SPAN 201 / 202 Intermediate Spanish I & II
Instructor:
Mrs. Mindy Berkner
Text:
Imagina 3rd edition
Album, 3rd edition
Course Description:
Continued development of communicative competence in Spanish through the study of the cultures and peoples of the Spanish-speaking world.
Prerequisite & General Placement Guidelines:
Cannot be taken for credit if student has received credit in a higher-numbered Spanish course. For students that have completed 3 years of high school Spanish, or SPAN 101 and 102, or equivalent.
Course Objectives:
Different aspects of Spanish-speaking cultures will be presented and discussed in order to increase the student’s understanding of the growing interdependence of nations and peoples, and to develop their ability to apply a comparative perspective to cross-cultural social, economic and political experiences. Students will be assessed on their emerging ability to communicate effectively in Spanish.
Communicating effectively in a second language requires learners to utilize problem-solving skills from a variety of disciplines to create meaning when language skills are limited. Successful communication in a second language engages students in a process of embracing similarities and an appreciation for diversity. Adult second language acquisition is a rich and dynamic process of life-long learning, integrating many elements of the learners’ life.
As part of their homework, students will develop a "Comunidades en crisis" portfolio, identifying an area of the Spanish-speaking world that is in conflict with the United States. The goal of this activity is to engage the students in critical thinking skills when analyzing a situation where they may have a bias and in which there probably will be no easy answers. Each student will develop a portfolio of several journal entries in Spanish with pros and cons, along with copies of supporting documents. The Evaluation Criteria for Compositions Rubric will be used to evaluate their writing, with a minimum score of 70 (SPAN 201) 80 (SPAN 202). In addition, every student will complete a EuroPass lanuguage passport (www.europass.ie).
SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish I Credits: 4 Continue the development of the four basic language skills. Culture is taught through selected reading in Spanish. Those with sufficient prior preparation may petition to substitute SPAN 311, 312 for any Intermediate Spanish course.
SPAN 202 Intermediate Spanish II Credits: 4 Continue the development of the four basic language skills. Culture is taught through selected reading in Spanish. Those with sufficient prior preparation may petition to substitute SPAN 311, 312 for any Intermediate Spanish course.
Course Policies:
Spanish courses are conducted primarily in Spanish. There is strong emphasis on the development of oral proficiency through active participation, group work and class discussions.
Attendance is an important part in learning, therefore, it is required to be in class at least 90% of the possible days. More absences than 10% of the possible days may result in a loss of credits for the class.
Grade Breakdown: Grades will be based on successful completion in the following areas
Homework/Workbook
Quizzes/ Exams
Presentation
Grading Scale:
A 90-100
B+ 85-89 B 80-84
C+ 75-79 C 70-74
D+ 65-69 D 60-64
F 0-59
Themes Covered:
Personal Relationships
Sports & recreational activities
Daily life
Health and well-being
Travel
Nature
Technology & Science
Pop culture & means of communication
Literature & Art
Politics & Religion
History & civilization
Communicative Outcomes (SPAN 201 – Intermediate Spanish I)
Students should be able to converse in uncomplicated, straightforward social situations, including exchanges involving physical and social needs, food, shopping, travel, family, home, etc. There may be errors and pauses in their speech, but at this level students should be able to circumvent inaccuracies and self-correct. At this level, students will begin to move from simple transactions to periods of sustained conversation. Students should be able to write simple messages and requests for information, and in general express meaning through vocabulary and basic structures that is comprehensible to those accustomed to the writing of non-native speakers of Spanish. The themes and vocabulary in the course outline are exemplary of issues in the Spanish-speaking world. Formative assessment will take a variety of formats. In addition to developing skills for communicative competence, students of Spanish will begin to be able to comprehend and interpret a variety of global perspectives from the Hispanic world.
