School: Arts and Humanities SPAN100 Beginning Spanish I 3 Credit Hours 8 weeks No Prerequisite Required

Transcription

1 School: Arts and Humanities SPAN100 Beginning Spanish I 3 Credit Hours 8 weeks No Prerequisite Required Instructor Information Course Description Course Scope Course Objectives Course Delivery Method Course Materials Evaluation Procedures Grading Scale Course Outline Policies Academic Services Selected Bibliography Instructor Information Course Description (Catalog) This course will expose the student to the fundamentals of the Spanish language. The student will learn basic vocabulary, verb conjugations and grammatical usage through workbook and listening exercises. The student will also learn about the Spanish culture through reading and listening exercises. This course must be completed prior to taking SPAN101, Spanish II. Course Scope Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21 st Century (1999) Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience. The United States must educate

2 students who are linguistically and culturally equipped to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad. This imperative envisions a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21 st Century (1999) Our major focus is on learning to communicate appropriately in practical, culturally authentic contexts. Students are asked, to a limited extent, to use their Spanish to engage in simple dialog and talk about themselves and create with the language in practical ways. Students also correct peer work and in doing so, students solve problems (and thus engage in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). In these courses, students gradually add to their vocabulary and communication skills, practice question-and-answer techniques, and apply what they learn in order to communicate and solve problems in practical situations. Course Objectives Students who successfully complete Spanish 100 should be able to: Listening Skills 1. Distinguish all the sounds of Spanish important to meaning. 2. Comprehend brief sentences expressed within the framework of high-frequency vocabulary, grammatical forms, and sentence structures. 3. Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases though logical guessing based on contextual clues. Speaking Skills 1. Produce all the sounds of Spanish and link sounds together in sentences with sufficient accuracy to communicate with Spanish speakers. 2. Use high-frequency vocabulary, grammatical forms, and sentence structures to converse in brief sentences in everyday situations (such as greetings, asking for directions, answering short questions, expressing basic needs and reactions, exchanging information, or persuading others) Reading Skills 1. Comprehend non-technical, narrative Spanish. 2. Accurately answer straightforward questions based on a reading passage. 3. Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases through logical guessing based on contextual clues. 4. Identify errors in peer work and determine corrections to words and grammar errors Writing Skills

3 1. Compose in Spanish a brief paragraph about an everyday topic, with the help of a dictionary and grammar book, without committing major errors and with sufficient clarity for Spanish speakers to comprehend the paragraph the first time they read it. 2. Compose in Spanish a succinct paragraph about an everyday topic, without using a dictionary or grammar book, with sufficient clarity for Spanish speakers to comprehend the paragraph, even though the student might have committed certain errors, such as verb or adjective agreement. Culture-related Skills 1. Demonstrate basic knowledge of similarities and differences in the main aspects of the culture of Spanish-speaking countries and corresponding aspects of life in the United States. 2. Demonstrate basic knowledge of culturally conditioned behavior patterns (such as formality or familiarity in addressing people, gestures used in greeting others, and table manners) and employ those patterns appropriately with Spanish speakers. Course Delivery Method These credits in SPAN100 delivered via distance learning will enable students to complete academic work in a flexible manner, completely online. Course Materials and access to an online learning management system will be made available to each student. Online assignments are due by the last day of each week and include Forums (accomplished in groups through a threaded Forum), examinations and quizzes (graded electronically), and individual assignments (submitted for review by the Faculty Member). Assigned faculty will support the students throughout this 8-week course. IMPORTANT NOTICE: To maximize the student experience this course requires either Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 2, Safari 2, or higher; cookies must be enabled Classroom Technology Requirements Studying online requires that you use a computer, an internet connection and desktop productivity software to complete your degree. To access the full functionality of our campus and classrooms you are expected to meet or exceed the requirements listed in the week one announcement.

4 Resources and Course Materials Required Course Materials: Rosetta Stone (electronically provided to you via the course) Required Readings: Documents found in Resources section of the e-classroom Additional Resources: DICTIONARY: any good Spanish-English dictionary GRAMMAR: The Big Red Book of Spanish Verbs: 555 fully conjugated verbs by Ronnie Gordon and David Stillman (recommended). (The more current book is 601 verbs) Websites In addition to the required course texts the following public domain Websites are useful. Please abide by the university s academic honesty policy when using Internet sources as well. Note web site addresses are subject to change. Site Name Language.org Live Mocha Study Languages I love Languages Help With Spanish Trinity Website URL/Address Evaluation Procedures In this course, you will be evaluated on the level of demonstrated proficiency in written assignments, quizzes and exams that include multiple choice, fill-in, and matching. Homework activities including practice with reading, listening, writing, and speaking in the target language will assist you towards becoming proficient with the content. The first Forum assignment is a virtual introduction that allows us to get to know each other a

