Syllabus

Professor: Pedro Cabello del Moral

Semester: Fall 2018

Course: SPAN 1010    Course Code: 19931   Classroom: James Hall 2613

Class time: Monday and Wednesday /09.30-10.45 am

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday > by appointment

Professor’s e-mail: pcabellodelmoral@gradcenter.cuny.edu

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The objective of this course is to give students the opportunity to learn the basics for reading, writing and speaking Spanish. To do so, students are required to actively participate in class and to prepare the weekly assignments.

The process of learning the basics of Spanish language is accompanied by the exploration of the history and culture of Latin American, Spanish, and Latinxs, both in their countries of origin and within diasporic communities.

The course is conducted mainly in Spanish with limited explanations in English. The goal of this method is to immerse students in the language providing the exposure needed in order to begin the process towards fluency.

 

MATERIALS

AVENTURAS Supersite vhlcentral.com, Workbook/Video Manual and Lab Manual.

https://www.vhlcentral.com/home

 

COURSE CORE GOALS

By the end of the course, students will have developed solid competencies in several areas: Communication, Relations, Comparisons, Cultures, and Communities. Main objectives include:

  1. Ability to comprehend and respond to basic conversational patterns
  2. Proficiency and knowledge of basic grammatical structures and terminologies
  3. Basic proficiency in reading and writing the language
  4. Knowledge of significant cultural practices and historical events from the Spanish-speaking world
  5. Ability to use technology for researching on selected topics in Spanish
  6. Ability to use and elaborate tools for learning, whether they are visual, acoustic, audiovisual, etc.

 

METHODOLOGY

The sessions include a series of resources: in-class inductive grammar presentation, communicative learning, listening and reading comprehension, performances of skits in small groups, question-answer group exercises, conversations, student-to-student interaction in Spanish, films/television, music, and written assignments (possibly including journal/composition writing, email correspondence, homework, biweekly quizzes).

Students are encourage contribute to class and group discussions both by asking and by answering questions. Students will use Spanish (to the best of their capacities) in these interactions.

Students´ progress will be tested by means of a midterm and a final exam.

Students will also deliver a group presentation of a project in Spanish at the end of the semester before the final exam. The form and content will be discussed with the instructor in advance.

 

Course components and methods of evaluation:

Exams: Midterm 20% Final 20% Total 40%

Homework (online homework and projects): 30%

Participation and Attendance: Online tutorials 10% Class participation 10%  (class interventions + blog posts) Attendance 10%* Total 30%

 

*ATTENDANCE

Poor attendance almost invariably has an adverse effect on a student’s overall performance. An excess number of absences will have a significant impact on the student’s final grade. Latecomers are welcome, but notice that arriving more than 15 minutes late will count as an absence. If any student is unable to regularly arrive on time or needs to leave the class earlier, he/she/they must notify the instructor.

 

CLASS DECORUM

  • Students may show maturity in the respect of their peers and the environment of the classroom.
  • Students may not use their cellular phone in class, read any material unrelated to the course, or eat during class.
  • Plagiarism and cheating on the assignments are not be acceptable and will result in penalties on the final grade.

 

GRADING SCALE

A = 93, A- = 90 Outstanding work receives an A; outstanding work far exceeds what is expected (superior).

B+ = 87, B = 83, B- = 80 Excellent work receives a B; excellent work exceeds what is expected (above average).

C+ = 77, C = 73, C- = 70 Good work receives a C; good work basically meets expectations (average).

D+ = 67, D = 63, D- = 60 Acceptable work receives a D; acceptable work is not particularly good but is not failing (below average).

F = 59 and below Unacceptable work receives an F; unacceptable work demonstrates poor effort and/or understanding (failing).

 

COURSE POLICIES

Academic Dishonesty: The use of online translation programs or the submission of work that is not your own constitutes cheating according to College policy, and will result in a grade of zero for the given assignment and/or the course and possible referral to the Dean of Academic Affairs.  You are permitted to use a dictionary or an online dictionary, as long as the work is your own.  Any cited text, quotations, or ideas that are not your own but which you use in an assignment must be cited and recognized in a bibliography or bibliographic footnote.  Ideas or text that is not your own and whose source is not given credit constitutes plagiarism and penalties will be applied.

Religious Observance: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their instructor in writing at the beginning of the semester and should discuss with their instructor, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.

Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities: Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity will be given the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their participation. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements—prior to the absence—for making up missed work.

Disabilities: The Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS), located in 138 Roosevelt Hall, is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities enjoy an equal opportunity to participate in the classrooms, programs, and services that the college has to offer by facilitating the necessary accommodations. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, no otherwise qualified person with a disability shall be denied a benefit or opportunity or be excluded from participation solely on the basis of that disability. Services provided by the center include: Preadmission interviews, Priority registration, Accommodations, A CUNY LEADS counselor who facilitates successful academic and career outcomes, Referrals to the most appropriate resources on campus, Assistance in developing self-advocacy skills, ADA Part-Time TAP Program, Assistive technology, Auxiliary aids (readers, writers, laboratory assistants), New York State voter registration

In addition, the center offers adaptive equipment for studying, taking tests, tutoring, and other academic activities. A wide variety of equipment and software is available, including a Dragon dictate speech-recognition system, a scanner with screen-access software, a text-to-speech synthesizer, magnification systems, CCTV systems, 17-inch VGA display monitors, braille and large print keyboards, and a braille printer. Computers allow many documents to be accessible in alternative formats, such as braille print or vocalized text.

