Berkshire Community College
Department of Languages and Communications
Prof. Lois Cooper
Melville 222
Voice: (office) 413.236.4615
E-mail: lcooper@berkshirecc.edu
Spanish 102
MWF: 8:40a-9:50a
Spring 2011
Office Hours:
Monday and Wednesday: 12:30p – 1:30p, Tuesday: 2:45p – 3:45p, and by appointment
Introductory Spanish II – Spanish 102
Successful completion of specific assignments in this course satisfies the
“Community and Global Awareness” or “Technological Literacy” Core Competency Requirements
(See pages 14-16 for more information on the Core Competency Requirements for BCC and how you may apply
work you complete in this course toward satisfying them.)
**Text:
Nexos with Student Activities Manual, Custom Media Edition, Second Edition, 2010: Spaine, Long, Carreira,
Madriagal, Velasco, Swanson:. (This edition comes bundled with an electronic “passkey” for the online version of
the Student Activities Manual.) ISBN-13: 978-1-4240-64533; ISBN-10:1-4240-6453-8
**Please Note: Our textbook is a custom version of Nexos. This means you should purchase it from BCC’s
Bookstore. It is not possible to acquire this version of the text online. This custom edition has the textbook and
Student Activities Manual in one volume and includes the electronic “passkey” that will provide access to online
version of the Student Activities Manual and other online materials.
We have used this same textbook for SPA 101 and we will continue using it in this course and in SPA 201. We are
sensitive to the cost of this book, but over three semesters of work, this option will save you money on textbooks!
Note: To log into the NEXOS site for the first time, check out the instructions in your textbook. The course code
– the same code for everyone in the course – to gain access to our course on www.books.quia.com is:
CXKGAG738. (If you are signing on to Nexos for the first time, you will need an electronic key – a code that
belongs only to you. You will find this number inside a cardboard envelope inside your own textbook. If you need
help opening your Nexos account, see your instructor.) For more on how to access the online materials for Nexos,
see pages 12 and 13.
Materials to acquire to enhance your success in this course:
Optional, but highly, highly recommended:
•Sticky flags to mark pages in textbook
•Binder with dividers and pockets
•Red pen for correcting your homework exercises
•Hole-puncher
•E-mail address (If you do not already have an e-mail address,
inform your instructor and she will show you how to get a free
e-mail address you can use in the language lab and on any
computer with internet capability.)
•Flash drive to transport written work and PowerPoint
presentations you create on your own computer
•Webcam with microphone for your home computer or
laptop
We will be creating online videos and conducting oral
evaluations online hat will make having this aparatus
extremely useful.
(Note: As of September 2, 2010, www.amazon.com
lists webcam/microphone units for as little as $7.89.)
Contacting Professor Cooper
My office is located in Melville Hall 223. Please note my schedule, which is posted on my office door.
You may contact me in the office 413.236.4615. Leave voice mail if I am out of the office, or, contact me
by e-mail: lcooper@berkshirecc.edu . I am conscientious about checking e-mail and will get back to you as
soon as possible.
1
What your BCC Catalog says about Introductory Spanish II (SPA 102):
4 Credits - HU/hu
A continuation of SPA 101. More complex grammatical structures, vocabulary, and readings are
presented. Students conduct interviews and debates in Spanish, and research topics on Hispanic
culture. Focused drill and practice include audio, video, computer, and Internet applications. This
class, conducted in Spanish, meets four hours a week. One additional hour of laboratory is
required. Prerequisite: C- or better in SPA 101, Spanish placement test or permission of instructor.
SPA 101 is a four-credit course. This means that the class meets for more hours a week than a three credit
course:
Students meet 3.5 hours a week in the classroom and arrange for one hour a week in the Language Lab. Here
are some of the activities you will engage in while working in “FRED,” our Language Lab:





Work on specific, collaborative “FRED” assignments and projects;
Do research on topics related to Spanish-speaking countries;
Produce Voicethread videos of your oral work in Spanish (new students will receive help on how to work
with Voicethread);
Discover Spanish language practice sites on the Internet and to work on your Segunda vida project;
(See the list of Internet resources that can help you drill and practice Spanish grammar, along with links
for radio and Spanish language newspapers on the second-to-last page of this document.) moments…!
Complete Spanish homework and audio or video work related to Nexos individually or with classmates.
Since the workload in the course is 25% heavier than three-credit courses you take at BCC, you should expect to
spend between two and four hours preparing for each class, depending on your previous language-learning
experience and aptitude.
Success in this course is simple: Complete all the assigned homework, work in FRED an hour a week, participate
actively in class, and you will do well. Give yourself the gift of following through! You’ll learn a ton of Spanish
that you can truly USE in your personal and professional life, you’ll have lots of fun and you’ll be immensely
proud of what you accomplish!
