Innovative classes to teach Spanish

With close to 5,000 students enrolled in Spanish language classes at IU, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) has designed classes taught primarily in Spanish for the spring semester. \nSpanish Across the Curriculum, which exists in a similar style at many major research universities in the United States, has been in the works for the past several years at IU, but has just now been able to receive the funding needed to get it underway, said graduate student Ethan Sharp, the assistant director.\nSharp said the CLACS received a Title 6 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which will partially go toward the Curriculum.\n"We are interested in having this program benefit students who speak Spanish in the home as well as upper level Spanish students," said Sharp. He added that there will be individual proficiency requirements to fulfill in order to register for the class.\nThe three classes offered in the pilot program are Latin American Studies (L301)/History(H212) "Contemporary Latin America", Anthropology (E105) "Culture and Society" and Latin American Studies (L401/L526) "Contemporary Latin American Politics", which is a seminar conducted entirely in Spanish. Anthropology and Contemporary Latin America have English lectures and Spanish discussions. \nFrancisco Barbosa, a graduate student and associate instructor in anthropology will lead the discussion groups, for which students will receive an extra credit hour in Latin American and Caribbean Studies for the "Contemporary Latin America" course, said Angela Castaneda, a graduate student in anthropology. \n "This is a great opportunity for Spanish students who want to improve their skills in a more hands on way," Sharp said. "Our idea is equivalent to going abroad but we can create that here with classes like these." \n Spanish Across the Curriculum allows students opportunities to practice speaking the language, and learn it better, said assistant graduate instructor in the CLACS Hugo Viera, who had a major part in the structuring ang planning of the new courses.\n"This program is offered in many other major universities in the country, like University of Florida and the University of Wisconsin," Viera said, "and we plan to expand it to more classes if the program is successful."\nSharp said the department expects about 10 students enrolled in each class for the spring semester, but they are trying different approaches to see what will work best so there can be expansion in the future.\n"I would like to be interacting with several Spanish mediums and I expect one of those will be direct conversation with Spanish speakers," said senior Mark Reeves, who is enrolled in L301. "I think practicing speaking specifically about the problems currently facing Latin America will be of great benefit"