Estimad@ estudiante:

You have just received your placement result and you probably think it is too high. You are most likely worried that you may not do well in your class, as you may not remember much of what you learned in your last high school Spanish course.

Let me assure you that the placement test is designed to place students at a comfortable level, as it keeps in mind that some students may have a few years of lapse in language instruction. Most students get adjusted to the class during the first two weeks, but if you have the time to review before the quarter starts, it will make the transition much more comfortable for you. These are some skills that you can practice before the class starts:

- If you were placed in LISP1B/BX, practice introducing and describing yourself (what you study, what like to do, how you are) and others. You may want to review some basic adjectives and verbs in order to do this. If you have access to ‘Conéctate’ 3^rd ed., the textbook we use in class, you can review the vocabulary sections on pages 64 and 97. The looseleaf version of 'Conéctate' is available at the UC San Diego Bookstore https://ucsandiegobookstore.com/t-textbooksstudents.aspx

- If you were placed in LISP1C/CX, practice talking about what you did last weekend and what you used to do as a child. Going over sections 6.1, 6.2 (the preterite) and 7.1 (the imperfect) of ‘Conéctate’ will help you feel ready.

- If you were placed in LISP1D/DX, you may want to practice what was suggested for students placed in LISP1B/BX and LISP1C/CX, but you can also go over how to give simple advice to someone using expressions such as quiero que, es necesario que, or espero que. You can also practice providing a simple opinion about a topic using expressions such as es posible que, no creo que or pienso que. Going over sections 12.3 (The subjunctive: volition with regular verbs) and 13.2 (The subjunctive: Disbelief and uncertainty) of ‘Conéctate’ will help.

As I mentioned earlier, most students adapt to our immersion method in about two weeks, but if at the beginning of the second week, you feel that you are still having a lot of trouble, please communicate with your conversation instructor. They will be able to tell you what else you can do to adjust and, if necessary, they will contact me to review your placement.

Un cordial saludo,

Alicia

Alicia Muñoz Sánchez, PhD

Academic Coordinator for Spanish