UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH
SPANISH 3030
READINDS IN SPANISH AMERICAN SHORT STORY
COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2016
Instructor: Dr. Esther Sánchez-Couto
Office: Lang. 403B
Office Hours: MW (1:00-1:50pm); F (12:00-12:50pm) and by appointment.
E-mail: [email protected]
Course Description
This course is an introductory journey through modern Spanish American short story. As we
read this selection of texts, special attention will be given to the socio-historical context of
Spanish America. During our class discussions we will comment on their meaning, analyze their
construction and explore some cultural, political and aesthetic issues relevant to the texts.
Students will be encouraged to formulate their own interpretation of the texts and present
convincing reasons in support of their conclusions in both oral and written commentary.
Course Objectives
In this course you will be offered the opportunity to perfect your ability to read, speak and write
in academic contexts. Not only you will expand your knowledge of Latin American short story,
but you will also gain a better understanding of the specific terminology needed for a critical
reading and analysis of literary texts. This course will promote independent research and it will
help you to get more familiar with different aspects of the MLA conventions.
Required Materials
All required reading materials and assignments will be available in our course webpage in
Blackboard.
Grade distribution and Scale:
PARTICIPATION
15%
A 90-100
HOMEWORK AND PREPARATION
20%
B 80-89.99
LITERARY ANALYSIS
15%
C 70-79.99
THESIS AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
15%
D 60-69.99
FORMAL ORAL PRESENTATION
15%
F 0-59.99
FINAL RESEARCH PAPER
20%
GRADES WILL NOT BE CURVED
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PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE: (15%)
Participation is a vital part of any language learning experience, so your active involvement is
crucial to achieve the goals of this course. Attendance is mandatory but be aware that simple
attendance, although essential to your success, does not guarantee a good participation grade. In
order to be able to participate, you must have completed all homework assignments and readings
for that day´s class before every class meeting. As some of the grammatical, cultural and
political issues in the text are complex, you may need to reread the materials several times to be
prepared to discuss the topics in class offering analysis and interpretations. The participation
grade is also influenced by: 1) coming to class on time and well prepared, 2) using Spanish to
converse with classmates and instructor at all times, and 3) contributing in a significant way to
ongoing discussions with courtesy and respect.
You are allowed two free absences this semester, which you are encouraged to save for
unavoidable circumstances. After the second absence, your final grade will be dropped 1% for
each additional absence. Three tardies (arriving after ten minutes from the start of class time)
equal one absence. Official written documentation is required for excused absences. Excused
absences include the following: illnesses, deaths in the family, religious holidays, and university
sponsored activities. For illnesses and deaths, you must provide documentation (physician’s
statement, obituary, etc.) the first day you return to class in order to be excused. Absences in
observance of religious holidays are excused when you have notified your instructor in advance
and in writing. For university sponsored activities, you must obtain authorized absence cards
from the Dean of Students and present them to your instructor in order for your absences to be
excused. As the Academic Integrity Policy demands that students do not engage in or tolerate
acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception, all documentation is subject to verification
by the Department of Spanish.
HOMEWORK AND PREPARATION: 20%
This class demands a serious commitment to complete different types of assignments before
class; therefore, you should organize your agenda in accordance with this demand. This is
reflected in the portion of the final grade that is assigned to Homework and Preparation (20%).
Homework assignments will be completed online outside of class (Blackboard). Such
assignments will include but are not limited to reading comprehension activities and literary
analysis of the readings assigned for class. As some readings may be difficult to understand if a
student does not have a solid grammatical foundation (specially those who come into Span 3030
directly from Span 2050 without taking any other 3000-level bridge course), all homework will
be scored either “0” (No pass) or “1” (Pass). No late submissions will be accepted.
LITERARY ANALYSIS: 15%
As the first step towards your final paper, you will prepare a literary analysis of a short story that
we have not studied in class. A list of options will be provided in Blackboard. To give you
additional practice on this assignment, the form to complete the literary analysis will be the same
as the one used for most homework assignments. See the grading criteria for this assignment in
Blackboard.
