Description

Spanish 202 is the second half of an intermediate Spanish course. It is designed for students who have successfully completed SPAN 201 at SDSU or its equivalent at another university or for students who have studied two years or more of high school Spanish. Emphasis in this course is placed on the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. By the end of the semester you will have built on the language skills you already possess in order to further an intermediate level in the language. In addition to improving your skills in the Spanish language, you will be studying cultural topics aimed at helping you to understand your own and Hispanic cultural perspectives and breaking down inter-cultural barriers.  

It is strongly suggested for students who would like to pursue a major or minor in Spanish or for those who would just like to improve their speaking ability to take this class concurrently with SPAN 212, a Tuesday-Thursday 2 credit class aimed specifically at improving conversation skills. (Note: SPAN 212 does count towards a major or minor in Spanish but it does NOT fulfill the Modern Language requirement for BA students).

OBJECTIVES

Required
Materials

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

Spinelli, Emily. English Grammar for Students of Spanish

Spanish-English English-Spanish dictionary (80,000 words or more; Larousse or Oxford are both good possibilities)

A (90-100)
B (80-89)
C (70-79)
D (60-69)
F (0-59)

Participation  10%
This category includes classroom participation, which will be evaluated 5 times throughout the semester (every 3 weeks).  Since class participation and daily preparation are vital components of this academic experience, please come to class each day prepared and ready to interact in Spanish with your instructor and classmates!  Readings and written homework will be assigned daily and should be done before coming to the next class to insure your ability to participate.  

Homework  15%
I will look at homework most every day (for a total of 12 points per chapter) and points will be given for completed work.  Most daily homework will be worth 2 points.  The 2 points will be given for an HONEST attempt to complete the assignment thoroughly and thoughtfully.  I will award only 1 point for an assignment that is partially completed (this does not mean it is missing one or two answers but ½ an activity or more) or for an assignment that is completed with an obvious lack of effort (you simply put a random word in the blank).  Some activities may be graded for more points.  Please do not panic over one missed assignment per chapter, however; if you habitually miss homework points, then you can be concerned about your grade.  J   *Note: Assignments are due at the beginning of the class hour for which they were assigned. No late homework will be accepted. If you miss a class for any reason, it is your responsibility to contact another student or the instructor to find out the assignments for the next class period.  

Chapter Exams  40%                                  This category includes 4 chapter exams.  Since this is a language class, all learning is cumulative.  You will always be expected to use previously acquired knowledge, including questions specifically designed to review aspects of previous chapters.  The dates for each exam can be found in the Tentative Plan at the end of this syllabus.  There will be no alternative exam dates without prior permission from the professor.  

Compositions  10%
Compositions will be graded in two phases.  We will always do a prewriting activity to help you prepare for the in-class writing activity the following day.  Compositions will be collected at the end of the hour and graded for grammar and content (thus, you will want to fully utilize the preparation activities in order to assure that your in-class production is as strong as possible).  Compositions will be graded according to the Composition Rubric which can be found on the course website.  Your composition will be returned to you with correction codes that will aid you in the final correction of errors.  You can also find an explanation of the Correction Codes on the course website.  

Oral Conversations  10%
These are verbal dialogues between you and your instructor or you and a couple of classmates.  They will be based on the concepts, structures and vocabulary learned to date.  A role-play scenario or situation that you will prepare is usually the focus of the exam.  On the day and time scheduled you will demonstrate your abilities to think and speak spontaneously (no note cards allowed).  The entire exercise may take from 5 to 10 minutes.  Maximize your in-class opportunities to speak Spanish only with your classmates and the instructor in order to prepare for these assessments! More details will be provided prior to each oral.  The dates for each oral exam can be found in the Tentative Plan at the end of this syllabus.  Each student will receive individual grades according to the Oral Exam Rubric which can be found on the course website.  

Final Exam 15%
The final exam is a comprehensive assessment of nearly all the concepts covered during the semester.  Please consult the Tentative Plan for the specific date and time for your class section.

Course Requirements

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance is mandatory.  Daily attendance will be taken.  Because this is a multicultural communication class, communicative and cultural proficiency is the primary goal, and extensive practice is a necessity.  Furthermore, for most, classroom interaction provides the only exposure to Spanish during a given day.  Class attendance and participation are, therefore, crucial.  Three (3) unexcused absences are allowed.  For each absence beyond that, 1% will be deducted from your participation grade for each day missed.  Students who present their instructor with an excused absence card for a university-related activity or with a written excuse from a physician are excused from class but not from submitting assignments on time.  Other absences that may be considered “excused” will be determined at the instructor’s discretion. Also, habitual late arrival and/or early departure are impolite and disruptive and may affect your attendance/participation grade at the instructor’s discretion.  For all unexcused absences (where there is no prior notification or valid excuse), any homework collected or participation points assigned for the day will be lost and cannot be made up.  For excused absences, you are still responsible for activities/homework missed.  

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.  Cheating, plagiarism and fabrication will result in the student receiving zero points for the assignment.  Additional action may be justified depending on the severity of the offense (e.g. – failure of the course or dismissal from the university).

Cheating – An act of deception by which a student misrepresents that she or he has mastered information on an academic enterprise that she or he has not mastered.

Plagiarism – The offering of the words, ideas or arguments of another person (student or author) as one’s own, without the appropriate attribution by quotation, reference or footnote.

Fabrication – The intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty – Those who intentionally or knowingly help or attempt to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty are also subject to penalty.

PlAN TENTATIVO PARA EL SEMESTRE

Febrero

  miércoles 1       Repaso
  viernes 3           Examen II, capítulo 8

  lunes 6
  miércoles 8       No hay clase – Descanso de
                            primavera
  viernes 10  

  lunes 13            Día de charla
  miércoles 15     Capítulo 9 – vocabulario y lectura
  viernes 17         Composición II

  lunes 20            Presentaciones orales
  miércoles 22      Presentaciones orales
  viernes 24          Cap 9 – futuro 
                           

  lunes 27            Cap 9 – condicional
  miércoles 29     Cap 9 – cláusulas condicionales
                            (situaciones hipotéticas en el futuro)
  viernes 31         Cap 9 – cláusulas condicionales
                            (situaciones contradictorias a la
                            realidad),

  lunes 3             Repaso
  miércoles 5      Examen III, capítulo 9
  viernes 7          Easter in Guatemala    

  lunes 10          Capítulo 10 – vocabulario y lectura  
  miércoles 12    Cap 10 – superlativos
                            
  viernes 14        No hay clase – Viernes Santo  

  lunes 17           No hay clase – Lunes de Pascua
  miércoles 19     Cap 10 – artículos indefinidos
  viernes 21         Cap 10 – pretérito perfecto (Present    Perfect)  

  lunes 1               Examen IV, capítulo 10
  miércoles 3        Segundo oral
  viernes 05          Repaso