Department
of Modern Languages
Instructor: Zoila
Y. Clark
E-mail:
zclark01@fiu.edu
Homepage: http://www.fiu.edu/~zclark01/
Office: DM-495B - Ph. (305) 348-2851
Office Hours: Monday and
Wednesday 10:00am-11:00am
Classes:
Monday and Wednesday: 11:00am to 12:15pm
Room:
ESC 134
Textbook: Olivella de Castells, Matilde et al. Mosaicos Spanish as A World Language. 3rd Edition. Prentice Hall.
You can buy the password 2nd edition on-line from http://www.prenhall.com/mosaicos if you already have the book
or buy the book and password packet from your FIU bookstore.
Customer Service: Jerry_Correa@Prenhall.com
Course
Description and Teaching Method:
Spanish 1120 is the first course of a four‑semester sequence, which implements a proficiency‑oriented approach. Proficiency is defined as the ability to understand and convey information and/or feelings in a particular situation for a particular purpose. This approach focuses on the rapid development of listening and reading comprehension skills through constant exposure to high‑frequency language in the form of spoken conversation and printed texts. In addition, the proficiency‑oriented approach encourages maximum oral interaction from the beginning and consequently is designed to provide students with useful language skills in Spanish. Grammatical accuracy is one part of communicative proficiency, but it is not a prerequisite. Our teaching techniques are student‑centered, with the instructor as the facilitator. The instructor will conduct the class in Spanish to contribute to the Spanish listening‑speaking environment.
IMPORTANT:
Attendance is mandatory “two times a week.” Besides, you need to check your WebCT email for the course on a daily basis in order to complete your WebCT activities from home. See your evaluation agreement:
Evaluation: The final grade will be based on the following:
Two Days a Week Attendance and “Active Participation”:10%
Oral Evaluations in class: 30%
WebCT Quizzes “from Home”: 30%
WebCt Assingments: 10%
Final Comprehensive Exam in class: 20%
Course Grades:
93- 100=A 77-79=C+
90-
92=A- 73-76=C
87-
89=B+ 70-72= C-
83- 86=B 67-69= D+
80-
82=B- 63-66= D
60-62=D-
00-59=F
Attendance, participation, and homework:
Regular attendance is mandatory. In order for students to progress in their ability to understand and speak the language, they must be exposed to hearing and speaking it on a regular basis. “No more than three absences will be permitted”. Three late arrivals (that is, 10 minutes after the start of class) equals ONE ABSENCE. Every absence above the permitted will result in the lowering of the “final grade” like this: an A can become A-. The student must have a valid reason for missing class and not have it count as an absence (e.g. serious illness, family emergency, etc. by a written document to prove it). Merely notifying the instructor by phone or email that you will be absent just shows respect to your instructor, but that still counts as an absence).
Students are expected to come to class prepared and ready to participate actively. A participation grade is assigned daily. Students are expected to be in class and also to participate; to attempt to speak Spanish regardless of any mistakes they may make. Errors are to be expected and are viewed as a natural part of language learning. Students have to complete WebCT quizzes assigned by the instructor before due dates because that is part of the grade.
Policy on Spanish Bilingual Students:
SPN 1120 is not designed for bilingual students who already speak and understand Spanish. FIU has developed a series of courses designed for bilingual students who wish to improve their Spanish communication skills. Any bilingual student should see the instructor or the language coordinator in the Department of Modern Languages (DM 490) for a course appropriate to his/her language proficiency level.
Incomplete Grades:
A grade of “I” is only given when there is a valid, documented reason that prevents the student from finishing the class. This means that the student attended classes regularly and just missed the last part of the course. If such reason arises, please advise your instructor immediately, and make arrangements for removing the incomplete as soon as possible.
Academic dishonesty:
Plagiarism, cheating, and forgery will not be tolerated. Final test, quizzes/ homework, or any graded exercises ought to be individual work; otherwise, it is considered cheating.
Exams:
All WebCt quizzes
and homework will be like take homes on line, but not the final exam.
