Syllabus Span 101
Elemetary Spanish
Instructor: Ericka Ghersi
M T W F (3:30-4:20)
Place: Olscamp 224
Fall 1999
Office Hours: M-W-F (11:30 - 12:30)
Office phone: 372-7155
e-mail: eghersi@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Home phone: 354-8403
I. Required texts:
1. ¿Sabías que…? 3rd Ed. (Lección preliminar, Lección 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 y 6)
2. Manual que acompaña ¿Sabías que…? 3rd Ed. (Primera parte)
3. Audio CD that accompanies ¿Sabías que…?
4. English Grammar for Students of Spanish. The Study Guide for Those Learning Spanish. 4th Ed. Emily Spinelli.
II. Course objectives:
¡Hola y bienvenidos! Welcome to Español 101 - Elementary Spanish I. The couerse is designed to promote the development of beginning language use in the four skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - within a communicative approach and to acquaint you with the culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
III. Attendance policy
You must be exposed to Spanish and use Spanish in order to learn Spanish.
Under our communicative framework, your attendance is of utmost importance. Because for most of you, your only contact with Spanish is the 50-minute period during each class meeting, you must take maximum use of this time.
Therefore, the only excuses for missing a class, a test, an assignment, or an exam are:
- Commuter car trouble
- A proven illness
- A funeral in the inmediate family
- Jury dutty
- Family emergency
- Away-games of university athletes
- Religious observances
If you present documentation for any of the above listed reasons, your instructor will do everything s/he can to help you make up missed work.
The general principle, however, is the following:
NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED AND
NO MAKE-UP TESTS OR EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN.
Remember you should talk to your instructor as soon as possible, either before or after you absence to have your absence excused. Please also remember that unexcused absences will have a detrimental effect on you participation grade*.
· Refer to the policy about participation grade in the syllabus.
IV. Participation:
This component takes into account a number of variables incluiding but not limited to the following:
· your attendance of the class
· your use of Spanish
· your willingness to participate
· your cooperation in group and pair work
· your respect towards your instructor and peers.
Both you and the instructor are involved in the evaluation of participation. You will do a self-evaluation of participation at the end of these weeks: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16. Your instructor will read your self-evaluation. However, s/he is the one who, in the end, assigns the grade. Pleas find attached the grading criteria for participation.
V. Homework:
Homework refers to the work to be completed in the Manual. Two types of activities are to be turned in at the end of each lesson. The page numbers and the due date for each assignment are indicated on the syllabus. The first type of activities should be written out on a separate sheet of paper. Do not tear the pages off the Manual. The page number of each activity should be clearly indicated and the paper should be stapled. Your homework grade will be based primarily on these activities. However, your instructor is free to give additional assignments. Those assignments will be announced in class. Therefore, make sure you check with the instructor about any additional homework assignment if you have missed a class. All homework will be evaluated according to the quantity and the quality of the work. Other activities in the Manual are mostly self-correcting. Thus, your instructor may not require you to turn them in. However, s/he may check to make sure you have completed them. You are required to complete all activities because these material assit your language development and allow you to monitor your progress as you work through the materials on your own.
VI. Compositions:
You have two composition assignments. Each will be linked to the content and grammar points of the lesson/s covered. Please note the due dates on your syllabus. For each composition, you will start the writing process in class, several days before the final due date and will finish the work at home. Compositions must be typed and double-spaced (15+ and 20+ lines each). Please find the attached grading to evaluate these compositions.
V. Oral exams:
During the semester, you will take 2 in-class oral exams. Your instructor will inform you as to which of the days you must attend class for the exam. The exam will be done in pairs and will last approximately 10 minutes. Please find the attached grading criteria to evaluate these exams.
Exams and final exam:
There will be 3 exams throughout the semester given at the end of every two lessons. There will also be a final exam. These exams will test a variety of skills and will be linked to what you have learned in class and to what you have done in homework.