The impact of the pandemic on student Spanish language proficiency

Abstract

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to take stock of student learning. Although the “crisis-context” (Gacs et al., 2020) move to fully online instruction may be over, a complete understanding of how student outcomes have been impacted remains. The present study focuses on how students’ Spanish language proficiency, as measured by the STAMP test, was affected by moving all on-ground language courses online in March 2020 at a small public university in the northeastern US. Comparing overall student Spanish language proficiency as well as reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills across 30 sections of a third-semester Spanish course before and during the pandemic, we examined student learning outcomes based upon the modality of instruction. Results revealed a significant increase in students' overall Spanish language proficiency and significant increases in sub-level proficiencies in three out of the four skills in the online modality. Thus, in spite of the many changes that took place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, students' Spanish language proficiencies were either positively impacted or unimpacted. We discuss the implications of these results and pose questions for on-ground and online language courses moving forward.