Spanish Courses
The following information will help you select the Spanish course you need to take according to your proficiency level.
Spanish as a Foreign Language Track
A student can take Spanish as a Foreign Language if he/she is a native speaker of English or another foreign language. If a student has never taken Spanish, he/she must be enrolled in SPAN 001-Elementary Spanish I (5 units). If a student has taken 1, 2, or more years of Spanish in high school or other institution, he/she may take the Spanish placement exam to determine his/her proficiency level. He/she may be placed in SPAN 002- Elementary Spanish II (5 units), SPAN 003- Intermediate Spanish I (4 units), or SPAN 004 – Intermediate Spanish II (4 units).
Spanish for Heritage Speakers Track
A student can be considered as a heritage speaker of Spanish if Spanish and English are spoken at home and/or Spanish is spoken very often. If a student can ask and answer questions orally in Spanish, but he/she does not know how to read and write in Spanish, he/she must be enrolled in SPAN 021-Spanish for Heritage Speakers I (5 units). If a student can ask and answer questions orally in Spanish and has basic knowledge of how to read and write in Spanish, he/she must be enrolled in SPAN 022-Spanish for Heritage Speakers II (5 units).
If you have specific questions about SPAN 021 and SPAN 022, please contact Spanish Instructor Suria Ceja Vazquez at svazquez@collegeofthedesert.edu.
Spanish Placement Test
If a student is not sure about his/her level of proficiency in Spanish, he/she may take the Spanish placement exam or consult with a Spanish faculty advisor in the Communication Building.
The Spanish Placement Test will be given in Palm Desert in Communication Building, room 113, at 11:30-12:30 pm on the following dates: 01/22/20, 01/28/20 and 01/29/20.
The Spanish Placement Test will be also given in Indio in the Conference Room at 12:00-1:00 pm on the following date: 01/21/20 and 01/30/20.
If you have any questions about the placement exam, please contact Suria Ceja Vazquez at svazquez@collegeofthedesert.edu.
