Spanish Masters?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by b4cz28, Aug 16, 2017.

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  1. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    There are more in-depth language exams accepted by the Big 3. I won't list them all, but they aren't CLEP. Like I said, these exams aren't meant for beginners.
     
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I'll take your word, then. My doubts were not about tests for written or oral proficiency. They were about standard testing coverage of the literature, history etc. of the language. You say they're in place, I'll believe you.

    Regardless of my opinion, if TESU grants a degree majoring in a language, then it is what it says. If it meets their accreditor's standards (and I'm sure it always would) then it's exactly what TESU says it is. I only lift my arrogant Brit/Canadian beak in a huff because I have strong protective instincts toward this particular field of study. Perhaps too strong.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 19, 2017
  3. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    • A Bachelor's requires all of this - particular emphasis on the horse.
    • A Master's: Specialized study of one end of the horse. End to be assigned by your academic advisor. Thesis in Spanish.
    • Doctorate: Years of digging and research, to reconstruct horse's life and philosophy from his remains. Dissertation in Spanish.

    ¡Buena suerte!

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 19, 2017
  4. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    For culture and literature, you'll need to take a class whether it be traditional or ACE/NCCRS or complete a PLA.
     
  5. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    You might get some portfolio credit for waiting tables at El Rincon Criollo.:laughing:
     
  6. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    Bloody rotter! ;-)
     
  7. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Living where I do, I run into lots of English speakers who want/need to acquire Spanish. It's not quite as easy as it sounds, though. First, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken first languages in the world with a great deal of variation from place to place. Standard American Spanish will carry you through most of the places you're ever likely to visit but it's a lot harder to gain "fluency" in any particular place without actually living there for an extended period of time. Second, your "fluent" Northern Mexico Spanish may be so different from the Spanish spoken in, say, Bolivia that you can easily say something polite here that will at best cause howls of laughter there. At worst, it might get you into a fight.

    Here in New Mexico, there are generally speaking three types of Spanish; Mexican Spanish spoken by current residents of this State who grew up in and were educated in Mexico, Border Spanish (not Spanglish; that's different yet) as spoken largely by natives of El Paso and surrounding areas including Las Cruces, New Mexico, and the rather archaic Spanish spoken in the traditional villages of Northern New Mexico. If you are reasonably capable in one version, you can probably make sense of the others so long as everyone is patient but fluency in one almost guarantees lack of fluency in the others.

    So pronounced is the problem that New Mexico State University has two tracks for lower level Spanish students; non-native speakers and native speakers.

    I have a fairly easy time speaking Mexican Spanish because that's what I was taught. But I often can't understand more than a word or two of the Border dialect and nothing at all of the Northern NM dialect yet they are clearly the same basic tongue.

    I've had a couple of howlers in Court from variations but our interpreters all all certified and very well trained.
     
  8. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Oh, and what I started out to say was, you need to decide where you are most likely to be speaking Spanish then look for University level classes that teach that dialect. At some point, if you really want to get comfortable, you will need to spend considerable time in the communities where your version of Spanish is spoken. There really isn't any other way. You need to get out and use the language to communicate.

    EDIT: I do NOT claim to be fluent in any version of the language.
     
  9. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    I've been told the same in NYC. Puerto Ricans and Dominicans(Dominican Republic) are supposedly especially difficult to understand as they are said to speak rápidamente.
     
  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    OK - so a major requires at least something besides testing-out. I'd have thought more than one lit. course for a major, but I'm not arguing. Whatever TESU says goes. Back in the Neolithic Age in Canada, that I know so well, high school students had to complete final-year composition and literature exams before registering in first-year University language programs - where they got more separate lit. and composition classes. First year French Lit. started with some Old French - e.g. Chanson de Roland and moved forward - Ronsard, Du Bellay an' them...François Villon... Second year and up -specialized courses.

    First-year German Lit. started before there was any written literature in German - back when all the writing was in Latin - Matthias Claudius, Notker Balbalus, Hildegard von Bingen...

    Universities did, even in those days, have separate beginer courses as well. One exception, IIRC - native speakers were required to take the regular courses, whether they had final-year high-school standing or not.

    Memories... sorry for any spelling mistakes - computers are hard to work when I forget my reading glasses ... it's tough, being old. Waaaa. :wink:

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 20, 2017
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    OK - so a major requires at least something besides testing-out. I'd have thought more than one lit. course for a major, but I won't argue. Whatever TESU requires. Back in the neolithic Age in CAnada, that I know so well, high school students had to complete final-year composition and literature exams before registering in first-year University language programs - where you got more separate lit. and composition classes. First year French Lit. started with some Old French - e.g. Chanson de Roland and moved forward - Ronsard, Du Bellay an' them...François Villon... Second year and up -specialized courses.

    First-year German Lit. started back when all the writing was in Latin - Matthias Claudius, Notker Balbalus, Hildegard von Bingen...

    Universities did, even in those days, have separate beginer courses as well. One exception, IIRC - native speakers were required to take the regular courses, whether they had final-year high-school standing or not.

    Memories... sorry for any spelling mistakes - computers are hard to work when I forget my reading glasses , , ,

    J.
     
  12. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    I like to tell young lawyers that law school was much easier in my day...just ten laws to learn...

    Also we paid tuition with pinches of gold dust.

    We had a Cuban truck driver in Court a couple of months ago on some minor traffic violation. He had been educated in Cuba and his Spanish was very fast but not all that hard to follow. There's a trick, though. Caribbeans speak quickly but they also drop syllables and terminal "s"es. South Americans do this as well and if you listen to the Pope's Spanish, you will hear the strong Italian influence that marks the Buenas Aires dialect. You will also hear the "vos" form which is unknown in Mexican Spanish.

    I could swear that I often hear a softened version of the famous Spanish "lisp" among well educated Mexicans but none of the real experts I work with will admit it. I had an instructor from Barcelona years ago so I learned roughly when to lisp and when not to but around here, doing so deliberately would sound like the affectation it is.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 20, 2017
  13. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    And, IIRC, you were in the Navy in New Mexico. Now that's a long time ago. ;-)
     
  14. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Yes, triremes and Windows 3.1. Loooong time ago!
     

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