DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH &
PORTUGUESE STUDIES
Summer 2014
This class is not open to bilingual students.
SPN 3392: Spanish Conversation, Film and Culture
Instructor: Dr. Víctor M Jordán-Orozco
Oficina: Dauer 154
Horas de oficina: M-Th 9:45- 10:45
Dirección electrónica: vjordan@ufl.edu
Sección: 4E09
Período: 3 (11:00-12:15)
Sala de clases: TUR 2336
Website: http://plaza.ufl.edu/vjordan/SPN3932.html
CLASS OBJECTIVES
Latin-American cinema is the point of departure for this course. Films are used as tools to elicit
conversation and promote student awareness of contemporary and current issues in LatinAmerica. In connection to Latin America this course offers the student an opportunity to:
 Be informed on current issues and discuss/argue/debate them,
 Make presentations on a variety of topics,
 Present movie reviews,
 Expand her/his vocabulary, paying attention to local variations of Spanish, and in
general
 Improve his/her speaking and oral presentation skills.
REQUIREMENTS

SPN 2240 previously passed.
There is no required textbook. The instructor will maintain a web page and a blog with relevant
and updated links and information. It is the student’s responsibility to revise the website and
blog frecuently. Links to relevant readings/information will be posted!
ALL activities will be carried out in SPANISH.
GRADING SCALE
B +: 89 - 87
C+: 79-77
A: 100 - 93
A - : 92 - 90
B: 86 - 83
C (S): 76-73
B - : 82-80
C- (U): 72-70
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CLASS GRADE
10% Informal discussions / Blog / Impromptu participation
15% Movie review: oral presentation on a movie chosen by the student.
15% Oral presentation on a topic related to one of the required movies.
15% Debate / Criticism
15% Q &A / Moderation /Discussion
10 % Final project
20% Short quizzes
CALENDAR
The calendar will be posted and updated on the website.
GENERAL ORGANIZATION
The class will be divided into groups or pairs (A-E) which will be assigned different
responsibilities in a rotating basis. Although every student is a member of a group, or pair, each
student’s work will be assessed individually.
INFORMAL DISCUSSION / PARTICIPATION
Given that the emphasis of the class is oral communication, the preferred mode of participation
is orally (during class), but students can also participate through the blog. All absences will
affect this part of the grade. If you are not in class you are, by default, unable to
participate/converse.
Blog
The instructor will maintain a private blog. Students should subscribe to it. This will give the
student the possibility to comment on a variety of topics brought up during class
discussions, movie reviews and presentations. The blog can also help as a venue to
introduce new topics.
MOVIE REVIEWS /ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Each student is responsible for presenting an oral review of a movie not assigned in class. The
student is responsible for letting the instructor know what movie s/he is presenting with at
least three days in advance. Once a student reviews a movie the same movie can’t be reviewed
by another student. Please see rubric for details on how this is evaluated.
Each student is also responsible for a presentation on a topic related to one of the movies
assigned as material for the class. Each of the groups in charge of these presentations will meet
briefly with the instructor to decide on the topics and make sure that they do not overlap. All
presentations will be graded individually.
Important: students must:
a. Use audio and/or visual material to enhanced and facilitate their presentations. Note
cards can be used but reading will result in a failing grade.
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b. Provide the instructor, before the day of the presentation, with a copy of any material
s/he is going to use during the presentation: outline, flashcards, power point, etc.
c. Be aware of the time constraints: presentations/movie reviews must be 8-9 minutes
long.
DEBATES / CRITICISM
Topics for debates will come out of the movies that are assigned for the class. Every student
should be prepared to support and or oppose a given proposition. The debate will follow a rigid
time schema in which the debater will have a specific amount of time to present her/his
position and then respond to opposing arguments. An alternative to defending or attacking a
given proposition will be the critical analysis of one or more issues/ideas presented in a movie
watched in class. Possible topics and/or propositions will be decided by the student(s) and the
instructor at the appropriate time. All students must be ready to ask questions and be prepared
to present their own points of view.
MODERATION / Q&A / PANEL DISCUSSION
After watching movies, and listening to reviews and presentations, time will be allotted to
conversation. During these discussions the responsibility of the group in charge will be to
maintain the discussion active and flowing. Members of each group will be assigned to: ask
questions, lead small group discussions and report conclusions to the entire class. More
detailed instructions will be given at the appropriate times.
QUIZZES
The student should assume that there is going to be a quiz everyday on a topic previously
discussed in class or posted on the website. Quizzes may include vocabulary, historical or
cultural context assigned as homework or discussed in class, readings, movie content and/or
themes reviewed, discussed or presented in class. Quizzes take place at the beginning of class,
arriving late will result on a missed quiz for which there is no make-up. Length of quizzes will
vary between 5 and 15 minutes. Quizzes on films not watched in class will be worth more
points.
FINAL PROJECT
Students are responsible for producing a five minute video, which will be shown to the class at
the end of the course. The purpose of the video is to explore yet another way of
communicating in Spanish. The topic of the video must be related to a movie that was reviewed
or viewed in class. A script should be handed in to the instructor one week before its due day.
(Further details TBA).
ATTENDANCE and MAKE-UPS
Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this
course are consistent with university policies that can be found in the online catalog at:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx.
