SPN4615 Advanced Spanish in the Community
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits
SPN4615 Advanced Spanish in the Community is a service-learning course where students will explore issues of Latino identity in the U.S. Through direct engagement with a community partner in Boston, along with corresponding readings, films, podcasts, and class discussion, students will consider the diversity of the contemporary Latino experience and its representations in the media, popular culture, and politics. Class discussions will be supplemented with a review of advanced grammar topics designed to help students improve their proficiency and gain confidence in their language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). As an integral part of this course, students will complete 12 hours of service learning (approximately 2 hours every other week) through a partnership with Sociedad Latina, a Boston-based organization whose stated mission is _to create the next generation of Latino leaders who are confident, competent, self-sustaining and proud of their cultural heritage._ Students will provide mentorship to high school students that are participating in a 10-week entrepreneurship curriculum as part of an after school program run by Sociedad Latina. Extensive journaling will allow students to reflect on their experiences and improve their writing in Spanish. Guided writing workshop sessions will help prepare students' written reflections to be published on a class blog. At the end of the semester, Babson students and their high school mentees will develop a joint presentation about their collaborative learning.
Prerequisites: SPN4620 or higher, or similar proficiency as demonstrated by a required placement test.
Heritage speakers may enroll upon permission of the instructor.