Students graduating with a BA in Spanish will be orally proficient in the Spanish language.
Objective
Oral Proficiency
Students graduating with a BA in Spanish will have reached the following oral proficiency rating scale based on ACTFL (American Council on the teaching of Foreign Languages) standards: 2 (advanced); able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements in areas of communication and cultures.
Indicator
Scores On Capstone Exercise For Oral Assessment
Students graduating in Spanish will provide an oral presentation lasting ten minutes and that consists of a topic of the student's choice given to the Foreign Language public and followed by a ten minute target-language question and answer period. The oral presentation is assessed by faculty members who use the ACTFL (American Council on the teaching of Foreign Languages) standards as a rubric. These standards have been established by the major organization in the teaching of Foreign Languages.
Criterion
80% Of Students Will Score A 2 (advanced) Or Better On The Oral Presentation
80% of students graduating with a Spanish BA will score a 2 (advanced) or better on the oral presentation given in the senior-level courses. This rating is based on the ACTFL (American Council on the teaching of Foreign Languages) standards. A 2 (advanced) means that a student will be able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements in areas of communication and cultures.
Finding
Capstone Oral Presentations
46% of the students obtained an oral proficiency rating of 2 on the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) standards. Most students rated in the Intermediate range, making them able to satisfy most survival needs and limited social demands. Thus, students needed to improve their ability to communicate in formal and informal settings. The students that obtained oral proficiency ratings above the standard set by the department were at the highest level--educated native speaker.
Indicator
Students' Perception Of Oral Proficiency
Students are given an exit interview. This is an online, anonymous exit interview in English about their undergraduate experience with Foreign Languages. On this survey, students are asked to rate their current level of skill in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural knowledge on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most proficient. They were also asked to rate the effect of their coursework on the skills in the same areas on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most effect.
Criterion
80% of students will rate their oral proficiency a 3 or better
80% of students will rate their oral proficiency a 3 or better on a 1-5 scale with 5 being the most proficient. In addition, 80% of the students will rate the effect of their FL courses on their oral proficiency as a 3 or better on a 1-5 scale.
Finding
Exit survey oral proficiency
Of the 9 students that responded, 4 rated themselves a 5 (very good) on a 1-5 scale, 3 rated themselves a 4 (above average), and 2 rated themselves a 3 (average) for listening skills. Of the 9 students that responded, 2 rated themselves a 5 (very good), 2 a 4 (above average), 2 a 3 (average) and 3 a 2 (below average) for speaking skills. Thus,100% rated themselves as a 3 or better as listeners in Spanish. 66% rated themselves as a 3 or better as speakers of Spanish. No one rated themselves below average as a listener and 33% rated themselves as a below average speaker.
Additionally, of the 7 respondents, 4 rated their classes as very effective in teaching listening in Spanish, 2 rated them as somewhat effective and 1 rated them as somewhat ineffective. Of 7 respondents, 2 rated the classes as very effective in teaching speaking skills, 1 as somewhat effective, 1 as somewhat ineffective, and 3 as very ineffective. Thus,86% felt the classes were effective in teaching listening skills while 57% felt the classes were ineffective in teaching speaking skills.
Action
Oral Proficiency Assessment Training
In order to better assess oral proficiency for our students, we will submit a grant to participate in ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) training.
Action
Oral Proficiency
Since we did not meet our standard for oral proficiency, we will provide more opportunities for students to practice their oral skills. We will provide more lab experiences that emphasize oral proficiency, more assignments in class that emphasize oral proficiency, and require students to attend activities outside of class that force the student to use their oral skills. Examples of these activities include Spanish lunches with native speakers, speakers, poetry readings, or a service learning project with the Hispanic community. A learning objective related to speaking Spanish will also be emphasized on all syllabi for Spanish classes.
Objective
Oral Proficiency For Teachers
Students graduating with a BA in Spanish and teaching certification will be able to exhibit oral proficiency as measured by the TOPT exam.
Indicator
TOPT Exam
Students receiving teacher certification in Spanish must take the TOPT exam, which measures oral proficiency. Students are given a Passed or Not Passed score on the exam.
The TOPT requires the student to provide a recorded response to specific speaking tasks in order to demonstrate a proficiency in Spanish. During the testing session, the student responds on audiotape to questions that allow him/her to demonstrate his/her speaking ability in Spanish. The test session lasts approximately one hour and 15 minutes. The student's proficiency in speaking the language is measured against an established standard of competence. To pass the TOPT, a student must receive a score of 6 or higher based on the combination of scores received from a minimum of two independent scorings of the response.
Criterion
90% of students receiving teaching certification in Spanish will pass the TOPT
90% of students receiving teaching certification in Spanish will pass the TOPT, indicating oral proficiency in Spanish.
Finding
TOPT Scores
93% of students passed the TOPT exam. The one student that did not pass scored significantly below the other students. The average score for the students was a 6.5 while the student that did not pass scored a 4. It appears that we are preparing our students to be orally proficient.
Action
Oral Proficiency Assessment Training
In order to better assess oral proficiency for our students, we will submit a grant to participate in ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) training.
Action
Oral Proficiency
Since we did not meet our standard for oral proficiency, we will provide more opportunities for students to practice their oral skills. We will provide more lab experiences that emphasize oral proficiency, more assignments in class that emphasize oral proficiency, and require students to attend activities outside of class that force the student to use their oral skills. Examples of these activities include Spanish lunches with native speakers, speakers, poetry readings, or a service learning project with the Hispanic community. A learning objective related to speaking Spanish will also be emphasized on all syllabi for Spanish classes.
