SPNS 202
Fall 2013- The University of Montana
Instructor: Kelly Noe Class meets: ______
E-mail: Class location: ______
Office: LA 329 CRN #: ______
Phone: 243-2976
Office hours: MTRF 12-1, W 11-12
Course Description:
This is a 4-credit hour intermediate course designed for students who have had the equivalent of three semesters of college Spanish. Intermediate Spanish courses aim to improve proficiency in the areas of reading, listening, speaking and writing, and to deepen understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures. Students will further their knowledge of the subjunctive mood while working toward a more sophisticated understanding of Spanish grammar in general. Students should have already mastered the two aspects of the past tense (preterite vs. imperfect) and have a firm grasp on the uses of the present subjunctive before enrolling in this course.
Required materials:
1. Text: Pellettieri, López-Burton, Hershberger, Navey-Davis, Gómez. Rumbos.
Second Edition. (2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4282-6226-3 (textbook)
WEBSITES:
1. Rumbos Student Website (Review & Practice, Test Prep):
www.college.cengage.com/spanish/0495801607_pellettieri
2. Extra Practice:
www.colby.edu/~bknelson
3. Dictionary:
www.wordreference.com
GRADING:
Final Exam (cumulative) 15%
Two Mid-term Exams 20%
Quizzes 25%
Oral Exam and/or presentation 10%
Class Participation/Homework 30%
COURSE FORMAT / EXPECTATIONS:
Ø The instructor will conduct the course entirely in Spanish. Students are expected to make every effort to communicate in Spanish with instructor and classmates.
Ø To succeed in this class you have the responsibility of studying a new grammar point or learning new vocabulary on your own before we go over it in class. Class time will be used to answer questions and practice but not to reiterate what is explained in the book.
Ø Students are expected to study 8-10 hours per week to pass this course satisfactorily.
HISPANIC CULTURAL EVENTS:
Ø Students are encouraged to attend the Spanish conversation table once over the course of the semester. There are other Spanish tables in the community that students may also attend.
Ø For every Hispanic cultural event attended, 1% will be added to the final exam score at the end of this course. Students may earn a maximum of 10%. Each cultural event must be approved by instructor. Films[1] in Spanish will be shown outside of class once of month. TBA
GRADING SCALE:
A 94-100 A- 90-93 B + 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79
C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62 F 0-59
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded. You may miss up to 4 classes during the semester without affecting your final grade. After the first 4 absences, each additional absence will result in a 1% reduction of your overall course grade[2]. Please do not contact the instructor regarding your absence(s) unless you have a documented excuse indicating serious illness or an emergency. Please write the contact information of two classmates that you may contact to find out what you missed in case of an absence.
EXAMS :
There will be two exams and one final cumulative exam. Only one missed exam is allowed if you have a documented excused absence. In this case, the final exam grade will be duplicated for the missed exam. Please make your travel plans accordingly.
Exam #1 (Ch. 6 & 7): Friday, October 4
Exam #2 (Ch. 8 & 9): Friday, November 15
Final Exam: Tuesday, December 10 in 131 CHCB
The oral exam and/or presentation will be during the last weeks of class.
QUIZZES:
Chapter: At the end of each chapter there will be a quiz over the material covered. There will be 5 chapter quizzes over the course of the semester. There will be no make-ups. However, if a student has a documented excused absence, only one chapter quiz may be missed and the next
chapter quiz grade will be duplicated in its place. See course schedule for dates. Students also may be quizzed orally or with a written pop-quiz during the course of the semester.
HOMEWORK:
Homework is to be completed before coming to class in order to prepare for the following day. Homework may consist of: textbook and Quía exercises, readings, compositions, etc.
Homework may be collected at random. Late[3] assignments will not be accepted.
PARTICIPATION:
You must come to class prepared and be actively engaged in all class activities each day speaking the Spanish language. At the end of the semester you will receive a grade for your participation. Your class participation will DEFINITELY be important to calculate your final grade e.g. it may be the difference between an A or a B.
TUTORING:
Study Jam free tutoring sessions will be announced in class when they become available. Some private tutors advertise on the MCLL bulletin boards. The writing center is also offering help for students of Spanish. Just stop by LA 144 to make an appointment.
Disability Services for Students (DSS):
If you have a documented disability that may require assistance, contact the Disability Services for Students (DSS), located in the Lommasson Center, Room 154, x2243. The University of Montana assures equal access to instruction through collaboration between students with disabilities, instructors, and Disability Services for Students (DSS). The instructor will request a letter from DSS verifying your right to reasonable accommodations.
ACADEMIC HONESTY:
Academic misconduct is subject to penalty. All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is online:
http://life.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php
STUDENT CONDUCT:
“Faculty members have the independent authority to exclude a student from any class session in which the student displays disruptive behavior that threatens the learning environment or safety and well-being of others in the classroom.”
http://life.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php
Please note that this includes disruptive talking during class.
IMPORTANT NOTICES:
Ø No grade of “I” (incomplete) will be given.
Ø There is no extra credit offered in this course.
Ø Personal situations will not be addressed in the classroom. Please make the effort to see the instructor during office hours.
This syllabus is subject to change by instructor.
[1] Films may contain adult and disturbing content. You must contact your instructor before if there is a concern.
[2] If your overall final grade is 88%, it will be lowered to 87% for the 5th absence, 86% for the 6th absence and so on.
[3] Please make sure to print out your work hours before class. A broken printer is not an acceptable excuse. There are printers in the computer labs in the LA building available for student use.