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Welcome to Mission College's Foreign Language Center!
Below are some of the frequently asked questions about the Foreign Language
Center (FLC). You may also follow the links on the left to find useful and interesting
resources for language study.
What is the lab that I have enrolled in?
Although you can take the lab without being enrolled in a foreign language class,
it serves to complement a language class and gives you an opportunity
to explore and play with the language you are learning. This is your
opportunity to take advantage of what Mission College has to offer.
There are a lot of things that you can do to enhance your learning experience in the Foreign Language Center (FLC).
The Center is equipped with DVD players, VHS players, and
PC Computers and printer, and new DVDs, videos, and computer software are
constantly being added. The lab can be repeated once for credit and
may be taken for either a letter grade or credit/no credit. Ask your
instructor about the deadline for declaring credit/no credit.
Where is the Foreign Language Center?
We are on the second floor in the main building, located in room
S2-501. The open lab hours for the semester are posted on the door;
they are subject to staff availability and may be subject to change. You may also click here for Open Hours for the Foreign Language Center for the current semester. Please don't forget to take a look at the door from time to time, as
additional notices are often posted to inform you of any changes in
open hours.
How do I get started?
Once enrolled in a foreign language lab class (1L or 2L), the first thing you need to do is to come in and log-on on the
computer time-clock. Most students will attend an orientation session in the FLC with their 5-unit language class during the first week of classes. Open Lab begins the second week of classes. The first time you come in, check the bulletin board list, or ask the FLC Supervisor, to see if you have already been assigned a Log-In Code. If not, you will be shown how to enter your information onto the computer time-clock's database. To do this, you will need your Student ID number which is assigned by Mission College. You will then be given a Log-In Code that will allow the computer to keep track of your hours. Do this in the FLC with an instructor or with the FLC supervisor.
Why is it done this way?
The state requires detailed record-keeping for labs-by-arrangement.
For this reason, you will be asked to sign in and out each time you
use the lab and have your time verified by the Lab Supervisor or instructor on
duty.
Who is in the Foreign Language Center to help me?
Jackie Capurro is the Instructional Assistant who supervises the FLC during many of its open hours. Each of the full-time instructors also covers the FLC for specified hours during the week. If you come in during Open Lab Hours and Jackie is not present in the FLC, look for an instructor to help you. He or she will usually be seated at the Instructor's Computer at the front of the room.
What do I have to do to pass the class?
You must complete at least 24 hours of contact with the language you
are learning and write personal response papers to a foreign
language film (see below). In your own interest, please DO NOT leave all your
work to do till the end of the semester. And please note that, unless
you receive permission from the lab instructor, hours must be
completed in the FLC (with the exception of outside activities as described below).
What is NOT ALLOWED in the Foreign Language Center?
In order for you to receive credit for your time, your hours in the Foreign Language Center MUST be spent working on some aspect of the language you are studying. This is not the place to work on math or biology or to check your email! You need to make sure that what you are working on is relevant to your
target language. The FLC Supervisors will come by occasionally to check on what you are doing. He or she may also check the materials you are using and will observe what you are doing on the computer. Time will be removed from your computer record for any non-language-related activities observed by a lab supervisor.
How exactly do I do the personal response paper?
The personal response paper is a typed and double-spaced
one-page essay, in which you express your
opinion/reflections/reactions to a DVD/video/film that is seen in the
target language (subtitles in English are acceptable.)
Here are some examples of how you could address the personal response
paper:
- What did you like/dislike about the film? And why?
- How did it make you feel and why?
- Were you able to understand any of the film without the
subtitles?
- Did you learn anything new about the target culture or anything
relevant to your class?
- Be forewarned that many foreign films differ from American films regarding violence or sexual content. You may also wish to comment on this topic.
(1 page=250 words)
Can I write the personal response paper in English?
Yes, if you are a 1L student; if you are in 2L, you should attempt to
write it in the target language.
Can I rent a movie and watch it at home?
