Department of Languages, Literature and Caribbean Studies

This programme is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to scrutinize the relevant items of a cooperation agenda for development between Latin America and Trinidad and Tobago. Particular consideration is paid to experiential learning and the interdisciplinary analysis of the culture, history, politics, economics and societies of Latin America through the study of Spanish and Portuguese as foreign languages. Hence, each academic year concludes with a six-week Study Abroad Programme in Latin America. Graduates of this degree will be well-prepared to successfully perform in an increasingly multicultural and multilingual professional world.

Students enrolled in the BA programme in Latin American Studies have the option to do the following tracks:

• Latin America Option
• Brazil Option

Graduation Requirements: BA Latin American Studies

To be awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies, students must successfully complete 122 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0 according to the following distribution:

Required courses in the major area of study	51 credits
Elective courses in major area of study	23 credits
Total courses in major area of study	74 credits
Core curriculum courses	48 credits
Total Credits Required for Graduation	122 credits

COURSES IN THE MAJOR
CODE	COURSE TITLE	Cr.
SPAN 140	Spanish Language I	4
SPAN 145	Latin American Civilization & Culture I	3
SPAN 147	Spanish Language & Cultural Immersion	4
SPAN 150	Spanish Contrastive Grammar	4
SPAN 155	Latin American Civilization & Culture II	3
SPAN 230	Spanish Language II	4
SPAN 247	Socio-cultural Issues in Latin America I	4
SPAN 295	Spanish Language III	4
SPAN 360	Socio-cultural Issues in Latin America II	3
HIST 225	Latin American History I	3
HIST 235	Latin American History II	3
LAST220	Introduction to Latin American Studies	3
LAST 370	Introduction to International Relations & Latin America	3
LAST 375	Trade & Economics in Latin America	3
PORT 150	Brazilian Culture & Language I	3
Total Credits for Required Courses in the Major		51

ELECTIVE COURSES
CODE	COURSE TITLE		Cr.
LAST 347		Entrepreneurship and Development in Latin America	4
LAST 347		Brazilian Language and Cultural Immersion	4
LAST 410		Contemporary Spanish Latin American Politics	3
LAST 411		Contemporary Brazilian Politics	3
LAST 415		Issues in Contemporary International Relations in Spanish Latin America	3
LAST 416		Issues in Contemporary International Relations in Brazil	3
LAST 420		Latin American Thought	3
LAST 421		Brazilian Thought	3
LAST 447		Social Development and Cooperation in Latin America	4
LAST 447		Intellectual Networking and Cooperation in Latin America	4
LAST 447		Social Development and Cooperation in Brazil	4
PORT 250		Brazilian Culture & Language II	3
PORT 350		Brazilian Culture & Language III	3
SPAN 450		Spanish for International Relations and the Environment Sector	3
SPAN 460		Socio-political Themes in Contemporary Spanish Latin American Film & Narrative	3
Total Elective Credits			23

CORE CURRICULUM COURSES
CODE	COURSE TITLE	Cr.
ARTS 119	Foundation of Art, Culture and Music of Trinidad and Tobago	3
BUSI 203	Leadership and Ethics	3
COMM 117	Communication I- Fundamentals of Writing	3
COMM 118	Communication II- Communication in the Workplace	3
ECON 110	Introduction to General Economics	3
ENGL 200	Comparative Literature	3
ENTP 210	Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship	3
ENVH 102	World Issues in Public Health	1
ENVH 121	Environmental Issues and Sustainability	1
HIST 120	History of Trinidad and Tobago	3
LIBS 130	Fundamental Research Skills	3
MATH116	Contemporary College Mathematics	3
PSYC 103	Understanding Human Behaviour and Diversity	3
RELI 205	Comparative Religion	3
SCIE 121	Foundations of Natural Science	3
SCIE 201	Contemporary Issues in Science	1
SOCI 102	Introduction to the Study of Society	3
STAT 120	Fundamentals of Statistics	3
Total Core Curriculum Credits		48

 

Career Options:

• Education (teaching and/or research)
• Consultancy for the public/private sectors and non-governmental organizations
• Diplomatic service
• Cultural entrepreneurship
• Publishing and editing
• Media and journalism
• Business
• Spanish and Portuguese languages
• Philanthropic work
• Tourism
• Agriculture and environment

 

Further educational options at postgraduate level may include:

