Spanish Language

Chichen-Itza

Spanish is spoken by 500 million people worldwide with 52 million of those in the United States alone.

Speaking Spanish may not be directly required for your career, but even a little can be vital to you. And don’t forget that learning Spanish can give you the opportunity to meet new friends, help as you travel to new places, and understand Hispanic cultures and traditions.

The Spanish courses at CSN will help you build an initial foundation in the language and the confidence to communicate with Spanish speakers. CSN offers Spanish language classes for beginners to intermediate students of Spanish, as well as Spanish for Heritage speakers. Students can earn an A.A. degree in World Languages with an emphasis in Spanish, which can be completed either online or in a traditional class.

Degree

Associate of Arts Degree in World Languages - Spanish Emphasis

Courses

Spanish Courses

Spanish Language Information

If you have completed the "equivalent" CSN World Language Department prerequisite to enroll in the next level of Spanish class and have documentation, follow the steps indicated here below. If you do not presently have documentation, please contact our Spanish Lead Faculty:

Spanish Lead Faculty - (For prerequisite waivers, placement, etc.)

Office: West Charleston - WC I-309 J

Email: Contact Us

Step 1

1. Send a short email to the CSN Spanish Lead faculty

2. Attach an “unofficial transcript”

Please include the following in the body of the email:

  1. Name of student
  2. NSHE ID
  3. Email of student
  4. CSN course you wish to enroll in Ex: SPAN 112 or 211)
  5. Section number (3001, 1001, ?, etc.)
  6. Which semester and year? (Ex: For Fall, 2025)

Please send the documentation (transcript, etc.) as an attachment to the email.

If you are presently enrolled in a required prerequisite course, and the semester has not finished, we can waive the prerequisite upon receipt of proof of enrollment in the college and in the prerequisite class (example SPAN 111, SPAN 112, etc.) along with proof of good standing (note from instructor indicating passing grade, grade print-out, etc.).

Step 2

Enrolling in the course and unblocking the prerequisite: When we have received the email with all the appropriate information and unofficial transcript, we will evaluate the completion of the prerequisite. If approved, you will be notified by email that your request has been approved or denied. If approved, your information will be forwarded so that the prerequisite for the course and section in which you wish to enroll can be unblocked. At that time “you the student” would need to attempt to self-enroll into the class and correct section. No one can enroll for you or place you in the course.

Approval is based on the following criteria:

  1. “C” grade from equivalent college/university within last 5 years       
    Usually approved
  2. High school honor classes    
    HS 3 years–into SPAN 112
    HS 4 years -into SPAN 211

Completion of 2 years of high school is evaluated based on the range of language skills. A transcript indicating a grade of “A” does not necessary indicate the ability or lack thereof to function successfully in SPAN 112. Nevertheless, most students are placed into SPAN 111.

We do not have a specific CSN Spanish placement exam, rather we follow a process to individually assess the background, abilities, and previous studies in Spanish of our students to help them find and match to the level of Spanish in our CSN program where they will be most successful. This is done by several methods that are explained below. For more information, contact the Spanish Lead who can assist you further at Contact Us.

To self-evaluate your own level of Spanish and how it matches our Spanish courses, visit the Determining Your Spanish Level section below. Nevertheless, read through the information below about the placement process.
Demonstrating completion of a prerequisite

Successful Completion of the prerequisite: If you wish to enroll in a second, third, or fourth-semester CSN Spanish course (SPAN 112, 211, or 212), you must demonstrate that you have “successfully completed” the prerequisite CSN course or its equivalent.

Methods of completion

Students can demonstrate successful completion of a prerequisite by any one of the following methods:

  1. Course completion of Spanish -Transcripts from a college, university, or high school.
  2. Credit by exam - CLEP, AP scores provided.
  3. Educational studies - Enrollment and completion of studies in a Spanish-speaking country.
  4. Evaluation of skills  - Assessed through individual exams
Minimum demonstration of “successful” completion

To waive the prerequisite by showing successful completion of coursework, the course must have been completed in the last five years with a grade of C or better.

