Course Syllabus

SPA 101

Aug 20 - Dec 14

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General Information: 

Instructor: Jared Reynolds

e-mail address: jared.reynolds@yc.edu

Office phone: 928-634-6580

Office hours:  24/7  Call or email.  Email and voicemail from my office phone go straight to my cell phone which is usually in my pocket.

Course Description: 

SPA 101. Beginning Spanish I (4). SUN # SPA 1101. Fundamentals of speaking, writing, listening, and reading of Spanish. Introduction to the culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Four lecture.

Holidays:  Mon. Sept. 3rd (Labor Day), Mon. Nov. 12th (Veteran's Day), Wed., Thurs., Fri. Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving), 

Class Materials:

Mandatory:

Access to a computer and internet that will allow you to watch videos and do your homework.  (You have access to the YC lab computers if needs be.)

eTextbook (print or have on tablet/computer for each class)  It's in the course navigation. 

Suggested:

Barron’s 501 Spanish verbs link or online verb conjugator at link

Harper Collins Spanish Dictionary link or dictionary at link

Course Content:

1. Formulaic expressions (e.g., Of course!) 

2. Courtesy expressions (e.g., Thank you, good evening) 

3. Basic needs 

4. Question formation and interrogative words 

5. Basic biographical information (e.g., name, age, origin, profession, phone number, address) 

6. Telling time 

7. Comparisons 

8. Descriptions of activities 

9. Narrations of daily routines 

10. Descriptions of objects, places, and people 

11. Spanish phonetic and stress systems 

12. Spanish spelling system 

13. Accent marks in Spanish 

14. Reading authentic Spanish passages that relate to basic survival vocabulary and/or current events 

15. Components of the Spanish-speaking culture: physical (e.g., personal space, customs), non-verbal (e.g., gestures), geographical (e.g., maps), and the arts (e.g., music, arts)

Learning Outcomes:

1. Use and respond to formulaic expressions and courtesy expressions (e.g., Of course!, Thank you), formulate questions to satisfy basic needs (e.g., What time is it?) and express basic needs (e.g., I'm looking for the bus to Guadalajara). 

2. Describe objects, places, and people. 

3. Express basic biographical information on oneself and others (e.g., name, age, origin, profession, phone number, address) 

4. Narrate daily activities and routines of oneself and others (e.g., At seven, I wake up, shower, and shave. After I get dressed and eat breakfast, I go to the university.). 

5. Respond and contribute to very simple face-to-face conversations with limited spontaneity using frequently used phrases.

Study Recommendations

How often: 

Throughout the day, every day.

For how long: 

Short amounts of time. 5-20 min. sessions.

Meaningful: 

Make it fun by looking up things that apply to you. (Things that you say, shows that you watch and music that you listen to.)

With whom: 

Study and practice with someone else. Don't study alone! Study (and practice) with someone else as often as possible.

Reading / Listening comprehension: 

Look for keywords and go for the overall meaning. Don't become frustrated if you don't know all of the words.

Watching TV shows: 

Find a show or movie that you like a lot. Watch it with Spanish subtitles and in Spanish.

Speaking: 

Don't think that you have to be perfect to communicate! The important thing is to do your best and be happy when you do your best. This takes time! Have fun with it! You are learning a foreign language!

Recommended learning tools:

Anki and Smartcards+ are two flashcard applications that integrate images, audio and text to practice recall.  Additionally, they alert you when you need to study cards based on how well you recall the information.  The algorithms that they use are based on a proven memory technique called Spaced Repetition Systems.   iTalki.com is a great place to practice with native Spanish speakers.  Make a list of questions and practice them online with a native speaker.  If you are interested in continuing language learning I recommend the book Fluent Forever and/or Fluent in 3 months.

Tutoring:

Use the tutoring services in the learning center to practice with Trini our native-Spanish speaking tutor.

Purpose:

If you do not have a reason to take a class other than for graduation, then I suggest you find a better reason to take any class.  Students that have a purpose or are strongly motivated to take a class, are much more likely to do better and remember the information covered long after the class has finished.

Make-up policy:

Our schedule is flexible, but there will be deadlines.  There will be 5 self-paced chapters.  Make sure that you finish the chapter by the deadline posted on the chapter.  Sections can be found under 'Modules' on the left.  Any assignments not finished by the deadline will be given a zero.  Pay attention to the dates.  

Late work

Late work will not be accepted.  Finish your chapter materials on time.

Skills Assessments (45%)

To check your comprehension of the material, there will be a skills assessment.  These will be one-on-one, on Fridays during available times.  See this video on how to schedule your Skills Assessments and pass them off online.  The purpose of these is for you to show what you can 'do' with the language.  Examples of Skills Assessments are greeting someone, describing a family member, or describing your daily routine.  If you do not pass a skills assessment you will need to study more and re-take the assessment before continuing with the material.

