Spanish204
FourthSemesterSpanish
TheDepartmentofForeignLanguagesCulturesatWashingtonStateUniversity4credits–Spring 2016
COURSEDESCRIPTION
Spanish204isanintermediateSpanishcoursethatteachesthelanguagethroughcollaborativeworkandotherformsofstudentinteraction.Thecoursetextbook,Gente:NivelIntermedioisstructuredaroundtheconceptofcooperativelearning.Thisapproachallowsstudentstotakecontrolofthelearningprocesswhilethecourseinstructoractsasguide,facilitatorandmonitor.Thetextbook’scommunicativeapproachexposesstudentstoarichsourceofauthenticcomprehensibleinputandencouragestheuseofSpanishforrelevant,real-lifesituations.Thisactiveapproachenables and encouragesstudents to listen,read,speak,andwriteeffectivelyin Spanish.
Duringthiscourse,studentswill…
COURSEGOALS
- developintermediatespeakingandlisteningskillsinSpanish
- developintermediatereadingandwritingskillsinSpanish
- gaincontroloverthe most commonly-usedelementsofSpanishgrammar
- developanunderstandingoftheculturesoftheSpanish-speakingworld
COURSEOUTCOMES
Bytheend ofthiscourse, thesuccessfulstudent will…
- Speak in Spanishontopicsrelatedtodiscussing andrelating pastevents,sharingand acquiring personalinformation,making plans,making suggestionsand proposals,speeddating!,businessandmarketing,personalhabitsandcustoms,hypotheticalsituationsandprobabilities.
- Understand spoken Spanish onavariety of importanttopics
- Read and understandtextswrittenin Spanishonavarietyoftopics
- Producedescriptive,narrativeandpersuasivewrittentextsin Spanishin the present, pastandfuturetenses.
- Appropriatelyhandlethemostcommon and importantelementsof Spanishgrammar
- Demonstratefamiliaritywithculturaltopics andpractices in Spanish-speakingcountriesand cultures.
REQUIREDCOURSEMATERIALS
- Munné, Paredes,Martín,Sánchez, Sans (2012)GENTE.NivelIntermedio. Pearson
- Textbookcompanionwebsite(
COURSECOMPONENTSGRADINGPOLICY
Attendance Class Participation / 20% / A / 93-100 / A- / 90-92OnlineHomework / 10% / B+ / 88-89 / B / 83-87
ChapterExams / 25% / B- / 80-82 / C+ / 78-79
TareaPresentations / 10% / C / 73-77 / C- / 70-72
FinalOralExam / 10% / D / 65-69 / F / 0-65
Final WrittenExam / 15%
Essay / 10%
COURSECOMPONENTSDETAILEDDESCRIPTIONS
AttendanceandClassParticipation
(20%ofFinalGrade)
Learning a foreign languagerequiresa greatdealof practice. Activeclassroomparticipationis an essentialforthisclass, dueto thefactthat studentsfrequently work inpairs andsmallgroupscompletingcommunicativeactivities.Therefore, itisvery important toattend classeveryday!! Thecourseinstructorwillrecord students’ participationin his/hergradebookeveryday, and thesegradeswill bereportedtostudentsonaweeklybasis.
Studentsmustattend classinorderto receivetheseparticipationpoints. Ifyou donot agree with theparticipation grade,you should speaktoyourinstructorimmediately.Disputesoverparticipation gradesshouldnotwait untilthe endofthesemestersincetheyare muchmoredifficultto document and handlethen.Dailyparticipation isgraded in thefollowingway:
5pts-SUPERIOR / 4pts–Good- Attendedentireclassandarrivedontime
- Completedany6ofthe8pointsfromSuperior
- Broughtrequiredmaterialstoclass
- Activelylistenedinclass
- Completedany5ofthe8pointsfromSuperior
- AttemptedtouseappropriateSpanishwords
- Stayedontask
- Completedany4ofthe8pointsfromSuperior
- SpokeonlySpanish
- Participatedinallactivitieswithenthusiasm
- NotpresentinclassORarrivedmorethan15minuteslate
- Helpedothersdotheabove
Attendance
Eachstudentis allowed4unexcused absences.Everyabsenceafter4will causethefinalgradetodropone fullletter:5 absences= B,6 absences = C,7absences=D,8absences= F. Absenceswill beexcusedonlyfor legitimateuniversity-related businessand/orincasesofdocumented emergency(seeAbsence Policybelow).Thedailyparticipation gradeforany unexcusedabsenceis0. Studentswhohaveextensiveabsencesshould meetwith theirinstructorsto discuss their gradeand possibleaccommodations.Anysuchconversationmusttakeplacebeforethe endof thesecond tolastweekofclasses. No accommodationwill bemade the lastweekofclasses.
