The Undergraduate Spanish Major Curriculum: Realities and Faculty Perceptions

Abstract

This article presents the quantitative and qualitative results of a nationwide survey of Spanish department faculty on the components of their undergraduate Spanish major curriculum and their perceptions of these components, as well as their perceptions of recent Modern Language Association (MLA) reports (2007, 2009) and the reports' influence on curricular change in their programs. Results indicate that, while institutions required and offered a wide variety of courses, literature courses composed the core of the curriculum. Faculty perceptions regarding the importance of particular courses varied, but courses that were more frequently offered and required, such as Advanced Language, Culture/Civilization, and Introduction to Literature, were rated the most highly, while courses that have not traditionally been part of the major, such as Spanish for the Professions, Translation, and less frequently taught linguistics courses, were rated among the lowest. Many faculty were familiar with the MLA reports, and many departments had recently made curricular changes, some of which were influenced by the reports' recommendations. Implications are discussed, including the need for professional development and graduate student education.