More Information concerning exams and other evaluations:

CLEP exam

Yet another way for students to demonstrate completion of the Spanish prerequisite is to take and score successfully on the CLEP exam. A score of 50 will award you 4 credits and serve as a placement indicator, allowing you to enroll in SPAN 112. In addition, a total of 8 (two semesters) credits with a score of 70 or higher can place you into SPAN 211. Contact testing services at any of our campuses, or call the college phone number and ask for testing services. The exam cost will vary, so do check with testing services.

AP exam

Many of our CSN students entering college have completed a Spanish AP exam. Demonstration of completion of the prerequisite and credit for the CSN course is usually awarded as follows:

  • Spanish AP Score 3      Credit for SPAN 111 and placement into SPAN 112.
  • Spanish AP Score 4-5  Credit for SPAN 111 and 112 and placement into SPAN 211.
Demonstrating successful completion 
through formal and informal educational and Spanish language experiences

Some students who have educational studies and Spanish language backgrounds (E.g.: Study abroad experiences, studied previously at a Spanish speaking school, have lived in a Spanish speaking country or have some background in speaking,  reading and writing  in Spanish) will also be able to successfully complete the prerequisite but may have difficulties providing the documentation. If this is your situation, please contact the CSN Spanish Lead who can direct you further. Each of these situations requires a unique process.

Spanish self-placement?

Use this table to help you determine which Spanish course matches you best. However, as needed, please feel free to contact the World Language Department or the Spanish Lead Faculty directly for more assistance.

Please be aware that in your CSN Spanish class you will need to actively use the Spanish you are learning or have already learned in a previous course. To determine what course you should enroll in, do not look at the number of semesters, or years you have studied, rather what you can actually do in Spanish without looking things up. In other words:

“What can you actively do in Spanish?”
If you can . . .Then you may belong in...

— Speak little or no Spanish but wish to learn very basic expressions and spoken Spanish.

Is SPAN 101B the right course for me?
This course will not transfer to a 4-year college and cannot be taken to fulfill part of a B.A. or B.S. degree. Many students take this course to get started in Spanish, for enrichment or to fulfill some of the AAS and other program requirements.

SPAN 101B

If you can . . .
— Speak little or no Spanish “OR” speak some Spanish, know about 50 –200 words in Spanish and can express a few things but are not always accurate when you speak Spanish.

SPAN 101B and SPAN 111?
Both courses do not require any previous Spanish. Although anyone can enroll in SPAN 101B, no matter what his/her Spanish level, some students enroll in SPAN 101B when they are actually more suited for SPAN 111. SPAN 101B is a 3-credit course that moves slower and covers less material, but it cannot be used toward a 4-year degree. SPAN 111 is a 4-credit course that moves faster and covers more material, but it may transfer to other institutions.

Why SPAN 111 might be best for you?
If you are a beginning learner of Spanish and need this course to transfer toward a 4-year degree, or if you have already had and/or been successful in one or perhaps two years of high school Spanish, but have not progressed further nor have had any other Spanish experiences, then SPAN 111 is probably still the level for you.

SPAN 111

If you can . . .
— Greet people, state your name, describe people's physical appearance and personality with minimal errors, name basic articles of clothing and mention colors, identify basic classroom objects, use “tú” and “usted” appropriately, count up to 1,000 with accurate pronunciation, identify family members, state people's age, marital status, nationality, address and phone number, name Spanish countries and languages, say the alphabet, name the days of the week, the seasons and the months, tell the weather, state dates, identify and actively tell about 30 common everyday activities, (I read, my friends study, etc.), make simple statements about what people do, want to do, prefer to do and are going to do in the future, form questions, make basic statements about things people do in the present, describe where things are located (in front of, behind, etc.), identify common places in a city, name and locate the Spanish-speaking countries and their capitals, make simple statements about what people are doing right now, describe people's everyday routines (she wakes up, she brushes her teeth, eats breakfast, etc.), name major holidays and describe them, identify major professions and workplaces and describe what people in these professions do, identify the rooms and common objects in and around a house, identify household chores, and make simple statements about what people must and have to do, all without looking up these things.

— Write about all these above things in paragraph-length compositions, read about them in page-length texts, understand dialogues on them, and sustain 3 to 5 minute-long conversations on them.

Note: Placement into SPAN 111 v. SPAN 112?
Placement into SPAN 112 depends on true mastery of using both spoken and written Spanish in the present tense, being able to accurately respond to questions and the level of accurate extension of topics.

