First-year Spanish I Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Course

SPAN-1411-DC002 First-year Spanish I

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: An acceptable score on state mandated or locally administered English placement test.

Course Description

Basic Spanish language skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing within a cultural framework. Students will acquire the vocabulary and grammatical structures necessary to communicate and comprehend at the beginner level.

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Department Expectations

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Hours

(4 sem hrs; 3 lec, 2 lab)

Class Type

Dual Credit Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

*** NOTE *** check with your high school dual credit Spanish teacher before buying a book.  They may require slightly different things in their classrooms.

 

Textbook: Vistas, 5th Edition Introducción a la lengua española José A. Blanco, Philip Redwine Donley © 2016 textbook with 12 month online Supersite.

 

There are several versions of the book available.  Make sure you have the 5^th edition.  It comes in hardcover, loose leaf, and eBook versions.  You also need an access code for Supersite Plus.  It doesn’t matter to me which format you buy as long as you have access to the textbook in class (either printed or on an iPad) and full access to Supersite Plus.  To help with your decision, here are the most popular options that meet the class requirements: 

 

If you already have an iPad, the cheapest version is:

eBook w/ Supersite Plus Code (vTxt + Practice App)

ISBN:978-1-62680-652-8

$145.00

 

The cheapest print version is the loose leaf book.  However, the AC bookstore WILL NOT buy back the loose leaf version and they really don’t last longer than a year anyway.

Loose-leaf Student Textbook w/Supersite Plus Code (including WebSAM + vText + Practice App)

ISBN:978-1-62680-682-5

$204.00

 

The best “deal” (in the professor’s opinion) is the hardcover textbook with Supersite Plus Code.  The bookstore will buy these back, you can sell them online (half.com, amazon.com), or you may donate them to me and I will make sure a less fortunate student gets them next year.

Student Textbook w/Supersite Plus Code (including vText + Practice App)

ISBN:978-1-62680-673-3

$210.00

 

Be careful buying used books that claim to have access to the Supersite Plus Code.  The Supersite Plus access code is only good for 12 months.  If it has already been activated by the previous owner it may run out in the middle of the course or already be expired.

 

All of these versions may be purchased directly from Vista Higher Learning here:

http://vistahigherlearning.com/students/store/vistas-5th-edition.html

or you may search for better deals online or buy the hardcover package at the AC Bookstore.

Supplies

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Student Performance

SPAN 1411: First-year Spanish I

Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, Grammar, and Culture

 

Learning Outcomes:

 

This course is based on the Monitor Model as determined by Stephen Krashen and the ACTFL Proficiency Scales.  The basic description of The Monitor Model as well as the our goal levels of the ACTFL Proficiency Scale are outlined below.

 

The five hypotheses that Krashen proposes in The Monitor Model are as follows:

• The input hypothesis. This states that learners progress in their knowledge of the language when they comprehend language input that is slightly more advanced than their current level. Krashen called this level of input "i+1", where "i" is the language input and "+1" is the next stage of language acquisition.
• The acquisition–learning hypothesis claims that there is a strict separation between acquisition and learning; Krashen saw acquisition as a purely subconscious process and learning as a conscious process, and claimed that improvement in language ability was only dependent upon acquisition and never on learning.
• The monitor hypothesis states that consciously learned language can only be used to monitor language output; it can never be the source of spontaneous speech.
• The natural order hypothesis states that language is acquired in a particular order, and that this order does not change between learners, and is not affected by explicit instruction.
• The affective filter hypothesis. This states that learners' ability to acquire language is constrained if they are experiencing negative emotions such as fear or embarrassment. At such times the affective filter is said to be "up".

 

Goal Levels from the ACTFL Proficiency Scale

Reading (Intermediate Mid)

At the Intermediate Mid sublevel, readers are able to understand short, non-complex texts that convey basic information and deal with basic personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge, although some misunderstandings may occur. Readers at this level may get some meaning from short connected texts featuring description and narration, dealing with familiar topics.

