The Spanish Group at MIT offers students the opportunity to study language, literature and culture.
Our curriculum reflects the diversity of interests and expertise of our faculty and lecturers, as well as the particular needs of MIT undergraduate students. Our classes use innovative pedagogical methods, including the most advanced interactive technologies, to allow students to acquire the competence necessary for communication in Spanish-speaking communities around the world and give students the tools to live and work in an increasingly global economy. Since Spanish is the principal second language spoken in the United States, the curriculum at all levels pays special attention to the linguistic and cultural diversity presented by Hispanic communities across the country. While the basic courses stress language acquisition and cultural breadth, at the advanced level we offer a variety of courses on Spanish, Latin American, and Latino literature, culture, history and film.
In collaboration with the Global Education Office, the Spanish program offers an intensive second semester course during January in Madrid: IAP-Madrid (http://gecd.mit.edu/go_abroad/study/explore/madrid_iap/)
Students who have attained a fourth semester level of Spanish proficiency are encouraged to pursue internships in industry or in research institutions in Spain, Mexico, Chile and Argentina through the MIT International Studies and Technology Initiative (MISTI) (http://misti.mit.edu/student-programs/language/spanish/) or to participate in the MIT-Madrid Spring Semester Abroad (http://gecd.mit.edu/go_abroad/study/explore/Madrid/)
The Spanish Group at MIT was awarded the 2006 Inter American Prize for Educational Quality by the Institute of Advanced Studies for the Americas (INEAM) of the Organization of American States (OAS). This prize is awarded in recognition of projects which, through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), contribute to solving socio-educational problems related to the development of human potential.
Spring 2019 Course Offerings
Tier I
21G.701 Spanish I
21G.702 Spanish II
21G.705 Intensive Beginning Spanish for Medicine and Health (NEW)
21G.703 Spanish III
21G.704 Spanish IV
Tier II
21G.713 Spanish through Film: Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Spain
21G.714 Spanish for Heritage Learners
Tier III
21G.070 Latin America and the Global Sixties: Counterculture and Revolution
21G.716 Introduction to Contemporary Hispanic Literature and Film
21G.735 Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film: Cuban Travels: Culture, Politics, and Society from 1959-Present
An introduction to modern Cuban culture, politics, and society through the lens of travel narratives. Like the trip to Soviet Russia before, the trip to revolutionary Cuba became a rite of passage among US, Latin American, and European artists and intellectuals. In turn, since 1959, a steady flow of Cuban emigrants has produced a parallel cultural archive of travel, exile, and diaspora. The course focuses on the production of space and representation of travel in old and new media including film, literature, photography, blogs, and art. Taught in Spanish. HASS-H.
Looking ahead
Fall 2019
Tier I
21G.700 Intensive Spanish for Advanced Beginners
21G.701 Spanish I
21G.702 Spanish II
21G.703 Spanish III
21G.704 Spanish IV
Tier II
21G.712 Spanish Conversation and Composition
21G.715 Topics in Medicine and Public Health in the Hispanic World
Tier III
21G.072 The New Latin American Novel
21G.735 Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film
21G.736 The Short Form
The indication of prerequisites for specific Spanish offerings does not apply to students who have already completed equivalent work. For further placement advice, consult one of the field advisors in Spanish.
A note regarding the enrollment policy of the Global Studies and Languages section: Enrollment limited to 18 for pedagogical reasons. Preference will be given to pre-registered students, including pre-registered undergraduates who were cut from the same class the previous semester due to the enrollment cap. Please note that you have to attend the first day of class to maintain your preference level. In case of over-enrollment, preference will be given in the following order: declared majors, declared minors, declared concentrators, first-years, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students.
