FAQs
Frequently Asked
Questions
Spanish Program
Question
I am working on my Spanish major/minor and
I’m not sure which classes I should take next
semester. Whom should I ask?
Answer
Please see your Advisor in the Spanish
Program. You can find their name on your
STAR report. They will be able to help you
organize and plan your courses to complete the
major.
Since minors are not typically assigned an
advisor in the Spanish Program, feel free to
talk to a faculty member in the Program with
whom you are comfortable or with the
Coordinator of Spanish, David Gomez-Torres.
They will be able to answer your questions and
help you plan you path toward the minor.
Question
I am working on my Spanish major/minor and I
heard that I have to complete a study abroad
program in order to graduate.
Answer
Spanish majors and minors in the College of Letters and
Science are not required to complete a study abroad
program. It is strongly recommended by the Spanish
Program that you study in a Spanish-speaking country,
but it is not a requirement.
Spanish majors and minors who are in the School of
Education and who plan to teach Spanish, must complete a
study abroad immersion program of FOUR weeks or more
in a Spanish-speaking country.* The Study Abroad
Program must be approved by the Spanish Program. The
immersion requirement is a DPI (Department of Public
Instruction) mandate for all teachers of Spanish before
they may begin their student teaching in the field.
*The Spanish Program recommends a full semester abroad.
Question
How can I find out about Study Abroad
Programs?
Answer
It is recommended that you speak to your
Advisor in the Spanish Program, the Coordinator
of the Spanish Program, and the Office of
International Education in Dempsey 202. All
three of them will have helpful information for
you as you plan this important part of your
Spanish studies.
Ojo: The Office of International Education now
has a study abroad worksheet to help you prepare
for this important experience.
Question
I’m an Education major and I completed my
Study Abroad program a year ago. Why
does it still say that I have to complete a
Study Abroad program in order to begin my
student teaching?
Answer
In order to receive official recognition
for your study abroad immersion
experience, you must go to the main
office of the Department of Foreign
Languages and Literatures, Third Floor
of the Clow Faculty Tower,and fill out
the appropriate paperwork, which will
then be forwarded for signatures and
sent to the School of Education for you.
Question
What if I want to go on a Study Abroad
Program that is not a UWO program? How
do I get credit for the courses I take?
Answer
Once you have completed all of the necessary steps
included on the Study Abroad worksheet provided by
the Office of International Education:
You make an appointment to meet with the
Spanish Coordinator, take your most recent STAR
report and all of the information you have
collected from the study abroad program that you
are interested in. You will need course
descriptions and course syllabi. You and the
Coordinator will then work out course equivalencies
(if possible), fill out a Transfer Credit Prior
Approval form, which the DFLL will then submit to
Dempsey for you. Upon completion, your courses
will transfer in as their UWO equivalents.
Question
According to the Placement Test I took, I
should be in Spanish 312, or, for Heritage
Speakers, Spanish 310, but the class seems
way too hard for me. What should I do?
Answer
The Placement Test is not always a perfect
measure of some students’ knowledge of
Spanish. Consult with your instructor and your
advisor to find a more appropriate course level
for you.
Question
I just passed 204 with an A-, but my
retro-credits haven’t appeared on my STAR
report. How do I get my retro-credits for
110-203?
Answer
In order to receive retro credits you
must take a recent copy of your STAR
report and your campus ID to the main
office of the DFLL. Rebecca Habeck
will help you to fill out the paperwork
necessary to get your retro credits. In
2-5 business days your credits should
appear on your STAR report.
Question
I just completed 204 and now I want to
start working on my major/minor. What is
the next class I should take?
Answer
The Spanish Program recommends that you complete
Spanish 312, 300, and 301 before you move on to other
300-level courses. Those are our three core courses
for majors and minors.
Spanish 312 Advanced Grammar I is the best course to
begin with following Spanish 204. Depending on
circumstances students may also begin with Spanish 300,
Conversaciones culturales or a combination of the two.
Upon completing those two courses, your next course
would be Spanish 301 Advanced Composition I.
In the case of Heritage Speakers,you should begin with
Spanish 310.
This is the best next step for you in your preparation
toward the major or the minor.
Question
I am ready to start taking my required
literature classes for the major. Which
would be the best one for me to start with?
Answer
The best class to take after you have
completed your core grammar, composition,
and conversation requirements is
Spanish 314 Introduction to the Study of
Spanish and Latin American Literature.
This course is now the required first
literature course for the major and will give
you the preparation necessary to move on to
the more advanced literature courses, for
example 315, 318, 320, 325, 364. All
students should take this course before the
other literature courses offered in the
Spanish Program.
Question
All I have left to complete my major
are the required literature classes.
Do you think I could take three of
them at once next semester to finish
my Spanish major more quickly? I
want to graduate as soon as possible.
Answer
The literature courses are the most advanced,
most difficult courses in your major. In these
courses you will be expected to read, write,
and analyze literature in its original form and
at an advanced level. These are very
challenging courses. All of your preparation in
Spanish leads you to these courses.
Therefore, students are permitted to take a
maximum of two literature classes a semester
on campus at UW Oshkosh and/or in a study
abroad program.
This literature course limit is noted in the
current edition of Bulletin.
Question
I have heard that the DPI required exam for
Spanish is very difficult. I’m an Education and
Spanish major, when should I take the exam?
Answer
The DPI required exam for Spanish must be taken seriously.
It is best to take the exam immediately following your study
abroad immersion program and after taking advanced level courses
in Spanish. If possible, it should be taken at the moment in which
you feel your strongest in Spanish.
We recommend that you begin to think about and prepare
yourself for this exam from the very beginning of your studies, in
your advanced level grammar courses, conversation courses,
composition courses, culture and civilization courses, and literature
courses.
The test consists of WRITING and SPEAKING with the
required minimum level of achievement:
ACTFL Intermediate High
The Spanish Program has information to help you prepare and
practice for the Oral Proficiency Interview. That oral test can
be taken by computer or by telephone. Please contact the
Spanish Program for more information regarding the DPI test.
Question
• I heard that the DFLL and the Spanish Program
have a webpage. I’d really like to view this FAQs
presentation again, when will it be posted on the
web?
• http://www.uwosh.edu/foreignlangu
age
Answer
• Shortly following this meeting you will be able to
find this updated version of our Spanish Program
FAQs and the new major and minor requirements
on our webpage.
• http://www.uwosh.edu/foreignlanguage
Question
Are there any groups I could join on campus
to practice my Spanish, participate in
activities related to Spanish, and hang out
with other Spanish majors and minors?
Answer
Yes!
**Spanish Club!
**¡SOL!
(Student Organization of Latinos)
**Spanish Conversation Hour!
Links to Spanish Club and SOL can be found on
the DFLL website too!
**You can also follow the DFLL on Twitter or
“like” us on Facebook!
OJO
Don’t forget, when in doubt:
➢ Please consult your Advisor in the
Department of Foreign Languages and
Literatures, Spanish Program!
➢ We are there to answer your questions
and help you plan your major or minor!