5 little bit and also to define ourselves as individuals. It also includes a cultural piece on Introductions in some Spanish-speaking communities. The Forums on cultural topics are done in English, as well as any commentary dealing with error identification and suggestions. Other Forums have specific instructions for writing in Spanish which allows students to apply the content in a meaningful way through personal expression. Your class work and participation are worth 30 percent of your final grade. This score comes from the percentage of successfully completed work on the Rosetta Stone site. The Rosetta Stone site basically functions as your class time and text and is where the material will be presented and practiced. You are able to do the RS assignments as many times as you d like to continue to improve your scores you have unlimited access to these activities. If you ever have any type of technical trouble with Rosetta Stone, ClassroomSupport@APUS.EDU. I am not able to assist with technical issues but should be copied on any interaction with Support so that I am aware of the problem(s) and can help out with extra time to submit work, etc. There are four units covered in Rosetta Stone in SPAN 100, and each of the four units has four core lessons (so a total of four units, 16 core lessons) and each unit ends with a milestone activity (a total of 4 milestones). You will have 4 quizzes as you progress through the content covered in the e-classroom (multiple-choice/fill-in) and one cumulative review. The quizzes make up 20 percent of your grade (5% each) and the cumulative review is worth 18 percent of the grade. Students are also evaluated on participation in 10 Forum assignments covering cultural topics and grammar practice that require a posted commentary on the topic as well as replies to another students comments. These together make up 31 percent of the overall grade. The final forum is worth 4 percent (the other nine worth 3 percent which combined make 31 percent of the final grade). This will give you an opportunity to use and demonstrate skills you have achieved throughout the course and will also give you a chance to read other student work in Spanish. Below is an outline of all of the evaluation criteria: EVALUATION CRITERIA: Assignment Percentage final Grade 1 User guide/syllabus quiz 1 Rosetta Stone participation 30 4 RS content Quizzes 20 (5% each)

6 9 Forums 27 1 Final Forum (in Spanish) 4 1 Cumulative Review 18 TOTAL PERCENTAGE 100 Please see the Student Handbook to reference the University s grading scale Professor s Notes: There will always be a weekly updated Announcement on the first page you will come to after logging on to your APU classroom. If there is other specific instruction necessary, I may message the entire class. This first page you come to after logging in will tell you which week we are in as well. Always follow your syllabus for details on the week s work. Workbook: There is a workbook available for extra practice. Use of the workbook is very strongly recommended, however you do not turn any of this work in to me. The workbook is located in the Resources link and includes an answer key. A good way to practice is to do one section at a time and then check your answers before going on to the next activity. The workbook is a PDF, so it does not allow you to overwrite directly on the document. You can cut/paste it into word, print it and physically write on it, or look at the screen and write answers on a piece of paper. Always check your answers against the key. Again, this is not submitted. Notes: There is a Notes folder in the Resources section that has readings that the syllabus refers to. Here you will get traditional explanation for the grammar presented on the RosettaStone site. There is a sub-folder with Grammar Notes for each of the four units. These notes will cover the basic grammar presented in RS. There are explanations, examples, and some samples to practice. Any practice given in these notes is not to be submitted for grading. Quizzes and Exams: Your exams and quizzes will be taken in the APU classroom and are accessed by clicking the Tests and Quizzes link. There are four quizzes, a practice quiz (which is the syllabus/user guide quiz ) and a Cumulative Review. When you take the Tests and Quizzes, you will take them as closed book, closed note exams. There is a time limit although there should be plenty of time to comfortably take the quizzes and review them prior to submission. Please only access the quiz when you are ready to take it and have a good connection to the internet. (Be careful not to click the back button as it will kick you right out of the quiz!) (Be sure to turn off any Pop Up Blocker during quizzes). Should

7 you get kicked off, I will have to re-set the quiz. Know that if you are kicked off of the internet during a quiz, any work you did will be lost and you will have to start again. It is recommended that you carefully look over your answers after a quiz or exam. Make sure you comprehend anything you may have missed in order to benefit most from quizzes/exams etc. Please be aware that this course covers Latin American Spanish, so the words that the tests will anticipate will be those you see on the Rosetta Stone software. Keep that in mind in that there is often more than one word that could mean the same thing, for anybody who may have had previous experience with the language. Cumulative Review Your Cumulative Review will cover the major concepts and themes learned in the course. The review counts 18% of your course grade. There is a time limit on this assessment. In general, it will be similar in format and content to the chapter exams. An effective way to study for it is to review your chapter exams and quizzes. You will be given plenty of time for the Review, so don t feel pressure about the time. It just has a limit so that it you are forced to sit down and do it all in one sitting which allows for a more valid results. The review has 50 multiple choice questions and ten essay response question (of 1-2 sentences). The multiple choice portion is graded upon submission, but please be aware that the essay questions will not receive points until I am able to read them and post the points myself. (In other words, the computer is not able to grade essay responses). Important: During the First Week of this class, open the Resources section and glance through it to familiarize yourself, in general, with the type of information there. Being familiar with where these materials are will be of significant value to you as the course progresses. 8 Week Course Outline Please see the Student Handbook to reference the University s grading scale Week Topic(s) Learning Objective(s) Reading(s) *documents found in Resources link Assignment(s) 1 LANGUAGE Discover Professor s note, Unit 1, lessons 1 and 2: Complete Unit

