So, you are thinking of taking Spanish when you come to Wheaton?
Keep in mind that we also offer Chinese, French, German, Classical Greek, Italian, Latin, and Russian.
There are several reasons why many students choose to take a foreign language in their first year:
1. If you might want to study in a Spanish-speaking country, you should have a good grounding in Spanish before you set off.
2. If you might want to major or minor in Spanish you will want to get started right away.
3. Even if you are not thinking of being a major or minor, you may want to satisfy the language requirement by taking it in your first year. This is especially true if you have already studied Spanish at High School and wish to continue. Taking a year off would make it extremely difficult to pick up the language again, and you would not be allowed to restart as a beginner.
If you have taken Spanish before, you will need to take the Wheaton College Placement Exam. These pages will tell you how to do that.
WHEN TO TAKE THE TEST
Anytime before August 28 at 11 P.M.
Plan to take the test on-line before 11 p.m. on August 28, 2004. Otherwise, you will be required to attend one of the Placement Exam sessions on the morning of Sunday, August 29. If you do not have access to a networked computer, or you have difficulty taking the test on-line, you can take the placement exam on campus during an assigned exam slot. As soon as you arrive on campus, check your Orientation materials to find the assigned time and the place.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THE WHEATON SPANISH PLACEMENT EXAM?
All incoming students to Wheaton who have studied Spanish before, and intend to continue (either to satisfy the Wheaton Language Requirement or simply to pursue further studies of the Spanish language, its literature and cultures) must take the Spanish placement exam. Students who have not studied Spanish before do not need to take the placement exam and can register for Hispanic Studies 101-102 (Basic Spanish).
The purpose of the test is to assess your knowledge of Spanish, and to help you register for the level that is most appropriate for your current language skills, and from which you will grow. The faculty in the department of Hispanic Studies wants to make sure that you make wise use of your time at Wheaton.
We do not want you to enroll in a Spanish course that is either too elementary or too advanced for your current Spanish level. Taking a course at the wrong level will only lead to frustrations and to the complications of changing courses or to dropping out and having to start all over again.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SCORES?
The Placement Exam is evaluated by using both automated scoring and human assessment. The results of the exam, together with the information from the questionnaire, will help the faculty of the department place you into the proper Spanish course. Scores from this exam will not affect the status of a student's admission to Wheaton, and will not be recorded in your transcript.
The "Wheaton On-line Spanish Placement Exam" offers many obvious advantages for the students:
· It allows incoming students to take their placement test before they arrive on campus for the very busy orientation period, when life is quite hectic enough.
· Students can take the exam at home or in any quiet environment, such as a school or library, at a time when they feel ready to take the test.
· Students may take as much time as they need for the exam. The average time - not counting loading time- is between 45 minutes and one hour. Allow enough time to take the entire exam in one sitting.
DO YOUR BEST ON THE EXAM
It is very important that you do your best on the exam. In order for the faculty of the department to make sound judgments about your placement, we need good and complete information about your Spanish background and knowledge.
While taking this test, keep in mind that you are now a Wheaton student and that you are subject to the Wheaton Honor Code.
You should take the test without using books or dictionaries and without the help of another person.
The Wheaton Online Spanish Placement Exam contains four parts.
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Part 1 |
Short Answers A written composition of 50 words (15 points) A listening comprehension exercise (5 questions: 10 points) |
25 points |
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Part 2 |
Spanish Grammar: Fill in the blanks 25 questions Example: El libro es ______ María. (Answer: de) |
25 points |
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Part 3 |
Spanish Grammar: Multiple Choice 45 questions Example: Mi amiga Rosa y su familia _______ en Los Angeles. (Answer: viven) a) vive b) viven c) vivir d) estudia |
45 points |
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Part 4 |
Listening comprehension 5 multiple choice questions |
5 points |
The Wheaton Spanish Placement Test is online. If you have access to the Internet, please take the test before the August 28 deadline. If you do not have access to the Internet, you may take the test when you arrive on campus during an assigned exam slot.
If you have any questions or problems, please email blackboard_admins@wheatoncollege.edu
They will reply within one business day.
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1. Go to Wheaton’s Homepage |
Internet Explorer is the recommended browser.
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2. Go to the Blackboard system |
From the "Quick Links" pull-down menu, select Blackboard. |
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3. Log into Blackboard |
Click the Login button. Your user name is your Wheaton ID, and your password is your birthdate in the form MMDDYY. example: Username: w00012345 Password: 010186
You'll need to change your password, but you can do that later. |
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4 Open the test |
Under "Courses in which you are enrolled," click on "Spanish Placement Test."
Enter the testing area by clicking on the "Spanish Placement" button.
Take each section of the test by clicking on the link to "User Information" and each of the "Parts."
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5. Take the test |
While you are taking the test, you can go back and change your answers as many times as you wish.
At the bottom of the test are 2 buttons: SAVE lets you save your answers, log out, and finish the test later.
SUBMIT records your answers. No changes are possible after you click this button, and you can not take the test again.
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6. Submit your answers |
Don't forget to click the SUBMIT button!
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7. Log out of Blackboard |
It's not enough to just close the browser window, click on the Logout button at the top of the Blackboard screen. |
TYPING SPECIAL CHARACTERS
Please use the correct spelling and punctuation, including the accents and special characters. Here is a summary of how to type these special characters for this web-based test. These instructions are also included in the test.
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To get this character |
Type this on a Mac |
Type this on a PC |
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á |
Option-e then a |
Alt - 160 |
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é |
Option-e then e |
Alt - 130 |
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í |
Option-e then i |
Alt - 161 |
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ó |
Option-e then o |
Alt - 162 |
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ú |
Option-e then u |
Alt - 163 |
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ñ |
Option-n then n |
Alt - 164 |
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¿ |
Option-shift-? |
Alt - 168 |
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¡ |
Option-shift-1 |
Alt - 161 |