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SPANISH 202.001 & 202.002 (4 credit course)

Fall 2010

Schedule: Section 001: MWF 12:00-12:50 Section 002: MWF 1:00-1:50

Classroom: TE 154

Professor: Carolina Bown E-mail address:

Office Location: Holloway Hall 101 Phone: 410-543-6254

Office Hours: MWF: 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Hours also by appointment

RequiredTexts:

1.  Sandstedt, L. A., Kite, R., & Copeland, J. G. Conversación y Repaso. Intermediate Spanish. 10th ed. Thomson & Heinle.

2.  Sandstedt, L.A. & Kite, R. Civilización y Cultura. 10th ed. Thomson & Heinle.

3.  Alvarez, Julia. In the time of the butterflies.

Course description:

This course is designed as a bridge between the basic language sequence (101-201) and upper level course work. It reviews the major structural features of Spanish grammar improving all linguistic skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The fifth skill -cultural competency- is highly emphasized through readings and class discussions. Some of the topics discussed are religion, family, the role of men and women, death, and beliefs of the Spanish speaking world.

Grading:

Assessment instruments / Possible Points / Percentage
1 / Civilización y cultura textbook (reading and writing) / 120 / 12%
2 / Reading a novel (in translation) / 120 / 12%
3 / Two exams / 200 / 20%
4 / 1-2 Written Papers / 100 / 10%
5 / Class Participation & quizzes / 160 / 16% approx
6 / 2 films and reaction papers or attending (and writing 1 page long reflection paper)the Latin American Cultural Immersion Day in Washington, DC on Saturday, September 25, 2010 / 100 / 10%
7 / Oral Presentation / 100 / 10%
8 / Final Exam / 100 / 10%
Total possiblepoints: / 1,000 / 100%

A =900-1000 points; B = 800-899; C = 700-799; D = 600-699; F = 0-599

Description of assessment instruments:

·  Civilización y cultura textbook (reading and writing)

Students will be weekly assigned 8 sets of 3-4 short readings from the culture textbook Civilización y Cultura. These weekly sets of readings will vary from 7 to 12 pages and will address topics such as the family, economy, religion, customs, and beliefs within the Spanish speaking world. Readings come with questionnaires that students will have to hand at the beginning of the designated classes, written in complete sentences, even the T or F questions.

·  Reading a novel (in translation)

Students will read (in English) the novel “In the time of the Butterflies” by Dominican-American author Julia Alvarez. Reading this Latin American novel at this level, even in translation, will provide a great background for cultural awareness and discussion. Three questionnaires will not only test students’ reading comprehension but also students’ analysis and evaluation of the novel in its cultural and time context.

·  Two Exams

There will be two equally weighted exams –pruebas- during the semester. The first exam will include Unidades 1,2,3. The second one will include Unidades 4,5, and 6. The exams may be a combination of essay, short answer, matching, multiple-choice, or other assessment strategies that will test students on their knowledge of the content of the readings, vocabulary, grammar, and the mastering of the writing process itself.

·  One- two written papers

Each student will write one or two guided essays during the semester. The drafts of the essays must be typed and double-spaced. The top center area of the first page should include the student’s ID number, date in Spanish, title of the paper, identification (whether it is a draft –borrador- or a final paper –trabajo final-), and the word count of the essay. See model below:

These essays will be assessed not only on the final form of the final draft but also on the entire writing process. Each essay will include the following process: draft #1, peer editing #1, draft #2, peer editing #2, professor’s feedback given in class, final paper. The final paper will be turned in to the instructor and must include the first draft with the two peer editor comments (and peer’s name/signature) stapled behind the final copy. All peers editing must be done in class on the assigned days. The essay will be evaluated based on the rubrics. In order to earn full credit, a student must be in class on the day of the scheduled peer editing, must have her own completed essay typed and ready for editing, and must serve as a peer editor.

·  2 films and reaction papers or Latin American Cultural Immersion Day in Washington, DC

During this semester, students will be required to watch two foreign films from the Spanish speaking world outside of the class and write a reflection paper for each film. The tentative movies are “Por la libre” (Dust to dust) and “Name code: butterflies”, both on reserve and available at the Blackwell Library.

