Westminster College Department of Modern Languages Español 301 Otoño de 2017 Donde se habla el castellano Salamanca, el D.F., la República Dominicana (Photos: http://abacosalamanca.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/plaza-mayor-de-salamanca.jpg, http://www.art-agenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/02_view-of-soumaya-dusk.jpg, http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/84539766.jpg) Instructor: Jeff Bersett office hours: MF 11:30-12:30, T 1-3, and by appt. phone: 7259 / office: TC 412 email: bersetjt@westminster.edu GENERAL COURSE GOALS This course is designed to develop your Spanish language skills by concentrating on your ability to speak, listen, understand, read and write in the language, with special emphasis on conversation and composition. It will challenge you to communicate better in Spanish. Through extensive work with the Spanish language in the form of class discussion, readings, video, and grammar review, you will increase your level of proficiency and be able to present yourself and your ideas in both spoken and written form. In addition to furthering oral proficiency, you are expected to improve your ability to write logical essays on a variety of subjects. Finally, you will be exposed to extensive readings and discussion of cultural material. DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES OUTCOMES At the end of this course, students will be prepared to: Communicate effectively at the advanced level of proficiency (as described in the ACTFL Guidelines, which can be viewed at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4236). Demonstrate an understanding of relevant aspects of high and popular culture in their original context. Make effective connections to additional areas of knowledge relevant to the use of foreign languages in other disciplines. Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of world communities. Compare and contrast their own language and culture to the target language and culture and demonstrate an understanding that there are multiple ways of viewing the world. DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES ASSESSMENT Students language skills will be assessed according to the ACTFL Guidelines, based on performance exhibited in classroom activities (including class discussions and presentations), writing activities (including essays and portfolio activities), homework assignments, and exams. Students will regularly be exposed to the target culture as part of course curriculum, and will also complete numerous assignments on specific aspects of culture. Students will regularly be exposed to different areas of knowledge as part of course curriculum, and will be assessed through a variety of activities, such as essays, portfolio work, and presentations.
Students will participate in activities that may include field trips and culture days (and other cultural activities), and will be assessed through follow-up activities such as class discussions, reflection papers and presentations. Students will complete numerous activities that force them to compare the target language and culture to their own, such as reading assignments and analysis, compositions, grammar exercises, presentations and discussion. This course in particular will utilize class activities and assignments that include conversation, presentations, written assignments (in the form of both portfolio entries and more formal compositions, quizzes, and exams). Please see the course calendar and assignments below for more detailed information. REQUIRED TEXT Fuentes: Lectura y redacción (5th edition) Authors: Tuten/Caycedo Garner/Esterrich Publisher: Heinle ISBN: 9781285733555 Please note that there will also be additional readings assigned by the instructor during the course of the semester, which will be given in the form of handouts. ATTENDANCE POLICY Classroom practice cannot be replaced with any other activity, so this course has a fairly strict attendance policy: you will be allowed 2 absences, no questions asked. Beginning with your 3rd absence, you begin to lose points toward the attendance component of your grade. However, if you miss significant amounts of class, your performance will suffer in all other areas thus, DON T MISS CLASS! Make-up exams: There will be no make-up exams for unexcused absences. If a student will miss an exam for a valid reason, he/she must notify the instructor before the scheduled exam time. CELL PHONES Cell phones are not allowed in my classroom. They must be turned OFF and put away. Unless I have instructed you otherwise (and there will be times that I will do so), if I see your cell phone once class has begun, you will be marked absent for the day, no questions asked. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Westminster College s policy on academic integrity will be rigorously enforced in this class. Please refer to the Student Handbook and the College Catalog for details of the policy. If you are not certain as to what constitutes an infraction of this policy, such as cheating or plagiarism, do not hesitate to consult the instructor (BEFORE YOU TURN IN ANY WORK ABOUT WHICH YOU MAY HAVE DOUBTS). The policy as it applies to this course will be as follows: If you commit an act of plagiarism or are caught cheating in any way on any assignment (or commit any other violation of the College policy), you will fail the course and be reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Notice on the Use of Translation Software and Online Dictionaries: The use of translation software and online dictionaries is permitted only to translate individual words. Students who use these sources to translate phrases or complete sentences will receive an 0 for the assignment, and may be reported to VPAA for violating Westminster s Academic Integrity Policy.
