HU 2291: Level 1A - Spanish Language & Culture - ONLINE Humanities Department SUMMER 2015
Course syllabus
Instructor: Leyre Alegre-Figuero
E-mail: lalegref@mtu.edu
Time/Room: ONLINE CLASS,
Office Hours: via the Aventuras video chat option
Course description:
Welcome to Spanish 2291! This course is designed to introduce you to the Spanish language
through theme-based chapters that will provide a meaningful context for the purpose of
communicating. The four basic skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) will be
developed during the semester through practice and the application of specific learning strategies.
In order to raise your cultural awareness, Global literacy and to facilitate authentic
communication, this course will also explore some of the many facets of Hispanic culture by
giving you a visceral "feel" for the cultures of different Spanish-speaking regions.
This course satisfies 3 credits of the HASS requirement, works towards fulfillment of the ML
Certificate and towards Goal 3: Global Literacy goal.
Course prerequisites:
No previous exposure to Spanish, no previous Spanish classes taken (unless placed in 2291 by the
Placement Test)
Course objectives:
•
•
•
•
•
(see page 7 for a complete list of course goals)
Understand basic spoken information in the present & past tenses
Talk about your likes, dislikes and express basic opinions
Develop reading strategies to understand texts
Talk and write short texts about yourself in the present, future and past
Identify, describe, understand and analyze Global Issues
Required Texts (only 1 of the two!):
If you only want to purchase the book for HU2291 (this semester):
•
Aventuras 4e SE(LL) V1 + SSPlus + wSAM. Blanco&Donley. Vista Higher Learning, Inc.
(Student Edition, SupersitePlus, Virtual Student Activities Manual)
ISBN: 978-1-61857-809-9
(This book includes Chapters 1-6)
or
If you want to purchase the book for HU2291 and HU2292 (1st and 2nd semester Spanish):
• Aventuras 4e SE(LL)(Chap 1-12) + SSPlus + wSAM. Blanco&Donley. Vista Higher
Learning, Inc.
(Student Edition, SupersitePlus, Virtual Student Activities Manual)
ISBN: 978-1-61857-759-7
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This course requires online access: only buy books that include the technology access. For complete
packages or to buy the code (if you have a 2nd hand book) visit Vista’s webpage
(http://vistahigherlearning.com/store/michtechu.htm/). Check the pdf with instructions on Canvas.
Once you have the code, you need to enroll in the Supersite course in order to start working
online. Please go to vhlcentral.com/help/students-startup for helpful videos.
Optional:
• Spanish/English dictionary
• English Grammar for Students of Spanish. Emily Spinelli, The Olivia and Hill Press
Or: similar Grammar book
Important information:
This course is intended for TRUE BEGINNERS of the Spanish Language. This means that if
you have any Spanish class before you SHOULD NOT BE ENROLLED in this class. Students with
previous knowledge of Spanish MUST take the MTU online placement exam prior to enrolling in an
MTU language course. If you have enrolled in this class with prior background in Spanish but have
not taken the exam, you can register at:
http://www.mtu.edu/humanities/undergraduate/modern-languages/placement
Talk to your instructor immediately!
Grading Distribution and Scale:
Your grade in this class will be based on the following criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Assigned materials
Homework
Quizzes
Written Communication
Oral Communication
Exams
15%
15%
10%
20%
20%
20%
The grading scale used in this class is:
93-100 =
A
73-77
88-92 =
AB
68-72
83-87 =
B
60-67
77-82 =
BC
<59
=
=
=
=
C
CD
D
F
Your final grade will be based on the following requirements. PLEASE NOTE: All
requirements must be completed to pass the course.
Plan on completing approximately 6 hours of activities per week and more for studying the
material and finishing homework and assignments. Always check your Calendar and the
Vista site for assignment due dates; it is your responsibility to make sure written & online
work is handed in on time.
Course Expectations:
You are expected to show motivation by participating in online group/partner activities, to
complete activities in a timely manner to avoid falling behind and not finding partners with whom
to complete group work (read the Daily calendar, read the assigned pages, do the online
homework from the previous day), to actively engage in group activities (see participation), to
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submit assignments on time (see in-class activities & quizzes), to keep track of your grade, to
inform me of any event that would significantly disrupt your work rhythm as soon as you can, to
inform me at the beginning of the semester of any special need to accommodate any learning
disability.
You are also expected to know where to find my information (email): you can find it in this
document as well as in my email signature. As I’m not on campus this semester we will have to
use the Aventuras chatroom/video room, or use Skype.
1. Assigned materials / Practice activities / Presentations & Tutorials
15%
Once you establish your Vista account online (vhlcentral.com/help/student-startup) you will
be able to access the Aventuras SuperSite assignments. (remember that once you use the
code you won’t be able to resell the “book + code”.