SPAN 112

If you can . . .
— Do all of the above and identify and talk about meals and common foods, make statements using the "impersonal se" ("Se vende," etc.), make accurate statements about things that people did in the past (using the preterit tense forms) and about what life was like "back then" (using the imperfect tense), distinguish between the imperfect and the preterit and the usage of them in normal conversations about past events with minimal errors.

— Write about these things in page-length compositions, read about any of the above topics in essays of several pages, understand somewhat sophisticated dialogue on them, and sustain seven-10-minute conversations on them...doing all these things accurately and fairly spontaneously without having to look up forms.

Note: Placement into SPAN 112 v. 211?
Placement between these courses usually depends on the accuracy of having mastered SPAN 111, and 112 topics (present and past tenses). This cannot be stressed enough!

SPAN 211

If you can . . .
— speak Spanish and have had some experiences even if minimal with formal study of Spanish (i.e. A heritage speaker of Spanish but with some study of Spanish using Spanish at home or in an educational setting).

Note: SPAN 226 self-placement?
SPAN 226 does not require any prerequisite. However, the course is conducted completely in Spanish.

SPAN 226

¡Bienvenidos! - Welcome!

Did you know that you could study abroad while you are still a CSN student? Studying abroad can help further your academic, professional, and personal goals. The unique opportunities a study abroad experience provides can help to develop valuable skills and achieve things you never knew were in reach! It can be a life-changing experience!
The impact of studying abroad?

It’s not just about learning another world language or being in another culture. Students surveyed on the impact of studying abroad reported:

  • 96% Increased self-confidence
  • 98% Better understanding of their own cultural values and biases
  • 84% Studying abroad helped them build valuable skills for the job market
Getting started: information is the key!

CSN is trying to establish its own study abroad program for learning Spanish to better serve our students.  Nevertheless, other programs are supported by our Nevada sister universities and many other major colleges and universities in the United States. The credits earned through accredited university study abroad programs can often be transferred directly here to CSN.

Finding the right program?

If you search the internet for accredited colleges and universities with study abroad education, you will find many programs. However, just remember to check if the credits earned through any of the programs are transferable to your plan of study here at CSN. It is always good to ask to speak with an advisor but also with students who have participated in their program(s).

Let us help!

And of course, if you need more help, please feel free to contact one of your Spanish professors listed in the Our Faculty section. ¡Buen viaje!

So, you live in Nevada. Have you stepped outside, gone to the store or simply walked along the street? Have you listened to others as you go about your day? Spanish is used extensively in the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area and we hear it in almost all aspects of our daily lives. But there is one principal reason that makes studying Spanish even more urgent:  Getting a job.
Why do so many jobs now use Spanish?

In Southern Nevada, it is estimated there are over 500,000 Spanish speakers. Spanish is used in almost every single service industry including communicating with the 8 million Spanish-speaking foreign tourists visiting us annually.  And although there is a long list of careers where Spanish will be used, there are also many that require you to know it well.

Spanish is now the second most spoken language in the world with over 50 million Spanish speakers in the USA alone. Did you know that the USA is the second-largest “Spanish-speaking” country? And if that was not enough, Mexico is our third largest trading partner, and the United States is the largest trading partner for many of the Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. So, whether you think locally or globally, get ready to learn Spanish.

Jobs requiring Spanish

It’s basically as simple as googling “Spanish jobs,” or even “Trabajos” and the area where you want to be located.  And of course, there are some great online sites. For example, another resource is the website called INDEED. Check it out right now.

Bilingual Spanish employees

An extensive group of positions requires Spanish as a primary requirement, such as teachers, interpreters, translators, customer service representatives, sales professionals, health professions, law enforcement, social workers, first responders, and even banking positions such as loan officers. The list is extensive. Here are two sites you can also use to help you search for careers requiring Spanish: Career Builder or Bilingual Jobs.

World Languages Professor

Julian Barroso-Merino

World Languages Professor

Sergio Guzman

World Languages Professor

Valerie Hecht

World Languages Professor

Yolanda Hernandez

World Languages Professor

David Schultz

World Languages Professor

Deborah Van Damme