SPAN 190-06-Dr.Aiello_MWF

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Department of Hispanic Studies

Fall 2012

Course: Spanish 190: Elementary Spanish I

CRN: 10856

Section: 06

Credits: 3 undergraduate credit hours, meeting 3 times a week for 50 minutes

Days/Time: MWF/ 10:00 to 10:50 am (From August 22 until December 3, 2012)

Place: Bellsouth Room 417

Instructor: Dr. Antonio J. Aiello

Office: Bellsouth Room 203-A

Office hours: M & W (2:00- 3:00 pm), Th (9:30 -10:30pm), and by appointments

Phone: (845) 953-7303

Email:

Personal Website:

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to SPAN 190! This course is for students who have completed 1-2 years of Spanish in high school before enrolling at the College of Charleston. In this course you will continue to develop basic communicative skills in Spanish and use those skills to expand your knowledge of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking peoples of the world.

Why study another language? Part of the purpose of a general education requirement at the College of Charleston is for students to challenge their own preconceived personal and cultural frameworks, as well as to further their intellectual development and personal growth. To this end, the study of a language beyond one’s native tongue pushes one to communicate through different sounds, words, and structures, and it provides an opportunity to gain deeper insight into the practices of one’s own and other cultures. Furthermore, empirical research in recent years suggests that language learning is related to improved cognitive abilities such as attentional control, memory, problem solving, and verbal and spatial abilities.

Why study Spanish? In addition to the academic, cognitive, and social benefits to learning another language, there are unique benefits to learning Spanish. For example, consider the following facts:

  • Spanish is the official language of 21 countries, and there are more than 400 million native speakers of Spanish, more than any other language in the world except for Mandarin Chinese.
  • Spanish has never been a “foreign language” in the United States. In fact, in the present day states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, Spanish was spoken for nearly a century before the first English-speaking settlers arrived in Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Virginia.
  • The United States has the second largest Spanish-speaking population in the world. Only Mexico has more native speakers of Spanish.

OBJECTIVES AND COURSE DESCRIPTION

By the end of the semester you will have increased your Spanish language vocabulary in topics related to daily routines, recent events, future plans, likes and dislikes, descriptions of people and places, history, and food. You will also be better able to comprehend, and produce more accurately, grammatical forms and structures such as the present, the preterite and the imperfect (two different ways to talk about the past), and how to express future events. You will also be better able to comprehend, and produce, more accurately object pronouns, as well the Spanish verbs used for “to be”, “to know”, and “to like”.

CLASS FORMAT

The format of this class is based on the premise that the best way to learn a foreign language is through repeated, meaningful exposure, as well as opportunities to interact with others, even at the beginning levels. Professors follow the policy of no English in class for themselves. It is up to you to seek clarification and raise your hand if you don’t understand something. Within about one week, you should be familiar with the class format and daily expectations. You are expected to arrive to class on time and actively participate. Furthermore, you are expected to be respectful of your peers and assist in the establishment and maintenance of a positive learning environment.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Course Pack for SPAN 101, which contains the following:

  1. Vistazos: Un curso breve. Custom Edition for SPAN 190 at the College of Charleston
  2. CentroOnline Workbook/Manual to AccompanyVistazos,Vol. 1, Lecciones P-9 (purchase at the CofC bookstore or online).

NOTE: The Custom Edition of Vistazos contains chapters P-9 of the 3rd edition. You will purchase one Course Pack each for 190 and 200 (custom text and Centro access code), which will be cheaper than purchasing the 3rd edition.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This course meets either 2- or 3-days a week. However, you will do a substantial portion of work outside of class through Centro, which supports the online workbook. Practicing with target vocabulary and grammatical forms /structures by means of a computer-enhanced course will provide the following advantages:

Self-pacing. You can take the time you need to do the online portion of the course as long as you complete the assignments before the deadlines.

Preparedness. Learning a language successfully requires consistent work and effort (not last minute cramming before an exam). Having to complete assignments in Centro on a regular basis will help you to keep up with the course material, to come to class better prepared, and will improve your chances of success in learning Spanish.

