University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Spanish and Portuguese EXCERPT

DISCLAIMER

The following document is NOT the final version of the Spanish 318 syllabus. It is intended to give you a general idea of the content of the class.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee || Department of Spanish and Portuguese EXCERPT

Spanish 318-001, Advanced Speaking and Listening

Instructor: MAGALY ZEISE|| Office: CRT 706|| : 229-2828

:

Office Hours:

Meeting Days & Room:

Department Chairman:R. John McCaw(CRT 729)

Program Assistant:Karen Marquardt(CRT 733, 229-4257, )

Final Exam:

TEXTS

Required:

García-Serrano, M. Victoria, Cristina de la Torre and Annette Grant Cash. ¡A que sí!. 4th Ed. MA: Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2013.

Recommended:

A good Spanish/English-English/Spanish dictionary and a Spanish dictionary.

Prerequisites: Spanish 204 (at least a C-) or placing at level 5 in the UW Placement Test.

Course description:

The course seeks to enhance both listening and speaking skills. Movies from Spanish speaking countries, as well as other oral and written texts in Spanish, will be the spring-board to guide most class activities. Reading and writing skills will also be practiced. We will utilize a variety of in-class activities to give students ample opportunity to practice and improve their oral skills in Spanish; among them, class discussions, presentations, debates, and listening comprehension activities.

Learning outcome:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have improved their oral proficiency in Spanish through authentic oral texts, while enhancing their awareness and knowledge of Hispanic culture and written texts.

Textbook:

This textbook intentionally contains more material than can be covered during the academic semester. The instructor has carefully selected the chapters that, in her experience, considers best suited to the learning outcome, and the students’ level and interests.

D2L Site || Mailing List: There is a D2L site for this course. The instructor will use it regularly to post the homework assignments to be completed by the students, as well as to share other information that may be helpful to the students. Although emailing is possible from D2L, there is also a reflector (ClassList) created for this class. The instructor may use this mailing list to forward messages that may be of interest to students. Students are welcomed to use the reflector to communicate among themselves. To contact the instructor, it is advisable to use her personal address above. Students who prefer to use email accounts other than the one at UWM, can go to pantherlink.uwm.edu and choose to forward their UWM email to their preferred account. The email ClassList addresses are:

Spanish 318-001

Attendance: It is necessary that students attend class every day. Regular class attendance is necessary for the successful attainment of the course objectives. Missing class negatively affects the progress of the entire group. If you are unable to attend class due to an unavoidable conflict, you are still responsible for the assigned material. Attendance means that students are present in the classroom and ready to work at the starting time. Missing classes and frequent tardiness will lower the final grade. Students who miss any classes during the first two weeks of the semester and fail to contact the instructor may be dropped from the class to make room for other students.

Students’ responsibilities: The philosophy underlying the course is that all the members of the group will learn from each other; all students will contribute to the knowledge of the class in addition to benefiting from their own individual work. Students are expected to:

 Come to class prepared every day. Regular class attendance is necessary for the successful attainment of the course objectives. If for some reason a student is unable to come to class, she or he is responsible for coming prepared for the next class, including watching the movie if necessary. Students who miss class should contact the instructor if they need assistance in getting ready for the next meeting. It is important that you do not miss more than two classes, or the equivalent of a week of instruction, as absences will significantly lower your course grade. Students who miss any classes during the first two weeks of the semester and fail to contact the instructor may be dropped from the class to make room for other students.

 Be active participants in the discussions. Active participation requires that the students attend each class meeting, that they be ON TIME, and that they come ready and able to participate in class activities and discussions. This means that students will do all necessary reading, research, and homework before coming to class.

 Complete all homework assignments on time. 1) During the course of the semester, students will have the opportunity to watch four Latin American movies and/or documentaries (two in class and two outside of class). They will have to complete pre-(“Antes de la película”) and post-(“Después de la película”) viewing assignments for every film. The completion of these assignments is necessary as preparation for the viewing of the movie and for meaningful discussions during class time. Students will have to gather information about the films’ background and about the films themselves. The instructor will provide suggestions but students are encouraged to take the initiative in directing their learning experience.

