Course description:

Intermediate course to review and strengthen knowledge of the structure of the Spanish language as a basis for more advanced work in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.

Aims of the course:

1. Develop individual students' writing skills, and address any individual problems in the areas of grammar or composition structure in Spanish.

2. Use and practice in communicative situations several (and more complex) grammatical forms and structures.

3. Develop analytical skills, increasing research and library skills in Spanish.

4. Produce sentences and develop interactive competence with the basic sounds used in standard Latin American and Castillian Spanish.

5. Use a practical vocabulary of approximately 2,000 words or expressions for social, survival, and personal situations.

6. Expand the knowledge about the `Hispanic' culture at an intellectual level, trying to see the experience from the perspective of the insider (to know how the culture bearer feels).

Prerequisite: SPA 1020 or two or three years of high school Spanish.

Texts:

Repaso. A Complete Review Workbook for Grammar, Communication, and Culture. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Co., 1997.

El cuento hispánico. A Graded Literary Anthology. 5th Ed. Edward J. Mullen and John F. Garganigo, eds. New York et al: McGraw-Hill, 1999.

Requirements (YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER OF THIS CLASS):

1- The development of writing skills means to use a variety of creative and interactive language experiences, as well as to practice and improve the student's oral proficiency and her/his understanding of Hispanic culture. You need to take notes and proper control of the vocabulary in your notebook or folder every class.

Attendance is critical in this class which stresses the use of basic and common grammatical structures, in order to improve your writing. For this reason, the student's work and exercises (vocabulary and grammatical structures) every class and attendance is heavily weighted in the final grade. More than 2 absences will result in F for the final grade. Please contact me if you have an emergency or an unexpected problem, which will cause you to miss class. Also, please feel free to come in during office hours for extra help.

2- Outside class preparation: The amount of time needed outside of class to prepare for and successfully complete this course varies tremendously from individual to individual. However, as a rule of thumb, I would say that if you do not have at least five or six hours each week (or an hour a day) to prepare for this class READING THE SPANISH SHORT STORIES--El cuento hispánico--(also listening to tapes and CD-ROMS in the lab, watching video tapes in Spanish, reading aloud, meeting with Spanish speakers, reviewing vocabulary, etc.), you should put off taking it until you do have this minimal amount of time available. In learning Spanish, you will be learning a skill. Skills require practice, practice, and more practice. They require regular practice and much repetition. They even require overlearning so that they can become automatic. Human beings learn a language better if they do not think about the process of learning but instead use language in realistic situations. They require activity (we have fun), that is, actual doing, and not just reading about. Keep this entire in mind, because frequent out-loud practice with your Spanish is necessary in addition to doing the written exercises. You will need a Spanish/Spanish and a Spanish/English dictionary. There are many available, depending on how much you wish to spend. See me for suggestions. You will need to refer back to your textbooks from previous courses for grammar explanations, verb charts, etc… or you might want an inexpensive outline of Spanish grammar such as Schaum's Spanish Grammar. Only homework turned in on time will receive full credit (10% deducted for 1 class late, and no homework accepted after this date). Read carefully in Metro Catalog policy regarding NC and I notations.

3- According to the instructor, you will turn in compositions that encourage your vivid learning of Spanish, If you have a topic that is of special interest to you that you would prefer to write about, please see the instructor to have your topic approved for this assignment. Compositions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Appropriate introduction

Clearly stated thesis

Sufficient and sound reasoning provided

Ideas organized effectively

Effective use of Spanish writing conventions (spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, usage, capitalization)

Conclusion provides closure

4- Keep up with assigned reading (see calendar of activities).

For the homework, besides indicated exercises, you have to read about Spain (Chapters 29, 30, 31, and 32). They will be included in the exams (see calendar). The Short stories can be used for composition, and be included in the exams during the semester.

For those of you who keep track of marks, here's how your course grade will be figured:

Assignment Due date Weight

Composition 1 February 1 3%

Composition 2 February 15 3%

Composition 3 February 24 3%

Composition 4 March 7 3%

Composition 5 March 28 3%

Composition 6 April 11 3%

Composition 7 April 25 3%

Composition 8 May 9 4%

Homework (1 for each chapter) At the end of each chapter 10%

Attendance/participation Ongoing 10%

Each exam will be intended to be opportunities to practice what you are learning.

Exam Date Weight

Exam 1 February 8 10%

Exam 2 March 14 10%

Exam 3 April 4 10%

Exam 4 April 25 10%

Final exam May 9 15%

Your grade will be based on timely completion of the assignments and exams detailed above, the quality/engagement of your writing and thinking, and on your participation in class.

Calendar of activities:

January 18 Introducción y Capítulo 1 de Repaso

20 Capítulo 1 de Repaso

25 Capítulo 16 de Repaso

27 Capítulo 16 de Repaso;

February 1 Capítulo 2 de Repaso; Entrega de la Composición 1

3 Capítulo 2 de Repaso

8 Examen 1 [Capítulos 1, 16 y 2 de Repaso; "El loco de Sevilla" (3-9); "Lo que sucedió…" (10-17) de El cuento hispánico; capítulo 29 sobre la lengua española]

10 Capítulo 3 de Repaso

15 Capítulo 3 y 19 de Repaso; Entrega de la Composición 2

17 Capítulo 19 de Repaso

22 Capítulo 19 de Repaso

24 Capítulo 19 de Repaso; Entrega de la composición 3

29 Capítulo 19 de Repaso

March 2 Capítulo 4 de Repaso

7 Capítulo 5 de Repaso; Entrega de la composición 4

9 Capítulo 5 de Repaso;

14. Examen 2 [Capítulos 3, 19, 4 y 5 de Repaso; "El árbol de oro" (39-47) de El cuento hispánico; capítulo 30 sobre geografía española]

16 Capítulo 5 de Repaso

28 Capítulo 6 de Repaso; Entrega de la composición 5

30 Capítulo 7 de Repaso

April 4 Examen 3 (Capítulos 5 y 6 de Repaso; "Rafael" (48-53) de El cuento hispánico; capítulo 31 sobre historia española]

6 Capítulo 7 de Repaso

11 Capítulo 7 de Repaso; Entrega de la composición 6

13 Capítulo 9 de Repaso;

18 Capítulo 9 de Repaso

20 Capítulo 9 de Repaso

25. Examen 4 (Capítulos 7 y 9 de Repaso; "El ausente" (54-61) de El cuento hispánico];

Entrega de la composición 7

27 Capítulo 10 de Repaso;

May 2 Capítulo 10 de Repaso;

4 Revisión de Capítulos pasados y dificultades

9 Examen final [Estructuras básicas de los capítulos estudiados en el semestre, especialmente el capítulo 10 y capítulo 32 sobre literatura española] Entrega de la composición 8

Note: Late assignments will not be accepted.