San Francisco State University Inventory of Program Assessment Activities, 2005-2006 Program: Spanish B.A. College: Humanities Date: Program Mission: At the Undergraduate level the classes in linguistics, culture, and civilization are aimed at improving one's understanding of the language and the people who speak it. Measurable learning outcome A. Language Skills 1. Listening Comprehension. Student can understand the main ideas and some details on a variety of topics as well as description and narration in past. present and future SPAN 325 Students will master the spelling in Spanish before introducing phonetic transcription. 2. Reading Comprehension. Student can understand main ideas and facts in a variety of texts 3. Speaking. Student can sustain a conversation with a Place in curriculum where outcome is addressed SPAN 405: Latin American Civilization and Culture SPAN 205: Grammar Review Academic year outcome was/will be assessed 2003-2004 Assessment/procedures Methods/strategies Class participation Two written essays Three exams Group participation 2004-2005 Improvement of pronunciation and spelling is graded on a daily basis. Class participation Mid-term exam Research paper Final exam 2005-2006 Chapter tests, final exam, regular homework. Summary of findings about student learning Complete understanding of syncretism to explain development of Latin cultures Students felt more comfortable working in groups and sharing information about homework, phonetic techniques and surveys native speakers phonetic transcriptions. The course systematically reviews and enhances all of the Use of findings for program improvement The dyadic alternative (Dividing the class into permanent working groups.) More use of basic grammatical terminology is needed in the future and proper syntax techniques must be enhanced at all times. The final essay is a field tested innovation. Because students came to the course with varying degrees of Page 1 of 7
fluent speaker on everyday topics, narrate and describe at paragraph length, and handle an unforeseen turn of events. 4. Writing. Student can write routine social correspondence, cohesive summaries, résumés, narratives and descriptions, take notes, and write on a variety of topics. SPAN 305 Advanced Composition 2005-2006 Weekly composition based on specific topics developed in class with vocabulary skills major grammar points that students learn in first-year Spanish, with special emphasis on problem areas. Through regular homework, in-class participation conducted in Spanish, and regular testing, students came away with improved capability to manage Spanish grammar, giving them skills vital for managing upperdivision coursework in Spanish. This class covers the needs of both Segment III and the Spanish Program. preparation, greater care needs to be taken in the future to place students correctly. One vital need that should be met is a grammar review course specifically designed for heritage speakers of Spanish. B. Cultural Knowledge 1. Student can identify and characterize examples of such phenomena as painting, architecture, music and SPAN 401 Acquisition of proficiency in verbal tenses. Group work in order to evaluate style, syntax and ideas. 2000-2001 Contributions to class discussion. Two written examinations. The weekly survey of style, vocabulary and topics are based on students evaluations. According to the professor's evaluation of the students' work in this course, the students were able to identify and characterize examples of painting, architecture and music The weekly compositions must be kept. The vocabulary skills must be enhanced. The contemporary topics are well received. Page 2 of 7
film. 2. Student can identify major historical events and place them in correct chronological order. SPAN 405: Culture and Civilization of Spanish America. Students will be able to identify all the major civilizations of pre-columbian America and also the impact of the European encounter during the colonial period and the drastic rush toward independence. 2001-2002 One written examination covering the first weeks of classes about Latin American History. Two written essays covering one pre- Columbian civilization (midterm) and one contemporary nation (final exam). Several oral reports given in class. as well as major historical events in the history of Spain and place them in correct chronological order. The students were pleasantly surprised to find out that there are other kinks of music than rock-n-roll, other painters than Picasso, and other kings and queens than Elizabeth or Henry. Out of 29 students that finished the course, seven received an "A", fourteen a "B", three a "C", and five a "D". These results prove that the students are achieving this objective. Students were happy to compare civilizations from all the Latin American regions. The first exam based on an ancient culture was the cornerstone for the second one based on contemporary cultures. Since the class is so large (all the time), the work in groups is a must. It is better to put the students to compete for information related to each country assigned. Also, cultural activities outside the classroom will expand the importance of the class in their major. Page 3 of 7
C. Knowledge of Literature 1. Student can characterize major literary movements or periods and place them in correct chronological order. 2. Student can SPAN 405 Culture and Civilization of Spanish America Students will be able to identify all the periods of pre- Hispanic cultures plus the contributions of Europeans since 1492. The importance of Spanish civilization is a major event and also the gifts of Spanish America to the world in the present. SPAN 500 2002-2003 Two major essays, one about a pre-columbian culture, and the other about a country of the present, plus a set of hundreds of questions to answer and to hand in at the end of the semester. 2000-2001 Contributions to class discussion. Four written examinations. Since this class is also part of Segment III, students are very eager to write essays about civilizations of pre- Hispanic America other than Mayan, Inca, or Aztec. The final exam based on a contemporary topic is also a nice contrast for them because of the work using the Dyadic Alternative (the work with the same group of classmates since the first test and essay). Their evaluations show a high level of surprise (95%) and a desire to learn more Spanish American issues. Out of 38 students, 10 got an "A", 15 a "B+", 8 a "B", and the rest a "B-" or a "C". but the students usually tell me before exams that they are achieving their objectives. According to the professor's evaluation of students' work, the students in this course were able to characterize major literary movements and periods, place them in correct chronological order, characterized the This course does not need a change because it is already based on many suggestions given to the professor in more than 14 years teaching this subject. Again, the most clear improvement is the identity of Latin cultures from the past and the present and the relationship of the students with its geography, history and their goals with the Spanish languages. This is the course objective at this level. Few changes to this course will be necessary in the future. Although most students who take this course have never read anything better than Stephen King, and never taken a course in literature, at the end of Page 4 of 7