• MA Latin American Studies
• MA Education
• Diploma and Master in International Relations
• MA Spanish
• MA Cultural Analysis and Sociology of Culture
• MA Environmental Studies
• MA Cultural Management with specializations in areas such as Cultural Management for Tourism, Gallery and Museum Management or Management of Creative Cultural Industries such as publishing, audiovisual, performing arts and theater

The BA in History (with minors in Heritage and Archival Studies and Oral History) is geared towards teaching, recording and preservation of the history of our country as well as that of the wider Caribbean. The programme is designed to promote a better understanding of society and culture and the forces which shaped our environment. Generally, it fosters greater insight into the different groups in our society and the preservation of aspects of our socio-cultural history such as art and architecture, festivals, institutions, folk traditions and community histories. It includes aspects of family, community and institutional history and provides opportunities for cross-specialization as students undertake courses in various disciplines.

High levels of proficiency in oral and written communication will be a definite outcome of the Bachelor‘s degree in Literature and Communication. Exposure to Literature from various periods in time and from different countries provides students with historical, social, political and economic insights which, in conjunction with studying communication as a discipline, will place them in a unique position to fill a host of positions ranging from media to education. When a student studies Literature, he or she is also studying aspects of philosophy, psychology, sociology, history, culture, race, sexuality, gender, and religion. By coupling Literature with Communication courses, students will have the added advantage of learning skills such as copywriting, speech writing and effective use of social media.

The Associate in Arts degree in Literatures and English provides students with exposure to the major literary genres, through the examination of the works of both renowned and contemporary authors. These studies are complemented by general education courses drawn from a broad range of disciplines, creating a solid foundation for students who wish to pursue studies up to the bachelor’s level or for language and literature teachers who wish to enhance their knowledge base in the field. This associate degree programme is also suitable for students who wish to pursue careers and/or further study in the areas of journalism, advertising and communications.

Graduation Requirements: Associate in Arts – Literatures in English

To be awarded the Associate in Arts degree in Literatures in English, students must successfully complete 60 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0, according to the following distribution:

Courses in the major area of study 36 credits

Core curriculum courses 24 credits

Total Credits Required for Graduation 60 credits

COURSES IN THE MAJOR

COURSE CODE	TITLE	Cr.
ENGL 121	Introduction to Poetry	3
ENGL 122	Introduction to Drama	3
ENGL 123	Introduction to Prose Fiction	3
ENGL 130	The Shakespearean Century	3
ENGL 131	Oral Literatures	3
ENGL 230	Introduction to Caribbean Prose Fiction	3
ENGL 240	20th Century Commonwealth Literatures	3
ENGL 241	Introduction to 20th Century American Literature	3
ENGL 242	Caribbean Poetry and Drama	3
ENGL 250	The Moderns	3
ENGL 251	Introduction to Critical Theory	3
ENGL 270	Creative Writing	3

CORE CURRICULUM COURSES

COURSE CODE	TITLE	Cr.
COMM 117	Fundamentals of Writing	3
COMM 118	Communication in the Workplace	3
HIST 210	History of Trinidad and Tobago	3
LIBS 130	Fundamental Research Skills	3
MATH 116	Contemporary College Math	3
PSYC103	Understanding Human Behavior and Diversity	3
RELI 205	Comparative Religion	3
SOCI 102	Introduction to the Study of Society	3

Total Credits for Required Courses in the Major 36 Total Core Curriculum Credits 24

Career Options:

The degree is a transfer degree which allows graduates to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in the relevant subject area Lliterature; Literature and Language; Literature, Language and Education; literature and communication. It can also lead to careers/advancement in:

• Teaching
• Copywriting
• Advertising
• Journalism

This Associate Degree is designed to develop the students’ competencies and knowledge in Spanish language and Latin American culture at an Advanced Level. This programme constitutes levels I and II of the BA in Latin American studies. The objective is to endow the students with the necessary research skills, linguistic and socio-cultural foundations in the field to a) effectively pursue levels III and IV of the Bachelor Degree; b) transfer into a baccalaureate programme in Spanish at both national and international institutions of higher learning; c) offer the student certification as a competent paraprofessional in the area.

Graduation Requirements: Associate in Arts – Spanish

To be awarded the Associate in Arts degree in Spanish, students must successfully complete 63 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0 according to the following distribution:

Required courses in the major area of study	39 credits
Total courses in major area of study	39 credits
Core curriculum courses	24 credits
Total Credits Required for Graduation	63 credits

 

Career Options:

This is a transfer degree which allows graduates to pursue further study in Latin American Studies and Spanish at the bachelor’s degree level.

