THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST. AUGUSTINE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND EDUCATION CENTRE FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING COURSE DOCUMENTATION

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1 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST. AUGUSTINE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND EDUCATION CENTRE FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING COURSE DOCUMENTATION COURSE CODE: SPAN 1101 COURSE TITLE: LEVEL 1A SPANISH NO. OF CREDITS: 2 SEMESTERS: I, II, III LEVEL: ALL LEVELS PREREQUISITES: NONE COURSE DESCRIPTION: Candidates for this course are not required to have any prior, formal academic knowledge of the language. At the CLL we are dedicated to the promotion of communicative and cultural competence in our programmes. To this end, the focus will be on the development of the four predominant skills involved in language learning (speaking, listening, reading and writing). The tutor will also work towards introducing students to various cultural aspects of the language. Learners will develop an initial ability to communicate in the target language in situations relating to their personal lives. Participants will be introduced to the concept of learner autonomy in language learning. COURSE RATIONALE: This course will give students the opportunity to begin the study of one of the languages spoken in the Caribbean region. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the foundation necessary to become independent language learners. Students will become more familiar with the basic learning strategies available to support them in this endeavor. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION: Name: Ms. Shawna Sealey Office address and phone: Office 2, CLL second floor, Centre for Language Learning. Ext: Shawna.Sealey@sta.uwi.edu Office hours: By appointment 1

2 LETTER TO THE STUDENT Dear Student, Welcome to your first semester of Spanish at the CLL! It is hoped that you are here because you have a clear interest in the Spanish language and Hispanic culture. We hope we can help you develop your language skills as well as motivate you to expand your cultural knowledge and your ability to be an independent learner. Remember to walk with your textbook and dictionary when you come to class. We hope you enjoy this educational experience that begins today! Warm regards, Your tutor CONTENT: The course focuses on introducing students to the basics of the Hispanic language and culture. The following are the communicative skills and grammar topics that will be covered in this course. Communicative skills Introducing and presenting, providing descriptions (physical and personality), conversing about simple, daily schedule and directions, talking about one s family and expressing likes and dislikes. Grammar Basic common verbs and subject pronouns, nouns and articles, some irregular verbs, basic use of the verb gustar, possessive adjectives and the use of de to denote possession. Greater detail will be provided in the course calendar. GOALS/AIMS: At the end of this course the student will be at the beginner s stage of proficiency, that is a Basic User A1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for the language. A more detailed description can be found at bb52. This course aims to help students: Begin to develop an A1 level in all the skills (listening, speaking reading and writing) Communicate orally and in writing, on a basic level, once the other person is willing to repeat, rephrase and repair Develop an understanding of basic Spanish grammar and syntax Know further characteristics of life and culture in the Hispanic world 2

3 Develop a basic understanding of themselves as adult language learners GENERAL OBJECTIVES: Students in this programme will be able to: Understand basic and familiar, written and aural information, designed with a novice learner in mind Demonstrate basic competencies in writing Develop basic competencies in conversing and interacting in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of this course, students will: Recognise familiar words and very basic phrases concerning themselves, their family and immediate concrete surroundings when people speak slowly and clearly Understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example on notices and posters or in catalogues Interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase things at a slower rate of speech and help formulate sentences Ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics (e.g. basic personal information, university/work life, family life) Use simple phrases and sentences to describe where they live and people they know Write a short, simple postcard, for example sending holiday greetings Fill in forms with personal details, for example entering name, nationality and address on a hotel registration form ASSIGNMENTS: Course Assignments During the course students will be expected to fully participate in all class activities. These activities include but are not limited to: Listening to and responding to basic personal information, e.g. greetings, biographical information, simple daily routine and family Communicating with classmates in the target language Listening to recordings/videos for specific information Reading and locating specific information in short simple texts Applying grammatical knowledge to written activities Writing simple texts using basic Spanish syntax and grammar 3

4 Assignments for Credit Students Students pursuing a Spanish course at the CLL for credits will need to submit a portfolio which is worth 20% of their overall mark. This portfolio should be submitted no later than week 12 of the semester in which they are enrolled. The portfolio, which can be submitted online via Edmodo or another online learning platform, should consist of the following documents: 1. One essay 2. Two audio recordings 3. One comprehension activity 4. One presentation (PowerPoint or video) 1. The essay should be written in Spanish and no more than words in length. The topic of choice for the essay should be based on a topic covered during the semester. Students have the option of submitting the essay before week 10 for comments and feedback. The essay can then be rewritten and resubmitted. This assignment carries 2 marks. Topics Personal presentation A day in my life My family 2. The audio recordings (2) are to be done in Spanish and should be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long. The topic of choice for the audio should be based on a topic covered during the semester. There is no option for feedback on this item. Each audio recording carries 2 marks. Topics Personal presentation A day in my life My family 3. The comprehension exercise requires that students select an excerpt from a written, audio or video (movie, etc.) item in the target language and present a summary of it in English. The summary must be based on their understanding and not an English translation. The excerpt should be approximately 200 words in length or no more than 5 minutes of video or audio and the summary should be no more than 150 words. Students should submit both items in their portfolio. This assignment carries 4 marks. 4. The presentation will be based on a social or cultural aspect of a Spanish-speaking country of the student s choice. Students should also state why they chose their topic. The social or cultural aspects can include but are not limited to history, politics, gastronomy, tourism, the environment, current affairs or any other relevant aspect. Presentations should be 3 5 minutes in length and can take the form of a PowerPoint presentation with voice overlay or video presentation. The presentation should be in English and carries 10 marks. 4

