Purpose
The goal of this memo addresses some questions about the new Spanish curricula, including
the requirement that students take SPAN 200 instead of SPAN 110. Details about the new
majors and minor are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin at
http://bulletins.psu.edu/undergrad/campuses/details/30/SPNBA
http://bulletins.psu.edu/undergrad/campuses/details/30/SPNBS and
http://bulletins.psu.edu/undergrad/campuses/details/30/SPANMIN
What has changed
Intermediate Spanish
- SPAN 110 will no longer count toward the major or minor. It is being replaced by SPAN 200,
which builds on the material covered in SPAN 100, i.e., it is sequential after 100. SPAN 100
and 200 will both include grammar/composition study as well as the oral communication
practice that SPAN 110 provided.
Old intermediate level curriculum:
SPAN 100 and 110 were taken concurrently or in separate semesters.
New intermediate level curriculum:
Take SPAN 100, then 200. This means that students will not be able to double-up on Spanish
courses when they are taking SPAN 100. (The following semester, though, it will be possible to
take another 200-level course concurrently with SPAN 200.)
Pilot phase – FA 12/SP 13:
- In FA 12, we will be offering a pilot section of SPAN 100 and a pilot section of SPAN 200. (The
latter will be for students who are too advanced for 100, based on AP or in-class assessment
scores. It probably will be numbered SPAN 297 during the pilot phase. It will be controlled and
offered by invitation.)
- For SP 13, students who took the pilot 100 class in the fall will be required to take SPAN
200(297) instead of 110.
- The plan is that all sections of SPAN 100 in SP 13 will be new version, and that SPAN 200 will
be on the Schedule of Courses starting in FA 13.
SPAN 400-level requirements
- The 400-level requirements for the SPNBA and the SPNBS/Applied majors are more specific
now. Rather than taking any combination of 400-level SPAN courses, students are directed to
take at least one 400-level class in Spanish linguistics and at least one in Hispanic literature.
The remaining 400-level credits may be selected from the full list of available courses.
Selecting a SPAN course for SP 13
- Students who take the old SPAN 100 in FA12 will be allowed to take SPAN 110 in SP 13.
- Students who are taking SPAN 110 in FA 12, but haven’t taken SPAN 100 yet, should take
SPAN 200(297) in SP 13. The fall sections of SPAN 110 will be adjusted to prepare students for
200 in the spring.
Substitutions during the transition period
- SPAN 110 for 200 - Students who already took SPAN 110 or are taking it this year will be
allowed to use it in place of SPAN 200 for the Spanish major or minor. This sub will be honored
as long as the student took SPAN 110 before FA 13. Starting in FA 13, all students must take
SPAN 200 rather than 110. (Sections of SPAN 110 may still be available for students who want
to focus on conversation, but it will not count toward the major or minor.)
- 400-level requirements for SPNBA and SPNBS/APPLD – Students who have not declared the
Spanish major yet but will have completed all the 400-level requirements by the end of FA 12
will be allowed to follow the old requirements. Students whose 400-level courses are still in
progress after FA 12 will need to make sure they are covering both the linguistics and literature
categories at the 400-level. (If a student needs just one more 400-level course but hasn’t
covered either category, s/he should consult with the Spanish adviser about getting an
exception.)
Contact information for questions
- Basic language placement (levels 001, 002 and 003) and proficiency testing – Becky Cross,
rlc21@psu.edu, 863-5417
- Spanish major and minor advising – Julianna Chaszar, jxc50@psu.edu, 863-8074
- SPAN 100/200 questions – Tim Woolsey (coordinator of the Intermediate Spanish language
program), tsw122@psu.edu