Weber State University
Spanish 1020First Semester Spanish
Monday through Thursday 0930-1020 EH 115
Dr. Giralt
Office: EH 231
email: agiralt@weber.edu
M. through Th., 0830-0930 a.m.Office Hours:
calendario course expectations final grade components Note:
● Students reared in a Spanish speaking home or community, or those with extensive residence in such a community (such as returned LDS missionaries) and native speakers of Spanish may not take this class. Please contact the Department of Foreign Languages for options, including ways to receive credit for this class.
Course Overview and Objectives
The principal aims of this Spanish language course are to develop communicative skills and to acquire inter-disciplinary knowledge by following the National Standards in foreign language learning: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.
You will notice that each chapter is organized around a cultural and practical theme, with vocabulary, grammar, and culture working together as an interactive unit. In this course, Spanish will be the only communication tool, and authentic materials will be used as much as possible.
Finally, the course requires continuous and independent work out of the classroom to consolidate the knowledge and linguistic skills developed during class time. There is a lot of material to cover, meaning that the pace of the course may be fast at times. If we all work together on a daily basis, you will have a successful outcome at the end of the semester.
Required Textbook & Materials
Puntos de partida (8th edition) by Knorre, M. et al. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 2009.
On-line Workbook to accompany Puntos de partida (8th edition).
On-line Lab Manual to accompany Puntos de partida (8th edition).
These materials are available as a bundle at the WSU Bookstore. If you buy them separately, online or elsewhere, make sure you get the correct version and edition.
Course Requirements
1. In class performance and participation
Daily attendance is required. Consistent and enthusiastic participation in class is expected. Students who miss class or are habitually late will lose points for attendance, their homework will be late or not accepted and they may miss quizzes, exams or other assignments that cannot be made up.
You are expected to prepare the assignments specified on the daily syllabus which include activities from the textbook and workbook. To participate actively, you will need to come to class well prepared in terms of vocabulary and ideas. Likewise, you will need to come willing to practice expressing yourself. Oral communication does not imply perfection, but it does necessitate an increasing willingness and ability to convey what you want to say in Spanish. In addition to your oral participation, your in-class performance also includes your attitude towards your classmates, the degree to which you have prepared the assignments, your involvement in collaborative pair and group work, etc. You will receive two in-class performance grades throughout the semester (one during midterms week; one at the end of the semester).
Setting
For the most part, when we are in class, we will pretend that we are in a Spanish-speaking country; therefore, if you speak in English, we won't be able to understand you. Use your Spanish-speaking abilities, hand signals and your imagination to make yourself understood. To understand others, guess, guess, guess. If in spite of everything, you feel you need to talk in English, the password to switch languages before it penalizing your participation grade is: Por favor, ¿Puedo hablar en inglés? Only if your partner (or the professor) says "yes" will you be allowed to use your native language.
2. Homework
Workbook and Lab Manual.
Your texts are the most important source of material for this class. Your interaction with the exercises and activities will have a strong influence on your overall performance. For this reason, homework is obligatory and autonomous. Homework may also include: (a) exercises related to the readings, (b) assignments related to in-class video activities, (c) other assignments to be announced.
Remember that exams will be closely related to the textbook and workbook exercises, and that you will not be able to be successful in exams unless you do your homework tasks daily.
3. Compositions
You will write six compositions over the length of the semester and they will be written on topics related to course materials. The compositions will be one page in length (approximately 250 words per page); however, the length may increase as the semester progresses. Compositions are to be typed and double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font set at a one-inch margin justification. Your name, course, and date should be typed and single-spaced. It should be stapled if longer than one sheet of paper. Accents marks must also be typed.
Remember, you cannot let ANYONE else write or correct your composition!
By writing compositions you will accomplish, at the very minimum, two things: (1) you will practice the language functions you learn in class (share information about yourself and others, express your opinion, talk about your routine, and so on), and (2) you will practice and integrate the grammar and vocabulary covered during the previous weeks. Compositions will be scored based on several features of your work, including grammatical accuracy but by no means limited to it. No late work will be accepted.
4. Exams and Quizzes
Oral Exams
Each student will have two oral interviews with the instructor, one at midterm and the other at the end of the semester. These interviews will resemble conversations and will attempt to assess general proficiency—they will not include a laundry list of prepared questions and answers on a prepared or predetermined topic.
Preparation for these types of exam can be accomplished through active participation in the many oral/listening activities scheduled throughout the semester.
Role-play (group). Each group will be comprised of 2 to 3 members. Students will receive a description of their roles and will have ten minutes to organize and practice. The emphasis is on spontaneous speech, but the situations will reflect, to some degree, topics seen in class. Students are evaluated individually.
Interview (individual) with the professor. Students will answer questions on a selected topic similar to those discussed in class throughout the semester.