As an alternative, students can participate (and write a reflection paper, 1 page long) in the Latin American Cultural Immersion Day in Washington, DC. The date is Saturday, September 25, 2010. It will include visiting the Cultural Center of the Embassy of Mexico, The Cultural Center of the Inter-American Development Bank, possibly the Embassy of Argentina, dinner and a performance at the Kennedy Center of "Cirko de Mente" (spelled correctly) from Mexico(fabulous orchestra seating reserved) It will be an exciting day. I do so hope that you can attend.We could only arrange for one bus for the whole campus- so students ought to sign-up as soon as advertised. I will inform all when the sign-up begins, as well as the pricing for the trip.

·  Class participation & quizzes

Each student is expected to participate actively in class discussion. All participation should be in Spanish. This part of the grade will take in consideration: attendance, preparation, effort, Spanish level, attitude, and respect for others.

3 points: Excellent

2 points: Average

1 point: Poorly prepared

0 point: No participation or absent*

*If you miss class, no matter the reason, you will not receive points for your participation that day. This is neither punishment nor spite; it is simply a question of my inability to grade a person who is absent.

Attendance Policy:
Your attendance, punctuality, and active participation are crucial for the successful completion of this course. You are required to attend all classes and to be prepared to begin work each day at the appointed time. For this reason, each student is allowed three (3) absences with no penalty during the semester. These three days may be used for class switching at the beginning of the semester, sickness, trips, weddings, funerals, interviews, or emergencies of any kind. After the three absences are used, a penalty of 25 points off the final course grade will be incurred for each additional absence. Therefore, if, after calculating your final semester grade, you have 920 points and you have a total of 5 absences, your grade will drop to 870.
I am aware that life sometimes brings unexpected challenges, such as death in the family, accidents, or any other truly difficult personal events. If you approach me with documented facts, I may try to work with you regarding deadlines extensions or accommodations, such as filing a grade of Incomplete to have extra time to complete assignments. However, you should not expect to do less work than your classmates. That is unethical and unfair. Likewise, if for any reason you exceed the amount of 3 absences, your grade will be lower than you originally expected. If you are not satisfied with this policy, plan to drop the class.

Also, students will be assigned unannounced short quizzes on grammar, vocabulary, or other material discussed during the previous class throughout the semester. All quiz grades will be calculated under this component of the final grade.

·  Oral Presentation

Each student will make one formal oral presentation in class. The presentation must be prepared in advance and last between 3 and 5 minutes. The entire assessment will be based on the quality of the presentation as defined in the rubric given to students, which will evaluate pronunciation, vocabulary, content, grammar structure, eye contact, and fluency.

·  Final Exam

The final exam will be comprehensive and will include all the material studied during the semester. As the previous partial exams, it will also be a combination of essay, short answer, or other assessment strategies and will cover the content of the readings, vocabulary, grammar, and the writing process itself. It will take place in the normal classroom.

Writing across the Curriculum

This course supports the commitment of the university to providing opportunities for students to continue to develop their ability to express themselves clearly in writing. To learn to write well and correctly in a second language also helps to develop that capacity in English. All writing assignments in this course are designed with this philosophy in mind.

Academic integrity

The best learning environment is one based on mutual respect and trust. However, the desire to achieve a good grade without doing the necessary work may tempt some students to cheat on exams or to represent the work of others as their own. At Salisbury University, plagiarism and cheating are wrong and are considered acts of “academic dishonesty” i.e. a deliberate and deceptive representation of one’s own work. Instances of academic dishonesty include all, but are not limited to the following:

·  Plagiarism – presenting as one’s own work, whether literally or in paraphrase, the work of another author

·  Cheating on exams, tests, quizzes; the wrongful giving or accepting of unauthorized exam materials; the use of illegitimate sources of information

·  Falsifying excuses for non-attendance or completion of assignments

There are NO mitigating circumstances to justify academic dishonesty. If you are unclear about what constitutes academic dishonesty or plagiarism, please ask. Ignorance is no excuse. Discovery of academic dishonesty will bring stiff penalties, including a failing grade for the assignment in question and possibly a grade of F for the course. The maximum penalty at Salisbury University for plagiarism is possible expulsion from the entire USM system, so for your own sake, maintain your academic integrity.

School cancellation on test days

Should classes be called off on a test day, students should expect that the missed test will be given during the next regularly scheduled class. In the event of substantial snowfall (5 inches +) overnight, I will not be here--nor should you. For other weather related problems, use your own discretion and good common sense.

