2011-2012 Course Catalog

Required for the Spanish major

Required for the Spanish minor Six standard courses (or a minimum of 36 units) above the level of Spanish 202, to include one 300-level course, one 400-level course, one survey of literature, one 500-level course (in addition to the survey), and two electives. The electives can include one 300-level course. The rest must be taken at the 400 level and above. They may include up to six units of internship or up to six units from approved courses outside the department. A C average in the minor is required.
At least three of the advanced courses must be taken on the Appleton campus.

Teaching Certification
Teaching certification in Spanish The Spanish department offers a course of study that prepares its majors to teach Spanish at the elementary and secondary level. Students interested in becoming licensed to teach Spanish, K-12, should plan to complete the major and should consult with the education department about certification requirements.

Study abroad
The department recommends that majors and minors spend time studying in a Spanishspeaking country and advises them to view Lawrence’s programs in Latin America or Spain as a way of fulfilling and complementing departmental requirements. Non-majors with sufficient linguistic preparation are also encouraged to participate in these programs. Lawrence University offers a variety of off-campus courses in languages and in other disciplines. Please contact the department chair or the off-campus programs office at International House for more information.

Numbering
At the beginning and intermediate levels, courses are numbered to indicate relative difficulty, the lowest numbers identifying those that require the least proficiency in Spanish. Courses numbered 101-202 are primarily language courses. They introduce the student to the most important grammatical concepts and linguistic skills. Courses numbered in the 300s provide continued practice in the language and introduce the student to literary analysis and the major literary genres. The 400-level courses provide continued practice in all four language skills and deal with the culture and civilization of Spanish-speaking countries. Courses at the 500 level focus on literary and cultural analysis. Capstone courses (600s) deal with topics explored in 500-level courses, bringing together all the areas of knowledge and proficiency in order to explore different topics. Tutorial studies and independent projects can be pursued in courses numbered in the 90s, with approval of the department chair.
Native speakers are encouraged to take Spanish courses above 400; they will not be allowed to take 300-level courses.
Note:The department does not offer DS/Tutorials/IS below the 300-level.

Senior Experience in Spanish
 
Spanish Multimedia Portfolio
The Spanish Department’s Senior Experience consists of a Multimedia Portfolio which provides evidence that the students, while enrolled in the program, have developed a number of the qualities and skills essential to their future success. The Portfolio is a collection of evidence that constitutes a compelling argument that a student is proficient and has made steady progress toward a goal. The portfolio serves as a measure of students’ improvement by allowing comparisons between early class assignments (audio or written) and later ones, so that students can gauge their progress and focus on the development of specific skills.
 
Students pursuing double majors, double degrees, and education certification, are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors and relevant department chairs to plan their overall senior experience as early as possible, especially if they are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary capstone that integrates their interests in both majors, or combines their student teaching with a project in their major.
 
By Friday of the third week of their final term prior to graduation Spanish majors are required to submit to the Department for approval the portfolio of revised written work that they have done in departmental courses at Lawrence University or abroad. Spanish Department faculty members assigned by the chairperson will evaluate the portfolio and communicate the evaluation to the students by the seventh week of the term. Unapproved portfolios must be revised before the end of the term, and successful completion of this requirement is a condition for completion of the major.
 
Portfolio Requirement
A portfolio of students’ work should consist of the following:

  1. A cover letter, in Spanish, which will specify the following:
    1. An Individualized Portfolio Theme
    2. A description of the content of the portfolio
    3. A reflective statement, in Spanish, of at least two pages, in which the student:
      1. evaluates his/her development during the years as Spanish majors,
      2. justifies the selection of materials for the portfolio,
      3. links the samples to their interests, and
      4. reflects on the improvement gained throughout his/her career at Lawrence
    4. This part of the portfolio is expected to be error free.
  2. A list of courses taken for the major.
  3. A minimum of 15 pages written in Spanish from three different courses, 300-level and above, to be chosen by the student. One of them revised and as originally submitted, the other two, revised.
  4. Two oral samples (two-minutes each) prepared independently by the student in a computer lab.
    1. A reading of a text in Spanish
    2. A presentation with a multimedia site approved by the department (see current information in Moodle) about an off-campus experience (study abroad, internship, etc.), with no fewer than five student-taken photos with a recorded, voice-over commentary in Spanish, done by the student.
      1. After the presentation is completed, it will be shared it with the Spanish department faculty.
      2. When the presentation is approved by departmental faculty, it will become a part of a rotating showcase of students’ experiences made available to on- and off- campus communities through departmental or Senior Experience Web sites.
      3. Students will use their own visuals (photos or short video clips), whenever possible.
      4. No third-party visual materials (e.g., photos from commercial guidebooks, or other people’s photos from Flickr or Facebook) may be used as part of the project, without proper attribution and permission from the copyright owner.

The portfolio should be presented in electronic format. Students should familiarize themselves with the departmental requirement at the time of declaring the major. Note: Students will take an Independent Study when presenting the Portfolio Courses