Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives for the Majors in French and Spanish

Majors, upon graduation, should be able to achieve the following objectives in extended, multiple-paragraph formats:

  1. narrate in the past, in the target language
  2. compare and contrast ideas, in the target language
  3. analyze the aesthetic qualities of works of poetry, drama, fiction, and film, in the target language
  4. state, explain, and support ideas, emotions, and opinions, in the target language
  5. argue and persuade successfully, in the target language
  6. engage in interdisciplinary research, in the target language

Learning Objectives for 100-, 200-, and 300-/400-level courses

First Year, First Semester (101)

At the end of the semester, all students should be able to make progress in achieving the following objectives, using select words, phrases and expressions in strings of sentences and simple paragraphs:

  1. Interpersonal Objectives: Interacting with others in order to, e.g.,
    • ask and answer questions
    • express likes and dislikes
    • exchange opinions
    • talk about people, places, experiences, and events
    • make simple requests
  2. Interpretive Objectives: Understanding the target language in, e.g., 
    • social interactions that students themselves can engage in
    • short authentic texts on familiar topics
    • oral presentations
  3. Presentational Objectives: Using academic language in the target language in 
    • giving rehearsed oral presentations with limited reliance on notes
    • writing essays/written products approaching 1 page in length
  4. Presentational Objectives: Using academic language in English to
    • report the results of interdisciplinary inquiry related to products or practices of the target culture using target language sources and websites
    • compare target culture to students' own culture orally and in writing

First Year, Second Semester (102)

At the end of the first year, second semester, students will have consolidated their ability to perform all of the functions developed during the first year, first semester. Additionally, they will be able to perform the following functions in organized format:

  1. Interpersonal Objectives: Interacting with others in order to, e.g.,
    • offer advice
    • express agreement and disagreement in simple formats
    • exchange opinions
    • talk about people, places, experiences, and events
    • give directions
    • engage in more complex conversations
  2. Interpretive Objectives: Understanding the target language in, e.g., 
    • social interactions that students themselves can engage in
    • more complex conversations
    • directions
    • readings on unfamiliar topics
    • simple journalistic reports and oral presentations
  3. Presentational Objectives: Using academic language in the target language, 
    • giving rehearsed oral presentations with limited reliance on notes
    • writing essays/written products with a minimum of 1 page in length
  4. Presentational Objectives: Using academic language in English to
    • report the results of interdisciplinary inquiry related to products or practices of the target culture using target language sources and websites
    • compare target culture to students' own culture orally and in writing

Stage 3: Second Year, First Semester (201)

At the end of the first semester of the second year, students should be able to make progress in achieving the following objectives using multiple paragraphs:

  1. Presentational Objectives: Using academic language to, e.g.,
    • write reports of increasing length and complexity, including short, interdisciplinary research projects using target language sources and websites
    • give increasingly lengthy and less-rehearsed oral presentations, of 2-3 minutes in length by the end of the third quarter
    • begin to narrate in the past
    • narrate in present and future
    • compare and contrast significant people and events in target cultures
  2. Interpretive Objectives: Understanding the target language in order to, e.g., 
    • analyze and synthesize the main ideas and supporting data in authentic written texts
    • comprehend narration in present, past, future
    • identify themes and other literary ideas in fiction, poetry, and/or nonfiction and relate themes to student experience
    • follow and summarize shifting topics in a conversation
  3. Interpersonal Objectives: Interacting with others, including, e.g., 
    • socially appropriate expression of respect, politeness, gratitude, friendliness, and distance
    • state feelings and emotions
    • identify problems or complications and propose solutions to them
    • discussion of academic and professional topics with increasing sophistication

Stage 4: Second Year, Second Semester (202)

At the end of the second semester of the second year, students should be able to achieve the following objectives using multiple paragraphs, over up to two pages:

  1. Presentational Objectives: Using academic language to, e.g.,
    • write reports of increasing length and complexity, including short interdisciplinary research projects using target language sources and websites
    • give increasingly lengthy and less-rehearsed oral presentations, of 2-3 minutes in length by the end of the third quarter
    • narrate in the past
    • narrate in present and future
    • compare and contrast significant people and events in target cultures and in comparison to students' own culture
  2. Interpretive Objectives: Understanding the target language in order to, e.g., 
    • analyze and synthesize the main ideas and supporting data in authentic written texts
    • comprehend narration in present, past, future
    • identify themes and other literary ideas in fiction, poetry and/or nonfiction and relate themes to student experience
    • follow and summarize shifting topics in a conversation
  3. Interpersonal Objectives: Interacting with others, including, e.g., 
    • socially appropriate expression of respect, politeness, gratitude, friendliness, and distance
    • state feelings and emotions
    • identify problems or complications and propose solutions to them

Third Year and Beyond (300-/400-level courses)

Students should be able to perform all previous stage objectives and achieve the following additional objectives using extended multiple-paragraph formats:

  1. Presentational Objectives: Using academic language to, e.g.,
    • engage in interdisciplinary research projects and presentations on issues important to the target culture
    • narrate in the past
    • convince or persuade another to adopt a perspective or viewpoint
    • compare and contrast ideas on contemporary and historical topics
    • reflect upon service learning experiences within and outside of the campus community
  2. Interpretive Objectives: Understanding the target language in order to, e.g.,
    • comprehend narration in past
    • analyze the aesthetic qualities of works in poetry, drama, fiction, and film
    • analyze the informational content of expository and argumentative texts
  3. Interpersonal Objectives: Interacting with others, including, e.g.,
    • state and explain ideas and emotions
    • state and support opinions
    • discussion of academic, non-academic and professional topics with increasing sophistication