Novice-Level Novels to Enhance Communication in the Spanish Classroom

Course Description

For communication in L2 to exist, students need something to talk about. Reading short novels crafted especially for the novice learner not only provides characters and a plot, but also the feeling of accomplishment once the novel has been read. In this course, we will discuss the theory of comprehensible input and then go on to use the theory while exploring how to reach novice learners through three novice-level novels in Spanish: Feliz cumpleaños, La chica nueva and El viaje difícil, learning how to incorporate what is already embedded in the novel to further pique students' interest and get the most out of the reading, including culture, geography, food, social issues and even politics. Within each module, participants will examine the online content, read the books, engage in discussion, prepare and share activities for use in the classroom. The course is a forum to collaborate, share ideas and best practices for involving the comprehensible novel in the novice-level classroom. (Open to teachers of all languages at every level but designed for teachers of the Novice Level. Course conducted in Spanish by the author of two of the novels, Jennifer Degenhardt.)

Course Delivery: 

Online weekly learning modules, collaborative discussion boards and instructor feedback.  This course is not self-paced. 

Students who matriculate into an Instructor-Facilitated course should adhere to the dates listed on the website. Final coursework should be submitted within one week after the course end date. Course extensions beyond one week are subject to a $50 fee.

What participants are saying about this course

"The material in this class was delightfully informative across a broad range of important topics. The resources provided were fantastic and the discussions were always quite rich! Great course and one that will be highly recommended by me to all of my WL peers/colleagues!!!"

"Jennifer Degenhardt is not only a fabulous writer of Spanish novels for the classroom, she is also a fantastic instructor! Her course was well-thought out and every single one of her resources was a rich source of information. She was extremely personable and went well out of her way to make sure that we got the absolute best experience from this class! I would highly recommend her courses to all of my WL colleagues!!!"

Required Texts 

Quintero, A.C. (2017). Feliz cum  

Degenhardt, Jennifer. (2018). La chica nueva. (Second Edition). Puentes.

Degenhardt, Jennifer. (2017). El viaje difícil. Puentes.

Course Delivery 

Online weekly learning modules, collaborative discussion boards and instructor feedback. This course is not self-paced. 

Students who matriculate into an Instructor-Facilitated course should adhere to the dates listed on the website. Final coursework should be submitted within one week after the course end date. Course extensions beyond one week are subject to a $50 fee.

About the Instructor

Jennifer Degenhardt, Instructor. Read more about Jennifer here.

Click here to request a syllabus.