Course Descriptions for Gordon College’s Immersion Studies in Spanish

SPANISH 1001 s.a., 1002 s.a., 2001 s.a., and 2002 s.a.

Beginning and Intermediate Spanish

Spanish 1001 s.a., 1002 s.a., 2001 s.a., and 2002 s.a. are immersion courses in Barcelona, so all classes are taught completely in Spanish from the very beginning. Students learn manageable blocks of grammar on their level that they then practice with written exercises, conversational exercises, games, etc. For example, students learn how to conjugate verbs at the appropriate level. That is, beginning students will begin by learning how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, and intermediate students will begin by learning how to conjugate regular verbs in the past tenses. This explanation is actually an oversimplification of the lessons; all lessons are given in Spanish with the goal of enabling students to speak Spanish, not take tests, so grammar lessons are organized with that goal in mind. Students learn the past tense of "have" not to be able to conjugate it correctly on a test but in order to be able to say, "I had a problem at the market yesterday." They learn grammar in context and participate in conversations on their level, and those conversations are designed to help them get about the city. For example, one lesson involves directions and public transportation.

Students are required to learn all tenses and moods that they would learn if they were sitting in an American classroom. They have lessons in English on Power Point and a test on one tense each afternoon to ensure that they master the material.

Students immediately apply what they have learned because they live with Spanish families, most of whom cannot speak English. They eat breakfast and dinner with the families. They also go shopping and have lunch at places where the employees do not speak English. They navigate the public transportation system and wander through the city in search of museums or other places of interest. In short, besides the requisite classroom hours, they are applying what they learn on a daily basis--a rarity in any U.S. course, regardless of field.

In addition to the immediate application of language skills, students get hands-on learning in the humanities. It is impossible to separate a language from the culture of the country where it is spoken, so all students are required to participate in two excursions each week. Excursion sites include Sagrada Familia, Güell Park, Güell Palace, La Pedrera, and the Palau de la Música Catalana, among others. Students who do not go out of town for the weekend (many students opt to spend a weekend in Paris, Rome, or some other city) are required to go on one excursion on the weekend; weekend excursions are usually to places outside Barcelona, such as Montserrat, Tarragona, or the Dalí museum in Figueras. Normally, the first weekend is a group excursion to another major Spanish city, such as Madrid (where students go to the Prado, the Reina Sofía, the Royal Palace, and/or Segovia) or Seville (where students go to the Cathedral—and climb the Giralda Tower—and to the Alcázar).

SPANISH 2201 and 2202

Spanish Conversation

Spanish 2201 and 2202 are immersion courses in Barcelona, so all classes are taught completely in Spanish from the very beginning. Students are given a placement test at the language school in Barcelona, so the content of the course depends on the background of the student and how well he has mastered the material he has learned in his earlier courses. For that reason, students from a stronger program are not held back by students from a weaker program, since those students will be placed in different classes and given material at their own level.

Students learn new grammar in context. All lessons are designed with the goal of enabling students to speak Spanish, not take tests. Students learn the past tense of "have," for example, not to be able to conjugate it correctly on a test but in order to be able to say, "I had a problem at the market yesterday." Frequently students who have completed two or more years of Spanish in American classrooms have good command of grammatical theory but relatively poor conversational skills. In an immersion setting, students are guided into using in conversation the grammar they have learned, not simply into passing tests. Conversation topics are chosen to allow students to practice newly acquired or reviewed grammar concepts, and while instructors do not interrupt the flow of conversation, they make note of each student’s mistakes and later address those errors.

Students immediately apply what they have learned because they live with Spanish families, most of whom cannot speak English. They eat breakfast and dinner with the families. They also go shopping and have lunch at places where the employees do not speak English. They navigate the public transportation system and wander through the city in search of museums or other places of interest. In short, besides the requisite classroom hours, they are applying what they learn on a daily basis--a rarity in any U.S. course, regardless of field.

In addition to the immediate application of language skills, students get hands-on learning in the humanities. It is impossible to separate a language from the culture of the country where it is spoken, so all students are required to participate in a minimum of seven excursions. Excursion sites include Sagrada Familia, Güell Park, Güell Palace, La Pedrera, and the Palau de la Música Catalana, among others. Students who do not go out of town for the weekend (many students opt to spend a weekend in Paris, Rome, or some other city) are required to go on one excursion on the weekend; weekend excursions are usually to places outside Barcelona, such as Montserrat, Tarragona, or the Dalí museum in Figueras. Normally, the first weekend is a group excursion to another major Spanish city, such as Madrid (where students go to the Prado, the Reina Sofía, the Royal Palace, and/or Segovia) or Seville (where students go to the Cathedral—and climb the Giralda Tower—and to the Alcázar).