SYLLABUS: Spanish 1 Prof. Sue Wyman
Spring Semester 2007 Office: Drescher 314 H
TuThF 9:30-11, 11:10-12:40
Office hrs: Th-Th 12:45-2:15 E-mail: Wyman_Susan@smc.edu
Fri 12:45-1:15
On the computer:
My website: http://homepage.smc.edu/wyman_susan/
eCompanion: Go to College website: SMC.edu and click on Technology Resources. From there, click on eCompanion.
Books: (Please bring #1 and #3 to every class)
1) Terrell, Tracy et al. Dos Mundos, 6th Ed. (textbook)
2) Dos Mundos: Cuaderno de trabajo, 6th Ed. (workbook)
3) Handouts: Spanish 1, Prof. Sue Wyman, revised Spring 2003."
4) CD-Rom for Dos Mundos (this does not need to be purchased; you can use it in the language lab)
You must bring the textbook and handout packet to every class. You may not share either of these with another person.
Buy: A stapler for your homework assignments and a Spanish/English dictionary.
PREREQUISITES: This is a beginning Spanish class, for people with LITTLE or NO prior Spanish study. If you feel you do not need to attend class in order to pass the quizzes and tests, then you belong in a more advanced Spanish class. Note: If you have spoken Spanish at home, you should seriously consider taking Spanish 11 "Spanish for Native Speakers 1". This course is for people who already speak Spanish, but want to learn how to write. Please talk to me about this right away. There is also a course that comes BEFORE (and is easier than) Spanish 1. It is called Spanish 31A, beginning conversation.
STUDY TIME: Spanish 1 is very fast paced, even though it is for beginners and requires a great deal of written homework! For every hour of class you are supposed to study 2 hours outside of class. That means 10 HOURS of study PER WEEK for a 5 unit college class in the regular semester. If you do not have time to study this much, attend class every day and spend at time in the language lab every week, you should take Spanish 31A (the 3-unit, easier course mentioned above) or wait until another semester.
COURSE CONTENT: Paso A through capítulo 7 (10 chapters)
GRADE: Your grade in this class will be based on the following criteria:
10% Homework
10% Participation & preparation (includes attendance)
5% Language Lab
45% Quizzes
30% Comprehensive final exam
Important Dates
Last date to select Credit/No Credit option: End of 4th week of the semester
Last date to drop yourself: End of 8th week
Last date to drop with instructor's permission: End of 12th week
See SMC homepage or Schedule & Directory for other important dates
CLASS ATTENDANCE: This class requires your participation and attendance is mandatory. If you feel you do not need to attend class in order to pass the chapter tests, you belong in a more advanced Spanish class. You are expected to come to every class for the ENTIRE 1½ hour class session, and be on time. I will take roll at the beginning of each class. Students arriving after roll has been taken will be marked tardy. If you miss more than 15 minutes of a class you will receive ½ or no attendance credit.
You will be allowed 4 absences and 4 tardies during the semester. After 4 absences your participation grade will drop 5% for EACH extra absence. 2 extra tardies equal one absence.
There are no excused or unexcused absences, so save your absences for sickness or absolute emergencies, and please make doctor appointments at other times.
I will probably drop you from class if you don't attend class for 2-3 days in a row, and you don't notify me. That said, PLEASE let me know if you decide to drop yourself. I would really appreciate it!
Bonus: I will give 1% extra credit to anyone with NO absences for the semester
How to contact me:
Email (this is best!!)
Voice mail (But please do not ask me to call you back)
Put a note in my mail box in the Modern Language Department (3rd floor)
If you are absent, please do not call or write me to ask what you missed in class or what the homework is. Call or email a classmate! (Get several phone numbers and keep these current). Be sure to check eCompanion for additonal class information.
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Letters of recommendation are generally written only for A students and require 3 weeks advance notice.
Student behavior: Please do not eat in class, and turn cell phones, watch alarms, and pagers off. Please use the restroom before class begins. Please do not walk in and out of class while I am teaching or during partner work.
PARTICIPATION and PREPARATION (10%): Participation is a vital part of your language learning experience. This grade will reflect your attendance in class, how prepared you are during class, and your class participation, both in small groups and in the class as a whole. People who participate in group work, but do not volunteer in the class as a whole &/or cannot answer when called on, will earn the participation grade of "C". Those desiring an "A" in this portion of their grade must be able to answer if I call on them, they must volunteer FREQUENTLY, have excellent class attendance, and be able to understand and answer questions.