Chapter Exams
There will be five chapter exams based on the chapter’s content. In addition, these exams will incorporate reading and listening comprehension activities. To be successful in these tests, it is essential that you complete your homework on a daily basis. Remember, "cramming" the material the night before is of very limited use.
Final Exam
The final exam will be administered at the scheduled time during finals week. It is is cumulative, that is, it consists of all the materials studied over the entire semester with an emphasis on chapter 6. It will have the same type of tasks that you will be practicing throughout the semester, especially in your homework and chapter exams. The final exam will include the following components:
a) Listening comprehension
b) Reading comprehension
c) Writing skills
d) Linguistic contents (functional uses of the language, grammar, and vocabulary)
e) Cultural understanding
5. Dead week
Please note that compositions, homework, or any other due assignments are not considered exams. During the last week of classes you will have to turn in these assignments. Oral exams are considered labs, and thus they are regularly scheduled during the last week of classes. There will be NO other examinations (pop quizzes, chapter exams, portions of final exams, etc.) administered during "dead week."
COURSE POLICIES
A. Late work and/or make-up work
The general rule is the following: NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AND NO MAKE-UP WORK WILL BE ALLOWED. Any valid reason for missing class or an exam due to truly extenuating circumstances should be presented to me for consideration in advance of the activity in question, whenever reasonably possible. You may call me, or e-mail me in such an extenuating situation. If you desire a response from me, e-mail is most highly recommended. If you anticipate a problem, please talk to me about it as soon as possible. In addition, it is your responsibility to find out what was covered in class the day you were absent, to get any updates on assignments, and to come to the next class prepared for that day’s work.
B. Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended because exposure to the language (listening and speaking) is crucial in this class. It is your responsibility to attend class and keep track of your absences. If you don’t come to class, you won’t be able to participate which will lower your in-class performance grade. It is also essential to be on time.
C. Academic honesty
You are expected to adhere strictly to the WSU Student Code. Academic dishonesty includes, but it is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsification, accessing unauthorized course or test information, and using unauthorized resources or breaches of copyright law. It will not be tolerated. If you have any questions regarding this, you may visit the link: http://documents.weber.edu/ppm/6-22.htm (pay special attention to letter D). The penalty for academic dishonesty in this course is failure on the assignment or the course, depending on its severity.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
D. Discrimination harassment statement
WSU is committed to providing an environment free from harassment and other forms of discrimination based upon race, color, ethnic background, national origin, religion, creed, age, lack of American citizenship, disability, status of veteran of the Vietnam era, sexual orientation or preference or gender, including sexual/gender harassment. While diverse viewpoints and opinions are welcome in this class, in expressing them, we will practice the mutual deference so important in the world of work. Thus, while I encourage you to share your opinions, when appropriate, you will be expected to do so in a manner that is respectful towards others, even when you disagree with them. If you have questions regarding the university’s policy against discrimination and harassment you may contact the university’s AA/EO office (626-6239) or visit its website: http://departments.weber.edu/aaeeo/.
E. Students with disabilities
Any student with medical, psychological, or learning limitations or disabilities who desires academic adjustments or accommodations must contact Services for Students with Disabilities (626-6413) in room 181 of the Student Service Center.
F. Student athletes
Letters with away-games dates should be handed in to me within the first week of classes.
G. Cell Phones
Absolutely no cell phones nor text messaging allowed in class.
H. Extended Campus Closure
In the event of an extended campus closure I will continue to provide instruction by utilizing the Blackboard online course system. I will provide text-based mini-lectures on the same days as our regular classes meet each week and will expect you to login to the system on a regular basis to keep up with coursework. Assignments will be provided through the online system with clear due dates and expectations. Discussions will be made available to allow you to interact with other students and me about course material, and your participation in them will become part of your participation grade. I will check email within the Blackboard course on a daily basis should you need to communicate with me personally. If you are not familiar with the Blackboard system, please review the student orientation available at
http://wsuonline.weber.edu/students/orientation.asp.
Please let me know by the end of the first week of the semester if you do not have access to a computer and/or the Internet from your home.
I. Email
You are responsible for checking your Weber e-mail or for having Weber messages forwarded to an account you do check.
Letter grades will be assigned using the following scale:
A
93 - 100 %
C
73 - 76 %
A-
90 - 92 %
C-
70 - 72 %
B+
87 - 89 %
D+
67 - 69 %
B
83 - 86 %
D
63 - 66 %
B-
80 - 82 %
D-
60 - 62 %
C+
77 - 79 %
E
0 - 59 %
Your grade in SPAN 1020 will be determined as follows:
Requirement
Percentage
In-class performance
10%
Homework
Workwork
Lab manual
15%
Compositions
15%
Oral exams
15%
Chapter exams
25%
Final exam
20%
CALENDARIO DEL CURSO (Subject to changes according to the needs of the class)
AGOSTO
LUNES 24 MARTES 25 MIÉRCOLES 26 JUEVES 27 Introducción al curso Capítulo Preliminar
Ante todo
Pgs. 2-5
Saludos y despedidas El alfabeto español
Pgs. 5-9
Mandatos de clase Cultura
Pgs. 10-13
Los números Pgs. 14-16
SEPTIEMBRE
LUNES 31/Agosto MARTES 1 MIÉRCOLES 2 JUEVES 3 La hora Pgs. 17-19
Repaso y lectura Pgs. 20-22
Perspectivas Culturales pg. 22
Online workbook due.
