Spanish for the Professions goes online in 2013
Arizona State University at the Downtown Phoenix campus is now in its fourth year of the Spanish for the Professions minor and certificate, a unique program that focuses on preparing students to use their language skills in the career of their choice. This professionally-based minor/certificate, which recently has also been designated a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies concentration, will be launched online in fall 2013 in order to meet the needs of working students who wish to improve their Spanish language skills.
This program, which consists of five courses and an internship – in professional venues in domestic settings or in the Dominican Republic – is dedicated to making connections with Spanish speakers in the community. Students already working in a Spanish-speaking environment (and do not have time to participate in an internship) will carry out an independent study to enhance their work experience.
In addition to the various guest speakers and professional site visits that form part of the already established on-campus minor/certificate/bachelor of interdisciplinary studies concentration activities, community outreach events are also an integral part of this program. For instance, students in this program may participate in a project that will design children’s books that ASU Spanish students will read to local elementary school students who attend the Annual Day of the Dead Hispanic Festival, hosted by the School of Letters and Sciences at the Downtown Phoenix campus. Students enrolled in this program are also invited to participate in extracurricular cultural activities offered through the Spanish Language and Cultures Club, such as the border education trips offered each semester for students enrolled in 400-level Spanish courses. Students in the Phoenix area enrolled in the online version of the Spanish minor/certificate/bachelor of interdisciplinary studies concentration courses may participate in these activities but will also have the opportunity to establish crucial community connections through assignments requiring guided interactions with Spanish-speaking professionals and members of their local Latino/a communities.
The Downtown Phoenix campus also offers three levels of Spanish for Healthcare Professionals, all of which are offered online but do not form part of the professional minor certificate. These online courses, which focus heavily on acquiring an understanding of the appropriate use of grammar, conversational skills, and medical vocabulary in Spanish, have been in high demand by nursing and nutrition students as well as by professionals who currently work in a health care field. The most advanced online class at the 300-level (Advanced Spanish for Healthcare Professionals) attracts Spanish-speaking students who wish to acquire more professional levels of Spanish that will make them more competitive in the workplace.
For more information on this program, email carmen.king@asu.edu.