Introduction:
This second semester of Introductory Spanish will help you build on your recent accomplishments in the language.
You have learned an immense amount in your first semester of Spanish: You have learned to speak about the
present and future; about your daily activities at home and at school. You have learned to ask your classmates
about their preferences and desires and you have begun to learn about Hispanic culture. Your listening
comprehension is strong: You are able to understand what your instructor says in a class that is conducted entirely
in Spanish. You listen to audio materials in Spanish and are able to follow directions and complete a variety of
activities in Spanish. And, you are learning to write! Congratulations! This semester, you will review all you
have learned in the fall as well as add to your competence in the language. What follows will remind you of the
procedures and obligations of the class with which you are likely very well acquainted already.
You will recall that your classroom time will be devoted mostly to activities that allow you to practice your skills
of understanding and interacting in Spanish. Your instructor will provide some introduction to the grammar and
vocabulary and you will have time in class to explain the concepts to one another and work on using them in
context. From the beginning, you will be learning the vocabulary and grammar by using it, together. If you need
extra help understanding the grammar, you may spend time during the lab sessions working individually with a
classmate; you may make an appointment to see your instructor or come during an office hour, or you may work
with a tutor to get yourself up to speed. (Let your instructor know if you would like to have a tutor, and she will
help arrange this for you.) Note, too, that you can find a variety of PowerPoint learning games on the Spanish
Language blog (at: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages ). The blog home page also provides access to a terrific
Spanish-English/English-Spanish dictionary, http://wordreference.com, as well as a list of audio materials on the
Internet. Use them! They are also lots of fun!
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
2
You already know, too, that this class is not about translating word-for-word; you are truly learning to think in
Spanish, from the start. And, you already know that you don’t have to translate a composition from English to
Spanish, because you already learned the vocabulary and structures you needed to express yourself in Spanish very
well by working through the elements in the chapter before you started to write. You know, too, that your own
writing in Spanish will be far superior – with many fewer mistakes – than if you use an online electronic translator,
which, by the way, you already know is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN in this class. (Your instructor can always tell if
you have used an online translator, and she will ask you to re-do any work you have done with the help of an online
translator! At her discretion, you may receive a zero for any work you have done with the use of an online
translator.)
Segunda vida: If you completed the first part of this introductory sequence, you have already invented an Hispanic
alter-ego with a Spanish name, country. You have already created a MySpace page onto which you have posted
written work on your family and some preliminary research on your country.
This semester, you will deepen the complexity of your alter-ego and will may have the chance to go further with
this project. You may discover popular or folk music from the Spanish-speaking world (some produced by artists
from your adopted country) and you may create a playlist of this music to display on your MySpace page. You
will post photographs of your country and you may also create videos of yourself speaking about your daily routine
and of your performance of a song of your choice. You will continue your research on your adopted country and
you will continue to post your work to your MySpace page. You will also create a pasaporte for your alter ego and
you will visit the pages of your classmates to learn about the culture of their countries (and earn passport stamps for
what you learn!) You are on your way to creating a valuable record not just of what you learn, but of your progress
in Spanish. This is WONDERFUL!
Much of the work you complete for your Segunda vida project will be assigned as FRED/lab assignments.
If you are new to Spanish at BCC…
I will design assignments that will enable you to get started with Segunda vida. See me to set up an appointment to
talk about what you would like to do with your MySpace page.
Global Awareness and Technological Literacy Core Competencies:
Note that you may be able to earn your core comptencies in the ears of Global Awareness and Technological
Literacy for the work you complete on your Segunda vida project. Once I have approved them, I will submit a
Core Competencies sheet to the Registrar’s Office.
It is up to you, though, to know which competencies you have already completed and to request that I fill out and
submit a sheet to the Registrar’s Office. I will not automatically fill out these Core Competency forms for you.
If you are planning to graduate at the end of this semester and need competencies other than the two listed above,
see me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I may be able to devise a project for you to complete this semester that will
enable you to earn other competencies you will need in order to graduate (such as Critical Thinking, for example).
For more on Core Competencies, see pages 14 and 15 of this document.)
Your Responsibilities in This Class ~ Specific Tasks:
• Read the syllabus, fill out the syllabus agreement form.
• Come to class fully prepared to participate energetically.
• Attend class regularly.
• Check the http://books.quia.com web site every day to make sure you know what you are expected to do for
homework. (It is your responsibility to read ahead on the homework page on the Quia site, know when assignments
are due, and take account of your homework assignment due dates when you plan for how you need to allocate
your time.)
• Have homework completed BEFORE you come to class.
• Turn in all written assignments on time, as I may not accept work that is handed in after the due dates.
• Ask for help if you need it.
• Do not allow yourself to fall behind, and if you do, let your instructor know, and ask for help!
