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Summer Language Institute for Spanish Teachers

Coursework

Through courses on language acquisition and pedagogy as well as language and culture courses, you will improve both your language proficiency and cultural understanding while becoming a better teacher. The Institute leads to a Master of Arts and Letters.

• Overview
• Courses / Master's Degree
• 2008 Courses

Overview:

In the Summer Institute for Spanish Teachers (a banner program of the SOU Center for Language Studies), you will perfect your language skills and enhance cultural understanding while receiving the most current training on language pedagogy and methodology. You will expand your linguistic and professional skills and go home ready to apply your new knowledge directly to lessons and materials for your classroom.

The Institute is specifically designed to meet the needs of middle school, high school and community college Spanish teachers. The program builds on the National Standards for Language Learning and incorporates recommendations for language teacher training developed by NCATE and ACTFL.

The Institute offers you the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts and Letters over three summers. The program is also appropriate for teachers who are not seeking a master's degree but who need additional credits to retain or renew their certification. Space permitting, non-Masters candidates may take individual classes.

The SOU Center for Language Studies was developed after eight years of successful cooperation between Southern Oregon University and high school teachers through the Southern Oregon Foreign Language Articulation project (SOFLA). One of only eight projects selected nationally to participate in the Modern Language Association High School to College Articulation project, SOFLA has sponsored an average of 2-3 workshops a year for language teachers since 1998, bringing in nationally recognized language educators and creating links with ACTFL and other professional organizations.

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Master's Degree:

The Summer Institute for Spanish Teachers offers you the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts and Letters (a total of 45 credits) over three summers. You may earn up to 18 credits each summer. NOTE: The Oregon University System is on a "quarter credit" system. For those of you NOT pursuing an MA through the SLI, and are taking courses simply to meet licensing requirements, make sure your licensing agency will transfer the correct semester credits. 

Course Work includes:

Five 3-credit required core courses:

#1 FL 511, Second Language Acquisition: Theory and Practice
#2 FL 512, Teaching for Proficiency: Methods and Strategies
#3 FL 513, Foreign Language Assessment: Principles and Strategies
#4 FL 514, Action Research
#5 FL 515, Technology in the Foreign Language Classroom

Core courses are taught in English. While we recommend you take core courses 1-3 in the above numbered order, they may be taken in any order. Action Research must be taken after core courses 1-3 and before your final summer. The Technology course may be taken any time.

A minimum of twenty-one credits of Hispanic Language and Culture courses:

Language and culture courses vary each summer. Each language or culture course has a companion course on pedagogical practices relative to the language or culture topic. All language and culture courses, as well as companion pedagogical courses, are taught in Spanish. With advisor approval, topics courses may be repeated for credit when the topic changes. A sample of Language and Culture courses and their companion pedagogy courses include the following 

• Communicative Grammar (3 credits) with Teaching Grammar in Context (2 credits)
• Spanish/Latin American Film (3 credits) with Teaching Language with Film (2 credits)
• Topics in Spanish/Latin American Culture (contemporary and historical) (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Culture (2 credits)
• Contemporary Spanish/Latin American Theater (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Theater (2 credits)
• Spanish/Latin American Music (3 credits) with Music in the Foreign Language classroom (2 credits)
• Topics in Spanish/Latin American Literature (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Literature (2 credits)
• Topics in Spanish/Latin American Art (3 credits) with Teaching Language through Art (2 credits)
• Topics in Spanish Linguistics: Spanish Pronunciation (3 credits) with Teaching Correct Pronunciation (2 credits)

In addition, you choose nine credits of electives. These credits may be chosen from our summer institute course offerings or from approved courses at an approved school of your choice.

Masters candidates must take all but the conversation class during a three-week session. The conversation class is an additional option which may count toward your nine elective credits. You may attend one or both of the three-week summer sessions. Masters candidates expecting to complete the program in three years must take both sessions at least two of the three summers. Space permitting, non-masters candidates may take individual classes.

During the school year prior to your final year in the program, if you are a masters candidate, you will conduct an action research project with your own students/at your own school. You will write a paper documenting the project and make a presentation about this action research project during your final summer. Based on feedback from your advisor, you may be expected to modify and resubmit the paper after your final summer. The action research project, presentation and paper take the place of a thesis project.

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2008 Courses

Core Courses Session 1

*  1. FL 511, Second Language Acquisition (3 credits) - Dr. Scott Rex (syllabus)
    * New students
** 2. FL 513, FL Assessment (3 credits) - Dr. Jim Cassidy (syllabus)

    ** Returning students

Electives Session 1

3a. SPAN 522, Hispanic Literature (3 credits) - Dr. Howard Wescott (syllabus)

3b. SPAN 516, Teaching Reading (2 credits) - Dr. Howard Wescott (syllabus)

4a. SPAN 581, Phonetics (3 credits) - Dr. Jeff Stokes (syllabus)

4b. SPAN 516, Teaching Pronunciation (2 credits) - Dr. Jeff Stokes (syllabus)

5. SPAN 506, Advanced Conversation ( 1 credit) - Dr. Scott Rex and Escuela de Idiomas Staff

Core Courses Session 2

** 1. FL 514, Action Research (3 credits) - Dr. Troy Crawford (syllabus and writing assignment)
    ** Returning students 
*  2. FL 512, Methods: Teaching for Proficiency (3 credits) - Dr. Tom Mathews (syllabus)
    *  New Students
 
Electives Session 2

3a. SPAN 521, Contemporary Spanish Theatre (3 credits) - Dr. Francisco Cabello (syllabus)
3b. SPAN 516, Using Theatre to Teach Spanish (2 credits) - Dr. Francisco Cabello (syllabus)
4a. SPAN 541, Mexican Culture (3 credits) - Dr. Julia Wescott (syllabus)
4b. SPAN 516, Teaching Culture (2 credits) - Dr. Tom Mathews (syllabus)

5. SPAN 507, Advanced Grammar (1 credit) - Dr. Julia Wescott (syllabus)

Plan to arrive on Saturday in order to attend the orientation activities on the following Sunday.

Evenings will be spent preparing class assignments and at an occasional special event.

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Summer Language Institute for Spanish Teachers