SPN 300: Spanish Phonetics and Phonology
Prias , Fall 2008
SPANISH 300 SYLLABUS FALL 2007
http://chass.colostate-pueblo.edu/foreignlanguage/fall-2007/spn300.doc
Instructor:
Time/Place:
Office Hours:
Phone:
E-mail:
Myriam Prias
MWF 10:00-10:50 am; LW326
M: 8:00 – 10:00 a.m., F: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
719-549-2781
myriam.prias@colostate-pueblo.edu
Course Description and Objectives
This course consists of a detailed analysis of Spanish sounds and of the rules that govern their production. We also
briefly examine Spanish dialectology. The course is fundamental to a proper understanding of the production of Spanish
sounds, and is essential for students who plan to teach Spanish, regardless of the setting (school, home, workplace); the
course also helps to prepare students to teach English to Spanish speakers and gives students a better understanding of
English sound production. The instruction format is both lecture and class discussion as well as practical application.
Major course goals are:
To gain an in-depth understanding of the sound system of Spanish and the way it corresponds to the written
system (mastery of the International Phonetic Alphabet will be necessary to accomplish this goal)
To improve spelling, pronunciation, and intonation of Spanish
To learn to recognize and reproduce/represent dialectal variations of Spanish
To learn how to recognize and describe phonetic challenges encountered by English speakers of Spanish and by
Spanish speakers of English. (This goal is particularly helpful for anyone who plans to teach English speakers to
speak Spanish or Spanish speakers to speak English.)
Course Components and Methods of Evaluation
Three Partial Exams (30%): They will be similar to the homework and will cover the material studied up to the
point of the exam (comprehensive). Exams will be given on the day listed on the syllabus.
Final Comprehensive Exam (10%): Anything goes. If it is in the book, on a handout, or surfaced in class discussion,
it is fair game for the final exam.
Quizzes (10%): Brief daily quizzes that will cover the material assigned for that day. They may occur at any time
throughout the hour, but most often will take place at the beginning of class. There are no make-ups. If you walk in after
the quiz has started, you may quickly take the quiz in the remaining time. If you arrive when I begin to collect the quiz
or later, you will not be able to take the quiz.
Glossary (10%) You will put together a glossary of 50 to 100 terms and vocabulary related to the class subject.
Tarea (20%):
After each reading you will have a homework assignment (outlined in the text) that may be oral, written, aural,
or a combination of these modes. You must do all the components associated with each exercise. Please do all
exercises. You may write out exercises in your book or on a separate sheet of paper. If you have a used book,
you must write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. I will collect the books/sheets and scan your work on
exam days. I will also occasionally spot check your book in class. Homework should be completed prior to class
and is due at the beginning of class.
Oral assignments to be turned in on a tape are marked on the calendar below with an asterisk. The asterisk
means that in addition to writing and listening to the exercise, you must also record your responses on a tape to
be handed in to me. You may use either a regular-sized 60-minute tape, a 60-minute microcassette, or you may
record them in a digital format and either e-mail them to me or give them to me on a CD. Bring/send the
recording to me on the day the assignment is due (the day indicated on the calendar), and be sure to set the tape
at the beginning of the exercise if you use a tape. At the beginning of each exercise, please state your name and
the exercise number (e.g., 4.4: "Hola profesor, soy Alejandro Mayta. Este es el ejercicio cuatro punto cuatro.").
If the exercise requires that you read the sentence more than once, do read it for your own benefit more than
once, BUT ONLY RECORD IT ONCE. You are welcome and encouraged to record the exercise over as many
times as you want until you are satisfied with your performance, BUT ONLY LEAVE ONE VERSION ON
THE TAPE. Please clearly identify your recording with your name and the exercise number.
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SPN 300: Spanish Phonetics and Phonology
Prias , Fall 2008
Occasionally I will give you other homework assignments that are not in the book. These assignments are due
on the date indicated on the calendar.
OPI, Oral Proficiency Interviews (10%): You will complete a recorded oral interview with your instructor at the
beginning and at the end of the class. You cannot cram for these interviews. The only way to be prepared is to study
Spanish diligently every day. Some suggestions: read all your homework out loud; watch Spanish TV; practice speaking
with a classmate or, even better, with a native speaker in the community; keep a daily journal in Spanish.
PPAC: Participation/Preparation/Attendance/Courtesy (10%): PARTICIPATION means that you will actively
contribute to class and group discussions both by asking and by answering questions; it also means that you will
willingly engage in class activities and that you will use the language of the course always, i.e., Spanish.