• Arrange for a Spanish tutor or ask Profe how to get one, if you need more help.
• Use the answer key for posted on our passworded class page and check the work you do on Quia. (Not all
activities have answers in the key, as some activities have open-ended answers.)
• Take notes in class.
• Take tests on the date they are given, as make-ups are not granted under normal conditions.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
3
•Attendance:
Students must attend every class meeting; tardiness of more than ten minutes will constitute an absence.
Should you need to miss a session due to family emergency or illness, you must contact me with 24 hours of your
absence, either by voice- or e-mail. (See my phone number and e-mail address, above.) If you have missed two
classes, you will receive a warning from me. If you miss three, I have the right to withdraw you from class. I may
make exceptions for serious reasons, but you must let me be the judge.
•How to Study Spanish Using Nexos ~ What to do first, second, third, etc.:
Here is the typical sequence you should follow to study using the Nexos materials.
a.
Study a section in your textbook, and before going on to the next topic, go immediately to the
http://books.quia.com site to do the homework exercises listed on your Calendar tab on the site. You will find that
may of these exercises are all self-correcting.
b.
Click on the Enrichment tab on your Calendar page to gain access to the Nexos Companion Web Site,
where will find audio flashcards, ACE Practice Tests, web search activities, extra practice, and music, video and
more web links. All these will help you learn! I will grant 1 bonus point for each ACE Practice test you email me
from the site. (I will show you how to do this, in class.)
c.
Once we have completed the vocabulary and grammar for a chapter, go to the Diagnostics tab on your
Calendar page and take the Pre-Test to help you discover the parts of the chapter you need to review. Once you
have completed the Pre-Test, the site generates for you a Study Plan. After completing the activities for review
suggested by this plan, you should take the Post-Test. You will see another Study Plan, based on the concepts you
still need to review. After having completed these diagnostic pre- and post-tests, you’ll be ready to take the chapter
test!
d.
You probably want to learn to SPEAK Spanish! For this reason, students produce recorded video or
audio segments in response to a specific assignment for each chapter using an online program called
“Voicethread.”1 Voicethread assignments will be posted on your Quia Calendar and then on the Spanish Language
Blog. As soon as these assignments are posted, you should begin working on the script for your Voicethread
recording. You will be asked to submit your script in advance of the due date for your Voicethread posting so you
can receive my corrections. You will be asked to submit your corrected drafts before you record your
Voicethreads. (New students can see samples of student voicethreads from last semester on the Spanish blog. Ask
Profe to show you where, if you need help navigating that site.)
I will keep a record of all the work you submit, and will give you a grade at the end of the semester based on how
many of these exercises you did complete; I will not penalize you for work that is not perfect; what I care about
is that you do complete the work. If you do make mistakes, it is a good idea, though, to re-do the exercise until you
understand your mistakes, or until you have completed them with no mistakes. I have set up Quia to allow you to
repeat activities as many times as you would like.
•Participation:
Come to class fully prepared to participate energetically. This is something you can do to maximize your ability to
participate well and energetically in class: When you study the grammar material, read through the exercises in the
textbook to be certain you understand the directions and that you can answer them. Then, when working in groups
or being called on, you will already have in mind something you can contribute! GREAT! Remember, too: If you
make ten mistakes during each class, you will have earned an A for your participation grade. Why? Because you
will be opening your mouth to speak! Mistakes are essential for learning effectively.
(See below for notes on how your class participation will be graded.)
Grading Your Class Participation:
Your participation will be assessed using the criteria below:
Superior
Attends class and arrives on time. Does all the homework and preparation assigned for class. Listens attentively
when others speak. Speaks only in Spanish. Asks questions in Spanish. Participates in all activities with patience and
a willingness to learn. Demonstrates ongoing very active involvement. Helps others do all the above too.
1 Depending on the progress of the class, we may not require a Voicethread assignment for each chapter.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
4
Average
Attends class and arrives on time. Doesn't always pay attention when others speak. Speaks mostly Spanish but uses
English on occasion. Participates in all activities, sometimes reluctantly. Overall shows a willingness to learn. Does
not make participating in class difficult for other students.
Unsatisfactory
Arrives late for class. Uses more English in class than Spanish. Doesn't listen when others speak. Does not
participate effectively in class activities. Distracts other students or is disruptive in class. 2 (Disruptive students will
be referred to the Assistant Dean of Humanities and/or the Dean of Students. Students whose behavior poses a
continuing obstacle to learning after conferences with the Dean(s) will be withdrawn from the class.
•FRED / Language Lab:
•One hour studying and using the audio materials in the language lab (FRED) is REQUIRED! Remember: This is
a four-credit class, and this extra hour is required.
