Spanish in Transition 11 is the first of a two year programme designed for native Spanish speakers.

This programme strives to meet the needs of students for whom a regular SSL (Spanish as a Second Language) class would be boring and unchallenging. Native Spanish speakers who have not received formal education in their maternal language share many linguistic abilities: enhanced vocabulary, ability to use most verb tenses correctly, and excellent listening and speaking skills. However, they also share a set of difficulties when faced with learning their native language for the first time in a formal setting: writing difficulties, including frequent and engrained spelling errors, an inability to identify and analyze verb tenses and their use, and occasionally some difficulties with literacy. Ironically, many native Spanish speakers in this situation will also face similar language challenges in the English classroom. The Spanish in Transition programme aims to help Spanish-speaking students overcome some of these challenges with both Spanish and English, while at the same time further instilling pride in their culture and language, and offering valuable employment skills.

Throughout the programme, students will participate in interactive activities which help develop their skills as translators and oral interpreters of Spanish and English.

In the translation segment of the programme, students will be introduced to some basic translation skills and will work with a variety of resources, including printed material and web-based aides, including translation forums. Students will explore various forms of literature in both Spanish and English, including: signs and posters, forms (passport, tax, legal, etc.), recipes, technological manuals, newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, short stories, children's books, poetry, chapters of novels, and film subtitles.

In the oral interpretation segment of the programme, students will explore various types of oral interpretation and methods used by professional interpreters. Students will work with a variety of audio sources, including: news broadcasts, official speeches, etc. Most importantly, students will explore the wide variety of work environments in which oral interpretation is a necessary skill.

Practical elements of this programme will include student contributions as volunteer translators on the web to non-profit organizations and NGOs, as well as a co-op/work experience placement with an interpreter in one of several areas: legal, medical, immigration, etc.