Foreign Language Ed. Foreign Language Ed. at Buff State: at Buff State: Fast track to Fast track to

Spanish certificationSpanish certification

On your mark, On your mark, get set…get set…

Features…Features…

•Class size for courses in major capped at 15.•Thriving Spanish Club featuring guest speakers and film discussions.•New AATSP-affiliated professional community, Buffalo Spanish Teachers.•Innovative course of study that features coursework in Spanish teaching (en esp., claro)•Summer study abroad program in Salamanca.•Blended to fully online coursework that match innovative online learning technologies to rigorous standards for proficiency-oriented pedagogy.

Program distinctions…Program distinctions…•Among first in state to achieve ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)-NCATE (National Council for Accreditation in Teacher Education) National Recognition.•Upheld in 2012•Close connections to professional organizations from the local to national level...

Fast track to adding Spanish: Fast track to adding Spanish: Starting from scratch (18 crs.)Starting from scratch (18 crs.)

Consult Open SUNY for online Spanish (very Consult Open SUNY for online Spanish (very few past 4th semester). few past 4th semester). LotsLots: BE PICKY!: BE PICKY!

Rosetta Stone- less useful for higher levels.Rosetta Stone- less useful for higher levels.

Learn while planning for future students. Use Learn while planning for future students. Use what you have as template.what you have as template.

Use web resources wisely- more authentic, Use web resources wisely- more authentic, less drill and grammar charts.less drill and grammar charts.

Save room for two upper-level courses in Save room for two upper-level courses in culture/literature. You´ll need a base in arts culture/literature. You´ll need a base in arts and letters, culture to pass the…and letters, culture to pass the…

NYSTCE CST-Spanish.NYSTCE CST-Spanish.

Fast track to adding SpanishFast track to adding SpanishNew NYSED fast-track for highly New NYSED fast-track for highly proficient speakers of Spanish:proficient speakers of Spanish:

Attain ‘Advanced-Low’ on full ACTFL Attain ‘Advanced-Low’ on full ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview.Oral Proficiency Interview.

Attain ‘Advanced-Low’ on full ACTFL Attain ‘Advanced-Low’ on full ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test.Writing Proficiency Test.

Pass the NYSTCE CST-SpanishPass the NYSTCE CST-Spanish

Two upper-level Spanish courses in Two upper-level Spanish courses in culture/literature.culture/literature.

Additional resourcesAdditional resourcesAvailable for online courses-by-contract or Available for online courses-by-contract or independent studies Jterm or Summer. Will be independent studies Jterm or Summer. Will be regular offerings online: SPA421:Structure of regular offerings online: SPA421:Structure of Modern Span., SPA402: Span. for Span. Modern Span., SPA402: Span. for Span. Teaching, SPA410: Literacy for Span. TeachingTeaching, SPA410: Literacy for Span. Teaching

Network with colleagues through WNYFLEC, Network with colleagues through WNYFLEC, AATF, Alliance Française, Buffalo Spanish AATF, Alliance Française, Buffalo Spanish Teachers to create intensive cohorts (summer Teachers to create intensive cohorts (summer immersion for 5immersion for 5thth and 6 and 6thth semesters of semesters of Spanish).Spanish).

Jean LeLoup´s Costa Rica Program.Jean LeLoup´s Costa Rica Program.

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:Mary Ellen Gianturco (Depew HS): Our class online was great. It really helped me solidify my writing. I think a good idea is for French teachers to get together and have a study group - I did that w several gals from your class.  My school happened to have had several Spanish-speaking exchange students at the time that I was getting certified and I was able to get a lot of help from them on our free periods!

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:I would recommend trying to get one of the scholarships to study in Mexico this summer for a few weeks. I wasn't able to do that because of my kids. I also had a good friend from Peru who worked with me regularly.  I also had a friend of a friend who was getting a PhD at the time in philosophy and I traded Spanish lessons from him for the review of his thesis!  

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:

Jenna Gaske (Iroquois HS): I found Buffalo State to be very helpful with the process.  The certification officer at Buffalo State was a great resource for questions on meeting state requirements.  Both you and Dr. Miller have actual classroom experience.  I found this very helpful.  Professors with actual experience at the lower levels understand much better what K-12 teachers need to be prepared to teach those levels.

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:The online course incorporated many communicative activities that helped increase my proficiency.  It was a good balance of communicative activities and grammar based exercises.  The online course allowed a certain flexibility in terms of  completing activities and assignments that a traditional classroom course does not. 

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:I was able to connect with several other LOTE teachers form the area to not only learn Spanish together but network and discuss our French programs as well. 

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:

Kara Muldoon (Lackawanna MS):I did the majority of my cert online…I would honesty say that anyone who thinks that online classes are easier are mistaken. There is often a lot of work involved and you have to stay on top of the work and the due dates.

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:I LOVED online learning because I was working full-time and I had a baby at home so being able to write papers at night and submit blogs during my lunch period at work....made life much easier for me.  I often would take my laptop outside and sit in the sun in the summer while doing work for your class. It's definitely an advantage to online learning........and being able to stay in your pajamas!!! :)

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:

The downside is the oral aspect.  Your classes were the only ones that truly promoted the oral aspect of the language by Skyping with you and interviewing native speakers.Other classes that I took often had NO oral assessments at all.  It is so important to speak the language to improve.

Advice from French Teachers Advice from French Teachers pursuing Spanish certification:pursuing Spanish certification:

Having the background in French made the Spanish a piece of cake. The languages are so similar.  I'd say to get hired as a French or Spanish teacher today that it is imperative to have both languages--many districts won't even look at you if you don't have both. 

Some worthwhile Some worthwhile web-based resourcesweb-based resources

Learning Spanish After French (Googledoc): Learning Spanish After French (Googledoc): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DGJaSIQ9sQz9E_TQdLqqHHRqBQfVkM4ny89WfiDrXiI/edit

Lingüística y Pedagogía del Español (Fb group)Lingüística y Pedagogía del Español (Fb group)Sociocultural Model Lesson Plans: Sociocultural Model Lesson Plans: http://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/spanish_lesson_plans/

Spanish Proficiency Exercises (UT-Austin): Spanish Proficiency Exercises (UT-Austin): http://www.laits.utexas.edu/spe/

Spanish Language and Culture with Barbara Kuczun Spanish Language and Culture with Barbara Kuczun Nelson (Colby): Nelson (Colby): http://personal.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php

WordReference Forums: WordReference Forums: http://forum.wordreference.com/forumdisplay.php?f=23