Spanish Basic Language ProgramDepartment of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese

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Course Policies and Procedures – FAQ

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Course Policies and Procedures – FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions on Course Policies and Procedures

General

It is your responsibility to complete all coursework before the deadline. Technology failures are not an excuse for unfinished work. You need to plan accordingly. We recommend completing assignments ahead of time, as this also allows sufficient time to contact your instructor with any questions you may have.
If you are unable to complete the work, you must contact your instructor before the deadline. You may be asked to provide written documentation regarding the reason for your missing work.
For further information, check the syllabus and/or the policies of your course.

Each course has different components and materials. For the exact information, check the syllabus and/or the policies of your course.

To have access to all modules in Canvas, you must complete all the activities in the Orientation module during week 1.
Each week’s folder will open as the semester progresses, one per week, in both Canvas and LingroHub. For the exact dates, check the syllabus of your course.  
Throughout the semester, UP students are allowed to have two unexcused absences for Spanish 2 and 3, and four unexcused absences for Spanish 10 and 20. These are to cover things such as minor illness, weddings, funerals, job interviews, etc. For more information on absences, check the syllabus and/or the policies of your course.

See the Evaluation Criteria for Participation for more information.

SPAN 2 UP and SPAN 3 UP
The mandatory Spanish 2 and 3 looseleaf textbooks have been created especially for Penn State and are available only at the Penn State and State College Student bookstores:
Mosaicos Spanish 2 – 6th Custom Edition for Penn State, Published by LingroLearning.
 
Mosaicos Spanish 3 – 6th Custom Edition for Penn State, Published by LingroLearning.
To access your content material and online homework, you need to register in the course management system called LingroHub (https://hub.lingrolearning.com) and purchase access through a link in your Spanish Canvas course. Note that you have 14 days of complimentary access before payment is required.
 
SPAN 10 UP and SPAN 20 UP
Textbook Mosaicos: Spanish as a World Language, 7th Edition, Published by LingroLearning.
 
SPAN 1 UP; SPAN 1 WC, SPAN 2 WC, and SPAN 3 WC
Your main course component has been created especially for Penn State University and is fully digital. To access your content material and online homework, you need to register in the course management system called LingroHub (https://hub.lingrolearning.com) and purchase access through a link in your Spanish Canvas course. Note that you have 14 days of complimentary access before payment is required.
 
Contraseña: Your Password to Foundational Spanish, 1st Custom Edition for Penn State University. Published by LingroLearning. A virtual language learning platform that contains presentations and weekly assignments.
 
LinguaMeeting: Online Spanish Coaching Sessions (access via Contraseña). It offers real-life group conversation practice guided by a professionally trained native Spanish speaker who acts as the language coach.
 
For more information on materials, check the syllabus and/or the policies of your course.
For questions about Spanish, course content, strategies to enhance your performance or how your work was graded, you’ll need to contact your instructor. Please visit the People page to find their contact information if you don’t already have it.
 
Additionally, Penn State Learning offers free drop-in tutoring and review sessions for UP students. For location and schedule, visit the Penn State Learning website.

Yes. This questionnaire is simply a way for us to get a better idea of your background with the Spanish language and to determine if you are in the correct level based on your experience.

The Placement Policy for Penn State World Language Courses provides guidance on the minimum level language course based on the student’s high school admissions information. Students are permitted to self-place in a lower-level or a higher-level of Spanish language course (i.e., they do not need to get permission from the department), except in the following two circumstances:
 
 
Also, if you have taken the AP exam and have received a score of 3 or above, or if you have taken the IB exam and have received a score of 5 or higher on the Higher-Level exam, you will receive the 12 credits required to fulfill the foreign language proficiency requirement. Therefore, you will not be able to take Spanish 2 or Spanish 3 for credit. There are no exceptions to this policy.
 
If you need a definitive answer, contact Becky Cross, the Basic and Intermediate Language Assistant.
 
If you wish to assess your level of proficiency in Spanish, you may take the free Diagnostic Exam. This test is designed to identify students whose preparation exceeds their placement level. It does not grant credits or give grades, but it does count towards your foreign language requirements. The Diagnostic Exam is available only during the first week of the semester and takes place at the Pollock Testing Center (104 Pollock Building) from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. More information about the Diagnostic Exam can be found here.
No, the use of online translators and AI tools (e.g., Spanishdict.com, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, etc.) is prohibited in all courses of the Spanish Basic Language Program. These external resources are considered a form of academic dishonesty (cheating). If you use them, an Academic Integrity Form will be submitted to the College of the Liberal Arts.