 2)Students will have to complete readings and activities in the textbook and activities in our course site in D2L on a regular basis. The completion of these assignments is necessary as preparation for meaningful discussions during class time.
3) Students may have to gather information about other topics as well in preparation for class discussions and debates.
4) Students will also be responsible for reading in and listening to Spanish outside class.
Failure to complete the homework will negatively affect the grade for the course (see “Grading”).

 Complete class quizzes. There will be at least four short quizzes to be done in class and/or via the D2L course site at the discretion of the instructor. The quizzes will monitor the student preparation for class and they will cover the material that was assigned as homework for that day, including vocabulary and any other content from the textbook. They may also cover material discussed in the previous class. No further notice will be given as to when the quizzes will take place.

 Do two individual oral presentations. Each student will make two oral presentations of 6 to 8 minutes each. Oral presentations cannot be read. Preparation for these presentations should include the student listening to a Spanish oral text. For example, the presentations may be about a radio program, a short story, a speech in Spanish, interviews, etc. The students and the instructor will work together during the first days of classes to establish a calendar for these individual presentations. A rubric of how these presentations will be graded appears in the last page of this syllabus.

 Do a group oral presentation. Every student will participate in a group that will research and prepare a presentation on a film from a Spanish speaking country, other than the ones covered in class. The group presentations will take place towards the end of the semester. A description of this assignment and a rubric for the grading will be posted on D2L. A description of the factors considered in the evaluation of the presentation appears in the last page of this syllabus. Some time has been programmed during class meetings to work on these presentations but students will have to meet and work as a group outside class time as well. We will discuss the presentations in more detail in class; a list of movies for consideration will be provided to the students in D2L. Any additional information will be provided as needed, either in class or through the D2L site for this course.

 Write four brief papers (Writing). Students will have to write four brief papers about the movies and/or documentaries seen in class and outside class (including the film used in the group presentation). Students will write about their emotional and intellectual reaction to, and reflection on the films. All writing assignments in this category have to be typed, double-spaced, at least one page in length, font not to exceed 12 points, and margins not to exceed 1” all around. Papers are due on the dates stated in the syllabus; no late papers will be accepted. They have to be written in grammatically correct Spanish.

 Complete two oral comprehension exams (Midterm & Final). All students will complete two oral comprehension activities, one midway through the semester and the other at the end. The latter will take place during the regularly scheduled final exam time.

 Perform an oral interview with the instructor (Final exam). The instructor will conduct a personal interview with each student during the last few weeks of the semester. The interview will last 20 to 25 minutes and will take place outside class time. A sign-up sheet to schedule the interview will be distributed by the instructor ahead of time; the instructor will accommodate the students’ schedules to the maximum extent possible. It is essential that you appear for this interview since it will constitute 20% of your final grade, and can be made up only by prior arrangement and under extraordinary circumstances.

 Speak and write in Spanish! The course will be conducted in Spanish in its entirety.

Grading Scale:

A 93-100A_ 90-92B+ 87-89B 83-86B_ 80-82C+ 77-79C 73-76

C_ 70-72D+ 67-69D 63-66D_ 60-62

Grading:

10%Preparation and Participation10%Individual presentations (2)10%Quizzes (Controles) (4+)10%Group presentations (1)10%Writing (4)35%Final exam (OPI 20% | Oral Comp. 15%)

15%Midterm Oral Comprehension

Make-ups: Make-ups for exams and other assignments will only be given for official conflicts and excused absences. UWM recognizes as excused absences a family emergency, illness, religious observance or an unavoidable professional obligation. Such absences must be supported by WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION in order to be accepted. If possible, arrangements should be made with the instructor prior to the absence. Please be aware that absences will affect your participation grade even if excused.

Special Needs: If you will need special accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please contact your instructor as soon as possible. Said students must also contact the Student Accessibility Center (www.sac.uwm.edu), Mitchell Hall 116, (414) 229-6287 Voice/TTY if they have not done so already.

Electronic Devices: All cellular phones, IPods, etc. must be turned off during class time.

Retroactive credits: A Student who begins their study of Spanish at UWM in 308 can receive 14 retroactive credits for 103, 104, 203 and 204 by receiving a B or better in this course and completing a form in the department office. Students must be taking the course for the first time in order to get the retro credits.

