Advanced Grammar Review

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<= /span>SPA 2225

Spanish Grammar Review

Fall 2007

Prof. William Keeth

E-mail: wkee= th@mansfield.edu

Tel: 570-662-4605

or 570-662-4581

Office: Belknap 110-C

Office Hours

Classroom: Belknap Hall G-2

Class Hours: MWF 1:00 PM - 1:50PM

Required material:

Texts: &nb= sp; =

1) Alonso Raya, Rosario et al. Gramática básica del= estudiante de español. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: S.L. Difusión and Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.

2)= Andújar, Julio I. and Robert J. Dixson. Workbook in Everyday Spanish: A Comprehensive Grammar Review. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. =

Suggested Material:

Miscellaneous: &= nbsp;

A spiral n= otebook (class journal)

Flashcards= (verb and vocabulary drill)

Overview of course:

SPA 2225 is a transition course between the intermedia= te and advanced level Spanish courses. It provides intensive Spanish grammar review and practice by returning to topics covered in lower level Spanish courses = and approaching them in a more detailed manner. It will also introduce ot= her major aspects of Spanish grammar not previously covered. The course w= ill emphasize the foundations of grammar and their expression in conversation, writing, and reading.

In this course students are expected to increase their grammatical competency and command, as well as, work towards developing a m= ore complex grammatical expression. During the semester students will learn to = recognize and review their own personal grammatical obstacles. As students study the formal aspects of the Spanish language, they are expected to learn and use grammatical terminology. It is assumed that students in this course h= ave already learned basic concepts in previous Spanish classes and are prepared= to study grammar at a more advanced and detailed level. The format= of the class will be a flexible combination of explanations, exercises, and review/reinforcement activities.

Specif= ic Course Goals

Increase your awareness of differences between English and Spanish in grammar.
Review the most problematic grammatical structures learned in lower level courses.

Learn why certain problematic grammatic= al aspects function as they do.

Supply a grammatical form when requeste= d.

Explain a grammatical concept by relati= ng meaning to form and by analyzing contextual clues.=

Find examples of particular grammatical structures.

Write narrative prose in Spanish with grammatical accuracy; spell accurately, including accent marks.=

Utilize the grammatical stru= ctures you are studying correctly in verbal discourse.

System= of Evaluation
Standards of Measurement	Criteria and Weight*

Class Participation=	10 %
Homework=	10 %
Exams (2)	20 %
Midterm<= /span>	25%
Writing Assignments= (4)	10 %
Final Exam	25 %

Total	100%

Import= ant Dates
September 21^st=, 2007 – Letter to a friend 1	September 28^th=, 2007– Exam 1
October 12^{th, 2007 -- Letter to a friend 2}	October 17^{th, 2007– Midterm}
November 2^{nd, 2007 -- Letter to a friend 3}	November 19^{th<= /sup>, 2007– Exam 2}
December 7^{th, 2007 -- Letter to a friend 4}	December 10^{th<= /sup>, 2007 at 10:15 AM– Final Exam}

General Education Requirements and the General Education Portfolio:

Every Spanish course fulfills the General Education Distribution requirements for Group II “Languages and Literature̶= 1;. In order to maintain this GE qualification, students in 100 or 200 language level courses may not take the course as “pass/fail”. &nbs= p;

Effective September = 2006, students are no longer required to submit General Education Portfolios.

Although portfolios collected from individual students ar= e no longer the focus of the assessment process, the General Education goals have not changed and artifacts for General Education assessment may be gathered = by your professor in this course. For instance, the most conspicuous artifacts that can be drawn from this language course fulfill the “communication” category of GE competencies; for instance, your professor may video taping the Final Oral Presentation. A composition= that shows how a student is able to identify and cite reasons for his/her opinio= ns may also be held as a Critical Thinking Artifact. Likewise, a homework assignment that shows how a student is able to correct his/her answers, met= hods or procedures may also be gathered. A “web-based” or ̶= 0;realia” assignment that includes a "real world" task or an assignment that is based on a role-playing scenario = may be used as a Problem Solving artifact.

Exams, Midterm, Final Exam:

Students MUST take each exa= m, Midterm, and Final Exam on the day scheduled for examination. If a student = is absent from any Exam, Midterm, or Final Exam, then s/he will receive a zero (unless the student has made a prior arrangement with the professor). The Midterm Exam and Final Exam will be comprehensive and accumulative in conte= nt. The idea of “dropping of low exam score” does NOT exist in this course.

Homework Activities:

It is the student’s responsibility to keep track= of homework assignments. Homework assignments will be collected or checked dur= ing the first minutes of class. No late homework or lab assignments will be accepted, unless a student has arranged to miss class with the professor. Students will conform to the “Visto Bueno” method of completion= and correction.

