Syllabus for SPA 111:  Beginning Spanish I

 

Prerequisite:  None

 

Course Description

This course is intended for students with little or no Spanish background. The purpose is to help students develop the four basic skills: understanding, speaking, reading, and writing of elementary Spanish. The instructors use the “Natural Approach” methodology and emphasize oral competency.

 

Throughout the course students will learn about various aspects of life and culture in the Spanish-speaking world. In addition to formal classes, the experience of living with local host families also provides hours of language practice.

 

All students will take a written and oral pre-test at Universal during their first week in Cuernavaca.  At the end of the semester, they will take an ungraded post-test in order to assess their improvement.

 

Notes Regarding Registration for Spanish classes:

Students who have not taken any college-level Spanish courses and those who have not completed the prerequisites for a given course (for example, students who want to skip a level), MUST take an online placement test and should contact Margaret Anderson at anderso4@augsburg.edu in order to make arrangements to do so.

 

Primary Text and Required Materials

Vistas: Introducción A La Lengua Española, Tercera Edición by Blanco, José, Donley R., Phillip.  Vista Higher Learning, 2008.   

 

This is a package including supersite access, a fotonovela DVD and a paperback dictionary. It can be ordered through your bookstore under ISBN 978-1-60007-125-6 or over the Internet (www.vhldirect.com) using ISBN 1-60007-125-2. Be sure to place your order six weeks in advance.

 

Grammatical Structures and Communicative Goals for SPA 111

 

Grammatical Structures

In Vistas textbook: Chapters 1-5

  • Nouns and articles

  • Numbers

  • Present tense of ser

  • Telling time

  • Present tense of -ar, -er, -ir verbs

  • Forming questions in Spanish

  • Present tense of estar

  • Descriptive adjectives

  • Possesive adjectives

  • Present tense of tener y venir

  • Present tense of ir

  • Stem-changing verbs: e:ie, o:ue

  • Stem-changing verbs: e:i

  • Verbs with irregular yo forms

  • Estar with conditions and emotions

  • The present progressive

  • Ser and estar

  • Direct object nouns and pronouns

Vocabulary

  • Greetings and leave takings

  • Introducing yourself and others

  • Expressions of courtesy

  • The classroom and academic life

  • Fields of study and academic subjects

  • Days of the week

  • Class schedules

  • The family

  • Describing family relationships

  • Professions and occupations

  • Pastimes

  • Sports

  • Places in the city

  • Travel and vacation

  • Months of the year

  • Seasons and weather

  • Ordinal numbers

Communicative Goals:

At the end of the first semester the students will be able to:

  • Greet people in Spanish

  • Say goodbye

  • Identify themselves and others

  • Talk about the time of day

  • Talk about their classes and school life

  • Discuss everyday activities

  • Ask questions in Spanish

  • Describe the location of people and things

  • Talk about their families and friends

  • Describe people and things

  • Express ownership

  • Talk about pastimes, weekend activities, and sports

  • Make plans and invitations

  • Discuss and plan a vacation

  • Talk about the seasons and the weather

In addition, they will show their capacity to understand spoken language by answering questions and participating in brief conversations during an oral interview. Their reading skills will be demonstrated in the use of the learned reading strategies and in their understanding of the gist of authentic texts and of some supporting details.

 

Course Requirements (100% = 100 points)

15%     (15 points)        Active class participation. Class participation includes punctuality, presence in class, active engagement in class sessions, and completion of all assignments and required readings or listening assignments on time. (See grading criteria listed below.)

30%     (30 points)        Homework assignments (“Tareas”) from the text and/or workbook. All but one are worth two points each; one worth four points.

40%     (40 points)        Four Weekly Tests; 10 points per test

15%     (15 points)        Final Exam

 

Grading Criteria for Class Participation

Ø      Full participation involves speaking only Spanish in class, completing assignments on time, coming to class prepared and on time, participating in all class activities with enthusiasm and interest, collaborating with the instructor and other students (as applicable), and demonstrating effort at improving Spanish abilities. Because all Universal classes seek to assist the students in becoming conversational in Spanish, class participation is extremely important.

Ø      Students must be punctual. One half of a point will be deducted each time you are more than five minutes late to class. Two points will be deducted per unexcused absence. An excused absence consists of absence due to religious holidays, emergencies, and illness when the student has called the Universal Spanish director Irma Salazar (318-2904) and asked her to advise the instructor of her or his absence prior to the start of class and later documented with a doctor's note.

Ø      You may miss one class during the entire course for a reason other than illness without being penalized if you clear this absence in advance with your teacher or the director (Irma Salazar) and if the reason for missing class is acceptable. Examples of an acceptable absence include the following: a visit from friends or family, an especially heavy workload in other courses at that moment or extenuating emotional circumstances. You may NOT miss class simply because your alarm clock didn't go off and you slept in!  For any UNEXCUSED absences in your Spanish classes, you will be docked two points per absence, regardless of your progress in the course.

Ø      Students are responsible for talking with the instructor about what they missed in class, getting notes or handouts from other students, and for making up any assignments that were completed in class.

 

Weekly Assignment Schedule for SPA 111

 

Mon.

Tues.

Wed.

Thurs.

Week 1

1st day of class.

Tarea due.

Tarea due.

Test #1

Week 2

Tarea due.

Tarea due.

Tarea due.

Test #2

Week 3

Tarea due.

Tarea due.

Tarea due.

Test #3

Week 4

Tarea due.

Tarea due.

Tarea due.

Final Exam