PRERREQUISITOS

        Spanish speakers are a diverse group; in terms of native speakers, Spanish ranks second in the world--English is third.¹ Spanish is spoken widely in 32 countries on four continents. It is the official language in 21 countries, each of which have their own dialects, both regional and social.²
           These dialects have each borrowed words from other languages and peoples. In the Americas, there are major influences from the native languages that have been spoken since before the Spanish conquest. These include Náhuatl, Quechua, Guaraní, Quiché, Aymara, Mapuche and many others.³ In Spain, many words descend from Celtic and Arabic origins.

          In this class, all of these forms and dialects will be recognized and encouraged while keeping in mind that the standards of written academic Spanish often differ from those of casual speech and conversation. Linguistically, no dialect is better or more correct than any other. Socially, however, pronunciation and dialect often identify a speaker or writer as to their background and education as well as to the purpose and intent of what they are saying and their estimation of the audience.
          The focus of this class is on academic composition and standard grammar. There are usages and vocabulary that are very common in spoken Spanish, but which will be inappropriate in a college essay—or in a workplace report, job application or news article.

          Students in this class come from a variety of different backgrounds, all of which will be embraced and accepted. Many students have learned Spanish mostly in the classroom and have completed several years of high-school Spanish or four semesters at the university. Others have grown up speaking Spanish at home, either as native speakers living in a Spanish speaking country, or as heritage speakers living here in the USA while speaking Spanish at home and perhaps at school.  Many students have spent some time living in a Spanish speaking area and have thus become fluent interacting with native speakers.
          It is our goal that all of us can help each other, work together and share our strengths.