Spanish and Portuguese Open Tutoring Center

Katie Fowler-Cordova with her Fall Semester Class Katie Fowler-Cordova with her Fall Semester Class
Spanish class portrait Spanish class portrait
Spanish Class on Halloween - Students in costumes Spanish Class on Halloween - Students in costumes
Spanish Class Spanish Class
The Guggenheim in Bilbao The Guggenheim in Bilbao
Spanish Class in Courtyard Spanish Class in Courtyard
Spanish Class in Courtyard Spanish Class in Courtyard
Day of the Dead skull and flowers Day of the Dead skull and flowers
Student at Gijon Sign Student at Gijon Sign
Spanish faculty at the UN Spanish faculty at the UN
Spanish Faculty with Columbian Friends Spanish Faculty with Columbian Friends
Spanish Class on Halloween - Students in costumes Spanish Class on Halloween - Students in costumes
Incan carving Incan carving
Machu Picchu Machu Picchu
Madrid Cityscape Madrid Cityscape
Mexico City Cityscape Mexico City Cityscape
Nicaragua - Granada Nicaragua - Granada
Portugal - Belam Tower Portugal - Belam Tower
Portuguese Tiles for sale in a Market Portuguese Tiles for sale in a Market
Spanish Students in Culinary School Spanish Students in Culinary School
Spanish professor in language lab Spanish professor in language lab
Student in Gijon Student in Gijon
Student in Seville Student in Seville
Unidiversity Dancers Unidiversity Dancers
Wares for sale at Unidiversity Wares for sale at Unidiversity
Unidiversity Cultural Parade Unidiversity Cultural Parade
Professor giving orientation for the Camino de Santiago Professor giving orientation for the Camino de Santiago
Professor giving orientation for the Camino de Santiago Professor giving orientation for the Camino de Santiago
Imix Hernandez de la Rosa as a skeleton for Dat of the Dead celebration Imix Hernandez de la Rosa as a skeleton for Dat of the Dead celebration
Jose Vilches Aguado and Imix Hernandez de la Rosa Jose Vilches Aguado and Imix Hernandez de la Rosa
Jose Vilches Aguado teaches about the Day of the Dead Jose Vilches Aguado teaches about the Day of the Dead
Study abroad students pose in shrubbery Study abroad students pose in shrubbery
Group photo of study abroad students with Miami flag Group photo of study abroad students with Miami flag
study abroad student with children study abroad student with children
six study abroad students in a raft on a river six study abroad students in a raft on a river
Study abroad students in front of Spanish ruins Study abroad students in front of Spanish ruins
Group photo of study abroad students Group photo of study abroad students
Group of study abroad students Group of study abroad students
Jose Dominguez videotaping study abroad students Jose Dominguez videotaping study abroad students
Study abroad students hiking in Northern Spain Study abroad students hiking in Northern Spain
study abroad students interacting with local guide study abroad students interacting with local guide
study abroad group with Miami flag study abroad group with Miami flag
Student in front of Gijon city sign Student in front of Gijon city sign
Group of study abroad students pose for a picture Group of study abroad students pose for a picture
Group of study abroad students pose for a picture Group of study abroad students pose for a picture
Group of study abroad students pose for a picture Group of study abroad students pose for a picture

BIENVENIDOS AL SITIO WEB DE SPOT

SPOT (Spanish and Portuguese Open Tutoring) is a free tutoring service offered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese which strives to enhance students’ performance at the elementary and intermediate level through free tutoring and writing consultations for those enrolled in SPN 311 and above. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about our services at spot@miamioh.edu. 

Also, to ensure that the services provided by SPOT are meeting the needs of our students we ask that you please take the time to complete the form on our feedback page once you attend a session.

Irvin Hall 246
Department of Spanish & Portuguese
400 East Spring St.
Oxford, OH 45056
spot@miamioh.edu
Phone: (513) 529-4500

Frequently Asked Questions

SPOT Mission Statement

  • Provide all students with free tutoring services to enhance their exposure to the language and learning experience.
  • Offer students guided practice and constructive corrective feedback in order to improve their language proficiency.
  • Assist students in becoming more independent learners through discussing and advocating effective study strategies.
  • Continually develop the services and quality of the SPOT program in order to provide the best experience possible for our students.
  • Foster an open, positive, supportive learning environment in order to help students thrive academically.
  • Provide mentoring to the writing interns employed by SPOT through professional development activities and support from SPOT coordination.

