This course introduces beginners to the Spanish language and the interconnected, diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. It provides a foundation in the five core language skills—speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural understanding—through intensive practice in a variety of local and global media and communicative activities. Students develop the ability to exchange personal information, express basic opinions, and engage in real-world interactions such as shopping for clothing or ordering food. This course may be taken as part of the Spanish immersion, minor, or major; the Latino/Latin American Studies immersion or minor; as a global perspective course; or as a liberal arts elective. Beginning Spanish I is designed for students with little to no prior experience with the Spanish language. Students with previous exposure must complete the Spanish Placement Test before enrolling: https://www.rit.edu/liberalarts/mltc/spanish-placement-test-request-form.

Beginning Spanish II continues the development of students’ communicative abilities and cultural understanding through expanded practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Building upon the foundation established in the first course, students strengthen control of essential grammatical structures and acquire new vocabulary that enables them to communicate about a wider range of everyday situations. Class activities emphasize meaningful interaction—discussing past experiences, expressing opinions and preferences, describing people and places, and making plans for the future—through conversation, readings, short compositions, and multimedia resources. Students also explore cultural topics that highlight the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world, including regional identities, social customs, and contemporary issues. By the end of the course, learners are able to handle simple, connected exchanges on familiar topics, demonstrate greater fluency and accuracy in basic interactions, and express personal meaning with increased confidence. This course may be applied toward the Spanish major, minor, or immersion; the Latino/Latin American Studies programs; or taken as a global perspective or liberal arts elective. Prerequisites: MLSP 201 or Spanish placement test: https://www.rit.edu/liberalarts/mltc/spanish-placement-test-request-form.

This is the second course at the advanced level. This sequence is designed to further develop proficiency in the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This sequence develops the ability to understand and communicate more freely by expansion of vocabulary and grammar, and by exposure to authentic cultural materials, both textual and visual. Students must take the placement exam if this is their first RIT Spanish class, and they have some prior study of Spanish.