Homework / Assignments (45%)

Homework will consist of online activities.  There will be reading, writing, listening and speaking activities.  It is important to do all of these activities because they will allow you to remember the information better.

Attendance (10%)

We will meet for 16 weeks on Mondays and Wednesdays.  That is 32 class meetings (minus holidays).  You are allowed to miss four classes and stay in the class.  More than 4 absences will result in you being dropped from the class.  There will be 100 points for attendance and each absence will result in a 10 pt deduction.

What to expect in class:

Since you will be familiar with the material before coming to class, we will focus on practicing in class.  You will practice as a class and in groups.  We will practice making statements and asking questions in class.

YC Policy

 

Student Email:

Yavapai College provides enrolled students with an official username@scholar.yc.edu email address. Yavapai College requires enrolled students to utilize the YC email system for official college-related communications.  Students are expected to check their Yavapai College email account as directed by their instructor. If you need assistance, go to Information Technology Services or 928.776.2168 (http://www.yc.edu/its).

Course Withdrawal:

A student-initiated withdrawal deadline is established by the College.  If a student has not withdrawn from a class by the deadline, a student will receive the letter grade earned in the course at the end of the semester.  An instructor can choose to withdraw a student from the class after the deadline depending upon the instructor’s withdrawal policy. If a student does not follow official procedures for withdrawing from a course, earned grades will be posted on the student’s permanent record.  See the academic calendar for details.

Academic Integrity:

Honesty in academic work is a central element of the learning environment. It is expected that students will submit their own work.  The presentation of another individual’s work as one’s own or the act of seeking unfair academic advantage through cheating, plagiarism or other dishonest means are violations of the College’s Student Code of Conduct.

Definitions of plagiarism, cheating, and violation of copyright and penalties for violation are available in the Yavapai College Student Code of Conduct.

Student Code of Conduct:

Respect for the rights of others and for the College and its property are fundamental expectations for every student.  The Student Code of Conduct outlines behavioral expectations, and explains the process for responding to allegations of student misconduct.

Students are expected to respond and write in a professional and appropriate manner when activities are assigned to create scenarios, discuss opinions, present on a selected subject, or post to the web board. Inappropriate language or objectionable material will not be tolerated and could result in disciplinary measures and/or a failing grade for the class. (http://www.yc.edu/codeofconduct) 

Academic Complaint Form:

A student may appeal an academic or instructional decision by faculty if s/he deems the decision to be made in error. The appeal must be made in a timely manner in accordance with established procedures.  (http://www.yc.edu/academiccomplaints)

Acceptable Use:

Yavapai College technological equipment and resources must be used in accordance with the Technology Resource Standards (5.27), Copyright Use (2.28) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing (5.26) policies.  Use of Yavapai College equipment and resources to illegally copy, download, access, print or store copyrighted material or download pornographic material is strictly prohibited. For example, file swapping of copyrighted material, such as music or movies is strictly prohibited. Users found to violate this policy will have their privileges to use Yavapai College technological equipment and resources revoked. (http://www.yc.edu/policies)

Mobile Devices:

 

Yavapai College is committed to providing a quality learning environment.  All cell phones and mobile devices must be placed in silent mode while in classrooms, computer labs, library, learning center, and testing areas.  Cell phones must be used outside these facilities. 

Tobacco Use:

Yavapai College is committed to limiting exposure to the harmful effects of primary and secondary smoke to campus students, visitors, and employees. In order to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco use and to maintain a healthful working and learning environment, the College prohibits smoking, including vaping, on all campuses except in designated smoking areas as per the Smoking & Tobacco Use Policy (5.35).

(https://www.yc.edu/v5content/policies/docs/dsa/Policy5-35-08162016.pdf)

Drug Free Environment:

Yavapai College’s policy is to provide an environment free of drugs and alcohol. The use of il­legal drugs and abuse of alcohol pose significant threats to health and can be detrimental to the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the user and the entire Yavapai College community, and is prohibited. Campus Safety will be notified if a student exhibits an impaired state in the classroom environment.

Disability Resources:

Disability Resources ensures qualified students with disabilities equal access and reasonable accommodations in all Yavapai College academic programs and activities. YC supports disability and accessibility awareness and promotes a welcoming environment to all. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and requires Yavapai College to make reasonable accommodations for those otherwise qualified individuals with a disability who request accommodations.  (http://www.yc.edu/disabilityresources)

 

Yavapai College is committed to providing educational support services to students with documented disabilities. Accommodations for a student must be arranged by the student through Disability Resources by phone 928.776.2085 or email disabilityresources@yc.edu.

Response Time:

Instructors will state a time frame for returning graded assignments and responding to student correspondence. For example, I will do my best to address student correspondence within 5 min - 2 hours.

Do not use the links below to navigate this course.  Use the modules button in the upper left-hand side of the screen.