Cal State University Domínguez Hills Fall 2014
Spanish 306 Advanced Composition, Syntax, Stylistics II
Instructor: B. Gómez Madrid, PhD Email:
Office: LCH A 305 Office Hours: M, W 11:00-11:30; 2:30-4:00
REQUIRED TEXT
-Blackwell, Frieda H. and Paul E. Larson. Guía básica de la crítica literaria y el trabajo de investigación. Baylor University, 2007. ISBN-10: 1413014682
RECOMMENDED TEXT
-Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th edition. MLA, 2009.
ISBN: 9781603290241
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Prerequisites: SPA 306 cannot be taken at the same time as SPA 305 or before taking SPA 305. SPA 305 is a prerequisite for SPA 306.
Course Description
This course aims to introduce students to the craft of writing the research papers needed for Upper Division courses. In addition to learning basic research methods and professional protocol for academe, students will be introduced to key literary and cultural theories that are integral to understanding and performing literary criticism.
Course Objectives
The course aims to solidify research skills for literary and cultural analysis. As such, it involves training in accessing and evaluating sources and understanding and applying appropriate citation procedures. Students will be introduced to these and other components of literary analysis and a heavy emphasis will be placed on application of knowledge through writing, oral presentations, and exercises aimed at improving research knowledge and skills. During the course the students will write two short research papers.
Learning Outcomes for Students
Students will:
-Perform basic research tasks (library, bibliography) as well as to assess and evaluate sources for reliability and applicability.
-Understand the basic methods of literary and cultural criticism.
-Evaluate secondary sources for legitimacy and applicability.
-Create an annotated bibliography.
-Write coherent analytical papers.
-Develop a research paper that could be presented at a conference.
-Improve writing and critical thinking skills through diverse writing and research assignments.
HOMEWORK: This course requires a minimum of 6 to 9 hours of study per week. Depending on your ability to read complex literary works in Spanish, the minimum amount of hours dedicated to preparation for class discussion will vary dramatically. If you are unwilling or unable to commit your time and effort at this time, consider taking the course when your schedule is lighter or your job/family responsibilities allow you to spend the required time needed to succeed in this course. It is important that you balance and prioritize your academic, work-related, and family responsibilities. Remember that a full-time student is a person who carries 12 units, meaning that one cannot expect to do well academically if in addition to those units, one works over 15 hours a week, commutes an hour to and from campus, etc. Please weigh your options carefully.
RATIONALE: As part of the Basic Core for the Spanish B.A., Spanish 306 plays a crucial role in the development of basic skills and competencies. Students who have not been exposed to the literature, history or culture of the Hispanic world need a foundation on which to ground the knowledge they will obtain in other courses. Along with the other introductory courses in the Basic Core, the Advance Composition Courses will provide students with the tools needed to read critically and to write and argue persuasively. At the same time, students will augment their vocabulary and knowledge base of other disciplines that relate to the study of literature. As with all manifestations of the human spirit, literature as an art form places the reader in a privileged critical position: the literary text becomes the artifact, the object of inquiry, and at the same time it becomes a medium for self-exploration, for the discovery of dialogues among the arts and sciences; it becomes ours as we search to comprehend its meanings, as we strive to listen and find an effective and objective link to it. This course forges an alliance with the rest of the curriculum to develop the critical thinking skills needed to make sense of the world through the agency of the literary text.
MISCELLANEOUS: The following rules must be observed in class:
1. All cell phones must be turned OFF before class starts. If your cell phone rings during class, your participation grade for that day will be affected. Text messaging will not be allowed. It’s very disrespectful.
2. Food consumption must be kept in check. I will allow beverages during class time, but please refrain from eating or do so before class commences. The same applies for trips to the lavatory. Please go before class starts. Leaving in the middle of class is disruptive to me and your classmates.
-Grading scale:
95-100: A; 90-94: A-; 87-89: B+; 84-86: B; 80-83: B-; 77-79: C+; 74-76: C; 70-73: C-;
66-69: D+; 60-65: D; 0-59: F.
In order to earn an A in this course, students will have to comply with the following criteria:
-Near perfect attendance
-Excellent and consistent preparation for class
-Active and thoughtful participation in individual and group activities.