There may be specific FRED assignments for each chapter. If not, your ongoing Segunda vida project will occupy
a good part of this laboratory time. You will be learning and/or advancing your mastery of various technologies
that will enable you to post audio, video and written work to your Segunda vida/ MySpace page. FRED Monitors
are available to help you with any problems you have with these technologies and to help you videotape any
materials you would like to post, such as songs, skits with classmates, interviews. Take advantage of them! They
are extremely knowledgeable and very helpful!
Remember to sign in to FRED when you arrive! Note the hours you work there and the projects you work on.
•Quizzes:
Your instructor may decide to give unannounced quizzes to make sure you are prepared, and to gauge how you’re
doing. This is an additional incentive for your keeping up with the pace established by the homework assignment
page on http://books.quia.com . The basic rule of thumb is the following: If you do the online homework, the
quizzes will be a snap! Got it? :-)
•Tests:
There will be a chapter test after each chapter. Each test will have listening comprehension, vocabulary, spelling,
and reading and writing components. You will be allowed to drop one chapter exam, either the one with the lowest
grade or one that you miss. THERE ARE NO MAKE-UPS FOR THESE EXAMS.3
2
(Adapted from the University of Virginia’s Spanish Department web site: http://www.virginia.edu/spanital-port/spa_und_spa101_stud.htm)
3When students are absent due to family emergencies, illness or excursions related to work in other classes,
your instructor may -- but not automatically -- grant a make-up examination. Advise your instructor
immediately should you have such an absence. See above, in the section on attendance, for more on
“excused absences.”
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
5
Grading: Basis for Evaluating Student Performance:
Calculated point averages, however, are only guides to aide the instructor in evaluating a student’s final grade, and
do not dictate an absolute result; a student’s perceived effort may supercede numerical calculation.
Your grade in this class will be based on the following criteria:
• Speaking:
BAT (“Be Able To”) speaking objectives, Billetes de salida4, Voicethreads
25%
• Written Homework: Keeping up with Workbook, ACE Test activities, Voicethread Scripts, Written
25%
Compositions, Segunda vida work, including all cultural research students post to MySpace pages
• Participation: amount of Spanish used in class, listening skills, preparation for class,
attitude, level of engagement, attendance (See criteria for assessment of your participation,
above.)
20%
• Chapter tests
20%
• Final exam
10%
Total
100%
Grading Scale
Achievement
Superior
Honors
Average
Inferior but passing
Failure
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Numerical
Equivalent
93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
0-59
Grade Point Value
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.0
Academic Honesty:
Cheating is not tolerated on either exams or homework. Anyone caught copying from others or
allowing others to copy their work is subject to receiving an “F” on that assignment. If the behavior
continues, you will receive and “F” in the class. Further, the use of any electronic translating web site, like
babelfish.com, for the completion of your written work will result in an “F” on that assignment. You should
know that it is very, very easy to tell the difference between Babelfish work and that completed by a
student! If you use www.babelfish.com or the Google translator, I’ll know! Don’t do it!
4
Billetes de salida are “exit ticket” oral exercises. The instructor gives students questions based on the
work of the current class session for which they must produce a personal answer. Students earn their “exit
ticket” from the classroom by answering!
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
6
Summary of Teaching Procedures:
•Present new concepts, vocabulary, grammar.
•Model usage of above for students.
•Have students imitate models.
•Have students respond to questions posed by the instructor.
•Have students question one another.
•Have students "recycle" material learned in class at home.
•Encourage students to take responsibility for identifying aspects of the chapter material they need
to review.
•Have students use chapter material in groups.
•Have students work outside of class on their Workbook and Lab materials.
•Require that very short written assignments that teach and reinforce chapter materials be handed
in at least once a week.
•Provide short chapter tests that have both written and aural questions.
•Have students conduct research on a variety of cultural topics to support their fictional Hispanic
identity.
•Retest / recycle learned chapter material continually as the semester progresses.
Instructional Objectives:
At the end of this semester you can reasonably expect to be able to understand and communicate in the
following areas:
Chapter 6: (Review and amplification) Talking about means of transportation, where things are located,
where you are and where you are going; giving directions, agreeing and disagreeing, indicating
and talking about what you plan to buy, making polite requests and commands, referring to objects
located close to you, farther away, and at a distance;
Chapter 7: Talking about sports and leisure- time activities, seasons and the weather, how you feel (using
tener expressions, your recent leisure-time activities; suggesting activities and plans to others;
Chapter 8: Talking about clothing and fashion; shopping for various articles of clothing and discussing
prices; describing recent purchases and shopping trips; talking about buying items and doing
favors for others; making comparisons;
Chapter 9: Talking about food and cooking; shopping for food; ordering in a restaurant; talking about what
you used to eat and cook; saying what you do for others;
Chapter 10: Talking about your childhood; describing houses and apartments and their furnishings; talking
about household tasks; indicating numerical order; talking about the duration of past and present
events; saying what people want others to do; emphasizing ownership;
Further, your reading and writing will have improved greatly as your mastery of grammar increases. Some
of the grammatical concepts you will learn more about are: past tenses (using the imperfect and the preterit
tenses), the subjunctive mode, affirmative and negative words, direct and indirect object pronouns, adverbs,
the passive se, por and para, gustar, comparisons of equality and inequality, superlatives.
