DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH & PORTUGUESE

“Even in the first years after college, I’ve had a number of great opportunities opened to me,” said Ringenbach, who studied Spanish during her time at Northwestern and continues to use the language as an advisor at IES Abroad. “[Studying a language] adds an extra tool to the tool belt. It signals to others that you have an interest in opening your mind to other cultures.”

The alumni noted that the payoff of studying a second language is quick to manifest itself outside of the work space, too.

 “You can put other people at ease when you speak not only their language but their culture,” said Pfau, who skyped into the panel from Paris, where he has been living since 2008 when he came as a Fulbright scholar.

Rosner, who uses Spanish in his job as a union organizer in Chicago, agreed.  “Language…lets me build much deeper relationships and bonds with people,” he said.

The alumni wrapped up the panel by encouraging current students to keep practicing their language skills outside of the classroom, especially by studying abroad.

“Study abroad early and often,” said Meggs, before highlighting the ways in which the university has equipped its students for success in any environment, be it abroad or domestic. “Just going to Northwestern and being in a fast-paced, demanding environment, you’re more prepared than you think.”

After the event, students lingered to chat with panelists one-on-one, utilizing the opportunity as a chance to ask more personalized questions and seek out language-specific advice. 

“On your own, it’s hard to think about how a language skill will be useful in the future,” said Kelsey Pukelis, a current undergraduate student who has taken courses in Spanish and attended the Thursday panel. “So it’s nice to hear from different people how and to what extent they try to incorporate [language] into their lives. It’s not always an obvious connection.”

Congratulations Raquel Amorese!

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is delighted to announce that Raquel Amorese has won the Arts and Sciences Alumni Teaching Award. Congratulations to Raquel for all of her hard work and dedication.

Congratulations to our Portuguese Language Program 

The "Illinois Portuguese Language Connection", a yearly event organized and run since 2013 by the Portuguese Language Programs of Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign WON the 2017 AOTP Award of BEST INITIATIVE OR PROJECT IN THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE in the UNITED STATES!

Ana C T Williams is the Northwestern University co-chair of this program.

The  AOTP partners with the prestigious Brazilian International Press Award that recognizes, since1997, institutions, initiatives and individuals who promote a positive image of Brazil in the USA. The AOTP recognizes the contributions of those who stand out in the teaching and promotion of the Portuguese Language in the United States. 

This year the V Illinois Portuguese Language Connection will be hosted by Northwestern University, on April 29. On the occasion, there will be a special celebration with students, faculty members from the 3 universities and the Consulate General of Brazil in Chicago . All are invited. More information: http://www.i-plc.org

Northwestern to focus on critical theory in the Global South

Northwestern University is leading a new curriculum initiative that will bring together researchers from across the globe and a wide range of disciplines to focus on critical theory in the Global South.

The group of new undergraduate and graduate courses being developed will reflect contemporary, historic and economic conditions that extend well beyond a traditional European focus in critical theory.

Led by the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the project was made possible by generous support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, including a $1.02 million grant to launch the Northwestern initiative in December.

the project was developed by faculty affiliated with the Critical Theory Cluster, one of the innovative cluster initiatives spearheaded by The Graduate School. The faculty include Weinberg College’s Jorge Coronado, chair of Spanish and Portuguese, and two associate directors of Northwestern’s Critical Theory Cluster: Peter Fenves, chair of German, and Penelope Deutscher, professor of philosophy. Both Fenves and Deutscher are Weinberg College Joan and Sarepta Harrison Professors.

Read the full article here.

Lecture and Film Screening by Maite Conde: Photography, Film and the Techno-politics of Brazil’s Rondon Commission

January 17 & 18, 2017

Kresge 1515 (both days)

5:00pm (both days)

Professor Fernandez-Morera's The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise Finalist for WORLD Book of the Year Award.

WORLD magazine has announced its finalists for its 2016 Book of the Year awards, and we are proud to announce that Professor Dario Fernandez-Morera's book The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise is a finalist in the History/Biography category. This is just the latest honor bestowed upon the book. More information can be found here.

