SPANISH FOR BILINGUAL STUDENTS
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISPANIC STUDIES
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
Through the Elementary Language Program, the Dept. of Hispanic Studies has offered basic
language instruction in Spanish to its undergraduate students following two tracks. The more traditional
track designed for students without any previous Spanish language background instruction includes four
semesters of instruction. Foreign language requirements for graduation differ between colleges. The College
of Arts and Sciences requires four semesters in a foreign language of its graduates. The traditional track
follows this sequence:
SPA 101
SPA 102
SPA 201
SPA 202
These are the course descriptions as they appeared in the University Catalog.:
SPA 101 is designed to provide students with an elementary knowledge of the Spanish language. Students
develop the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, and are introduced to the culture of
the Spanish-speaking world.
SPA 102 is designed to provide students with an elementary knowledge of the Spanish language. Students
will continue develop the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, and are introduced to
the culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
SPA 201 is designed to provide students with an intermediate knowledge of the Spanish language with an
emphasis on these four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It is based on a “culture-centered
approach to language learning that engages students in analysis and research on historical, cultural, and
artistic expressions of the Spanish-speaking world”, refining their communicative skills at the same time. The
rest of the ancillaries helps to integrate and expand upon the material presented in the textbook, giving
students ample opportunities to practice their listening and writing skills and grammatical structures at their
own pace. Furthermore, the course aims to enhance students’ abilities to use the resources of the World Wide
Web as a research tool to gather meaningful and authentic information about the Spanish-speaking world in
order to reflect on its most significant issues.
SPA 202 is designed to continue building the language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)
acquired in SPA 201.It is based on a “culture-centered approach to language learning that engages students in
analysis and research on historical, cultural, and artistic expressions of the Spanish-speaking world”, refining
their communicative skills at the same time. The rest of the ancillaries helps to integrate and expand upon the
material presented in the textbook, giving students ample opportunities to practice their listening and writing
skills and grammatical structures at their own pace. Furthermore, the course aims to enhance students’
abilities to use the resources of the World Wide Web as a research tool to gather meaningful and authentic
information about the Spanish-speaking world in order to reflect on its most significant issues.
Since many states have required foreign language education at the high school level,
universities are receiving cohorts of students with some background knowledge in a foreign
language. In order to move these students through the curriculum faster and to avoid having ‘false
beginners’ at the 101 level, the Department implemented a faster track for students with two years
or more of Spanish in high school. The track for Spanish for High Beginners was designed and put
into action four years ago.
2
This new track follows this sequence:
SPA 103
SPA 201
SPA 202
OR
SPA 203
(no further elementary language courses)
What are “high beginners”? These are students with some experience –formally or informally—with
Spanish but still need to review and practice specific language skills before continuing with their studies at
the intermediate level: “high beginners are ready for a class that puts less emphasis on explanations about the
language and more emphasis on practicing and using the language in real-life contexts.”1
SPA 103. This course is designed to review and expand students’ existing knowledge of Spanish at the
introductory level in order to prepare them for the intermediate courses. It is our purpose to further develop
student's abilities in the four basic skills of language learning: listening, speaking, readig and writing.
SPA 203. This course is designed to review and expand upon students' already existing knowledge of
Spanish at the intermediate level in order to prepare them for more advanced courses. The goal of the course
will be to focus on useful vocabulary, and cross-cultural analysis, to further explore functional grammar, and
to develop students communicative competence in Spanish.
RATIONALE FOR A SPANISH FOR BILINGUAL STUDENTS TRACK
In 2000, the US Census2 reported that the Hispanic population in the United States has become the
country’s largest minority. This population is concentrated mostly in the Southwest but is extending rapidly
to other states attracted by the possibilities of jobs, better living conditions and education. Kentucky is no
exception. The same census indicates that 60,000 Hispanic live in Kentucky making up 1.5 percent of the
state’s population. However, many put that number between 100,000 and 135,0003.
The Office of the Registrar of the University of Kentucky reported4 474 undergraduates of ‘Hispanic,
Mexican, and Puerto Rican’ descent. For the Fall 06 there were 60 ‘Hispanic’ freshmen and a total of 81
‘Hispanic’ students at UK. What are we doing for them in terms of their heritage language development?
In order to be ready for the challenges of an increasing Hispanic population in the United States and
in Kentucky and in response to the demands of a student population who, for various reasons: business,
travels, missionary work, etc, have grown up speaking Spanish, the Department proposes an alternative track
for this growing population: Spanish for Bilingual Students. This track will cater to the specific academic
and communicative needs of two types of students: those described as ‘heritage speakers/learners’ and those
who are ‘advanced non-native speakers of Spanish’. Such courses are already being offered by many UK
benchmark institutions (Michigan State, Arizona, Florida among others).
Even though the term ‘heritage speaker’ encompasses a wide range of linguistic skills, cultural
competence and even political awareness, s/he is usually defined as “a student who is raised in a home where
a non-English language is spoken”5. Although individual oral competency among heritage speakers could
1
Marinelly, Patti J. and Lizette Mujica Laughlin. Puentes. 4rd. Edition. Heinle & Heinle, 2007.
U.S. Department of Commerce. Economics and Statistics Administration. United States. Census 2000.
3 Tompkins, Wayne. “Una Vida Nueva; A New Life: Hispanic Changing Area Profile” The Courier-Journal [Louisville, KY] 2
March ,2003: 1X.
2
4
5
To a departmental request.
Fairclough, Marta. Spanish and Heritage Language Education in the United States, 58.
3
vary, theirs is usually more complex and advanced than their counterparts in the curricular tracks described
above. However, grammatical and writing competence sometimes is restricted since many of these students
grow up in homes where the home language “is limited to the informal register”6. If these students have to
succeed in an ever more demanding academic/ business world, writing competence has to be refined.
‘Advanced non-native speakers’ are those who learned the language formally or informally abroad or
in close contact with native speakers at home. Once again oral competency could be advanced, but
grammatical, writing, reading or cultural competence could be limited.
This new track will target the specific pedagogical instructional needs of these students by
reinforcing their oral skills and cultural competence, developing further their mastery of grammar and
writing and speeding up their progress through the Spanish language curriculum.
The track will include two courses:


SPA 205 Spanish for Bilingual Students
SPA 215 Written Spanish for Bilingual Students
(course numbers are tentative)
(course numbers are tentative)
SPA 205
SPA 215
SPA 215
(according to Placement Exam and Oral Interview)
Or
SPA 205 Spanish for Bilingual Students. This first course will be an entry level course and its purpose will
be to build on students’ competence and to further develop oral, written, reading, and cultural competence for
use in different communicative situations. Writing and grammatical practices should be contextualized in
situations that are meaningful to these speakers. Placement to this level will be determined by Placement
Exam and Oral Interview. SPA 205 is the equivalent to SPA 203 and fulfills the fourth semester language
requirement. Due to the intense oral and writing practice in this course, enrollment will be restricted to 20
students. This course will be taught in Spanish. (3 credit hours)
SPA 215 Written Spanish for Bilingual Students. Pre-requisite: Approve SPA 205 with a grade of B or
higher (or Placement Exam and Oral Interview)
This is the second level of the sequence. This course is exclusively designed for bilingual speakers and its
purpose is to further refine reading, lexical, and grammatical skills through intensive writing practices in
contexts that are meaningful to these speakers. Due to the intense writing and composition practice in this
course, enrollment will be restricted to 20 students. SPA 215 is the equivalent of 210 and 211 and fulfills the
pre-major course requirements. Students taking SPA 203 will not be allowed to take this course. (3 credit
hours)
6
Op. cit.