How Will We be Successful?

Speak Spanish in Class

Speaking: All of you have the goal of improving your spoken Spanish and to accomplish this you will need to practice as much as possible. In our class sessions it is your responsibility to speak in Spanish and to help you do this I use techniques so everyone has opportunities to answer questions and complete tasks. Sometimes I ask for volunteers, but mostly I randomly call on each of my students multiple times per class. This way all of you are required to pay attention, follow along, and actively participate. I know from personal experience that at times this will be difficult and uncomfortable so it's okay to ask for assistance or more time to create your response. Also, if needed you may "pass", but later in class or in the following one I will give you an opportunity to participate. I encourage you to be open minded, flexible, and embrace feeling outside of your comfort zone because you will only improve if you take risks and practice frequently. Remember, making mistakes and learning from them is a natural and important part of developing new skills. And you will see that I will mess up too, we are all human. Please know that we are a team and we will support you, help you when you make mistakes, and cheer you on! 

Vocabulary: I encourage you to use the vocabulary we are learning since you need to be exposed to and practice a new word 17 times before it goes into your long-term memory.  Practice and repetition are so vital! Also, if you cannot state the exact idea you want to express, try to communicate the general idea instead with words you do know. You will still get your point across while staying in Spanish. This will help to give your speaking skills a huge boost! 

Group work: Additionally, you will frequently work with your classmates in small groups. I ask that you actively participate, stay on task, and do your best to speak in Spanish as much as possible. Unfortunately, doing otherwise will have a negative impact on your progress and that of your classmates because not only will you not get much needed practice, but neither will your classmates. This really is a team effort! Go team! 

More of Profesora's Tips for Success

1. Carefully read, try to understand, and ask any questions about this syllabus since it explains how the entire course is structured.

2. Login to Canvas multiple times a week to view all announcements, messages, and to complete daily tasks in the modules.

3. Communicate early with me if you have any challenges with the material or if something has come up that is affecting or will affect your progress in this course.

4. Take advantage of student visiting hours (or make an appointment) to get all of your questions answered and valuable one-on-one assistance from me.

5. Learn from your mistakes by reviewing your notes, re-reading the text, looking up the concept online, and/or asking your classmates questions. If you do not revisit the concept, you will make the same mistake again.

6. Utilize the multiple useful resources provided in the Resources for Success module in Canvas.

7. Technology is an important part of this class so make sure you are comfortable with the apps, websites, and functions we are going to utilize. Use the various links provided throughout the course and/or conduct a quick Google search to find helpful instructions, explanations, and tutorials. If you encounter an issue, be proactive and resourceful in resolving your issue.

8. Ask questions. I am more than happy to help and your classmates are kind, understanding, and many people really enjoy helping others.

9. Commit to doing the work it takes to learn another language. It's not easy and it takes an enormous amount of time and energy, but it is worth it!