Absence Policy
Athletesandothers in sponsoreduniversityprogramswho have avalid excuseformissing class,homework,or anexamarerequired toprovidewritten documentation(aletterfromtheprogram sponsor) ofscheduledabsencestothe courseinstructorwithin thefirst2weeksof the beginning ofthecourse.Afterthisis reviewed andapproved,studentsmustmakearrangementswiththeinstructorto makeupworkorexamsthat willbemissed.Make-upexamsor homeworkextensionsare considered onlyin casesof extenuating illnessand/oremergencycircumstances. Ajob,out-of-townleisuretrip for a non-universitysponsored program,or leaving townearlydoesnot constitute alegitimateexcuseformissing class,an exam,or homework. Inorderforan accommodationtobeconsideredin thecaseofillness ormedicalemergencythatresulted inmissedhomeworkassignmentsattendance,orexamsthestudentmustprovidea written explanationofthe absenceas soon as possibleto thecourseinstructor andalso theBeginning SpanishProgram Director,Dr.Hubert().Formedicalcircumstances inwhich studentsobtain an excusedabsence, studentsmust ensure thattheir homeworkis turnedin beforeclassin ordertobeeligibleforcredit.Studentswitha legitimateexcuserequesting amake-up exam orextensionon thecompletion of anyhomeworkassignmentmustpresent theexcusetotheirinstructorwithin 7calendardaysofreturningtoclasstobeeligibleforconsideration formake-up work/exam options.No extensionwill begivenafterthisdeadline has elapsed. Ifstudentscannotmeetthisdeadline,theymustcontacttheDirectorof theBeginning SpanishProgram,DrHubert()immediately.Make-upexamsmustbecompletedwithin1 calendarweekof returning to class,otherwise a replacementgrade will beawarded(thescoreyouobtainon thesamecomponentsofyourfinalexam).Make-up homeworkassignmentsmustbecompletedwithin10calendardaysof returning to class.
Homework
(10%of FinalGrade)
Mosthomeworkassignmentswill becompletedonlineand graded automatically,allowingstudentsto monitortheir progressthroughoutthesemester. Allhomeworkassignmentsforthelesson are due on the dayassignedon MySpanishLab.calendar.Thecompletionof theseexercises isa requisiteforbeing abletoadequatelyparticipate inclass andtoperform wellon lessonexams andfinalexams. Itisveryimportanttocompleteallassignedhomeworktosucceed in thecourse.Onlinehomeworkisdue everySunday,Tuesday, andThursday.Itisrecommendedthat studentsdonotleavehomeworkforthelastminuteandplanaccordingly as computersand/orinternetcan failwhenpeoplearein a hurry.Aspart ofthehomework it is required thatyou reviewthe“ConsultorioLingüístico” on each lesson beforeclass.
Theseassignments canbeaccessedthroughPearson’sMySpanishLab websiteat includeactivitiestargeting reading,writing,speaking,listening, andculture. Inaddition tothetextbookitself, students areresponsible forALSOpurchasing an accesscodeforthiswebsite.
If youexperienceanydifficultyaccessingMySpanishLab, or have anytechnical problemscompletingexercisesthroughoutthe semester, pleasespeakto yourcourseinstructorimmediately,or youcan alsocontactPearson’sCustomerSupportat (415)402-2500.
ChapterExams
(25%ofFinalGrade)
A total of6 chapterexamsaddressingreading,writing,listening,vocabulary, andculturalinformationwillbeofferedthroughoutthesemester.See weekly schedule fordates.Studentswill beprovidedwith detailed studyguidesfortheseexams,and areresponsiblefor allmateriallistedon thesestudy guides.Course instructorswillmakeuseofclasstimeprimarilytoworkonthoseaspectsof Spanishthatstudentstend tofindmorechallenging,as wellas toprovidestudentswith ampleopportunitiestopracticetheir reading,writing,speaking, andlisteningskills, andtobuild theirculturalknowledge.Not allmaterialon theseexams willbenecessarilybeexplicitlycoveredor reviewed during class, although itwill beclearlydefined onexamstudyguides.Questionsregardingthematerialarewelcomeduring class and during theinstructor’sofficehours.
