The Spanish minor complements a wide variety of majors in other disciplines to enhance the students’ ability to compete for jobs where knowledge of a world language is desirable. The minor helps students attain sufficient proficiency to converse comfortably on everyday topics, write and read at intermediate level or higher, and understand and appreciate Spanish-speaking cultures around the world and in the U.S.A.

Student Learning Outcomes for Minor in Spanish

Students minoring in Spanish will be required to demonstrate a level of proficiency sufficient to converse comfortably on everyday topics, to attain intermediate levels of proficiency in writing and reading the target language, and to understand and appreciate the target language cultures.

These outcomes will be achieved by showing proficiency in the 5 C’s:

1. Communication: The communication standard stresses the use of Spanish for communication in “real life” situations. It emphasizes “what students can do with language” rather than “what they know about language.” Students are asked to communicate in oral and written form, to interpret oral and written messages, to show cultural understanding when they communicate, and to present oral and written information to various audiences for a variety of purposes.
2. Cultures: Cultural understanding is an important part of Spanish language education. Experiencing other cultures develops a better understanding and appreciation of the relationship between languages and other cultures, as well as the student’s native culture. Students become better able to understand other people’s points of view, ways of life, and contributions to the world.
3. Connections: Spanish-language instruction must be connected with other subject areas. Content from other subject areas is integrated with Spanish-language instruction through lessons or courses that are developed around themes common to other subject areas.
4. Comparisons: Students are encouraged to compare and contrast Spanish language and cultures with their own. They discover patterns, make predictions, and analyze similarities and differences across languages and cultures. Students often come to understand their native language and culture better through such comparisons.
5. Communities: Extending learning experiences from the Spanish-language classroom to the home and multilingual and multicultural community emphasizes living in a global society. Activities may include: field trips; use of e-mail and the Internet; participation in clubs, exchange or study-abroad programs, and cultural activities; school-to-work opportunities; and opportunities to hear speakers of Spanish at the university and in the classroom.

Outcomes Assessment Activities

The faculty of the Spanish program uses several methods for evaluating student learning outcomes for Spanish minors. These include an oral proficiency interview, a written proficiency test, and an exit survey. 

Specific Program Requirements