Dr. Despain's Suggestions for Success

1. Do at least one hour (two for accelerated courses, and four for summer courses) of Spanish work on a daily basis (Monday-Saturday).
2. Memorize all of the new vocabulary words for a particular day of class, prior to attending that class.
3. When learning vocabulary, develop a set of flashcards for each chapter (some students find that writing out the new phrases several times helps them most); move through the cards visually and orally, switching up the order of cards, systematically removing those that you show you know, increasing the focus on those you don't. Review often.
4. Practice out loud while reading, writing, listening and when preparing ALL activities.
5. Use the audio and video components ("Vocabulario esencial," "Encuentro cultural," "En contexto," etc.) of the course faithfully.
6. Complete out loud the MindTap activities.
7. Use the language to PRODUCE original oral and written messages.
8. Seek out a study mate with whom you can use the language, review the exercises, run flashcards, etc., outside of class.
9. Take time each day to review, summarize and learn from your notes and other resources for each class that you are taking this semester. (Bednar 2020)
10. Ask clarifying questions in class or to your course mate.
11. Consistently work with your course mate, encouraging them to be similarly motivated and engaged in the learning process.
12. Get help immediately when you run into problems with the course, particularly the projects and technology components.
13. Attend class each day; arrive on time, having prepared each activity and ready to actively participate.
14. Engage actively in each element of each class day, doing your best to only speak in Spanish.
15. Study and learn the material, saying everything out loud, and then complete the textbook exercises out loud and in writing to test your knowledge and develop your ability to use the language in authentic or semi authentic settings.
16. Use some of the following additional resources.