Certificate Program:
Spanish for Professionals

Core Courses
Evening offerings
Capstone courses
Evaluation
Assessment
Timeline


Description of Program

The certificate program, Spanish for Professionals, consists of 17 credits (beyond SPAN 104). All students must be aware that they must have achieved the competency level of SPAN 204 (fourth semester) before they can begin 300 - 400 level courses. Students may demonstrate the required competency by completing the 103/104, 203/204 course sequence (or equivalent) or by the Placement Exam. Some advanced courses may require SPAN 303 or 303/304 as a prerequisite.

Goals of the Certificate Program

  1. Ensure intermediate competency in the Spanish language through the completion of the 103/104 - 203/204 - 303 language course cycle (with placement into courses beyond first semester always possible).
  2. Provide fundamental knowledge of the Spanish American culture through either the SPAN 335 course, Introduction to Spanish American Literature, or the 319 course, Latin American Civilization and Culture, and/or of Spanish culture through the 318 course, Spanish Civilization and Culture.
  3. Provide necessary practical skills for various professionals through applied practical courses.

Core

Courses required of all students:

Intermediate Spanish I & II

203 - 204

8 cr

Conversation & Composition I

303

3 cr

"Applied, practical" course (at least one)

416/417/418/419 (others as created)

3 cr

   

14 cr

The additional 3 credits could be completed from the following:

Evening offerings:
(recommended if cultural requirement is not met in another fashion)		 318/319/335 3 cr
Additional CAPSTONE COURSE:   3 cr
Field Work (individual projects only): 494 3 cr
Any other 300/400-level course in Spanish (including day offerings)   3 cr
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Evening Schedule

Besides the two sections of 103/104 and one section of 203/204 offered in the evening, the program is adding additional evening offerings according to the following cycle of courses:

 

Fall

Spring

First Year

303

304

318/319 New applied practical course
Second Year
 303 304
335 New applied practical course
Key to course numbers:

303/304: Conversation & Composition I & II
318: Spanish Civilization & Culture
319: Latin American Civilization & Culture
335: Introduction to Spanish American Literature

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Capstone Courses

(The prerequisite for all of these upper division courses is Spanish 303):

Children's Literature (SPAN 416): Literature in Spanish for children, such as would be required by teachers of Spanish at the elementary or secondary levels.
Spanish for Criminal Justice (SPAN 417): The terminology needed by police officers, and other professionals in criminal justice. Emphasis is on spoken Spanish.
Medical Spanish (SPAN 418): Medical terminology, such as required by school nurses or other medical personnel, e.g. paramedics, emergency room staff, etc. Emphasis is on spoken Spanish.
Business Spanish (SPAN 419): Business terminology and procedure for Spanish speaking countries. Emphasis is on written Spanish, supplemented by conversational work.
Additional courses planned:
Spanish for Social Services. This course would offer the terminology needed by social services professionals, e.g. career counseling, social services, etc. Emphasis would be on spoken Spanish, with additional work on written Spanish.
Spanish for Journalism. This course would offer the terminology needed by professionals in various information services. Emphasis would be on written Spanish, supplemented by conversational work.
Translation. The course would offer practical training in translation from Spanish to English and English to Spanish. Emphasis would be on written work.
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Evaluation

The outcomes of language competency, cultural awareness, and practical ability will be evaluated as follows:

  1. Certificate program candidates must have earned a minimum grade of B in 303, a minimum of B- in 335/318/319 or other course taken, and a minimum grade of B in the capstone course (the applied practical course), or a B average if more than one capstone course is taken.
  2. Students will also prepare a portfolio, which will include:
    1. Their final composition and a sample exam from 303 (preferably the final);
    2. A statement from the 303 instructor that the student has been interviewed and has achieved minimal proficiency levels (as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency guidelines) for the course, as determined below;
    3. At least one paper from 318, 319, or 335 (or a substitute from another course, approved by the Certificate Director);
    4. A paper and/or the final exam from the capstone course.

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Standards of Assessment

The standards of assessment for the program are:

Language competency is measured by the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency guidelines; students completing 303 with a B- minimum should have achieved the competencies as stated in the following table.

Speaking - Intermediate-Mid
Listening - Intermediate-High
Reading - Advanced
Writing - Intermediate-High

Assessment of the portfolio shall be carried out by the Director of the Certificate program. This assessment shall include:
the determination that the language competency has been met, based on the materials submitted for 303;
the determination that the paper from 318, 319, or 335 (or substitute) demonstrates the ability to contrast at least two differences between the target culture and the American culture;
the determination that the material from the capstone course demonstrates the ability to perform the professional task involved, based on language ability and the standards set by the course instructor.
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Time lines

Certificate candidates, like all language students, would have to follow the rigid language sequencing 103/104 must be completed before 203/204, which must be completed before entrance into 300 or 400 level classes.

A student with no experience in Spanish would require an additional two years in the program:

Year One: Spanish 103 and 104;
Year Two: Spanish 203 and 204.

This time period could be shortened if one of the sequences were taken in summer school (we have offered 103/104 in multiple sections every summer and could add a summer section of 203/204 if demand supported it).

Once the 204 level is achieved, the course cycle as presented could allow completion of the Certificate program with a year-9 credits beyond 204.

303 and Fall course

Spring course (416/417/418/419)

Students could also advance their program by taking day class offerings, when possible.

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For further information contact:

Modern Languages Department
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
900 Wood Road, P.O. Box 2000
Kenosha, WI 53141-2000

Telephone: 262.595.2331
Fax: 262.595.2271