Español 121
Información autobiográfica
Walla Walla Community College
Invierno 2012
Nombre:
¿Cómo eres?
Tell me briefly about yourself and your interests:
Tu futuro:
What do you think you might be doing five years from now?
¿Por qué?
Why take Spanish? How does it relate to what you might
do in the future or what you are doing currently?
¿Otras clases?
Have you taken Spanish before? Where? When? With whom?
¿Eres bilingüe?
Do you know any language(s) other than English? Explain. Does an important
person in your life speak another language?
Español 121
Programa del curso
Walla Walla Community College
Otoño 2013
Course: Spanish 121 (Beginning Spanish I)
Instructor: Señora Muecke
Catalog Description: This is an introductory course for students wishing to learn Spanish as a
second language. It provides a foundation for practical interpersonal communication. Each
week includes pronunciation, basic grammar, reading, writing and an introduction to Latino
cultures. This course is to be taken in sequence or with written consent of the instructor.
Prerequisites: Must be taken in sequence.
Format: Two 120-minute sessions per week
Credit Hours: Five
What outcomes are expected?
COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE: Students will acquire Spanish communication
skills and will be able to demonstrate competence in speaking, listening, reading and
writing. Emphasis will be placed on basic interpersonal communication.
CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING:
speaking countries will be studied.
The language and culture of several Spanish-
LINGUISTIC EXPERTISE: Students will gain greater understanding of the construction
and use of their first and second languages.
What materials are we going to need?
Jarvis, Lebredo, Mena-Ayllón. ¿Cómo es dice..?. Boston MA: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2009, 9th
Edition.
What will we not need?
Spanish-English dictionaries and computer translation programs should be used very carefully
and are NOT recommended at this level.
How will each student be evaluated?
1)
2)
3)
4)
Homework portfolio (checked bi-weekly)
Daily pruebas (Student’s best 18)
Chapter exams
Final oral proficiency interview
93.5% - 100% = A
85.5% - 88.49% = B+
74.5% - 77.49% = C+
63.5% - 66.49% = D+
88.5% - 93.49% = A80.5% - 85.49% = B
69.5% - 74.49% = C
58.5% - 63.49% = D
40%
20%
20%
20%
77.5% - 80.49% = B66.5% - 69.49% = CBelow 58.5% = F
Note: The “worst “two pruebas and ONE session of homework may be dropped from the final grade. ALL exams
will be counted.
What is the policy on homework, attendance, exams, etc.?
Attendance, participation, and daily homework are essential to your success. Therefore, students
with 3 or more absences or tardies, 3 missed or incomplete homework assignments, or who are
perpetually unengaged in week activities will be asked to meet with the instructor to discuss
possible options for (not) continuing in the course. Unless you have an officially verifiable
excuse, please do not ask that any exception be made.
What if I need some additional help with this?
Extra help is always available, so if you're feeling overwhelmed, don’t wait! Virtually all
students who seek tutoring within the first month of work will pass the course. The majority of
struggling students who wait until the last month for help fail the course.
Is it possible to earn extra credit in this course?
In a word, no. If the work for class is completed on a regular basis AND if you seek help at the
earliest possible moment, there is no reason the need “extra credit”.
What topics (units) will we be studying?
Week 1: La Gramatica: Greetings and leave-takings, the alphabet, cardinal numbers 0-30,
colors, days of the week, months, seasons, subject pronouns, present indicative of ser. La
Cultura: Los mexicoamericanos y los hispánicos de los Estados Unidos.
Week 2: La Gramática: gender and number of nouns, definite and indefinite articles, cardinal
numbers 31-1000, telling time, regular –AR verbs, negative and interrogative sentences,
possession with de. La Cultura: Los cubanoamreicanos.
Week 3: La Gramática: Possessive adjectives, descriptive adjectives, regular –ER and –IR
verbs, irregular verbs tener and venir, the personal a. La Cultura: Los puertorriqueños en los
Estados Unidos.
Week 4: La Gramática: Pronouns as objects of preposition, contractions, irregular verbs ir, dar
and estar, ir+a+infinitive, stem-changing verbs e>ie, and o>ue, tener expressions. La Cultura:
México.
Week 5: La Gramática: Comparatives, irregular comparatives, present progressives, ser versus
estar, weather expressions.La Cultura: Guatemala y El Salvador.
Week 6: La Gramática: Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, stem-changing e>i verbes,
affirmative and negative expressions, irregular yo form verbs, saber versus conocer, direct object
pronouns.La Cultura: Honduras y Nicaragua:
Week 7: La Gramática: Indirect object pronouns, the verb gustar, time expressions with hacer,
preterite of regular verbs, ordinal numbers.La Cultura: Costa Rica y Panamá
Week 8: La Gramática: Double object pronouns, preterite of ser, dar and ir, preterite stemchanging verbs, uses of por versus para, forming adverbs.La Cultura: Puerto Rico
Week 9: La Gramática: Reflexive constructions, definite articles, possessive pronouns, irregular
preterites, hace meaning ago. La Cultura: Cuba y La República Dominicana
Week 10: La Gramática: The imperfect tense, comparing preterite and imperfect, verbs which
change meaning in preterite, the relative pronouns que and quien. La Cultura: Venezuela
Caveat: Please keep in mind that unforeseen events do occur, even in the most “perfect” setting.
The above listed topics are the perfect world and we may not be able to reach all of them. Know
that the entire aim of this class is to help you learn Spanish. We will take as much time as we
reasonably can to ensure this takes place. Do your part: ask questions, study hard, practice as
much as you can every day and DO YOUR HOMEWORK.