News > April 10, 2008

By Molly Nevola | Staff writer

A new opportunity for Spanish language enthusiasts during this year’s second summer session on campus July 7 through Aug. 9 will incorporate both university students and local high school students in a program designed to immerse students linguistically and culturally.

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Spanish lecturer Ana Leon-Tavora and Jason Carter, a Spanish major at the university, are both highly involved in this summer’s intensive Spanish classes. (Kelly Makepeace/Old Gold & Black)

The Intensive Summer Language Institute (ISLI), under the direction of lecturer of Spanish Ana Leon-Tavora, will introduce a brand new program for students who wish to take Intensive Intermediate Spanish (SPA 153) in an environment of solely the Spanish language.

The program will be open for university students who have taken either Spanish 111 or 112 but will also focus on bringing high school students that have either AP credit or at least a level of Spanish 3 who want to take courses for college credit.

It will also accept incoming freshmen.

“This is a great opportunity because high school students can take college credit and incoming freshmen can work toward their requirements faster,” Leon-Tavora said.

The sessions will be complete immersion, Leon-Tavora said, with five hours of rigorous study five days a week with instructors.

The hours will consist of two hours of grammar, two hours of conversation and reading and one hour of lunch with instructors while conversing in only Spanish.

The program also incorporates a little fun into the immersion so that it is not straight academics, Leon-Tavora said. Students will be able to participate in activities such as salsa, meringue and mambo dancing lessons, field trips to the Hispanic community and a visit to the Hispanic newspaper Que Pasa.

Classrooms will be capped at about seven students so that each student can have personal attention, Leon-Tavora said, though they will try to facilitate many classrooms.

“I already have a few applications and I’ve been contacted by some high schools; I will talk to them in person and make presentations soon,” she said.

Leon-Tavora, a six-year veteran of the university whose origins trace to Sevilla, Spain, proposed the idea this past year and intends to offer it every summer based on the response it receives.

She praised the romance language department as a whole, noting that it is one of the largest departments and that the Spanish program in particular is “amazing.”

“We are growing every year,” she said, “and are involved in a lot of things: linguistics, literature, cultural studies, translation and interpretation, Spanish for different areas (medicine students, business students).”

Leon-Tavora elicited the assistance of department chair Byron Wells and professors Candelas Gala and Mary-Lynn Redmond, who helped Leon-Tavora connect with various professionals and heads of high schools to bring their plans to fruition.

“It is a laborious process but everyone is very excited about the program, and I feel really grateful for all their support,” she said.

Leon-Tavora said that she hopes to make the program more exciting with travel opportunities, but for now looks forward to the cultural benefits the program will offer to the students.

“The good thing about the intensive summer program is that it gives the opportunity for the students to realize that when you learn a language, you are not only learning the language, but the whole immersion experience,” she said.