Spanish Civilization and Culture

SPANISH 3150

Spanish Civilization and Culture

MWF 11:00-11:50

Prof. Jorge Avilés Diz

Office Hours: MWF 12:00-1:00 and by appointment

Office: LANG 403-H

Email:

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJETIVES.

The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student in a general way with the history and the culture of Spain. Historical, cultural and artistic events and achievements that have taken place in Spanish civilization from the prehistoric period to modern-day will be highlighted in order to Guild a foundation for a more in-depth study of the life, literature and culture of Spain. This course will also serve to expand and enrich the student’s vocabulary as well as to further improve speaking, Redding, writing, and oral comprehension skills in Spanish.Spanish is the language of instruction and interaction.

TEXTBOOK

Pereira-Muro, Carmen. Culturas de España. Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2003.

GRADING.

The final grade is based on the following percentages:

• 10%. Attendance / Participation. Students must actively participate in every class and clearly demonstrate by such participation that they have adequately prepared all material. Students earn nothing for absences or for lackluster participation. Showing up on time each day is crucial. Missing more than three classes (a week’s worth of instruction) for any reason will have substantial negative effect on the grade: each subsequent absence will deduct two points from the final grade.
• 20% Oral Presentations. There will be two short oral presentations dealing with topics assigned in class. The grade will be based on the quality of information and investigation, fluency of expression, pronunciation, grammar, and mastery of pertinent vocabulary. Students are not allowed to memorize or read from a prepared script, although they may use visual aids. They will respond to questions and comments from the class.
• 25% Short essays in class. Students will right three short essays in class in a blue book that they themselves provided. When one book is filled, students must provide another. Students must learn pertinent facts and vocabulary beforehand: no texts or notes are allowed, and a time limit is imposed. Spelling and grammar count, as well as depth of content and command of information.
• 45% Exams. There will be two exams in addition to a comprehensive final exam on the schedule exam day. No make-ups are allowed. (Exam 1: 10%; Exam 2: 15%, Final Exam: 20%)

GRADE SCALE

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

• All written communication between students and professor is confidential. This includes comments on papers, presentations and exams. The professor will not hand graded material to a third party.
• Misconduct (including cheating, plagiarism and other examples of academic misconduct) will be pursued and sanctions will be levied. All work for this class must be your own. Do not forget that students are solely responsible for their own participation and learning, and to that end must adhere to UNT’s Code of Student Conduct and Discipline. Any attempt to submit work not done by you will result in a zero. For any specific questions about your work, you should contact your Professor during his office hours or by email (See Student Handbook for more information).
• Eating, drinking or chewing gum in class is not allowed. Students may not bring cell phones, PDAs or similar devices for any reason, unless switched off ahead of time. Disrupting class is a serious infraction that will not be tolerated.
• The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures cooperates with the Office of Disability Accommodation in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with appropriate documentation. For information, call the Office of Disability Accommodation at 940.565.4323. Any student with concerns is asked to present a written accommodation request to the professor on or before the sixth day of class.
• ALL SCHEDULE CLASSES AND ASSIGMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO REVISION.

CALENDARIO DE CLASES[1]

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