WESTERN NEVADA COLLEGE
SPAN 111 W01/W02 (Spanish 111 First Year Spanish 1)
COURSE SYLLABUS FALL 2010
Number of credits: 4
Transferability of course within Nevada: Transfers as SPAN 111 to all Nevada colleges and
universities.
Linkage of course to educational program mission and outcomes: This course is designed to
allow students to meet the following A.A./A.S./A.G.S and/or General Education outcomes:
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College-level writing skills
Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate critical thinking skills
Appreciate the value and importance of diversity
Instructor: Adriana Bulacio
Phone: (702) 205-7656
E-mail: bulacios@wnc.edu
REQUIRED TEXTBOOS AND MATERIALS
You will need to purchase the following (texbook, book key, and DVD or VHS):
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VanPatten, Leeser, Keating. Sol y viento: En breve. McGraw-Hill.
Textbook. (ISBN 0073513199)
You can buy the Sol y viento: En breve textbook at the WNC bookstore.
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Sol y viento: En breve Online manual de actividades. (ISBN 0073280941)
This is an online resource for which you will purchase an access code that is good for both
the fall and spring semesters. If you purchase a used textbook, or if your new textbook does
not include a book key, you may purchase a book key from the Quia Bookstore
www.quia.com. When you purchase a Quia book online, it is automatically added to your
account for immediate access. You will not need to wait to receive a book key in the mail.
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Sol y viento Instructional Version Video (DVD or VHS)
The DVD or VHS can be purchased at Amazon.com
Sol y viento Instructional Version video on DVD. (ISBN 007319782-3)
Sol y viento Instructional Version video on VHS. (ISBN 0072862971)
Note: Whether or not you’ve taken an online college course, please bear in mind that foreign
language courses are particularly demanding. As SPAN 111 is a 4-credit course, you can expect
to spend 10-12 hours per week studying, completing homework assignments and participating in
audio chat sessions using a tool called Horizon Live Classroom.
Please read this syllabus and think very carefully about your commitments before enrolling in the
course. A good way to assess your readiness and prepare for the course is to complete WNC's
Online Learning Tutorial. Also, be sure that you have access to a computer that meets the
minimum hardware and software requirements.
If you have a disability for which you will need to request accommodations, please contact the
Disability Support Services office (Bristlecone building, Room 103) at 445-3266 or 445-3275 as
soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations. See also procedures under
“Resources” on page 51.
1. COURSE INFORMATION
This course is taught over the Internet. Class begins Monday, August 30, 2010 and ends
Saturday, December 18, 2010. It is critical that you buy the text and the access code for the
Online learning manual, before the first day of the semester.
2. COURSE DESCRIPTION
From WNC catalog: Develops language skills through practice in listening, speaking, reading,
writing and structural analysis. Includes an introduction to Spanish culture.
3. COURSE OBJECTIVES
Spanish 111 (W01/W02), the first semester of first year Spanish, is designed to help students
acquire beginning communication skills within a culturally significant context. Emphasis is
given primarily to reading and writing skills; however, oral/aural skills are integrated through the
use of audio and video components. We will be covering the Lección Preliminar-Lección 4 of
Sol y viento. Upon completion of this course, students are expected to:
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Be able to write basic Spanish in the present indicative tense incorporating vocabulary
and other grammatical points learned over the semester.
Be able to understand some Spanish spoken slower than normal pace and develop skills
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and coping strategies for filling in the gaps.
Gain cultural knowledge and awareness about the areas of the world in which Spanish is
spoken.
4. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
GRADING and TESTING
Your grade for the course will be determined in the following manner:
1 midterm exam
1 final exam
3 writing assignments
12 Horizon Live Classroom chats
Assignments/Participation/Effort
25%
25%
12%
18%
20%
Grading Scale:
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
<60
A
B
C
D
F
Note: The instructor reserves the right to withdraw a student from the course at the end of the
first week if the student has not done at least one of the following: 1) accessed the WebCT
course, 2) e-mailed the instructor, or 3) called the instructor. The instructor may also withdraw a
student who has failed to access the course or contact the instructor for two weeks or longer at
any time during the semester.
