Dec 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Catalog

Spanish (certificate)


Official Title of Certificate: Spanish, Certificate

Award: Certificate

Code: CRT.SPANISH

Total Credit Hours: 16-22

About World Languages

Purpose:

This certificate builds on 21st-century competencies that students need to navigate a multicultural workplace, such as communication, collaboration, and social and cross-cultural skills. Upon successful completion of the Spanish certificate, students will be able to engage in meaningful conversation, understand spoken language and written text, and present information, concepts, and ideas in Spanish. In addition, students will learn to use their native and acquired language to work cooperatively across cultures with global team members, sharing responsibility and making necessary compromises while working toward a common goal. Finally, they will understand diverse cultural perspectives and use appropriate sociolinguistic skills to function in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts.

21st Century Skill Map for languages can be found at:  https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/21stCenturySkillsMap/p21_worldlanguagesmap.pdf

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) is the national organization that provides guidance on teaching and learning in world language classrooms.  Students will earn the credential by completing the required courses listed in the certificate and by demonstrating that they can communicate in Spanish at a specific proficiency level. We will use the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) to gauge students’ proficiency levels according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. This interactive assessment tool measures how well a person communicates in a second language.  The OPI score along with the required courses show an employer and/or community organization what students can actually do with the Spanish language. This certificate will give the students a tangible credential enhanced by a nationally-recognized assessment tool that reveals their true proficiency levels.

A description of the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) can be found at: https://www.actfl.org/professional-development/assessments-the-actfl-testing-office/oral-proficiency-assessments-including-opi-opic

Range of Occupations:

  • Educator
  • Law enforcement
  • Medical professional
  • Childcare provider
  • Contractor
  • Landscape services
  • Restaurant management
  • Hotel management
  • Social worker
  • Home health aide
  • Occupational therapy assistant
  • Speech-language pathologist

Occupations can be explored further through the Career Services at https://www.aacc.edu/resources/careers-and-employment/career-services/.


Certificate Graduation Requirements


To graduate with a certificate, students must have demonstrated eligibility for ENG 101  or ENG 101A . Refer to Academic Regulations on Graduation Requirements .

Planning Tool: Two-Year Sequences of Courses




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Explanation of Course Sequence Options


The Elementary and Intermediate Spanish sequences provide students with the foundation and grammar skills necessary to be successful in more advanced Spanish courses. Students who have previously studied Spanish may request from the academic chair a waiver for SPA 111 or SPA 140 and SPA 112 or SPA 141.  Students may transfer in credit to count toward completion of any intermediate courses with the exception of SPA 260. In accordance with COMAR, at least half of the credits used toward the certificate must be earned through traditional course work. At least 25 percent of the total credits in the certificate must be earned at Anne Arundel Community College.

SPA 260, Oral Proficiency Interview Preparation, is a mandatory 1-credit course required for all students enrolled in the Spanish certificate program.

Course sequences are designed to provide students with the foundation to become proficient in Spanish at the intermediate level according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.  Please see the Academic Chair of World Languages for assessment and/or placement.

Certificate Requirements: 16 - 22 credits


Required courses: 1-13 credits


SPA 111 and SPA 112 are only required for beginning level students. SPA 111 and SPA 112 can be satisfied in any of the following ways: (i) successful completion of both courses, (ii) completion of two years of high school Spanish, or (iii) departmental assessment. See the academic chair for placement to begin at a level higher than SPA 111.

Program Outcomes


Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Communicate orally and in writing in Spanish in the community and workplace. 
  2. ​Work with native and heritage speakers of Spanish in a variety of contexts.  

This program aligns with all the college’s core competencies.

Career and Educational Advancement Resources