Do I need to sign up ahead of time for a tutoring session?

If you are enrolled in 101-311, there is no sign up necessary for open tutoring hours. Sessions are available during the open hours of the tutoring center on a first-come first-served basis. Sessions are 20 minutes long and you are limited to one session per day.

Where is SPOT located?

SPOT is located in Irvin 246, close to room 242, across from the drinking fountain. Come see us soon!

How should I prepare for my tutoring session?

Remember that tutoring is a partnership. As a student there are a few simple things you should do to get the most out of the time you spend with your tutor. 

1) Bring the text for your course, any class notes and additional materials necessary.

2) Create a plan for how you want to use your tutoring session to make it as productive as possible.

3) Come in with specific questions/material you’d like to work on

4) Attempt the homework/assignment PRIOR to your session so you have the necessary foundation to discuss the material with your tutor.

What can I expect from my tutor?

A tutor is there to help you with questions related to your class level and can provide you with additional practice materials and explanation of complex concepts. Your tutor may go over your study habits with you and give you tips on how to improve. Your tutor however may NOT complete assignments for you or give you the correct answers.

What can I do to successfully learn a foreign language?

  • Review the material presented in class on a regular basis and take advantage of the grammar tutorials provided on Supersite. You can also consult our materials page for additional resources and practice.
  • Attend all class sessions and take notes. Take advantage of class time and actively participate in Spanish.
  • Always complete all assigned homework on time and stay up to date with the course schedule.
  • Attend your instructor’s office hours in order to go over your progress, discuss your grades and review material.
  • When in doubt, ASK! Raise your hand in class if you’re having trouble following or don’t understand something.
  • Attend events like Spanish Table on Wednesdays at 5:30 in Alexander Hall, the UniDiversity Latin American Film Series on Mondays in ART 100 from 6-8 and the Hispanic Heritage Month UniDiversity Festival in Uptown

Other departments should follow example of SPOT tutoring

By Editorial Editors
The Miami Student

Published: Thursday, January 27, 2011
Updated: Thursday, January 27, 2011 22:01

Miami University's Department of Spanish and Portuguese is debuting a new walk-in tutoring program, Spanish and Portuguese Opening Tutoring, otherwise known as SPOT. This program will allow students in introductory Spanish courses to gain personalized help from language professors on a walk-in basis.  

The editorial board of The Miami Student is extremely excited about this new option. Especially for foreign languages, in which success is based on repetition and practice, the opportunity to receive efficient and specialized tutoring is very beneficial for students. As the Rinella Learning Center offers extensive, but limited resources, another available option will help students fully make use of tutoring services. In addition, because foreign language courses are requirements for many majors, offering open assistance for introductory levels is a wonderful idea.

Spanish courses are often heavy in workload and can be challenging. Providing an opportunity to have questions answered by several different professors could supply a fresh perspective for students who may require a diverse teaching style. The open office hours will also greatly accommodate busy schedules and further encourage students to seek guidance when needed.

Introducing a new plan to help students truly shows the Department of Spanish and Portuguese's commitment to teaching and student success. The fact that teachers listened to student needs and responded to them is admirable and promising. Students should certainly take advantage of the opportunity to seek help from professors, especially as it is designed specifically to make getting guidance from teachers easy and informal.

While this type of open tutoring may not be viable for other courses, the board continues to encourage professors and departments to look into ways to better student achievement. Miami has a record of excellent teaching performance, and it is necessary to work hard to retain this distinction. SPOT is definitely a step in the right direction. Muy bueno.

Current SPOT Schedule

Reserve Yourself a "SPOT"

To reserve a spot during the designated 311+ Writing Consultation slots, you must be logged in first to Miami’s Google Docs calendar and email system. 

If you do not see the reservation calendar below, do the following:

1. Log in by clicking the red button link below.
2. Come back to this page and reload it to refresh the contents.

Log In to Miami's Google System 

Links and Resources

SPN 101-311

SPN 312 and above

Culture/Literature/Art/Film

Media