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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. - Room: RH 304

Textbook:

You must be prepared with any assigned homework from the textbook and literature book. Come to class prepared and with questions or comments about the material you have studied. All assignments are found in the syllabus.

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Short Stories:

Short stories will be assigned for the student to read as homework.  They will be discussed in the following class period. You may buy the packet of readings from the main office of CSL in Rayzor Hall 235 for $10.00. The students are responsible for finding new vocabulary presented in the stories and for participating in the discussion of the stories.  Students should prepare questions and personal comments about the stories at home to be presented to the other students in class for discussion.

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Articles/ Debates:     

Throughout the semester the students will be asked to find and read articles of their own interests from Spanish language magazines, newspapers or the Internet.  You will need to print or make a copy of the article to bring class for discussions. You should prepare several questions about the article to facilitate the discussion.  The students will present the information/topic to the class for discussion and/or debate. Periodically we may have debates in class and you will need to come up with a topic and present the idea to the class. You should bring at least three questions on the topic to present to the class so that the groups for and against the idea can discuss the issues. 

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Wiki (Vocabulario y cuento):

It is a collaborative writing tool where the students will be asked to co-construct knowledge instantaneously via online editor. You can access it through the LRC web-site http://syllable.rice.edu/LangEx_07_08/

Throughout the semester, the students will have to collaboratively create: a) various vocabulary lists regarding the topics discussed on each chapter, as well as from movies, articles, and short stories; and b) a story called "Cuento"; this story will be written collaboratelly by groups of three/four students. 


Movie Discussions:

 We will watch four movies and possibly a TV program this semester to expand the geographical, historical, sociopolitical or cultural aspects of the target language. The dates for the movies are noted on the syllabus.  The student is responsible for watching the movie or program outside of class and to bring to class a number of questions to ask the other students as well as his/her comments about the film.  We will have discussions in class and you will be responsible for pertinent vocabulary from the discussions.  You may watch the movies in the Language Resource Center (LRC), or from any computer on campus only. To view the movies click here; go to Course Reserve Collection, and enter the password that you will receive in class. You then click on Spanish 301 to find the assigned movie for a specific chapter. Please plan your time wisely and check the hours that the LRC is open in order to have time to watch the movies before the class discussion.

The movies are the following:
* Herencia
* Guantanamera
* Como agua para chocolate
* La historia oficial

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Essays (composiciones):

The students will write three (3) essays or compositions on three (3) different topics to be turned in at the end of the class on the dates noted in the syllabus. The essays must:
• be typed (font size 12, double spaced),
• contain your complete name, name of class, and date,
• and 2 pages long.

Plan ahead!!!  Pay attention to grammar (subject-verb agreement, noun-adjective agreement, tense, spelling and accents), organization, interference from English, creating well constructed sentences, and using an abundant variety of vocabulary.
You may use the Lista de horrores to help you in your writing. When I correct your compositions, I will use this list of symbols to help you with your errors. I suggest that you edit your composition afterwards. If you want a better grade, you will have two extra days to turn it in to the instructor your edited version from the day you get it back.

A 25% of your essay grade is based on grammar and vocabulary.  The other 75% is ased on organization, creativity, content, comprehensibility, etc.   

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Daily Writing Assignments (párrafos):

 The students will write several paragraphs throughout the semester in which they comment on themes previously indicated and/or their reaction to the foreign culture, a topic of discussion, or a movie. The topic and due dates for Daily Writing Assignments are noted on the syllabus. The paragraphs must be written (handwriting or typed) on a sheet with the following indications:
• your complete name, name of class, and date
• from half a page to a page long
• double spaced
You may use the Lista de horrores (click to access) to help you in your writing.

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In-Class Chatting (BBS):

You will be able to chat with the other classmates through using a Bulletin Board System (BBS) in the LRC. This language forum will allow you to read and discuss on a given topic. You will have two (2) sessions during the semester. In order to use it, you must register prior to our first session. Follow the steps shown in the following web-site.
If you have questions regarding registration, visit the page of “FAQ”.
Final Project:

1. An Oral Presentation: Playback (a personal story presentation and participation in presenting stories told by others)

2. A Written Essay: A personal story (a short story about yourself)

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E-mail Exchange Project:

You will weekly exchange e-mails with a student from
- Universidad Tecnológica de Monterrey, México.

Click here for details.

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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.
or by appointment

Phone: 713-348-2844
Fax: 713-348-5846
E-mail: varbizu@rice.edu or va1@rice.edu


 
 
 
 
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