The grade of F will be assigned only if a student has failed to officially withdraw from the course
and is failing the class. A student may withdraw from the class at any time during the semester
until Friday, December 10, 2010. If a student fails to officially withdraw from the class and has a
passing grade at the time, the student will receive a W (withdrawal).
Midterm/Final Exam
Both the midterm and final exams will be held on-site at the Carson campus (if you live
in the Carson area) or at one of WNC’s other campuses/centers (Douglas, Fallon,
Yerington, Hawthorne). If you live out of state, you will need to take the exams
proctored at your local library or at a high school or college. We can generally make the
arrangements together. If you will not be taking the exams in Carson, you will need to
contact the center in order to set up a time to take the test with a staff/faculty member
present. Both tests are to be taken without books or notes.
The midterm exam must be taken between Monday, October 25, 2010 and Wednesday,
October 27, 2010. The final exam must be taken between Monday, December 13, 2010
and Wednesday, December 15, 2010.
Writing Assignments
Topics and directions are posted under Learning Modules. Each assignment shall be two
pages in length and a minimum of 200-300 words (typed, double-spaced).
Chats (Horizon Live Classroom)
There will be 1 hour a week of Horizon Live Classroom audio chat offered and you must
participate in 30 minutes a week. If you miss a week, feel free to "double up" on other
chats. You need not make a commitment to one chat time in particular. Simply make
whichever chat most suits your schedule. You will need a headset (or a microphone
and speakers) to participate in the audio chats. Before you can participate, you will
have to run a browser check and software installation (at no cost) through Horizon
Wimba Live Classroom.
Assignments/Participation/Effort
All assignments are due 12 a.m. Pacific Time on Sundays unless otherwise noted. You
are to follow the schedule and submit all work accordingly. I shall check that you
completed the work, but I shall not consider the scores. It becomes suspect if a student
consistently gets high scores on work done over the Internet and then fails the midterm
and final exams on-site. It is to your advantage to be honest, therefore study and when
you feel ready, close all books and notes and do the workbook and lab manual and any
other assignments without any crutches.
The Sol y viento: En breve package has great features, so please take advantage of them.
ALL assignments must be completed in order to receive any credit at all! I will also
assign activities from the text on a regular basis that I will correct, but not grade. Text
assignments should be submitted as WebCT e-mail attachments.
Oral work is an integral part of this language program. Each chapter has corresponding
audio work/activities to listen to and to do that accompany both the text and the
workbook and lab manual. Your work with the audio portion of the series will help to
tune your ear to the language as well as help you with your pronunciation.
5. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Acts of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, falsifying
research data or results, or assisting others to do the same will not be tolerated and will result in
an F grade. Policies regarding student conduct can be found in the college’s catalog. If I have
any doubt that a student is cheating in any way, I reserve the right to require supplementary
examinations that are either proctored or given on-site.
6. SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
WNC has a lot of support for students. There is generally a Spanish tutor available in the Carson
Academic Skills Center, disability services for those who need special accommodations, a range
of counseling services and support, great librarians, financial aid, student health insurance and
much more. Visit the college's web site and/or ask me!
7. COMMUNICATION WITH INSTRUCTOR
All students are highly encouraged to contact me through WebCT e-mail, or by phone at any
time during the semester. In fact, my WebCT e-mail takes priority over my other mail and I
check it Monday-Friday. I can also be reached through my college e-mail address
(bulacios@wnc.edu).
One of the things that can ruin your experience in this course is the failure to communicate. I
need to hear from each and every one of you on a regular basis and you should expect to hear
from me. This is one of the reasons live chat is mandatory and why postings on discussions are
invaluable. If you feel you are getting behind or a bit lost, don't hesitate to bring it to my
attention. Check in every day to WebCT for announcements and new postings.
Other important things about this course!
This is NOT a self-paced course! While we do not meet in a classroom for 4 hours a week, the
class follows a schedule just like a traditional on-site class. Expect to spend at least as much time
in an on-line class as you would in an on-site class. Spanish 111 students usually spend 10-12
hours a week outside of class time working on homework assignments. In order to succeed in
this course, you should:
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be a self-motivated and independent learner
have reliable access to the Internet
have basic word processing skills
have some familiarity with a web browser and e-mail
have good time management skills
have a desire to succeed in your learning experience
be excited about technology
Buena Suerte!