FAQs: determining the appropriate Spanish course
| FAQ #1. How do I know which Spanish course to enroll in? |
| FAQ #2. I speak Spanish at home or have grown up speaking Spanish. What course do I take? |
| FAQ #3. I enrolled in a Spanish course before taking a placement test. What do I do? |
| FAQ #4. Someone told me I need to take two semesters of a foreign language. Is this true? |
| FAQ #5. What is the University Language Requirement? |
| FAQ #6. Someone told me I need to take two semesters of a foreign language, is this true? |
| FAQ #7. I want to entoll in a Spanish course, but all course sections are full, what do I do? |
| FAQ #8. I am interested in majoring/ double majoring/ minoring in Spanish. What do I do? |
|
|
FAQ #1. How do I know which Spanish course to enroll in?
If you grew up in a Spanish-speaking home or community, please see FAQ #2.
If you have never taken Spanish before and you did not grow up in a Spanish-speaking home or community, enroll in SPN 1120 Beginning Spanish Language and Culture 1.
If you had coursework in Spanish prior to attending FAU, such as in high school, please take the following placement exam to help determine which course level is most appropriate.
If you have any questions about your individual placement, please email your current Spanish instructor to set up a time to meet with them, either via Zoom or in person. If you are not currently enrolled in a Spanish course, email Dr. White, Director of the Spanish Basic Language program (jwhite94@fau.edu) to meet.
FAQ #2. I speak Spanish at home or have grown up speaking or listening Spanish, at home or in my community. What course do I take?
Please e-mail Dr. Godón at ngodon@fau.edu so that you can take the Heritage Learner placement exam.
* A Heritage Learner is someone who has grown up around Spanish listening or even speaking Spanish. Heritage Learner proficiency levels can range from the beginning level of being able to understand or recognize Spanish all the way up to the advanced level of being able to produce Spanish in both oral and written forms.
FAQ #3. I already enrolled in a Spanish course before taking a placement exam. What do I do?
Please take the placement exam and, if necessary, re-enroll in a different Spanish class corresponding to your placement exam results. If you have questions, email your current instructor to set up a time to meet in person or via Zoom to help guide you in your course selection. They are eager to help guide you through this process.
FAQ #4. Someone told me I need to take two semesters of a foreign language. Is this true?
Not quite! See the next question.
FAQ #5. What is the University Language Requirement?
Many undergraduate degrees at FAU require students to demonstrate proficiency with a language other than English in order to graduate. This is commonly known as the FLEX (Foreign Language Exit) requirement. The needed level of proficiency is defined as that which is at or beyond the second-semester college level (SPN 1121, FRE 1121, ITA 1121, etc).
For a description of the variety of ways in which language proficiency can be satisfied, Click here for more information.
In the case of taking language courses at FAU, students who have had prior language exposure (i.e., high school) can satisfy the FLEX requirement by taking 1121 (or above) directly without having to take the 1120 course level first. For Heritage Learners, SPN 1340 (or above) satisfies the FLEX requirement
FAQ #6. I don't feel prepared. What do I do?
This is normal. Language learning can be challenging. We look forward to helping you learn languages so that you can be successful in your pursuit of knowledge. We are here to support you in your language learning path. Please take advantage of extra credit opportunities, office hours, tutoring, and many more outside-of-class events.
FAQ #7. I want to enroll in a Spanish course, but all course sections are full. what do I do?
Please add your name to the waitlist for the appropriate course according to your placement exam score.
See the FAU Registrar’s website for waitlist instructions (near the bottom of the page).
If you are a graduating senior graduating this semester and in need of an override, please email your advisor to provide verification that you are graduating this semester and copy Dr. Rapoport (mrapoport@fau.edu) and Dr. White (jwhite94@fau.edu).
FAQ #8. I am interested in majoring/ double majoring/ minoring in Spanish. What do I do?
Great! Find instructions here. Be sure to contact Dr. Rapoport, Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature, at mrapoport@fau.edu for more information and guidance.