Course Syllabus
Beginning Spanish Conversation I
SPAN 1300
Semester with Course
Reference Number
(CRN)
CRN 66474
Instructor Information:
Name: Dr. R. Sirias-Ortiz
Telephone: 281-401-1831
Email: Reyna.L.Sirias@Lonestar.edu
Learning Web: http://learning.cc.hccs.edu/
Office Location and
Hours
FAC 308 / by appointment
Course Location/Times FAC 308
Spring 2011
S- 9:00 – 12:00 noon
Course Semester
Credit Hours (SCH)
(lecture, lab) If
applicable
Credit Hours
3.00
Lecture Hours
3.00
Laboratory Hours
Total Course Contact
Hours
48
Course Length
(number of weeks)
16 weeks
Type of Instruction
Lecture
Course Description:
An introductory Spanish course which emphasizes listening comprehension and
peaking skills. Reading and writing may be done as reinforcement to oral
communication skills. This course is slower-paced and less comprehensive than
Spanish 1411. It is highly recommended for students without previous experience in the
Spanish language. This course is not open to students whose first language is Spanish.
Generally, it does not transfer as foreign language credit but may transfer as elective
credit.
Course Prerequisite(s)
None
Academic
Discipline/CTE
Program Learning
Outcomes
1. Students will speak clearly and fluently enough for a target language-speaker to
understand and interpret intent without difficulty. Student will understand the target
spoken language well enough to participate fully and effectively in personal oral
communication. Student will write proficiently in both academic and non-academic
modes in the target language to be understood by a sympathetic target language
speaker. Student will read with understanding a level-appropriate text in the target
language dealing with a variety of basic and social needs. Student will demonstrate
knowledge of and sensitivity to aspects of behavior, attitudes, and customs of members
of the target-language community.
Course Student
Learning Outcomes
(SLO): 4 to 7
1. Comprehend simple spoken statements about familiar everyday situations;
2. Participate meaningfully in a simple conversation in familiar everyday situations;
3. Produce comprehensible reasonably accurate pronunciation of Spanish words
and sentences;
4. Produce a brief, informative presentation that is comprehensible with effort to
those accustomed to dealing with beginning learners of Spanish; and
5. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the behavior, attitudes, and customs of
members of the target-language community.
Learning Objectives
(Numbering system
should be linked to
SLO - e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3,
etc.)
Comprehend simple spoken statements about familiar everyday situations;
Participate meaningfully in a simple conversation in familiar everyday
situations;
Produce comprehensible reasonably accurate pronunciation of Spanish
words and sentences;
Produce a brief, informative presentation that is comprehensible with effort to
those accustomed to dealing with beginning learners of Spanish; and
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the behavior, attitudes, and customs of
members of the target-language community.
Course Calendar
Week 1:
Presentation of the course and syllabus.
Unidad Preliminar. Cognados, los mandatos para la clase,
el alfabeto, la pronunciación /expresiones de cortesía/ rules of stress
Week 2:
Capítulo 1. Saludos
Saludos. Formal and informal (verb estar + subject pronoun)
Asking someone’s name, giving your name (verb llamarse)
Despedidas / Formal and informal
Week 3:
Formal and informal mode of address
Days of the week, gender of nouns, definite articles
Exam– Capítulo Preliminar y Capítulo Uno
Week 4:
Week 5:
Capítulo 2 – Que Fiesta
Fecha de nacimiento. Pronunciación
Months of the year
Dias festivos.
Números 0 – 100
Definite and indefinite articles
Estado civil / Ocupación
Otros datos personales /Dirección y teléfono
Pronunciación
Números de 100-2015
Instructional Methods
Week 6:
Subject Pronouns. Ser
Gender. Agreements
Exam– Capítulo 2
Week 7:
Capítulo 3 – La familia.
Location Phrases, pronunciación
Hay. Tener, comparative with age
Nacionalidad. Puntos cardinales + estar
Countries of Latin America
Week 8:
Origin, possessive adjectives, possession with de
Regular –er and –ir verbs
La personalidad. Personality
¿Cómo eres? What are you like?
