Department of Spanish
Spanish 448: Spanish Linguistics
Spring 2014
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor: Magdalena Altamirano, Ph.D.
Office: East Faculty 105 (Calexico)
Office hours: Mondays and Thursdays 3:00-4:00 pm
Phone: (760) 768-5614
Email: altamira@mail.sdsu.edu
Website: www.ivcampus.sdsu.edu/faculty/maltamirano
Section and Enrollment Information
Class meeting: Thursdays 4:10-6:50 pm
Class location: C-008
Schedule number: 60064
Course prerequisites: Spanish 350.
Course Overview
General Catalog description: “Structural, historical, and applied Spanish linguistics” (433).
The purpose of Spanish 448 is to introduce students to the fundamentals of Spanish linguistics
through the examination of selected linguistic topics and their relevance in real life situations.
Students will have ample opportunities to exert their critical thinking and to reflect on the role of
language through a variety of activities and assignments, both individually and in groups.
Textbook readings will supplemented with information from other sources and disciplines.
Student Learning Outcomes

Acquire key concepts concerning Spanish linguistics.

Identify Spanish-language historical periods.

Compare Spanish-language regional varieties.
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
Analyze social and contextual factors in the use of Spanish language.

Produce research paper and oral presentations that illustrate critical thinking.
Course Materials
Required Reading
Azevedo, Milton M. Introducción a la lingüística española. 3rd. ed. Upper Saddle River:
Prentice Hall, 2009. ISBN-13: 978020564704.
Recommended Materials

A good Spanish-Spanish dictionary. You can access the online version of the Diccionario de
la lengua española through the Real Academia Española website: Real Academia Española:
Diccionarios, Diccionario de la Lengua Española.

