The Course: SPN120: Elementary Spanish II

They don’t create as much buzz as classes in a student’s specific major, but general education (or “core”) courses are often ones that graduates look back on and realize were vital in their becoming successful, well-rounded citizens.

One of the general education requirements that Maryville College students must fulfill for graduation is at least one year (two semesters) of language education. For those who choose Spanish, this requirement culminates in Spanish 120: Elementary Spanish II.

The course prepares students to be successful in an increasingly diverse world, according to Instructor of Spanish Alan Watts, who is teaching SPN120 this summer.

“Even basic understanding of another language increases the chance for success in our global economy.”

But one doesn’t have to look globally to see the wisdom in learning a second language.

“On a smaller scale,” says Watts, “Spanish is of a particular importance in this region due to the high number of native Spanish speakers already living here.”

A prerequisite for SPN120 is SPN110: Elementary Spanish I, a 4-credit-hour course that emphasizes conversing in basic Spanish, reading short passages and writing simples sentences. As a sequel, SPN120 builds on the foundations. Far from perfect Spanish comprehension, the principal goal of SPN120 is the ability to carry on a straightforward conversation and write simple pieces in Spanish with comfort and skill.

Watts calls “reading, writing and speaking” the three methods he hopes will lead to a practical, conversational understanding of the language.
The summer session’s five-week timeframe makes the pace of learning “more intense,” says the professor, “but it also allows for greater exploration of the material in a daily [three]-hour session.”

This summer, SPN120 students, like classmates who take Spanish during the traditional school calendar (fall and spring), are utilizing the Sol y Viento film series.

Sol y Viento (“Sun and Wind”) is a feature-length film that was created specifically for beginning language learners. Filmed on location in Chile, Mexico and the United States, the movie offers instructional and learning experiences through textbook and accompanying ancillaries.

The series allows students to develop their listening skills and also learn about Hispanic culture and how it impacts issues ranging from industrialization to family relationships.

Lessons on geography and culture cannot be left out of language courses, Watt argues.

“[W]illingness to learn about other countries and cultures, as well as engage them in an environment of respect and sensitivity, may be the best way to secure a better future for us all,” he says.

For his summer students, Watts has implemented a new practical learning opportunity that should help bridge cultures.

“We will experiment with a pen-pal program that will enable students to write to native Spanish speakers from a country of their choice – to put into practice those language concepts that we practice in class.”

For many students, learning a foreign language requires overcoming “preconceived (and often erroneous) notions of their own limitations,” Watts says. Students are challenged in language education because of their proficiency in their native tongue.

“Another challenge of learning another language,” he adds, “is the natural tendency to link the new language to English.” This strategy, he says, rarely works.
But the benefits of learning more than one language definitely outweigh the challenges, he is quick to point out. For one, the global economy is extremely diverse, and the knowledge of multiple languages can lead to success in almost all career paths.

And for students who take the fulfillment of the College’s mission seriously, SPN120 is vital. Part of the College’s mission statement encourages students to “search for truth, grow in wisdom, work for justice and dedicate a life of creativity and service to the peoples of the world.”

“The best way to serve others,” the instructor says, “is to first learn about them, and language is indispensable to that process.”