Easy access. You can do your homework from any computer. First, you must create a user account. To do so, you will need the book key, which may be purchased from the College Bookstore.

HOW TO USE CENTRO

After being introduced to and engaged in focused practice with target vocabulary and grammar in class, you will complete several homework assignments in Centro. All Centro activities are due by 11:59pm on the dates specified on the Course Calendar (located at the end of this syllabus). The homework will be most effective if you read again the pages covered during class, and then do the assignments.

Grading in Centro. You will be able to do each activity up to 2 times for a grade (before the due date/time), and Centro will automatically register your highest score in the gradebook. For example, if on your first attempt you score 7/10, and on your second attempt score 9/10, the 9/10 will be the score that posts to your Centro gradebook. The activity will remain available to you after the deadline has passed (although it will no longer count towards your grade). Therefore, you may do each activity as many times as you like, making this an excellent tool for preparing for exams.

Creating an account.

  • GO TO:
  • CLICK ON “Create an account” and enter the following information:
  • Username:can be your CofC username or one you create
  • Password:can be your CofC password or one you create
  • First Name:MUST be your given name as it appears on your Cougar Card
  • Last Name: MUST be your last name as it appears on your Cougar Card
  • E-Mail Address: MUST be your CofC email
  • Country:United States
  • City:Charleston
  • State:South Carolina
  • Zip:29424
  • Time Zone:US/Eastern
  • CLICK “Submit”
  • Enter the course code (HRHKPM833) and CLICK “Submit”
  • Select your class (be sure it is the correct section number, location, and time)
  • CLICK “Submit”
  • Enter the book key (Manual)
  • CLICK “Go”

Instructions for Completing Centro Activities.

  1. Go to login and select your class.
  2. Click on “My Tools” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
  3. Click on “Assignments” and select the appropriate “Lección” and “Parte” from the menu on the left. Then, select and complete the assigned activities (marked with a green “A” under the column labeled “Assigned?”) Be sure to submit your answers BEFORE 11:59 p.m. the night before the date listed on the Course Calendar.

PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE

In order to meet the course goals and objectives, you must attend and actively participate in class.Participation is an important component of your final grade, and each day your professor will make a mark in their grade book regarding your participation (i.e., assign you a daily grade). If you miss class, no participation points can be awarded for that day. There is NO make-up for participation, with the exception of College-recognized religious holy days and properly documented College-sponsored activities that demand your presence. In these cases, students will not be counted as absent and will be awarded the full daily participation points.For religious holy days, students should speak with their professor prior to missing class. Exceptions may be made at the professor’s discretion in situations in which the absence is documented and/or extreme. The College of Charleston’s official policy on absences may be found at:

If you do not agree with the participation grade assigned for a particular day, you should speak to your professor immediately. Disputes over participation grades should not wait until the end of the semester since they are more difficult to document and handle then. Daily participation will be graded according to the following scale:

2 points

  • Arrived on time, attended full class and participated in all activities using Spanish.
  • Brought all required materials (including textbook) to class.

1 point

  • Arrived after class had started, but not by more than a few minutes (3-4).
  • Was not prepared, did not bring required materials, did not participate, and/or did not pay attention.
  • Excessive use of English.

0 points

  • Absent.
  • Arrived more than 6 or 7 minutes after class had started (equivalent to an absence).
  • Left early without instructor’s permission (equivalent to an absence).
  • Disruptive:
  • Do not cut classes, come in late or leave early.
  • Never leave during class unless you absolutely must. Leaving for a short break and then returning is not acceptable.
  • Turn off cell phones, pagers and all other electronic devices.
  • It is rude and unacceptable to talk with classmates while the professor (or another student who has the floor) is talking.
  • Visible and noisy signs of restlessness are rude as well as disruptive to others

Please note that your professor reserves the right to count as absent and/or dismiss from class anyone who is disruptive, as defined by the Division of Student Affairs (see above).

