile, and Peru, through the Center for International Education (CIE). Internship opportunities are available abroad, and they vary from health services experiences to community engagement and marketing. We highly encourage students to spend a semester abroad to make a more in-depth experience of their education. 

Through the Emerson Language Laboratory, students use technology and media at all language levels to communicate effectively in the target language by using the most updated software for language acquisition, an experience that includes interactions with native speakers both locally and abroad.

All Inclusive Early Childhood/Childhood Education students are required to have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher in order to advance into Junior-level education coursework. 

Student Learning outcomes:

1. Students will be able to understand and foster intercultural competence across languages and cultures, including religious, class, ethnic, and gender diversity in the geographical areas of their study. (Intermediate, and Advanced, accomplished especially in the senior seminar)
2. Students will be able to communicate increasingly and effectively in the target language through speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. (Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels)
3. Students will be able to analyze, interpret, and discuss different narrative genres in the target language -texts, movies, music, paintings, political cartoons, graphic novels, food origins, and other cultural practices/artifacts. (Intermediate, and Advanced levels)
4. Students will be able to develop a position (a thesis statement) when confronted with specific cultural practices/artifacts produced in the societies that they study and argue to defend their position, providing evidence to support their views -in writing and orally, in the target language. (Intermediate, and Advanced levels)
5. Students will be able to function successfully in today’s world using vocabulary in the target language pertinent to the needs of their future careers -a language and culture proficiency that will allow them to adapt to the mobility of the job market. (Advanced levels)

All Inclusive Early Childhood & Childhood Education students are required to have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher in order to advance into Junior-level education coursework.