I will assign materials every day of the week (Monday-Friday). As we are all in different
time zones and will have different schedules, you can organize when you want to work on them.
The Assigned Materials will be things like: reading pages from the book (remember you
can also access the “vtext” or online version of the book), completing online activities, doing
activities in group or with partners, etc.
The goal of this section is to familiarize yourself with the communicative content, tools
and vocabulary that you will need to acquire Spanish. In an on-site setting we would do it before
coming to class or in the classroom.
You have a set deadline so that you have an idea of the rhythm of the course, not to limit
you; so if you can’t work on a given day, you can complete this section the following one.
The online activities in this section have two characteristics:
- The activities are set as pass/fail (if you complete it you pass, if you don’t you
fail)
- Late assignments will be admitted until each unit exam (I understand that
although you have work assigned every day, maybe you can’t work on certain days)
So: If you complete the assigned activities before the unit exam, you get 100% in this
section.
2. Homework / Workbook / Lab Manual
15%
The work you complete in this category will serve as an important learning tool to
practice grammatical functions and new vocabulary as well as to evaluate your reading and
listening comprehension. There are many categories in the Aventuras Super Site, the assigned
activities are mandatory and count towards your grade. You can browse the rest to practice, study
or review. The assigned activities (check the Aventuras calendar) will be graded; you will have 12 attempts in some of the activities and multiple attempts for the more complex ones.
Many of these activities will be listening comprehension or speaking activities that you
will have to record with a microphone. Make sure you have the right technological settings or
access to them. Also, it is your responsibility to turn in assignments on time. Don’t wait until the
last minute to complete them: there could be technical issues, slow servers, saturated site, etc. It
will be your responsibility to be on time.
These activities will be due before each exam, although you should work on them daily
to review, practice and learn the material covered. The only reason the activities are due before
the exam is because you can manage your time better in this kind of setting if you have this
flexibility.
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The online activities in this section have several characteristics:
- The activities will be graded for accuracy
- Late assignments will not be accepted or will receive a lower grade (if accepted at all)
- This section will be due right before the exam, but you MUST work on them every day
and not leave it for the night before.
So: In order to get a good grade in this section, you need to complete the assigned
activities on time, and have few mistakes.
This section will also have a cultural assignment during the second half of the semester,
which will be due on Monday June 15th. We will discuss it later on.
3. Quizzes
10%
Included in this category are quizzes given by your instructor. There will be at least one
assigned quiz per week, that will cover grammar, vocabulary or any other language content.
4. Written Communication
20%
Reflective journals (5%) + Other Written assignments (15%)
During the semester you will keep a journal in which you will reflect on a variety of inclass topics as well as on your own personal interests. The purpose of this written
communication process is to give you an enjoyable outlet in which to express your thoughts in
Spanish, while strengthening vocabulary and grammar structures studied. You will write one
entry every week. Some entries will be on topics of your choice (friends, family, academic life,
etc.) while other entries will be on specific topics related to material covered in class. All entries
are to be a minimum of 100 words (but for the first entry, in which you can write less).
Your Reflective Journals will be graded for completion only, but full credit will only be
assigned if the whole journal is in Spanish only, comprehensible, on topic, AND ON TIME! The
topics will be posted on Canvas. Please use it as a tool to practice the Spanish you are learning:
communicative tools, grammar points, vocabulary, expressions, etc. The goal is for you to use
the language and introduce new items. I don’t expect you to write at a level that you don’t have,
so using an online translation tools such as Google translate is NOT acceptable.
Other written assignments will be graded for accuracy and will be small assigned
activities such as reacting to a partner’s post on a discussion group, or completing a short written
activity from the Super Site.
5. Oral Communication
20%
This section will be made of several partner activities that you will record. During the
semester you will have conversations through the Vista (Aventuras), you will record them and
receive feedback from them. The conversations may include different tasks such as asking and
answering questions, describing and/or responding to a situation etc. I will grade some of those
activities.
6. Chapter Exams
20%
There will be six exams in this course, one for each chapter. Please remember: Make-ups
are allowed only for officially excused absences! Exams are not curved in this class.
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Attendance Policy:
What is an excused absence?
•
Illness: Absence will be excused ONLY with written documentation indicating the date/s
when the student was seen at the Doctor’s office. All documentation for excused absences
must be given to the instructor within one week of the absence.
•
Officially representing Michigan Tech: Written documentation by a program director,
supervisor, etc. Your instructor must be notified in advance and proper arrangements must be
made to make up any work missed. No excused absence will be assigned for NONUNIVERSITY-SPONSORED events.
•
Religious holidays: Only religious holidays approved by Michigan Technological University
NOTE 1: Only students who have excused absences are permitted to make up graded work. If you
know in advance that you will not be able to complete work on the date specified, it is your
responsibility to make prior arrangements with me to complete the required assignment.
