Spanish 253 | Heritage Language | Spanish and Portuguese

Who is this class for?

Spanish 253 is designed for students who are heritage language learners. These students have had contact with Spanish from an early age but typically have grown up in the United States. As a consequence of this exposure, they may have not had enough contact with written and/or formal uses of Spanish. It is the third course in the SHL program: SPAN 103, 203, 253, 323, 333, and 343.

TOP

What is the focus of the course?

This course helps students build confidence in the Spanish abilities they already have. It also focuses on raising the students' awareness of differences between formal and informal registers of Spanish while it expands both registers in the areas of writing, spelling, reading, grammar, vocabulary as well as oral production and listening comprehension.

TOP

Will I learn about my cultural heritage in this class?

All heritage language courses seek to deepen the students' knowledge of their cultural heritage by reflecting upon their own experiences and learn about Spanish-speaking countries' history, cultures, and literature. In this course, there is a special emphasis on learning about topics relevant to Hispanic communities in the US such as identity, immigration, human rights, etc. At the same time, students develop an appreciation for the cultural and linguistic variation present within the different Hispanic communities.

TOP

What are the specific objectives of the course?

By the end of the semester, students will:

Have an increased awareness of the differences among different registers of Spanish and the social consequences of their use.
Be able to write a well-structured paragraph in Spanish
Develop their dialectal flexibility to be able to use formal and informal registers of Spanish depending on the context and their own judgment.
Develop Spanish oral production and presentation skills
Develop their reading and listening skills
Gain a good command of Spanish spelling
Expand their vocabulary
Recognize and understand grammatical concepts
Learn more about their cultural heritage and appreciate the diversity among Spanish-speaking cultures.

TOP

Are Spanish 251 and 253 the same?

No! Spanish 251 is for foreign language learners (students who have learned Spanish in the classroom). Spanish 253 is for heritage language learners (students who have had contact with Spanish outside the classroom). Spanish 251 and 253 are academic equivalents in the sense that they both fulfill the fifth-semester language proficiency but they have different curricula. Heritage language learners are much better off taking a class that has been especially designed with their needs in mind and contains content that is of great interest to them.

TOP

Is this class for native speakers of Spanish?

No! No matter how you define it, a native speaker of Spanish usually receives language credits and is often placed into more advanced language courses.

TOP

How do I know if Spanish 253 is right for me?

If you have been placed into this course through the language placement exam, this is probably the best class for you. If you think that you need to be in a higher-level course, please talk with your instructor. When in doubt, please make an appointment with the program director to clarify all your questions and if necessary, take another language placement exam. If you haven't taken a placement exam, you need to contact the program director before registering. The program director's contact information is provided below:

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH FOR HERITAGE LEARNERS