-Outstanding ability to move easily from theory to application, that is, to apply the concepts, terms, and strategies studied in class in the analysis of literature.
-High levels of competency during exams, oral presentations, class discussions, and written assignments.
Make-up Policy: Generally, there will be no make-up exams. Students who have a documented or otherwise valid explanation will be permitted to take a make-up exam. Students who do not have a valid explanation will have 20 points deducted from the grade of the assignment and will make up the exam when the professor has office hours.
Nota bene: One thing to keep in mind when reading is interpretation. It is very easy to understand the PLOT of a story, or get the GIST of it, or be able to describe all of the characters. It is much more difficult (and hence more challenging) to become a student who sees, thinks and reads beyond the surface.
Students with disabilities:
Please let me know if you have any special needs that I should be aware of, and please do so as early in the semester as possible, so that I may accommodate those needs as soon as possible. Please also feel free to consult with Disabled Student Services (DSS) [http://www.csudh.edu/dss/main.html] (310) 243-3660, (310) 243-2028 (TDD), (310) 516-4247 (fax) [located at Welch Hall D 180]
STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
In this course, it is expected that you will maintain academic integrity and do all of your own work. Any form of cheating, whether in class or outside of class, is completely prohibited and will result in appropriate disciplinary action, including receiving an F on the relevant assignment/quiz/exam, receiving an F in the course, and/or further disciplinary action determined by the University. You are expected to read the relevant section of the University Catalog for a complete statement on academic integrity.
Computer/Information Literacy Expectations for Students enrolled in this class
Students in this class are expected to: 1) use the university email system (Toromail), 2) use Blackboard, 3) use a word processing program for writing assignments (e.g., Microsoft Word), 4) be able to access assigned websites through the internet, 5) use the Library databases to find peer-reviewed journal literature, 6) be able to create a power point presentation, and 7) be able to paraphrase concepts without plagiarizing.
For additional information about computing on campus, including tutorials, students should go to: http://www.csudh.edu/infotech/labs http://www.csudh.edu/infotech/student_index.shtml
Policy on due dates, late work, and make-up work:
-Points will be deducted from each reaction or assignment received late: Late work will be docked one whole grade per day.
-No make-up exams will be given.
-No incomplete grades will be assigned.
ATTENDANCE: Class attendance is MANDATORY. More than 2 unjustified absences will result in a 5% lowering of the final grade. For an absence to be justified, a medical certificate or some supporting document must accompany it. If you arrive tardy more than three times, I will count the subsequent late arrival as an absence. If you have a scheduling problem, please consult with me immediately.
Information resources
Documentation: http://library.csudh.edu/SubjectGuides/SPA453.htm
Research and Writing guidelines: www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
Research resource: http://www.corpusdelespanol.org/
GRADES: Your grades will be based on the following criteria:
Peer-edition of assigned papers=20% (make sure to write your name when you edit)
Thesis and Outline Presentation=5% x 4 = 20%
Annotated bibliography= 10%
Essay of 5 pages=20%
Essay of 7 pages=30%
TOTAL: 100%
Writing Assignments
1. Research papers (2). One of them will be 5 pages long, the other one (your favorite) should be 7 pages long + bibliography. The research paper assignments aim to help students develop research skills and critical thinking. For interested students, the essay can serve as the basis for a conference paper, for which the instructor will help you identify possible conferences. Information about structuring, researching, and writing the paper will be provided in class. The paper needs to show evidence of advanced research skills in addition to coherent organization and argumentation. Please see instructor for ideas and input.
Guideline for bibliographies: Sources can be found through the MLA Bibliography (online through our library); online electronic academic articles such as those accessed through JSTOR, Lexis/Nexis, or other full-text databases found through the university library’s e-resources; library books, etc. Websites are usually not a valid source. Unless you can justify the source as being extremely important for your paper topic, books and articles that pre-date 1990 are not the best choice. You shouldn’t just use the first full text articles you find. We will discuss this in the first section of the course, when we focus on evaluation of sources.