University Policies
Student work products (exams, essays, projects, etc.) may be used for purposes of university, program,
or course assessment. All work used for assessment purposes will not include any individual student
identification.
Michigan Tech has standard policies on academic misconduct and complies
with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990. For more information about reasonable accommodation for or equal access to
education or services at Michigan Tech, please call the Dean of Students Office, at (906) 487- 2212 or
go to
http://www.mtu.edu/ctl/instructional-resources/syllabus/syllabus_policies.html
Academic Honesty
Students who cheat, plagiarize, or fabricate information as well as students who help others to do so
can receive sanctions ranging from warning to special failing grade to expulsion from the University,
depending on the severity of the offense. See the MTU Student Handbook or the Academic Integrity
Policy: http://www.sas.it.mtu.edu/usenate/propose/06/8-06.htm
If I find out that you submitted a piece of work that didn’t comply with the Academic Honesty
described above you will get a 0 in that assignment and will be reported to the Administration.
HDMZ: The Humanities Digital Media Zone (Walker 120)
The Humanities Digital Media Zone (HDMZ) is available to Modern Language students for a
variety of resources. The HDMZ has copies of the CD-ROMS and DVDs from different Spanish
textbooks.
The Summer Track A 2015 schedule is:
Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
You need to checkout/return equipment and resources during those scheduled days and times.
Feel free to drop by and ask them for help. Any consultant can help you check out materials
and the general hours are available at this site as well.
There are also other resources available to you such as DVDs, Spanish-language games, and
Dictionaries that you can check out and use in the HDMZ. If your instructor is offering you credit for
doing work in the HDMZ, please ask a consultant for a sign-in sheet for your class and sign in and
out. You'll be asked to provide your language, instructor, course number, and a brief description of
what you worked on.
Please note: You are automatically charged a lab fee upon registration for a language class! Put this
money to good use by taking full advantage of the Spanish consultants, state-of-the art equipment, and
varied materials available in the HDMZ.
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Spanish 2291 COURSE OVERVIEW:
Communicative goals
Tools
Chapters 1: Hola, ¿Qué tal?
• Introducing yourself, courtesy expressions
• Identify yourself and others
• Say what time it is
• Indicate possession, describe origin, talk
about professions and occupation.
•
•
•
•
•
Formal and informal expressions
Pronunciation, Alphabet, numbers
The verb ser
Gender & number agreement
Definite & indefinite articles
Chapters 2: Las clases
• Talk about classes, location and direction
• Talk about activities in the present tense,
form negative sentences, talk about likes and
dislikes
• Ask and answer simple questions in Spanish
• Regular -ar verbs, desar + inf,
necesitar + inf.
• Negation, Question formation
• The verb estar
• Learn numbers 31-100
Chapters 3: La familia
• Talk about families and professions
• Describe people, talk about plans, talk about
age, Express ownership
• Talk about what you have and what you have
to do
Chapters 4: El fin de semana
• Talk about pastimes, sports and places in a
city
• Make plans and invitations
• Express future event
•
Chapters 5: Las vacaciones
•
•
•
•
Descriptive adjectives
Possessive adjectives
Regular -er and -ir verbs
The verb tener and venir
• Verb ir, ir a + infinitive
• Stem-changing verbs (E-IE, O-UE, E-I)
o querer, preferir + inf.
• Verbs with irregular yo form.
Talk about travel and vacations, talk about
seasons and weather.
Describe conditions and emotions
Talk about an action that is in progress
Talk about things already mentioned
Chapters 6: De compras
• Negotiate a price, say what you bought
• Talk in the past by using the preterite tense
of regular verbs
• Refer to other people
• Use demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
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•
•
•
• The verbs ser, estar
• Present progressive
• Direct Object Pronouns
•
•
•
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Numbers 101 and higher
Preterite tense of regular verbs
Indirect object pronouns
Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
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WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Week
1 - May 11- 15
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Chapter 1 (M-F)
Friday: exam chapter 1 due
2- May 18 - 22
Chapter 2 (M-F)
Friday: exam chapter 2 due
3- May 25- 29
No class
Chapter 3 (T-M)
4- June 1-5
Monday:
Chapter 4 (T-T)
exam chapter
3 due
5- June 8-12
Tuesday: exam chapter 4 due Chapter 5 (W-W)
6- June 15- 19
Wednesday: exam chapter 5 due
Chapter 6(Th-Th)
Monday June 15th: Cultural Assignment due
7- June 22-25
Thursday: exam chapter 6 due
No class
J Buena suerte con el español! J
This syllabus may be revised during the semester to accommodate the
needs either of students or the instructor.
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