THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

DEPT. OF ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

Spanish 231 Winter 2003

Course Coordinator: Raquel N. González (raquelng@ umich.edu) Section instructor:

Office: 4030 (MLB) Phone: (734) 647-2357 Office: Phone:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF CLASS:

You are required to attend the first two meetings of the class in which you are registered. Failure to do so will cause you to be automatically dropped.

WELCOME:

We welcome you to Spanish 231 and wish you a productive and stimulating semester.

The second year of language learning may pose a heightened challenge for you, regardless of how well you have performed earlier, but you will find that the reward of its successful completion will be the attainment of a truly satisfying increase in your command of the language.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS:

Several language functions will be introduced through theme-based units that will give you a meaningful context for communicating. The four basic skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) will be developed during the semester, as well as the necessary grammar structures, vocabulary, discourse strategies, and familiarity with the cultural norms which are linked to communication. The course themes and important dates are shown in Appendix I. The objectives for each chapter, functions that you should be able to perform and supporting grammar structures, are specified in Appendix II and will assist you in monitoring your own progress during the semester.

The successful achievement of the goals of this course requires approximately two hours of homework for every hour of class and regular and active classroom participation--in Spanish at all times by both students and instructors! Group work is an important and required component of this course.

Required materials	1. Visión y Voz, Galloway-Labarca (Wiley). (Students placed in 231 have the option to buy the customized version for Spanish 231 that contains only the last two units of the book, workbook and laboratory manual). 2. Spanish 231. Coursepack. 2002. Primis custom publishing (McGraw-Hill Co.) 3. Bluebooks to be used for journal entries (available at bookstores).
Web resources	1. UMCT course site (only registered students): https://coursetools.ummu.umich.edu/2003/winter/spanish/231/015.nsf 2. Course homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~span231 3. Course Newsletter: http://www.umich.edu/~raquelng
Recommended texts	1. Spanish- Spanish dictionary. 2. Side by side, Spanish-English grammar.

COURSE COMPONENTS:

Class participation and homework	15%	Includes attendance and active class participation (7.5%) and homework (7.5%).*
Reflective Journal	10%	Two weekly entries on free and assigned topics.
Research project	10%	Web research, oral presentations and written reports on selected country.
Course quizzes (3)	13 %	First 3% and 2^nd and 3^rd 5% each *
Exams (2)	17 %	Visión y Voz Unit Exams.* (First one 7% and 2^nd one 10%)
Final exam	35%	Oral (10%); Listening comprehension (10%); Written (15%). *

*Important note on make-ups: You must attend class on the days of the exams and announced quizzes.

Written exams and quizzes may be made up only if you have notified your instructor promptly and have a documented excuse. Only official notes are accepted. Because of its nature, make-up for the oral and listening comprehension exams are rarely authorized. For further questions please see the course coordinator. NONE of the exams are curved. Appendix IV provides you with a form to keep track of your grades.

GRADING SCALE:

In order to pass this course, students will be required to attain a minimum of a C-:

99 -100	A+	88 - 89	B+	78 - 79	C+	68 - 69.5	D+
93 - 98	A	83 - 87	B	73 - 77	C	63 - 67	D
90 - 92	A-	80 - 82	B-	70 - 72	C-	62 or below	E

COURSE COMPONENTS

Class participation and homework (15%)

· Attendance and class participation (7.5 %):

Regular attendance[1], punctuality, and active/informed class participation in Spanish all the time (NO EXCUSES), are crucial to success in this class and will be reflected in your class participation grade. Late arrivals, even 5 minutes, are absolutely discouraged and three of them are equivalent to an absence. Your participation will be assessed weekly or bi-weekly based on the criteria shown in Appendix III. (This policy is subject to change)

Group activities may be graded on occasion to evaluate the group performance. This grade will be counted as part of the participation grade.

· Homework (7.5%)

Daily preparation for class is the best way to guarantee that you learn in a progressive and steady way. It gives you confidence to participate actively and, giving the substantial amount of group work, should be viewed as an obligation toward your classmates.

Preparation for class requires the study and practice of grammar structures and vocabulary[2] and the completion of different activities at home, including viewing of videos, selected movies[3] and research on the Internet. Assignments will be graded by completion or by accuracy and must be turned in on time for credit. Students who miss class need to take the initiative to request make up of missing homework. Make-up of assignments will be considered only upon presentation of a documented excuse and timely notification.