Websites as sources: Websites only count as legitimate sources in rare instances. The annotations are the sentences that describe the usefulness of the source for your essay.
2. Annotated bibliography (1): Annotated lists contain a main point + a 1-3 sentence prose explanation of that point and how it relates to the reading and to your writing and study skills. If you are referring to a specific part of the reading, cite the page numbers at the end of your entry.
3. Presentations (4). The first presentation will consist on defending your thesis statement (must include two parts: a specific part of the text to analyze and an interpretation of it) with an outline (it will include your thesis statement and at least 3 textual evidences –quotes- that include the specific part of the text you are analyzing). The second type of presentation involves summarizing the essay assigned. Identify the main idea (thesis) of the article and pinpoint two other interesting ideas that you liked about the essay. Make copies for everybody before you do your presentations in class.
4. Peer-editing. You’ll be assigned to edit the papers of your peers. Make sure you write your name of every paper you edit. You’ll get your grade from the quantity and quality of your editing. Take it seriously. I will.
Calendar
(It may vary; if it does, students will be notified)
Week / Monday / Wednesday / Homework1 / Week 1:
-Repaso del contrato
-PWP1: Un buen ensayo. Una buena interpretación textual. / -PWP1: Un buen ensayo. Una buena interpretación textual. / Comprar libro e imprimir textos de Blackboard que necesites. Traer para el miércoles Larson y Blackwell.
2 / “LABOR DAY” No hay clase. / -Larson y Blackwell. Capítulo 1: Rasgos del buen lector. / Traer “El licenciado vidriera”
3 / PWP2: Lectura atenta del texto y preparación del primer borrador / -Lectura y análisis de “El licenciado Vidriera” de Miguel de Cervantes. / Pensar en posibles tesis
4 / -Lectura y análisis de “El licenciado Vidriera” de Miguel de Cervantes. / -PWP3: La tesis y la preparación de un esquema. / Traer copias para todos de la tesis y esquema de “El licenciado”
5 / -President’s day. No class. / -Presentaciones de las tesis y esquema de Cervantes / -Preparar presentación de “Razón y Sin razón”
6 / -PWP4: La estructura del párrafo.
-Escribir en clase el primer párrafo del ensayo / -Presentaciones del ensayo “Razón y Sin razón” / -Escribir el primer y el segundo párrafo y traer a clase.
7 / -Revisar los 2 primeros párrafos del ensayo. / -Ejemplos de trabajo de investigación del Apéndice de Blackwell y Larson. / -Ampliar el trabajo a 5 párrafos (3 páginas)
8 / -Revisar las 3 primeras páginas del ensayo. / -Ejemplos de trabajo de investigación del Apéndice de Blackwell y Larson. / -Ampliar a 5 páginas.
9 / -Revisar ensayo (5 páginas) / -PWP5. El segundo borrador. / Traer “Salsa”
10 / “Leer Salsa” en clase / Leer “Salsa” en clase. / -Preparar presentación de “Salsa”
11 / -Presentaciones de las tesis y esquema de Vega. / -Presentaciones del ensayo de Green sobre las representaciones de la mujer puertorriqueña en “Salsa” / Escribir 3 páginas.
12 / -Revisar 3 páginas. / -PWP7: Teorías literarias.
-Larson y Blackwell. Capítulo 2:
Teorías literarias. / -Ampliar el trabajo a 5 páginas.
13 / -Revisar 5 páginas. / -PWP6: Documentación. Citas.
-Bibliografía anotada. / -Preparar bibliografía anotada de 4 fuentes de uno de los 2 textos. Entregar el lunes y traer documento de Lipson el miércoles.
14 / -Entregar ensayo de 8 páginas y editar a compañeros. / -Lipson, Charles. Doing Honest Work in College. / -Ampliar el ensayo sobre el que has preparado la bibliografía anotada a 7 páginas y entregarlo el miércoles.
15 / PWP 8: Revisión Final / Revisión final del ensayo de 7 páginas. Entregar ediciones de trabajos de los compañeros para la nota de edición. / -Hacer correcciones y enviarme ensayo final de 7 páginas por email el día del examen final el ensayo de 5 páginas.