SPNS400: Spanish Applied Linguistics

(Fall 2016)

M/W/F 3:00-3:50, LA 249

Instructor: Dr. Pablo E. Requena

Email:

Office: LA 319

Office hours: M/W/F 10:00-10:30 and4:00-5:00, by appointment

(Please e-mail me to schedule appointment)

Course Description[1]

The focus of this course is linguistics applied to the Spanish language with an emphasis on Spanish morphology, syntax, and semantics. Some specific structures will be studied in depth, such as preterit vs. imperfect aspectual differences. Since the course is required for teacher candidates, students will teach one lesson on a grammatical structure as the culmination of a research project investigating that structure in depth.

Course Objectives

By the end of this class, you should be able to:

1. Read, understand the main points, and summarize technical texts in linguistics.

2. Describe/Justify how a particular features of the Spanish language work using technical terms.

3. Apply your knowledge of the content of this class to answer questions, do exercises.

4. Research a particular feature of Spanish and write a technical report describing how it works.

5. Plan an activity showing how a particular feature of Spanish could be taught to learners of Spanish as a foreign language.

Pre- /Co-requisite

At least one course in linguistics (e.g. LING 270 or 470) is a pre- or co-requisite for this course.

Materials

1. Required books:

Lunn & DeCesaris (1992). Investigación de Gramática. 2a edición.

Butt & Benjamin (2004). A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish.5th edition.

2. PDF files available on course moodle supplement are chapters/sections from:

Azevedo, M. (2005). Introducción a la lingüística española. 2a edición.

Fromkin, Rodman, & Hyams (2003). An Introduction to Language.7th edition.

Hualde, Olarrea, & Escobar (2001). Introducción a la Lingüística Hispánica.

Koike & Klee (2003). Lingüísticaaplicada.

Course Requirements and Grading

In this class we will be using a point system. This means that for each assignment you will receive points. You can easily predict the performance on the course as the semester unfolds by adding up the points you have so far and compare that to the table below:

Grading scale

Letter grade / Points / Letter grade / Points
A / 93-100 / C / 73-76
A- / 90-92 / C- / 70-72
B+ / 87-89 / D+ / 67-69
B / 83-86 / D / 63-66
B- / 80-82 / D- / 60-62
C+ / 77-79 / F / 0-59

Now, let’s see which are the graded assignments and requirements:

  • Final Project (20 points of final grade): “Supervised Translation Project” (STP)

a)The STP will meet nine times throughout the semester (always on Fridays). A total of 16 points correspond to Attendance + Work during the project meetings.

  • Attendance (8p): only 1 meeting out of the 9 can be missed, but ideally no one should miss a meeting because the whole project falls behind and that person adds work to the rest. In these meetings we will be also learning about how Spanish and English work, so missing a meeting has negative effects on what you’re learning in this class as well.
  • Work (8p): During our meetings, we need to work very hard to get work done. This means that wasting time, not showing hard work, and not advancing in the project during a meeting will result in a student getting only 1p for that meeting for attendance, but losing the point for Work.

b)The remaining 4 points can be earned by showing extra initiative in the project. For example, searching for translation equivalents at home, solving a translation problem by resorting to online research out of class, etc.

  • Exams(40 points of final grade):There will be 2 exams. If you have to miss an exam (only for emergencies), you must let me know in advance. Make-up exams will be entirely essay-based.

a) Midterm:(20 pointsof final grade)

b) Final Exam: (20 pointsof final grade)

  • Quizzes (20points of final grade): There will be 4 quizzes. If you have to miss a quiz for a valid reason, you must contact me in advance. There will be no make-up quizzes. The average grade of all the other 3 quizzes will be used in lieu of your missed quiz.

a) Quiz 1 (5 points of final grade)

b) Quiz 2 (5 points of final grade)

c) Quiz 3 (5 points of final grade)

d) Quiz 4 (5 points of final grade)

  • Participation/Homework (20points of final grade):

a)Homework Assignments (15points)

Some, but not all, homework assignments will be handed in to be graded.

b)Quality of in-class participation (5points)

This part of your participation grade is based on the quality of daily in-class participation, an important component of this course. In order to receive full credit in this area, students must regularly demonstrate knowledge of the readings by answering questions in class, consistently participate in in-class activities and discussions in a way that shows unwavering focus and dedication, and refrain from distracting, disrespectful, or otherwise objectionable behaviors (like using a cell phone).

Other Policies and Information

E-mail/Companion site/Moodle:All students must frequently access their email, the student companion site to the textbook, &our Moodlesite.

