Pablo Oliva

This course is an intermediate level class designed to strengthen language skills and the development of cultural competence. This course will emphasize communication and seeks to develop different skills in: conversation, reading comprehension, listening comprehension and writing in appropriate contexts. The course also seeks to develop cultural competence in second language acquisition.

This is a content-based, learner- centered course that aims at developing and enhancing the students' cultural competency and their language skills. This course will focus on authentic communication in contents related to students’ academic needs and interests. It will seek to develop and strengthen different skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

The Spanish Language and Culture II course provides a panoramic view of some of the most relevant aspects of the language, culture and society of the Spanish-speaking world, particularly Latin America. The course provides a space for participants to effectively develop their Spanish communication capacity at a high intermediate level. The course is designed for graduate students of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey interested in deepening their knowledge of the Spanish language and some social and political aspects of Latin American society in order to be able to apply them in their personal and professional field.

The objective of this course is to provide students with a holistic comprehension of sex trafficking as one of the most complex problems with numerous contributing factors mainly rooted in intersecting inequalities. In this class, we will focus largely on the Spanish speaking countries and students will have weekly readings, research and class discussions. We will examine the dynamics of sex trafficking, its causes and effects, prevalence, types of trafficking and methods of traffickers, the role of international communities, and grassroots efforts to prevent and respond to sex trafficking. This course will also facilitate interpretive, interpersonal and presentational skills development of Spanish Language at the mid/upper intermediate level. It will also aim at communication, the development of critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement.

This course is designed to provide an overview of Latin America's significant political and economic transformations during recent decades. Throughout its history, the region has undergone various political systems, including military regimes and variations of democracy, as well as economic models such as commodity export and innovative developmentalism. In this course, we will examine the impact of these political and financial systems on contemporary societies, with a particular focus on topics related to poverty, corruption, and inequality. The classwork will involve weekly readings, investigations, and mini-debates designed to foster critical thinking and also develop interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational skills in Spanish at an advanced level.

Peace Education for the 21st Century
The objective of this course is to discuss and generate ideas on how peace education awareness can be created and purported. In this course, we will examine the dynamics of a few approaches to peace education based on the learner’s thinking about the concept of peace in different contexts. This course will also facilitate interpretive, interpersonal and presentational skills development of Spanish Language at the upper intermediate level. It will also aim at communication, the development of critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement.

In this course, we will discuss the relationship between human rights and different issues of identity, gender and inclusion. The course will also attempt to analyze this relationship through public policies and different agents of change.