TareaPresentations
(10%ofFinalGrade)
Thepurposeofthisactivity is forstudentstopractice,gainfluency, andlearn speaking skills in Spanish.Thisis agroup activityandwillbegraded as a group.Thesepresentationsshould reflect group/teamwork. Eachpresentation willbe tiedto a lesson’stopic,grammarand vocabulary.Studentswill begradedontheirpronunciation,organization,useof theappropriategrammarandvocabulary, inaddition toteamwork. It isrecommendedto practice/rehearsethepresentationas a group beforeperforming it. Studentsshould avoidreading wordby wordfrom visualsor fromnotecards.Pleasemakesureyou are inclasswhengroupsareassigned andwhenwework inclassforthisactivity.Thiscountsas10%ofthefinalgradeand absentpeoplewillnot beassignedtoanygroup.Yourinstructorwillprovideand explaintherubricand any further instructionsaboutthisactivity.
FinalOralExam
(10%ofFinalGrade)
Each student’sability tospeakSpanish willbe formallyevaluatedat the endofthesemester.Theoralexamconsistsofa conversation completedbetween pairsofstudentsthat isobservedand gradedbythecourseinstructor.Theseexamswill takeplaceoutside ofclasstimeand willbescheduledin advance.Thosewho havebeen consistent in using and speakingSpanishthroughout thesemesterdo considerablybetteron thisassignment.
FinalWrittenExam
(15%ofFinalGrade)
A comprehensivewrittenexam targeting reading,writing, andlistening skillswilltakeplaceduring finalsweek.Seeweeklyschedulefordate andtime.
Essay10%
Anessaywritten inthree parts;firstdraft,second draft,and thirddraft.Studentswill have the opportunity towritean essay inSpanish andlearn aboutdifferenttypes of essaysdepending onthepurposeand theaudience.Inaddition,studentsimprovetheirreading andwriting skills inSpanish using grammarand citing referencesappropriately.Thisessaycan beused asa sampleessayfortheWSU JuniorWriting Portfolio.Theinstructorwillprovide studentswithall theguidelinesand deadlinesforthisactivity.
StudentswithDisabilities
Reasonableaccommodations areavailableforstudents withadocumenteddisability. Ifyou havea disabilityandneed accommodationstofullyparticipate in thisclass,please eithervisitorcallthe AccessCenter(WashingtonBuilding 217;509-335-3417)toschedule an appointment with an AccessAdvisor.All accommodationsMUSTbeapprovedthrough theAccessCenter.
AcademicDishonestyStatement
Cheating and/orplagiarismwillnotbetolerated in thiscourse.Anystudentcaughtcheatingor plagiarizingwillreceive anautomaticzerofortheworkand will notbegivenany opportunitytorewrite/redothework.
According tothe WSUAcademicIntegrityGuidelines,two formsofcheating aredefined:
1.Plagiarism-“studentpresents asone’sown, forwords tobesubmittedforacademiccreditorevaluation,theideas,representationsorwordsof anotherpersonwithoutcustomaryand properacknowledgmentofsources.”Cutting andpasting frominternetsourceswithoutputting thematerial in yourownwordsand/orwithoutstatingsourcesIS plagiarism.
2.Submissionof ghostwritten workin fulfillmentof assignments.Youareallowedtogoto theWriting Centerforhelp in editing yourwrittenwork,butmaynotuseworkwritten byothersasyourown.
WSUSafety
Washington StateUniversity is committedto maintaining a safeenvironmentof itsfaculty,staffandstudents.Theuniversityhasdeveloped aresourceto ensurethissafety,theCampusSafety Plan,which canbefound at It contains a comprehensivelisting of universitypolicies,procedures,statistics,andinformation relating to campussafety,emergencymanagement,and thehealthandwelfareof thecampuscommunity. In addition,theUniversityemergencymanagementwebsiteat andemergencyinformation.Allstudentsarerequestedto bookmarkin theircomputersand becomefamiliarwith theWSU ALERT site( aboutwarning andemergencynotification procedures.