Try never to leave the class during partner work and remember, Absences and tardies do affect your participation grade.
LANGUAGE LAB (located in Drescher 219):
5% of your overall grade. A minimum of 15 hours spread over the course of the semester (+1 hours per week) listening to the digitized tapes that go with Dos Mundos and doing other lab activities (CD Rom, Online Learning Center, Destinos, etc.)
You will receive 4 lab grades during the semester (percentage grades, just like on quizzes)
Grade 1: 4 hours by the end of the 4th week
Grade 2: 8 hours by the end of the 8th week
Grade 3: 12 hours by the end of the 12th week
Grade 4: 15 hours by the end of the 15th week
Here is an example. If you have 3 hours by the end of the 4th week, your first lab grade will be 75%. There is nothing you can do to erase or improve this specific grade after you receive it, so WORK AHEAD and put some lab hours "in the bank", in case you have trouble getting to the lab during a particular week.
Note: You MUST listen to the digitized tapes in order to complete the atividades auditivas sections of your workbook/lab manual (Cuanderno de Trabajo). You may listen to this section from your home computer via the Dos Mundos Online Learning Center, but of course, this will not give you lab credit.
How to check your lab hours: Log on to the SMC website (SMC.edu). Under Admissions, click Student Self-Service System (the same place you go to enroll and get your grades). There is also a link on the first page of my website.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS (10%): From the textbook, workbook, my website, and from the Dos Mundos website (Online Learning Center): www.mhhe.com/dosmundos6
Late homework is not accepted, even if you are or have been absent. You may miss 4 assignments with no penalty.
Most homework is self-correcting (keys are in the back of the text and workbook), except for a few textbook exercises and some workbook assignments. Homework that I collect is due on my desk at the beginning of class, stapled, clearly labeled, and self-corrected using the key, if appropriate.Homework will be graded +, , -
To receive a +, you must write what is originally in the book as well as your answers, and be extremely careful in your self-correcting with the key. To receive 100% in the homework portion of your grade (10% of your overall grade) you must have mostly grades of +; otherwise the highest homework grade you can get is 90%.
HOW TO SELF-CORRECT YOUR HOMEWORK:
After you do a particular exercise, turn to the key at the back of your text or workbook and take a DIFFERENT color pen/pencil to correct your mistakes. Pretend YOU are the teacher (a very "picky" one!!!). Do NOT erase any incorrect answers; write the correction next to your wrong answer. Then, to the left of each exercise, you should mark how many you got wrong. Record the total (for example: -4, or 100%) below your name. Try to catch even tiny errors, such as spelling mistakes, capitalization errors, accents, punctuation, etc.
Example: p. 17, Ejercicio 3 (páginas azules, textbook)
1. ¿_______ es profesor aquí?
--¿Quién, Raúl? No, es estudiante.
2. ¿_________ son mexicanos?
--¿Sí, Silvia y Nacho son mexicanos.
Other study ideas: Write out the Actividades de comunicación (textbook) for the practice and to help the vocabulary "sink in". You may ask a tutor from LRC to go over these with you or go over them with a classmate again outside of class. Doing these more than once will really help you become better at speaking! Write the vocabulary words out to practice them, say them out loud over and over, make flash cards. Also, use the Dos Mundos CD Rom to practice vocabulary, use the Dos Mundos tutorial to practice grammar, and above all, use the Dos Mundos Online Learning Center!!!!!!
I will usually test you "only" on vocabulary from the chapters which we have used somehow in class, either in the Actividades de comunicación or in a vocabulary display (which I often present to you using an overhead transparency).
QUIZZES (45%) There will normally be a quiz (usually 2 pages) at the beginning of class every other week (see schedule). You will receive a percentage score on these tests. Please keep your returned quizzes and keep track of your own average. There are ABSOLUTELY NO MAKE-UPS or tests given ahead of time. You may drop your lowest test grade. If you miss a test, that will be your drop. No one will be given extra time for tests due to tardiness so be on time.
Tip: Many test items will come directly (word for word!) from your textbook, web, and workbook assignments, and will almost always include ortografía and actividades auditivas.
FINAL EXAM: (30%) There will be a comprehensive final as scheduled in the COURSE OUTLINE. The final, which will cover the ENTIRE course (through Chapter 7) will be given in 2 parts. There will be NO MAKE-UPS or early finals.
