Teaching of Spanish, BA

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish


Undergraduate degree programs in Spanish & Portuguese

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish


Prerequisite to application to the Teaching program: GPA of 2.5 in all Spanish content courses in the major. Contact the Foreign Language Teacher Education Program for information.

In order to remain in good standing in this program and be recommended for licensure, candidates are required to maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 (A=4.0). Illinois teacher licensure rules require candidates to earn a grade of C- or better in all content and professional education coursework. Candidates for licensure in World Languages are required to pass the appropriate language content-area test prior to student teaching, and an oral proficiency test in their content major language prior to licensure. Licensure requirements are subject to change without notice as a result of new mandates from the Illinois State Board of Education or the Illinois General Assembly.

Departmental distinction: To be eligible for departmental distinction, a student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0, display exceptional teaching ability, and complete an approved project or series of projects. Consult the Spanish departmental advisor for details.

Study Abroad: It is strongly recommended that future teachers of Spanish engage in one or more semesters of study in a Spanish-speaking country. A number of the curricular requirements may be met through the Year Abroad Program or other approved programs; see Study Abroad Programs.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.

Minimum hours required major and supporting course work: normally equates to 33-36 hours in Teaching Area of Concentration and 33 hours of professional education courses. Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.

University Requirements

The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.

Composition I4-6
Advanced Composition3
Humanities & the Arts (6 hours)6
Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours)6
Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)6
fulfilled by EPSY 201 and any other course approved as Social & Behavioral Sciences
Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course)3
Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course)3
Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) 3
Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I)6-10
Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English, or completion of the third semester in two different languages other than English is required)0-20

Major Requirements

Core Spanish Courses
SPAN 228Spanish Composition3
SPAN 477Spanish Grammar and Communicative Language Teaching3
27-30 additional hours of coursework in SPAN at the 200, 300, and/or 400 level, including at least two literature and culture courses and at least two linguisitics courses, chosen from among the following: SPAN 250, 252, 254, 303, 305, 307, 308, 309, 310, 312, 318, 320, 324, 326, 395, related SPAN 299 or SPAN 399 study abroad courses, or related SPAN 400-level courses with advisor approval. 27-30
Core Professional Education Courses
FLTE 471Introduction to Second Language Teaching4
FLTE 475Learning to Teach World Language4
FLTE 478Secondary World Language Teaching1-3
(In the fall semester, students enroll in FLTE 478 for 3 hours with instruction occurring in the first 10 weeks. In the spring semester, students enroll in FLTE 478 for 1 hour with instruction occurring in the first 4 weeks.)
EPOL 201Foundations of Education3
EPSY 201Educational Psychology3
SPED 405General Educator's Role in Special Education3
EDPR 442Educational Practice in Secondary Education12
Total Hours63-68

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish


Sample Sequence

This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.

Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.

First Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
Free Elective course1SPAN 2283
Language Other than English (3rd level)4Free Elective course3
Composition I or General Educaiton course4General Education course or Composition I3
SPAN 200-300 level course3General Education course3
General Education course3General Education course3
 15 15
Total Hours 30
Second Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
SPAN Literature & Culture 200-300 level course3SPAN Literature & Culture 200-300 level course3
SPAN Linguistics 200-300 level course3SPAN Linguistics 200-300 level course3
General Education course3General Education course3
General Education course3General Education course3
Free Elective course3General Education course3
 15 15
Total Hours 30
Third Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
EPOL 2013EPSY 2013
SPAN 300-400 level course3FLTE 4714
SPAN 300-400 level course3SPAN 300-400 level course3
General Education course3SPAN 300-400 level course3
General Education course3Free Elective course3
 15 16
Total Hours 31
Fourth Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
FLTE 4754EDPR 44212
FLTE 4783FLTE 4781
SPAN 4773 
SPED 4053 
Free Elective course3 
 16 13
Total Hours 29

Total Hours: 120

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish


  1. Teacher Candidates* will be able to demonstrate their understanding of second language acquisition theories and methodologies through the instructional activities and materials that they design to support all students’ learning and skill building in the three modes of communication.
  2. Using Bloom’s taxonomy and knowledge of cultural analysis, Teacher Candidates will be able to stimulate analytical skills in their second language learners when reading literary or historical texts or periodicals, such as newspapers, magazines, or blog posts discussing current events.
  3. Using their knowledge of Spanish linguistics and the sounds of Spanish, Teacher Candidates will be able to model accurate and authentic pronunciation for their learners during instruction.
  4. Teacher Candidates will be able to demonstrate their understanding of and skills in designing multiple methods of assessment that monitor learner progress in the three modes of communication, promote learner efficacy, and guide decision-making of the learner and teacher.

*BAT Students = Teacher Candidates