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THESIS AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: 15%
During the semester you will turn in one paragraph introducing your thesis statement on the
research paper you plan to develop with an annotated bibliography. In the annotated bibliography
you will review three academic articles or book chapters relevant to the topic you selected. At
least one of these sources will need to be written in Spanish. Each entry should include the
following components: a complete citation following the MLA style, a summary of the
author’s main concepts and conclusions, and a personal evaluation indicating the relevance of
the article/chapter for your paper and your comments on the material. This assignment is
intended to help you work in your research paper in a timely manner, to give you direct feedback
on your progress developing a thesis, to provide you with additional practice on summarizing
academic writings in Spanish, and compiling research projects.
FORMAL ORAL PRESENTATION: 15%
You will prepare one formal oral presentation (10 minutes) that reflects the literary work that
you have investigated. The oral presentation is not to be read or memorized. You may use visual
aids such as PowerPoint, posters, pictures, etc. You may provide in the PowerPoint or in a
printed document a brief outline of your presentation to help you and your classmates to follow
the presentation. You will need to be prepared to answer questions from the class about your
research. Your presentation may be recorded for instructional purposes.
FINAL RESEARCH PAPER: 20%
The format of this 3-5 page document must follow MLA guidelines for research papers. It should
be typed and double-spaced using Times New Roman, Font 12, with 1” margins according to
MLA conventions. No hand written final papers will be accepted. You will also include a works
cited page at the end of the paper.
You may NOT receive help from another person. Also, you may NOT use online translations
services when writing the paper. The use of any kind of translation device or the assistance of
any individual is considered plagiarism. All sources of information used for the research paper
should be cited according to the MLA conventions.
OTHER CLASS POLICIES
After the first day, all class activities, discussions and conversations will be conducted
entirely in Spanish.
Cell phones and laptops:
Cell phones must be turn off and kept out of sight at all times during class meetings. Any
unauthorized use of a cell phone or any electronic device in class will lower your
participation grade.
Make-up and Extra Credit:
There will be no make-up assignments given at any time unless a written medical excuse or
an official University activity excuse is provided. The student must be prepared to take the
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missed assignment upon returning to class. Preexisting travel plans, family and/or social
engagements are not considered valid excuses. No late homework assignments will be
accepted. No extra credit is available for this class.
On food and beverages in the classroom:
You are not allowed to consume food in the classroom. You are, however, allowed to
consume appropriate beverages only if the instructor gives his or her approval for doing so.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
Each student is required to adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy on all work submitted for the
course. All work submitted for a grade must be your own. Violations of academic integrity
include (but are not limited to) using online translation programs; obtaining help from any other
individual(s) (friends, native speakers, former instructors, etc.); and copying from the Internet or
another student’s assignment.
Tutors may NOT correct your course assignments, but they may provide you with general
comments (e.g., “You need to remember that most Spanish adjectives agree in gender and
number with the nouns they modify”). The idea is that you must compose and write all the work
that you are to submit. A tutor may also (1) help you understand the material as you work
through it; (2) explain mistakes and corrections on returned assignments. The Department of
Spanish has a list of available free resources for the students.
For more information on UNT’s Academic Integrity Policy, including breaches of the Policy
(cheating, plagiarism, etc.), tutorials, and the recommended sanctions, please go to
https://deanofstudents.unt.edu/academic-integrity
STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students'
opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional
forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the
classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and
Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct.
The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including
university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student
Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
In accordance to the Academic Integrity Policy, “Students are expected to conduct themselves in
a manner consistent with the University's status as an institution of higher education. In the class
setting, students shall follow their instructors’ directions and observe all academic standards
and requirements published in course syllabi and other course materials.” It is the student´s
responsibility to attend to all class meetings and consult the class calendar for topics and
assignments. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to contact your classmates or instructor
to ask about that class. If you do not understand an instruction or assignment is it your
responsibility to ask your instructor.
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DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT
“The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with
disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability
Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide
you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion
regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time,
however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the
semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of
accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to
implementation in each class. Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of reasonable
accommodation during faculty office hours or by appointment. Faculty members have the
authority to ask students to discuss such letters during their designated office hours to protect the
privacy of the student. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation
website at http://www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.”
