Student Learning Outcomes

At Hood College, we are committed to teaching excellence. Program goals and learning outcomes identify what we expect students to learn, think critically about and accomplish in their courses and programs of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We believe an integrated learning approach that combines a strong grounding in the liberal arts with advanced study in the major and opportunities for internships and research initiatives is the best way to prepare students for lives of purpose and civic engagement.

Graduates earning a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern studies from Hood College:

Demonstrate an ability to read and write at the intermediate-mid level in Arabic according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines through:

  • Understanding non-complex texts that convey basic information and deal with basic personal and social topics as well as understand short connected texts featuring description and narration, and
  • Writing simple communications, compositions and requests for information that express personal preferences and talk about common events.

Demonstrate an ability to speak and understand spoken discourse at the intermediate-mid level in Arabic according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines through:

  • Engaging in a variety of non-complicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations, and
  • Understanding simple sentence-length speech in a variety of basic personal and social contexts.

Demonstrate an ability to do research effectively and evaluate sources of various kinds in both Arabic and in English through:

  • Analyzing, interpreting and presenting research in narrative form.

Demonstrate an ability to understand and compare the values of the different cultures and ethnicities of the Arab world and the Middle East at large through:

  • Defining, understanding and interpreting cultural and/or social interactions between different cultures and ethnicities of the Arabic-speaking world and the Middle East at large.

Graduates earning a bachelor’s degree in French from Hood College:

Demonstrate an ability to read and write at the advanced-low level in French according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines through:

  • Writing routine, informal and formal texts of essay length as well as narratives, descriptions and summaries;
  • Exhibiting good control of a range of grammatical structures and a fairly wide range of grammatical vocabulary; and 
  • Understanding main ideas and supporting details of authentic narrative and descriptive texts.

Speak and understand spoken discourse at the advanced-high level in French according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines through:

  • Explaining in detail and narrate fully and accurately in all time frames with consistency;
  • Contributing to conversations with sufficient accuracy, clarity, and precision to convey their intended message without misrepresentation or confusion; and
  • Comprehending, with ease and confidence, conventional narrative and descriptive texts of any length as well as complex factual material.

Demonstrate an ability to do research effectively and evaluate sources of various kinds in both French and in English through:

  • Analyzing, interpreting and presenting research in narrative form, and
  • Evaluating sources of various kinds in both French and English.

Demonstrate an ability to understand the relationship between the products, practices, and perspectives of Francophone cultures through:

  • Using the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the relationship between the products, practices and perspectives of the cultures studied.

Graduates earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish: Iberian & Latin American Cultural Studies from Hood College:

Demonstrate an ability to read and write at the advanced-low level in Spanish according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines through:

  • Writing routine, informal and formal texts of essay length as well as narratives, descriptions and summaries, and 
  • Understanding main ideas and supporting details of authentic narrative and descriptive texts.

Demonstrate an ability to speak and understand spoken discourse at the advanced-high level in Spanish according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines through:

  • Conversing in a clearly engaging manor in order to communicate information in a participatory fashion, and
  • Understanding the main ideas and most supporting details in connected discourse on a variety of topics.

Demonstrate an ability to do research effectively and evaluate sources of various kinds in both Spanish and in English through:

  • Analyzing, interpreting and presenting research in narrative form

Demonstrate an ability to understand the relationship between the products, practices, and perspectives of German cultures through:

  • Defining, understanding and interpreting cultural and/or social interactions between different cultures and ethnicities of Latin America.