Certificate of Proficiency in Conversational Spanish

Today, Spanish is said to be the fastest-growing language in the world. Over 360 million people speak Spanish. In the U.S., it has been the second language, and in Canada, it is becoming increasingly important and popular as NAFTA and other commercial links are established with Latin America. This creates a need for translators, interpreters, and teachers, as Spanish speaking persons are needed in tourism, management, corporations, etc.

As Spanish is not presently taught in P.E.I.'s high schools, UPEI presents the only opportunity for learning this language. This means that students wishing to study Spanish start with 1010 which demands no prior background in the language. Those who have had some contact with the language either through exchanges, family background, or travel may enter at a higher level (1020, 2010, 2020, etc.).

Courses designated 1001-1020 or 2010-2020 are basically language courses, while courses above these levels focus mainly on cultural studies. Students may do a so-called minor in Spanish (7 courses) and even a major. In the latter case, however, two of the 14-semester courses must be taken elsewhere, preferably abroad.