Spanish 202 (¡Avance!) Midterm Oral Exam

Choose a partner from class to create, rehearse and perform a 5 minute conversation about one of the topics below. Follow the suggested guidelines, but feel free to include other information and to be creative. Make sure to divide your parts evenly. You do not have to completely memorize your dialogue, but you should be sufficiently prepared so that you rarely have to rely on your script (you will lose substantial points if you simply read your script). Try to include as many terms from the particular chapter’s vocabulary list as possible and use its grammar where relevant. Double-check your script from obvious grammatical mistakes such as agreement and verb tenses, since these types of simple errors will be heavy deductions. Keep the following grading criteria in mind:

Grading criteria include:

Assignment and preparation: follows guidelines and has obviously been well prepared and rehearsed, length is appropriate

Vocabulary: uses a wide a accurate vocabulary—not narrow, repetitive, or inaccurate

Grammar: avoids easy mistakes such as gender and number errors, uses verb tenses and subject-verb agreement correctly, shows awareness of more advanced grammar

Intelligibility: uses proper Spanish expression, doesn’t sound like a literal translation of English usage, would make sense to a native listener

Information: includes correct information, goes beyond superficial treatment of the topic, cultural-specific information is accurate when used

Chapter 7: ¿Cómo y dónde haces las compras?

One of you is an American collage student. Your roommate is visiting for the semester from a Spanish-speaking country. Compose a dialogue in which you role play an exchange about shopping habits in your respective countries. Who shops? When? Where? How often? Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each culture’s shopping habits. Include accurate information about shopping habits of Latin Americans and North Americans.

Chapter 8: ¿Eres religioso?

You and your roommate from a Spanish-speaking countryhave a discussion about religion. The Hispanic is Catholic and comes from a very religious family. He or she wants to know whether you practice a religion and what you think about religion in general. You should each discuss your own religious views (you can be yourself, make up a religiousidentity, or show your atheist colors) as well as your views on world religions or religion in general. Include an accurate portrayal of Latin American religious views.

Chapter 9: ¿Por qué viniste a los Estados Unidos?

One of you is an American who has traveled very little and is very proud of your own country. You haven’t really made up your mind on the issue of illegal immigration. Your partner is your new neighbor who has just moved in from a Spanish-speaking country. You want to know why your neighbor has immigrated to the U.S. Your partner gives his or her reasons, but also has a number of concerns about life in the U.S., and he or she is especially worried about discrimination and the stigma of being an illegal alien. Do you want to help your neighbor adjust well to life in the U.S. or will you reinforce the stereotypical views that he or she is afraid of. What do you tell him or her about what to expect as a Hispanic in the U.S.?