Summer Classes Start on June 20th

Congratulations to Our 2016 Award Winning Students

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is proud to announce our 2016 student award winners:

• Gabrielle Enrique, winner of the Humberto E. Robles Prize for the Best Honors Thesis in Spanish
• Kayla Morin, winner of the Best Essay for Spanish 200-level
• Weldon Terrill, winner of the Best Essay on the Literatures and Cultures of Latin America and/or Spain Prize
• Nicole Kempis, winner of the Vera R. Teixeira Prize

Congratulations to All of Our Graduating Majors and Minors, Convocation Is June 18th

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is proud to announce the upcoming graduation of 11 Majors and 33 Minors graduating this Spring. For more information about Weinberg's Convocation, click here.

Cornell Professor Gerard Aching to Present at "Modernisms Before Modernism",  the Launch of the Global Avant Garde and Modernist Studies Graduate Cluster.

June 3rd is the launching ceremony of the graduate cluster global avant garde and modernist studies (gams). It will have three speakers, a roundtable and a reception including "Freedom from Liberation" a talk by Gerard Aching.

Come Join the 2016 Illinois Portuguese Language Connection 

The Illinois Portuguese Language Connection is an initiative of three Universities in Illinois: The University of Chicago, Northwestern University andThe University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.The IV IPLC will happen at The University of Chicago on April 23, 2016, from 11:00am to 5:00pm and will focus on Rio de Janeiro: History, Culture and Adventure.The main reason for this anual event is to gather the students of Portuguese from the three biggest universities in Illinois for a day of interaction, and also to reinforce the presence of Brazil within our institutions. More information at: http://www.i-plc.org/home-1

Contemporary Migrations: Destination Europe - A Film Series

Mediterranea

Two men make the dangerous journey from Africa to Italy for a better life, but then face hostility and 

violence in this shocking look at the life-and-death struggle of refugees.

Beun Día, Ramón

Ramon, a young Mexican boy, tries to cross the border for the fifth time but fails. His friend tells him about his aunt living in Germany and that she has a better life over there. Ramon then goes to Germany to find his friend's aunt.

Welcome

Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish boy, has traveled through Middle East and Europe to join his girlfriend, freshly immigrated to England. But, his journey comes to an abrupt end when he is stopped on the French side of the Channel. Having decided to swim across, Bilal goes to the local swimming pool to train. There he meets Simon, a swimming instructor in the midst of a divorce. To impress his wife and win back her heart, Simon decides to risk everything by taking Bilal under his wing.

Forum Language Tables in Allison

The Forum for Languages and Cultures at the Buffett Institute will host a series of Language Tables during Spring Quarter and would like to invite the broader Northwestern community of faculty, students and staff to attend. The Language Tables provide an opportunity to gather and converse in one of ten languages in the friendly environment of the PARC Dining Room in the Allison Dining Hall with refreshments provided by the Forum and the Office of Residential Academic Initiatives. The tables are open to everyone, from novice learners to native speakers. Come and practice your language skills while getting to know others on campus.

Tuesdays @ 4:00: Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Russian, and ESL

Wendesdays @ 4:00: French, Spanish, German, Polish, Hindi/Urdu, Portuguese

Congratulations to Professor Joel Colom-Mena for Being Named One of College Magazine's Top 10 Professors at Northwestern.

College Magazine, an online magazine run by student journalists nationwide, has named Professor Joel Colom-Mena one of Northwestern's Top 10 Professors. The article quotes student Meredith Falk, who says, "Joel goes the extra mile to help students outside of class. He has an amazing sense of humor that makes class even more enjoyable, and you can tell that he’s a well-rounded learner." Read the article here.

Cervantes, Christianity, and the Struggle Against the Islamic Caliphate: A Talk by Professor Darío Fernández-Morera 

 Darío Fernández-Morera will be speaking at the Rockford Institute about his new book The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise: Muslims, Christians, and Jews under Islamic Rule in Medieval Spain.

Event: The Sixth Annual Ides of March Lecture on Democracy and Tyranny

Topic: Cervantes, Christianity, and the Struggle Against the Islamic Caliphate

Details: A reception will follow the lecture, which will take place on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at The Rockford Institute, 928 North Main Street, Rockford, Illinois, at 6:00 PM.

Registration: Advance admission is $15.00; couples, $25.00. (Add $5.00 if paying at the door.)

