Program Director
Dear student,
¡Bienvenido/a a nuestra página web!
My name is Dr. Carmen Cañete Quesada and I have taught Spanish language and literature at the Wilkes Honors College since the Fall 2009. Originally from Granada, a town located in the South of Spain, I came to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in Spanish and Latin American literatures at the University of Florida and Vanderbilt University.
I have always been interested in the cultural relations between Spain and the Americas, and I usually bring this trans-Atlantic dimension to the courses that I teach. For example, one of the key questions for SPW 3136 Pre-Columbian and Colonial Literature has to do with the tragic consequences of the European conquest of indigenous peoples in America, and how this initial encounter with the so-called New World transformed the Spanish Empire into a modern nation. In SPW 4492, The Newest Literature of the Caribbean, students learn about the cultural impact of the Cuban Revolution of 1959 on intellectuals from Spain and Latin America who experienced harsh dictatorships in their own countries. As I note in IDS 3932, The Spanish Civil War in Retrospect: Loss, Memory and the Past, the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) brought to the country a great deal of volunteers from the United States to support the Spanish Republican cause.
Learning a popular language like Spanish in the U.S. will make you a more attractive candidate in a job interview, particularly in areas with a large Spanish-speaking population. The courses that we offer for the Spanish minor and major at the Wilkes Honors College will prepare you to create a transnational and global perspective regardless of your primary area of research. In fact, some students take advantage of this opportunity and complete a double major in Spanish and another concentration. This option is feasible for students who took AP courses in Spanish while in high school, or those with a Hispanic background who are easily able to communicate in Spanish.
Participating in a study abroad program is the fastest and most effective way to acquire proficiency in a foreign language. Our Summer Program in Madrid combines formal instruction in one of the most prestigious local colleges, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, with guest speakers, visits to museums, tours, excursions, and other immersion activities that will increase students’ cultural awareness. After a few weeks completely immersed in the program, you will become more fluent in the target language and more appreciative of the history and the richness of the Hispanic world.
Do not hesitate to contact me for any question related to the SAP in Madrid or the Spanish concentration at the Wilkes Honors College.
¡Espero conocerte pronto!
Contact: 561.799.8674; HC 105