ABSENCE POLICY

Excessive absenteeism not only affects your participation grade, but can also result in failure of this course. Students may miss a maximum of one week of class (i.e., 3 days for classes that meet 3-days-a-week class; 2 days for classes that meet 2-days-a-week class). An additional absence beyond this (i.e., 4 days for classes that meet 3-days-a-week; 3 days for classes that meet 2-days-a-week) will result in 10 points (i.e., 10%) being deducted from your grade in the course. Should you miss an additional class (i.e., 5 days for classes that meet 3-days-a-week; 4 days for classes that meet 2-days-a-week), you will receive a grade of WA (equivalent to an F). Exceptions will only be made in cases that are extreme. The College of Charleston’s official policy on attendance may be found at:

ASSESSMENT AND GRADING SCALE

Your grade in the course will be based on your performance in the following components:

Exams (5) / 40%
Centro / 20%
Attendance and Participation / 15%
Speaking and Writing Assessments (4) / 20%
End of Semester Speaking Assessment / 5%

Exams. There will be 5 exams: 4 lesson exams and 1 comprehensive final exam. You are expected to take all exams on the days indicated in the syllabus.

Centro. Successful language study requires a good bit of homework and it should be done on a regular basis. You need to have completed all assignments by 11:59pm on the due dates (see Course Calendar). The homework will be most effective if you first study the pages covered during class in your book.

NOTE: Although you will not receive a grade for Centro activities completed after the due date has passed, you can re-do them for practice (i.e., in preparation for exams).

Preparation, Attendance, and Participation. (see pp. 3-4)

Speaking and Writing Assessments. Preparing for, attending, and participating in class on a regular basis is the best preparation for the speaking and writing assessments. The target grammar forms are listed on the Course Calendar. There will be 4 of these assessments to be carried out in class with other peers and will be assessed using the following criteria:

Speaking Rubric

10 Excellent / 8 Good / 6 Average / 4 Poor / 2 Incomplete
Response exhibits an advanced ability to communicate in Spanish. / Response is intelligible and reflects proper preparation. / Although response is in Spanish, it is difficult to comprehend. / Response is difficult to understand and reflects little to no preparation.
Response reflects English. / Student does not provide a response.
Student responds in English.

Writing Rubric

10 Excellent / 8 Good / 6 Average / 4 Poor / 2 Incomplete
Writing demonstrates advanced usage of form and vocabulary in target language. / Writing exhibits level appropriate usage of form and vocabulary in target language. / Writing reflects average usage of form and vocabulary in target language (ie, frequent spelling and/or accent errors, subject/verb agreement errors); however, writing is intelligible. / Writing demonstrates poor usage of form and vocabulary in target language and/or frequently incorporates English. / Application of target language form and vocabulary is unintelligible, reflects a large reliance on English, and/or is incomplete.

End of Semester Speaking Assessment. This assessment will either take the form of a small-group, conversation task or a one-on-one interview conducted by your professor. Class will not be held on these days (see Course Calendar), but rather you will sign up for a day and time later in the semester. The expectations and grading rubric will be provided to you as the assessment dates approach.

MAKING UP MISSED WORK

In addition to missing work because of a religious holy day or participation in a properly-documented College-sponsored event, missed work may only be made-up if your absence is coded as “documented” in an “Absence Memo” e-mail from the Office of the Associate Dean of Students (67 George St.). You will not be able to make-up any missed work without documentation, unless your professor agrees that the circumstances are extreme.

Please note that for a religious holy day or participation in a properly-documented College-sponsored event, online homework assignments should be completed before the deadline.

The College of Charleston’s official policy on absences may be found at:

GRADING SCALE

The grading scale at the College of Charleston is as follows:

A / 93-100 / B+ / 87-89 / C+ / 77-79 / D+ / 69 / F / 64-0
A- / 90-92 / B / 83-86 / C / 73-76 / D / 66-68
B- / 80-82 / C- / 70-72 / D- / 65

NOTE:There are no opportunities for extra credit in this course

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

The College of Charleston will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. The Center for Disability Services is located on the first floor of the LightseyCenter, Suite 104. If you are approved for accommodations, notify your professor as soon as possible.