characterize the main literary genres. 3. Student can apply basic terms of literary analysis (for example, theme, structure and style). D. Language Structure. Student is familiar with the phonology, morphology and syntax of the target language. SPAN 325 Students will learn the principles of Spanish acoustic and articulatory phonetics and phonology and apply them to the transcription of any spoken text. SPAN 326: Morphology and Syntax. Students will learn to identify the lexical category of the parts of speech and their grammatical function within the sentence, and apply their knowledge to the syntactical analysis of Spanish sentences. 2000-2001 Improvement of pronunciation and spelling is graded on a daily basis. Two tests during the semester. One research paper. 2001-2002 Students participation was measured daily by the correction and collection of sentence analyses related to the syntax studied in class. There were also 5 quizzes created to test students understanding of the subject matter and to prepare them for the midterms. All students were called individually to the professor s office to discuss their progress and the topic of their project. main literary genres and apply basic terms of literary analysis. Out of 29 students who finished the course, nine received and "A", fourteen received a "B", and five received a "C" which shows that the students are achieving this objective. Due to inadequate preparation in linguistics, students resent having to take this course. They apply to linguistics the same method of study that they use for literature. Once the rejection is overcome, all objectives are achieved. The majority of students started the semester not knowing the difference between a noun and a verb. At the end of the semester, students were able to express with accurate terminology, their opinions, doubts, and findings about the encoding of meaning through grammar. Upon completion of all the class work, 23 out of 25 students earned a grade that ranged from satisfactory to the semester they know the basic techniques in literary criticism that allows them to critically read and enjoy any literary masterpiece. Better linguistic preparation on previous courses. Three years ago, the average grade for the class was C-. In 2002, it is B+. There are still some improvements to be made. The text book used in class is only satisfactory, and needs to be complemented, modified and explained heavily. The main challenge of this class remains the little previous knowledge that students bring to the class. More and more students are expressing Page 5 of 7
There were two midterms and a final exam. The first midterm measured the students understanding of the theoretical concept s of syntax, sentence, phrase and clause, as well as the iconic relation between a meaning and the syntax that encodes it. The second midterm tested their knowledge of the syntax of the single-clause sentence: grammatical categories and functions, different types of phrases, and issues of ambiguity in deixis, referenciality and head-tail relationships. The final text was comprehensive, with an special focus on compound sentences and the nature of the most basic clausal relations: causation, presupposition-fact, as well as the semantic effect of syntactical encoding. Comparative English- Spanish Grammar Project: each student collected a corpus of one hundred examples in areas where English excellent. This represents a significant improvement from previous years. During a three year span, informal mid-term evaluations have been performed. In 1999 students did not understand the difference between prescriptive grammar and linguistic competence. In 2002 they are able to apply their knowledge of syntax to their own teaching and translating. They bring to class and discuss examples of everyday language use, and they feel educated enough to give informed opinions about the future of Spanish in the Bay Area. Several students in the class have expressed their desire to complete a BA in Spanish Linguistics and two are pursuing graduate studies in Spanish Linguistics. All students in the class report having applied their knowledge of linguistics to other aspects of their education or their daily every year their desire to study Spanish linguistics as a major, and even a greater number express their desire to base their studies on linguistics and international relations, ethnic studies, and other disciplines. That is a very legitimate need that should be fulfilled. As students very legitimately suggest, the class should integrate more Spanish- English comparative syntax, With this they would improve their language competence. This would also give them the tools to become the authorities on the evolution of Spanish in the USA. It would also benefit immensely people who want to become translators or teachers. Because it is impossible to fit all that material in a semester, given the initial level of students, a class on semantics should be offered. Page 6 of 7
Students will be able to identify the Spanish phonos and transcribe written texts Students will be able to apply their knowledge of phonetics to acquire a Spanish pronunciation as close as possible to that of an educated native speaker. SPAN 326: Morphology and Syntax. Students will learn to identify the lexical category of the parts of speech and their grammatical function within the sentence, and apply their knowledge to the syntactical analysis of Spanish sentences. SPAN 326: Morphology and Syntax. Students will learn to identify the lexical category of the parts of speech and their grammatical function within the sentence, and apply their knowledge to the syntactical analysis of Spanish sentences. and Spanish differ in grammar construction (as defined by Fillmore and Goldberg). These examples are joined and added to an ongoing corpus that is at students disposal. 2002-2003 Improvement of Spanish spelling and pronunciation graded in every class. Mastering of learned phonos and their transcription graded in every class. 2002-2003 Research comparing English and Spanish phonemics on selected topics. Presentation of monography in class. life. Students have great difficulty with Spanish spelling and accents system. At the end of the semester, all students master transcription from written texts. Students did present monographies well beyond expectations. Most Anglo speaking students show a great improvement on pronunciation. Reinforce spelling and accentuation during basic courses. Page 7 of 7