Allstudentsare requestedtoregistertheiremergencycontactinformation forthe CrisisCommunicationSystem(CCS).Todoso,gotothemyWSU portal at yournetworkIDandpasswordand,onceyou areonyourmyWSUmainwebpage,lookforthe EmergencyNotificationboxontherightsideofthepageand clickon Register.Youwill beaskedtoenteryoucell, landline,and emailcontactinformationtoensureyou receiveany notification as soon aspossible.Finally, ifyou need helpevaluating your area intermsof safetyand emergencymanagement or have any recommendations,contactChrisTapfer,r335-7471orvisittheOfficeofEmergencyManagementsite at
SpecialCourseFee
YourWSU usernameandpassword willallowyou toaccessthemanyservicesoffered bytheLanguageLearningResourceCenter(LLRC) inThompson210.TheLLRCsupportsstudent accessto computer-basedlanguagelearningresources andmulti-lingual wordprocessingaswellasbasicprinting services. In addition,theLLRCoffersawelcoming learning environmentwithmultiplecomputerstationsforyou toworkindividuallyorwith fellowstudentson courseassignments.
CourseWeeklySchedule
Week / Day / TextbookChapter / Readings/ TopicofDiscussion1 / Mon, Jan 11 / Introducciónalcurso/Syllabus
Wed, Jan 13 / Repaso/Introducciónalcurso
Fri, Jan 15 / Lecciones2:Gentegenial / AcercamientosyVocabularioencontexto
2 / Mon, Jan 18 / MLK Jr Day HOLIDAY / NO HAY CLASE
Wed, Jan 20 / Gramática
Fri, Jan 22 / Interaccionesypreparaciónparalatarea
3 / Mon, Jan 25 / PresentacióndelaTarea
Wed, Jan 27 / GentequeLee
Fri, Jan 29 / ExamenLección2
4 / Mon, Feb 1 / Lección3:GenteyAventura / AcercamientosyVocabularioencontexto
Wed, Feb 3 / Gramática
Fri, Feb 5 / Interaccionesypreparaciónparalatarea
5 / Mon, Feb 8 / PresentacióndelaTarea
Wed, Feb 10 / GentequeLee
Fri, Feb 12 / ExamenLección3
6 / Mon, Feb 15 / PRESIDENT’S DAY HOLIDAY / NO HAY CLASE
Wed, Feb 17 / Lección4:Gentesolidaria / AcercamientosyVocabularioencontexto
Fri, Feb 19 / Gramática(Instruccionesparaleensayo)
7 / Mon, Feb 22 / Interaccionesypreparaciónparalatarea
Wed, Feb 24 / PresentacióndelaTarea
Fri, Feb 26 / GentequeLee(EntregarPrimerBorradordelEnsayo)
8 / Mon, Feb 29 / ExamenLección4
Wed, Mar 2 / Lección5:Genteconcorazón / AcercamientosyVocabularioencontexto
Fri, Mar 4 / Gramática
9 / Mon, Mar 7 / Interaccionesypreparaciónparalatarea
Wed, Mar 9 / PresentacióndelaTarea
Fri, Mar 11 / Gentequelee
10 / Mon, Mar 14 / SPRING VACATION / NO HAY CLASE
Wed, Mar 16 / SPRING VACATION / NO HAY CLASE
Fri, Mar 18 / SPRING VACATION / NO HAY CLASE
11 / Mon, Mar 21 / ExamenLección5
Wed, Mar 23 / Lección6:Genteyproductos / AcercamientosyVocabularioencontexto
Fri, Mar 25 / Gramática(segundoborradorensayoDue)
12 / Mon, Mar 28 / Gentequelee
Wed, Mar 30 / Lección7:Genteyculturas / AcercamientosyVocabularioencontexto
Fri, Apr 1 / Gramática
13 / Mon, Apr 4 / Interaccionesypreparaciónparalatarea
Wed. Apr 6 / Presentación de laTarea
Fri, Apr 8 / GentequeLee
14 / Mon, Apr 11 / Examen(lecciones67)
Wed, Apr 13 / Lección9:Genteyemociones / AcercamientosyVocabularioencontexto
Fri, Apr 15 / Gramática
15 / Mon, Apr 18 / Interaccionesypreparaciónparalatarea
Wed, Apr 20 / PresentacióndelaTarea
Fri, Apr 22 / ExamenLección9
16 / Mon, Apr 25 / RepasoExamen Final / (EntregardelEnsayo Final)(ExamenOral)
Wed, Apr 27 / RepasoExamen Final / (examenoral)
Fri, Apr 29 / RepasoExamen Final / (examenOral)
Thissyllabusisacontractbetweenstudentsandthecourseinstructor.Agreementbyeachstudent tostayinthiscourseconstitutesandacceptanceofitsterms.