Grading scale:
100-93.0 A (outstanding) 72.9-70.0 C-/ D+
92.9-90.0 A-/B+ 72.9-63.0 D (poor)
92.9-83.0 B (good) 62.9-60.0 D-/F
82.9-80.0 B-/ C+ 62.9-0 F (unacceptable)
82.9-73.0 C (adequate)
If at the end of the course your grades falls into any of the transition (+/-) zones, you will receive the higher of the two grades based on how well you meet the following criteria:
1. Attendance & Punctuality: You did not exceed the allowable limits.
2. Homework: You kept up with your homework; assignments were carefully done and self-corrected and handed in on time.
3. Laboratory: You logged 15 hours in the lab, and these hours were done early or at least spread evenly through the Semester, not crammed in at the end.
4. Preparation and Participation: You consistently came to class prepared, volunteered often and worked enthusiastically when paired or grouped. You did not leave during the middle of class or do homework during small group work.
5. Cooperation: You were always attentive, non-disruptive, and a good classmate. You did not try to dominate the class (you gave other classmates a chance to speak also)
MEDICAL CONDITIONS: If you have a medical problem that might occur during class, please notify me and the Campus Health Services (310) 434-4262. The Health Office will ask you to fill out a card indicating the nature of your problem and what should be done in case this problem occurs. You will be asked to give a copy of this card to your professor as well. This information is kept confidential.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Santa Monica College defines academic dishonesty as "the act of or assistance in deceiving, including fraud or deception, in any academic exercise" and will be dealt with according to the "Code of Academic Conduct" as approved on July 11, 1990, by the Academic Senate.
CHEATING in any way on exams, quizzes, and homework will not be tolerated. Also, if someone else copies ANY part of YOUR quiz or exam, YOU will be given a grade of ZERO too, EVEN IF YOU CLAIM YOU DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT!
Please be very careful about how you sit during a quiz or test and keep your paper covered. This may seem extreme, but cheating is NOT FAIR to me or to your serious fellow-students. Even for the smallest cheating incident, I will fill out a form on you and turn it in to the CAMPUS DISCIPLINARIAN, and you will receive an F on that test or assignment.
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Get email addresses and phone numbers of several classmates so you can come to class PREPARED if you are absent. PLEASE do NOT call me to ask for an assignment.
Ask your classmate to tell you exactly which vocabulary we went over and which "Actividades de comunicación" we did from the textbook, so you can say them outloud and study that vocabulary. Otherwise, you will miss valuable speaking practice.
Names & phone numbers:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________
Spanish 1 Reminders:
1) Homework is 10% of your overall grade.
2) You will need to self-correct all work for which there is a key (keys are always in the back of the books). Homework is graded with +, , -. You must receive mostly + to get 100% in your homework.
3) Remember, late homework is not accepted under any circumstances (even if you are absent!) You may miss 4 assignments during the semester with no penalty.
Half credit or often no credit will be given for incomplete, or, if there is a key, for non-self-corrected homework.
4) Do not work on homework during class time! Homework is due on my desk at the beginning of class. Do not be tardy if you wish for full homework credit.
5) Absence or misinformation from unreliable classmates will not be acceptable excuses for lack of preparation or missed assignments. When you are absent, you are responsible for getting the assignment from a classmate and preparing it for the next class meeting.
6) Write full sentences and include the questions or whatever is originally in the boot. Never only write the answer!
7) Always staple your pages together. Folding over the corner will not be accepted, and you will not receive credit. Invest in a small stapler right at the beginning of the semester.
8) Be sure to do the Pronunciación section of your workbook, even though they are not required. These will help your pronunciation and ability to spell Spanish words.
9) Please do not call me to ask what you missed in class or what the homework is. Call or email a classmate! (Get several phone numbers/email addresses and keep these current).
OTHER TIPS:
1. Check eCompanion regularly.
2. Use the CD Rom that goes with the textbook.
3. Use the Dos Mundos On-Line Learning Center for extra practice.
4. Use my web site (google Sue Wyman) for links and other information.
5. Study at least 10 hours per week OUTSIDE of class.
6. Don't miss more than 4 days of class, and be on time.
7. Let me know if you must miss class (email is best for contacting me).
8. Participate, and try not to worry about making mistakes when you speak!
9. Keep up with your lab hours, and work ahead, if possible.
10. Keep reviewing old material.
11. There are no make-ups for quizzes and final (and also none given early).