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Courses

Study in Mexico

Students will enroll in SPN 394 (3 credits), SPN 494 (3 credits) or HON 212 during Spring 2024. Both native and non-native speakers of Spanish are encouraged to apply. 

Each class will meet weekly at UNCW throughout the spring semester (15 contact hours) and the remaining contact hours will occur in Mexico.

While in Oaxaca, 'class' time will involve students participating in cultural activities and excursions, as well as reflections and discussions. We will also meet at the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez Oaxaca (UABJO) for seminars and for conversation practice with university students. 

This course fulfills the Explorations Beyond the Classroom component of University Studies as well as the Applied Learning requirement for the Spanish major. 

SPN 394/Voices of Oaxaca: Language, Identity, and Migration
Spring 2026 • W • 6:30 – 7:45pm • 3 credits 

  • Professor Boomershine
  • Prerequisites: A grade of 'C' or better in SPN 202 or 215, and permission of instructor.
This Spanish course explores the complex relationships between language, identity, and migration in Latin America and the U.S.-Mexico context. Through readings, films, oral histories, and personal narratives, students will examine how migration shapes individual and collective identities, how language can both connect and divide communities, and how bilingualism and cultural hybridity influence lived experiences. A central component of the course is a one-week immersive trip to Mexico, where students will engage directly with local communities, conduct interviews, and reflect on their own cultural perspectives. Taught in Spanish, this course emphasizes intercultural communication, critical thinking, and the development of advanced language skills through experiential learning

During this course, we will:  

  • Analyze how language and identity intersect across different cultural and migratory contexts in the Spanish-speaking world. 
  • Demonstrate increased intercultural competence through reflection on lived experiences and engagement with local communities in Mexico.  
  • Compare and contrast personal narratives with academic texts on migration and cultural identity in Latin America. 
  • Conduct and synthesize interviews in Spanish, using appropriate vocabulary, register, and culturally sensitive language. 
  • Develop and present a research-informed narrative or reflection that connects course themes with firsthand experiences from the Mexico trip. 
  • Articulate the role of storytelling and language in shaping individual and collective identities in transnational contexts. 
  • Reflect on experiences in the US and while in Mexico related to topics discussed in class. 
  • Explore the role of Spanish and the representations of Hispanic identity in public life and policy, as they relate to migration and migration stories.