 

Writing (Intermediate Mid)

Writers at the Intermediate Mid sublevel are able to meet a number of practical writing needs. They can write short, simple communications, compositions, and requests for information in loosely connected texts about personal preferences, daily routines, common events, and other personal topics. Their writing is framed in present time but may contain references to other time frames. The writing style closely resembles oral discourse. Writers at the Intermediate Mid sublevel show evidence of control of basic sentence structure and verb forms. This writing is best defined as a collection of discrete sentences and/or questions loosely strung together. There is little evidence of deliberate organization. Intermediate Mid writers can be understood readily by natives used to the writing of non-natives. When Intermediate Mid writers attempt Advanced-level writing tasks, the quality and/or quantity of their writing declines and the message may be unclear.

 

Listening (Intermediate Mid)

At the Intermediate Mid sublevel, listeners are able to understand simple, sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in a variety of basic personal and social contexts. Comprehension is most often accurate with highly familiar and predictable topics although a few misunderstandings may occur. Intermediate Mid listeners may get some meaning from oral texts typically understood by Advanced-level listeners.

 

Speaking (Intermediate Mid)

Speakers at the Intermediate Mid sublevel are able to handle successfully a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. Conversation is generally limited to those predictable and concrete exchanges necessary for survival in the target culture. These include personal information related to self, family, home, daily activities, interests and personal preferences, as well as physical and social needs, such as food, shopping, travel, and lodging.

Intermediate Mid speakers tend to function reactively, for example, by responding to direct questions or requests for information. However, they are capable of asking a variety of questions when necessary to obtain simple information to satisfy basic needs, such as directions, prices, and services. When called on to perform functions or handle topics at the Advanced level, they provide some information but have difficulty linking ideas, manipulating time and aspect, and using communicative strategies, such as circumlocution.

Intermediate Mid speakers are able to express personal meaning by creating with the language, in part by combining and recombining known elements and conversational input to produce responses typically consisting of sentences and strings of sentences. Their speech may contain pauses, reformulations, and self-corrections as they search for adequate vocabulary and appropriate language forms to express themselves. In spite of the limitations in their vocabulary and/or pronunciation and/or grammar and/or syntax, Intermediate Mid speakers are generally understood by sympathetic interlocutors accustomed to dealing with non-natives.

Overall, Intermediate Mid speakers are at ease when performing Intermediate-level tasks and do so with significant quantity and quality of Intermediate-level language.

http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012/english  

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Academic Dishonesty:

Students are responsible for adhering to a certain standard of behavior when it comes to honest and plagiarism.  A student who engages in scholastic dishonesty which includes, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, and collusion will receive and "F" for this course.  Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria:

You will be graded on the percentage of correct responses accumulated in this course. All grades will fall into one of four categories. 

 

25% - Homework

25% - Participation

25% - Oral

25% - Test

 

The exercises that you will be graded on must be completed by a certain date. They are a combination of oral, listening, quizzes and, at the end of each chapter, a comprehensive test. These activities may not be accessed after the date has passed. Again, there are no make ups or extensions for any activities. You may work on them at your own pace but they must be completed by the given date.

For all grading I will use a scale of 90, 80, 70 and 60 for all minimums for letter grades of A, B, C, and D.

**** There is no extra credit in this course.

 

It will prove very beneficial to work all sections of Práctica as well as the Inténtalo sections. There are many sections not marked for assignment in the content for each chapter. These sections, although some not assigned, will prove extremely helpful if completed by students. The more sections you can do, the better you will understand the concepts as well as spoken Spanish.

There will be no make ups for tests or quizzes.

 

Policies:

Late work policy. No work will be accepted past the due dates on the course calendar. Computer or technical difficulties are no excuse for missing tests, quizzes, or other assignments. 

Attendance

Although I do not check attendance, there are some assignments (Participation) that can only be done in class.  If you are not present, you will miss said assignments and your grade will suffer.  The Participation grade is worth 25% of your grade.  There are no make-ups on missed class assignments.

Calendar

Additional Information

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