Capítulo 1 Vocabulario: la clase
Pgs. 24-29
Palabras interrogativas Los artículos
Pgs. 29-37
LUNES 7 MARTES 8 MIÉRCOLES 9 JUEVES 10 Labor Day Holiday Presente: primera conjugación Pgs. 38-40
Preguntas Estar y otros verbos
Pgs. 41-46
Un poco de todo Pgs. 48-49
Perspectivas Culturales pg. 50
LUNES 14 MARTES 15 MIÉRCOLES 16 JUEVES 17 Repaso y lectura Pgs. 54-56
Entregar comp. 1.
Examen 1 Online workbook due.
Capítulo 2 Vocabulario: la familia
Los números
Pgs. 57-63
Adjetivos Pgs. 64; 66-68
LUNES 21 MARTES 22 MIÉRCOLES 23 JUEVES 24 Adjetivos y acentos Pgs. 65;68-70
Ser Pgs. 71-75
Posesivos Pgs. 77-78
Presente: segunda y tercera conjugación Pgs. 70-83
SEPT./OCTUBRE
LUNES 28 MARTES 29 MIÉRCOLES 30 JUEVES 1 Un poco de todo Pgs. 86-85
Perspectivas Culturales
Repaso y lectura Pgs. 92-94
Entregar comp. 2.
Examen 2 Online workbook due
Capítulo 3 Vocabulario: la ropa
Pgs. 96-99
LUNES 5 MARTES 6 MIÉRCOLES 7 JUEVES 8 Los colores y los números Pgs. 100-103
Acentos pgs. 103-104 Adjetivos demostrativos
Pgs. 105-108
Acciones y estado Pgs. 111-114
Acciones futuras: ir + inf. Pgs. 116-117
LUNES 12 MARTES 13 MIÉRCOLES 14 JUEVES 15 Un poco de todo Pgs. 116-117
Perspectivas Culturales pg.118
Homework to turn in: Lectura
Pgs. 124-126
P. 126 Comprensión A.
Repaso Entregar comp. 3
Pruebas orales
Examen 3 Online workbook due.
Pruebas orales
LUNES 19 MARTES 20 MIÉRCOLES 21 JUEVES 22 Capítulo 4 Vocabulario: la semana, la casa
Pgs. 128-133
¿Cuándo? Acciones: hacer, oír, salir y ver
Pgs. 134-138
Stem-changing verbs Pgs. 142-145
Acciones reflexivas Pgs. 147-151
LUNES 26 MARTES 27 MIÉRCOLES 28 JUEVES 29 Stem-changing verbs Acciones reflexivas II
Un poco de todo Pgs. 152-153
Perspectivas Culturales pg. 154-155
Repaso y lectura Pgs. 158-159
Entregar comp. 4.
Examen 4 Online workbook due.
NOVIEMBRE
LUNES 2 MARTES 3 MIÉRCOLES 4 JUEVES 5 Capítulo 5 Vocabulario: el tiempo, las estaciones
Pgs. 162-167
Preposiciones de lugar Presente progresivo
Pgs. 168-170
Ser/estar Pgs. 175-178
Comparaciones
Pgs. 182-186
Un poco de todo pg. 181 LUNES 9 MARTES 10 MIÉRCOLES 11 JUEVES 12 Perspectivas Culturales pg. 190 Repaso y lectura Pgs. 194-195
Entregar comp. 5.
Examen 5 Online workbook due
Capítulo 6 Vocabulario: la comida
Pgs. 198-203
LUNES 16 MARTES 17 MIÉRCOLES 18 JUEVES 19 Vocabulario Saber/conocer Pgs. 204-206
Objetos directos Pgs. 207-210
Palabras negativas Pgs. 213-215
LUNES 23 MARTES 24 MIÉRCOLES 25 JUEVES 26 Mandatos formales Pgs. 217-221
Un poco de todo Pgs. 222-223
Perspectivas Culturales pg. 224-225
Escribir la sexta comp.
Online workbook due
Repaso y lectura Pgs. 228-230
Entregar comp. 6
Thanksgiving Day Holiday DICIEMBRE
LUNES 30 MARTES 1 MIÉRCOLES 2 JUEVES 3 Pruebas orales durante horario de clase y oficina. Pruebas orales durante horario de clase y oficina. Pruebas orales durante horario de clase y oficina. Repaso final Pruebas orales durante horas de oficina.