You will also have learned and be able to speak and write about many of the following cultural topics:
Chapter 7: Fahrenheit vs. Celsius, Panamá and Costa Rica, weather on both sides of the equator;
Chapter 8: Cuanacos, vicuñas, alpacas and llamas, more on Tú vs. Usted, Carolina Herrera, Peru and
Ecuador, Chinese immigration to Latin America;
Chapter 9: Bolivia and Paraguay, bilingualism in Paraguay, Guillermo Pernot, chef and host of a cooking
program;
Chapter 10: Guatemala and Nicaragua, Poems by Nicaraguan poets Rubén Darío and José Coronel
Urtecho.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
7
SPA 102 – Introductory Spanish II
Student Outcome / Competency
Strategies for Attaining Learning
Outcome
•Talk and write about and describe family
members;
•Provide students with “BAT” (Be Able
To) tasks for each unit in each chapter;
•Discuss professions;
•Organize the classes so that activities all
support the goals of the “BAT” tasks;
•Describe daily routines and talk about
what one is currently doing;
•Talk and write about means of
transportation;
•Say where things are located;
•Encourage students identify aspects of the
chapter material they need to review;
•Design small group projects and activities
to help students learn vocabulary, grammar
and to practice BAT “Be Able To” tasks
and to complete more complex projects;
Testing and Evaluation:
Assessment Criteria and Methods
•Provide students with pre-test Chequeo
(“Check-Up) sheets with list of “BAT” (Be
Able To) tasks for test. Students write pretest learning plan. Instructor compares
students’ pre-test self-report with test
results and holds conference with student if
the Chequeo and test results conflict.
•Provide short and longer, written
assignments to assess written proficiency.
•Provide students with the opportunity to
peer edit work of classmates.
•Say where one is and where one is going;
•Have students brainstorm individually or
in groups before they answer questions.
•Require students write at least two drafts
of written work.
•Give in-class “dictados,” dictation of short
passages in Spanish.
•Provide frequent quizzes (online and in
class) and frequent feedback.
•Provide short chapter tests using both
written and aural comprehension questions.
•Make polite requests and commands;
•Teach students how to proof-read their
own work and that of their classmates and
submit at least two drafts of written work.
•Refer to objects located close to you,
farther away, and at a distance;
•Have students do frequent presentations to
small groups or to the whole class.
•Talk and write about sports and leisuretime activities;
•Encourage students to use online, video
and audio materials in language lab.
• Talk and write about seasons and the
weather;
•Have students learn from the automatic
feedback provided by their online Student
Activities Manual.
•Give directions;
•Agree and disagree;
•Talk and write about what one plans to
buy;
• Talk and write about how one feels (using
tener expressions);
• Talk and write about one’s recent leisuretime activities;
•Suggest activities and plans to others;
•Talk about clothing and fashion;
•Shop for various articles of clothing and
discuss prices and describe purchases;
•Do favors for others;
•Assign weekly project-based language lab
activities that reinforce what students learn
in the classroom.
•Have students conduct Internet searches
on cultural topics, videotape dialogs they
author, and download their written, audio
and video work to their Segunda vida
pages, online.
•Help students to make connections with
their Spanish-speaking neighbors and to
participate in multilingual and multicultural
communities.
•Make comparisons.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
8
•Retest / recycle learned chapter material
continually as the semester progresses.
•Provide frequent opportunities for students
to speak Spanish, for the instructor
informally to assess their oral proficiency.
•Give daily “exit ticket” oral tasks to
perform as they leave the classroom to
enable instructor to assess students’ daily
achievements and deficiencies. Instructor
speaks to student or emails him/her to see
what is student’s plan for remediation.
•Administer more formal, complex oral
evaluations that involve script-writing and
performance in a group to assess accuracy,
fluency and pronunciation.
•Require students post compositions and
research on cultural topics, along with all
videotaped oral presentations to MySpace
pages they register to their invented
Hispanic alter egos in the context of their
Segunda vida (“Second Life”) projects.
******A Few Words about Academic Dishonesty:******
Cheating is not tolerated on either exams or homework. Anyone caught copying from others or allowing
others to copy their work is subject to receiving an “F” in the class.