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON HONOR CODE AND CODE OF CONDUCT

You are expected to follow the College of Charleston Honor Code and Code of Conduct in all classes at the College of Charleston. Serious violations include (but are not limited to) giving or receiving unauthorized help on a test or assignment, plagiarizing (copying) work done by others, presenting work that you did not do as your own work, using electronic translation programs for the work in this course, and using cultural material without giving appropriate credit. Any serious violation of the Honor Code in this class will be reported to the Dean of Students and will be dealt with appropriately. If you have any questions about what constitutes your own work, please consult the Honor System website: and/or talk to your professor before turning in work for a grade.

By remaining enrolled in this course past the end of Drop /Add, you are agreeing to:

uphold the College of Charleston Honor Code, and accept accountability for the course.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS COURSE

Research in second language acquisition suggests that certain elements of language learning are more difficult for adults than they are for children. That said, everyone can be successful in learning a second /foreign language. To this end, the best way to do well in a Spanish course is to attend class and participate regularly, complete your homework assignments on time, and study for exams (which includes re-reading pages in the textbook and re-doing for practice online homework assignments listed on the Course Calendar). Your professor wants you to be successful in this course, and you should seek their clarification when necessary. You should feel free attend their office hours (or make an appointment), if desired. You should also feel free to attend the Foreign Languages Tutoring Lab, which is free, and is located in 113 Addlestone Library (Center for Student Learning). Their phone number is 953-8179. Please note that there are no opportunities for extra credit in this course.

Conversation Classes. An optional conversation class, SPAN 190C, meets once a week for 50 minutes and is worth 1 credit. The classes are small (4-10 students) and offer additional speaking practice. You can register for this course through MyCharleston.

COURSE CALENDAR

Minor changes may be made and will be announced in class. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of any changes.