Course Specific

Grades for Spanish are worth different amounts of the total course grade:

 
Spanish 1, 2, and 3 WC
Administrative Assessments1%
Activities in Contraseña33%
Four Speaking Assignments in LinguaMeeting (6% each)24%
Four Unit Tests (9% each)36%
Final Oral Presentation5%
Review Units (5-8)1%
Spanish 1 UP
Administrative Assessments1%
Activities in Contraseña32%
Six Speaking Assignments in LinguaMeeting (5% each)30%
Three Tests (10% each)30%
Final Oral Presentation5%
Final Unit (1-6)2%
Spanish 2 and 3 UP
Quizzes20%
  – Canvas Quizzes2%
  – LingroHub Quizzes18%
In-Class Participation6%
Three Writing Assignments (Escrituras)12%
  – First Version of Escrituras9%
  – Final Version of Escrituras3%
Vocabulary Preparation for Exams3%
Three Written Exams54%
  – Exam 118%
  – Exam 218%
  – Exam 318%
One Oral Exam5%
Spanish 10 and 20 UP
Participation10%
Online Homework15%
Writing assignments (escrituras)14%
  – First version of escrituras9%
  – Second version of escrituras5%
Exam 114%
Exam 214%
Exam 314%
Exam 414%
Oral Exam5%

No, this is an online course, and there is no requirement for you to physically meet with your classmates. The program we use for the Tertulia activities, LinguaMeeting, can be accessed from anywhere in the world as long as there is a stable internet connection.
For your speaking assignments, Tertulias in LinguaMeeting, you will converse with a coach, a native Spanish speaker who lives in a Hispanic country. Your coach’s goal is to support you in building your confidence and skills in speaking Spanish, and your goal is to prepare for and participate actively in each conversation. You will sign up for four (4) 30-minute conversation sessions with a LinguaMeeting coach and up to three other classmates. These conversations are recorded and reviewed by your instructor.

See the Evaluation Criteria for Written Expression (first version) and Evaluation Criteria for Written Expression (final version) for more information regarding the grading criteria.

The topics for the escrituras will be provided by your instructor in class on the day of the assignment.

For further information on these assignments, check the syllabus and/or the policies of your course.

Exam Questions

Spanish 1, 2, and 3 WC courses have four 50-minute tests. Each test will include listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension sections. 
 
Spanish 1 UP have three 75-minute tests. Each test will include listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension sections.
 
Spanish 2 and 3 UP will have three 75-minute exams. Each exam will include listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension sections, and a short essay. 
 
Spanish 10 and 20 UP have four in-class exams held on the dates specified in the syllabus. Each exam will include listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension sections, and a short essay.
 
More information on the exams and tests can be found in the course syllabus or policies document.
UP Students:
 
Yes. You are responsible for bringing your own wired headphones with a standard 3.5 mm jack for the exams. The Pollock Testing Center does not have headphones to loan to students. If you arrive at the Pollock Testing Center without your headphones, you may still take the exam; however, you will not be able to listen to the script in the listening section of the exam.
 
WC Students:
 
No. You should use built-in or external speakers. Using headphones is not permitted with the Honorlock online proctoring system, as it is designed to ensure exam integrity by preventing the use of unauthorized audio sources during the assessment.
Scratch paper is not permitted in any SBLP courses (1, 2, 3, 10, and 20 UP and 1, 2, and 3 WC).

See the Evaluation Criteria for Oral Expression for more information.

There are no exams during finals week for any SBLP courses (1, 2, 3, 10, and 20 UP and 1, 2, and 3 WC).

UP students:

All exams for Spanish 1, 2, and 3 will be administered through the Pollock Testing Center. An email notification from the Pollock Testing Center will be sent to all students in advance of the exams requiring pre-registration. See the course syllabus for dates and specifics about the exams and their content.

 

WC students:

You will take your tests using the Honorlock online proctoring system. You may complete your test at any time during the exam week. Both audio and video must be enabled in order to receive full credit. Please complete the test in a well-lit, quiet room so your face is clearly visible on screen. 

For more information about test requirements, refer to your course syllabus.