Adaptive equipment and software are available through the center’s computer lab and its Mamie and Frank Goldstein Resource Center, 138 Roosevelt Hall. For more information, call 718.951.5538. For a list of locations of accessible computers on campus, visit the website: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/offices/studentaffairs/offices/disability.php

 

SYLLABUS/PLAN DE ESTUDIOS

Date In Class Homework
27

Aug

– Introducción al curso (Introduction to the course) + Syllabus

 

(Purchase books)

Sing in for Supersite

and CUNY commons

29 Aug Lesson 1

– Vocabulary: ‘Hola, ¿qué tal?’

– Grammar: Nouns and articles

(Purchase books)

Mini Blog Post

3 Sept NO CLASS (Labor Day Holyday)
5 Sept

 

Lesson 1

– Grammar: Present tense of ser

– Culture: Saludos y encuentros en distintos países.

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

 

10 Sept NO CLASS
12 Sept Lesson 1

– Grammar: Telling Time, Numbers.

– Culture: ¿Qué sabes de los países hispanos?

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

 

17 Sept Lesson 2

– Vocabulary: ‘Las clases’

– Grammar: Questions

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

19 Sept NO CLASS
24 Sept Lesson 2

– Grammar: Present tense of estar

– Pronounciation: vowels

– Culture: Estudios y universidades

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

 

26 Sept Lesson 2

– Grammar: Present tense of –AR verbs.

– Pronounciation: vowels

– Culture: Estudios y universidades

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

 

1 Oct Lesson 3

– Grammar: Present tense of –ER and –IR verbs

– Vocabulary: La familia y la familia extendida.

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

 

3 Oct Lesson 3

– Grammar: Present tense of tener and venir

– Pronounciation: Diphthongs and linking

– Culture: Migraciones y familias

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

 

8 Oct NO CLASS
10 Oct

 

Lesson 3

– Grammar: Descriptive and possessive adjectives

– Culture: Migraciones y familias

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

15 Oct

 

Lesson 4

– Vocabulary: ‘El fin de semana’

– Grammar: Present tense of ir

PROJECT 1

 

Online TBA

17 Oct Lesson 4

– Grammar: Verbs with irregular yo

– Vocabulary: Deporte y cultura

PROJECT 1 Due

 

Online TBA

22 Oct Lesson 4

– Grammar: Present tense of stem-changing verbs

– Vocabulary: Deporte y cultura

PROJECT 2

 

Online TBA

 

24 Oct – Repaso general PROJECT 2

 

Online TBA

29 Oct MIDTERM
31 Oct – In-Class evaluation of the midterm

Lesson 5

– Grammar: Ser and estar, Present progressive

– Pronounciation: Spanish b and v

PROJECT 2

 

Online TBA

 

5 Nov Lesson 5

– Vocabulary: ‘Las Vacaciones’

– Grammar: Direct Objects Nouns and Pronouns

– Culture: Culturas pre-hispánicas I y ecoturismo

PROJECT 2

 

Online TBA

 

7 Nov Lesson 6

– Vocabulary: Comercio y trabajo

– Grammar: Preterite tense of regular verbs

PROJECT 2

 

Online TBA

 

12 Nov Lesson 6

– Grammar: Indirect objects pronouns

– Culture: Tianguis. Culturas pre-hispánicas II

PROJECT 2 DUE

 

Online TBA

 

14 Nov Lesson 6

– Grammar: Numbers 101 and higher, Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

– Culture: Maquilas y sweatshops

PROJECT 3

 

Online TBA

 

19 Nov Lesson 7

– Vocabulary: ‘La vida diaria’

– Grammar: Reflexive verbs, Indefinite and negative words

– Pronounciation: r and rr

PROJECT 3

 

Online TBA

 

21 Nov Lesson 7

– Grammar: Preterite of ser and ir, Gustar

– Culture: Tapas y bebidas

PROJECT 3

 

Online TBA

 

26 Nov Lesson 8

– Vocabulary: ‘¡A comer!’

– Grammar: Saber and conocer

– Culture: Comida latina

PROJECT 3

 

Online TBA

 

28 Nov Lesson 8

– Grammar: Preterite of stem-changing verbs

– Culture: Comida española

PROJECT 3

 

Online TBA

 

3 Dic Lesson 8

– Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives

 

PROJECT 3

 

Online TBA

 

5 Dic – Exposición de los proyectos

 

– Desayuno navideño

PROJECT 3 DUE

 

Online TBA

 

10 Dic – Repaso general Online TBA

 

12 Nov – Reading Day/Final Examination
FINAL EXAM

(DATE TO DETERMINE)

 

Note that this syllabus is subject to change. Variations in content or assignments might be announced. Be aware of this and in case of absence make sure that you access the information of what has been discussed in class.