Spanish 1134 Syllabus
Fall 2014
COURSE CONTENT AND METHODOLOGY
The language teaching community agrees that learning language and culture are inextricably
connected. Thus, this course focuses on developing students’ Spanish- language proficiency
through modes of communication that reflect real life communication in the varied cultures of
the Spanish-speaking world. By employing interpersonal, interpretive and presentational
communicative modes in Spanish, students will explore the ideas, values, beliefs and other
cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking peoples across the world and how these aspects work
together to affect human experience.
SKILLS AND OUTCOMES
This course involves the development of specific Spanish grammar, vocabulary and idiomatic
usage in the context of the varied cultures of the Spanish-speaking world for the purpose of
exploring ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order that students may
understand the human condition across cultures. By the end of the first semester, the student
will be able to:
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Greet, say farewell, introduce people and respond to introductions in the
appropriate cultural register indicating his/her awareness of cultural norms in the
Spanish-speaking world for formality, informality, personal space and gestures.
Engage in simple question/answer conversations using memorized and/or highfrequency expressions indicating cultural sensitivity and awareness.
Provide and request basic information.
Express ongoing actions, routine actions, future actions and past actions in the
context and manner these are used in the Spanish-speaking cultures and recognize
how these uses are different from those of English-speakers.
Describe and illustrate aspects of the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries and
make comparisons between these cultures and his/her own culture using basic
linguistic structures and vocabulary in the target language.
Evaluate his/her own values, behaviors and worldviews on the socio-cultural topics
presented and compare these to those of Spanish-speakers.
CORE OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENT
Core objectives for the Language, Philosophy and Culture Foundational Component Area are
addressed in this course according to the following descriptions. A global assessment tool that
incorporates all required core objectives is used for assessment rather than objective specific
assessment tools. This global assessment tool is called a Portafolio Cultural (Cultural Portfolio)
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and will be completed by students over the length of the course. Please see the attached
description of the Portafolio Cultural assessment tool.
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Critical Thinking:
o Students will respond in the target language orally and in writing to questions
and/or topics based upon in-class readings, presentations, and/or out-of-class
assignments that require students to extract information, analyze and evaluate
information and draw conclusions and/or form opinions on the topic.
o Students will inquire, analyze, evaluate and synthesize information from various
resources available in the target language on a cultural topic of his/her choosing
to be presented in a variety of modes to the instructor and/or class (e.g. art
work, presentations, theatrical works, essays, music)
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Communication Skills:
o Students will demonstrate ability to effectively use memorized vocabulary, highfrequency expressions, accurate grammatical usage and idiomatic expressions in
the target language to effectively develop, interpret and express ideas orally and
in writing with culturally appropriate sensitivity.
o Students will demonstrate effective interpretation of memorized vocabulary,
high-frequency expressions, grammatical usage and idiomatic expression in the
target language both aurally and in print through the use of culturally-bound
print and multi-media.
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Personal Responsibility
o Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and
consequences to ethical-decision making by coming to class prepared to
participate, engage the instructor and their fellow students in conversation and
discussion in the target language.
o Furthermore, students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions
and consequences to ethical-decision making by demonstrating their
commitment to abide by the ethical standards presented in the MSU Student
Honor Creed.
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Social Responsibility
o Students will demonstrate intercultural competence and knowledge of civic
responsibility as demonstrated in the connections or comparisons made by the
student between his/her own culture and the target culture
o Alternatively and/or additionally, students will demonstrate intercultural
competence and knowledge of civic responsibility by engaging in four (4)
volunteer hours in the local, regional, national or global Spanish-speaking
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community through the service projects of the Spanish Club, another campus or
community organization and/or through an alternative Spring Break option.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
1. Exploraciones. Blitt, Mary Ann/ Casas, Margarita.
2. Exploraciones Student Activities Manual and CourseMate online program
3. Four (4) long Scantrons and six (6) short Scantrons (or 1 pkg of each)
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Participation & Attendance
Ten percent of the course grade will be based on a combination of attendance and
participation. Six percent (6%) will be based on the student’s use of Spanish, active
participation and volunteering in classroom activities. The remaining four percent (4%) is based
on your attendance.
The instructor will take attendance every day. Students are required to be in class for
the entire 50 minute period. Students may be counted absent if arriving more than 10 minutes
late or leaving class early. This syllabus serves as notice that a student may be dropped from
the class without further notification if absent more than six times. Please note that if a student
decides to drop the course, he/she must follow university procedure for dropping a course in
order to receive a “W.” University policy dictates that if an instructor instigates a drop, the
student will receive a “WF” or “F,” depending on the date of the drop.
Absences due to official university functions or documented illness will be dealt with on an
individual basis and should be discussed with the instructor outside of class time. There are no
“excused absences” from regular class periods. If a student misses an exam, he/she must
present documented proof of illness or university activity to the instructor before a make-up
exam will be allowed. Students will not be allowed to make-up quizzes nor Exploraciones video
lab quizzes (taken in Moffett 112A).
Homework, quizzes and other assignments
Regular study, reading and homework assignments will be made from the text and from
the Student Activities Manual (SAM). Students are expected to prepare homework as assigned.
Frequent quizzes, based on homework and class work, will be given. Graded quizzes and
homework assignments will account for 10% of the course grade.
