Language & Latinx Studies
Holyoke Community College's mission underscores the goal of educating global citizens equipped to thrive in diverse cultural contexts.
latinx studies
HCC offers an associate degree in Latinx Studies with a curriculum that provides a critical civic engagement, understanding, and appreciation of the language, culture, literature, and creative (art, dance, drama, film, music) accomplishments of Latinx communities. The degree is appropriate for anyone planning to work with diverse communities and cultures. Latinx Studies draws from and is informed by the humanities and social sciences and prepares students for jobs in a range of fields and for transfer to four-year baccalaureate programs.
The Latinx Studies program prepares students for transfer or careers in:
- Law & advocacy
- Community arts
- City & urban planning
- Environmental justice
- Counseling
- Youth work
- Policy analysis
- International relations
languages
First-year language students acquire proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing the language of their choice. Second-year students continue building language proficiency while being introduced to the culture and more specialized topics in history, culture, and literature of the countries in which the language is spoken.
Our department is a nurturing and stimulating place to grow intellectually, and discover the significant opportunities in Hispanic and Francophone Language Studies to make possible your professional advancement. Students can choose from a variety of courses to satisfy elective and program requirements in the Liberal Arts & Sciences AA option as well as other programs. Students who are seeking to transfer to a four-year institution that has a foreign language requirement, such as UMass Amherst, should consider starting their coursework at HCC. Because our Spanish and French courses are taught by expert educators, students can take advantage of our department's high quality of instruction and more affordable tuition and fees.
WHY STUDY FOREIGN LANGUAGES?
To understand how the world is changing all around us: You should learn a foreign language to be able to speak with the people all over the world , to do business overseas and in the U.S., to read Cervantes and Voltaire and Goethe, to sing with Juanes and dance with Celia Cruz, to chat with your neighbors, to be a citizen of the 21st century.
To thrive in a global economy: In today's global environment, the knowledge of other languages and cultures is an absolute necessity. In Western Massachusetts, for example, Spanish has become an essential language in the business, legal, and medical communities, and the demand for bilingual Spanish-English speakers is ever-increasing in both the local and global economy. There has been a French-speaking community in the Holyoke area for over a century, and this region's ties to the Québec province for both business and pleasure have never been stronger.
To keep your mind young and agile: Studies have proven that there are multiple cognitive advantages to learning a foreign language. You can become a better overall student and even advance your English skills by mastering another language.
To open doors in your academic and professional future: The Foreign Languages department offers an array of courses to choose from: basic language, heritage language learners, advanced courses on literatures and cultures, and specialized courses for different professions. The study of foreign language will open many doors for you in your academic and professional future. Join us!
