SFS Spanish Language Requirement Guidelines

The directions in this section are for SFS students who have chosen Spanish as their language requirement.

1. Students with no previous experience should enroll directly in the introductory course as follows:
SPAN 003 Introductory Spanish I or SPAN 011 Intensive Beginning Spanish. Students with some knowledge of Spanish should take the Placement Test and matriculate in the course indicated by the Test (see #2).

2. Students who have taken the Placement Test in Spanish should determine their level as follows:

22-41 Intermediate Spanish I or Intensive Intermediate Spanish

42-66 Intermediate Spanish II or Intensive Intermediate Spanish

67-76 Advanced Spanish I (Span 101): Spain in Context or Intensive Advanced I (Span 111)

77-86 Advanced Spanish II (Span 102): Latin America in Context or Intensive Advanced II (Span 112)

87-93 Oral Review: Contemporary Hispanic Cultures (Span 161), Advanced Grammar (Span 151); or Gateway (Span 200).

3. The Online Placement Test is not proctored and it is useful to assess lexical and grammatical levels as well as reading comprehension. However, the Proficiency Exam is an Oral Comprehension/Production Exam that evaluates both language and content matter (history, econ, social issues in Spain and Latin America).

For this reason, and to ensure that students do well on the Proficiency Test, students who have taken the online Placement Test and obtained 87 or higher cannot sit for the Proficiency Test unless: a) They take Span 161 or a 200-level course; b) they take the Language Placement Test (also known as the Validation Test) given on campus (not online) during orientation; c) they schedule an interview during which their readiness for the test is evaluated.

4. Students who have taken the SAT II in Spanish should determine their level as follows:

200-360 SPAN 003 Introductory Spanish I or Intensive Basic Spanish
370-480 SPAN 004 Introductory Spanish II or Intensive Basic Spanish
490-550 SPAN 021 Intermediate Spanish I or Intensive Intermediate Spanish
560-630 SPAN 022 Intermediate Spanish II or Intensive Intermediate Spanish
640-690 SPAN 101 Advanced Spanish I (Spain in Context) or Intensive Advanced I (Span 111)
691-749 SPAN 102 Advanced Spanish II (Latin America in Context) or Intensive Advanced II (Span 112)
750-800 SPAN 161 Oral Review: Contemporary Hispanic Cultures

Students who seek AP credit and have not taken the SAT II test have to take the Spanish Validation Exam during New Student Orientation. Students who feel that their SAT II score does not reflect their current language ability are encouraged to take the Language Placement Test (also known as the Validation Test) given on campus (not online).

Students who obtained a score of “4″ or “5″ in Advanced Placement will be eligible to receive up to 6 credits for Advanced Spanish I and II depending on placement. Placement is determined by SAT II scores or the Placement/Validation Test administered during orientation (not online). Students who enroll in Span-103 or below will not receive credit. These rules apply to both the SATII Language and Literature Exams.

5. Registering in a course as an auditor or a pass/fail grade is not allowed in language courses. This applies to both graduate and undergraduate students.

6. Graduate students need to take the same steps as undergraduate students. However, for graduate students, grades in language courses below 400 do not count towards their GPA and appear in a separate section in their transcript. Also, graduate students need to obtain a minimum of “Good” in the Proficiency Exam in order to fulfill the SFS proficiency requirement.

7. Native speakers need to present documentation showing they have completed any degree necessary to apply to the university in a Spanish-speaking region and in a school with Spanish as the curricular language (i.e., not an English immersion school). Students should contact Dean Zenick to schedule a meeting and take those documents to the meeting. Students whose native language is Spanish but do not fulfill the educational requirements detailed above must take the SFS exam to fulfill the requirement. Students are reminded that the exam evaluates professional and academic command of the language, as well as knowledge of current events and the socio-historical and political contexts necessary to understand these events.

8. For information and details about the Placement and Proficiency Tests the students may consult the Department of Spanish and Portuguese website. If students have further questions they may ask their deans, to contact the Interim SFS Spanish Program Director, Dr. Anne Thinglum, or call the Spanish and Portuguese Department at 202-687-6134.