Final note: If you truly wish to improve your Spanish, you should seek opportunities to use the language outside of class. Some suggestions are: speaking with friends, international students or at a workplace; reading magazines and visiting websites such as:

CNN en español http://CNNenespanol.com/

El Pais http://elpais

Canal de televisión de Costa Rica http://www.teletica.com (cliquear telenoticias/videos)

Calendario Span 202 Otoño 2010*

Fecha / En clase / Tarea (además de ejercicios diarios del libro)
30 de agosto / Introducción al curso y Unidad 1
1 de septiembre / Unidad 1 / Terms of agreement
3 / Unidad 1 / Civilización y Cultura: pp. 1-10, ejercicios 1-3, 1-4,1-5, 1-6, 1-7, 1-9
8 / Unidad 2 / Empezar Novela “In the time of the butterflies”
10 / Unidad 2
13 / Unidad 2 / Civilización y Cultura: pp. 16-29, ejercicios2-2,, 2-3, 2-4,2-5, 2-6, 2-7, 2-8, 2-9, 2-10, 2-12
15 / Unidad 2
17 / Unidad 3 / Civilización y Cultura: pp.34-42, ejercicios3-1,3-3, 3-4, 3-53-7, 3-8, 3-9, 3-10
20 / Unidad 3
22 / Unidad 3 / Informe 1 sobre la novela “In the time of the butterflies”
24 / Unidad 3 / Borrador 1: Autobiografía
25 Sábado / (alternativa a ver 2 películas) / Attending (and writing 1 page reflection paper) the Latin American Cultural Immersion Day in Washington, DC
27 / Repaso Unidades 1-3
29 / Prueba Unidades 1-3
1 de octubre / Unidad 4 / Borrador 2: Autobiografía
4 / Unidad 4
6 / Unidad 4
8 / Unidad 4 / Civilización y Cultura: pp.50-61; 60, ejercicios 4-5, 4-6, 4-7, 4-8, 4-9, 4-13, 4-17
11 / Unidad 4 / Trabajo Final de Autobiografía
13 / Unidad 5 / Ver “Por la libre” fuera de clase
15 / Unidad 5 / Civilización y Cultura: pp.66-76, ejercicios 5-3, 5-5, 5-6, 5-9, 5-12
18 / Unidad 5
20 / Unidad 5 / Entrega comentario sobre la película“Por la libre”
22 / Unidad 6
25 / Unidad 6 / Civilización y Cultura: pp. 82-88, ejercicios6-3,6-5, 6-7, 6-8, 6-9
27 / Unidad 6
29 / Unidad 6 / Informe 2 sobre la novela “In the time of the butterflies”
1 de noviembre / Unidad 6
3 / Repaso Unidades 4-6
5 / Prueba Unidades 4-6
8 / Unidad 7 / Civilización y Cultura: pp. 98-109; 106-107, ejercicios7-3, 7-5, 7-9, 7-12
10 / Unidad 7
12 / ORALES y Unidad 7
15 / ORALES u Unidad 8 / Informe final sobre la novela “In the time of the butterflies
17 / Unidad 8 / Ver documental “Code name: Butterflies” fuera de clase
19 / Orales y Unidad 8 / Civilización y Cultura: pp. 116-124, ejercicios 8-1, 8-3, 8-5,8-7, 8-9, 8-10
22 / Orales y Unidad 9 / ”
DIA DE GRACIAS / VACACIONES
29 / Orales y Unidad 9
1 de diciembre / ORALES y Unidad 10 / Entrega comentario sobre documental “Name Code: Butterflies
3 / Unidad 10
6 / Unidad 10 / ”
8 / REVISIÓN Unidades 1-5
10 / REVISIÓN Unidades 6- 10
EXAMEN FINAL- 202.001 /
  • A las

EXAMEN FINAL- 202.002 /
  • A las

*Este horario puede cambiar durante el semestre. La profesora anunciará cualquier cambio en su momento.

Terms of Agreement (Due by September 3)

Important: Not being in class does not excuse you from not doing your homework or coming unprepared to class. On the contrary, there is a stronger reason for you to study more during your absent period because you have, in fact, already missed a class. It is your obligation to check with a classmate if there is anything (quiz, handout, etc.) due the day you come back from being absent. Make sure to exchange e-mails and phone numbers with at least 3 classmates during the first week of class.