Carlos Santana by BRUNI Sabla

Spanish for Heritage Speakers

General Information

1. Question: Is there a Placement Exam for U.S. Hispanics?

Answer: Yes, the Placement Exam should be taken in order to advance to a higher level, that is, Spanish 282 or Spanish 381. Students who wish to enroll in Spanish 281 are NOT required to take the Placement Exam.

2. Question: What is the purpose of the Placement Exam?

Answer: The principal aim of the test is to place students in ONE of the three following courses:

• Spanish 281 (level I = equivalent to Spanish 103 and 211);
• Spanish 282 (level II = equivalent to 202 and 212); and
• Spanish 381 (level III = equivalent to 301 and 302).

3. Question: Do these courses satisfy the foreign language requirement?

Answer: Yes, Spanish 281 is equivalent to Spanish 103 + 211.

4. Question: Do students save money by taking Spanish for U.S. Hispanics?

Answer: Yes, students save the tuition of 6.1 units or more because 281, 282 and 381 are equivalent to courses of the regular track.

5. Question: Are the courses different from those offered in the regular track?

Answer: Yes, they are. Students focus primarily on grammar, reading and writing at the intermediate level and get a better understanding of the history, culture and traditions of the Spanish-speaking people(s). They are immersed in an all-Spanish classroom.

6. Question: Can students of non-Spanish speaking background take the test and enroll in Spanish 281, 282 and 381?

Answer: Yes, they can. The courses are open to all of those who want to take them. Spanish 282 and 381 require the successful completion of 281 or the Placement Exam.

7. Question: What is the content of the test?

Answer: The test is designed to help students identify the formal registers of Spanish through a systematic presentation of salient and varied grammatical structures. The one-hundred multiple-choice items focus on the grammar points presented in the materials used in Spanish 281 and 282. The student is encouraged to READ each item carefully. The knowledge tested in this exam is acquired through informal experiences in the home environment, the community, and travels abroad with relatives and friends. In addition, students may have had formal exposure in elementary or secondary school in both the United States and the country of origin of the student.

8. Question: Can I study for the Placement Exam?

Answer: Yes, you can study if you purchase the work-texts available at the Aztec Shops at San Diego State University. Please request Español para Todos. Curso Intermedio de Español para Hispanos de los Estados Unidos I and II. Please make sure that you purchase both volumes. Also, you can find the work-texts in the Reserve Room (Central Library). Please request the study guide for Spanish 381. You can check them out for three days.

9. Question: What is Español para Todos?

Answer: Español para Todos is a two-volume work-text designed for college students of Spanish-speaking background who are fluent in the home language but have had little or no exposure to formal Spanish. Because students come to the classroom with the knowledge of the spoken language, the purpose of this course is to reinforce the rules of written formal Spanish through varied activities that highlight the crucial grammar points at the intermediate level. This work-text also contains versatile content-based reading and writing activities, directed compositions, short translations, and drills oriented toward the learning of new lexicon.

The course is ideal for two-year and four-year colleges and universities which have implemented at least a two-level track or mini-program for U.S. Hispanics. It is also useful for mixed groups in which the instructor finds a considerable number of students of English and Spanish-speaking background. This work-text should be used with an intermediate reader or a textbook that emphasizes communication and/or cultural competency.

10. Question: Is there a need for Placement?

Answer: At San Diego State University we recognize the significance of placing students in the appropriate level, inasmuch as U.S. Hispanic students have different degrees of proficiency and competence in their ancestral mother tongue. Our policy is to encourage students to study the rules of written Spanish given that academic advancement in college and university courses is based on the performance on written assignments, tests, readings, and research papers. The Placement Test of Spanish for U.S. Hispanics is a test of literacy in the mother tongue.

Scores

Your score in the Placement Exam of Spanish for U.S. Hispanics is administered by Test Office, SS-2549, Telephone 619-594-2516 at SDSU. Once you submit your responses, you will read one of the following messages:

1. Your score is less than 35. Please consult with the Undergraduate Advisor or Instructors of Spanish.

2. Your score is between 36 and 55 points. You should
register in Spanish 281.

3. Your score is between 56 and 75 points. Your should register in Spanish 282.

4. Your score is between 76 and 100 points. You should register in Spanish 381.

If your score is too close to the higher level course and you want to challenge the score of the test, you should consult one of the instructors the first week of classes. The instructor may give you another test, normally a written composition. The instructor will use his/her best judgment to decide whether you can challenge the score of the test. However, we recommend that you do not drop the course you were assigned to take, because we cannot guarantee that you can be enrolled in a different section.

***** Students who score in 282 and 381 SHOULD GO TO THE SPANISH DEPARTMENT OFFICE (BAM 409) TO RETRIEVE THE CLASS SCHEDULE. The Department Office will request the official copy of the score issued by the Testing Office and Student I.D.

Exam Dates

The exam dates are announced every semester in the corresponding class schedule.

Transfer Students

Students who have completed a third semester Spanish course (regular or Hispanic track) are not eligible for credit in Spanish 281. Those with credit in a fourth semester Spanish class (either track) are not eligible for credit in either 281 or 282.

Community College students who have completed a Hispanic track program may take the Placement Exam to qualify for Spanish 381.

Heritage Speakers (graduates of preparatory school or equivalent)

Native speakers who are graduates of preparatory school or equivalent in a Spanish-speaking country are not eligible for credit in Spanish 281 or 282 (or any other lower-division Spanish course). They may take the placement exam to determine if they are eligible to enroll in Spanish 381.

Students with A. P. Spanish

Students with A.P. Spanish will not receive credit for Spanish 281 or 282. If students with A.P. credit take the Placement Exam and score for any of the above courses, they should continue with the courses of the regular track, Spanish 301 and 302. However, if they score for 381, they should take Spanish 381.

Also visit: http://www.rohan.sdsu.edu/~mhidalgo/