BEGINNING SPANISH 1b    12/07     (5 units)

COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

This course is a continuation of Spanish 1a. The primary objective of this course is to offer students an opportunity to increase basic communicative skills in Spanish while developing an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic cultures. The course is informed by the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. These standards focus in five general areas:

    • Communicate in Spanish
    • Gain knowledge and understanding of the cultures of the Hispanic world
    • Connect with other disciplines and acquire information
    • Develop insight into the nature of language and culture
    • Participate in communities at home and around the world

To these standards, the course aims to meet the following goals:

Goal I: Students will be able to communicate in Spanish within the following parameters:

Objective A: Upon completion of the course, each student will be able to properly pronounce American Spanish, including vowels, diphthongs and consonants; identify cognates; know and apply the rules for stress and accentuation; know the Spanish alphabet; capitalization; understand and apply linking and rhythm.

Objective B: Upon completion of the course, in addition to the structures covered in Spanish 1A, each student will be able to demonstrate the use of the following structures in context: Irregular verbs in the preterit; indefinite and negative expressions;  double object pronouns; the imperfect tense of regular and irregular verbs; ordinal numbers;  preterit versus imperfect;  passive voice;  por or para;  adverbs with -mente;  the Spanish subjunctive introduced;  the subjunctive to express volition;  nosotros commands; indirect commands; the subjunctive to express feelings, emotions, doubt and denial;  the subjunctive with impersonal expressions; formal commands; the subjunctive and the indicative with adverbial conjunctions; the past participle and the present perfect indicative; the present perfect subjunctive; the future and the future of probability; the conditional and conditional of probability; tú commands.     

Objective C: Upon completion of this course, each student will be able to demonstrate his/her abilities in understanding and producing basic Spanish, within the constructs of Objective B, in thematic areas including: free time activities, shopping, clothing, travel, health and body, food, the workplace and professions, and technology.

Goal II: Students will have a basic overview of the cultures, demographics and geography of the Spanish speaking Caribbean, Peru, Venezuela, Columbia, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and Hispanics in the United States.

Goal III: Students will connect their Spanish language and culture study to other disciplines, such as geography, music, social studies, history, fine arts, science, and literature.

Goal IV: Students will have gained insights into the structure of English and how it compares or relates to the Spanish language structure. Because language and culture are inextricably woven, students will also have gained insights into the nature of culture.

Goal V: Students will have participated in Latino/Hispanic communities around the world and at home as they conduct research, explore the web, and attend optional field trips.

SPANISH: BEGINNING (Continued) 1/05

SYLLABUS (Breeze-Martin, Spanish 1b)

I. Required reading:

Arriba Comunicación y cultura, Zayas-Bazan et.al,  Pearson/Prentice Hall, Fifth edition, 2008.

Lessons are based on the 5th edition of the text.  If you use a different edition, it is your responsibility to determine the correct homework assignments and get copies from classmates.

II. Recommended reading:

     It is strongly recommended that the following workbook
     be used in conjunction with the required text.  This is
     an invaluable study tool. 

Arriba Student Activities Manual,  Zayas-Bazan et.al, Pearson/Prentice Hall, Fifth edition, 2008.  (This manual is also available on-line.)

A no-cost Basic Companion Website is also available on-line at www.prenhall.com/arriba  for additional practice.

Try reading anything you see in Spanish: Spanish language newspapers, advertisements, magazines, other authentic materials from your household products and bills to your ATM machine.

III. Papers and Assignments:

Daily homework, including workbook activities, reading, writing and/or grammar assignments, basic research, project development and preparation for oral presentations.

IV. Grading Standard:

Language learning for real communication is based on four integrated skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Grades are based on participation and skill demonstration in the classroom as well as on quizzes, chapter exams, and written and oral assignments. Please note that in order to participate and demonstrate your Spanish communications skills, you must be in class.

    • Students are expected to arrive on time (otherwise they are marked absent), come to class fully prepared – even if no formal homework is assigned, and stay throughout the class period with the intention to participate and learn.
    • Cell phones, MP3 players and other electronics are to be turned off during class.
    • Students who are absent for any reason more than five full class periods during the semester limit their opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency and should, therefore, anticipate a reduction in grade, regardless of grades on written assignments and exams.
    • Students are expected to fully participate in class, submit assignments on time, and take responsibility for their own learning, including finding out about and/or submitting material missed due to absence.
    • Absence will not be accepted as an excuse for not knowing what was assigned as homework. You are expected to contact a classmate to get homework and submit on time.
    • No makeup work will be accepted after one week of assignment. There will be no opportunity for makeup of quizzes, oral presentations/projects or of oral portions of chapter exams.

 Grading: (sample - points may vary)

In-class skill demonstration/daily participation:     100 points 
 (includes pronunciation, comprehension/accuracy,                                  synthesis/alternative means of expression, cooperation/collaboration,
 leadership/mentoring)

Exams (4 @ 100 points each)                                    400 points
Quizzes and assignments (10 @ 10 points each)   100 points
Oral and Written presentations (2 @ 50 each)       100 points 

Total points:       700                                             
90 - 100% A; 80 - 89% B; 70% - 79% C; 60 - 69% D; below 60% - F                        

V. Course Calendar

Chapters 7 - 12 of the text will be covered this semester. Each lesson will be introduced with thematic vocabulary, followed by communicative guided drills, individual, small group and full group practice and activities, video, cultural readings and web research. Reading, writing and project assignments will be made from the text, handouts, workbook or library or web materials.

At least six hours of preparation time is anticipated each week. 

Weeks 1 - 2:  Introduction to course, syllabus, text, workbook, and other tools.  Ground rules and classroom instructions.  Review of Chapters 1 – 6.  Chapter 7, Part I.

Weeks 3 – 4:  Chapter 7, Part II; Chapter 8, Part I.

Weeks 5 – 6:  Chapter 8, Part II.  Exam.  Chapter 9, Part I.

Weeks 7 – 8:  Chapter 9, Part II.  Chapter 10, Part I.

Weeks 9 – 10:  Chapter 10, Part II.  Exam.  Chapter 11, Part I.

Weeks 11 – 12:  Chapter 11, Part II.  Chapter 12, Part I

Weeks 13 – 14:   Chapter 12, Part II.  Exam.  Relato personal workshop.

Week 15:   Review and Cultural Presentations

Week 16:   Final Exam

 

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