What is appropriate help for written compositions?

Mis queridos estudiantes...


I want to set clear expectations about what is fair and allowable when you are completing written compositions or syntheses in Spanish class. Please read the following very thoughtfully:

All written compositions should be considered asessments. Another word for "assessments" COULD be "tests." These are ways for me to assess your progress in class. What this means is that I expect you to do the work yourself, with minimal assistance from tutors, translators (online or otherwise), bilingual friends/family members, or whatever other means out there.

I prefer you only use your textbook and supplementary class materials as resources for all written assignments. It is very hard for me to come across an assignment that, clearly, not all of it came from your own brain. In past experiences, students have frustratedly said to me, "but in my other classes, my professors actually prefer that we have our writing proofread or peer-edited before turning it in." That logic makes complete sense to me... in a course that is more research-based. But this class IS grammar, punctuation and spelling. So to have someone else do that for you (what is essentially happening when you have someone edit your work, or run it through a translator) is not demonstrating academic honesty.

Now, I understand you need resources when writing. So I would prefer that you only refer to your textbook, or the online textbook resources, to aid you in your writing. If you haven't learned how to say it yet (whether that's a grammar construction or a sentence full of unfamiliar vocabulary) I prefer you leave it out.

So do not write your whole assignment in English and then translate. I think this is a very common approach, but that is also how you can get into trouble. In this way, you are not really consciously considering what you CAN say in the second language. You are only focusing on English. Instead, I suggest that you go through the lesson chapters we've already covered, looking for constructions and vocabulary that we have actually learned in this course, that are applicable to the writing prompt. You may have a word here or there that you really want to include, in which case, you can look it up in a dictionary. I have no problem with that.

In short, I do not want you to use the help of a tutor, a bilingual friend or family member, or an online translator (unless it is just for a word here and there) on writing assignments. I know this really limits what you can write about. But it is the only way I can assess you for what you were supposed to learn from this semester. I am not grading you on what you haven't yet learned. There is A LOT out there that you haven't learned yet.

There is a policy outlined in your syllabus regarding how I will approach suspicions of academic dishonesty. If you have doubts about what is acceptable assistance, please email me ASAP. If a major percentage of your work appears to be beyond your means, please be prepared to demonstrate your current levels of capability so I can determine if the work appears to be yours or not.

Thanks for reading this far through the blog post. It is really important to me, and I take this very seriously. Good luck and happy writing!


Profe Croghan