Cleveland State University
College of Arts and Sciences – Department of Modern Languages
SPN 101 Spanish I (4 credits) – Fall 2014 – T,Th 12:30 PM – 2:20 PM in MC 213
Instructor:
Ashley Zehel
Office:
RT 1613
Email address: a.zehel@vikes.csuohio.edu
Phone number: 216-687-9281
Office hours: T, Th 10:40 AM – 12:20 PM
T, Th 2:30 PM – 3:50 PM
Phone numbers and/or emails of at least two “study buddies” in this class:
I.
Description Please see the departmental course sheet entitled “SPN 101—Beginning Spanish.”
This course is designed so that students will attain one of the Novice proficiency levels for
speaking. According to American Council of Teachers of Foreign Language (ACTFL): Novicelevel speakers are characterized by the ability to:
 Respond to simple questions on the most common features of daily life
 Convey minimal meaning to interlocutors experienced with dealing with foreigners by
using isolated words, lists of words, memorized phrases, and some personalized
recombinations of words and phrases
 Satisfy a very limited number of immediate needs
II.
Textbooks
Required: Nexos text and workbook
Recommended: a Spanish/English dictionary and English Grammar for Learners of Spanish
(available at bookstore)
III.
Tentative Schedule of Class Meetings A separate handout indicates topics by date, assigned
readings by topic/dates, assignments and due dates, and examination dates. Methods and
activities for instruction include:
A. Traditional Experiences (Lecture/Discussion; Demonstration; Drill; Film/Video)
B. Clinical Experiences (Groups; Student Demonstrations or Presentations; Simulations; Role
Play; Lab Exercises)
IV.
Electronic Communication Policy You may email me to schedule an appointment outside of
office hours. Questions about class material, your grade, an assignment, or other questions are
best discussed during office hours. You may not email assignments unless otherwise directed
to send them through Blackboard. I will respond to email during normal business hours (9-5)
Monday through Friday. In other situations, I will respond if and when I am able, as soon as I am
able.
V.
Class Attendance, Homework, Participation, and Late Assignments Learning a foreign
language requires daily practice. You are expected to attend each class and to be prepared to
participate in assigned activities. There is a separate grade for participation, and you cannot
participate if you are not present, or if you are present but doing any of the following: sleeping,
texting, answering email or otherwise engaged on a laptop, holding a side conversation with a
classmate or someone outside the door, working on assignments for other classes, disrupting the
class in any way, etc. Being present is only one required element of participation. The aim of this
class is to create a community of learners, which is necessary for communicative interaction.
Please see the rubric that will be supplied to you.
Each absence beyond the second absence will result in a reduction of 2% in the participation
grade. Each tardy before the first half of the class will count as ½ of an absence. If you miss a
class, you are responsible for the work and are expected to turn it in. If you miss a class, you are
responsible for coming to the following class prepared. Please call a classmate for questions
about assignments for that day. Please contact me for the following: If you know in advance that
you will be absent; if you have been absent for two classes or more in a row; if you are providing
a medical excuse.
Homework is checked in class but not always collected. I will often check to see whether you
have corrected your answers when we go over them. Late homework is only accepted until
midnight on Friday of the week it was assigned for partial credit. It is not acceptable to not try on
homework when you do not understand. If this is the case, watch the videos, look for information
in the book or online and e-mail me for extra help. Maximum effort must be evident to receive full
credit, which means it should be completed to the best of your ability.
VI.
Tests The six chapter tests (50% of your total grade) for this course are based on material from
the text, CD, workbook, and video. There are no make-up tests. Repeat: There are no make-up
tests. There are no tests given on any day other than the date given on the syllabus. Repeat
Tests are only given on the day that is scheduled on the syllabus. At the end of the
semester, the instructor will drop the lowest grade of six chapter tests. This does not excuse you
from taking any chapter exam. You are not being instructed to skip any chapter exam; you are to
take all chapter exams.
Quizzes Will not be announced and can include collected homework. These can occur 1-2 times
a week. These are often given at the beginning of class, so please arrive on time. No make-ups.
Listening/speaking tests (10% of your total grade) This course is 5 credit hours. You are
responsible for one hour of lab work per week on your own. This can be done in the lab or online. Material from the lab tapes/CDs can appear on exams.
Final exam (15% of your total grade) The exam is on TUESDAY December 9 at 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Make arrangements now, if necessary, so that you have that time reserved for the exam.
VII.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is essential to maintain the integrity of the University as an institution and to
foster an environment conducive to the pursuit of knowledge. The Cleveland State University
Academic Community values honesty and integrity and holds its members to high standards of
ethical conduct. Academic dishonesty is therefore unacceptable, and students must be prepared
to accept the appropriate sanctions for any dishonest academic behavior as outlined in the
Student Code of Conduct. This code can be found in the Student Handbook published by the
Department of Student Life, available on-line at:
http://www.csuohio.edu/studentlife/conduct/StudentCodeofConduct2004.pdf
One form of academic misconduct is plagiarism:
Stealing and using the ideas or writings of another in a paper or report (including
oral reports) and claiming them as your own. This includes but is not limited to the
use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the work of another person without full
and clear acknowledgement.
Plagiarism includes:
 Downloading and using a free research paper from the Internet.
 Buying and using a paper from another student, a commercial paper mill, or any other
source.
 Copying an article from the Web, an online or electronic database, or a local source.
 Cutting and pasting to create a paper from several sources.
 Quoting less than all the words copied from a source.
 Using the words and sentence structure of a source without quoting and/or
acknowledging the source.
 Faking a citation.
VIII.
Special Needs Policy If you have any special needs related to your participation in this course,
including identified visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical impairments,
communication disorder, and/or specific learning disability that may influence your performance in
this course, you should meet with the instructor during the first week or two of the course to
arrange for reasonable provisions to ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all the requirements
of this course. Some accommodations may require prior approval by Disability Services or may
be at the discretion of the instructor.
IX.
X.
Grading
Tests
Listening/speaking
Final exam
HW/Participation
500 points
100 points
150 points
250 points
1000 points
A
AB+
B
B-
940-1000
900-939
870 -899
830-869
800-829
C+
C
D
F
770-799
700-769
600-699
0-599
No cell phones, laptops, beepers, or food in the classroom. (Beverages are O.K.)
No visitors are permitted in the classroom
The attached sheet is to be returned with your signature, to indicate that the syllabus has been read to you in class or (if you have
not been present) that you have read and understood the syllabus.
XI.
Use of the Internet is a requirement for this course. Internet access is available all throughout the
campus and in many commercial facilities.
SPN 101 and 102
Date:
Name
(please print)
Student number
My signature below indicates that I have had the syllabus read to me and that I understood what was read to me – or,
if I was not present for the reading, that I have read and understood the syllabus.
I affirm that the following sections were included in the reading:







Date of final exam
Make-up policy on tests
Take 6 exams
Make-up policy on homework
Attendance and participation policy
Policy on plagiarism
Policy on disabilities
(signature)