Van Der Kar: MLO1
Language Proficiency
This first Major Learning Outcome has to do with the expectation that upon graduating as a Spanish major from CSUMB, I will be able to sustain performance in speaking, listening, reading and writing at the Advanced level of language proficiency, as outlined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). This section will describe how abouts I did indeed satisfy this expectation.
As I near the completion of a Spanish degree here at CSUMB, I reflect on the journey that has brought me to this point and take note of how my competency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing the Spanish language has come a long way since I first set foot in the CSUMB Spanish Department.
Although I have yet to consider myself a fully fluent Spanish speaker, I do possess the skills necessary to successfully communicate whether it be in a school, work, or social setting. Most of my opportunities for speaking Spanish come from interaction with my fellow peers and professors, in working alongside Mexican Spanish speakers during my summers as a ranchhand, and in getting food on campus or at Mexican restaurants.
Listening Comprehension
My ability to listen and comprehend others speaking Spanish has improved significantly through my involvement in my major the last two years. Most of the classes that I have taken in order to fulfill the requirements of my major have been taught in Spanish. Each of these classes taught in Spanish was of particular worth in furthering my listening comprehension. Not only did I benefit from the many hours spent paying full attention to comprehend what the teacher was saying, but also from group readings and class conversations was I really able to hone my listening skills.
Reading Comprehension
Thanks to the number of classes I took which placed an emphasis on Hispanic literature, my ability to read complex and simple texts increased exponentially. While I don’t always catch every detail, I can understand the main ideas and facts of what I am reading. I am comfortable with reading texts such as narratives, short stories, news reports, descriptions, and either personal or business correspondences. Classes of particular importance to the development of my reading ability include; SPAN 304: Introduction to Hispanic Literature, SPAN 310: Hispanic Childrens Literature, and SPAN 321: Masterpieces of Hispanic Literature.
Writing Comprehension
As many of my Spanish classes allowed me to progress my reading comprehension through the reading of literature, so did many provide the opportunity to fine-tune my writing ability through many composition-related assignments. Classes such as; SPAN 301: Composition and Oral Practice, and SPAN 301S: Service Learning both very much reinforced my ability to write cohesively and coherently in the Spanish language. All of the classes mentioned above in relation to my reading comprehension also featured assignments which involved writing and thus helped me to achieve the expectations of this major learning outcome. Furthermore, this past year in which I have been working on my capstone project, particularly with writing a lengthy paper in Spanish, has aided considerably in the betterment of my Spanish writing abilities.
Samples of coursework that pertains to my language proficiency include:
SPAN 304: Introduction to Hispanic Literature
>Notes on the conquest of Mexico and La Malinchi
SPAN 310: Hispanic Childrens Literature
>Literature review
>Commentary on an article about literary techniques in children’s literature
SPAN 321: Masterpieces of Hispanic Literature
>Final study guide
>Notes on vocabulary and class-related literature
This first Major Learning Outcome has to do with the expectation that upon graduating as a Spanish major from CSUMB, I will be able to sustain performance in speaking, listening, reading and writing at the Advanced level of language proficiency, as outlined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). This section will describe how abouts I did indeed satisfy this expectation.
As I near the completion of a Spanish degree here at CSUMB, I reflect on the journey that has brought me to this point and take note of how my competency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing the Spanish language has come a long way since I first set foot in the CSUMB Spanish Department.
Although I have yet to consider myself a fully fluent Spanish speaker, I do possess the skills necessary to successfully communicate whether it be in a school, work, or social setting. Most of my opportunities for speaking Spanish come from interaction with my fellow peers and professors, in working alongside Mexican Spanish speakers during my summers as a ranchhand, and in getting food on campus or at Mexican restaurants.
Listening Comprehension
My ability to listen and comprehend others speaking Spanish has improved significantly through my involvement in my major the last two years. Most of the classes that I have taken in order to fulfill the requirements of my major have been taught in Spanish. Each of these classes taught in Spanish was of particular worth in furthering my listening comprehension. Not only did I benefit from the many hours spent paying full attention to comprehend what the teacher was saying, but also from group readings and class conversations was I really able to hone my listening skills.
Reading Comprehension
Thanks to the number of classes I took which placed an emphasis on Hispanic literature, my ability to read complex and simple texts increased exponentially. While I don’t always catch every detail, I can understand the main ideas and facts of what I am reading. I am comfortable with reading texts such as narratives, short stories, news reports, descriptions, and either personal or business correspondences. Classes of particular importance to the development of my reading ability include; SPAN 304: Introduction to Hispanic Literature, SPAN 310: Hispanic Childrens Literature, and SPAN 321: Masterpieces of Hispanic Literature.
Writing Comprehension
As many of my Spanish classes allowed me to progress my reading comprehension through the reading of literature, so did many provide the opportunity to fine-tune my writing ability through many composition-related assignments. Classes such as; SPAN 301: Composition and Oral Practice, and SPAN 301S: Service Learning both very much reinforced my ability to write cohesively and coherently in the Spanish language. All of the classes mentioned above in relation to my reading comprehension also featured assignments which involved writing and thus helped me to achieve the expectations of this major learning outcome. Furthermore, this past year in which I have been working on my capstone project, particularly with writing a lengthy paper in Spanish, has aided considerably in the betterment of my Spanish writing abilities.
Samples of coursework that pertains to my language proficiency include:
SPAN 304: Introduction to Hispanic Literature
>Notes on the conquest of Mexico and La Malinchi
SPAN 310: Hispanic Childrens Literature
>Literature review
>Commentary on an article about literary techniques in children’s literature
SPAN 321: Masterpieces of Hispanic Literature
>Final study guide
>Notes on vocabulary and class-related literature