5 In-Course Assessment: Students will be assessed on the four language skills (speaking listening, reading and writing), as well as on aspects of language structure and intercultural competence 1. Students must attend 75% of classes in order to be eligible for tests. Tests will use various formats, e.g. limited response, short answers, oral interview, essay, as appropriate to the skill/sub-skill being tested. MAINSTREAM STUDENTS Assessment 100% in course testing Test 1* 50% of the overall mark Test 2* 50% of the overall mark CREDIT STUDENTS ONLY Assessment 100% in course testing Test 1* 40% of the overall mark Test 2* 40% of the overall mark Credit assignment 20% of the overall mark *In each test listening is 30%, speaking 30%, reading 20% and writing 20%. TEACHING/LEARNING STRATEGIES: This course is designed to develop the level of communicative competence of the students by using, the textbook, exercises designed for their level as well as authentic materials where appropriate. It also sensitizes participants to some aspects of Hispanic culture. The course will place special emphasis on developing communicative skills (listening and speaking). Authentic audio material as well as material tailored for beginners will be used weekly in the language lab and, while we will work on reading and writing skills, a communicative approach will be used in every class. Classroom sessions These sessions include but are not limited to: Pair work and group discussions Interviews and role plays Vocabulary and grammar drills Use of recordings either in the language laboratory or in the classroom Exercises from the textbook Discussions on pertinent cultural aspects of the language 1 Intercultural competence is the ability to develop targeted knowledge, skills and attitudes that lead to visible behaviour and communication that are both effective and appropriate in intercultural interactions. 5

6 COURSE EVALUATION: Summative evaluation will be conducted using The UWI s SELC System. RESOURCES: Required reading Dawson, L. Farell, J. & González, T. (2012). Dicho y hecho (10 th ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Chapters 1-3. Students will use internet resources provided by the tutor as well as those at the CLL wikispaces website to review, revise and practice their language learning skills. HOW TO STUDY FOR THIS COURSE: Students are required to attend their chosen classes with a total teaching time of 4 hours per week. Remember that you must attend 75% of classes in order to be eligible for tests. Manage your time well. We recommend that students spend at least 3-4 hours per week engaged in studying. This includes reviewing your notes and ensuring that concepts are understood. Jot down any questions you may want to research or ask the tutor. This is also the time you take to complete your assignments. It is also important to read up on what you have learnt and practice with a partner, perhaps someone from your class or another class, but at your level. Preparation time: 2 hours per week. Have a look at the course outline and review or research the material for the upcoming class. Make a note of any questions that may arise, after the explanation by the tutor it may be clearer, if not, ask your question. GRADING SYSTEM The following is the UWI mark scheme: Grade GPA Mark% Grade GPA Mark% A C A C A F B F B F B

7 COURSE CALENDAR Week Content Objectives 1 INTRODUCTIONS UNIT 1 Common greetings Courteous expressions The alphabet INTRODUCTIONS UNIT 1 Days of the week and months of the year Numbers 0-99 Nationalities INTRODUCTIONS UNIT 1 Expressions used to tell time Subject pronouns and the verb ser Describing people s personalities (cognates) UNIVERSITY/WORK LIFE About nouns and articles To use of ir a + destination UNIVERSITY/WORK LIFE Uses of the present tense of regular ar, er and ir verbs UNIVERSITY/WORK LIFE Giving directions Moving around one s environment To introduce oneself and others To spell one s name To exchange personal information To identify Hispanic holidays To talk about birthdays To tell the time To describe personalities (oneself and others) To describe one s classroom/laboratory/office To talk about one s daily schedule To talk about one s daily schedule To mention university/work activities To talk about one s daily schedule To mention university/work activities Test 1 LISTENING AND ORAL UNIVERSITY/WORK LIFE To use hacer and salir (irregular verbs) LOS GUSTOS Talk about one s likes and dislikes (me gusta, te gusta?) MY FAMILY Family related vocabulary MY FAMILY tener años Vocabulary to deal with physical Test 1 READING AND WRITING 7 To talk about one s daily schedule To mention university/work activities To talk about what one likes to do To describe one s family To exchange information about one s family To give physical descriptions about one s family and friends

8 descriptions MY FAMILY To express possession 11 Possessive adjectives and possession with de de quién es? 12 MY FAMILY To express location Estar + location and condition 13 Test 2 (READING, WRITING, LISTENING AND ORAL) 8