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:
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10% Participation
20% Homework
I reserve the right to amend the terms of this syllabus as necessary during the quarter.
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WINTER 2008
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50% Tests (5)
10% Final Essay
10% Final Presentation
Participation:
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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.
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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.
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WINTER 2008
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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.
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