Portfolio:
Senior Capstone Experience—
Writing Component
Rationale:
Each graduate of the Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures should
keep a portfolio demonstrating her achievements as a French or
Spanish major. This portfolio will help students and advisors
take stock of learning and curriculum/skills needs from semester
to semester. Upon graduation students will have documents, attesting
to skills and foreign language proficiency acquired, to take
with them on the job search. Not only will portfolios serve students
as they seek employment, they will also help faculty with long-term
course planning, curriculum review, and assessment of our programs.
Requirements:
All majors (including double majors) in Spanish and French will create
a written portfolio and present it to the department.
In the first term of the second year, the portfolio will be started.
One semester before graduation, the student will enroll in the Senior
Seminar FRE 490/SPA 490, a one credit hour course in which the student
will complete the portfolio and plan the oral presentation. Although
it will be planned during the Senior Seminar, the oral presentation to
the department may take place in the student’s final semester at
Columbia College.
The student will have a “committee”: a portfolio
advisor and another member of department. In most cases, the portfolio
advisor will be the student’s academic advisor in the department.
The advisor will help the student choose documents and will advise on
the organization of the portfolio.
Plan for Portfolio Development:
At the beginning of the sophomore year, the student makes a tentative
list of types of writing she would like her portfolio to include. Throughout
the year she will file all of her writing assignments in a folder. At
the end of the year, she will meet with her advisor to
- go over all pieces and decide which to include in the portfolio;
- brainstorm an organizing principle for the portfolio. This plan will
be reviewed and approved by department members;
- set goals for the next year; and
- revise the plan for the materials to be included in the portfolio.
By the end of the junior year, the student should have
submitted 3-4 of the documents for the portfolio. The organizing principle
should be finalized.
In the semester before graduation, the student will enroll
in the Senior Seminar FRE 490/SPA 490 and at the end of that semester,
the portfolio should be submitted to the department for final evaluation.
A rough draft of the oral presentation should be submitted as well. A
date should be selected for the oral presentation.
The senior should present her portfolio to department
members and language majors, preferably in the first half of the semester.
Contents of Portfolio:
The portfolio should include a minimum of 5 documents
(averaging 1 document/semester from sophomore to senior year with at
least one document from the second, third, and fourth years).
Documents should attest to 1) student competency in the 5 Cs of the National
Standards for Foreign Language Learning: communication, cultures, connections,
comparisons, and community; 2) area-specific skills according to future
employment plans; 3) progress in foreign language writing from the sophomore
to the senior year.
A wide variety of written artifacts can be included.
See “Documents for Portfolio” link for ideas pertinent to
different disciplines.
In addition to the 5 required documents, the student
may want to include other types of documentation that show her learning
and progress in the foreign language, including student awards, honor
society membership, proficiency certificates, etc.
Ideas for Portfolio
Documents
- Research paper
- personal narrative or
autobiography about self, accomplishments, future plans, etc.
- literary analysis, explication,
interpretation
- critique or analysis
of a film
- Powerpoint presentation
- compare/contrast evaluation
of products or industry
- business letters
- curriculum vitae
- letter of application
for job
- personal correspondence
- web site on French language
resources for particular profession or industry
- account of stock tracking
(trading profits/losses)
- sample lesson plans
- phonetic alphabet transcription
- thematic unit
- creative writing piece
(“original” or pastiche): poem, short story, fable,
long dialogue
- summary of a news item
report (perhaps using 3 or more sources) (perhaps comparing
how an issue was reported on in France, Canada, and the U.S.)
- evaluation (perhaps
compare and contrast) of a Francophone issue (from 1 or more
country perspectives, if applicable)
- press release or announcement
- proposal of project
or plan
- news article
- review of a book or
film
- summary/reaction paper
- Translation: non-literary
or literary
- web site on resources
for translation
- web site on resources
for simultaneous interpretation
- translation of scholarly
article or text in field
- book report
- Curriculum plan
