Spring 2027

Advanced Language Practice

Advanced Spanish language practice focusing on intensive writing, grammar, and stylistics. Students develop vocabulary usage and apply genre-specific characteristics to their own compositions.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Saylin Alvarez4.4/5Barbara Rodriguez-Guridi4.3/5William Morgan

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Saylin Alvarez

Assessment typically involved several short papers, homework, and participation, with some students noting that grading on essays could be strict regarding grammar details.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Memorize and effectively use technical and colloquial vocabulary in speech and writing, recognizing appropriateness of words varies according to context and variety/dialect.

  • Read texts across multiple genres - including expository essays, formal and informal letters, argumentative essays, narratives and literary/cultural analysis, and implement their characteristics in one's own writing.

  • Recognize complex grammatical structures in texts and produce them in one's own writing.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

SPANISH 226 or placement into SPANISH 311

SPANISH 311 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027

Saylin Alvarez

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.93/5 from 27 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 4.9/5 raw quality · 2.4/5 difficulty · 10 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Past student reviews · Saylin Alvarez

Saylin Alvarez assessed the course using short compositions and essays as the primary components, supplemented by participation and homework. Students found the workload manageable and appreciated her detailed feedback and approachability regarding writing questions. While most reviewers described the grading as fair, one student noted she was a tough grader who required careful proofreading of work.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.76 GPA, 88.9% A/AB (n=36 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.95 GPA, 95.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.88 GPA, 92.7% A/AB (n=41 letter grades).

Barbara Rodriguez-Guridi

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.89/5 from 19 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 5.0/5 raw quality · 1.3/5 difficulty · 3 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Past student reviews · Barbara Rodriguez-Guridi

Barbara Rodriguez-Guridi described the course as fairly easy, with two tests, three short papers, and no final exam. Students found her teaching style extremely clear and approachable.

Reviewers noted Barbara Rodriguez-Guridi was helpful with explaining grammar and provided good feedback on written work. One student found her exams average in difficulty, while another described her as an easy grader.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2015: 3.92 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Fall 2023: 3.89 GPA, 88.9% A/AB (n=18 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.74 GPA, 80.6% A/AB (n=36 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.63 GPA, 84.2% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Past student reviews · David Hildner, Sarli Mercado

David Hildner delivered well-organized lectures and assigned 4-5 papers with weekly homework, grading harshly but fairly for the level. Sarli Mercado taught a writing-intensive course with significant homework, providing at least two weeks' notice for assignments to help students prepare.

BARBARA RODRIGUEZ-GURIDI is recorded teaching in Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2023, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

CAITLIN BEDUHN is recorded teaching in Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

COURTNEY JOHNSON is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2009. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

DAVID J HILDNER is recorded teaching in Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

EDITH BELTRAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

EMILY KUDER is recorded teaching in Fall 2015, Spring 2016. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

GUILLERMINA DE FERRARI is recorded teaching in Fall 2011, Fall 2012. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

KRISTIN M. NEUMAYER is recorded teaching in Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

LUIS VAZQUEZ is recorded teaching in Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

NATALIE BELISLE is recorded teaching in Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2016. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

SARLI MERCADO is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

SAYLIN ALVAREZ is recorded teaching in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

STEVEN FONDOW is recorded teaching in Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2022. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

WILLIAM CUDLIPP is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

WILLIAM MORGAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 002Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 004Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 005Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 006Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 003Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 007Classroom Instruction0 / 200

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Saylin Alvarez

Students found the class engaging and supportive, with Saylin Alvarez bringing interesting topics about the Hispanic/Latinx community and current social issues into the curriculum.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.85 GPA, 91.7% A/AB (n=108 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.81 GPA, 88.2% A/AB (n=127 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.87 GPA, 93.7% A/AB (n=127 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Saylin Alvarez

Assessment typically involved several short papers, homework, and participation, with some students noting that grading on essays could be strict regarding grammar details.

Past student reviews · Saylin Alvarez

While one student found the essay grading harsh and picky about grammar, they also noted the instructor was kind, forgiving, and nonjudgmental regarding the learning process.

Topics

  • Intensive writing and stylistics.
  • Technical and colloquial vocabulary usage in context.
  • Text genres including expository/argumentative essays, letters, narratives, and literary/cultural analysis.
  • Complex grammatical structures.

Skills

  • Using technical and colloquial vocabulary appropriately in speech and writing across contexts and dialects.
  • Reading and implementing characteristics of multiple text genres such as essays, letters, and narratives in original writing.
  • Recognizing and producing complex grammatical structures in written work.

Grades

Historical instructor

Spring 2027 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.06 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
SPANISH 311 · Spring 2027

Advanced Language Practice

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:912:018267",
    "course_id": "SPANISH 311",
    "course_uid": "course_952a6908e3aff9ccb53d706b",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "018267",
    "source_subject_id": "912",
    "title": "Advanced Language Practice",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring, Summer"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1Download part 2
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "c501c7e1ad14e442e4f96190f9e1d61b0284468d5c7951ecf55f94ceb3627b9e",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}