Comprehensive Written and Oral Exam Rubrics:
Senior Seminar in Spanish: SPA 380
I. Written Comprehensive Exam in Spanish
Task: Written Comprehensive Exam in Spanish, which is part of the capstone experience
in the Spanish major. The Written Exams will demonstrate presentational writing in
Spanish that is based on the interpretative reading of literary texts and other related
cultural manifestations. In addition to analysis of content and development of details, the
Written Exams are a showcase for the connection of cultural, historical, social, and
literary ideas through time.
Standards Met:
Standard 1.a.: Demonstrating Language Proficiency. Candidates demonstrate a
high level of proficiency in the target language, and they seek opportunities to
strengthen their proficiency.
Standard 2.b: Demonstrating Understanding of Literary and Cultural Texts and
Traditions. Candidates recognize the value and role of literary and cultural texts
and use them to interpret and reflect upon the perspectives of the target cultures
over time.
CONTENT
Target
50-45
Acceptable
44-35
- Answers directly and thoroughly all parts of the questions
- Develops ideas with elaboration and contextualization
- Provides and explains relevant examples/detail to support thesis
- Analysis is correct and on-target within scope of questions
- Answers directly and thoroughly a majority of the questions
- Develops most ideas with elaboration and contextualization, but
some key ideas are listed rather than defined
- Provides some relevant examples/details, but some thesis ideas
are not supported with examples
- Analysis is generally correct and on-target within scope of
questions, but some content errors and unsupportable
generalizations are noted
Unacceptable - Answers indirectly and incompletely the questions, and/or does
Below 35
not address the specific questions
- Develops few/no ideas with elaboration and contextualization
- Provides few/no examples/details to support thesis ideas
- Content is incorrect with grave errors and unsupportable stereotypical generalizations are noted
2
ORGANIZATION:
Target:
- Highly fluent and coherent
15-14
- Clear, forward-moving line of reasoning
- Parts of essay tightly cohesive and effectively arranged for aim/purpose
- Question answered in a clear and organized manner
- Overall, essay flows smoothly with clear transitions, has a formal
structure; main ideas well stated and organized
- Readily comprehensible, requiring no interpretation on reader's part
Acceptable:
13-12
- Generally fluent and coherent
- Occasional problems w/paragraphing & sequencing between essay parts
- Occasional problems with transitions, but the main ideas are present
- Logical progression of ideas but often lacks transitions
- Paragraph-length discourse, variety of transitional words and phrases
- Comprehensible, requiring minimal interpretation on reader's part
Unacceptable: - Serious and frequent problems with fluency and coherence
Below 12
- Lack of organization is apparent throughout the essay
- Numerous lapses in logical sequencing and lack of cohesion between
parts of the essay
- Essay is a series of separate and disjointed sentences with no transition
or formal structure; ideas are confused or disconnected
- No or almost no transitional words and phrases
SYNTAX
Target
20-18
Acceptable
17-14
- Uses a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences accurately
- Demonstrates excellent control of a wide range of grammatical
structures
-Very few, if any, basic errors such as subject-verb or gender agreement
- Uses mostly simple and compound sentences with few structural errors,
or attempts complex sentences with errors that do not affect
comprehensibility
- Demonstrates overall control of basic grammar such as subject-verb or
gender agreement, with occasional errors resulting from careless
proof-reading.
Unacceptable - Demonstrates little or no control of complex sentence structure
Below 14
- Numerous basic grammatical errors such as subject-verb or gender
agreement
- Errors frequently affect comprehensibility
3
VOCABULARY
Target
- Uses appropriate and varied vocabulary
10-9
- Rich variety of Spanish idioms
- Influence of English not apparent
Acceptable
8-7
- Usually uses appropriate vocabulary with some variety
- Occasional appropriate use of Spanish idioms
- Some errors in usage that do not affect the message
Unacceptable - Uses only elementary vocabulary
Below 7
- Creates nonexistent words or uses words in English
- Translates English idioms verbatim
MECHANICS
Target
- Good control of mechanics
5-4
- Very few errors of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, indentation for
paragraphs
Acceptable
3-2
- Fair control of mechanics
- Few errors of spelling (including plurals, past-tense forms, possessives,
contractions), capitalization, punctuation, indentation for
paragraphs
Unacceptable - Very poor control of mechanics
Below 2
- Many errors of spelling (including past-tense forms, possessives,
contractions), capitalization, punctuation, indentation for
paragraphs
4
Comprehensive Written and Oral Exam Rubrics:
Senior Seminar in Spanish: SPA 380
II. Oral Comprehensive Exam in Spanish
Task: The Oral Comprehensive Exam in Spanish, part of the capstone experience in the
major, is an extemporaneous presentational communication by the student after the
written comprehensive exam is taken.
Standards met:
1.a. Demonstrating Language Proficiency: Candidates demonstrate a high level of
proficiency in the target language, and they seek opportunities to strengthen their
proficiency.
2.b. Demonstrating Understanding of Literary and Cultural Texts and Traditions.
Candidates recognize the value and role of literary and cultural texts and use them
to interpret and reflect upon the perspectives of the target culture over time.
CONTENT (20)
18-20. Target: Superior completion of the task; content is rich; ideas developed with
elaboration and detail.
16-17. Acceptable/High: Completion of the task; content is appropriate; ideas
adequately developed with some elaboration and detail.
14-15. Acceptable/Low: Partial completion of the task; content is somewhat adequate
and mostly appropriate; basic ideas expressed but very little elaboration or detail.
Below 14. Unacceptable: Minimal completion of the task; content is frequently
undeveloped and/or somewhat repetitive.
COMPREHENSIBILITY OF MESSAGE (20)
18-20. Target: Content readily comprehensible, requiring no interpretation;
pronunciation enhances communication.
16-17. Acceptable/High: Content comprehensible, requiring minimal interpretation;
pronunciation does not interfere with communication.
14-15. Acceptable/Low: Content mostly comprehensible, requiring interpretation;
pronunciation may occasionally interfere with communication.
Below 14. Unacceptable: Content barely comprehensible, requiring frequent
interpretation; pronunciation may frequently interfere with communication.
5
FLUENCY (20)
18-20. Target: Speech sustained throughout with few pauses or stumbling.
16-17. Acceptable/High: Speech sustained most of the time; some hesitation but
manages to continue and complete thoughts.
14-15. Acceptable/Low: Speech choppy and/or slow with frequent pauses; few or no
incomplete thoughts; some sustained speech.
Below 14. Unacceptable: Speech halting and uneven with long pauses or incomplete
thoughts; little sustained speech.
VOCABULARY (20)
18-20. Target: Wide range of vocabulary; use generally accurate and appropriate,
including some idiomatic expressions.
16-17. Acceptable/High: Varied range of vocabulary, both thematic and general; use
generally accurate and appropriate; a few idiomatic expressions.
14-15 Acceptable/Low: Limited range of thematic vocabulary; use sometimes inaccurate
and/or inappropriate.
Below 14. Unacceptable: Inadequate and/or inaccurate use of thematic vocabulary.
LANGUAGE CONTROL/LEVEL OF DISCOURSE (20)
18-20. Target: Control of basic language structures with occasional use of advanced
language structures; variety of complete sentences and of cohesive devices;
emerging paragraph-length discourse.
16-17. Acceptable/High: Control of basic language structures; variety of complete
sentences and of cohesive devices.
14-15. Acceptable/Low: Emerging control of basic language structures; emerging
variety of complete sentences; some cohesive devices.
Below 14. Unacceptable: Emerging use of basic language structures; use of complete
sentences with few cohesive devices.