Class Participation:

Each student can expect his= /her class participation to be evaluated in accordance with the general guideline for “Class Participation” and in accordance with the system of “Scoring Class Participation”. Students will receive participation scores from their peers as well as the professor (60% professor, 40% peers).

All students are expected t= o attend every class. Any unexcused absence will result in a 15% reduction in the student’s final Participation grade at the end of the semester. Any partial absence (over 15 minut= es) will result in a maximum score of 2.5 for the day.

Writing Assignments:

Throughout the semester, st= udents will write a series of short compositions modeled in the likes of a “Letter to a friend”. The theme for each one page typed composition (Times Roman 12, 1 ½ spaced) will be announced one week = prior to the due date of each composition.

In these short compositions, students are expected to demonstrate a mastery of the grammatical structures they have been learning and will be graded according to these expectations. Any limitations or specifications regarding grammatical content will be discussed prior to the composition due date.

Attendance:

All students are expected to attend class on a regular and punctual basis. Missing a class does not release a student from class obligations. Students should keep in touch with classmates and be sure to contact their professor in advance of any absence. If this is = not possible, they must contact the professor no later than the first cl= ass period after the excused absence.

If a student has to miss a class due to documented illnes= s or other excusable reason, the
student must:

1.&n= bsp; inform the professor as soon as possible and no later than the first class period after the excused absence;

2.&n= bsp; provide the professor with a copy of the signed excuse from a physic= ian, coach or other authority no later than the first class period after = the excused absence (The original must be available for faculty review.);

3.&n= bsp; arrange with the professor to make up missed graded assignments or e= xams as soon as possible.

In order to avoid prolonged delay of make-up of the work,= the professor may, at his discretion, give the make-up work and hold it for gra= ding until after the written excuse is received.

As stated above, any unexcused absence will result in a 1= 5% reduction in the student’s Participation grade.

Electronic submission of written work is an effective way= of handing in required written work by a specified deadline, especially when a student expects to be absent.

Suggested Method of Study:

1) Class Journal and Daily Review—Apart from completing homework assignments and attending class, students should keep a class journal (notes, diagrams, etc. related to Span= ish, made both in and out of class). This journal should be reviewed (at length) following each class and briefly looked at prior to each class sess= ion. This activity allows one to pay closer attention to the material, raise questions in class sessions, and keep continually “fresh”—= ;one of the most essential parts of learning a foreign language.

2) Establishing Priorities&= #8212;Students should try to study the most difficult Spanish topics first and dedicate mo= re time studying these areas later, especially prior to exams.

3) Avoiding Burnout—S= tudents should always study in multiple, staggered, short blocks of time. Each block should be no more than an hour and should include 5 to 10 minute breaks. Integrating numerous small blocks of study time into the week= ly schedule is empowering.

4) Consistency—Creati= ng and sticking to a study schedule is very important. For many students, weekends represent more valuable moments of study. Reserve these moments for studying ahead and resolving any problematic areas of study.

5) Positively Influencing O= ne's Horizon—Each student needs to periodically assess this course’s requirements, his/her degree of success and failure, his/her expectations, = and the direction of energies applied to this course. This helps to opportunely adjust study strategies or seek outside help, either with the professor or a tutor.

Conduct:

Academic honesty, the submission of original work, and student interaction is expected in this class. Any form of cheating may res= ult in failure of the course. Additional information concerning academic honesty and the procedures your professor

will use to initiate disciplin= ary action in cases of academic dishonesty can be found in The Passw= ord (for upperclassmen) or in The Student Planner (for freshmen).

The Syllabus:

This syllabus serves as a c= ontractual agreement. Presence in this class means that you agree to the items stipula= ted in the syllabus and are aware of any modifications made throughout the semester. One should periodically check the course web site for any updates= to the syllabus and/or class calendar.

Class records and Grades:

Oversee your grade by monit= oring your progress and maintaining contact with your instructor. Any student material or record that has been returned to the student becomes the studen= t's responsibility to maintain as a permanent record for the course. Students a= re responsible for picking up any materials that are made available to them or= are returned in class. If a student loses these records and the professor does = not have a copy of the material available, the student will receive a failing g= rade for the particular activity.

Students with “exceptionalities”:

Any students with documented psychological or learning disorders or other significant medical conditions that may affect their learning should contact Mr. William Chabala in our Counseling Center (101 Hemlock Manor, Phone: 662-4695; mwchabala@mnsfld.edu). Mr. Chabala will provide the professor wi= th the appropriate letter and materials that will enable him to serve the student’s particular needs more effectively. If a student has an exceptionality that requires class or testing accommodations, Mr. Chabala will work with the student and the professor = to identify and implement appropriate interventions.

Other:

If you are interested in st= udying abroad, please contact the = Office of the Provost or = Study Abroad advisor for information about studying abroad and make an office visit with your professor so that he may address your questions or concerns more straightforwardly.