College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dept. of English, Foreign Languages and Journalism
SPA 302 – section 1 Advance Spanish I
Fall 2008
Time and Classroom:
Instructor: Dr. F. Eduardo Castilla Ortiz Office: Eder Hall 212 - A
Phone: 816-271-4167 E-mail: fcastillaortiz@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours: M W F 12-12:50 Tuesday
Required Text: Hacia niveles avanzados 1st Edition: B.N. Stiegler / C. J. Jimenez
Course Description
Students will advance grammatical skills and improve the combine use of them
through writing. This will develop and
perfect the expression of ideas and communication in written with Spanish-speaking
people in the
1. Write at a more experienced grammatical level.
2. Respond appropriately in complete Spanish sentences with more assertiveness.
3. Produce & understand written Spanish at a higher range of grammar and vocabulary.
4. Work with more complex & complete critical ideas and be able to communicate then in an organized manner.
The grammar will be taught through reading, writing and speaking assignments from the text and exercises as well as through participation in pair exercises.
Course beliefs & Philosophy
Studying a foreign language broadens perspectives of the world and enhances understanding of ones self. It also enables students to participate in a multi-cultural community, prepare for graduate school, training for specific careers and for future use of the language. The study of a foreign language and culture may help dispel stereotypes and enhance respect for different cultures.
Success in this course depends on the combined efforts of the student and instructor. The responsibility of the student is to prepare thoroughly for class and to participate actively in class. The primary role of the instructor is to facilitate real communication in Spanish. Classroom time is planned according to this philosophy so that lack of preparation will severely impede any benefits students may gain from the classroom experience.
Final Grade:. It is a barometer of your performance both in and outside of class. Final grade evaluation is done according to the following activities.
Evaluation and Grading Policy The final grade will be determined by test scores, daily participation, activities, writing assignments, and the attendance policy stated in the syllabus.
The activities are weighted approximately as follows:
Exams, quizzes, tests
30%
Written Assignments
30%
Final Exam
20%
Homework activities
10%
Class participation and attendance 10%
Grading Scale: 100% - 90% =
A
89% - 80%
= B
79% - 70% =
C
69% - 60% =
D
59% and below = F
Daily preparation, homework and participation
Homework will not be accepted after the date on which it is due. Homework assignments will be given out periodically by me, mainly to reinforce and practice grammatical structures
In-class assignments or quizzes may be maid up under excused absences only.
Exams and Quizzes
There will be an exam at the end of some grammar practices but due to time restrictions some items will be emphasized more than others.. Make-up exams are at the discretion of the instructor. If you know in advance that you will not be able to take a test, you may make an appointment with your instructor to take it early. There may also be other quizzes and oral exams.
Final Exam: At the end of the course there will be a Final Exam integrating all the main written & grammatical structures studied throughout the semester.
Written Assignments: Students will be assigned a composition assignment integrating their knowledge of advanced grammar structures with their need for communicating ideas in an effective and creative way. Most of these assignment will undergo a peer evaluation and more than one written draft before the last version, as well as previous one, are graded.
Attendance is crucial and mandatory. Please see the Attendance Policy section below for the university’s official attendance policy. Class attendance and participation are essential to your progress in this course. Persistent, active in-class participation improves your communicative skills. Therefore, it is essential that you attend every class. Trying to catch up once you have fallen behind will be difficult because new material will be introduced in each class.
Late arrivals are disruptive to the class and will reflect upon your grade.
Foreign Language Lab in Murphy 107 - You will have open access to the
Foreign Language Lab from
Attendance Policy
You will be given excused absences when acting as an official representative
of the university, provided you give prior written verification from the
faculty/staff supervisor of the event, also when you have documentation if you
had been sick, in jury duty or alike. All other absences will be deemed
unexcused. The maximum number of unexcused absences allowed for this
class is one.
Academic Honesty Policy and Due Process
Academic honesty is required in all academic endeavors. Violations of academic honesty include any instance of plagiarism, cheating, seeking credit for another’s work, falsifying documents or academic records or any other fraudulent activity. Violations of academic honesty may result in a failing grade on the assignment, failure in the course, or expulsion from the University. When a student’s grade has been affected, violations of academic honesty will be reported to the Provost or designated representative on the Academic Honesty Violation Report Forms.
Please see the 2008-09 Student Handbook and Calendar (page 24) for specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due process procedure. It is available online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf
Cheating or plagiarism is not acceptable. You will receive a 0 (zero) for any work that shows evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism.
Assistance
If you need assistance please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. Do not hesitate to forward any question you might have through email as well. The Center for Academic Support offers free tutoring for Spanish courses. For more information visit the website, http://www.missouriwestern.edu/CAS.
Handicapped Policy
Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss class requirements.
Drop and Withdrawal policy:
Last day to withdraw is Frday October 31st & After the fourth unexcused absence the student will be reported to the Registrar, who will administratively withdraw the student from the course. Financial aid will be reduced as appropriate.
PROSPECTIVE CLASS
SCHEDULE
Agosto L 25 Come ready to class with text
M 26
V 28 Composición 1
________________________________________________________________________
Septiembre
L 1 Feriado: Labor Day
M 3
Recibe Comp. 1 del Compañero /a
V 5
Entrega de Comp.1 al profesor
________________________________________________________________________
L 8
Examen 1:
M 10
V 12
Versión Final de Comp. 1
________________________________________________________________________
L 15
:
M 17
V 19 Composición
2
_______________________________________________________________________
L 22
Recibe Comp. 2 del
Compañero /a
M 24
Examen 2
V 26 Entrega de Comp.2 al profesor ________________________________________________________________________
L 29
Octubre M 1
Versión Final de Comp. 2
V 3
________________________________________________________________________
L 6
M 8 Examen 3
V 10 Midterm Break
________________________________________________________________________
L 13
M 15 Composición 3
V 17
________________________________________________________________________
L 20 Recibe Comp. 3 del Compañero /a
M 22
V 24
Entrega de Comp.3 al profesor
________________________________________________________________________
L 27 Examen 4
M 29
V 31 Versión Final de Comp. 3
______________________________________________________________________
Noviembre
L 3
M 5
V 7
________________________________________________________________________ L 10
M 12
V 14
________________________________________________________________________
L 17 Examen 5
M 19 Composición en
clase e intercambio
V 21
______________________________________________________________________
L 24
M 26 Thanksgiving
V 28 Thanksgiving
_______________________________________________________________________
Diciembre L 1
M 3
V 5 Last day of class
FINAL EXAM on
______________________________________________________