Spanish 1020 Syllabus

Spring 2009

Instructor:  Miss Heather Freeman

Phone: 931-242-3812

E-mail:  icnddark@heatherfreeman.org

Web site:  http://www.heatherfreeman.org

Course Description:

Beginning Spanish II is an elementary course designed to provide college students with a foundation in the basic skill areas of speaking, listening, reading,

writing and culture.

Oral practice, including repetition and drills, will focus on accurate pronunciation and effective communication in basic survival situations in the target

language.  Listening exercises in class will give the student necessary practice with oral comprehension of ideas expressed within the framework of the

vocabulary and grammatical structures presented, as well as the ability to guess at unfamiliar vocabulary based on context.  Preparation outside of class

of written exercises and short paragraphs, as well as reading of longer texts, will allow you to build upon material presented and practiced orally in

class.  Through readings, lectures, and discussions, you will obtain a basic knowledge of important aspects of culture in the Spanish-speaking world.

By the end of the school year, students will be able to communicate more effectively with Spanish-speaking members of the community, including the ability

to talk not only of the present and future, but also of the past, and of everyday activities using the Spanish reflexive verbs, and communication should

be more fluid due to the use of pronouns.

 

Official Disability Statement:

If you have a disability that may require assistance or accommodation, or you have questions related to any accommodations for testing, readers, etc., please

contact the office of Counseling & Disability Services (Jones Student Center, Room 159), and speak with me as soon as possible.

 

Textbooks:

Text: Vistas. Introducción a la lengua española, Vista Higher Learning, and accompanying Student Activities Manual.

 

Requirements:

Class attendance is required and, due to the nature of language learning, absolutely essential to your success.  You are expected to prepare all the material

assigned for each class period.  Regardless of the cause or nature of an absence, YOU are responsible for all class work covered or assigned during the

absence.  I recommend that you get a classmate’s phone number so you can be prepared for the next class in case of an absence.  Absences will affect your

participation grade, with more than four (4) (for a MW or a TTR class) or two (2) (for a T only class) absences resulting in an F.  Consistent tardiness

will also affect your participation grade.

Because of my visual impairment, I will need all homework and tests to be done on computer.  You can either e-mail your homework or bring it to class on

a floppy.  Tests will be given in the computer lab.  If you need any assistance using the computer, please speak with me as soon as possible, and I will

be happy to help.

 

Extra Credit:

Any extra credit offered during the term is totally voluntary.  If you are interested in earning extra credit, you must let me know early on in the course.

 Please do not ask for any extra credit work at the end of the semester.  The purpose of extra credit work is to help you with your course work.  Most

students that decide to earn extra credit will learn more on the subject and understand it better, which will help them get a better grade.  If a student

is between grades, extra credit work, effort, and attitude towards the subject will decide which of the two grades s/he gets.  Under no circumstances will

extra credit work alone be sufficient to earn a student a passing grade if his/her grades do not reflect that the student has earned a passing grade.

 

Homework:

The purpose of homework is to help you to learn by heart the structure of the language.  If you rush your homework, you will hurt your preparation for the

exams.  Homework must be turned in on the dates that I establish.  Late homework will not be accepted, except in the case of an absence.  Homework will count 10 percent of your final grade.

Read the explanations of grammar in the text before you come to class; it will help you understand explanations given in the class.  You must keep up with

the work or your grades will be affected.

 

Tests:

There will be five (5) tests in this course.  A test will be taken after we cover one chapter.  To make preparation for the test easier, we will take quizzes

on a regular basis.  If you miss a test, let me know ahead of time so that you can arrange a time with me to take the test as soon as possible.

 

Laboratory:

You are encouraged to listen to the audio CDs that accompany the Student Activities Manual outside of class time.  These CDs may be borrowed from me.  Students

are also encouraged to complete the Laboratory exercises outside of class to reinforce classroom work.

 

Grade Scale:

 

A                                             90-100

B                                              80-89

C                                             70-79

D                                             60-69

F                                              0-59