Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I select the right classes for next semester?

MAJOR | MINOR PROGRAMS
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 or minor.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM 
Since certificates 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, Elena Gonzalez-Muntaner.  They will be able to answer your questions and help you plan your path toward the certificate.

Do I need to complete a Study Abroad experience for my program?

MAJORS | MINORS  
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 / EDUCATION MAJORS | MINORS
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.

Where can I learn more about Study Abroad Programs

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. 

The Office of International Education now has a study abroad worksheet to help you prepare for this important experience.

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?

 In order to receive official recognition for your study abroad immersion experience, you must go to the main office of the Department of Global Languages and Cultures, Clow Faculty Tower 317,and fill out the appropriate paperwork, which will then be forwarded for signatures and sent to the College of Education and Human Services for you.

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?

Once you have completed all of the necessary steps included on the Study Abroad worksheet provided by the Office of International Education:

  • Make an appointment to meet with the Spanish Coordinator and bring your most recent STAR report and all of the information you have collected from the study abroad program that you are interested in. 
  • Remember to bring all the course descriptions and course syllabi of the abroad program. 
  • The Spanish Program Coordinator will then work out course equivalencies (if possible), fill out a Transfer Credit Prior Approval form, and submit it to the Office of International Education on your behalf. Upon completion, your courses will transfer in as their UWO equivalents.
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?

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.

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?
In order to get your retro credits, you must fill out the retroactive credit form and submit the form to the department at glc@uwosh.edu.
I just completed 204 and now I want to start working on my major/minor. What is the next class I should take?
  • 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.
I am ready to start taking my required literature classes for the major. Which would be the best one for me to start with?
  • 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 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.
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.

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.

I would like to be licensed to teach Spanish in elementary/middle/high school! I am an Education major and Spanish major/minor. What are the official Content Assessment requirements for my Wisconsin teaching licensure?

The Content Assessment requirement is complete if the student achieves a GPA of 3.0 in all of their Spanish courses

If the student does not achieve a 3.0, then they must take the ACTFL writing and speaking tests as required by the DPI.  In both tests, the student must achieve a proficiency level of at least Intermediate High.  

The Spanish Program has information about ACTFL proficiency level expectations and 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 tests.

If the student does not achieve a 3.0 in Spanish major and minor coursework and does not achieve a proficiency level of Intermediate High on the ACTFL exams, please see the Spanish Program Coordinator for content portfolio options or a re-take of the ACTFL exam/s.

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?

Spanish Club
Time:TBA
Bailey Krause

SOL (Student Organization of Latinos) Fall 2020
Time: TBA
Jessica Plascencia, President.   
studentorglatinos@uwosh.edu

Spanish Conversation Hour | Fall 2020
Time: TBA

Contact Us

Clow Faculty 010
glc@uwosh.edu
(920) 424-4004