As intermediate students of Spanish, you have studied the language and cultures of Hispanic countries and begun to feel comfortable in communicating your own interests and observations. As members of the world community, you are no doubt aware of the rise in population of Hispanic Americans in the United States. It is inevitable that you will have direct contact with members of the growing Latino population not only in your school but in your future careers. In SPA 480 - Hispanic Studies - you will study U.S. Latino history and culture, with an emphasis on the evolution of the politics of immigration and Spanish in the U.S. These broader issues will be studied with the express intent of determining what they mean to Central Kentucky, which is at present undergoing a major demographic shift with the influx of Spanish speakers from all over the Spanish-speaking word. This course will be conducted entirely in Spanish.

Goals of the Course:

• familiarize students with U.S. Latino history, the nature of immigration to the U.S. by Spanish speakers, with a particular focus on how these issues play themselves out locally
• introduce students to the many opportunities for bilingual professionals in the area
• improve students' written and spoken Spanish, professional and colloquial