De una vez! A College Course for Spanish Speakers

De una vez!reaches out to heritage speakers who have had very little or no training in reading or writing in Spanish. It eases them into reading, writing, and grammar using a rich cultural approach designed to make these students fully aware of their own cultural background as well as of the diversity that exists across Latin cultures. After first gaining a strong sense of self, students are then exposed to a variety of career role models within Hispanic communities. They are encouraged to be active in their own communities, to interview Hispanic professionals, and to explore different Spanish-speaking countries and regions using the Internet. Beginning level heritage-speaker text introduces simple readings that help students who have limited experience in reading and writing Spanish develop these skills. Two-tiered grammar presentation addresses the specific needs of a heritage-speaker class, breaking with the traditional sequence of a first-year course to address disparate skill levels. Process-writing approach offers practice for both academic writing (literary analysis and summaries) as well as practical, interpersonal writing (cover letters, resumes, thank you letters). Exposure to cultural and linguistic variance encourages heritage speakers to understand and respect cultural and dialectal differences throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Emphasis on interaction with Hispanic communities encourages students to gather information from family members and Hispanic professionals and to research Spanish-speaking cultures on the Internet. Focus on diverse cultures introduces students to many extraordinary writers, poets, painters, and musicians from throughout the contemporary Spanish-speaking world.