Please note: 

• Students must receive a C (not C-) or better in order to move on to the next level.
• Students are urged to declare the major at the beginning of their sophomore year and should communicate with their advisors on a regular basis.

• A study abroad experience of at least one semester is strongly recommended. See your Spanish major advisor and www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad for more information.

Required courses  [Total: 33 credits]

_____ SPA 321: Composition and Conversation I  [prereq: SPA 202]

_____ SPA 322: Composition and Conversation II  [prereq: SPA 321]

_____ Culture and Civilization course: SPA 310, 311, 312 or 313  [prereq: 322]

_____ SPA 330: Introduction to Literary Analysis [prereq: SPA 322 + 3 additional credits at 300 level]

_____ Survey of Literature class: SPA 331 Survey of Spanish Literature or SPA 332 Survey of

            Spanish American Literature  [prereq: SPA 322 + 3 additional credits at 300 level]

_____  400-level literature: SPA 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, or 480  [prereq: 330 and 331 or 332]

_____  SPA 495: Capstone [prereq: 400-level literature class and senior standing]

_____  four electives at the SPA 300- or SPA 400-level.  These could include:

• a course for the professions that may be relevant to your minor, second major, or future career, such as SPA 304 Spanish for Health Professions, SPA 305 Spanish for Law Enforcement, or SPA 306 Spanish for Business
• SPA 303 Professional Writing
• courses during study abroad. See www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad and your Spanish major advisor for more information

Courses with a prereq. of 202

• Offered both fall and winter semesters:  300, 304, 308, 321
• Offered fall semester:  305, 315  
• Offered winter semester:  306

Course with a prereq. of 321

• Offered both fall and winter semesters: 322, 360

Courses with a prereq. of 322

• Offered fall semester: 303, 311, 329
• Offered winter semester: 312
• Offered both fall and winter semesters: 309, 310, 313

Courses with a prereq. of 322 + 3 credits at the 300 level

• Offered both fall and winter semesters:  330
• Offered fall semester: 331
• Offered winter semester: 332

 Please note: 

• Students must receive a C (not C-) or better in order to move on to the next level.
• Students interested in pursuing a teaching degree are urged to meet with a Spanish advisor as early as possible in their program and continue on a regular basis.
• A study abroad experience of at least one semester is strongly recommended and required for students starting at GVSU in Fall 2014 or later.  See your Spanish major advisor and www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad for more information.
   

Required courses (or prerequisites for more advanced courses).  Total: 36 credits.

_____  SPA 321: Composition and Conversation I  [prereq: SPA 202]

_____  SPA 322: Composition and Conversation II  [prereq: SPA 321]

_____ SPA 309: Advanced Grammar  [prereq: 322]

_____  two Culture and Civilization courses:  Choose from SPA 310, 311, 312 or 313  [prereq: 322]

_____ SPA 314: Teaching Methods  [prereq: SPA 322 and one of: SPA310/ 311/ 312/ 313]

            Note:  It is highly recommended that SPA 314 be taken at GVSU.

_____ SPA 330: Introduction to Literary Analysis [prereq: SPA 322 + 3 additional credits at 300 level]

_____ Survey of Literature class: SPA 331 Survey of Spanish Literature or SPA 332 Survey of

            Spanish American Literature  [prereq: SPA 322 + 3 additional credits at 300 level]

_____ SPA 335: Intro to Linguistics  [prereq: 309]

_____ 400-level literature: SPA 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, 470 or 480  [prereq: 330 and 331 or 332]

_____ SPA 495: Capstone  [prereq: 400-level literature class and senior standing]

_____ one SPA elective at the 300- or 400-level
 

OPI requirement

• Students seeking teaching certification in Spanish must demonstrate oral proficiency at the Advanced Low level or higher on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) prior to their student teaching semester.  
• Research has shown that study abroad for at least one semester is necessary for students to reach the Advanced Low level of proficiency (Swender, 2001).
   

Study abroad requirement

• Students starting at GVSU in Fall 2014 or after are required to study aboard in a Spanish-speaking country for a minimum of one semester (12-15 credits in Spanish at the 300-level) in a departmentally-approved program. 
• Courses taken during this semester may fulfill some of the course required for the major.  
• The semester abroad should take place after completion of SPA 322.
• ​​​​​​​ Students who cannot meet this requirement will need to complete an alternative plan approved by the Spanish section’s Study Abroad Committee.

Michigan Department of Education (2004) Standards for Foreign Language Teachers: 

Teacher candidates must demonstrate a proficiency level of advanced low in all four skill levels. This applies to major and minors. 

• Reading 
• Writing 
• Listening 
• Speaking - assessed via Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) 

The MTTC covers six areas: listening comprehension, writing proficiency, reading proficiency, grammar and language comparisons, pedagogy, and culture. The MTTC should not be taken until you have completed 90% of your content area course work. Because it addresses pedagogy, SPA 314, should be taken prior to taking the exam. 

“All modern language majors and minors must reach a minimum of Advanced-Low on the OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) before Student Teaching (ED430/431).” 

What does Advanced-low proficiency look like? 

