Studying Spanish at Drake University is rewarding and productive from the very first day of class. Regardless of the level of study, students work with a native speaker of Spanish and no more than three classmates and use Spanish exclusively to communicate things that are truly meaningful, i.e., not the mindless filler materials found in many current textbooks.

Through the standard sequence of courses (001, 002, 051, 052, 140, 150, 160), students expand their competencies beyond the initial emphasis on speaking in order to develop skills in listening, writing, and reading. Spanish 150 is a course that can be repeated as the topic of the course changes from semester to semester.

In each Spanish course, as in every language course in the program, students produce an individual electronic portfolio that normally consists of recordings students make of their own voices following a provided model, samples of videos students make of themselves, writing samples, clips from examinations, etc. This record allows coordinators and the students themselves to track progress both within a given semester and over several semesters. Students can also use the ePortfolios after graduation to demonstrate to potential employers or graduate schools their ability to function in Spanish. Examples are representative student work is available by clicking here:

Culture is not, of course, neglected in these courses. The faculty of the Drake University Language Acquisition Program is well aware that culture is embedded in every language. The study of culture is additionally enhanced through the use of weblogs that focus the studentsÕ attention on many important topical, historical, and useful themes. The blogs are utilized in both English and Spanish, depending on the studentsÕ level of proficiency with the language.

Students are able to take advantage of this program to tailor courses somewhat to suit their own professional and/or personal goals. The language coordinator, who designs the courses, gets to know all the students in the program and is able to take into consideration who will be in upcoming courses. The size and flexibility of individual sections allow the coordinator to consider the needs and wishes of those students.

Language Coordinator

Priscila P. Piper, M.A.E.

            Email: priscila.piper@drake.edu

            Office: 217 Meredith Hall                      271-2845

For more information on the specific levels, please click on one of the links below