Week 9:
More on personality
Review Hay, Tener, Estar, Ser”
Agreement of adjectives
Exam – Capítulo 3
Week 10:
Capítulo 4 – La ropa, pronunciación
Clothing, colors, Likes and Dislikes
Verb Ir + a+ infinitive
Temporary conditions
Números > 2016
Week 11:
Ser vs. Estar
Gustar, a + el = al
Preferir, Querer + infinitive
Occupations/Places/Activities
Week 12:
Exam – Capítulo 4
Capitulo 5 – El cuerpo humano. Parts of the body
La salud. Health
Verbs dealing with the body: doler, poder
Week 13:
¿Cómo eres? Physical description
Comparaciones. Equal and unequal comparisons
Week 14
Tengo y hace frio. The weather. Verbs in present progressive
Seasons. Tener expressions, verbs: helar, llover, nevar
Review “ser vs estar.Uses of Indirect object Pronouns
Week 15:
ORAL FINAL
Review for Final written Exam
Week 16
Final Exam, Thursday, May 14
Lecture, student pair work, role plays, listening practice
As your professor, I want you to be successful in this class. We will work together to
achieve the levels of proficiency expected for this course. I will create activities
where you will have the opportunity to speak and listen to Spanish and to gain a
better understanding of the culture of the Spanish-speaking world. I will also pay
attention to your learning style without sacrificing the standards you should achieve
to meet the expected outcomes for the class.
I like to think of my role as a personal trainer. My job is to give you the tools you
need and show you how to use them. It is your responsibility to apply those tools
and practice both in and outside the classroom so that you can develop into a
proficient beginning-level speaker of Spanish. Try to think of someone who goes to
a fitness center, pays for a 4-month membership, talks to a personal trainer who
shows him/her all the workout machines and how to use each one, and then only
drops by to use the machines every other week for 10 minutes and leaves, or even
worse, never even goes to the fitness center. How much will s/he have gained for
all the money spent on the membership fees?
The same is true in a classroom, and even much more so in a language classroom,
where class participation and practice is extremely important. As a student wanting
to develop speaking and listening skills in Spanish and gain a better understanding
of the culture of Spanish-speakers, it is your responsibility to read the textbook,
complete homework assignments on the due dates, study for the exams, participate
in classroom activities, attend class, and enjoy yourself while experiencing the joy of
learning a new language.
Student Assignments
Comprehend simple spoken statements about familiar everyday situations;
Listening activities
Participate meaningfully in a simple conversation in familiar everyday
situations;
Role plays, paired dialogues
Produce comprehensible reasonably accurate pronunciation of Spanish
words and sentences;
Recorded assignments, oral midterm and final
Produce a brief, informative presentation that is comprehensible with effort to
those accustomed to dealing with beginning learners of Spanish; and
Three brief presentations on topics to be assigned
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the behavior, attitudes, and customs of
members of the target-language community.
Class discussion on cultural differences, assigned readings
Student
Assessment(s)
Comprehend simple spoken statements about familiar everyday situations;
Graded listening exercises for each unit
Participate meaningfully in a simple conversation in familiar everyday
situations;
Graded paired dialogues for each unit
Produce comprehensible reasonably accurate pronunciation of Spanish
words and sentences;
Oral and final speaking assessment
Produce a brief, informative presentation that is comprehensible with effort to
those accustomed to dealing with beginning learners of Spanish; and
Three graded oral presentations on topics to be assigned
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the behavior, attitudes, and customs of
members of the target-language community.
Culture quizzes to be given for each unit
You will be evaluated through exams, listening and vocabulary quizzes, speaking
evaluations and oral presentations. All the exams will test vocabulary, speaking and
listening. If you do all assigned work and study prior to taking the exam, you should
do well. You will also be given quizzes throughout the semester, both announced
and unannounced. The purpose of these quizzes is to help me, your instructor,
know how well you are doing in the class and where you might need some help.
Some quizzes will be given at the start of class, so if you arrive late, you may miss a
quiz. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped. If you find you are not mastering the
language skills, please reflect on your study habits and time management skills and
prepare for each class.