Advanced-level proficiency requires that students are able to participate in most informal conversations and a variety of formal conversations on topics related to school, home, leisure activities, work, and current events. They are able to narrate and describe in the past, present, and future in paragraph length discourse (combining and linking sentences). They are also able to discuss some abstract topics and support some opinions (characteristics of the superior level). 

Study abroad: Research has shown that study abroad for at least one semester is necessary if students expect to reach the Advanced Low level of oral proficiency. University foreign language majors who have not lived in a country where the language of study is a majority language tend to finish their degree with an intermediate high level of proficiency (Swender, 2001). 

What is the OPI? 

The OPI was designed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). It is a recorded “interview” which is double-rated; individuals can take the OPI either on the phone or via the computer. The structure of the OPI is as follows: 

• 5-minute warm-up 
• “cycles” based on a variety of topics, with steadily increasing levels of difficulty 
• Brief role play 
• Wind down 

When should I take the OPI? 

It is highly recommended that students complete a practice OPI before signing up for the actual test. Practice tests are administered by a department faculty member. 

Professor Fidalgo-Eick [email protected] 

Professor Vrooman [email protected] 

We also advise that students take the OPI as soon as possible upon returning from a study abroad. 

Please visit https://www.gvsu.edu/mll/opi-testing-160.htm for more information. 

Spanish Minor: 21 credit hours 

____ SPA 321 Composition and Conversation I  (prereq: SPA 202)

____ SPA 322 Composition and Conversation II (prereq: SPA 321)

Plus five additional three-credit Spanish courses at the 300 or 400-level

Suggested Courses:

• at least one Culture & Civilization course (SPA 310, SPA 311, SPA 312, SPA 313)
•  a course for the professions that is relevant to your field of study or future career:

            SPA 304 Spanish for Health Professions

            SPA 305 Spanish for Law Enforcement

            SPA 306 Spanish for Business

• SPA 303 Professional Writing
•  a literature class, such as SPA 330, 331, 332 (especially if you are interested in joining Sigma Delta Pi honor society.)
• other electives of interest
• courses during study abroad.  See www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad for more information.

_____  SPA 321 Composition and Conversation I  [prereq: SPA 202]

_____  SPA 322 Composition and Conversation II  [prereq: SPA 321]

_____  SPA 309 Advanced Spanish Grammar [prereq: SPA 322]

_____  SPA 335 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics [prereq: SPA 309]

_____  SPA 314 Teaching Methods  [prereq: SPA 322 and one of: SPA310/ 311/ 312/ 313]

             Note:  It is highly recommended that SPA 314 be taken at GVSU.

_____  two Culture and Civilization courses:  Choose from SPA 310, 311, 312 or 313  [prereq: 322]

_____  OPI requirement

• Students seeking teaching certification in Spanish must demonstrate oral proficiency at the Advanced Low level or higher on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) prior to their student teaching semester.
• Research has shown that study abroad for at least one semester is necessary for students to reach the Advanced Low level of proficiency (Swender, 2001). 
• It is highly recommended that students seeking teaching certification in Spanish study abroad for at least one semester in a Spanish-speaking country.  See a Spanish advisor and www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad for more information.

_____ Study abroad requirement

• Students starting at GVSU in Fall 2014 or after are required to study aboard in a Spanish-speaking country for a minimum of one semester (12-15 credits in Spanish at the 300-level) in a departmentally-approved program. 
• Courses taken during this semester may fulfill some of the course required for the minor. 
• The semester abroad should take place after completion of SPA 322.
• Students who cannot meet this requirement will need to complete an alternative plan approved by the Spanish section’s Study Abroad Committee.ed by the Spanish section’s Study Abroad Committee. 

• Students who wish to complete this minor must also complete the Comprehensive Science and Arts for Teaching (CSAT) major [prior to Fall 2021] OR the Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Elementary Teachers (PCKET) major [starting Fall 2021] and the elementary education major. 
• Due to the complex and extensive nature of the combined programs, these students should consult regularly with both CSAT/PCKET and Spanish advisors.
• A study abroad experience of at least one semester is strongly recommended.  See your Spanish major advisor and www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad for more information.
• Students must receive a C (not C-) or better in order to move on to the next level.

_____  SPA 321 Composition and Conversation I  [prereq: SPA 202]

_____  SPA 322 Composition and Conversation II  [prereq: SPA 321]

_____  SPA 309 Advanced Spanish Grammar [prereq: SPA 322]

_____  two Culture and Civilization courses:  Choose from SPA 310, 311, or 312  [prereq: 322]

_____  one of the following: SPA 313, SPA 329, SPA 331, or SPA 332

_____  SPA 314 Teaching Methods  [prereq: SPA 322 and one of: SPA310/ 311/ 312]

                                Note:  It is highly recommended that SPA 314 be taken at GVSU.

_____  SPA 335 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics [prereq: SPA 309]

_____  SPA 395  Advanced Speaking Strategies and Skills [prereq: SPA 314]

_____  OPI requirement

• Students seeking teaching certification in Spanish must demonstrate oral proficiency at the Advanced Low level or higher on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) prior to their student teaching semester.
• Research has shown that study abroad for at least one semester is necessary for students to reach the Advanced Low level of proficiency (Swender, 2001).