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BEGINNING SPANISH 1A (5 units)

Fall 2010 SYLLABUS

 

Class Meeting:  Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:00—9:05 PM

Class Location:  Main Campus: Fir 7

Instructor:  Teresa Borden

Contact Information:

Email: bordent@yosemite.edu  Phone: 209-754-0151

Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, before or after class in Fir 7.  Other times by individual arrangement.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

If you have a disability that affects you as a student in this class, please notify me and/or the Disabled Students Programs and Services Office in Manzanita 18-D
Phone:  209.588.5134
. Your notification will remain confidential.

Course Description:

Fundamentals of spoken and written Spanish with an emphasis on acquiring communicative skills while developing an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic cultures. This course is not intended for native speakers of Spanish.

I.  Required reading:

     ¡Adelante! UNO with Supersite Passcode

     ISBN: 978-1-60007-609-1

     Blanco, José A.

     Vista Higher Learning, 2009

Note : The bookstore will have copies of the text packaged with the Supersite Passcode or you can buy directly from the publisher online at: Web link to buy Adelante Uno

II.   Recommended reading:                     

A. 501 Spanish Verbs

    C. Kendris, Barron’s Educational Series

    6th Edition, 2007

III. Papers and Assignments:

Daily homework, including activities, reading, writing and/or grammar assignments, basic research, project development and preparation for oral presentations.

IV. Grading Standard:

Language learning for real communication is based on four integrated skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Grades are based on your participation and skill demonstration in class and online, as well as on quizzes, chapter exams, and written and oral assignments. Please note that in order to participate and demonstrate your Spanish communication skills, you must be in class.

Students are expected to arrive on time, come to class fully prepared and stay throughout the class period with the intention of learning and participating (and with cell phones, MP3 players and other electronics turned off). Students who are absent for any reason more than five full class periods during the semester limit their opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency and should, therefore, anticipate a reduction in grade, regardless of grades on written assignments and exams.

Students are expected to work courteously and collaboratively with classmates, submit assignments on time, and take responsibility for their own learning, including finding out from classmates about material missed due to absence.

No makeup work will be accepted after one week of assignment. There will be no opportunity for makeup of quizzes, oral presentations/projects or of oral portions of chapter exams unless previously approved by the instructor.

Grading Sample      (Points may vary.)
In-class skill demonstration/daily participation:                       100 points

Chapter exams (6 @ 50 points each)                                     300 points

Quizzes and assignments (15 @ 10 points each)                  150 points

Oral Presentations/Projects (2 @ 25 points each)                  50 points

Final Cultural Presentation                                                     100 points

   Total possible:   700 points  

630 – 700 = A; 560 – 625 = B; 490 – 555 = C; 420 – 485 = D; 413> = F

                                  
V. Course Calendar

The first six chapters of the text will be covered this semester. Each lesson will be introduced with contextualized thematic vocabulary, followed by communicative guided drills, individual, small group and full group practice and activities, video, cultural readings and web research. Reading, writing and project assignments will be made from the text workbook, handouts or web materials.

At least six hours of preparation time is anticipated each week.

Week 1:  Introduction to course: syllabus, foreign language learning tips and a look at the Spanish you already know. Getting to know each other.  Begin Lección 1: Greetings and Introductions; nouns and articles; the Spanish alphabet.

Week 2: Continue Lección 1: Numbers 0-30; the verb ser; telling time. Reading strategies: using cognates. Culture: Latinos in the United States.  Review  for Lección 1 Prueba (chapter test.)

Week 3: Prueba de Lección 1. Begin Lección 2: At college. Classroom vocabulary, fields of study, academic life and subjects; days of the week; class schedules.

Week 4: Continue Lección 2. Regular ‘ar’ verbs; asking questions; the verb estar; numbers 31-100.l pronouncing vowels. Reading strategies: using format. 

Week 5: Culture: Spain. Review of Lección 2; Prueba de Lección 2.

Week 6: Lección 3: The family. Identifying people; occupations and professions; descriptive adjectives; possessive adjectives.  Diphthongs and linking.

Week 7: Continue Lección 3. Verbs ending in ‘ir’ and ‘er’; the verbs venir and tener; Reading strategies: context. Culture: Ecuador. Prueba de Lección 3.

Week 8: Lección 4: Pastimes. Pastimes, places and activities in the city. Stress and accentuation. The verb ir; stem-changing verbs.

Week 9: Continue Lección 4. Verbs with irregular form in first person; weather expressions. Reading: predict content from visuals. Oral Presentation #1.

Week 10: Culture: Mexico. Review of Lección 4. Prueba de Lección 4.

Week 11: Lección 5: Vacation. Traveling; travel agency; hotel; airport; beach.  The verb estar with conditions and emotions; present progressive verbs; verbs ser and estar; direct object nouns and pronouns; numbers 101+. Reading strategies: scanning.

Week 12: Culture: Puerto Rico. Review of Lección 5. Prueba de Lección 5.

Week 13: Lección 6: Shopping. Clothing; prices; buying; colors. Preterit tense of regular verbs; indirect object pronouns. Oral Presentation #2.

Week 14: Continue Lección 6. Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns. Reading strategy: skimming. Culture: Cuba

Week 15: Review of Lección 6. Work on Final Cultural Project.

Week 16: Prueba de Lección 6. Final Cultural Project Presentations. Class assessment and La fiesta!