Yes, you may rent a movie (e.g. from Blockbuster or NetFlix, etc.) or you may see a movie at the theater, but you may not take home any of the materials from the FLC. If you watch a film outside of the FLC and then write your personal response paper, be sure to write the length of the film at the top of the paper and show it to Jackie Capurro, FLC Supervisor, to earn credit for your movie time. Jackie will add credit for the length of the film you watched to your computer time-clock record.
How many movies can I see?
You must see at least 1 film, and may use up to 3 films towards your 24 hour requirement. (The number of films and response papers helps to determine your grade, see below.) You can also discuss extra credit options with your instructor. Remember you must complete a total of 24 approved hours of language work before finals begin.
What exactly do I do in the FL Center?
In addition to watching culturally relevant DVDs and videos, you may spend
your time doing anything related to the language you are learning.
This includes: completing homework assignments or those in your lab
activity manual/workbook for your Foreign Language class; using the computer to read a FL newspaper
on the internet; practicing your language with grammar and vocabulary software on the computers; participating in your target language in a Chat
Room; reading a book from our resource shelves; or working one-on-one or in small groups with your instructor/FLC supervisor/tutor in the FLC. Please remember that no materials may be removed from the FLC.
May I do something outside of the FL Center and get credit for it?
Yes, in addition to watching a film at home or at a movie theatre,
you may also attend appropriate cultural events as part of your FL
Lab Class requirements, with prior approval from your FL Lab Class instructor. (Remember to save your ticket stubs!) Details will be determined by each individual Lab Instructor. Just as with the film, you will be expected to write a personal response paper. Again, be sure to show your personal response paper to Jackie to have your
hours credited for the time spent on an activity outside of the FLC.
Where can I find my instructor?
All of the full-time instructors for Spanish, French, Japanese, and Vietnamese
are available for help in the FLC at some time during the week. Since their in-lab hours change every semester, please check the bulletin board in the FLC, ask your instructor, or click here for the Foreign Language Instructors' Hours in the FLC for the current semester.
Here are the phone numbers and office locations for the full-time Foreign Language Instructors.
- Karyn Armstrong (Spanish) 408-855-5389 Office: E2-701
- Anna Brichko (French) 408-855-5222 Office: E2-701
- Steven Hirose (Japanese) 408-855-5279 Office: N1-201 (exterior entrance)
- Thanh Nguyen (Vietnamese) 408-855-5187 Office: W3-601
- Mónica Rivas (Spanish) 408-855-5282 Office: E2-403
Jackie Capurro, the Foreign Language Center Supervisor and
Instructional Assistant, is also available to help you in the FLC during most Open Lab Hours. Her phone number in the FLC is 408-855-5281.
How am I graded?
Since the purpose of your lab class is to reinforce what you are learning in your 5-unit language class, students are expected to begin studying in the FLC at the beginning of the semester and to have regular attendance throughout the semester. Please pay close attention to the following deadlines that must be met by the end of Week 5 and Week 10 in order to receive a grade of "A" or a grade of "B." If these deadlines are not met, the best grade you will qualify to receive will be a "C."
A= 24 hours contact with target language.
Three well-written personal response papers.
Evidence of effort and all work completed.
Must have completed at least 5 hours and 1 paper by the end of Week 5.
AND
Must have completed at least 10 hours and 2 papers by the end of Week 10.
B= 24 hours contact with target language.
Two acceptable personal response papers.
Evidence of effort and most work completed.
Must have completed at least 10 hours and 2 papers by the end of Week 10.
C= 24 hours contact with target language by the end of the semester.
One personal response paper.
Evidence of minimal work completed
(NOTE: IF YOU ARE TAKING THE CLASS ON A CREDIT/NO CREDIT BASIS, "C"
IS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR CREDIT)
D= Fewer than 24 hours contact with target language by the end of the semester
One or more personal response papers.
Evidence of unacceptable effort and/or work.
F= Fewer than 24 hours contact with target language.
No evidence of effort or work.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: No lab work or hours will be accepted past the posted deadline, and the lab is CLOSED DURING FINALS WEEK. Be sure to start early in the semester and pace yourself! Click here for the Last Day to Complete Lab Hours and Assignments for the current semester.
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