Northeast Nebraska needs Spanish teachers, and the Department of Language and Literature at Wayne State College has made an effort to fulfill the need.

Earlier this semester, Dr. Alan Bruflat, dean of the school of Arts and Humanities, received an e-mail from a school administrator asking if there were going to be any new Spanish teachers graduating from WSC, as his school would soon have a position available. However, there weren’t any students currently enrolled in the Spanish program who would be ready in time.

“We decided we needed to find a way to get involved because we need Spanish teachers,” Bruflat said. “There is going to be a real shortage of teachers in this area.”

So far, the department has put up fliers across campus, encouraging students to approach the Spanish professors and consider adding a Spanish endorsement to their studies. According to Bruflat, traditionally there has always been a shortage of Spanish teachers, and the department has always been able to place graduates with an endorsement in Spanish—especially in this region.

“It has been an ongoing situation,” Bruflat said. “It is just becoming more acute.”

The department is currently developing a blended course format for students. It has made an effort with the College Center in South Sioux City, and changed the way it markets the course. The department will be offering courses face to face and online to make them more accessible for interested students.

“We are making a real effort to sell the endorsement,” Bruflat said. “It’s kind of a buyer’s market.”

There are currently only 11 students enrolled in the Spanish endorsement program. Of those 11, only two are going to be available to teach within the next year.

“Choosing to add Spanish is a real chance to build your major,” Bruflat said. “It goes well with a lot of other subject areas, such as Social Sciences and English.”

Additionally, the program is easy to complete in four years. To accelerate the process, students can take the CLEP test and skip a couple of courses, take online summer courses, or go on the Costa Rica study abroad trip.

Junior Anna Stienman is a Spanish and Social Science major at WSC. Stienman also believes the Spanish endorsement has made her into a well-rounded student.

“Knowing another language opens up a whole new world of possibilities, travel, and is a great resume boost,” Stienman said. “I want to be a Spanish teacher because there are many job opportunities out there, and Spanish is fun.”

If any students wish to add a Spanish endorsement to their resume or are just simply interested, contact any of the Spanish faculty: Dr. Alan Bruflat, Dr. Lidice Aleman or Dr. Adolfo Cacheiro.