THE SPANISH PROGRAM
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. PLACEMENT POLICY
1. First-year students with some background in Spanish should take the LSA Placement
Test and consult with an academic counselor for placement at the appropriate level,
either RC Lang 194 or 294. Some students with no background at all can only take
Spanish 194 in the winter term or by permission from the Program Head.
2. Students entering the program with more extensive backgrounds and higher scores on
the LSA Placement Test, will consult with an academic advisor whether they are eligible
to take the Residential College Spanish Proficiency Exam. Dates and times will be
posted outside 107 Greene, East Quad, at the end of August.
3. Students who do not pass the Proficiency Exam normally enroll in RC Lang 314,
Spanish Accelerated Review. This is a 4-credit review course for students who have not
quite reached the required level of proficiency at the end of RC Lang 294 intensive
course and for incoming students who do not need the 8 hours of the RC Lang 294
intensive course to reach our proficiency level. Depending on performance some
students who do not pass the Spanish Proficiency Exam may still be advised to enroll in
RC Lang 294 (8 credits).
B. THE PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION
The Spanish Proficiency Exam is administered three times each year: at the end of
August, at the end of the fall semester in December, and at the end of the Winter
semester in April. All RC students who have completed the second-year level or the
Accelerated Review, including RC students who take Spanish through LSA, are required
to pass proficiency before they can take the required third-year Readings seminar.
The Proficiency examination is a five-part, comprehensive test of language ability:
1. listening comprehension;
2. reading comprehension;
3. mastery of Spanish grammar;
4. ability to write and,
5. ability to speak (interview).
Conscientious work on our first and second-year intensive courses normally develops
sufficient linguistic ability to pass the exam. A more detailed description of this exam
follows in the coming pages.
C. OTHER ACTIVITIES
The Residential College Spanish program offers Spanish lunch tables and Spanish
coffee hours (Tertulia) to provide the opportunity to practice Spanish in informal
situations. Students, faculty and friends who wish to participate and practice their
Spanish skills are welcome.
• The Spanish table is held four days per week: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays from11:00 to 12:00 in the South dining cafeteria. There are always several
teachers on hand ready to converse with students. Occasionally we invite special
guests to join us.
• The Tertulia is held every Monday from 3:00-4:00 PM and every Thursday from 4:005:00 PM in the Greene Lounge. Casual conversation and other forms of cultural
exchange take place. Occasionally guests also visit our coffee hours. These are
excellent opportunities for students to practice the skills they have been acquired in
the classroom. Both activities are integral parts of the R.C. Spanish Program and
enrolled students are expected to participate in them on a regular basis.
• Students in the Residential College Spanish Program may participate in the Study
Abroad opportunities offered by the University of Michigan or may consider other
possibilities available to them through a variety of independent organizations or other
colleges and universities. If interested, contact the faculty in the Spanish Program or
the Center for Global and Intercultural Study (CGIS).
II. COURSES
Students who wish to fulfill the RC language requirement in Spanish must complete
RCLang 194 Intensive Spanish I, RCLang 294 Intensive Spanish II (or demonstrate an
equivalent level of skill), pass the proficiency examination, and complete a Readings
seminar (RCLang 324). Courses are offered in both the Fall and Winter terms.
In the R.C. language courses, emphasis is placed on
communicative competence
The normal sequence is two 8-hour courses, 194 followed by 294. This takes beginners
to the level of Proficiency at the end of two semesters. Accelerated Review, Spanish
314, is a 4 hour course for students who have not reached the level of Proficiency at the
end of 294 and for incoming students who do not need the 8 hours of the 294 intensive
course to reach the Proficiency level.
RCLANG 194 INTENSIVE SPANISH I: 8 contact hours per week (8 credits)
This course meets twice a day, 4 days a week and covers in one term the equivalent of
two non-intensive courses. The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic
but solid knowledge of Spanish grammatical structures and syntax, a basic vocabulary,
a familiarity with intonation patterns and pronunciation, and practice in speaking and
writing. Students in Spanish 194 meet in the morning for a lecture where grammatical
structures and vocabulary are presented in Spanish. Both vocabulary and grammatical