Online resources listed in Blackboard course site.
Course Structure
Spanish 448 is a lecture course. During the semester students are required to perform individual
and group activities as described below (see “Course Assessment and Grading”). Spanish is the
language of the course (General Catalog 437). Blackboard is the course management system for
Spanish 448.
Assessment and Grading (see “Programa del Curso” for due dates)
Cuestionarios
The questionnaires indicated in the course program are based on textbook readings and,
occasionally, on supplemental readings. The questionnaires will be posted on Blackboard and
students should post their answers on Blackboard, too (Diario de lectura). The due dates for all
questionnaires are listed in the course program. To receive credit, questionnaires must be
submitted to Blackboard before the beginning of the class in which the given readings will be
discussed. Late questionnaires will not receive credit.
Presentación Oral (Artículo)
Each student will give an oral presentation based on an academic article related to one of our
course topics. A handout with guidelines for this presentation will be posted on Blackboard.
Students must perform their presentation orally. Reading of any type of information during the
presentation is not allowed. Presentation dates are listed in the course program. No make-ups.
Presentación Oral (Reporte Final)
As a complement to their final reports (see below), students will prepare a second oral
presentation to inform the rest of the class about the findings of their research project. Students
will discuss the organization of their presentation with the instructor beforehand. A handout with
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guidelines will be posted on Blackboard. Students must perform this presentation orally. Reading
of any type of information during the presentation is not allowed. Presentation dates are listed in
the course program. No make-ups.
Reporte Final
Throughout the semester, students will prepare a research report on one of the topics studied in
the course. Students will discuss the topic and the organization of the report with the instructor.
Students will submit their final report by the date indicated in the course program. A handout
with guidelines will be posted on Blackboard. Late reports will not received credit.
Exámenes Parcial y Final
Students will have a mid-term exam and a final examination. Each exam will cover
approximately half of the information studied throughout the semester: textbook readings and
activities, plus any extra information discussed in the classroom or reviewed in course
assignments. Exam dates are listed in the course program. Study guides for both exams will be
posted on Blackboard. No make-up exams will be administered.
Comentarios en Línea, Blogs, Wikis
Students will use Blackboard to submit comments about readings, films or specific topics related
to course content (Pizarrón de discusión). Students will also participate in blogs and wikis. Due
dates for these activities are listed in the course program. Late entries will not receive credit.
Participation
Student active participation is absolutely essential in this course. Students are expected to attend
classes well prepared. Course readings, homework and special assignments must be completed
before class time. Students must be willing to participate, voluntarily and effectively, in all
classroom activities. Effective participation is participation that contributes to the class by
clarifying a course topic through well-prepared questions, statements or comments. In group
dynamics effective participation also means collaboration in the development of an activity or
project. Please remember: 1) It is impossible to get an A without active participation, and 2)
your participation grade will be seriously affected if you choose to perform activities not
related to our course session or if you leave the classroom to answer calls or messages from
your electronic devices (see “Classroom Etiquette”). Missing classes prevents you from
participating and thus will negatively impact your participation grade (see “Attendance”).
Final Grades
Student final grade will be based on the following percentages:
Calificación final
Porcentajes
Presentación oral (artículo)
4%
Cuestionarios (11)
11%
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Calificación final
Porcentajes
Presentación oral (reporte final)
4%
Reporte final
16%
Examen parcial
25%
Examen final
25%
Comentarios en línea, blogs, wikis (3) y participación
15%
Total
100%
Grading scale:
A = 94-100
A- = 90-93
B+ = 87-89
B = 84-86
B- = 80-83
C+ = 77-79
C = 74-76
C- = 70-73
D+ = 67-69
D = 64-66
D- = 60-63
F = 59-
Other Course Policies
Attendance
Students are expected to attend class on a regular basis. Attendance is part of student
participation grade (see “Participation”). One unexcused absence is allowed with no penalty. It is
very important that students plan ahead before using their “free” absence. This privilege
does not authorize students to submit late class work (homework, special assignments,
essays, oral presentations, etc.). Any additional unexcused absence will lower student final
grade by four points (from 83 to 79 = B- to C+). In order to be excused, an absence has to
comply with two requirements: 1) The absence is caused by compelling reasons (e.g. illness,
death in the family, jury duty), and 2) the absence is properly documented, with an official note
that clearly states that it was impossible for the student to attend classes during the date and the
time of his/her absence. Please remember that verbal explanations are not enough to excuse an
absence and neither are medical prescriptions without a physician’s note that matches
requirement number 2. Students are responsible for providing documentation for the
absence to the instructor in a timely manner (i.e. the next class after the absence). The
instructor will not remind students about the documentation. It is the student responsibility to
bring the note and submit it on time.
Late Arrivals
Be on time for class. Late arrivals do not only interfere with your academic success, they also
disrupt the class session and, therefore, affect your classmates. Three late arrivals of 10 minutes
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equal one absence. Late arrivals of more than 10 minutes and less than 30 will be counted on a
prorated basis (e.g. two late arrivals of 15 minutes equal one absence). A 30 minute late arrival
equals one absence. Please do not enter the classroom after 30 minutes from the beginning
of the session. There are no make-ups for tests, assignments or presentations missed because of a
late arrival. Attendance will always be taken at the beginning of the session. In case of a late
arrival, it is the student’s responsibility to wait for the next class break or for the end of the
session and, then, ask the instructor to change his/her absence mark to late arrival. Later it will
not be possible. Leaving the classroom before the end of the session equals a late arrival. The
same criteria will be used with a repeated pattern of leaving the classroom constantly and/or for
long periods of time. If your job or your personal responsibilities conflict with the course
schedule, please enroll in the course at a future time.
Assignments Submission
Due dates. No late assignments, electronic or paper, will be accepted. An assignment not
submitted by the due date indicated in the course program will receive a zero, “0”. The only
exceptions are assignments that were late due to excused absences and extreme compelling
reasons (e.g. medical emergencies). Based on the documentation submitted by the student the
instructor will decide which assignments fall into this category. Not all excused absences qualify
for these exceptions, especially if the student knows in advance that (s)he is going to miss class.
Consult with your instructor beforehand if this is the case for you. Format. Unless indicated
otherwise, all written assignments require a hard copy submission. If an extreme emergency
prevents you from submitting a hard copy of your assignment, you must: 1) request your
instructor’s permission to send her an electronic copy of your assignment by the due date
indicated in the course program, and 3) provide your instructor with a hard copy not later than
one day after the due date of the assignment. Students must make sure that their electronic
submissions went through (email attachments, Blackboard activities, etc.).
Student Conduct and Plagiarism
Conduct code. Students are expected to maintain professional behavior in the classroom setting
in accordance with the Standards for Student Conduct stated in the California Code of
Regulations (41301, Title 5). It is your responsibility to become familiar with SDSU policies
regarding student conduct. You can find them in the Center for Students Rights and
Responsibilities web site (Students Affairs: Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student
Conduct Code) or in SDSU General Catalog (481-83). Plagiarism. Students are responsible for
knowing and observing all SDSU rules concerning academic integrity and plagiarism. All
student work must be individual and original. For example, essays can not be corrected, rewritten
or written by a person other than the student. Other people’s ideas or words can only be used in
a paper if they are accompanied by the proper citation style. Plagiarism is not limited to the
abovementioned examples. SDSU Love Library website includes tools to help students avoid
plagiarism, such as a 20 minutes tutorial on “Plagiarism: The Crime of Intellectual Kidnapping”,
and a guide on citation resources (Library and Information Access: Tutorials, Plagiarism). Essays
and other written assignments have to be checked for plagiarism in Turnitin (Blackboard). If you
need more information about plagiarism, consult with your instructor before submitting your
work. “Recycling” work for which you have received credit, in this or in other courses, is not
acceptable. These and all other cases of academic misconduct (e.g. cheating) will be sanctioned
according to SDSU policies on academic dishonesty (Student Judiciary, executive order 1006)
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and cheating and plagiarism (Students Affairs: Student Rights and Responsibilities, Academic
Dishonesty; Student Affairs: Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Conduct, Cheating and
Plagiarism). See General Catalog (483). The minimum punitive sanction for plagiarism or
cheating in this course is a zero, “0”, on the assignment or examination involved in the academic
misconduct incident.
Classroom Etiquette
Cell phones and similar electronic devices must be completely silenced before entering the
classroom (it is not enough to have them in vibrate mode). Put them away, not on your desk or
on your lap. Please remember that the following is prohibited in the classroom:

Texting, messaging, emailing.