COURSES IN THE MAJOR
CODE	COURSE TITLE	Cr.
SPAN 140	Spanish Language I	4
SPAN 145	Latin American Civilization & Culture I	3
SPAN 147	Spanish Language & Cultural Immersion	4
SPAN 150	Spanish Contrastive Grammar	4
SPAN 155	Latin American Civilization & Culture II	3
SPAN 230	Spanish Language II	4
SPAN 247	Socio-cultural Issues in Latin America I	4
SPAN 295	Spanish Language III	4
HIST 225	Latin American History I	3
HIST 235	Latin American History II	3
LAST 220	Introduction to Latin American Studies	3

 

Total Credits for Required Courses in the Major: 39

CORE CURRICULUM COURSES
CODE	COURSE TITLE	Cr.
ARTS 119	Foundation of Art, Culture and Music of Trinidad and Tobago	3
COMM 117	Communication I- Fundamentals of Writing	3
COMM 118	Communication II- Communication in the Workplace	3
ECON 110	Introduction to General Economics	3
HIST 120	History of Trinidad and Tobago	3
LIBS 130	Fundamental Research Skills	3
MATH116	Contemporary College Mathematics	3
SOCI 102	Introduction to the Study of Society	3
Total Core Curriculum Credits		24

The AA in History (with minors in Heritage and Archival Studies and Oral History) is geared towards teaching, recording and preservation of the history of our country as well as that of the wider Caribbean. The programme is designed to promote a better understanding of society and culture and the forces which shaped our environment. Generally, it fosters greater insight into the different groups in our society and the preservation of aspects of our socio-cultural history such as art and architecture, festivals, institutions, folk traditions and community histories. It includes aspects of family, community and institutional history and provides opportunities for cross-specialization as students undertake courses in various disciplines.

The Associate in Applied Science degree in Foreign Languages for Business: Spanish is designed to provide graduates with a competitive edge in the global marketplace, through an intensive learning experience that focuses on the development of competencies in Spanish language skills, international business and cultural awareness required to effectively conduct or support business activity in a Latin American context.

Graduation Requirements: Associate in Applied Science – Foreign Languages for Business: Spanish

To be awarded the Associate in Applied Science degree in Foreign Languages for Business: Spanish, students must successfully complete 72 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0, according to the following distribution:

Required courses in the major area of study 36 credits
Elective courses in the major area of study 3 credits
Total credits in the major area of study 39 credits

Core curriculum courses 24 credits
Support courses 9 credits
Total Credits Required for Graduation 72 credits

Career Options:

• Export/Sales representative in a local or international company
• International trade and commerce
• Bilingual secretary
• Foreign services employee

Simon Lee

Snr. Lecturer – Literature, Communication
MA, BA. English Language & Literature
Research Interests: Contemporary Caribbean Cultures (especially Music); Creole poetics and linguistics and Caribbean cultural theory.

Sean Ng Wai

Snr.  Lecturer – History
Ph.D. History
Research Interests: Financial History, Business history and legal regulation.

Shara Ali

Snr.  Lecturer – Latin American Studies
Ph.D.,MA. Spanish, MA,  Latin American Studies
Research Interests:  Economics and Politics in Latin America 19^th and 20^th century

Kim Kendall-De Silva

Snr.  Lecturer – Spanish
MSc. Globalization & Latin American Development
Research Interest: Latin American Studies

Radica Mahase

Snr.  Lecturer – History
Ph.D, MA, BA. History

Raymond Dyette

Snr.  Lecturer – English
MSc. (C.I.A)

Mary Stephanie Faria

Snr.  Lecturer – English
M.Ed. Literacy Ed.

Karole George-Drue

Snr.  Lecturer – English
MA, BA. English

Ines Gill-Grill

Snr.  Lecturer – English
M.Ed. AAS (H.R.M)

Louann Hospedales

Coordinator Developmental English
Snr.  Lecturer – English
MA, BA. English

Tamara Maurice-Phillip

Snr. Lecturer – English
MSc. Counselling, BA. Literature

Joy Roach-Simpson

Snr. Lecturer – English
M. Ed. , BA English

Jennifer Ryan

Snr. Lecturer –  English