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SPANISH 251 FALL 2004
Dr. Wendy
Woodrich Office:
Miller 324 COURSE
PROGRAM:
M/W/F |
Course objectives: To improve students' listening and speaking abilities in Spanish, with special attention to vocabulary building and reinforcement, idiomatic expression, pronunciation, and overall fluency. Reading and writing skills enhance oral abilities and are included in the course as well. Students will become familiar with and will be able to discuss topics of current interest in Latin America, Spain, and the United States, and will be able to describe experiences, express opinions, and talk about a variety of personal and school/work-related themes using appropriate conversational strategies and grammatical structures.Course method: We will combine conversation in large and small groups, roll-plays, presentations, debates, and similar activities in order to create an active communicative environment. All instruction and classroom discussion will be in Spanish. Course content will derive from our text, plus authentic newspapers, magazines, videos, and internet from Spanish-speaking sources. Active and informed participation is essential in all classroom activities.
Prerequisites/Proficiency level: It is expected that the 251 student will have completed Spanish 201 or equivalent. Students with significant overseas experience or higher-level course work may place into Advanced Spanish Conversation (SPAN 261). Consult with professor.
Credit: 2 semester credits. Conversation courses may be taken twice for credit or taken in sequence for a maximum of 4 credits (course taught annually fall/spring).
Class meetings:
Section 01: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 1:50-2:50 p.m Pamplin 116
Section 02: Tuesday, Thursday, 1:50-3:20 p.m. Copeland E-12Course credit: This course is offered on the basis of Credit/No credit (CR/NC). If you prefer to receive a grade for this course, talk with the professor.
Texts:
REVISTA: Conversación sin barreras (Blanco, et. al.) [Vista Higher Learning] Available at the LC Bookstore, Templeton Center.REVISTA: Video. Will be shown in class. A copy of the video will be on reserve in the Keck Lab (Miller 211).
Course expectations:
Participation. As a basic expectation of any conversation class, you are required to participate actively in class. Learning a language requires practice in the same way that learning to play a musical instrument does. The methodology of this course is based on developing oral proficiency -- the ability to get a message across to a listener and understand what he or she says in response. Time in the classroom will be devoted to developing oral communication skills, and you will be expected to take an active role in all activities.
Attendance: Attendance in class is essential and mandatory, and will be recorded. Only three absences (MWF) or two absences (T/TH) throughout the semester due to illness or emergencies are allowed without affecting your grade. Subsequent absences will severely jeopardize your receiving credit for the class. You must notify me of any absence, excused or otherwise, as soon as possible.
Homework and preparation: It is required that you read and study assigned material before class, and complete other assignments on time. Since this is an activities/skill-building class, failure to prepare beforehand will impede your progress and disappoint your fellow classmates. Come prepared! Vary and enhance your practice with computer programs and videos available in the Keck Lab (see below) or in the Watzek library.
KECK Interactive Learning Center (Miller 211) is dedicated to language learning and offers language-specific tools and supplementary materials at all levels. You may take blank tapes to record audio material for use outside the lab. Go by the lab soon to familiarize yourself with the facility. You can contact the director, Matthew West <mwest@lclark.edu>, for more help and information.
Assignments and announcements will be made in class and will be posted on our course program on the Web. You are responsible for checking this routinely since changes and updates will be frequent and always supercede earlier announcements. You are responsible for all work assigned, regardless of your excused or unexcused absences from class.
Exams and Quizzes: Although your participation and progress in the class is the primary basis for evaluation, there will be quizzes and graded exercises throughout the semester. Some of these will be announced beforehand, others not. Be prepared!
EVALUATION AND GRADES:
Homework: Your homework and other assignments may or may not be marked with a letter grade, I will make written suggestions and corrections, and will mark ungraded papers as follows:
MUY BIEN
"Good job; no major problems"
BIEN
"Satisfactory"
REGULAR
"Average; some problems"
DEFICIENTE
"Not satisfactory; major problems, or incomplete"
Graded quizzes, homework, oral assignments, etc. will be assigned grades based on the following scale:
95%
-
100%
= A
90%
-
94%
= A -
87%
-
89%
= B +
83%
-
86%
= B
80%
-
82%
= B -
77%
-
79%
= C+
73%
-
76%
= C
70%
-
72%
= C -
60%
-
69%
= D
0%
-
59%
= F
Distribution: Your performance will be evaluated according to the following categories:
Participation / attendance
50%
Homework / preparation
30%
Oral presentations
10%
Tests and quizzes
10%
¡OJO! Homework will not be accepted beyond the date it is due unless you have arranged for special consideration beforehand. It is highly unlikely that you will be given an extension except for cases of illness or emergency.
TUTORS: If you need additional review, if you have problems with new material, or if you merely want to practice with a Spanish-speaker, there are Spanish tutors through SAAB and through the Foreign Languages Department, free of charge. Check my main Web page for names and contact info -- you are in charge of arranging your own appointments with them. Let me know if you have any difficulty with the arrangements.
• • •
Please feel free to see me during office hours for help with Spanish or to discuss your academic program!
¡Buena suerte!
