Spanish majors also take courses in Latin American history. Upper level classes are small, allowing for more effective teaching and learning and creating an atmosphere more conducive to student participation and discussion. Faculty use a variety of teaching approaches and materials to enhance the students' learning experiences and to promote their language competence. The Department of Foreign Languages directs and sponsors activities that provide different kinds of learning experiences. Among these activities are an Annual Poetry Reading, Hispanic Awareness Week, Spanish Conversation Table,and Tertulias for Spanish Majors and Minors.
Students have the opportunity to travel and study in Latin America and Europe.
Additionally, students at Wingate University can participate in the du Pont Summer Research Grant which allows them to work and research side by side with Wingate faculty. Students who choose a language major or minor will be prepared to enter such career fields as K-12 education, interpretation and translation, travel and tourism, international transportation and industries, U.S. government and foreign service. Those who enhance their language skills with study in other fields may find careers in business, communication, ministry, missionary and civil service, social work, law enforcement, and many other fields. There are more than 50,000 Hispanics in the metropolitan Charlotte area with at least 5,000 in the Monroe and Union County community where the university is located. This growing population has lent a very exciting flavor to the Department of Foreign Languages and the Spanish program.