SPANISH101 WINTER 2008 ¡Bienvenidos a Español 101! Instructor: Dana Albu / Email: ralbu@greenriver.edu Office: HSA 37-A / Office Hours: M-Th, 9:00-10:00 am Course Description: The Spanish department offers three courses designed for the beginning student: 101, 102 and 103. Each course builds on the last. Spanish 101 is an introduction to the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking cultures. The goal of this class is to learn basic vocabulary and grammar in order to communicate in Spanish. The course also aims to broaden students’ understanding of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. You will have the opportunity to develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Throughout the semester you will learn how to describe people’s personalities, characteristics, professions and favorite activities. You will also learn how to describe houses, clothing, and families, how to count, how to compare, and how to use several important idiomatic expressions. We will study these subjects while learning about Puerto Rico, Spain, Mexico, and Argentina. Though no prior knowledge of Spanish is assumed, to promote language acquisition this course is conducted mainly in Spanish. Required and recommended materials: 1) Required: Textbook: Rodríguez, F., Samaniego, F., et al. Dímelo tú. Boston: Thomson Heinle Corporation, 2006. (5th edition: ISBN: 1-4130-0637-X) Workbook: Cuaderno de Actividades y Manual de laboratorio. Boston: Thomson Heinle Corporation, 2006. (5th edition: ISBN: 1-4130-1183-7) Audio program: Lab Audio CDs (1-4130-1184-5) Workbook/Lab Manual Answer Key with Audio Script. Boston: Thomson Heinle Corporation, 2006. (5th edition: ISBN: 1-4130-1185-3) Pen—red (or other color—not blue or black) for homework corrections 2) Recommended: Larousse Pocket Dictionary Spanish-English or another English-Spanish Dictionary Spinelli, Emily. English Grammar for Students of Spanish. The Olivia and Hill Press, 1990. Atajo 4.0 CD-ROM: Writing Assistant for Spanish (ISBN: 1-4130-0060-6) Grading Criteria: Your final grade will consist of: 10% Participation 20% Homework I reserve the right to amend the terms of this syllabus as necessary during the quarter. 1 SPANISH101 WINTER 2008 50% Tests (5) 10% Final Essay 10% Final Presentation Participation: Come to class every day Do not be late Volunteer/participate every day Speak in Spanish; communication is the goal, perfection is not Be respectful of the teacher and other students Because the class is designed to 1) build communication skills, and 2) give students a cultural overview of the Spanish-speaking world, it does not function as a straight-forward drill session on vocabulary and grammar. Rather, the class provides students the opportunity to practice new vocabulary and grammatical structures through in-class discussion of assigned activities and readings. The instructor assigns selected units of the textbooks as homework every day and will expect students to study these materials PRIOR TO CLASS. By so doing, students will enter the classroom prepared to practice new vocabulary and grammatical concepts through participation in communicative activities and discussions of readings. Because language classes are practice sessions, your lively presence is required and you receive a daily participation grade ranging from 0-5. In order for students TO UNDERSTAND GRAMMAR AND PARTICIPATE TO CONVERSATION, they must complete all homework and reading assignments prior to class. Attendance is required for obvious reasons—it is impossible to receive participation credit if you are not in class. Homework: Due at the BEGINNING of class. You will have three main types of homework: 1) Homework exercises from the Textbook (the green pages) Each homework is worth one (1) credit We will correct the homework at the beginning of the class It must be corrected BEFORE it is turned in for credit Late work = NO credit Finishing homework in class = NO credit If you are absent, please find out about materials and assignments missed from a classmate Homework assignments are included in the daily syllabus. Any changes to the daily syllabus will be announced by your instructor. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO READ THE ASSIGNED PAGES BEFORE CLASS AND COMPLETE THE HOMEWORK FOR THAT DATE. The course relies heavily on topics studied outside of class and requires students to prepare the assigned materials I reserve the right to amend the terms of this syllabus as necessary during the quarter. 2 SPANISH101 WINTER 2008 on their own prior to class. A good participation grade requires that you carefully prepare all homework and reading assignments. 2) Homework exercises from the Workbook (writing and listening sections) Each chapter is worth one (1) credit You can do these exercises at your own pace, but you have to complete each chapter before the respective test date. YOU HAVE TO BRING THE COMPLETED AND CORRECTED WORKBOOK TO CLASS THE DAYS OF THE TESTS. The workbook includes numerous grammar and listening exercises for each chapter. These exercises should be done to provide the extra practice necessary for acceptable performance in class and on exams. The answers to these exercises are found in the “Answer Key with Lab Audio Script.” Do the exercises without referring to the answer key, and then correct your answer against the key using a different color pen or pencil. The workbook is due on each test day. 3) “¡Escríbelo!”= writing assignments from the Workbook Each “¡Escríbelo!” is worth three (3) credits These are open-ended exercises that do not have an answer key. They will be corrected or checked off by your instructor. Tests: There will be five (5) tests. The tests will cover one chapter each. All tests must be taken at their scheduled time. Students must contact their instructor prior to the exam if they are unable to take an exam on the scheduled date. Make-ups will be given only in the case of properly documented, excused absences and must be arranged with the instructor. Final Essay: The purpose of writing compositions at this level is to have you bring together and apply all the knowledge of Spanish you have acquired IN THIS CLASS and to use it to express yourself in Spanish. The essay should be written INDIVIDUALLY. Detailed instructions regarding content, format, and evaluation of each composition will be made available prior to each due date. Final Presentation: Each student will tell a story to the class using the vocabulary and grammar we have learned THIS QUARTER. The presentation should take 3 to 5 minutes. You will be evaluated on how well you were able to use most of the grammar and vocabulary taught during this quarter. The topic and detailed guidelines will be announced later in class. Personal Integrity: I reserve the right to amend the terms of this syllabus as necessary during the quarter. 3 SPANISH101 WINTER 2008 No copying another student’s work No plagiarizing No using help from friends and family (I want to see what YOU know!!) No online translators Help: If you ever feel in need of additional advice or help with grammar concepts, assignments, or readings you may visit me during office hours in HSA 37-A or make an appointment. Feel free to contact me via e-mail at ralbu@greenriver.edu. The HELP CENTER (2nd floor, Holman Library) also provides you with tutors, free of charge, to assist you with your questions and homework. Special Needs: If you need specific auxiliary aids or services due to a disability, please contact the Disability Support Services (extension 2318). They will require you to present formal, written documentation of your disability from an appropriate professional. When this step has been completed, arrangements will be made for you to receive reasonable auxiliary aids or services. The disability accommodation documentation prepared by Access Services must be given to the instructor before the accommodation is needed so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Learning Outcomes: 1) College-wide learning outcomes: Written Communication (COM) Critical Thinking (CRT) Responsibility (RSP) Quantitative and symbolic reasoning (QSR) 2) Course learning objectives: acquire knowledge of basic Spanish vocabulary understand new grammatical structures and concepts develop basic reading comprehension through reading assignments and related activities acquire basic writing capability through a variety of written assignments, creating informal works as well as more formal output develop basic listening comprehension through the use of Spanish in class and through a variety of videos and listening exercises acquire basic oral capability by engaging in communicative activities such as providing information or expressing ideas and opinions in Spanish increase knowledge of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world awaken cultural empathy and awareness of cultural, social and historical issues in the Spanish-speaking world acquire the proficiency levels and knowledge necessary to continue studying Spanish at 102 level I reserve the right to amend the terms of this syllabus as necessary during the quarter. 4