User:AMHMtz/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Spanish as a second or foreign language.

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
(Briefly explain why you chose it, why it matters, and what your preliminary impression of it was.)

I teach Spanish as a Second/Foreign Language in Minnesota, USA. This article specifies "Regional Programmes". I chose it because I thought it would describe how Spanish as a Second Language is imparted/taught in schools, types of programs ('regular' track vs immersion track), types of students, requirements for college entrance, benefits of, etc

My preliminary reaction was of surprise, because it doesn't feature information regarding regional programs in the U.S., but rather in Argentina and Spain.

Evaluate the article
(Compose a detailed evaluation of the article here, considering each of the key aspects listed above. Consider the guiding questions, and check out the examples of what a useful Wikipedia article evaluation looks like.)

There is an introductory sentence, but there is not a description of the structure of the content. Had there been, I wouldn't have continued reading. The lead sentence tells the topic but what is described is programming in Spanish-speaking countries and doesn't seem to relate to what is stated in the topic sentence: "The term Spanish as a second or foreign language is the learning or teaching of the Spanish language for those whose first language is not Spanish". It is too brief.

The content seems well-developed, but describes certification and diplomas one can achieve in a foreign language living in theses countries; therefore, I think it is mis-titled. It should be called "Certification in Spanish as a Second Language in Regional Programs". It is written in a neutral point of view, as it is reporting this information matter-of- factly.

The resources simply state, "There are many resources....", nothing specific. There are external links to the BBC, University of Buenos Aires and Curlie. One appears to be a link to a blog or website.

What is reported matter-of-factly is well-done and well-organized. The levels of language acquisition are stated clearly and one can compare the certification and diplomas that can be obtained by learning Spanish as a Second Language in Argentina vs Spain.

There are no images.

My impression is that the article is perhaps misnamed, and also is limited to only Argentina and Spain. Perhaps there is a reason why, but it is not explained why they only focus on those 2 countries. The right side margin has interesting details mentioned regarding Spanish Language, such as History, Grammar, Dialects, Dialectology, Interlanguages and Teaching, however I am not certain how these related to the Regional Programming and the Certification/Diplomas specified in the article. These would be for a more general look at regional programming as i had been expecting regarding programming in the USA.

It is mentioned at the top of the article that it could be improved with additional citations to reliable sources. I would agree. The article has potential to describe certification in Spanish as a second language if living and studying in a Spanish-speaking country. However, these certifications are very different from the USA. The article would be more complete if all countries were to be included, including the USA. It could be quite extensive and perhaps would benefit from being a project with several authors. The Talk Page reveals that the article is part of WikiProjects, to look for open tasks in the discussion if one wants to participate and it has a Start-Class rating.