B.A. in Languages and Cultures with Elective Certification - Spanish Concentration

College of Arts and Humanities
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS 1
Academic Foundations
First Year Experience requirement4
English Composition requirement6-7
Mathematics requirement3-4
Interdisciplinary requirement3
Diverse Communities requirement3
Ethics requirement3
Distributed Disciplinary Foundations
Science requirement6-8
Behavioral & Social Science requirement6
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Introduction to Psychology
Humanities requirement6
Arts requirement3
ADDITIONAL BACCALAUREATE REQUIREMENTS
University Requirements
Writing Emphasis requirement9
Speaking Emphasis requirement9
Degree Requirements
Capstone requirement1-15
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Major Language Courses 2
Tier 1: Language Skills 3
SPA 202Intermediate Spanish II3
SPA 301Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition3
SPA 302Advanced Spanish Grammar and Conversation3
or SPA 303 Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Tier 2: Proficiency
SPA 315Advanced Readings in Spanish3
SPA 353Introduction to the Study of Language: Spanish3
or SPA 365 Spanish Phonetics
Tier 3: Competency Content
Select one course from each of the following groups:
Cultural Analysis3
Cultures of Spain
Cultures of Latin America
Latin America on Film (in Spanish)
Literary Analysis3
Spanish Narrative
Latin American Narrative
Exile, Land, Language, and Love in Medieval and Early Modern Spain
Language and Linguistics3
Study of Bilingualism: An Introduction
History of the Spanish Language
Tier 4
Select at least one 400-level course in literary, film, or cultural studies3
Spanish Comedia of the Golden Age
Modern Hispanic Literature (18-19th C)
Contemporary Spain
Senior Seminar in Hispanic Literary, Film, and Cultural Studies I
Senior Seminar in Hispanic Literary, Film, and Cultural Studies II
Nobel Laureates in Hispanic Letters
Immersion Experience 4
Immersion study and /or internship work experience is an essential component of the B.A.L.C. curriculum. Languages and cultures are inextricably entwined. The goal of the immersion experience, which is a requirement for graduation, is to enable students to apply linguistic and cultural knowledge in an authentic social context, and for them to experience the challenges and the gratification of living in another culture.3-12
Capstone Requirement
SPA 444Advanced Spanish Proficiency Development 53
Pennsylvania Certification in Languages K–12 6
Effective August 2013 students must complete professional education sequence of the following:
EDA 103Foundations of Special Education3
EDP 250Educational Psychology3
LAN 355Technology and Language Learning3
ERM 355Ethical and Effective Assessment for Learning 7-123
EDP 349Adolescent Development3
or PSY 382 Infant, Child and Adolescent Development
EDR 347Literacy Development and Secondary Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms3
Following Teacher Candidacy
EDA 304Special Ed Processes/Procedures for Secondary Educators3
EDS 306Teaching Principles and Field Experience in Secondary Schools3
LAN 401Teaching of Modern Languages: K - 123
SED 411
SED 412
Student Teaching Sec - 1st Half
and Student Teaching Sec - 2nd Half
12
PDE Prerequisites and Requirement for Program
LAN 327Introduction to Linguistics for Language3
or LIN/ENG 230 Introduction to Linguistics
LNC 368Comparative Cultural Studies (Language area cognate)3
Second Math Course3
Total Minimum Credit Hours123
1

For Spanish majors: SPA 101 - SPA 201 may only fulfill general education student elective requirements, and/or overall graduation credits. These courses will not fulfill their respective major requirements.

2

Minimum grade of C required in all courses.

3

Student may skip part or all of Tier 1 if the Major started at the 300 level or above (up to 9 credits). Students with an advanced placement can consult their advisor about taking SPA 304 and SPA 310 as part of Tier 1.

4

See the department chairperson and student handbook for options.

5

This course fulfills the Capstone requirement.

6
  • PAPA:  Undergraduate foreign language students seeking initial certification must take the PAPA (formerly PPST) series of basic skills tests unless they have met SAT/ACT passing criteria set by the PA Department of Education. For more information about this option or registering for the PAPA* tests, click here.  
    *Basic skills
    8001- PAPA Module 1: Reading
    8002- PAPA Module 2: Mathematics
    8003- PAPA Module 3: Writing
  • Teacher Candidacy: Please refer to the complete Teacher Candidacy Policy
  • Praxis II Exams. There are two Praxis II exams:
    • Praxis II Fundamental Subjects:  Content Knowledge (#0511/5511)

      The Fundamental Subjects (#0511/5511) Praxis II is a PDE requirement for all K-12 certification students in the state and, therefore, must be taken and passed in order to be recommended for certification. This exam is to be taken by world languages certification students prior to enrollment in SED 411/SED 412.

    • Praxis II World Languages tests are no longer a requirement for program completion. Effective Spring 2013, language certification majors will need to take the ACTFL/LTI (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Language Testing International) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT).
      Students failing to achieve either IH or AL will be permitted to complete the BA without certification in their language of specialization.
  • For certification-track students in French, German, Russian, and Spanish, the Department of Languages and Cultures will delete the requirement of AL (advanced low) on ACTFL OPI and WPT exams as a prerequisite for entrance into SED 411/SED 412.

For national recognition, the Department of Languages and Cultures, along with ACTFL and CAEP (formerly NCATE), requires OPI and WPT testing with the expected achievement of Advanced Low (AL). The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requires teacher candidates score Intermediate High (IH) on the ACTFL OPI and WPT; consequently, those student who reach IH or AL on the OPI and WPT are recommended in PDE’s Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) for K-12 certification by the College of Education and Social Work. Students enhance their career options and competitiveness in the job market by achieving AL. The Department of Languages and Cultures recognizes that school districts are looking for candidates who meet the ACTFL requirement of AL on the WPT and OPI. Therefore, for those teacher candidates who do not reach AL on the OPI or the WPT, we create remedial plans informed by a candidate’s OPI or WPT diagnostic feedback acquired from ACTFL/LTI.

See the Teacher Certification Programs section of this catalog for an explanation of related requirements.