1 SPANISH 305 SYLLABUS
SPANISH COMPOSITION
SPANISH 305
COURSE SYLLABUS
Spring 2008
SPANISH 305 INSTRUCTOR: Gretchen Skivington
SPANISH COMPOSITION / 3 credits
PREREQUISITE: Span 212 or equivalent
TIME: WebCampus
TEXTBOOKS/SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
1. SPANISH COMPOSITION THROUGH LITERATURE, Fifth Edition-Ayllon, Smith, Morillo--
2. SPANISH/ENGLISH DICTIONARY
COURSE /CATALOG DESCRIPTION
The advanced student of Spanish will be exposed to a free-writing approach in the composition of essays in Spanish. Auxiliary activities will include vocabulary development and grammatical refinement as well as grounding in and further review of Spanish grammar and the use of idiomatic speech.
COURSE OBJECTIVE
The goal of this course is to improve writing skills and self-expression in Spanish and develop an increased ability to communicate, read, write, & understand more complex forms of Spanish, including idiomatic expressions, more complex verb forms and sentence structure, to converse and express oneself orally and in writing in intermediate to advanced Spanish using good pronunciation and grammatically correct sentences. In addition, the course will act as the keystone and cumulative course of the Interpreter/Translator Certificate preparing the student for Spanish 400, designed as a working internship as a translator or interpreter in the local community. Note: Spanish 305 and 400 may be taken concurrently.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Group & individualized oral/aural, reading, and writing practice; short dialogs, homework review, student critiques, practice dittos; use of WebCampus, whiteboard, overhead projector, DVD’s, videos, or CD’s and other miscellaneous realia as available.
LEARNER OUTCOMES/MEASUREMENTS (Method of evaluation)
Students will demonstrate their knowledge in the following manner:
1. Oral/aural Skills:
To understand Spanish spoken at a more advanced conversational level.
To utilize a larger and more flexible vocabulary in oral activities.
To ask and answer questions within a social context and classroom setting.
To engage in classroom discussions on current topics.
To listen to or view Spanish TV programs, DVDs, CDs,or films and share comments with class.
To respond orally with answers to home or classroom assignments.
Evaluation:
Occasional grading of impromptu or pre-assigned oral presentations.
All greetings, discussions, presentations, student communications, etc. will be conducted in Spanish.
Participate in peer editing or discussion groups.
Present minimum of two to three new vocabulary words from “Personal Lexicon” to class members
weeklyby demonstrating its use in a sentence. (Graded as Homework assignment.)
2. Reading/Writing Skills:
To read and understand textbook literary selections.
To write essays using appropriate tensesand Spanish expressions in grammatically correct sentences.
To respond in complete sentences on all assigned “Práctica” exercises after reviewing “Repaso
grammatical”
Written Evaluation:
Text and Workbook assignments:
Assigned writtenhomework will be collected, reviewed, and returned for corrections prior to any
written test. Textbook assignments will be turned in on assigned date, graded by the instructor, and returned
for review and correction prior to scheduled test date. Text assignments carry a value of 5 to 10 points,
totaling as much as 150 points per semester. Incomplete or late assignments may receive ½ credit or less
All lessonswill bereviewed and self-checked for accuracy prior to submission.
For translation exercises both English and Spanish should be written. All responses should be in
complete sentences.
Personal Lexicon:
Student will compile an ever growing vocabulary list with entries in two columns, one in Spanish, the
other in English of new Spanish words encountered in readings, class discussions, research,
conversations, etc.
Essays:
Will be typed using Times New Roman 12 point font, double space, 1” margins. Spanish diacritical
marks (accents) must be used.
Length may range from one half to one page.
Draft Essays will be scored and returned for corrections. Final grade will be calculated after
corrections.
Written Tests:
Will test comprehension & retention of vocabulary and grammar concepts following completion of
each assigned chapter. Point value will vary from 100-250 points per test.
3. Cultural Awareness:
To recognize the richness in diversity among the Hispanic cultures
Evaluation:
Develop a broader knowledge through communication with native speakers, textbook
exercises, oral presentations, realia, videos and conversations with travelers to foreign countries..
Discuss cultural differences in foods, work, living conditions, holidays, etc.
4. Analysis of Language Development/ origins using reasoning and independent thought:
To develop an understanding of the origins and appreciate the similarities of the various romance and
Germanic languages and to draw conclusions that relate to better understanding of the grammatical
structure and word development as it relates to language learning and retention..
Evaluation:
Develop a list of cognates, verb, adjective, adverb and noun forms that originate from the
same antecedent. Use knowledge to develop sentences using root forms of newly acquired vocabulary.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is required at all scheduled class sessions. Failure to attend regularly will be taken into consideration when averaging the final grades. (See GBC 2007-2008 General Catalog on further details of excessiveabsence and make up due to religious holidays, etc.)
It is the student’s responsibility to obtain missed assignments from the instructor and complete the missed work or test within 1 week of an excused absence. Please inform the instructor in person, via email, WebCampus, or by phone in the event of a missed class. Arrangements should be made in advance of a known, non-preventable absence.
COURSE GRADE
Test and homework assignments are assigned points which are totaled at the end of the semester to determine final grade. Each test is assigned a tentative letter grade to indicate approximate grade for student tracking. The following percentage scale is used to determine letter grade.
97-100% A 78-81½ C-
94-96½ A- 74-77½ D
90-93½ B 70-73½ D-
86-89½B- 69-Below F
82-85½ C + grades may be assigned for final grades
“W” – Students may opt for a withdrawal up the 13th week of classes. It is your responsibility to withdraw formally from a course. Instructors have the option of assigning a failing grade for unofficial withdrawals. The “W” is not used in computing your cumulative grade-point average. It will appear, however, on your transcript, and will always be a permanent part of it. Veterans who withdraw from classes after the official add/drop period may experience penalties, and may be required to pay back part or all of the benefits received for that course. If you are a veteran contemplating changes in enrollment, you should obtain the advice of the Director of Student Financial Services.
HOLIDAYS/NO CLASS
Classesare tentatively scheduled to meet every Tuesday and Thursday during the semester except November 22 (Thanksgiving Holiday), with other arrangements available with use of Web Campus.
ACCOMODATIONS
Any student with a disability or who needs special accommodations is requested to contact the Student Services Office in Elko at 753-2279 as soon as possible.