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Language requirement

All students are required to demonstrate reading proficiency in an approved language other than English or Spanish. The purpose of this requirement is to assure that when students are conducting research and come across a scholarly book or article in that language, they are able to read it. This requirement must be met as soon as possible, but by no later than the end of the semester prior to the semester in which the student plans to take the comprehensive examination. The A-E committee will not schedule the comprehensive examination unless the requirement has been met, in any of these ways:

  1. By completing at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno, with a grade of "B" or better, a fourth semester language course (a grade of "B-" does not satisfy the requirement).
  2. By transferring to the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno, with a grade of "B" or better, the credits of a fourth semester-or equivalent-language course (a grade of "B-" does not satisfy the requirement). If the credits transferred are of a course in a language also offered at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno, then the requirement is met. If the language is not offered at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno, then the student's A-E committee decides whether the requirement is met; to assist with its decision, the committee may ask the student to show that scholarly works about Hispanic literature or linguistics are published and available in the language in question.
  3. By providing evidence of native-speaker status in a language other than English or Spanish and, if requested by the A-E committee chair, evidence that scholarly works about Hispanic literature or linguistics are published and available in that language.
  4. By passing a written examination that tests the student's reading proficiency in a language offered at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno and in which scholarly works about Hispanic literature are published and available. An examination in a given language may not be taken more than twice. 

Language exam procedures

  1. The student consults with the advisor/committee chair to determine who may administer the exam in the chosen language.
  2. The student provides the examiner a copy of these language exam procedures. The student, in consultation with the examiner, selects a scholarly book on Hispanic literature, linguistics, critical theory, or pedagogy, published in the language to be tested. The student provides the book to the examiner for approval.
  3. Within five weeks of having selected the approved book, the examiner administers a two-hour translation exam. The examiner selects a suitable passage from the book and asks the student to begin translating the text into English (or Spanish, if the examiner is proficient in Spanish). The student may use dictionaries during the exam and is not allowed access to the internet.
  4. The examiner delivers the original of the translation and a copy of the source text to the department office, for placement in the student's file, attaching a signed and dated note stating the date of the exam and whether the student completed the exam satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily, and notifies the graduate director of the result by email, simply stating whether the student has passed or not passed the exam. The student may keep a copy of the translation and the source texts.