Communicative Outcomes (SPAN 202 – Intermediate Spanish II)
Students should be able to converse in social situations, including exchanges involving physical and social needs, food, shopping, travel, family, home, etc. They should be able to circumvent inaccuracies and self-correct, and should be able to maintain an extended conversation rather than a simple transaction. Students should be able to write create meaning rather than simply relay and request information, and in general express meaning through vocabulary and basic structures that is comprehensible to those accustomed to the writing of non-native speakers of Spanish. The themes and vocabulary in the course outline are exemplary of issues in the Spanish-speaking world. Formative assessment will take a variety of formats. In addition to developing skills for communicative competence, students of Spanish will begin to be able to comprehend and interpret a variety of global perspectives from the Hispanic world.
Some of the topics from the themes introduced in this course include:
- issues relating to the countries, capitals and name the inhabitants of the Spanish-speaking countries of the world
- major religions practiced
- literature, works of art, buildings and monuments from many Hispanic countries that help form part of their cultural identity and diversity
- providing basic information about one’s self and surroundings in a manner that is culturally appropriate
- communicating by extra-linguistic means, such as body language and gestures
National Standards for Foreign Language Learning:
ü Communication – in languages other than English
ü Cultures – gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures
ü Connections – connect with other disciplines and acquire information
ü Comparisons – develop insight into the nature of language and culture
ü Communities – participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world
“Knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom.”
Rubric for Global Cultures & Perspectives
No Comprehension. Student cannot recall basic facts related to Hispanic cultures presented in the course materials, did not comprehend the materials when presented in Spanish or cannot coherently express those facts in Spanish.
Basic Comprehension. Student demonstrates comprehension of basic facts related to Hispanic cultures and the ability to identify and restate them in Spanish. (SPAN 102)
Description. Student not only demonstrates comprehension of facts related to Hispanic cultures, but also demonstrates the ability to describe these facts, looking at various points of view in Spanish. The student functioning at this level is beginning to recognize and describe the connections between Languages and Cultures, forming Global Perspectives. (SPAN 201)
Interpretation. The student is able to step back and contemplate and interpret a cultural issue from various points of view in a broader global perspective. The student functioning at this level is beginning to critically examine the interconnectedness Language and Culture, formulating Global Perspectives. (SPAN 202)
Evaluation Criteria for Compositions
Lee and Paulson (1992)
Content (Information Conveyed) Points
· minimal information; information lacks substance (is superficial); inappropriate or 0-19
irrelevant information; or not enough information to evaluate
· limited information; ideas present but not developed; lack of supporting detail 22
or evidence
· adequate information; some development of ideas; some ideas lack supporting detail 25
or evidence
· very complete information; no more can be said; thorough; relevant; on target 30
Organization
· series of separate sentences with no transitions; disconnected ideas; no apparent order 0-16
to the content; or not enough to evaluate
· limited order to the content; lacks logical sequencing of ideas; ineffective ordering; 18
very choppy; disjointed
· an apparent order to the content is intended; somewhat choppy; loosely organized 22
but main points do stand out although sequencing of ideas is not complete
· logically and effectively ordered; main points and details are connected; fluent; not 25
choppy whatsoever
Vocabulary
· inadequate; repetitive; incorrect use or non-use of words studied; literal translations; 0-16
abundance of invented words; or not enough to evaluate
· erroneous word use or choice leads to confused or obscured meaning; some literal 18
translations and invented words; limited use of words studied
· adequate but not impressive; some erroneous word usage or choice, but meaning is 22
not confused or obscured; some use of words studied
· broad; impressive; precise and effective word use and choice; extensive use of words 25
studied
Language
· one or more errors in use and form of the grammar presented in lesson; frequent errors 0-13
in subject/verb agreement; non-Spanish sentence structure; erroneous use of language
makes the work mostly incomprehensible; no evidence of having edited the work for
language; or not enough to evaluate
· no errors in the grammar presented in lesson; some errors in subject/verb agreement; 15
some errors in adjective/noun agreement; erroneous use of language often impedes
comprehensibility; work was poorly edited for language
· no errors in the grammar presented in lesson; occasional errors in subject/verb or 17
adjective/noun agreement; erroneous use of language does not impede comprehen-
sibility; some editing for language evident but not complete
· no errors in the grammar presented in lesson; very few errors in subject/verb or 20
adjective/noun agreement; work was well edited for language