With more than 400 million speakers worldwide, Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. In the United States, there are 41 million speakers. Spanish has an important role in California’s history and contemporary society, including the Central Valley. The major and minor in Spanish at UC Merced accommodate both heritage and second language speakers. It prepares learners with academic and specialized language skills and intercultural competence necessary to participate effectively in professional and local contexts where bilingualism is in demand (e.g. business, education, healthcare). In doing so, our Spanish programs help students face the demands of an ever more globalized society, one that requires and values linguistic and cultural competence in more than one language. Learners are challenged to think critically and to analyze literary works and other cultural productions. The major and minor in Spanish emphasize the study of Iberian, Latin American, and Latina/o literatures, linguistics, and cultures. Our programs strive to engage students’ capacity for rigorous analysis and independent thought within a considerable range of disciplines and endeavors, and to cultivate the intellectual, creative, ethical, and social qualities essential for leadership in a rapidly changing global community. We seek to make our program a lively intellectual environment that fosters innovative thinking among faculty and students alike.
