Romance Language and Literature

Overview

About Romance Language and Literature program at the University of Missouri - Kansas City

Students demonstrate Oral Proficiency in their chosen language by attaining an Advanced level of speaking as outlined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2012). These speakers are able to "engage in conversation in a clearly participatory manner in order to communicate information on autobiographical topics, as well as topics of community, national, or international interest. The topics are handled concretely by means of narration and description in the major time frames of past, present and future. These speakers can also deal with a social situation with an unexpected complication. The language of Advanced-level speakers is abundant, the oral paragraph being the measure of Advanced-level length and discourse. "

Students demonstrate advanced competency in cultural and textual analysis, including appropriately sophisticated research and documentation skills. Students can effectively describe, analyze and critically evaluate multiple topics in support of an original thesis. Students can search, find and accurately identify appropriate sources for a chosen topic. They can effectively analyze, evaluate and summarize other people's thinking about a particular topic. They consistently and accurately cite relevant research. The demonstration of this competency is most often in the target language.

Students demonstrate thematic knowledge of the culture(s) of their chosen language, including but not necessarily limited to the literature in that language. Students demonstrate a significant grasp of the history of Spanish or French-speaking countries and/or peoples and they can discuss in some depth their culture(s) and cultural production, including literary texts.