structures are presented in a situational context. In the afternoon students meet in
small groups for intensive practice of the material covered in the lecture.
At the end of the term, the final exam measures reading and writing proficiency levels
through three hour-long exercises in class: a grammar test, a reading comprehension
exercise, and a composition. Speaking and listening are not formally tested at this point,
but student performance in class, especially in the recitation, weighs heavily in the final
decision on whether or not the student can go into 294. Attendance at lunch-tables and
coffee-hours is also considered.
RCLANG 294 INTENSIVE SPANISH II: 8 contact hours per week (8 credits)
This course meets twice a day and covers in one term the equivalent of two nonIntensive courses. The goal of this course is to bring students to a level of competence
in Spanish that allows communication with ease in speaking and writing, and
understanding a written or spoken text of a more specialized interest. The morning
lecture is devoted to a thorough review and expansion of grammar, training students to
develop their listening comprehension skills and fine-tuning their vocabulary. The
lecture is in Spanish. Students meet in small groups for the recitation in the afternoon.
Emphasis is placed on speaking through the discussion of assigned readings and visual
materials, as well as on writing.
At the end of the term, the Proficiency Exam evaluates the level of performance in
communicative skills achieved by each student.
RCLANG 314 SPANISH ACCELERATED REVIEW: 4 contact hours per week (4 credits)
This course is designed for students with a fairly extensive background in Spanish, who
have already taken the equivalent of three/four semesters of language but still need
further reinforcement in two or more linguistic areas, and are too advanced for second
year intensive. The main focus of this class is the discussion of primary source
materials of literary, cultural and political nature pertaining to the Spanish-speaking
world, as well as the review of advanced grammar. Students work toward proficiency
with several listening and reading comprehension exercises, grammar tests, and weekly
written assignments evaluated for accuracy of expression.
At the end of the term, the Proficiency Exam evaluates the level of performance in
communicative skills achieved by each student.
RCLANG 324 SPANISH READINGS: 3 contact hours per week (4 credits)
The Spanish Readings seminars are open to all students who have passed the
Proficiency Exam. In these courses language is used as a tool to study other subjects
and is not studied as an end in itself. The class sessions are on an informal lecturediscussion basis, and emphasis is placed on student participation. Interdisciplinary by
nature, these seminars provide students with a way of expanding their studies of the
foreign language as well as with opportunities for applying their language skills to
explore their specific interests in more depth.
The amount of reading may be equivalent to 3 medium-length books. Students also
write and revise three 4-5 essays and journal entries, and often give presentations that
involve research on a topic related to the theme of the class. Regular attendance and
active participation in the discussion are required.
The Spanish Program makes every effort to present Readings courses in relation to
Latin America and Spain.
III. PROFICIENCY
The Proficiency Exam is also 294/314 final exam for RC as well as LSA students.
The four parts of the Proficiency Exam are as follows:
1.
Listening - Lecture retention
2.
Reading ability (journalistic or academic prose)
3.
Writing (grammar and composition)
4.
Speaking (open conversation with two instructors)
IMPORTANT
Plan to take a Readings course immediately after passing Proficiency. Students who pass
Proficiency at the end of winter term will have a four-month gap before taking Readings and are
encouraged to read Spanish during the summer.
STUDENTS WHO LET MORE THAN 4 MONTHS PASS BETWEEN PROFICIENCY AND
ENROLLMENT IN A READINGS COURSE AND TAKE NO OTHER SPANISH COURSE IN
THE INTERVAL WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE PROFICIENCY EXAM AGAIN.
The Proficiency Exam in Spanish is offered in September, December, and April.
A. DEFINING PROFICIENCY
Proficiency or communicative competence is the ability to use the foreign language as a
vehicle of communication and the ability to function effectively in the language in real-life
contexts. The level of Proficiency at the RC evaluates in a broad but complete manner
the way students behave or function in the target language. A practical way of
describing this linguistic behavior is following the four language skills: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. These skills are practiced together and are interrelated.
A student who has reached proficiency level should have achieved the following:

Listening Comprehension
The student is able to understand a class entirely in the target language, experiencing
few problems, controlling the language spoken at a moderate speed but with more
technical, specialized vocabulary. S/he should have no difficulty in simple face-to-face
conversation. In the exam, a twenty minute lecture on any topic of general interest
should be well understood for content, main points and conclusions although some
minor errors in details may still occur.

Reading Comprehension
The student is able to read a text in the foreign language and not look up every
unknown word but can guess its meaning within the context. In skim-type reading, the
student understands the main ideas accurately and uses the dictionary only occasionally
for a closer and more analytic reading. When reading a newspaper or journal article,
the student shows good comprehension of the text, even without the help of a
dictionary. S/he can report general direction and conclusion of the text accurately; still
some minor misunderstandings may occur.

Writing
The student can write in the foreign language in such a way that the text is completely
intelligible to the native speaker. Structures and words from English are avoided, so
that no sentence is obscure to a native speaker who does not know English. The
student has a diversified vocabulary range which allows for clarity of expression. Basic
mistakes are avoided in the agreement of nouns, adjectives, etc.; mistakes in gender
are avoided. Some residual problems with prepositions or certain verb modes that take
longer to master may still appear.

Speaking
The student can reproduce all sounds of the foreign language, especially those that may
contribute to confusion in meaning. In a conversation, occasional phonemic errors may
slip in but do not stand in the way of comprehension by a native listener. Although
students may retain the phonetics, rhythm and intonation of their native language,
speech is intelligible and does not interfere with effective communication. Vocabulary
use is appropriate. Structures, while simple, show good command of basic grammar.
Adequate fluency has been achieved. Some stumbling and pauses may take place, but
student manages to continue. A student at this level should be able to manage with
ease routine social situations in addition to casual conversations about work, family and
autobiographical information. Students are also expected to manage more
general/abstract academic subjects, personal interests, and goals.
B. INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH SECTION OF THE PROFICIENCY EXAM

Lecture/listening comprehension
You will listen to a 15-20 minute lecture in Spanish twice. You will take notes in Spanish
as you listen and summarize the salient points. Write in SPANISH all you can recall.
You do not need to give all the details, but must ensure that you underscore all the main
points, the general orientation, and the conclusion so that someone who was not
present would have a good idea of the content by reading your summary.

Reading comprehension
You will read a 3 or 4 page article in journalistic style. The objective is to grasp a global
understanding of the material presented without having to know the meaning of every
unfamiliar word. You will write a summary in English and explain the content of the
article as if to someone who knew no Spanish but needed to know the content of the
article. Remember to mention the salient points and organize your thoughts clearly
without introducing your own opinions.

Writing: Grammar and Composition Themes
You will be asked to fill in synthetic paragraphs with a variety of grammatical problems:
verb tenses and moods, prepositions, relative pronouns, etc. Read the paragraph for
comprehension carefully and then start working.
You will also be given a choice of three themes to demonstrate your ability to express yourself in
writing. The composition should be 350 words in length, and should be clearly organized. Please
proof read your essays and check for tense, person, number, and adjective agreement. Write
clearly and neatly.