This also means that when you have writing assignments involving Internet research, you MAY NOT copy
text word for word from any web site without citing the page. When you fail to cite a source and you
use it as if the words from that source are your own, you are plagiarizing.
At four-year colleges and universities, students found guilty of plagiarism are subject to receiving a failing
grade in the course. They may also be expelled from the institution. Learn the habit of avoiding any
practice that can be construed as plagiarism! It could save you a lot of pain and anguish down the line...
This is what BCC’s Student Policy Guide says on the subject: (You can find the entire guide at:
http://www.berkshirecc.edu/StudentPolicyGuide )
Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty in writing. When a student uses another writer's words and/or ideas and
presents it as his/her own, he/she is plagiarizing. The faculty and staff at Berkshire Community College
consider plagiarism a serious offense and encourage students to produce their best work, using their own
ideas and language. When a student does use another writer's ideas and wording to support his/her own
writing, he/she must give that writer credit.
If a situation arises in which an instructor suspects a student of plagiarizing and the problem cannot be
resolved between the instructor and the student, then the instructor may refer the case to the Dean of
Academic Affairs who would then follow Due Process Guidelines to resolve the problem. If the student
feels unjustly charged with plagiarism, he/she could use the grievance process in this policy guide as a
means of resolving the problem.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
9
Tentative Class Schedule
Dates in boldface indicate chapter test.
Semana ...
I.
24 enero
II.
31 enero
III.
7 febrero
lunes
Introducción a la clase
miércoles
Capítulo 6.1
Capítulo 6.2
viernes
Capítulo 6.3
Capítulo 6.4
Capítulo 6.5
Capítulo 6.6
Capítulo 6.7 y Prueba (test)
Capítulo 7.1
IV.
14 febrero
V.
21 febrero
VI.
28 febrero
VII.
7 marzo
VIII.
14 marzo
IX.
21 marzo
X.
28 marzo
XI.
4 abril
XII.
11 abril
XIII.
18 abril
Capítulo 7.2
Capítulo 7.3
Capítulo 7.4
Presidents’ Day ~ Día feriado ~
No hay clases
Capítulo 7.7 y Prueba
Capítulo 7.5
Capítulo 7.6
Capítulo 8.1
Capítulo 8.2
Capítulo 8.3
“Professional Day” para los
profesores ~ No hay clases
Capítulo 8.4
XIV.
25 abril
septiembr
~ Vacaciones de primavera ~
Capítulo 8.5
Capítulo 8.6
Capítulo 8.7 y Prueba
Capítulo 9.1
Capítulo 9.2
Capítulo 9.3
Capítulo 9.4
Capítulo 9.5
Capítulo 9.6
Capítulo 9.7
Capítulo 10.1
Capítulo 10.2
Patriots’ Day ~ ~ Día feriado ~
No hay clases
Capítulo 10.3
Capítulo 10.4
Capítulo 10.5
Capítulo 10.6
Capítulo 10.7 y Prueba
•Repaso para el examen final
• Trabajo para Segunda vida,
proyectos en linea y para
presentaciones orales (videos),
pasaportes
•Repaso para el examen final
• Trabajo para Segunda vida,
proyectos en linea y para
presentaciones orales (videos),
pasaportes
•Repaso para el examen final
• Trabajo para Segunda vida,
proyectos en linea y para
presentaciones orales (videos),
pasaportes
XVI.
•Repaso para el examen final
9 mayo
• Trabajo para Segunda vida,
proyectos en linea y para
presentaciones orales (videos),
pasaportes
Final Class Meetings/Examinations
(Exam Period):
XV.
2 mayo
Última día de clase
Examen final:
Date to be announced
Saturday, May 14th-Thursday, May 19th
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
10
** Online Spanish Study Aids **
Spanish Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises:
http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/exercises/
This site is THE most wonderful ever! You’ll find all kinds of self-correcting grammar exercises and
vocabulary flash cards, along with links to click to provide you the proper pronunciation of words you’re
working with. Further, this site has study modules on a variety of topics, from songs to festivals, to
conversations with real people speaking Spanish. Get started here, and your level of Spanish will improve
very, very fast!
http://eleaston.com/spanish-qz.html#t
The virtue of this site is that it provides a multitude of links authored by others on an immense number of
grammatical topics. There are vocabulary quizzes and tests, as well. Further, this site includes web sites
that accompany many different Spanish textbooks currently being used in the US.
http://www.trinity.edu/mstroud/grammar/
This is a very solid site that is entirely devoted to Spanish grammar exercises. It’s great!
http://mld.ursinus.edu/~jarana/Ejercicios/
Another good site for Spanish grammar exercises. Some of the exercises are self-correcting; for others,
you can get a real person respond and make corrections.
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/rgshiwyc/school/curric/HotPotatoes/
Exercises here are keyed to a British textbook, but there are good exercises on grammar and vocabulary.