8 BASICS Unit I, lesson one, lesson 2: direct objects, people and animals vocabulary through picture association, hear and speak vocabulary, see and learn word order Read User guide (pp ), Read Accents and Punctuation (both documents in the Notes folder in the Resources link of e- classroom), Rosetta Stone Packet in Resources section, Forum #1 topic in Resources, Unit 1 Grammar notes I, lessons I and 2 (core lessons diamond and focused activities, which are the squares, that follow); Forum #1 (introduction), take syllabus/user guide quiz (click Tests and quizzes then Syllabus/User Guide quiz ), complete and correct corresponding workbook materials (found in Resources, RS Workbook and RS key links). Forum week 1 Introduction. 2 LANGUAGE BASICS Continue reviewing previous content, Unit 1, lessons three and four will introduce colors, sizes, pronouns, professions, questions and answers, Numbers 1-6; clothing and quantities Demonstrate proficiency with Unit I, lessons 1-3 (quiz #1) Apply thematic concepts to identify errors and make changes to peer s work Discover vocabulary through picture association, hear and speak vocabulary, see and learn word order Professor s note; Read my forum posts Unit 1, lessons 3 and 4: Complete lessons 3 and 4 (core lessons diamond and focused activities/ squares that follow. Complete Milestone activity at the end of Unit One. Complete quiz #1 (click Tests and Quizzes link and find Quiz #1); complete and correct corresponding workbook materials (found in Resources, RS Workbook and RS key links). Library Course Guide forum wk 2 Grammar-based forum assignment week 2 in Forums link. 3 GREETING AND INTRODUCTIONS Unit 2, lessons 1 and 2: family relationships, numbers 7-12 and ages, prepositions of place, family at home, location and ownership See, hear, speak, and write using topics in a meaningful way, demonstrate proficiency on quiz 2, create sentences exercising ability to produce with thematic content, identify errors in grammar and vocabulary of peer work. Professor s note, Forum topic in Resources, Forums folder, read Unit 2 Grammar Notes (found in Resources in the Notes folder) Unit 2, lessons 1 and 2: Complete core lessons 1and 2 (diamonds) and focused activities that follow (squares). Complete and correct corresponding workbook materials (found in Resources, RS Workbook and RS key links); Cultural forum week 3 Quiz 2

9 4 GREETING AND INTRODUCTIONS Review; Continue Unit 2, lessons 3 and 4: Where are you from? Greetings and introductions, Clothing, colors, and physical attributes; physical states, conversational dialogue Discover vocabulary through picture association, hear and speak vocabulary, see and learn word order. Create sentences demonstrating ability to produce with thematic tenses and concepts, determine errors in grammar and vocabulary of peer work Professor s note Read my Forum posts for week 4, Grammar notes and Cultural topic in Resources Unit 2, lessons 3 and 4: Complete core lessons 3 and 4 (diamonds) and all focused activities that follow (squares). Milestone activity at the end of Unit 2. Complete and correct corresponding workbook materials (found in Resources, RS Workbook and RS key links); Grammar Forum week 4 Cultural Forum week 4 5 WORK AND SCHOOL Unit 3, lessons 1 and 2: locations and times of day: when, but, before, and after; time of day greetings, numbers 13-20, Calendar terms, polite conversation, senses and seasons Demonstrate proficiency with Units 1 and 2- Unit 3, lesson 1 (quiz #3) Discover vocabulary through picture association, hear and speak vocabulary, see and apply proper word order in sentence creation Professor s note; read Unit 3 Grammar Notes (found in Resources in the Notes folder) Unit 3, lessons 1and 2: Complete core lessons 1 and 2 (diamonds) and all focused activities that follow (squares). Complete and correct corresponding workbook materials (found in Resources, RS Workbook and RS key links). Cultural Forum week 5 Quiz 3 6 WORK AND SCHOOL Review; Continue Unit 3, lessons 3 and 4: Speaking languages; numbers 21-69; teaching and studying languages, Waking up and washing up; why and because; grooming habits See, hear, speak, and write using topics in a meaningful way, Demonstrate proficiency with Units 1-3 (quiz #4) Professor s note, topic in Resources, Forums folder and my posts on the Forum Unit 3, lessons 3 and 4: Complete core lessons 3 and 4 (diamond) and all focused activities that follow. Complete Milestone activity at the end of Unit 3. Complete and correct corresponding workbook materials Cultural Forum week 6 Quiz 4

