Accelerate Faculty

Expand your horizons

Spanish is the second most common language in the United States and is spoken in nearly 30 other countries around the world. With the high demand for bilingual speakers in today’s global marketplace, the knowledge you gain with this minor could be your passport to increased job opportunities and marketability in a number of fields.

The Alverno difference

We emphasize hands-on, interactive learning, so instead of repetitive memorization of Spanish vocabulary, you might make a traditional Hispanic dish and host a cooking show in Spanish. Service learning is also an essential element of our program, so you'll spend time volunteering with Milwaukee’s Spanish-speaking community. You’ll be able to practice your conversational skills while giving back.

Alverno’s campus is located near predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods on Milwaukee's South Side, making it easy to practice your Spanish. You can also make valuable connections with on-campus conferences and events, such as FLESFEST, an annual conference for K-12 foreign language teachers from across the state.

Internships are an essential part of an Alverno education. Our students use their bilingual skills to help support clients of the Latina Community Center and the Walker's Point Community CIinic, to translate materials for University of Wisconsin-Waukesha and care for Spanish-speaking patients during nursing clinicals.

As an Alverno Spanish Language and Cultures student, you will:

• Draw upon cross-cultural information and frameworks related to Hispanic/Latinx cultures to build cultural awareness, including: understanding varied cultural experiences; relating history and geography to the present; and developing an informed response to diverse voices in art, music and literature
• Demonstrate a personal and professional proficiency in the Spanish language communication skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in order to be prepared for a range of everyday situations
• Apply linguistic analysis methodology to understand and explain the structure and idiom of Spanish, drawing relationships between the structure and history of the language and linguistic developments
  
  

“I love how I can easily connect with my peers and professors at Alverno. I enjoy seeing all the diversity among students, and I am happy with the small class sizes and individualized learning. I have learned to become more outspoken and to connect with people.”

- Lizbeth, Spanish Language and Cultures minor and Social Work major

Spanish Language and Cultures students are ready for such careers as:

• Public relations specialist
• Training and development consultant
• Teacher
• Copywriter
• Sales and marketing director
• And more!

The Annual Crime and Fire Safety Report for Alverno College, which includes crime statistics and annual fire safety statistics, can be found online. A hard copy of the report is available upon request. Please send your request to Jason Pilarski, director of Campus Safety.