Check-up quizzes on homework: both unannounced and announced, may be given during the semester and will be counted as part of the homework grade.

Reflective Journal (10%):

You will keep a reflective journal (“Diario”) with personal and thematic entries. It will help you to integrate and express your thoughts in Spanish and strengthen and enhance your use of vocabulary and grammar structures. Be creative and take risks in your writing. The journal is one of your best tools for learning.

You will write two entries per week (dated and numbered). One of the entries should be personal, on a topic of your choice while the other should be on the course material covered (including readings, videos and movies). You should strive in your journal entries for coherent communication of your thoughts, providing relevant details and making effective use of the new grammar structures and vocabulary studied. (To underline or highlight new words and structures in your entries is a valuable learning strategy that we encourage you to use).

The journal will be collected periodically and your teacher will give you feedback on appropriateness of content and patterns of grammar errors based on inspection of selected entries. We expect you to work on these mistakes in successive entries.

Research project and oral presentation (10%):

For the research project you should select a timely topic, chosen from the general themes covered in the course. Your final essay must demonstrate your command of the appropriate grammar structures and discourse modes.

To encourage you to work on your project regularly it has been divided in different stages to be completed by a certain date (see Appendix I). If extenuating circumstances prevent your attendance on these days, get in touch with your teacher promptly. Details of each assignment can be found in the “Resources” section in UMCT (the Spanish 231 CourseTools site).

The final grade for the project will be calculated adding the partial grades given for each of the stages. Any phase of the project turned in after the due date indicated in the schedule and up to two days late, will be penalized with a 10% deduction. After that date it will not receive any credit.

Your oral presentation (20 points=2%) will be scheduled by your teacher, starting April 4^th. and will last 6-8 minutes, including Q&A time. Reading from notes is not allowed.

Course Quizzes (3) (13%): The first two quizzes (On chapters 13 and 15 of Visión y Voz) will last 30 minutes and will evaluate a combination of the following skills: listening comprehension, reading, writing and knowledge of cultural material studied. Quiz 3 will be on materials related with the topics cover in the Spanish 231 coursepack (green) and will last 50 minutes. The quizzes dates are shown in Appendix I.

Exams (2) (17%): Both are on the Visión y Voz units and are similar to the first two course quizzes but last 50 minutes. The exam dates are shown in Appendix I.

Final Exam:

Oral (10%):

The Oral exam, lasting approximately 14 minutes (including preparation time) is conducted with a partner and will be administered in the PC classroom at the Language Resource Center, the first weeks of April,. The day, depending on the section number, will be announced in class. The exam covers all the content and grammar studied and reviewed.

At your scheduled time you will be presented with a situation and you and your partner will have 4 minutes to prepare. This preparation will be done without external help (books, dictionaries, etc).

After the preparation you and your partner will take the exam that lasts 10 minutes. Both partners should ask and respond to questions. Divide the time fairly. Your grade will take into consideration content appropriateness and quality, your command of the grammar and vocabulary studied, and your fluency and pronunciation. You must be on time to be able to take the exam. NO MAKE UPS.

Note: For more details go to: http://www.umich.edu/~span231/info/oral.htm.

Listening comprehension (10%):

This exam is given in class on the last day of instruction on Tuesday, April 15^th. It will occupy the entire class period. This exam will cover the different countries that have been studied and contemporary topics. All the grammar studied will be necessary to properly answer specific questions.

Written (15%) This part of the exam will cover the whole range of topics discussed in class and all the grammar studied. It includes testing of reading, writing, grammar and culture and will be administered as a multiple-section exam on Wednesday, April 23^rd. at 8:00 a.m. The room will be announced in due course.

Make-up Final Exam: Will be given on Friday, April 25^th., at 8:00 a.m. and is provided only for students who cannot attend the original date because of a time conflict with another exam, three other exams the same day or in case of medical emergency properly documented (doctor's medical excuse written on official letterhead paper along with the doctor's phone number). The student must contact his or her instructor promptly. For other emergencies, contact the coordinator immediately. (Scheduling a trip or oversleeping are not considered valid reasons for missing the final exam. If a student oversleeps, it is better to arrive late for the final exam than not to take it at all). Students who do not take the final exam on the day it is scheduled and who have not followed these procedures will receive a zero for the exam.

Note: Students with special needs should notify their teachers in advance to make the proper arragements.