10 7 SHOPPING Unit 4, lessons 1 and 2: Have and need; buying, selling, and shopping; using landmarks to provide directions, Leisure and prefer activities; quantity comparisons and differentiation; currency and cost Discover vocabulary through picture association, hear and speak vocabulary, see and learn word order Professor s note; read Unit 4 Grammar Notes (found Resources in the Notes folder) Read my Forum posts for week 7, Common Pitfalls in Resources Unit 4, lessons 1 and 2: Complete core lessons and focused activities. Complete and correct corresponding workbook materials (found Resources, RS Workbook and RS key links); Grammar forum week 7 Final forum 8 SHOPPING Review; Continue Unit 4, lessons 3 and 4: Materials and merchandise; weight and speed, young and old, Comparing and contrasting; size and preference Reinforce proficiency by seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing. Apply grammar concepts to demonstrate ability to talk about self in various thematic tenses using remembered vocabulary, Demonstrate proficiency with Units 1-4 (Cumulative Review) Professor s note Unit 4, lessons 3 and 4: Complete core lessons 3 and 4 and focused activities. Complete Unit 4 Milestone task. Complete and correct corresponding workbook materials (found in Resources, RS Workbook and RS key links). Cumulative Review Policies Please see the Student Handbook to reference all University policies. Quick links to frequently asked question about policies are listed below.

11 Drop/Withdrawal Policy Plagiarism Policy Extension Process and Policy Disability Accommodations Writing Expectations Describe your writing expectations. Citation and Reference Style Attention Please: Students will follow the APA styles as the sole citation and reference style used in written work submitted as part of coursework to the University. Assignments (which in our course would only be in the cultural forums) completed with references to other sources must be appropriately referenced and cited. Late Assignments Students are expected to submit classroom assignments by the posted due date and to complete the course according to the published class schedule. As adults, students, and working professionals I understand you must manage competing demands on your time. Should you need additional time to complete an assignment please contact me before the due date so we can discuss the situation and determine an acceptable resolution. Routine submission of late assignments is unacceptable and may result in points deducted from your final course grade. Netiquette Online universities promote the advance of knowledge through positive and constructive debate--both inside and outside the classroom. Discussions on the Internet, however, can occasionally degenerate into needless insults and flaming. Such activity and the loss of good manners are not acceptable in a university setting--basic academic rules of good behavior and proper Netiquette must persist. Remember that you are in a place for the fun and excitement of learning that does not include descent to personal attacks, or student attempts to stifle the discussion of others. Technology Limitations: While you should feel free to explore the full-range of creative composition in your formal papers, keep layouts simple. The Educator classroom may not fully support MIME or HTML encoded messages, which means that bold face,

12 italics, underlining, and a variety of color-coding or other visual effects will not translate in your messages. Humor Note: Despite the best of intentions, jokes and--especially--satire can easily get lost or taken seriously. If you feel the need for humor, you may wish to add emoticons to help alert your readers: ;-), : ), Disclaimer Statement Course content may vary from the outline to meet the needs of this particular group. Online Library The Online Library is available to enrolled students and faculty from inside the electronic campus. This is your starting point for access to online books, subscription periodicals, and Web resources that are designed to support your classes and generally not available through search engines on the open Web. In addition, the Online Library provides access to special learning resources, which the University has contracted to assist with your studies. Questions can be directed to librarian@apus.edu. Charles Town Library and Inter Library Loan: The University maintains a special library with a limited number of supporting volumes, collection of our professors publication, and services to search and borrow research books and articles from other libraries. Electronic Books: You can use the online library to uncover and download over 50,000 titles, which have been scanned and made available in electronic format. Electronic Journals: The University provides access to over 12,000 journals, which are available in electronic form and only through limited subscription services. Smarthinking: Students have access to ten free hours of tutoring service per year through Smarthinking. Tutoring is available in the following subjects: math (basic math through advanced calculus), science (biology, chemistry, and physics), accounting, statistics, economics, Spanish, writing, grammar, and more. Additional information is located in the Online Library. From the Online Library home page, click on either the Writing Center or Tutoring Center and then click Smarthinking. All login information is available. Request a Library Guide for your course ( The AMU/APU Library Guides provide access to collections of trusted sites on the Open Web and licensed resources on the Deep Web. These are specially tailored for academic research at APUS:

13 Program Portals contain topical and methodological resources to help launch general research in the degree program. To locate, search by department name or navigate by school. Course Lib-Guides narrow the focus to relevant resources for the corresponding course. To locate, search by class code (e.g., SOCI111) or class name. If a guide you need isn't available yet, let us know by ing the APUS Library: librarian@apus.edu Selected Bibliography Selected Bibliography can be found in Course Resources Materials