Instructor's
Requirements
The student is expected to do all assignments and tests. Students who fail to turn in
an assignment or take a makeup test for a test missed will receive a grade of 0 for
the assignment or test.
MAKE UP TEST POLICY Students are responsible for material covered during their
absences. . Exchanging phone numbers with one or two other students for times
when you miss a single class is a good idea. Make-up exams will not be given except
in well-documented dire circumstances. Only one major exam will be made up per
semester. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Class Attendance - It is important that you come to class! Attending class regularly
is the best way to succeed in this class, and as mentioned earlier, is of vital
importance in a language classroom, where opportunities to practice listening and
speaking are provided each class day. Your participation grade will be tied to
attendance. Research has shown that the single most important factor in student
success is attendance. Simply put, going to class greatly increases your ability to
succeed. You are expected to attend all lecture and labs regularly. You are
responsible for materials covered during your absences. Class attendance is
checked daily. Although it is your responsibility to drop a course for nonattendance,
the instructor has the authority to drop you for excessive absences. Absences will
be counted from the first class day of the semester, no matter when the student
registers or first attend. Additionally, participation is tied to attendance. If you are
not present, you cannot participate. Therefore, you will lose 5 points on your
participation grade for each class missed.
If you are not attending class, you are not learning the information. As the
information that is discussed in class is important for your academic career,
students may be dropped from a course after accumulating absences in excess of
12.5% hours of instruction. The six hours of class time would include any total
classes missed or for excessive tardiness or leaving class early. Arriving late (more
than 10 minutes) or leaving class early will be counted as a half-hour absence.
You may decide NOT to come to class for whatever reason. As an adult making the
decision not to attend, you do not have to notify the instructor prior to missing a
class. However, if this happens too many times, you may suddenly find that you
have “lost” the class.
Classroom
Behavior
As your instructor and as a student in this class, it is our shared responsibility to
develop and maintain a positive learning environment for everyone. Your instructor
takes this responsibility very seriously and will inform members of the class if their
behavior makes it difficult for him/her to carry out this task. As a fellow learner, you
are asked to respect the learning needs of your classmates and assist your
instructor achieve this critical goal.
Program/Discipline
Requirements: If
applicable
Placement into this course is based on having had no previous formal instruction in
Spanish or less than one year of high-school Spanish.
HCC Grading Scale
A = 100- 90
4 points per semester hour
B = 89 - 80:
3 points per semester hour
C = 79 - 70:
2 points per semester hour
D = 69 - 60:
1 point per semester hour
59 and below = F
0 points per semester hour
W(Withdrawn)
0 points per semester hour
I (Incomplete)
0 points per semester hour
AUD (Audit)
0 points per semester hour
To compute grade point average (GPA), divide the total grade points by the total
number of semester hours attempted. The grades "IP," "COM" and "I" do not affect
GPA.
Instructor Grading
Criteria
Students will be evaluated as follows:
*Class Participation Tied to Attendance and homework
Quizzes
Exams
Final Exam
Total
25%
25%
25%
25%
100%
*Class participation is essential in a foreign language class. As mentioned earlier,
class participation is tied to attendance. You will receive a daily participation grade
which will be based on the following: preparation for class (including homework),
bringing books and materials to class, active class involvement, staying on task,
and mature behavior.
Instructional Materials
Para siempre. A Conversational Approach to Spanish. Montemayor, M. & De Leon,
M., 2011, Cengage Learning
ISBN: 13-978-1-111-95296-9 (custom-published for HCC students)
Free companion website: www.cengage.com/spanish/parasiempre
Enter title of book and choose Higher Ed Catalog, then click on "Access Free
Companion Website", finally click on "Access Now" under "Free Study Tools" or
"Save to Home" and create an account. You will be able to access the audio for
your textbook here.
HCC Policy Statement:
Access Student
Services Policies on
their Web site:
http://hccs.edu/student-rights
Note: Please pay special attention to the HCC attendance policy.
¡Bienvenidos a la clase!