FORKNER B (SPAN)

Forkner was a good teacher and a nice guy.He put most of the emphasis in the class on learning Spanish and being able to really speak it. A lot of factors in this course are decided by the department but Forkner tried to do what he could to make this class benificial for the students. Forkner, like most of his students, isn't a native Spanish speaker and I felt this helped him umderstand what his students are going through. This class has homework pretty regularly, but not usually very much. If you show up and do your homework its an easy A.

Forkner is a great teacher, but he's got his bad days, and you'll definitely know when those are. He can also be pretty tough if you need some help, but overall, he's helpful if you need to go see him... just don't wait until the last minute to do it, he won't be as helpful if you do that. But he’ll joke around with you every now and then. For the class, it's Spanish, and the exams aren't made by the teacher, so don't blame it on him. He actually gives you extra "work sheets" that are the perfect summary of whatever you need (he does this mostly for verbs, but also for some grammar) and if you know those, you'll do great on the exam. He also gives you websites to help you get more exercises that aren't in the book. They're great websites, and they'll help you if you need to take more Spanish classes.

Combine a nonchalant attitude, a harsh grader and a time consuming class together: this is what you will get if you take Forkner. He grades more harshly than other Spanish teachers in the department. Also, he acts like he does not care about your efforts to do well. Take someone who sympathizes with you - someone who understands that learning a second language when you're older isn't easy! Hint: NOT Forkner.

Ben Forkner was a great teacher. He gave help whenever you needed it. He was slow to respond to your emails, but if you ask him about it the next day he will go over it with you. Just don't wait till the day before to send him an email about something that is due tomorrow. Overall he was a great teacher.

The department tests are somewhat challenging, but Ben did a good job of making things clearer.

Ben Forkner was a very good instructor, but don't expect to actually find him in his office during his office hours.