Speaking: Oral Interview
Before the written exam, you will come in for a 10-12 minute interview to converse with
two of the instructors on personal information, academic interests or discussion of a
current social issue. Do not resort to English if you do not know or do not remember a
word, but rather explain what you mean. Also, expand on your answers, elaborate your
ideas, explain, and be an active participant in the conversation.
CORRECTION OF COMPOSITIONS
5
15
14
13
demonstrates
superiority
“look like Spanish” - feeling for the language. Wide
idiomatic vocabulary. No mistakes in verb tense
usage. No spelling mistakes. High consistency.
4
12
11
10
demonstrates
competence
Variety of syntactic construction (occasional small
mistakes). Group grasp of vocabulary. Good usage
of verb tenses. Consistency.
3
9
8
7
suggests
competence
Acceptable general grammatical spelling and
general knowledge of forms (verb tenses,
prepositions, etc.) Correct sentences but short. A non-English
speaker can understand in spite of mistakes
2
6
5
4
suggests
incompetence
Syntax looks like English. Problems of agreement.
Occasionally a correct sentence but lacks
consistency. Impossible or difficult to understand for
a non-English speaker.
1
3
2
1
demonstrates
incompetence
No complete sentences.
No vocabulary
PASS
In this scale, 7 minimum for passing Proficiency.
CORRECTION OF LISTENING COMPREHENSION AND
CORRECTION OF READING COMPREHENSION
5
15
14
13
demonstrates
superiority
Complete comprehension of the text in all its
main points. Accuracy of details. Near total
recall.
4
12
11
10
demonstrates
competence
Good and/or complete comprehension of the
main point and conclusion of the text. Some less
important details ignored or forgotten.
3
9
8
7
suggests
competence
Adequate comprehension of the text. The general
direction and conclusion reported accurately.
Some minor errors about details, or details
omitted.
6
5
4
suggests
incompetence
Inadequate comprehension of the text. Several
main points omitted or misunderstood. No
continuity.
3
2
demonstrates
incompetence
Knows vaguely what the text is all about but
not much more.
PASS
2
1
In this scale, 7 would be the minimum for passing proficiency.
“Text”: text read in the reading comprehension part and the text spoken by the lecturer in the listening
comprehension.
CORRECTION OF INTERVIEW
Pronunciation
5
Phonetically very good
4
Phonemically accurate pronunciation
3
Occasional phonemic errors, but comprehension in general
__________________________________________________________________
2
Many errors, difficult to perceive meaning
1
Incomprehensible or no response
Vocabulary
5
Wide range of vocabulary
4
Student uses appropriate words throughout
3
Minor lexical problems; vocabulary generally appropriate
__________________________________________________________________
2
Vocabulary often inaccurate or too limited for effective communication
1
Inaccurate vocabulary throughout
Structure
5
No errors of morphology or syntax. At ease handling complex structures,
spontaneous use of basic idioms; no incoherence
4
Forms and structures are accurate in general, slight errors.
3
Some errors in structure and forms but speech intelligible. Syntax
limited to basic forms and structures
__________________________________________________________________
2
Many errors of basic structure and form: misuse of tenses (present
for past, hard to follow non-conjugated verbs)
1
No correct structures no response
Fluency
5
Speech is natural and continuous; pauses are natural (The ones a
native speaker would use.)
4
Generally natural and continuous; slight stumbling; pauses at
unnatural points
3
Stumbling and long pauses at unnatural points in utterance;
manages to rephrase and continue
__________________________________________________________________
2
Too much stumbling, long pauses; difficulty in rephrasing for
comfortable conversation
1
Long and numerous pauses; utterances left unfinished/no response
Aural Comprehension
5
4
Complete comprehension throughout the conversation
Occasional words missed, but question are asked about them.
Conversation naturally restored
3
Interrupts to question about words and phrases missed, pace is
slower than normal but comprehension remains adequate.
__________________________________________________________________
2
Many words missed; difficulty in keeping conversation at a
meaningful level of communication
1
Very little/no understanding.
In this scale, 3 is the minimum for passing proficiency.
C. PROFICIENCY AND CREDITS
The Proficiency test is the final exam for Spanish 294 and Spanish 314. Passing Proficiency
is based on: performance, regular attendance and active participation in class. Attendance
and participation at the lunch-tables and coffee hours play a large part in your linguistic
acquisition as well.
If one part is borderline a student may pass Proficiency provided that his/her attendance
and class work/participation have been satisfactory. Students who have not reached the
proficiency level but have made progress equivalent to at least one semester of nonintensive course receive 4 credits. These students will have to take the Accelerated Review.
Occasionally, however, if a student has made a consistent effort throughout the term and
has shown visible progress, s/he may receive 8 credits for RCLang 294.
A similar policy is applied to RCLang 194: a student may receive 8 credits and pass the
course, or receive 4 credits, an indication that s/he needs further work with the material.
SOME USEFUL TIPS:
The Residential College Spanish Program goes beyond the mere manipulation of grammatical
forms and vocabulary words by rote. Students use the language to communicate real and
meaningful messages. They are constantly encouraged to express their thoughts, ideas, and
opinions in the most accurate way. We care about what you think and we want to hear your
voice in Spanish.
Your instructors want you to feel empowered by speaking another language, to see yourself
making progress, and to succeed in attaining proficiency. Help is always available, and you
need to be proactive and seek it from the start.
An intensive course is intensive. You are covering in one term the material normally covered
in one year or more of non-intensive study. Therefore attendance and hard work are essential.
You will receive a detailed Programa de Trabajo (syllabus) in each of your classes and must
follow it faithfully. Likewise, you must participate actively in oral exercises and/or directed
conversations in the afternoon sections. Be prepared to ensure a good discussion in class and
make the best out of it every day.
When you start in 194, you are already working towards the development of a Proficiency level.
Soon you will discover how proud it will make you feel and how useful it can be for you in
expected and unexpected ways. Learning another language can be a life-long adventure, do
not shy away from it.
Welcome to our program!
Olga López-Cotín, Ph.D.
Spanish Program Head
107 Greene, East Quad
olcotin@umich.edu
(734) 647-4372
Revised 7/2010
The
Spanish
Program