SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
SPRING
Spanish 212: INTERMEDIATE CONVERSATION & WRITING
Sec. 1 MWF 1000-1050 Room HH 146
Sec. 2 MWF 1100-1150 Room HH 206
Professor: N. Coto
Office: AL 162 Phone number: (messages) 619.594.8421
e-mail: ncoto@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: MWF 0800-0850
2016
Course Objectives
Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or 211.
This course aims to facilitate the development of intermediate proficiency in
speaking and writing. The objectives include:
Increase the authentic oral input students receive.
Help students develop strategies that will enable them to communicate more
smoothly with native speakers of Spanish.
Provide students with a multitude of speaking opportunities in the target
language and also to prepare them for a formal final oral presentation.
Provide students with opportunities to practice their writing skills in short,
simple essays, compositions and scripts.
Review structures, vocabulary and spelling in support of the stated
communicative functions.
Encourage extensive free writing.
Texts
Graded Spanish Reader, Segunda Etapa, 5th Edition by Ulloa (Red textbook)
Spanish dictionary and/or Spanish/English dictionary
Attendance
Consistent attendance is essential for a course of this nature: you are here to
improve your speaking and writing skills! PLEASE ADJUST YOUR
SCHEDULE ACCORDINGLY SO YOU CAN ATTEND REGULARLY.
You will be allowed without penalty THREE absences, excused or unexcused,
for the entire semester. Starting with the fourth absence, your participation
grade will be adversely affected. Active participation in class activities is
extremely important as well and will be GRADED. (see Speaking Activities).
So, come to class prepared, textbook in hand, ready to participate
constructively in all class activities, whether it be class discussion, games,
working in pairs, skits, or just asking questions and/or being a "voluntario"
instead of a "víctima". Students are expected to communicate in Spanish
during class time, but they are NOT expected to speak Spanish perfectly!
Homework
Homework will be assigned for every session and students are expected to have
prepared and completed assignments prior to class time. Homework must be
typed/word processed and turned in on time. If you do not have a printer,
there are many printers on campus you can use instead. NO HANDWRITTEN
HOMEWORK IS ACCEPTED, NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED, NO
E-MAILED HOMEWORK IS ACCEPTED. On Blackboard you have a
schedule of homework due for the entire semester, so there are no exceptions
for late or make up work. This is an important component of the course,
since your completed homework will be the basis of our conversations.
Always do your homework.
Exams &
Compositions
There will be a midterm exam and a final exam based on the readings and
class discussions. There will also be various vocabulary quizzes. Please refer
to the schedule attached. You will also write three in-class compositions.
You will have the opportunity to edit your first drafts and produce a corrected
version of these papers. The final versions of all compositions are to be
word-processed and carefully edited using the Spanish language tools in
WORD (or a comparable computer program). Please double-space to allow
for comments. If the final version of your composition is submitted after the
due date, the grade will be lowered by 10% (= 1 letter grade) for each day the
paper is late. Make ups are only permitted in extenuating circumstances,
accompanied by a valid doctor’s note. There are NO exceptions.
Speaking Activities:
During class throughout the semester, you will have numerous opportunities to
practice your speaking skills, such as discussion of assigned readings and other
homework, small group activities, and skits. These speaking activities will be
graded in class – you will see them noted on your homework schedule as
“Trabajo oral.” You will also be required to do a final oral project in the
LARC lab. Details to follow. Date is specified on your homework schedule.
Final Oral Project
Evaluation
Final exam........................................................
Midterm exam..............………….......................
3 Compositions..................................................
Final oral project..................................................
Speaking Activities……………………………
Homework.......................................................
Quizzes…………………………………………
15%
15%
30%
15%
10%
10%
5%
Grade scale
A 100-93
A– 92-90
B+ 89-87
B
86-83
B– 82-80
C+
C
C–
D+
D
D–
79-77
76-73
72-70
69-67
66-63
62-60
D+ 69-67
D
66-63
D- 62-60
F
59 and below
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to
contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you
should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive,
and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received an accommodation letter from
Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.