Exploraciones Video Lab (Moffett 112A)
Students are required to visit the Foreign Language Lab (Moffett 112A) once for each
chapter covered this semester. There students will watch a short video (20-30 minutes)
consisting of two introductions (Presentaciones), a conversation or dialog (Conversación), and a
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culture segment highlighting one of the Spanish-speaking countries. The video in the lab runs
on a loop, so students may view it as many times as they like while in the lab. The videos can
also be previewed through Exploraciones CourseMate online program. Make-up and/or late lab
quizzes are NOT permitted. Please note the due dates given below:
Video Lab Assignment Due Dates:
Chapter 1: September 19
Chapter 4: October 31
Chapter 2: October 1
Chapter 5: November 17
Chapter 3: October 17
Chapter 6: December 5
Students will find it helpful to read and study the following textbook pages prior to each
Chapter’s video lab. Some of the following may be covered in class:
 Capítulo 1- Exploraciones profesionales: Asistente de oficina, pp. 32-33;
Argentina, pp. 506-507
 Capítulo 2- Exploraciones profesionales: La educación, pp. 68-69; Bolivia, pp. 508509
 Capítulo 3- Exploraciones profesionales: El turismo, pp. 104-105; Puerto Rico, pp.
540-541
 Capítulo 4- Exploraciones profesionales: La arquitectura, pp. 140-141; Chile, pp.
510-511
 Capítulo 5- Exploraciones profesionales: El trabajo social, pp. 176-177; Colombia,
pp. 512-513
 Capítulo 6- Exploraciones profesionales: Educación física, pp. 212-213; Costa
Rica, pp. 514-515
Exploraciones Student Activities Manual / CourseMate (workbook and online audio exercises)
The Student Activities Manual (SAM) contains activities to help students master the
vocabulary and grammatical concepts presented and practiced in class. Audio exercises are
indicated by a speaker icon. Students are expected to complete these activities as they are
assigned by the instructor. Students may listen to the audio files on their own devices or on any
campus computer connected to the internet and equipped with headphones. In order to
facilitate pronunciation practice, students may want to use a device equipped with a
microphone. Students should keep SAM activities up-to-date. Working on a regular basis with
this resource will help students achieve improved Spanish proficiency.
Grading components
Participation and Attendance
Quizzes and Homework
Exploraciones Video Lab and CourseMate Online Audio Lab
Exams (3 major exams) and Portafolio Cultural (10% each)
Comprehensive Final Exam
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20%
10%
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COURSE CALENDAR
August
Week 1
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Chapter 1
September
1 Labor Day Holiday
Week 2
No classes
 Numbers through 101
 Reading (using cognates): La escuela es para todos
 Adjectives
 Noun and Adjective Agreement
 Diversity in the Spanish-speaking world
Week 3
Chapter 2
Week 4
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Subject Pronouns and the verb ser
Bilingualism and Careers: Office Assistant
Academic subjects; the verb tener
Education in the Spanish-speaking world
Adjective placement
Reading (predicting): Otros sistemas universitarios
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The family; Regular –ar verbs;
The role and value of the family in the Spanish-speaking
world
More regular –ar verbs
Possessive adjectives
Reading (predicting): La familia típica latinoamericana
Bilingualism and Careers: Education
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Week 5
24
Greetings and the Alphabet; Pronunciation
Classroom vocabulary; Gender and Numbers of Nouns
Numbers 0-20
Definite and indefinite articles; Use of hay
Latinos and Hispanos: Geographic distribution of
Spanish-speaking peoples; Linguistic diversity
EXAM I
Chapter 3
Review of Chapters 1 and 2
Exploring Literature: Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and Gloria
Fuertes
Chapters 1 and 2
 Days of the Week; Months; Telling time
 the verb gustar
Week 6
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Regular –er and –ir verbs
Celebrations in the Spanish-speaking world
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Reading (skimming): La Navidad en algunos países
hispanos
October
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Week 7
Week 8
Chapter 4
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Week 9
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27 Week 10
EXAM II
Chapter 5
Weather, clothing, colors
Interrogative words
Climate and Clothing in the Spanish-speaking world
Review regular –ar, -er, -ir verbs
Stem-changing verbs
Reading: Los trajes tradicionales
Comprehensive practice with verbs and interrogatives
Bilingualism and Careers: Tourism
Places in the city; the verb estar with prepositions of
place
Extraordinary cities in the Spanish-speaking world (PreHispanic and Modern)
the verb ir and ir with infinitives
Unique houses in the Spanish-speaking world (Famous
Hispanic architects)
Reading (re-reading): Algunas ciudades únicas de
Latinoamérica
House vocabulary, rooms and appliances
More stem-changing verbs
Adjective placement
Reading (review strategies): Soluciones para la vivienda
en Cuba
Bilingualism and Careers: Architecture
Review of Chapters 3 and 4
Exploring Literature: Claribel Alegría
Chapters 3 and 4
 Feelings and conditions with the verb estar
 The verb estar with adjectives and the present
progressive
 Emotions expressed through works of famous Hispanic
artists: Francisco de Goya and Frida Kahlo
November
Week 11
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Comparison of the verbs ser and estar
Reading (guessing verb tenses): ¿Quiénes son más
felices?
Professions and employment
Verbs with irregular 1st person forms
Professions and the Economy in the Spanish-speaking
world
more verbs with irregular 1st person forms (saber and
conocer)
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Week 12
Chapter 6
 Indefinite and Negative words
 Reading (making notes): La siesta
 Past-times, sports and vacations
 The preterite tense
 Sports in Spain and Latin America
 Stem-changing verbs in the preterite
 Review of Chapters 5 and 6
 Bilingualism and Careers: Physical education
 Exploring Literature: Donato Ndongo
No classes
No classes
Week 13
Week 14
26 Thanksgiving Holiday
28 Thanksgiving Holiday
December
1 Week 15
Comprehensive Practice with Verbs
ser vs. estar, saber vs. conocer
Bilingualism and Careers: Social work
Parts of the body; Daily routines; reflexive verbs
More reflexive verbs
Daily Life in the Spanish-speaking world
Exam 3
Chapters 5 and 6
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Review for Comprehensive Final Exam
Departmental Final Exam given during week of Final Exams: TBA
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