Important Note: Students work is regulated by the Code of Academic Conduct. Please, read below

Code of Academic Conduct:

Students suspected of cheating, plagiarism, or aiding others in dishonest academic behavior will be brought before the Academic Judiciary Committee. You are responsible for reading and understanding the Code of Academic Conduct. If your instructor believes that academic dishonesty may have taken place, he or she will present the evidence to the coordinator, who may inform the Academic Judiciary. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, and aiding and abetting dishonesty. An example of plagiarism would be to submit a composition which in part or in whole is not entirely the student’s own work without attributing the source. Cheating includes allowing another person such as a tutor or friend, to help with or to do one’s work and to submit the work under one’s own name.

APPENDIX I: COURSE OUTLINE AND IMPORTANT DATES
Parte I: Temas generales (Capítulos finales de Visión y Voz)
Unidad	Temas dominantes			Duración	Fechas Importantes (día/mes)
Int. al curso	· ¿Quiénes somos?.			6 –7 de enero	6/1 Evaluación inicial
Unidad 7 Capítulos 13-14	· Vida Sana: ¿Cómo nos cuidamos?: - El físico es muy importante. (Cap.13) - El mejor remedio.(Cap.14)			9 al 30 de enero.	16/1 Proyecto Paso I 17/1 Examencito 1 (*16/1 para sección 34) 23/1 Proyecto Paso II 30/1 Examen 1(Unidad 7)
Unidad 8 Capítulos 15 y 16	· Ciudadanos del mundo: ¿Cómo cuidamos al mundo que nos rodea? - Ciudades de ahora y de siempre. (Cap. 15) - ¿Qué nos reserva el futuro? El medio ambiente. (Cap. 16)			31 de enero al 11 de marzo.	14/2 Examencito 2 (* 13/2 section 34) 20/2 Proyecto Paso III 13/3 Examen 2 (Unidad 8) 27/3 Proyecto Paso IV (borrador)
Parte II: El mundo hispano a través de sus escritores y del internet. (*Materiales del “coursepack” de Español 231 y del Internet)
País/cuentos				Duración	Fechas importantes
· Papi y el otro (Puerto Rico) · La colección (Uruguay); · Varía en las distintas secciones.				14/3 al 3/4	3/4 Examencito 3
Parte III: Final del curso (Presentaciones y exámenes finales)
Exámenes orales Finales		4-11/4	Fecha para cada sección se anunciará en clase. Lugar: Language Resource Center (Salón de las PC)
Informe escrito y presentación oral de los proyectos de investigación.		4- 14/4	Proyecto Paso V: El día para cada presentación se anunciará en clase.
Examen Final de Comprensión auditiva		15 de abril	Lugar: Salón de clase.
Examen Final Escrito		23 de abril	Lugar: será anunciado.

APPENDIX II: CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
Temas generales: Vida Sana (Unidad 7)
Culturales	Funcionales	Gramaticales
- Comparar información sobre el cuidado de la salud en en los Estados Unidos y en algunos países hispanos. - Comparar la medicina convencional con la medicina alternativa.	Específicos de la unidad: - Hablar de la salud y bienestar físico en presente y pasado. - Describir síntomas de enfermedades. - Expresar dolor y malestar. - Aconsejar a otros cómo cuidar su salud. - Hipotetizar sobre las causas para la longevidad. Generales: - Identificar la idea principal de un texto; - Parafrasear y resumir información; - Buscar e identificar información específica. - Interpretar información - Comparar y contrastar - Expresar sentimientos y opiniones. - Discutir y expandir ideas.	- Tiempo presente. - Repaso de ser-estar-tener-haber. - Verbos para expresar opinión (gustar y similares; creer, pensar, etc.) - Órdenes informales y formales (afirmativas y negativas). - Estructuras que expresan comparación y contraste. - Tiempo pasado (pretérito e imperfecto). - Presente del subjuntivo (continuación de capítulos anteriores)

Temas generales: Ciudadanos del mundo (Unidad 8)
Culturales	Funcionales	Gramaticales
- Describir, comparar y contrastar las grandes ciudades norteamericanas e hispanas. - Identificar problemas ecológicos en los Estados Unidos y en algunos países hispanos. - Comparar soluciones a los problemas.	Específicos de la unidad: - Describir las ciudades de hoy y la situación con el medio ambiente. - Discutir/analizar/comparar las soluciones dadas a los problemas e hipotetizar sobre soluciones alternativas. - Hipotetizar sobre lo que nos depara el futuro. - Proponer y discutir soluciones alternativas. - Expresar deseos y estipular condiciones. Generales: Los mismos de la unidad anterior.	- Tiempo progresivo. - Tiempo futuro. - Presente del subjuntivo (cont.) - Imperfecto del subjuntivo: (Ojalá+…; Si+…). - Condicional.