Using electronic devices (including personal laptops and SDSU computers) for anything
other than class-related work.

Chatting.

Doing homework for this or any other class.

Finishing readings for this or any other class.

Any activity that is not directly related to the course session.
You will be asked to leave if you choose not to follow our course classroom etiquette.
In every session we will have a 10-15 minutes break. After the break students can continue
eating their snacks but they should finish them soon (within 15 minutes).
Students with Disabilities
Students who need accommodation for their disabilities should contact me privately to discuss
specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If you need
accommodation due to a disability, but have not registered with Student Disability Services at
(760) 768-5509 (Imperial Valley campus, Student Affairs building), please do so before making
an appointment to see me.
Course Program/Programa del Curso (sujeto a cambios)
***Nota: la tarea siempre se indica adelantada; es decir, la tarea señalada en la semana 1 se
entrega la clase de la semana 2 y así sucesivamente.
Cuestionarios (diario), comentarios en línea (pizarrón de discusión), blogs, wikis = Blackboard.
Semana 1 (23 de enero)
Introducción al curso. *Tarea: leer pp. 1-23; cuestionario 1.
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Semana 2 (30 de enero)
Capítulo 1. La lengua española en el mundo. Expansión del español en el mundo moderno. Los
orígenes del castellano. Su desarrollo. Otras lenguas peninsulares. Discusiones terminológicas.
*Tarea: leer pp. 24-46; cuestionario 2.
Semana 3 (6 de febrero)
Capítulo 2. Lenguaje, lengua y lingüística. Lenguaje vs. lengua. El lenguaje: funciones,
características, otros aspectos. Lengua, dialecto, idiolecto. Variación en la lengua: temporal,
regional, social, contextual. Ramas de la lingüística. *Tarea: leer 207-249; cuestionario 3.
Semana 4 (13 de febrero)
Capítulo 8. Variación temporal. Cambio diacrónico. Del latín al romance. Tipos de cambios:
fónico, morfológico, sintáctico, semático y léxico. *Tarea: investigación sobre la película Luz
silenciosa (Dir. Carlos Reygadas).
Semana 5 (20 de febrero)
Película. Luz silenciosa (Dir. Carlos Reygadas). *Tarea: leer pp. 250-259, 273-275; comentario
en línea (película); cuestionario 4; preparar presentación oral (artículo académico).
Semana 6 (27 de febrero)
Capítulo 9. Variación regional. Dialectología. El castellano. El español meridional o andaluz. El
españo canario. El judeo-español. Presentaciones orales (artículo académico). *Tarea: leer pp.
259-273, 275-283; leer Alfonso Reyes, “Aduana lingüística”; cuestionario 5.
Semana 7 (6 de marzo)
Capítulo 9 (continuación). El español en América. El español en la Guinea Ecuatorial. Hablas
criollas de influencia española. “Aduana lingüística”. *Tarea: estudiar para el examen parcial.
Semana 8 (13 de marzo)
*****Examen parcial. *Tarea: leer pp. 285-300; cuestionario 6; blog o wiki.
Semana 9 (20 de marzo)
Capítulo 10. Variación social. Comunidades de habla y variación. Rasgos sociolingüísticos y
variables sociales. Fórmulas de tratamiento. *Tarea: leer pp. 300-315; leer Eulalio Ferrer, “La
ruta mexicana”; cuestionario 7; seleccionar tema reporte final.
Semana 10 (27 de marzo)
Capítulo 10 (continuación). El argot. El tabú lingüístico. Lenguas en contacto. Bilingüismo y
diglosia. “La ruta mexicana”. Película. Sin dejar huella (Dir. María Novaro). *Tarea: leer pp.
316-330; cuestionario 8.
Semana 11 (3 de abril)
Vacaciones de primavera.
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Semana 12 (10 de abril)
Capítulo 11. Variación contextual. El acto de habla y el contexto comunicativo. Registros.
Variación de significado según el contexto. Clases de actos de habla. Presentaciones orales
(reporte final). *Tarea: leer pp. 330-345, cuestionario 9.
Semana 13 (17 de abril)
Capítulo 11 (continuación). Normas de la conversación. Estrategias comunicativas.
Comunicación a distancia. Presentaciones orales (reporte final). *Tarea: leer pp. 346-359; leer
Eva Sáiz, “Los estadounidismos”; cuestionario 10; blog o wiki.
Semana 14 (24 de abril)
Capítulo 12. El español en los Estados Unidos. Antecedentes. Español chicano. Español
caribeño. Variación. Hablas de ámbitos limitados. “Los estadounidismos”. Presentaciones orales
(reporte final). *Tarea: leer pp. 359-377; cuestionario 11; terminar reporte final.
Semana 15 (1º de mayo)
***** Entrega del reporte final. Capítulo 12 (continuación). El español y el inglés en contacto.
¿Conservación o sustitución? *Tarea: estudiar para el examen final.
Semana 16 (8 de mayo)
*****Examen final. ¡Felices vacaciones!
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