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT Westminster College actively strives for the full inclusion of all our students. Students with disabilities who require access solutions for environmental or curricular barriers should contact Faith Craig, Director of Disability Support Services, located in 209 Thompson-Clark Hall. phone: 724-946-7192 e-mail: craigfa@westminster.edu GRADE BREAKDOWN Participation and Attendance 10% Portfolio (10) 25% Compositions (3) 25% Presentation 5% Final Interview 5% Exams (3) 30% LETTERS AND NUMBERS A 93-100 B+ 88-89 C+ 78-79 D+ 68-69 F 0-59 A- 90-92 B 83-87 C 73-77 D 63-67 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62 CALENDARIO DEL CURSO SEMANA 1 8/29 Introducción y repaso 8/31 Lengua: el presente / las descripciones Lectura: Los anuncios personales (Fuentes 1-7) SEMANA 2 9/5 Lengua: el presente / las descripciones Lectura: La dificultad de llamarse hispano (Fuentes 7-10) Portafolio 1 9/7 Lengua: el presente / las descripciones Lectura: Gente hispana (Fuentes 11-15) SEMANA 3 9/12 Conversación: La gente y la vida Portafolio 2 9/14 Lengua: el pasado Lectura: Autopsia de una civilización (Fuentes 38-45) SEMANA 4 9/19 Lengua: el pasado Lectura: La presencia indígena en Hispanoamérica (Fuentes 46-51) Portafolio 3 9/21 Lengua: el pasado Lectura: El eclipse (Fuentes 52-56)
SEMANA 5 9/26 Repaso Entregar Composición 1 9/28 Examen parcial 1 SEMANA 6 10/3 Lengua: el subjuntivo Lectura: Cómo estás you el día de today? (Fuentes 79-85) 10/5 Lectura: El sabor latino de los Estados Unidos (Fuentes 85-92) SEMANA 7 10/10 Lengua: el subjuntivo Lectura: Where you from? / Bilingual Blues (Fuentes 92-97) Portafolio 4/5 10/12 Lengua: el subjuntivo Lectura: Manual de la Casa Verde (Fuentes 122-129) SEMANA 8 10/17 Portafolio 6 Conversación 10/19 Lengua: el subjuntivo Lectura: Latinoamérica y el medio ambiente (Fuentes 129-136) SEMANA 9 10/24 No hay clase Vacaciones de otoño 10/26 Lengua: el subjuntivo Lectura: Escritos de Eduardo Galeano (Fuentes 136-141) Repaso Portafolio 7 SEMANA 10 10/31 Examen Parcial 2 11/2 Lengua: el subjuntivo Lectura: Frida Kahlo: El pincel de la angustia (Fuentes 166-173) SEMANA 11 11/7 Lengua: la voz pasiva Lectura: Realidad y arte en Latinoamérica (Fuentes 173-182) 11/9 Lengua: el futuro y el condicional Lectura: Continuidad de los parques (Fuentes 182-187) Entregar Composición 2 SEMANA 12 11/14 Lengua: el futuro y el condicional Lectura: Legalicemos las drogas (Fuentes 213-218) Portafolio 8/9 11/16 Lengua: el condicional y cláusulas de sí Lectura: Modernización, globalización y delincuencia (Fuentes 218-225)
SEMANA 13 11/21 Lengua: el condicional y cláusulas de sí Lectura: Sangre ajena: La escuela del profe (Fuentes 226-230) preparación de presentaciones Portafolio 10 11/23 No hay clase Vacaciones de Acción de Gracias SEMANA 14 11/28 Examen Parcial 3 11/30 preparación de presentaciones SEMANA 15 12/5 Presentaciones 12/7 Presentaciones Entregar Composición 3 WRITING ASSIGNMENTS PERÍODO FINAL: lunes, 11 de diciembre, 3:00PM-5:30PM PORTAFOLIOS 1. 1 page, due Tues. 9/5. Describe yourself, your interests and activities, likes and dislikes. You can also choose to describe friends and/or family members. This activity should be written primarily in the present tense. 2. 1 page, due Tues. 9/12. Describe the daily life of Westminster students. What sort of things do they do? How often? Where? With whom? Include as much detail as possible. Present tense. 3. 1 page, due Tues. 9/19. Describe the things that you and one other person did this past summer. What did you do? Where did you go? With whom did you do these things? Include as much detail as possible. This activity should be written primarily in the preterite. 4/5. 1.5 pages, due Tues. 10/10. Describe what you want other people to do, and what other people want you to do. For example, you want your professors to give you lots of homework, and your professors want you to do it. Do what you can to avoid turning this assignment into a list. Present subjunctive. 6. 1 page, due Tues. 10/17. Describe your thoughts on the presence of other cultures in the United States. This is an open topic, and you can take it in whatever direction you desire. 7. 1 page, due Thurs. 10/26. Describe your thoughts on the current state of the environment. This is an open topic, and you can take it in whatever direction you desire. 8/9. 1.5-2 pages, due Tues. 11/14. Describe your feelings about a particular artist. This could be a visual artist, a musical artist, etc. Describe that person s work. What is your opinion of it? What is the opinion of others? Include as much detail as possible. 10. 1 page, due Tues. 11/21. What is your plan for the next year? What will you do? What would you do if you were to have the chance? Include as much detail as possible.
COMPOSICIONES 1. 1.5 pages, due Tues. 9/26. Describe what life was like for you during a period in your past. You may choose any time from childhood to the recent past, but must focus entirely on that period. For example, you could describe your life during the first grade, or your sophomore year in high school. You will need to include both specific activities and those which may have occurred repeatedly/habitually/etc. This assignment will be written using both the preterite and the imperfect. 2. 1.5-2 pages, due Thurs. 11/9. Describe what you think is an important problem in the world today. Please consider questions like the following What is the problem? Whom does it affect? How does it affect you personally? What are some possible solutions to the problem? What do others think about it? Etc. Be as detailed as possible. 3. Final project essay. 2-3 pages, due Thurs. 12/7. Your topic will be either a) some aspect of Hispanic culture, or b) some problem that affects the Hispanic world. You will describe your topic in as much detail as possible, from a perspective of your choosing. This will involve your researching of the topic in both print and electronic sources. Your final presentation will be a report to your classmates of your findings. More details on this assignment will be given in class.