Professor Darío Fernández-Morera was interviewed by Guatemalan TV's UFM NewMedia about Francisco de Vitoria and Jorge Luis Borges.

Professor Fernández-Morera speaks about freedom, community, and even cannibalism in the context of Francisco de Vitoria and Latin American. See the interview Francisco de Vitoria here. 

Professor Fernández-Morera explains the universality of Borges writing and his conflicts with other Latin Americans of the time. See the interview on Jorge Luis Borges here.

Come See Livio Sansone Give a Talk on "Lombroso and Latin America"

Livio Sansone, Professor of Anthropology and Afro-Brazilian Studies at Universidade Federal da Bahia Brazil, will talk on the influence of Cesar Lambroso:

• Thursday, March 10th
• 4:00-6:00
• University Hall 201

The influence of the ideas produced by the cabinet of Cesar Lombroso in Turin on the debate on deviance, crime, degeneration and race on the young social sciences in Latin America is undeniable. It is especially so for the period 1889-1930 that in Brazil anticipates the creation of universities proper. Come and join us in this interesting and informative talk.

Spring Spanish and Portuguese Courses Open for Registration on February 22nd!

Spring registration begins February 22nd. Start planning your course load now by visiting our Spring undergraduate and graduate course lists.

See Tracy Devine-Guzmán of the University of Miami Give a Speech on Native Sovereignty and Indigenous Wellbeing in Brazil. 

Professor Tracy Devine-Guzmán of the University of Miami will give a talk on Native Sovereignty and Indigenous wellbeing. This presentation considers the enigma of indigenous representation in the context of Brazil’s longstanding development schemes and current political and environmental crises. I argue for the urgency of rethinking defunct notions of “community” in accordance with the alternative notions of sovereignty and belonging at work in national and transnational Native philosophies, political activism, and cultural production.

Link to the event page.

Come See Brazilian Poet and Author Italo Moriconi on February 5th.

Italo Moriconi, professor at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and author of numerous works of poetry, will be giving a talk: "Multilingualism and Prosifying in Contemporary Brazilian Poetry" on Friday, February 5th, noon to 2:00 at University Hall, room 201. Come listen and enjoy this master of thoughts and words. Refreshments provided.

Listen to Darío Fernández-Morera Speak on the Religious History in Andalusian Spain.

Professor Fernández-Morera spoke on the podcast Research On Religion in December. From the Research on religion website: 

From approximately 711 A.D. to the end of the 13th century, the majority of Spain was ruled by Muslims, with Christian rule finally unifying the country in the late 15th century . Prof. Darío Fernandez-Morera examines the history of al-Andalus and argues that this historical epoch was not necessarily a time of religious harmony and “convivencia” that many contemporary scholars claim. We examine the political, economic, and social status of Christians and Jews, as well as women, during this time period. 

Listen to the podcast here.

"On T-Tas and Tongues: Punk Feminism and Political Violence in 80s Peru" A Lecture By Shane Greene

The Andean Cultures and Histories Working Group in collaboration with the Buffett Institute are hosting Shane Greene on Wednesday, January 20th, 5pm at Crowe 3-130. Light refreshments will be provided.

Interview of Reginald Gibbons

Northwestern's Research interviews Reginald Gibbons on his new book How Poems Thinks (pg 51-52). Read more...

Welcome to Class of 2019 and Transfer Students !

Wildcat Welcome kicks off Friday, September 11 as Northwestern welcomes over 2,000 new students on Move-In Day! View the Wildcat Welcome schedule

Join The Chicago Humanities Festival

Join the Chicago Humanities Festival for the fifth annual Morris and Dolores Kohl Kaplan Northwestern Day on Saturday, October 24 on the NU campus!

2015 Summer Course Offerings

Department of Spanish & Portuguese offers this summer Spanish 101-1,2,3 (Elementary Spanish) and Spanish 121-1,2,3 (Intermediate Spanish). For more information, please check our schedule for Summer Courses or visit SummerNU.

Congratulations, 2015 Grads!

Weinberg College's Convocation ceremony was held Saturday, June 20. Sheri Phillips Prentiss ’89 delivered poignant speech at Convocation Read more...View the interim dean's welcome and the speaker's keynote on Weinberg's YouTube channel, and see photos on the Weinberg Flickr feed.