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| Advanced Spanish Language and Culture I | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Course Description SPAN 301 3 (three) credit class |
Sec. 01-
MWF 10:00 - 10:50 a.m. |
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| Syllabus | Homework and Special Assignments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Materials | Extra Resources | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | Assessment and Grading | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance & Punctuality | Honor Code | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Participation | Disability Support Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Textbook: Conversaciones Creadoras, by J. Brown & C. Martín Gaite, Houghton Mifflin Co. third edition, 2005 * Articles from the Internet (la Red), Spanish language newspapers and magazines * Short Stories to read |
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| Course Objectives | The primary goals of this class are for the students to communicate in Spanish at an advanced level, to narrate in present and past tense, to be able to voice their opinions and to hypothesize in different situations. Understanding the Spanish culture is also a fundamental part of communication and of this course. We will achieve these goals through reading, building your Spanish vocabulary and oral and written practice. Through creative language use, role playing, and class discussions students will improve their oral communication skills. Each chapter is organized around a specific topic and an unfinished conversación creadora and its functional topic. The text provides sections that offer cultural information, vocabulary and practice exercises, reading practice and opportunities for creative language practice to be accomplished individually, in pairs, in small groups, and as a whole class. The chapters in Conversaciones Creadoras will provide daily life situations which the students will discuss in class in Spanish. We will also read several short stories and watch movies outside of class which will provide the students with interesting topics for discussion as well as a brief look at the culture of different countries. You will be asked to find and read articles from Spanish language newspapers or magazines or the Internet on any topic which interests you. At times you will be asked to search the internet for information on specific topics. You should bring a copy of the article you read to class. In addition to class discussions we may have debates organized by the students on various topics of interest to the students. Below you will find all the activities and requirements necessary for this course. |
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| Attendance and Punctuality | All
students are allowed 3 unexcused absences. After 3 unexcused absences,
your final course grade drops by one letter grade per missed absence
(eg. A+ to A, or B- to C+). Excused absences are only allowed in
the case of participation in university-sponsored activities, interviews,
school visits, religious observance, or serious illness. It is your
responsibility to provide evidence no later than the last day of
class (it is best if you provide evidence in advance), so that your
absence may be documented. Punctuality is required. Chronic late
arrival and/or early departure will negatively affect your attendance
grade.
You are responsible for catching up with the assignments done in class during your absence. Your course syllabus will help you. It is recommended for you to get one or/and two classmates' phone #, e-mail addresses to contact to check about your missing class. |
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| Participation | Students
are expected to come to class every day, and actively participate
in it. Good participation means that you need to use Spanish as much
as possible in class, be proactive and attentive, have a positive
attitude, be prepared, listen respectfully to others, and actively
participate in small group and whole class activities and discussions.
We do a large amount of pair and group work in this class, and you
will have to be proactive about finding a partner(s) to work with.
Simply showing up for class is not enough to earn a good participation
grade; rather, your presence should make a positive difference in
the quality of the class. Your participation is related to your effort
and your improvement in the class, and together these form an important
component of how you are evaluated in the course.
Wearing sunglasses is not permitted during class. |
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Homework is to be done before coming to class. It will consist of reading assigned chapters in the textbook, short stories, or articles, writing out exercises, writing your Diario or paragraphs or the essays. You are expected to prepare comments and questions for the readings and movies to bring to class. Textbook |
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| Extra Resources | Mesa de español |
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| Assessment & Grading | There will be an exam at the end of each chapter that will cover short stories, movies, cultural information discussed in class from the notas culturales section and information and vocabulary from the class discussions. There will be no midterm exam and final exam. Dates are noted in the syllabus. There are no make-ups for unexcused absences to exams. If you cannot be present due to university functions (ie. sports participation), illness or a personal emergency, you must notify me as soon as possible. Proof is mandatory. Grades:
Evaluation is according to the following scale
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| Honor Code | You may consult with your classmates and/or friends for projects and homework, but you may not copy someone else's work. All tests and quizzes are under the Honor Code. All sources in written work and presentations must be properly acknowledged. The provisions of the Honor Code at Rice University will be strictly enforced. |
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| Disability Support Services | Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is required to contact the Disability Support Services in the Ley Student Center. It is imperative for a student with a disability to speak with me sometime during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. |
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Contact
CSL – MS 36
Rayzor Hall Room 320 Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston, Texas 77005 Office
Hours: M-W-F: 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. Phone: 713-348-2844 |