New major mixes Spanish, service

Spanish and community and culture has recently been approved as a new major in the UCLA Department of Spanish and Portuguese. It has been open to students since fall and incorporates a traditional Spanish education in the classroom with volunteer work in the Latino community.

A community partnership committee within the department has been developing the major over the past few years, but it wasn’t officially launched until this school year. It is interdisciplinary and has many of the same core requirements as the Spanish literature major. But what makes this major different from the other Spanish majors are two community service-based courses that place students in quarter-long internships that vary depending on an individual’s interests.

“It gives students the opportunity to practice in whatever field they’re particularly interested in, and it gives them some practical experience to put on their resume in addition to academic work,” said Adriana Ruiz, a student affairs officer for the department of Spanish and Portuguese.

Internships and work in the community are required components of “Taking it to the Streets” and “Oral History: Latino Immigrant Youth,” two of the major’s core classes, said Susan Plann, a professor of applied linguistics and Spanish linguistics, and one of the founders of the new major.

In “Taking it to the Streets,” students can choose to work in a variety of locations, such as medical clinics, schools and nonprofit legal organizations, along with organizations such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

“Oral History: Latino Immigrant Youth” teaches students the theory behind and methodology of oral histories, and requires students to interview a newly immigrated Latino high school student and work in a high school English as a Second Language class once a week, Plann said.

“I think the best experience that I’ve had so far is just working at University High School. It’s really opened my eyes not just to Spanish culture, but what’s happening in our generation. I’m helping these kids out and helping create a foundation for them so that they can graduate high school and further their education,” said Erin Gilbert, a fifth-year Spanish and community and culture student.

Gilbert is one of 12 students enrolled in the major. She said she’s had the opportunity to work at the Social and Public Art Resource Center in Venice, a family clinic in Santa Monica, and an ESL class at University High School.

In addition to the students practicing their Spanish skills outside of the classroom, one of the benefits of the major are the networks the students create by working in the community, Gilbert said.

“I think students that take these core classes that feature service learning and community-based learning really enjoy interfacing with the community, and, at the same time, it really increases their confidence and their ability to use Spanish and make themselves understood,” Plann said.

Plann said she believes that as a public university, UCLA should encourage students to be more involved in the community, and this new major helps facilitate that. It also gives the students the opportunity to practice Spanish in a socially relevant context, outside of a classroom and away from the traditional perspective of literature and linguistics, she said

The department of Spanish and Portuguese will celebrate the major’s approval March 13 at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center, where the department will be given a celebratory proclamation by the L.A. City Council.

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