MA in Spanish - emphasis on oral or written ability?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello! </p>

<p>I recently graduated with two BAs, one in English (3.3 GPA) and one in Spanish (3.7 GPA). I didn't begin studying Spanish until I was almost finished with my English degree - I fell in love with the language and added it as a second major. </p>

<p>Because I began studying so late in my undergraduate career, I didn't have the opportunity to spend a year studying abroad anywhere ... I did spend two summers studying at a language school in Mexico, however, and my speaking ability was borderline C1/C2 in 2013. </p>

<p>I'm going to begin applying to graduate programs that focus on Hispanic culture/literature/language for a fall 2015 admission, and I'd just like to know, in your experience, where the emphasis was placed during your admissions process. I speak well, but I am not fluent. With that said, I understand and communicate well - advanced low seems to be the general consensus of my instructors regarding my speaking ability. My reading and writing skills are advanced - neither I nor my professors are concerned about that aspect of my application. I have amazing LoRs, and writing has always been a strength of mine - I'm not worried about the SoP or the GRE (which I'm already studying for and will take in October). </p>

<p>My professors seem to think that if a program is interested, they'll put me in classes to help increase my oral ability should it prove deficient (I can find absolutely no evidence of this being a "thing") ... it is their belief that the more important aspect of my application is my writing ability. It should be noted that none of them expressed reservations about my speaking ability, but I know that I'm at a major disadvantage when it comes to heritage or native speakers. </p>

<p>I have experience volunteering teaching ESL and translating fairly technical documents from Spanish to English, if that matters at all. </p>

<p>Thank you for your advice! I never thought I would continue my studies until I found Spanish, and now I'm just really apprehensive about the admission requirements. </p>

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<p>I should add that I’m looking for a funded degree, and I also have two years tutoring Spanish at my university (a paid position). </p>

<p>Edit: And I know realize I could have just edited the OP. Sorry! </p>

3

<p>

I have some experience with this, though with a different language. Most Unis fund lang/lit grad students by putting them to work as TAs for intro and intermediate language courses. If you don’t speak Spanish well enough to teach it, that will pose a challenge.</p>

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<p>I do believe that I speak well enough to teach the intro courses (thank goodness) - it’s more higher-level philosophical discussion that has me worried. I didn’t make this clear in my OP at all, but I tutored Spanish for two years at the recommendation of my Spanish department, and was approved to tutor everything from the basic classes through the higher level reading and writing courses. </p>

<p>Thank you very much for your insight regarding how the funding for degrees works. I think I will volunteer for awhile teaching basic Spanish in my local community - maybe that will boost my chances of being awarded a TA position.</p>

<p>Thank you for your time and response! </p>