Goal
Knowledge Of Subject Matter
Students graduating with a BA in Spanish will have knowledge of Spanish literature and the language.
Objective
Students Will Demonstrate Knowledge Of The Spanish Language And Literature
Students graduating with a BA in Spanish will demonstrate knowledge of the Spanish language through written communication. Students will also demonstrate a knowledge of the literature through reading proficiency.
Indicator
Scores On TeXes Exam
All students receiving teaching certification in Spanish must pass the TeXes. Students receive a Passed or Not Passed for the test.
The State Board of Education mandated the development of a testing program as part of the state's educator certification requirements. The purpose of the TeXes is to ensure that each educator has the necessary content and professional knowledge to teach in Texas public schools.
The tests are criterion-referenced. A criterion-referenced test is designed to measure a candidate's knowledge and skills in relation to an established standard of competence (criterion) rather than in relation to the performance of other candidates. The explicit purpose of this test is to help identify candidates who have demonstrated the level of knowledge required to perform satisfactorily in Spanish. The test measures content knowledge and skills defined by specific learning objectives. The questions on the tests are all multiple-choice with four possible answer choices given for each question.
The following areas are tested by the TeXes: Domain I: Listening Domain II: Written Communication Domain III: Language Structures Domain IV: Vocabulary and Usage Domain V: Language and Culture, which includes literature, art, geography, history and music.
Criterion
90% of students receiving teaching certification in Spanish will pass the TeXes
90% of students receiving teaching certification in Spanish will pass the TeXes, thus, indicating the acquisition of required knowledge of language and literature.
Finding
TeXes Scores
89% of the students passed on the first try. 100% of the students passed by the second attempt. The student who failed at first was weakest in Domain 3 which is language structures. To pass the exam later, he improved greatly in Domain Area 3 and 5, language structures and Language and Culture. Must students registered their lowest scores in Domains 3 and 4: Language Structures and Vocabulary and Usage. This shows a weakness in grammar and vocabulary.
Indicator
Students' Perception Of Written Communication Proficiency
Students are given an exit interview. This is an online, anonymous exit interview in English about their undergraduate experience with Foreign Languages. On this survey, students are asked to rate their current level of skill in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural knowledge on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most proficient. They were also asked to rate the effect of their coursework on the skills in the same areas on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most effect.
Criterion
80% of students will score a 3 or better on the student survey for writing and reading
80% of students will rate their writing and reading skills a 3 or better on a 1-5 scale with 5 being the most proficient. In addition, 80% of the students will rate the effect of their FL courses on their writing and reading skills as a 3 or better on a 1-5 scale.
Finding
Exit survey written communication and reading
Of the 9 students that responded, 2 rated themselves a 5 (very good) on a 1-5 scale, 3 rated themselves a 4 (above average), and 3 rated themselves a 3 (average), and 1 rated himself 2 (below average) for writing skills. Of the 9 students that responded, 2 rated themselves a 5 (very good), 6 a 4 (above average), and 1 a 3 (average) for Reading skills. Thus,89% rated themselves as a 3 or better as writers in Spanish. 100% rated themselves as a 3 or better as readers of Spanish. Only 11% rated themselves below average as a writer and no one rated themselves as a below average reader. Additionally, of the 7 respondents, 3 rated their classes as very effective in teaching writing in Spanish and 4 rated them as somewhat effective. Of 7 respondents, 3 rated the classes as very effective in teaching reading skills, 2 as effective, and 2 as somewhat effective. Thus,100% felt the classes were effective in teaching writing and reading skills.
Indicator
Portfolios
A three-item, graded, portfolio of assignments and/or exams and/or papers in Spanish from upper-division classes the student has taken through FOL will be collected. The portfolios will be evaluated by FOL faculty as either acceptable or unacceptable. The faculty will use the ACTFL standards as a rubric. Any paper that is Intermediate or above will be considered acceptable.
Criterion
90% of students will receive an acceptable rating on the portfolio
At least 90% of students will receive an acceptable rating (Intermediate to Advanced)on the portfolio, indicating the ability to write proficiently in Spanish, knowledge of Spanish culture, language, and literature. The ACTFL standards will be used as a rubric.
Finding
Portfolios
100% of student portfolios were rated acceptable by faculty (Intermediate to Advanced level). The faculty considered linguistic considerations such as spelling, accentuation, vocabulary, syntax and grammar, as well as, content, organization, and research. Because assignments varied dramatically in the portfolios, it was hard to always have a clear picture of the student's ability to demonstrate complex writing. In addition, grammar usage of problematic forms seemed to be the biggest problem for the majority of students.
Action
Improving knowledge of language through written communication
Since it was difficult to always assess the writing capabilities of students because of the variety of assignments in the portfolio, we will standardize portfolio requirements to include at least one graded research paper/critical essay, accompanied by its first draft, and the final exam from the prerequisite grammar course for all advanced classes (SPN 361). The grammar final exam will emphasize the practice of specific problematic forms that were illustrated in both the portfolios and the TeXes, such as usage of ser and estar, preterite and imperfect, and subjunctive and indicative. The portfolio assessment will also examine more closely the usage of problematic forms. In addition, assignments will be revised in the grammar course and advanced courses to focus more attention on writing using the problematic forms.