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ATTENDANCE & PREPAREDNESS
Attendance to class is of extreme importance. All grades in one way or other are based on oral
interaction and communication, attendance is therefore essential. In case of a medical
emergency the student must provide the proper documentation. Given the structure of the
course it is essential that students come to class prepared to participate in Spanish on the
assigned /planned topics /activities.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
All students are required to abide by the Academic Honesty Guidelines of the University. The UF
Honor Code reads: “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold
ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.” On all work
submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either
required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing
this assignment.” For more information please refer to http://www.dso.ufl.edu/studentguide.
COUNSELING AND WELLNESS
A variety of counseling, mental health and psychiatric services are available through the UF
Counseling and Wellness Center, whose goal is to help students be maximally effective in their
academic pursuits by reducing or eliminating emotional, psychological, and interpersonal
problems that interfere with academic functioning. The Center can be found online at
http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc or reached by phone at 392-1575.
CLASSROOM ACCOMODATIONS
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students
Office, https://www.dso.ufl.edu/. This office will provide documentation to the student who
must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting the classroom
accommodation.
COURSE EVALUATIONS
Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on
10 criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations
are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given
specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to
students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students
Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then
provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.
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Rúbrica para la evaluación de las reseñas
Película:
Nombre:
¿Qué se evalúa?
Organización/planeación: El instructor recibe el plan de la reseña
con anticipación. El plan muestra una buena organización previa
que se refleja en la presentación.
Exposición: Hay fluidez. No hay lectura. No hay repeticiones. Hay
buen uso de elementos audiovisuales.
Dicción: fuerte y clara. Buena pronunciación y entonación.
Vocabulario variado y preciso.
Resumen: concreto, relevante y claro. [No se cuenta la historia. Se
hace referencia a escenas o momentos importantes]. No spoilers
Enfoque: se concentra en lo más importante: personajes, temática,
etc. No se dan detalles en exceso. No hay repetición.
Tema(s): se explican de manera concreta y efectiva. Hay
investigación cuando el tema lo requiere.
Datos generales: se mencionaron el país, fecha, director, actores y
otra información de relevancia.
Hay referencias al director, a los actores, a otras películas, a la
técnica de la filmación y/o a cualquier otro material que enriquece
la reseña. El presentador usa la lista de vocabulario del website.
Comentarios críticos (1) Se mencionan los aspectos positivos/
fortalezas y negativos/debilidades de la película. Hay sustentación.
Comentarios críticos (2) Hay una recomendación general apoyada
por una opinión personal sustentada.
10-9
8-7
6-5
4-0
NOTA ______/100
Comentarios:
5
Rúbrica para la evaluación del debate / análisis crítico
#____
Proposición / posición crítica:
Nombre:
Investigación: se presentan referencias directas o indirectas de distintas
fuentes de información. Se utilizan fuentes confiables. Se demuestra
conocimiento del tema.
Claridad de expresión: la vocalización, pronunciación y enunciación
son claras. Hay fluidez. No hay lectura de apuntes/anotaciones.
Claridad de ideas: los argumentos y/o contra argumentos presentados
son concretos y claros. Hay sustentación de ideas sin repeticiones o
información irrelevante.
Organización: Hay una organización evidente. El orden en la
presentación de ideas y la contra argumentación es claro y preciso
Tiempo: hay un uso apropiado de tiempo. No hay apuro ni demora en
la presentación de las ideas.
Respuestas a las preguntas de la clase (improvisación): hay
concreción, claridad y solidez. Se demuestra conocimiento del tema.
TOTAL
Comentarios:
6
10 - 9
8-7
6 -5
4 -1
10 - 9
8-7
6 -5
4 -1
10 - 9
8-7
6 -5
4 -1
10 - 9
8-7
6 -5
4 -1
10 - 9
8-7
6 -5
4 -1
10 - 9
8-7
6 -5
4 -1
Rúbrica para las presentaciones orales y el trabajo final
Nombre ______________________________
Tema_________________________
La dicción: claridad y pronunciación
La exposición es claramente comprensible. El significado de
términos e ideas es preciso. Los errores de gramática y dicción no
impiden entender las ideas presentadas.
En ocasiones algunos errores le restan claridad a la exposición.
La exposición es difícil de entender en repetidas ocasiones. Las ideas
no están claramente expuestas.
El contenido: ideas y contextos
La presentación de ideas, conceptos y contextos es original y está
bien sustentada. Hay buena aplicación de las fuentes investigadas. Se
plantean preguntas interesantes que promueven la conversación.
La presentación carece de algunos detalles o aspectos importantes.
Es aceptable pero de aportes limitados. Hay repetición.
Faltan aspectos importantes en la presentación. Hay poca
originalidad en las ideas. No se utiliza el tiempo disponible de
manera eficiente y efectiva.
La organización
Hay consulta previa y a tiempo con el instructor y evidencia
(resumen, bosquejo) de la presentación. La presentación está bien
organizada y planeada, con objetivos claros.
La organización es aparente pero en ocasiones hay vaguedad /
inexactitud en el propósito y los objetivos. El resumen y/o bosquejo
están incompletos.
No hay evidencia de planeación.
La presentación
El expositor no lee ni memoriza la presentación. El uso de
anotaciones es el adecuado. La comunicación es natural y efectiva.
El expositor no lee pero tiene dificultades ocasionales. En su mayoría
la presentación es efectiva. Hay apartes memorizados.
El expositor lee en ocasiones y/o depende mucho de sus
anotaciones. Hay poca evidencia de una adecuada capacidad de
comunicación.
NOTA
30
29 28
26 24 22
20 18 16
30
29 28
26 24 22
20 18 16
20
19 18
16
14 12
10
8
6
20 19 18
16 14 12
10
8
6
______ / 100
Comentarios:
7