Intermediate Spanish I

Span 202 LA: Gateway to Advanced Spanish
MWF 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. TH 1:00 – 1:50 p.m.

Note: This course has a prerequisite of Spanish 201 or equivalent

This course is meant for students who have four or more years of Spanish language education. It is not the typical grammar and vocabulary based course but rather it is a role-play simulation course. Explore living in another country by forming an apartment building by taking on characters, discussing building issues, and building lives. Students will write their character’s autobiographies, learn how to write resumes, and interview for jobs. Students will better their reading skills, listening skills, and gain more confidence in speaking. This course will prepare students for the many, diverse courses offered in the Spanish program and will set them well on their way to preparing for a semester abroad.

Three hours.

This course is of particular interest because:

It is designed for students who have 4 years or more of Spanish language courses and are interested in a Spanish major or minor.
It has an emphasis on in-class discussions, debates and presentations.
It is a great preparation for those who desire to study abroad and have an interest in cultural traditions of Spanish speaking countries.
It is a good course for those who enjoy learning through projects and role-playing.
Students will learn how to create a resume, interview for a job and will be considering what things are necessary in order to build a life in the “real world.”

Meet Your Professor

Tracy Dinesen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Spanish

I grew up in a suburb of Denver, Colorado and after high school, attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. Boulder was a fascinating place and I loved my courses, especially Spanish, thus my major. I left Boulder in 1998 wondering what I should do with my life (surprise we don’t all have it figured out) and so I worked several jobs, exploring careers. After a long-term substitute teaching position in Spanish and French, I knew I wanted to teach.

I attended the University of North Texas in Denton to complete my master’s degree. Moving from Colorado was an adjustment but I loved my courses and I really enjoyed every day I taught classes. After finishing the Master’s program in Spanish I moved on to Texas Tech University, home of the Red Raiders and Bob Knight. My Ph.D. program was really diverse and I had the opportunity to learn hands on about Technology and Second Language Acquisition and innovative teaching methodologies. In my research I focused my attention on Spanish Detective Fiction. I mean, who doesn’t love a good book full of suspense, gore and crazy characters?

During my years at Texas Tech I was fortunate to live in Spain, teaching and doing research. Travel is something that I love and living in another country not only allows you to learn as much about the culture as you can but also teaches you great things about yourself. Taking students abroad is something that I enjoy and have had the opportunity to do at Simpson as well. Ask me about Spain and I can talk for hours.

After my years at Texas Tech I was very fortunate and excited about being given the opportunity to move to Iowa and become part of the Simpson College community. It is truly a great place to work and call home.

In my spare time I love to spend time with my family, I still read voraciously, and love to use power tools. My latest completed project was a gazebo and next I will tackle the world of kitchen renovations. I also love taking cooking classes and have even taken classes for cake decoration (obscure and messy but tasty). Also, it might be a little odd but I love vampire movies and tales about witches. This is quirk is obvious when you visit my office and find a life-size cardboard cut out of Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Meet Your Destination Leader

Allison Lane

¡Hola! My name is Allison and I will be starting my junior year at Simpson next fall. Originally born in Iowa, I was raised and graduated high school in Jacksonville, Illinois. I'm a Biochemistry and Spanish double major with plans to pursue medical or graduate school after my time at Simpson.

During the spring of 2008, I studied abroad in Seville, Spain and had an amazing time. I lived with a wonderful host family and got the chance to see other places such as France, Latvia, Portugal and Gibraltar. Plans are already in the works for deciding where my next trip should be! Traveling abroad is something I would recommend to anyone who gets the chance.

Back on campus, I stay pretty involved with activities like Greek Life, Student Government Association, Best Buddies, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the college work-study program. In my free time, I love to listen to music, spend time with friends and family, watch any type of sporting event (especially volleyball), work out and watch movies. I also enjoy free reading whenever I get the chance and a good book!

My first two years at Simpson have been great and I hope that the incoming freshmen class enjoys the experience just as much as I have!


