“The study of languages is crucially important to meet the demands of an increasingly more complex multicultural society,” says Raquel Green, Ph.D., who has taught in Cabrini’s Romance Languages and Literatures Department since 2008.
In addition to teaching Spanish courses, Green is responsible for several Engagements with the Common Good (ECG) courses, including a short-term immersion experience in Guatemala.
“I have had the privilege of working in conjunction with the Communication Department in Justice Matters’ global education initiatives,” she says.
“As part of this extraordinary educational experience, students travel to Guatemala during spring break to live in solidarity with the Mayan people of the San Lucas Mission in the Western Highlands.”
While there, students learn about how the framework of Integral Human Development (a component of Catholic Relief Services’ strategy to promote the good of every person) is working in Central America and supporting the growth of self-sustaining communities.
Green was involved in shaping the College’s short- and long-term goals associated with the Justice Matters curriculum, a component of a Cabrini education about which she feels strongly.
“What makes Cabrini truly unique is its strong connection with the values that underlie the Mission of the College. It is a remarkable institution completely committed to the development of the whole person. Students’ four years at Cabrini advance their understanding of the world and empower them to become leaders in their own communities and strong advocates for social justice.”
As part of the Romance Languages and Literatures Department’s initiatives for the ECG courses, Green finds Cabrini’s Mentoring Program in Norristown Area High School a transformative experience for students and faculty.
Green says that students recognize the importance of the Spanish language due to the changes in demographics in the United States, and are keen in acquiring a skill that will enhance their careers as psychologists, social workers, teachers and business executives.
“As a language professional, I consider it very important for students to come to a thorough understanding of the cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world and to develop a solid foundation in grammar,” she says.
“I believe the best learning environment is one where students are involved and fully engaged.” Green adds, “The ability to incite in students the curiosity and need to embrace all the dimensions of that process is, I believe, the task and primary responsibility of an effective language teacher.”
Her students have published in the Undergraduate Research Journal and have presented their research at Cabrini and other colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area.
Green’s academic and research interests involve the Spanish American short story and, in particular, the Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges. She also is interested in Latino education in the United States and the role of Latin American Women in their struggle for social justice.
Green authored “Borges y Revista multicolor de los sábados: Confabulados en una escritura de la infamia” (2010), in which she studies Jorge Luis Borges’ contributions to the literary supplement of Crítica, a popular newspaper from Argentina.
By demonstrating the intertextual connections between Borges’ stories of infamous characters, later published in “Historia Universal de la Infamia” (1935), and other literary artifacts from “Revista multicolor de los sábados,” Green shows how it is during this time that Borges starts experimenting with the narrative and initiates his journey as a master of the short story.
Green earned a doctoral degree in Spanish from Bryn Mawr College (1990), a master’s in Spanish from Bryn Mawr College (1983), and a bachelor’s in English from Villanova University (1980).
She lives in Collegeville, Pa., with her husband and twin sons.
Contact Information:
Raquel A. Green, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Founder’s Hall, Room 369
610-902-8356
raquel.a.green@cabrini.edu