Extra credit:There will be no extra credit assignments in this class.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism:Allstudents must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to academic penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University. All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. See:

Special Considerations and/or Disabilities: The University of Montana assures equal access to instruction through collaboration between students with disabilities, instructors, and Disability Services for Students. If you think you may have a disability adversely affecting your academic performance, and you have not already registered with Disability Services, please contact Disability Services in Lommasson Center 154 or 406.243.2243. I will work with you and Disability Services to provide an appropriate modification.

Office hours: One of the best ways to take full advantage of learning in this course is by coming to my office hours. I am anxious to guide you in your academic pursuits. Take advantage of the hours listed above or email me for an appointment if those times do not work for you. If you come for help with the course materials, please bring your notes and prepare your questions in advance.

Cell-phone, Tablet, and Laptop Use: You may not use cell phones in class, and I would prefer that you do not use laptops or iPads either. Checking email, texting, Facebook, etc. is distracting for you and for me.

Course Schedule

Fechas / Temas / Lecturas /evaluaciones / entregas
Introducción y la noción de la gramática descriptiva
8/29 / Introducción al curso, repaso de terminología importante, / Leer L&D “To the student” xi-xii & Capítulopreliminar xiii-xvii
8/31 / Gramáticas prescriptivas vs. descriptivas / “WhatisGrammar?”
Parte 1: La morfología verbal
9/2 / Conceptos básicos de la morfología
At3:20pm we will have a visitor from Poverello Center / Hualde et al. 123-136
ButtBenjamin 166-175, 193-201;
Hualde et al. 145-152
20 min presentation and 10 Q&A
9/5 / Labor Day - No Classes, Offices Closed
9/7 / Flexión verbal: verbos regulares / ButtBenjamin 166-175, 193-201;
Hualde et al. 145-152
9/9 / Flexión verbal: verbos irregulares / Hualde et al. 153-158
9/12 / Supervised Translation Project 1 QUIZ 1 (la morfología verbal)
Parte 2: La semántica verbal
9/14 / El tiempo y el aspecto / B&B, 202-205, 216-240
L&D, Ch. 1,
9/16 / El pretérito y el imperfecto / L&D, Ch. 2, B&B, 206-215
9/19 / Ser, estar y haber / L&D, Ch. 3, B&B, 408-420
9/21 / Ser, estar y haber cont’d / L&D, Ch. 3, B&B, 408-420
9/23 / Supervised Translation Project 2
9/26 / Los modos indicativo y subjuntivo / L&D, Ch. 4, B&B, 241-282
9/28 / Los modos indicativo y subjuntivo cont’d
9/30 / Supervised Translation Project 3 QUIZ 2 (la semántica verbal)
Parte 3: La frase nominal
10/3 / El sustantivo, el artículo y el adjetivo / L&D Ch. 7, Butt & Benjamin, 1-70; Koike & Klee, 124-126
10/5 / El sustantivo, el artículo y el adjetivo cont’d / L&D Ch. 7, Butt & Benjamin, 1-70; Koike & Klee, 124-126
10/7 / Prof. Requena presents research at Hispanic Linguistic Symposium (no class)
10/10 / Repaso para el examen mid-term
10/12 / MID-TERM EXAM (Partes 1, 2 y 3)
10/14 / Supervised Translation Project 4
Parte 4: La sintaxis
10/17 / Los constituyentes de la oración / Azevedo, 151-162
10/19 / Recursos sintácticos / Azevedo, 163-171
10/21 / Supervised Translation Project 5
10/24 / Funciones sintácticas y clases de verbos / Azevedo 174-177
10/26 / La oración compleja / Azevedo, 193-200
10/28 / Supervised Translation Project 6
10/31 / La oración compleja / Azevedo, 193-200
11/2 / La oración compleja cont’d / Azevedo, 193-200 cont’d
11/4 / Supervised Translation Project 7
11/7 / Las cláusulas relativas / L&D Ch. 8, B&B, Ch. 35
11/9 / Las cláusulas relativas / L&D Ch. 8, B&B, Ch. 35
11/11 / Veterans Day (no classes)
11/14 / La variaciónsintáctica / SPE (OtheguyZentella), VCP (Davies 1995)
11/16 / La variaciónsintáctica / QUIZ3 (la sintaxis)
Parte 5: Adverbios y frases preposicionales
11/18 / La situación verbal y el adverbio / L&D Ch. 9
11/21 / Supervised Translation Project 8
11/23 / Student Travel Day – No Classes
11/25 / Thanksgiving Break – No Classes, Offices Closed
11/28 / Las preposiciones y el caso de por y para / L&D Ch. 10
11/30 / El caso de por y paracont’d
12/2 / Fin Supervised Translation Project 9
12/5 / QUIZ 4 (adverbios y FP)
12/7 / Revisión para el examen final
12/9 / Revisión para el examen final
12/14 / EXAMEN FINAL: 1:10-3:10 p.m. - Wed., Dec 14th

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