Temas de actualidad: Hispanoamérica a través de la literatura y del internet
Culturales	Funcionales	Gramaticales
- Analizar diferentes piezas literarias teniendo en cuenta el transfondo cultural. - Analizar diferentes aspectos de la cultura y la situación actual en una selección de países hispanos. - Comparar diferentes actitudes y soluciones a los problemas.	- Identificar la idea principal de un texto y diferentes técnicas literarias. - Parafrasear y resumir información; - Buscar e identificar información específica. - Interpretar información. - Comparar y contrastar diferentes perspectivas culturales frente a los temas analizados. - Expresar sentimientos y opiniones. - Discutir/ sintetizar y expandir las ideas expresadas en los textos.	- Repaso y profundización de las estructuras gramaticales aprendidas en las unidades previas.

APPENDIX III: Class participation evaluation criteria
9-10	1. Only uses Spanish for asking/answering questions, group activities and class discussions.
	2. Initiates interaction and participates actively in group activities.
	3. Participates actively in class discussions.
	4. Is always prepared, answers promptly and well when called upon.
	5. Frequently elaborates on answers, using appropriate vocabulary and structures and is always easily comprehensible to the class.
8-8.9	1. Only uses Spanish for asking/answering questions, group activities and class discussions.
	2. Participates actively in group activities.
	3. Participates passively in class discussions.
	4. Is almost always prepared, usually answers well when called upon.
	5. Elaborates somewhat on answers, uses mostly appropriate vocabulary and structures and is mostly comprehensible to the class.
7-7.9	1. Only uses Spanish for asking/answering questions, group activities and class discussions.
	2. Occasionally participates in group activities.
	3. Occasionally participates in class discussions.
	4. Is not always fully prepared, sometimes unable to answer.
	5. Some elaboration in answers with attempt to use proper vocabulary and structures but sometimes is not comprehensible to the class.
6-6.9	1. Sometimes uses English in small group activities and discussions.
	2. Infrequently participates in group activities.
	3. Infrequently participates in class discussions.
	3. Lacks adequate preparation and has difficulty answering questions.
	5. Almost no elaboration in answers.
0-5	Uses English frequently; rarely or never participates; disruptive; unprepared or absent from class.

APPENDIX IV	FOR MY RECORDS
Components	Actual Points	Average (100)	Max %	Final %
Class Participation	____/____ /____/____ /_____/____/____ /____ ____/____ /____/____ /_____/____/____ /____		7.5
Homework	___ /____/____/_____/_____/____ /____/_____ ___ /____/____/_____/_____/____/____/		7.5
Journal	_______/________/		10
Research Project			10
Quizzes (3)	1. _______ (3%) 2. _______ (5%); 3. _______ (5%)		3 10
Tests (2)	1. _______ (7%) 2. _______(10%)		7 10
Final Oral:	_________	_______	10	______
Final L/C. Final Written:	_________ _________	_______ _______	10 15	______ ______
TOTAL			100

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[1] How do absences affect your participation grade?

1. 1-3 unexcused absences do not affect your participation grade.

2. Your participation grade for a particular week will be lowered one notch for every unexcused absence after the third one. For example, if your participation grade average for a particular week of instruction is B, but you have one unexcused absence for that week, your participation grade will be lowered to a B-.

What is an excused absence?

1. Illness. Absence/s will be excused ONLY if you provide written documentation indicating the date/s when you were seen at the doctor's office.

2. Religious holidays. ONLY religious holidays approved by the University of Michigan can be excused. (See http://www.umich.edu/~provost/dates/) for details. Your instructors must be notified by the first week of class.

3. Athletic events. Students who will miss class due to athletic obligations must provide written documentation to their instructor by the first week of class in order to have the absence count as excused.

[2] The answers to the Workbook exercises are at: http://www.umich.edu/~span231/recurso/capres.htm

[3] The list of movies and exhibition dates will be provided at:http://www.umich.edu/~span231/recurso/pelicu.html