LASP 101 (Section X)
Elementary Spanish
Professor: TBACourse meeting times: Tuesday & Thursday from 08:30 to 10:30 am.
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 4:00-6:00 and immediately following class.
Required Text: Experience Spanish (Second Edition, e-book), Amores, Suárez-García, &Morris OR Similar.
Description of the Course:
This is an introductory course to the Spanish language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will learn the foundations of Spanish, with the goal of achieving a basic level of proficiency by the end of the semester. The course focuses on five skills: reading, writing, speaking, listening and culture.
The course will be student-oriented, and thus will involve considerable interactive work in class. It will also require preparation for each class. Students will be responsible for preparing the work assigned. Specifically, this will entail reading and revising the vocabulary and
grammar lessons before the day they are to be used in class. Class time will be primarily used to engage these skills (e.g., situation dialogues, group work, conversations with classmates and instructor, etc.). In order for these activities to be useful, and to proceed dynamically, it is necessary that you have mastered the vocabulary and basic grammatical concepts beforehand.
Finally, in order to be successful in this class, attendance and participation in each class is essential. Language learning is a discipline that requires steady, cumulative preparation; a
discipline in which each point builds upon its predecessor, such that if you do not master a given grammatical concept or vocabulary cluster, assimilation of the following lesson material will prove difficult. If you find that despite consistent preparation that you are having difficulty, it is your responsibility to seek out assistance (i.e., attend office hours, tutoring services through the Academic Achievement Center, etc.).
The course objectives include the ability to:
• •Ask questions, answer questions, and report information about yourself, others, and everyday situations;
• •Use language structures and vocabulary at the beginning level;
• •Express likes and dislikes;
• •Acquire cultural awareness.
Course Outcomes:
By the end of the semester, the students will have learned:
• •The foundations of Spanish, and will have achieved a basic level of proficiency in the five skills (i.e., reading, writing, speaking, listening, and culture);
• •The basic vocabulary related to classroom objects, daily activities, family, weather and the seasons, and the description of people and places;
• •Basic communicative skills, such as introducing oneself, identifying people and things, talking about activities in the present, asking questions about routines, expressing preferences and obligations;
• •About the ways in which people in Spanish-speaking communities study, work, and live.
Evaluation:
Since the course has an oral/aural orientation, and requires preparation as well as participation in class, the grade breakdown reflects this. Please keep this in mind when establishing priorities for this course.
Grade Breakdown: Chapter tests (3): 45% Final Exam: 20% Participation: 15% Oral Conversation: 10% Homework: 10%
Final Exam:
According to departmental policy, the final exam in cumulative, departmental (i.e., all sections will have the same exam), and counts for 20% of the final course grade.
Class Grade:
Participation: This is based upon thorough preparation for class, constructive
participation in class (i.e., active and focused group work in Spanish, cooperation with peers and instructor), and bringing the appropriate materials (e.g., book, paper, writing utensil). If you are in a section that uses an e-book, you must only have your e-book open during the class period (i.e., other pages, apps, documents, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. on the device must be closed). Otherwise, you will lose the participation points for that particular class.
Attendance: Regular attendance is required. You are granted one (1) unexplained absence. If you exceed this number of absences, points will be deducted from your final grade. An
absence does not exempt you from handing in work or taking exams on the scheduled day.
Oral Conversation:
There will be a 4-5 minute conversation that you will have with the professor. Broad topics based on items seen in the class will be given beforehand. The conversation must be had on the scheduled dates. There is no make-up for this.
Homework:
You will be assigned homework every week. It is expected that this work be handed in (or submitted online) on time, as no late work will be accepted.
Course Calendar (subject to change):
The material covered for LASP 101 is found in Experience Spanish, from Chapter 1 to 4.
Class Meetings (15 In Class Homework
three-hour meetings)
1 Capítulo 1: Introducción a la clase; Los saludos; Nota cultural Workbook (tu y usted); Nota cultural (los saludos).
2 El abecedario; Los números de 0-30; Nota comunicativa (hay Workbook & cuántos).
3 El salón de clase; Artículos definidos e indefinidos; Género y Workbook número.
4 Los pronombres; El verbo ser; Nota comunicativa (negación); Workbook Actividades típicas; Los días de la semana.
5 La hora; Nota cultural (el reloj de 24 horas); Los adjetivos; El Workbook activities due by
presente de verbos –ar; Lectura cultural (asociaciones); 8am the day of the test. Examen: Capítulo 1.
6 Capítulo 2: Los pasatiempos y los deportes; Los colores; Nota Workbook cultural (los cuates); El presente de verbos -er, -ir.
7
El verbo gustar; El verbo ir; El tiempo; Los meses y
estaciones. Workbook
8 Los números 31-100; El verbo estar; Lectura cultural (la Workbook activities due by
Ciudad de México) 8am the day of the test.
Examen: Capítulo 2.
Capítulo 3: Los quehaceres.
9 Los verbos con cambios (tener, venir, etc.); Nota Workbook comunicativa (tener que); Las distracciones; Más verbos con
cambios (pensar, almorzar, etc.).
10 Los verbos irregulares (hacer, poner, etc.); Nota cultural Workbook activities due by
(comida); Experiencia cultural (p. 96); Lectura cultural (p. 97); 8am the day of the test. Examen: Capítulo 3.
11 Capítulo 4: Las relaciones familiares; Nota cultural (los Workbook apellidos); Los números; Nota comunicativa (edad); Ser versus
estar.
12 Los verbos saber y conocer; Experiencia integral (p. 117); Workbook Otras relaciones familiares; Nota interdisciplinaria (la nueva
familia).
13 Por versus para; Los demostrativos; Experiencia integral (p. Workbook 130); Lectura cultural (p. 131).
14 Conversaciones /Entrevistas Workbook
15 Conversaciones/Entrevistas Workbook activities due by
Review and class evaluations
8am the first day of final exams.