WK / DAY / IN CLASS / Centro Assignments
*All activities due by 11:59pm
on day specified*
1 / W
8/22 / .Bienvenida
.Lección preliminar, Vistazos I: ¿Quién eres?, pp. 1-6 (Recommended Activities: A, B, C)
.Introducción al curso (overview of syllabus)
F
8/24 / Lección preliminar, Vistazos II: Las carreras y las materias, pp. 6-10 (Acts. A, B, C, D) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección preliminar, Vistazos I:
Actividad B: ¿Qué sigue?
Actividad C: Hispanos famosos
Actividad D: ¿Cierto o falso?
Lección preliminar, Vistazos II:
B: ¿Qué materia no pertenece?
C: Las carreras de personas famosas
D: ¿Te gustan estas materias?
2 / M
8/27 / .Lección preliminar, Vistazos III: Más sobre las clases, pp. 12-16 (Acts. B, C, D, E)
.Review of syllabus / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección preliminar, Vistazos III:
B: La universidad
C: ¿De qué habla?
W
8/29 / Lección 1, Vistazos I: La vida de todos los días, pp. 26-30, (Acts. A, B, C)
Lección 1, Vistazos II: Durante la semana, pp. 31-33 (Acts. A, C) / Due by Thursday at 11:59pm:
Lección 1, Vistazos I:
A: La vida estudiantil y la vida real
B: Estudiantes y rutinas
D: ¿Cuándo?
F
8/31 / Lección 1, Vistazos II: Durante la semana, pp. 33-36 (Acts. D, E, F) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección 1, Vistazos II:
A: El horario
B: La rutina del presidente
E: ¿Sábado o lunes?
3 / M
9/3 / Lección 1, Vistazos III: Más sobre las rutinas, pp. 37-42 (Acts. A, E, F, H) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 1, Vistazos III:
A: El horario de Clara
B: ¿A qué hora se levanta?
W
9/5 / Speaking and Writing Assessment 1
Half of the students this class, half the following class.
(Based on Intercambio, p. 43)
F
9/7 / Speaking and Writing Assessment 1
Half of the students this class, half the previous class.
(Based on Intercambio, p. 43)
4 / M
9/10 / EXAMEN: Lecciones Preliminar y 1
W
9/12 / Lección 2, Vistazos I: Actividades para el fin de semana, pp. 47-52 (Acts. A, B, D, E, H, I) / Due by Thursday at 11:59pm:
Lección 2, Vistazos I:
A: Sábados o domingos
B: Causa y efecto
G: ¿Cuál es?
F
9/14 / Lección 2, Vistazos II: Las otras personas, pp. 52-53 (Acts. A, B, C, D) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección 2, Vistazos II:
A: Los domingos
B: Rafael y Jesús
5 / M
9/17 / Lección 2, Vistazos III: El tiempo y las estaciones, pp. 56-61 (Acts. A, C, E, F) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 2, Vistazos III:
A: El tiempo,
B: Más sobre el tiempo
C: Las estaciones y el tiempo
E: Los meses
G: Ana y Carmen
W
9/19 / Speaking and Writing Assessment 2
Half of the students the first half of class, half the second half.
(Based on Intercambio, pp. 62-63)
F
9/21 / Lección 3, Vistazos I: Ayer y anoche (I), pp. 66-72 (Acts. A, B, E, G) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección 3, Vistazos I:
A: La noche de María
B: ¿Qué características?
C: ¿Presente o pretérito?
F: ¿Él/Ella o yo?
G: ¡Di la verdad!
I: El miércoles pasado
6 / M
9/24 / Lección 3, Vistazos I: Ayer y anoche (I), pp. 72-74 (Acts. H, I)
Lección 3, Vistazos II: Ayer y anoche (II), pp. 75-75, 79-80 (Acts. A, F, G) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 3, Vistazos I:
H: El fin de semana pasado
Lección 3, Vistazos II:
A ¿Padres o profesores?
D ¿Por qué?
E: ¡Es cierto!
F: ¿Quiénes lo dijeron?
G: El sábado pasado
W
9/26 / EXAMEN: Lecciones 2 y 3
F
9/28 / Lección 4, Vistazos I: La familia nuclear, pp. 92-94 (Acts. A, B, C)
Lección 4, Vistazos II: La familia “extendida”, pp. 98-101 (Acts. B, D, E) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección 4, Vistazos I:
A: La familia de Ángela,
B: ¿Quién es quién?
D: La familia de Raúl
E: Preguntas
Lección 4, Vistazos II:
D: Definiciones
E: ¡En el metro!
7 / M
10/1 / Lección 4, Vistazos III: Mis relaciones con la familia, pp. 102-109 (Acts. A,B, F, H, I) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 4, Vistazos III:
D: ¿Qué pasa en estos dibujos?
F: ¿Quién es?
G: Un talento especial
H: ¿Qué pasa en estos dibujos?
I: Alternativas
W
10/3 / Speaking and Writing Assessment 3
Half of the students this class, half the previous class.
