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Travel study students in village.
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Travel study students on bikes.

Spanish Language Studies

Welcome to Spanish Language Studies at Winona State University. We offer a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major or minor in Spanish. Additionally, we are authorized to recommend graduates for licensure in Spanish majors. (Minnesota does not grant teaching licenses for foreign language minors.) Our faculty come from an array of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds which will enhance your educational experience. By choosing this major or minor, you will be able to develop language proficiency while expanding your knowledge of Hispanic cultures and literature.

Reasons to Study Spanish

  • More than 300 million people speak Spanish worldwide, making it one of the largest markets for businesses and one of the most useful languages in the world for travel.
  • There are 37 million Spanish speakers in the US, making it the most-spoken non-English language in the country.
  • Being bilingual improves cognitive functions like ignoring distractions and holding information in memory.
  • Employers are seeking applicants who can speak Spanish in nearly every profession (medical, government, legal, journalism, finance, education, sales, etc.).
  • Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and an official language in the European Union, UNESCO, GATT and many other international organizations.

If you have studied Spanish before and wish to enroll at a level suitable for you, you can take the free Spanish placement exam online.

Take the Language Placement Exam

Spanish for Native/Heritage Speakers

Our SPAN 310 course is designed for people who grew up speaking Spanish at home or who learned the language in an immersion program. The course emphasizes formal literacy skills in Spanish, such as using accent marks, spelling differences with English and advanced grammar issues related to society.

Major/Minor Options

View courses for the Spanish Major, Spanish Minor and BS (Teaching) Major.