Language Requirement

Wake Forest Language Requirement

All undergraduate students are required to pass a 200-level language course as part of the core basic requirements. Any student who has studied a foreign language in high school must complete a foreign language placement test in the language(s) studied. Placement is determined by the Foreign Language Placement Test.

More information about the Foreign Language Placement Exam can be found here.

Spanish Courses that Fulfill the Language Requirement

To fulfill the WFU Language Requirement, the following Spanish courses are accepted:

  • SPA 212. Exploring the Hispanic World. (3h) Explores significant cultural expressions from the Spanish-speaking world. Emphasizes both the development of competence in speaking, reading, and writing Spanish, and understanding how particular Hispanic societies have defined themselves. Credit not allowed for both 212 and 213. P—SPA 153 or SPN 153; or equivalent.
  • SPA 213. Encounters: Hispanic Literature and Culture. (3h) Encounters with significant literary expressions from the Spanish-speaking world. Emphasizes the advancement of competence in speaking, reading and writing, and the analysis of literature in its cultural contexts. Credit not allowed for both 213 and 212. P—SPA 153 or SPN 153; or equivalent.
  • SPA 280. The Spanish-Speaking World: Portals and Perspectives. (3h) Examination of the diversity of cultural, linguistic, and artistic expressions and the role of Spanish in today’s globalized world. P—SPA 212 or 213; or SPN 212 or 213; or POI; or placement. [This course is also the first course in a Spanish major or minor]
  • SPA 280L. The Spanish-Speaking World: Portals and Perspectives for Heritage Speakers. (3 h) Examination of the diversity of cultural, linguistic, and artistic expressions and the role of Spanish in today’s globalized world. Open to heritage speakers of Spanish only. P-SPA 212 or 213; or POI; or placement. [This course is for students who grew up speaking or hearing Spanish at home. It also counts as the first course in a Spanish major or minor.]

Preparatory Courses for the 200-Level Language Requirement Courses

Typical Sequences

  • (4 semesters) SPA 111 > SPA 112 > SPA 153 > SPA 212
  • (3 semesters) SPA 113 > SPA 153 > SPA 212
  • (2 semesters) SPA 153 or SPA 154 > SPA 212

Course Descriptions

  • SPA 111-112. Elementary Spanish. (3h, 3h) Two-semester sequence designed to help students develop the ability to understand and speak Spanish and also learn to read and write Spanish at the elementary level. P for 112—111 or equivalent. Labs required.
  • SPA 113. Intensive Elementary Spanish. (4h) Review of the material from 111-112 in one semester, intended for students whose preparation for 153 is inadequate. Credit not given for both 113 and 111 or 112. Labs required. By placement or faculty recommendation.
  • SPA 153. Intermediate Spanish. (4h) Intermediate-level course covering the structure of the language, developing students’ reading, writing, and conversation skills and preparing them for oral and written discussion of readings. Note that 153 and 154 are mutually exclusive. Labs required. P—SPA 111-112, or 113; or SPN 111-112, or 113; or placement.
  • SPA 154. Accelerated Intermediate Spanish. (3h) Intensive, intermediate-level course intended for students with a stronger background than 153 students. Offers the opportunity to develop further reading, writing, and conversation skills and prepare for oral and written discussion of readings. Labs required. P—POI or placement.