(Based on Intercambio, p. 110)
F
10/5 / Speaking and Writing Assessment 3
Half of the students this class, half the following class.
(Based on Intercambio, p. 110)
8 / M
10/8 / Lección 5, Vistazos I: Características físicas, pp. 113-117 (Act. G)
Lección 5, Vistazos II: Otras características, pp. 118-121 (Acts. E, F) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 5, Vistazos I:
A: Más sobre la apariencia física
C: Ana y Marta
D: Juanita y Susana
E: ¿Se parecen?
Lección 5, Vistazos II:
A: Correspondencia
W
10/10 / Lección 5, Vistazos II: Otras características, pp. 118-121 (Acts. G, H)
Lección 5, Vistazos III: Más sobre las relaciones familiares, pp. 122-125 (Act. A) / Due by Thursday at 11:59pm:
Lección 5, Vistazos II:
C: ¿Normal o algo inesperado?
D: Reacciones
E: ¿Saber o conocer?
F
10/12 / Speaking and Writing Assessment 4
Half of the students the first half of class, half the second half.
(Targets saber y conocer, pp. 120-121)
9 / M
10/15 / Fall Break: No hay clase
W
10/17 / Lección 5, Vistazos III: Más sobre las relaciones familiares, pp. 122-125 (Acts. B, C, D) / Due by Thursday at 11:59pm:
Lección 5, Vistazos III:
A: ¿Reflexivo o no?
B: ¿Se o lo/la?
C:Correspondencias
E: ¿Qué hacen?
F
10/19 / EXAMEN: Lecciones 4 y 5
10 / M
10/22 / Lección 6, Vistazos I: Años y épocas, pp. 131-135 (Acts. A, E, F, H, I) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 6, Vistazos I:
A: Entre 30 y 100
B: ¿Cuántos años tiene… ?
C: Más edades
D: ¿Qué número?
E: Años
F: ¿En qué año?
G: ¿Qué está haciendo?
H: ¿Dónde?
W
10/24 / Lección 6, Vistazos II: Épocas anteriores, pp. 136-140 (Acts. A, D, B, C) / Due by Thursday at 11:59pm:
Lección 6, Vistazos II:
A: Alternativas
B. Contrastes
F
10/26 / Lección 6, Vistazos II: Épocas anteriores, pp. 141-143 (Acts. G, H, I, Situación) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección 6, Vistazos II:
H: Comparaciones
J: Hoy y ayer
11 / M
10/29 / Lección 7, Vistazos I: Los hábitos de comer, pp. 152-155 (Acts. A, B, C, E, F) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 7, Vistazos I:
A: ¿Tienes buena memoria?
B: ¿Cuál se describe?
D: ¿Eres atrevido/a?
E: ¿Quién?
W
10/31 / Lección 7, Vistazos I: Los hábitos de comer, pp. 155-160 (Acts. G, I, J, K) / Due by Thursday at 11:59pm:
Lección 7, Vistazos I:
F: Si eres…
G: ¡Tantas preocupaciones!
F
11/2 / Lección 7, Vistazos II: A la hora de comer, pp. 160-165 (Acts. A, C, E, G) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección 7, Vistazos II:
A: Asociaciones
B: ¿Qué incluye y qué no incluye?
C: El desayuno
D: ¿Cuál se describe?
E: Más definiciones
F: Una conversación sobre la comida
G: ¿Qué comida es?
12 / M
11/5 / Lección 7, Vistazos III: Los gustos, pp. 166-171 (Acts. D, E, F, G) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 7, Vistazos III:
B: Más definiciones
C: ¿Objeto indirecto o sujeto? (I)
D: ¿Objeto indirecto o sujeto? (II)
E: ¿Objeto indirecto o sujeto?
F: Bebidas
G: ¿Alta cocina o comida rápida?
W
11/7 / EXAMEN: Lecciones 6 y 7
F
11/9 / Lección 8, Vistazos I: Los buenos modales, pp. 176-181 (Acts. A, B, C, D, E) / Due by Sunday at 11:59pm:
Lección 8, Vistazos I:
D: En McDonald’s
E: Situaciones y resultados
F: Recomendaciones
13 / M
11/12 / Lección 8, Vistazos III: En un restaurante, pp. 187-191 (Acts. A, C, G, Intercambio) / Due by Tuesday at 11:59pm:
Lección 8, Vistazos III:
A: Selecciones
B: ¿Cuándo ocurre?
C: ¿Para qué se usa?
D: ¿Para niños o adultos
W
11/14 / Lección 9, Vistazos I: Las bebidas, pp. 194-197 (Acts. A, B, D, F) / Due by Thursday at 11:59pm:
Lección 9, Vistazos I:
A: Ocasiones diferentes
E: Anoche
F
11/16 / Lección 9, Vistazos II: Prohibiciones y responsabilidades, pp. 198-204 (Acts. A, B, C, Situación)
14 / M
11/19 / Vistazos culturales y ¿Sabías qué? Day: pp. 18, 39, 60, 78, 82, 97, 126, 144, 132, 144, 167, 185, 201, y/o 202
W
11/21 / Thanksgiving Break: No hay clase
F
11/23
15 / M
11/26 / End of Semester Speaking Assessment
W
11/28 / End of Semester Speaking Assessment
F
11/30 / End of Semester Speaking Assessment
16 / M
12/3 / .Repaso
.Listening Section of the Final Exam

Final Exam (Cumulative):