SPOT (Student Perceptions of Teaching)
Student feedback is important and an essential part of participation in this course. The student
evaluation of instruction is a requirement for all organized classes at UNT. The short SPOT
survey will be made available online to provide you with an opportunity to evaluate how this
course is taught. You will receive an email from "UNT SPOT Course Evaluations via IA System
Notification" ([email protected]) with the survey link. Please look for the email in your
UNT email inbox. Simply click on the link and complete your survey. Once you complete the
survey you will receive a confirmation email that the survey has been submitted. For additional
information, please visit the spot website at www.spot.unt.edu or email [email protected].
COURSE CALENDAR
This calendar is tentative; adjustments may be made depending on the needs of the class.
Tarea is due one hour prior to class at 1:00pm
(unless otherwise specified the tarea will be submitted in Blackboard).
Agosto
Lunes 29
Miércoles 31
Septiembre
Lunes 5
Miércoles 7
INTRODUCCIÓN
La literatura hispana en EE.UU
TAREA:
Leer información en Bb.
LABOR DAY. NO HAY CLASE
“ZOO ISLAND”
Tomás Rivera (USA)
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TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 12
Miércoles 14 Lunes 19
Octubre
Oct. 7: last day
to drop
/withdraw with
a grade of W.
Taller de redacción:
La acentuación
TAREA:
Actividades en Bb.
“EL SENTADITO”
David Martín del Campo
(México)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
“EL RESCATE”
Gilda Host (Ecuador)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Miércoles 21
“LA SRTA LORENCIA”
Dorelia Barahona
(Costa Rica)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 26
Taller de redacción:
Spanglish y ortografía confusa
TAREA:
Leer información en Bb.
Miércoles 28
“NUEVA YORK”
Méndez Vides (Guatemala)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 3
“CON LOS OJOS
CERRADOS”
Reinaldo Arenas (Cuba)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Miércoles 5
“LA MUÑECA MENOR”
Rosario Ferré (Puerto Rico)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 10
Taller de redacción:
MLA- cómo escribir una tesis
y cómo desarrollar una
bibliografía anotada.
ANÁLISIS LITERARIO
PARA TRABAJO
FINAL
(Turnitin en Bb)
Miércoles 12
“UN DÍA DE ESTOS” García
Márquez (Colombia)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 17
“EL PIANO VIEJO”
Rómulo Gallegos (Venezuela)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Miércoles 19
“EL LENGUADO”
Mariela Sala (Perú)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 24
Taller de redacción:
MLA- Obras citadas
TESIS Y
BIBLIOGRAFÍA
ANOTADA
(Turnitin en Bb)
Miércoles 26
“EL CINERO”
David Acebey (Bolivia)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
6
Noviembre
Lunes 31
“CORAZONADA”
Mario Benedetti (Uruguay)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Miércoles 2
“DOS PALABRAS”
Isabel Allende (Chile)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 7
Taller de redacción:
Letras endiabladas (s-c-z / j-g
/h / b-v)
TAREA:
Leer información en Bb.
Miércoles 9
“EMMA ZUNZ”
Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Lunes 14
“LA NOCHE BOCA
ARRIBA”
Julio Cortázar (Argentina)
TAREA:
Análisis del cuento (Bb)
Miércoles 16
Selección de literatura indígena
actual
TAREA:
Leer información en Bb.
Lunes 21
Taller de redacción:
Registro académico y
conectores gramaticales
TAREA:
Leer información en Bb.
PRESENTACIONES
Miércoles 23
Nov. 24-27:
Thanksgiving
PRESENTACIONES
Lunes 28
PRESENTACIONES
Miércoles 30
Diciembre
Lunes 5
Dec. 8: Last
class day.
Miércoles 7
(Pre-finals day)
PRESENTACIONES
TRABAJO DE INVESTIGACIÓN
READING DAY
Viernes 9
FINAL PAPER IS DUE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 12 AT 5PM
(TURNITIN IN BLACKBOARD)
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