The Language House
The Language House is an on-campus living and learning community that offers students
the opportunity to immerse themselves in foreign languages and cultures. With the
guidance of native-speaker faculty living in the hall with them, students co-create
a community where students can broaden their knowledge of foreign languages and cultures
through participating in events like language tables (sharing a meal and conversation
in the target language with a faculty member), cooking activities, concert outings,
museum visits, dinners, movies and TV shows, karaoke nights and more! Students must
apply to participate in Language House. If accepted, students commit themselves to
improving their foreign language skills and cultural competence by attending at least
twelve (12) Language House activities per semester to remain in good standing if they
seek to reapply the following year.
The Spanish Table
The Spanish Table is a weekly meeting for students that want to improve their Spanish
outside of the classroom. Students meet with Professor Christopher Torres and they
share a meal while they talk in Spanish about their daily lives, news, events, music,
cinema, or any other topic that the group chooses. It is a laid back, fun way to practice
Spanish without worrying about grades.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes Latinx contributions
to the US. Every fall, HLx faculty organize a series of events (film screenings and
discussions, political debates, music, dance and theatrical performances) in collaboration
with the student club HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Learning and Awareness) and
different Offices on campus. The events are open to all the Goucher community and
they take place between September 15th and October 15th every year.
Meet the Director
Dr. Christopher G. Torres, Ph.D.
Dr. Christopher G. Torres is currently the Jane and Robert E. Meyerhoff Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Goucher College. His training is at the intersection of philosophy, environmental studies, policy studies, and public administration. He completed his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at Boise State University in 2021. Before that, he completed master’s degrees in philosophy and environmental studies from the University of Oregon, and bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and environmental science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Prior to Goucher, he taught at Connecticut College, College of Idaho, and Boise State University. At Goucher, he teaches Introduction to Environmental Studies (ES 140), Environmental Justice (ES 410), and, starting soon, courses covering US environmental politics, policy, and law; gender, race, and the environment. His current research project is looking to better understand conservative environmental values and how they shape U.S. environmental politics and policy. Other research interests include exploring the relationship between public administration, public perceptions of “bureaucracy”, and public trust in democratic institutions.
As a native Spanish speaker and a 1st-generation Chicano, he knows what it is like to navigate cultural and linguistic differences, feelings of not belonging, and the frustration of not remembering the word for that thing, la cosa que usas cuando hierves pasta y quieres tirar el agua…It’s right on the tip of my tongue…un colador! A colander! As Director of the Language House program, he hopes to help Language House students build confidence in their everyday foreign language communication skills and cultural competence of Spanish speaking cultures by exploring film and cuisine.