Radio and Audio:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/news/
This is a stupendous (!) site that has a monthly intermediate level audio magazine, called El Mensual, and
an archive of Spanish hit songs with their lyrics. It is a fantastic resource for those wanting to hear native
speakers talking about interesting feature-magazine topics. There are transcripts for each story, as well as
vocabulary and grammar quizzes. It’s ¡maravilloso!
http://www.notesinspanish.com
Notesinspanish.com is one of the best audio resources you can find. It’s different from the BBC audio
programming in that the audio “lessons” are in the form of a discussion between two people, the producers
of notesinspanish.com. They talk about all kinds of interesting topics, and in the process, they introduce
slang expressions of the type you don’t normally get in textbooks. For example, you’ll learn that: Cuando
una persona habla demasiado, habla por los codos. Literally, this mean he talks through his elbows!
Divertido, ¿No?. There is an intermediate and an advanced level of materials. Another terrific thing about
the program is that you can download lessons in the form of podcasts right onto your ipod or mp3 player.
Way, way FUN!
http://www.rtve.es/me/envivo.htm
From here, you’ll get a selection of radio stations from Spain. They are all “live,” so you’ll get a real slice
of life, direct from Spain.
Verb Conjugators:
http://wordreference.com
http://www.wordreference.com/conj/ESverbs.asp
I’m a huge fan of wordreference.com, so I think this conjugator is really the only one you need!
*SONRISA*
Dictionaries:
http://wordreference.com/ This may be the only dictionary you'll ever need. It has SpanishEnglish/English-Spanish, as well as a Spanish-Spanish dictionary and dictionaries for French, Italian,
German. You even have the choice of listening to an audio-clip of the proper pronunciation of the word
you are looking up! Further, if the dictionary cannot find the work you are looking for, it gives you the
opportunity to go into their Forum to ask questions of native speakers. My favorite!
http://www.tomisimo.org/
This dictionary is smart enough to figure out whether or not you’re looking up the English translation of a
Spanish word or the Spanish translation of an English word. Works well.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
11
http://www.spanishdict.com/ This one has both audio clips of the proper pronunciation of words you are
looking up and a "Word of the Day" feature. This site has a link to another page that will provide simple
lessons for basic Spanish: http://www.spanishdict.com/learn/index.cfm Here, you will find links for
Spanish proverbs, colors, the family, as well as for regular and irregular verbs and some limited grammar
explanation.
http://www.diccionarios.com/ This site contains a very serious Spanish-English dictionary, as well as a
Spanish-Spanish dictionary. You can search for synonyms and antonyms and you can ask it to conjugate
verbs for you. The problem is that after you have made more than around four or five inquiries, it will ask
you to subscribe, and you'll hae to pay. I like free ones like wordreference.com, better. This one has
improved hugely over the past few years, increasing the number of words you can look up, and it has a verb
conjugator, too!
http://www.v7w.com/es/
This is a specialized dictionary for finding the appropriate phrase when you are writing a composition.
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dict_en_es/
This dictionary is based on the American Heritage Spanish-English dictionary, so you can trust its
translations.
Tutorials:
http://spanish.speak7.com/
On this site, you’ll find etailed explanations of various aspects of grammar; vocabulary lists. There is no
testing, though.
http://www.forodeespanol.com/
If you have a question on your Spanish homework, volunteer teachers from all over the world are available
to help you!
http://www.davidreilly.com/spanish/
This site provides a tutorial for the beginning student of Spanish.
http://spanish.speak7.com/
You will find detailed explanations of various aspects of grammar; vocabulary lists. An advantage of this
site is that the explanations come in a printer-friendly format, so you can print and keep the tutorial sheets
right in your binder! There is no testing, though.
http://www.spanishpronto.com/spanishpronto/
Look at this site for jokes.
Museums:
http://museoprado.mcu.es/home.html
This site, for the Prado Museum, provides images of the most famous works of art in their collection, along
with historical background, in Spanish and English. A treasure!
http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/region/art/
This page provides a huge list of links for art museums all over Latin America.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
12
Notes on BCC’s Core Competencies and What you can Earn in this Course:
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You are entitled to earn up to two competencies for projects you complete in a single course.
You may not earn more than one competency for any given assignment.
Students typically ask to earn competency in Global and Community Awareness and/or for
Technological Literacy in this class for specific projects that are assigned as part of the class.
Such assignments will be designated as Core Competency projects in your Homework Sheets
(Hojas de tarea) that you will receive from me on a regular basis.
You need to request competency credit from me for the assignments you do to satisfy the
competency requirement. You will need to get a competency form from the Registrar’s Office
for me to fill out for you.
If you are planning to graduate in December, look carefully at your college transcript to see which
competencies you still need to complete in advance of graduation.
