Answers To Frequently Asked Questions About Spanish


Why Study Spanish at Brookdale
  • Knowing Spanish will increase your employability, making you a competitive candidate in the 21st century job market.
  • Students who study Spanish at Brookdale will have Spanish language abilities, cultural knowledge, and soft skills that employers and industry want.
  • Students with the Spanish skills may be more valued employees because of their linguistic and cultural knowledge.
  • Research shows that learning another language has important professional, social, cognitive, and personal benefits.
  • Language learners are prepared to work in team settings, resolve problems flexibly, handle complexity, appreciate diverse viewpoints, and listen actively. Students who study languages also have higher academic achievement in other subject areas.
  • Studying another language can also help students to more deeply understand the language(s) they speak.

The regional, national, and international significance of Spanish makes knowledge of the language critical for U.S. residents in numerous fields, including:

  • government and social services
  • business and law
  • healthcare and education
  • law enforcement
  • communications, media, and entertainment
  • tourism and hospitality

Knowledge of Spanish will give you a competitive edge and will enhance your job prospects in any career!

Statistics about Spanish in the United States
  • The Pew Research Center indicates that, in 2021, the U.S. Hispanic population is 62.5 million.
  • According to the Wilson Center, the U.S. is currently the fourth largest Hispanophone country in the world.
  • As reported by the Cervantes Institute (Instituto Cervantes), 493 million people speak Spanish as their first language globally in 2021, projecting that the U.S. by 2060 will be the second-largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world with 27.5% of the U.S. population being of Hispanic ancestry.
  • The 2020 U.S. Census indicates that 21.6% of New Jersey’s population is Hispanic.
  •  As of 2022, 11.7% of individuals in Monmouth County are Hispanic according to the U.S. Census.

The importance of communities of Spanish speakers and their contributions to U.S. society make learning Spanish increasingly necessary in the 21st century.

Brookdale’s Spanish Placement Test
  • The Spanish Placement Test ensures that you are in the appropriate Spanish course based on your experiences and knowledge of the Spanish language.
  • If you have had any Spanish in school or at home, you need to take the Spanish Placement Test before registering for a Spanish course at Brookdale.
  • You can complete the Placement Test online at home or in-person at one of Brookdale’s Testing Centers.
  • Before you can take the Spanish Placement Test, you must first apply to Brookdale and be accepted. You will then be given a MyBrookdale NetID username and password. If you have applied and have a NetID, you can access the online Placement Test here: https://brookdalecc.instructure.com/enroll/K6D8PL
  • If you have any questions about Spanish courses or the Placement Test, please email the Department at: infolanguagedept@brookdalecc.edu
Free Spanish Tutoring at Brookdale!
  • Our Department has a full-time Spanish Language tutor.
  • As part of our Department’s emphasis on communicative language teaching, we encourage all of our students to schedule and take advantage of Free Spanish Tutoring sessions (in-person or on Zoom).

Courses

SPAN 101: Elementary Spanish I (4 cr.)
This course is designed for students with no previous knowledge, or very limited knowledge, of the Spanish language. Strong emphasis will be placed on acquiring conversational and comprehension skills, using practical and interesting situational materials that will stress both language and culture. Grammatical patterns and syntax will be introduced with the aim that students read and write what they have learned to say and understand. This course is not open to native speakers.

SPAN 102: Elementary Spanish II (4 cr.)
Students will build upon skills acquired in the first semester course and will be able to express themselves in a variety of more complex situations in Spanish. This course is not open to native speakers. (Prerequisite: A “C” or higher in SPAN 101 or instructor approval)

SPAN 203: Intermediate Spanish I (3 cr.)
Students will improve their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, demonstrating the ability to report on various aspects of Spanish and Latin American life and culture using more complex language patterns. This course is not open to native speakers. (Prerequisite: A grade of “C” or higher in SPAN 102 or instructor approval)

SPAN 204: Intermediate Spanish II (3 cr.)
Students will demonstrate the ability to speak, read and write Spanish and to discuss and evaluate Spanish and Latin American culture, customs and current events. They will also interact with native speakers of the language. This course is not open to native speakers. (Prerequisite: A grade of “C” or higher in SPAN 203 or instructor approval)

SPAN 207: Spanish Conversation and Composition (3 cr.)
This course is designed for students who have completed four semesters or more of College Spanish and/or already possess the ability to interact with native speakers and read and write the language. Emphasis will be improving conversational skills; discussions will bring increasingly complex grammar and vocabulary into active use. (Prerequisite: A grade of “C” or higher in SPAN 204 or instructor’s approval)

SPAN 215: Contemporary Latin American Literature (3 cr.)
The student will read Latin American poetry, essays, short stories, and plays of the 20th century in Spanish. Discussions will be conducted in Spanish. (Prerequisite: A grade of “C” or higher in SPAN 204 or instructor’s approval)

SPAN 216: Spanish for Native and Near-Native Speakers
The student will demonstrate the ability to use the Spanish language correctly in writing, as well as orally, and to relate it to present issues. Upon completion of the course, the student will have acquired basic writing skills and knowledge of the Spanish grammatical structure. Specific writing needs will be met by individualized instruction. (Prerequisite: Native speaking ability or approval of instructor or a grade of “C” or higher in SPAN 207 or SPAN 215)


Transfer Opportunities

Transfer Agreements by Academic Program: Articulation Agreements are formal agreements between Brookdale and other colleges and universities. These agreements define how the courses you complete at Brookdale will apply to your future bachelor’s degree when you transfer into a baccalaureate program.