	Summer Registration Fall Orientation Liberal Arts Seminar What is LAS? Summer Reading LAS Courses Resources
Gateway to Advanced Spanish Span 202 LA: Gateway to Advanced Spanish MWF 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. TH 1:00 – 1:50 p.m. Note: This course has a prerequisite of Spanish 201 or equivalent This course is meant for students who have four or more years of Spanish language education. It is not the typical grammar and vocabulary based course but rather it is a role-play simulation course. Explore living in another country by forming an apartment building by taking on characters, discussing building issues, and building lives. Students will write their character’s autobiographies, learn how to write resumes, and interview for jobs. Students will better their reading skills, listening skills, and gain more confidence in speaking. This course will prepare students for the many, diverse courses offered in the Spanish program and will set them well on their way to preparing for a semester abroad. Three hours. This course is of particular interest because: It is designed for students who have 4 years or more of Spanish language courses and are interested in a Spanish major or minor. It has an emphasis on in-class discussions, debates and presentations. It is a great preparation for those who desire to study abroad and have an interest in cultural traditions of Spanish speaking countries. It is a good course for those who enjoy learning through projects and role-playing. Students will learn how to create a resume, interview for a job and will be considering what things are necessary in order to build a life in the “real world.” Meet Your Professor Tracy Dinesen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Spanish I grew up in a suburb of Denver, Colorado and after high school, attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. Boulder was a fascinating place and I loved my courses, especially Spanish, thus my major. I left Boulder in 1998 wondering what I should do with my life (surprise we don’t all have it figured out) and so I worked several jobs, exploring careers. After a long-term substitute teaching position in Spanish and French, I knew I wanted to teach. I attended the University of North Texas in Denton to complete my master’s degree. Moving from Colorado was an adjustment but I loved my courses and I really enjoyed every day I taught classes. After finishing the Master’s program in Spanish I moved on to Texas Tech University, home of the Red Raiders and Bob Knight. My Ph.D. program was really diverse and I had the opportunity to learn hands on about Technology and Second Language Acquisition and innovative teaching methodologies. In my research I focused my attention on Spanish Detective Fiction. I mean, who doesn’t love a good book full of suspense, gore and crazy characters? During my years at Texas Tech I was fortunate to live in Spain, teaching and doing research. Travel is something that I love and living in another country not only allows you to learn as much about the culture as you can but also teaches you great things about yourself. Taking students abroad is something that I enjoy and have had the opportunity to do at Simpson as well. Ask me about Spain and I can talk for hours. After my years at Texas Tech I was very fortunate and excited about being given the opportunity to move to Iowa and become part of the Simpson College community. It is truly a great place to work and call home. In my spare time I love to spend time with my family, I still read voraciously, and love to use power tools. My latest completed project was a gazebo and next I will tackle the world of kitchen renovations. I also love taking cooking classes and have even taken classes for cake decoration (obscure and messy but tasty). Also, it might be a little odd but I love vampire movies and tales about witches. This is quirk is obvious when you visit my office and find a life-size cardboard cut out of Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Meet Your Destination Leader Allison Lane ¡Hola! My name is Allison and I will be starting my junior year at Simpson next fall. Originally born in Iowa, I was raised and graduated high school in Jacksonville, Illinois. I'm a Biochemistry and Spanish double major with plans to pursue medical or graduate school after my time at Simpson. During the spring of 2008, I studied abroad in Seville, Spain and had an amazing time. I lived with a wonderful host family and got the chance to see other places such as France, Latvia, Portugal and Gibraltar. Plans are already in the works for deciding where my next trip should be! Traveling abroad is something I would recommend to anyone who gets the chance. Back on campus, I stay pretty involved with activities like Greek Life, Student Government Association, Best Buddies, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the college work-study program. In my free time, I love to listen to music, spend time with friends and family, watch any type of sporting event (especially volleyball), work out and watch movies. I also enjoy free reading whenever I get the chance and a good book! My first two years at Simpson have been great and I hope that the incoming freshmen class enjoys the experience just as much as I have!
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