If you are missing competencies that you need for graduation, talk to me in the first two weeks of
the semester, so we can see together if we can devise an assignment to enable you to earn the
competency in time for your graduation in December. If you need to earn a competency in Oral
Communication, for example, we may agree on an oral presentation you may have taped (with the
help of BCC’s Media Department) for your Core Competency Portfolio.
Refer to the pages from the BCC College Catalog, on pages 9 and 10 of this document, that
provides details on Core Competencies.
See pages from the catalog on Core Competencies, below, for more information.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
13
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
14
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
15
Did you know that we learn the most effectively when we put what we are learning to practical use?
Do you realize there is no more practical, immediate USE of language than teaching it?
If you are serious about learning to speak Spanish, consider signing
up for a Service Learning project that is related to the studies you
will be undertaking in this class! You will reinforce what you have
learned, contribute to the lives of children in our neighborhoods,
gain confidence and learn some terrifically useful study, planning
and professional skills. Students who have done a Service Learning
project have a very interesting entry to include in their professional
résumés, as well!
Service Learning actually HELPS YOU LEARN BETTER!
Students in a recent math class at BCC who participated in a Service Learning project stayed on track,
passed the course at significantly greater rates than those who opted not to...
BCC Service Learning at Crosby and Egremont Elementary Schools:
We will be sending a group of students to co-teach an after-school Spanish course at Crosby and Egremont
Elementary Schools, this semester. Participating students in our class will work together to prepare lesson
plans, design learning materials and games, and reflect on what they have learned in the process.
Are you worried that you don’t know enough Spanish to teach?
• First, you will be amazed at how much you will learn just in the first weeks of class.
• Second, when you plan your lessons around what you have just learned, you learn much
more meaningfully, completely and durably than if you studied alone without passing it to
others.
• Finally, you will receive lots of support from your instructor, who will help guide you as
you plan your lessons; from your classmates, with whom you will collaborate; and from folks
on site at Crosby and Egremont, who will oversee your teaching and provide practical advice
when you need it.
There is a saying: “If all you know is the letter A, then teach that!”
By sharing what you know and by serving as a mentor, you can contribute positively to a child’s life...!
Service Learning Stipend:
Students who opt to participate in this Service Learning project will work a minimum of 15 hours a
semester. Students are remunerated for up to two hours of preparation time in addition to the one-hour
class session at the rate of $8.60 per hour.
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
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Please tear off the two last pages (pp.
18 and 19).
Fill out the forms and hand them in to
“Profe” 
¡Gracias!
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
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I’m I N T E R E S T E D in Service Learning!!
Name:
Cell Phone;
Home Phone:
Home Address:
Free Hours after NOON:
BCC’s Spanish Language Blog: http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/languages
Access to Nexos Online: http://books.quia.com
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Syllabus Agreement Form
Name: ________________________________________________________________________________
Email Address: _______________________________________ Cell Phone: _______________________
Work Phone: _____________________________________ Home Phone __________________________
Home Address: _________________________________________________________________________

Please check off each item and write your signature, below.

I agree to turn off my cell phone upon entering the classroom.

I understand that this is a four-credit course and that I will need to plan study time that amounts to
between one to four hours for each class session, depending on my previous language learning
experience and my aptitude.
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I understand that my attendance in this class is required. If I am unable to attend class due to a
serious illness or emergency, I agree to email or call Professor Cooper (413.236.4615 or
lcooper@berkshirecc.edu) on the same day to let her know. I understand that if I have more than
three unexcused absences, I may be withdrawn from the course by the instructor. If my instructor
judges that I have had too many excused absences to be able to catch up and pass the class, she
may withdraw me from the class.

I understand that success in the class is highly performance based. This means that my active
participation is required. If I pass written tests, but do not speak up in class and use my language
skills, I may not pass the class. Consistent attendance is an absolute requisite for passing the
course.
I understand that courtesy and respect for my classmates and my instructor are necessary for my
success and that of others. Disruptive, disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. My instructor
has the right to withdraw disruptive students when student conferences about unacceptable
behavior have not remedied the situation.
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I agree to let my instructor know when I am having difficulty in the class, and to make an
appointment to get extra help from her or to work with a tutor.

I agree to bring my book and completed work to each class. I understand that my instructor does
not accept late homework or grant makeup tests under normal circumstances. I may opt out of one
test a semester, however, or have my lowest test grade dropped from my final average.

I agree to spend at least an hour a week in FRED (our language lab) to use the computers to do the
activities in the online Student Activities Manual. I agree to speak to Professor Cooper should my
work schedule present a hardship for working extra hours in FRED.

I have read the attached syllabus and have understood the other obligations of this course.

I agree to participate actively and have FUN in class!
Signature: ____________________________________________
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