PREPARATION implies that you will have read the reading, written your homework, and accomplished any other
pertinent assignment in advance of the class in which it will be discussed. ATTENDANCE refers to the expectation that
all students will attend every day (including the first day of class) and arrive on time. Absence from class will affect
your grade, as will tardies, early departures, and regularly entering and leaving the room while class is in session. Note
attendance policy below. COURTESY: please recognize that MP3 players and other electronic devices, phones, food,
and gum in the classroom interfere with course goals and, therefore, are not permitted; please respect the cultural and
linguistic diversity of the class; please understand that listening attentively and participating enthusiastically manifests
respect for your classmates, for your professor, and for the learning experience.
GRADING SCALE:
Outstanding work receives an A; outstanding work far exceeds what is expected (superior).
A = 93 A- = 90
Excellent work receives a B; excellent work exceeds what is expected (above average).
B+ = 87 B = 83 B- = 80
Good work receives a C; good work basically meets expectations (average).
C+ = 77 C = 70
Acceptable work receives a D; acceptable work is not particularly good, but is not failing (below average).
D+ = 67 D = 63 D- = 60
Unacceptable work receives an F; unacceptable work demonstrates poor effort and/or understanding (failing).
F = 59 and below
COURSE POLICIES:
Attendance policy:
• You must be exposed to Spanish and use Spanish in order to learn Spanish, i.e., you must be in class. For that
reason, attendance is required and will be taken on a daily basis. However, it is understood that periodically things
happen that could prevent your attendance. Thus, you will be allowed 3 unexcused absences throughout the
semester; beginning with the fourth absence, 1 percentage point will be deducted from your final grade.
• Make sure to get the name and phone number of a classmate, as you are responsible for finding out about any
changes in the syllabus or any additional assignments announced in your absence
Late and Make-up Work:
• Any quiz or graded class activity missed due to an unexcused absence will receive a grade of 0.
• If you are absent the day of any scheduled activity, you will be able to make it up within a week. However, ten
percent of the grade will be subtracted for every class in which you fail to take the make-up.
• Homework/class work is due on the day indicated, regardless of whether or not you are in class that day. If you miss
class, arrange for your assignment to get to your instructor’s box before your scheduled class time. Late work will
be accepted; however, you will lose ten percent of the grade per class day.
• Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity will be given the
opportunity to make up, with no penalty, class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their
participation. It is the responsibility of the student to make an arrangement prior to the absence for making up
missed work.
• In the case of officially documented excused absences I will determine how the missed work should best be
accounted for with no penalty.
Expected Time Required (Approximate): A general guideline for the amount of time you should plan to dedicate to
this and any other University course is at least two hours of homework per hour spent in class.
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SPN 300: Spanish Phonetics and Phonology
Prias , Fall 2008
Academic Dishonesty: Students who violate University rules regarding academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since dishonesty harms
the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.
Disability Accommodations: This University abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which stipulate that no student shall be denied the benefits of an education “solely by reason
of a handicap.” If you have a documented disability that may impact your work in this class and for which you may
require accommodations, please see the instructor as soon as possible to arrange accommodations. In order to receive
accommodations, you must be registered with and provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Resource
Office, which is located in the Psychology Building, Suite 232.
Religious Observance: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class
should notify me in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with me, in advance, acceptable ways
of making up any work missed because of the absence.
COURSE CALENDAR:
Date Activity
Text
8/25
Introduction xiii-xxiii
8/27
1-11
Sign up for
8/29
12-18
OPI
9/1
OPI
18-21
9/3
OPI
21-32
9/5
33-40
9/8
40-45
9/10
46-51
9/12
51-62
9/15
Exam 1
9/17
63-67
9/19
67-72
9/22
73-81
9/24
82-86
9/26
87-94
9/29
10/1
10/3
10/6
10/8
10/10
10/13
10/15
Exam 2
Tarea
1.1
Date Activity
10/17
10/20
Text
Tarea
131-35 7.1
135-40 7.3, 7.4
2.1
10/22
141-46 7.5, 7.6
2.2
2.3, 2.4, 2.5
3.1
10/24
10/27
10/29
10/31
11/3
11/5
11/7
1/10 Exam 3
11/12
11/14
11/17
11/19
146-49
150-53
154-60
160-64
174-75
175-77
177-79
3.2
3.3
Tapes
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
5.1
95-98
98-106 5.2a&5.2b
5.2c
107-12 5.3
113-18 6.1
118-21 6.2
122-30 6.3
Tapes
Glossary
11/21
11/24
11/26
11/28
12/1
12/3
12/5
7.7,7.8
7.9, 7.10, 7.11
7.12a,b, c
7.13, 7.14
7.20 1ª
7.20 2ª
7.20 3ª
Tapes
180-89
189-97 8.1
198-206
206-13
Sign up for OPI 213-23 8.2a
FALL BREAK
FALL BREAK
FALL BREAK
OPI
223-24 8.2b
OPI
Glossary
Review
Final Exam
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