“Major / Minor”: If you are pursuing a major or minor in Spanish and you have not declared it yet, you should contact the Spanish Undergraduate Academic Advisor as soon as possible:
Stellia Jordán (Curtin 703)

Academic Conduct: Students are expected to follow the code on academic conduct at UWM on all their assignments. UWM student academic misconduct procedures can be found at:
http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm

Spanish Writing Center: This is a service offered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. It is available to all undergraduate students currently taking Spanish classes. The purpose of the Center is to assist students with their writing assignments, focusing on individual needs depending on the level of the student and the type of assignment. To make an appointment, please contact Stellia Jordan at a week or two before the due date of the assignment. There are no “walk-ins”.

Syllabus links: http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/SyllabusLinks.pdf

Other Academic Resources:

] Student Access Center: For information on individualized help with academics and campus resources, visit their website at, http://www4.uwm.edu/ssc/.
] Resource Center: The Language Resource Center, located in the basement of Curtin Hall, has materials available for improving your oral and written skills in Spanish.

Credit Hour Policy: For this 3-credit course, students are expected to dedicate at least six hours weekly outside the classroom to course assignments, i.e.: homework, readings, class-related projects and preparing for exams. Of the minimum six hours per week, the following time allotments are recommended:

50% homework and readings

30% class-related projects (e.g. presentations, research, etc.)

20% preparing for exams

It should be noted that time allotments for course assignments may vary per individual, so these are intended as recommendations only.

*PROGRAMA TENTATIVO DE CLASES:

*The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus in order to accommodate the rhythm of the class. Students will be notified with sufficient anticipation.

GROUP PRESENTATIONS:

Content:

• Basic information: Title, director, actors, country of origin, year in which the film was made and distributed…
• Movie review: A summary of the plot, characters and main themes without stating the end.
• Socio historical and cultural background: time period when the action occurs; places, historic, political, religious, ideological or cultural references present in the film itself , and/or circumstances at the time the movie was being made that are relevant to this film; important social reactions to the film if any; etc.
• Themes, motives narration techniques: Order, cinematographic techniques, narrators, etc.
• Favorite (or climatic) scenes. Students may also include their reasons to choose the movie.

In other words; think about the following aspects of the film:

• Message: What is the movie telling us?
• Conflict: What type of conflict? Ideological, racial, generational, political, sexual? Etc.
• Resolution: How are the conflicts resolved? Are there winners and losers? What side “wins”?
• Plot structure: How is the story presented? Order, cinematographic technique, narrators, etc.?
• Characters: What or who do they represent? How are they represented? What is the purpose?
• Themes: Human interest, political, cultural, social commentary... How are these themes treated in the film: in parody, on a serious tone, tragically, etc.?
• Motives: Underlying themes, images or sounds –dialogue included—that are repeated; why? What do they mean? What reactions do they incite? Etc.
• Camera movements: What do they indicate?
• Key scenes: Why are they critical to the plot or message of the film? Or, why have you chosen them?
• Ending: Is it conclusive or open? Does it provide an answer to the questions raised by the film?...

Presentations Format:

• Every member of the team has to participate in the oral presentation in class.
• Be creative; integrate your classmates in the presentation.
• Use a variety of techniques; do not just talk to your peers one after another. You can use questions, audiovisuals, humor, games, representations, music, flyers, etc. to capture your classmates’ attention.
• Speak clearly and loudly. This is not the time to be timid.
• Do not go over the time limit: 25-30 minutes.
• Each presentation will be followed by 5 to 10 minutes of questions from the class.
• Answer your classmates’ questions honestly. It is acceptable to not know some answers.

Factors to be considered in the evaluation and grading of the group presentation:

 Content:Basic aspects of the film are covered. All required information is presented. The presentation offers relevant information about the movie...

 Organization:The order of the presentation is logical and fluid. All members of the group participate equally in the presentation. The audience can perceive the presenters’ objective in the format of the presentation. It can be followed effortlessly. Presentation stays within the required time limits…

 Vocabulary:Words are appropriate and accurate. No English words are used.

 Efficiency:Clarity and interest of the presentation. Clear enunciation. Creativity. Originality. Students maintain eye contact with audience, rarely referring to notes. Students’ manners engage the audience…