Oral Evaluations: Students in groups have to create a short story and act it out in the classroom. A special guide will be posted online and you will be shown a video of previous evaluations to serve you as a model.
The final exam will be comprehensive, so you need to master from the preliminary unit to unit 6; it will be given during Final Exams Week. No exceptions!
Tutoring:
Students can arrange up to 10 tutoring sessions (15-20 minutes each) per semester. Please, see our lab assistants for more details. This tutoring is in the language lab, so you need to check the schedule of the current semester. A schedule will be posted in the classroom and online in the bulletin board.
SEQUENCE BREAKDOWN:
Reminder.-
Please mark your WebCT quizzes in your personal
calendar or diary. It is your responsibility to take them from home or a
computer lab. Due dates for home WebCt quizzes are
posted in the WebCT calendar.
(Subject to be changed if needed).
Reminder: It is “your responsibility” to check the WebCt calendar to know which quizzes to take from each unit and take them before due dates. Quizzes are due on Fridays before 11:30pm, but they are open a week in advance for your convenience. You can save your answers each day and retake them before the due time and date.
August 25 Introduction to the course.
Lección preliminar:
Bienvenidos.
August 27 Bienvenidos (continuación)
September 1 Lección 1: Los estudiantes y la universidad
Vocabulary
Subject pronouns
September 3 Present tense of regular –ar verbs
Articles and nouns: gender and number
September 5 WebCt quizzes are due
September 8 Present tense of the verb estar
Question words
September 10 Algo más: Some regular –er and –ir verbs
Oral presentation: Group 1
Writing and Reading Exercises 1
September 12 WebCt quizzes are due
September 15 Lección
2: Los amigos hispanos
Vocabulary
Adjectives
September 17 Present tense and some uses of the verb ser
Ser and Estar with adjectives
September 19 WebCt quizzes are due
September 22 Possessive adjectives
Algo más: Expressions with gustar
September 24 Oral presentation: Group 2
Writing and Reading Exercises 2
September 26 WebCt quizzes are due
September 29 Lección
3 Las actividades y los planes
Vocabulary
Present tense of regular –er and –ir verbs
October 1 Present
tense of ir
Ir + a + infinitive to express future action
The present tense to express future action
October 3 WebCt quizzes are due
October 6 Numbers 100 to 2,000,000
Algo más: Some uses of por and para
October 8 Review
Oral presentation: Group 3
Writing and Reading Exercises 3
October 10 WebCt quizzes are due
October 13 Lección
4 La familia
Vocabulary
Present tense of stem-changing verbs
October 15 Present tense of stem-changing verbs (cont.)
Adverbs
October 17 WebCt quizzes are due
October 20 Present
tense of hacer, poner,
salir, traer, oír
Hace with expressions of time
October 22 Algo más: Some reflexive verbs
and pronouns
Oral presentation: Group 4
Writing and Reading Exercises 4
October 24 WebCt quizzes are due
October 27 Lección:
La casa y los muebles
Vocabulary
Present progressive
October 29 Expressions
with tener
Direct object nouns and pronouns
October 31 WebCt quizzes are due
November 3 Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
Saber and Conocer
November 5 Algo más: More on adjectives
Oral presentation: Group 5
Writing and Reading Exercises 5
November 7 WebCt quizzes are due
November 10 Lección
6 La ropa y las tiendas
Vocabulary
Preterit tense of regular verbs
November 12 Preterit ir and ser
Indirect object nouns and pronouns
November 14 WebCt quizzes are due
November 17 The verb dar
Gustar and similar verbs
November 19 Algo más: Some more
uses of por and para
Oral presentation: Group 6
Writing
and Reading Exercises 6
November 21 WebCt quizzes are due
November 24 General Review
November 26 Thanksgiving Day (University closed)
December 1 Study Day for the Final Exam
December 3 Last day of classes
December 8 Final
Exam
Dates and activities are subject to be changed so that you need to check for updates in your WebCt email and in your class instructions.
I,
(Name of the student)
accept the terms and conditions given in this document.
Signature:
Date: