Westminster College
Department of Modern Languages
Español 301
Otoño de 2013
Donde se habla
(photos: http://vliegtickets.klm.com/europa/spanje/madrid-reizen-aanbieding.html, http://www.deshow.net/travel/mexico-cultural-landscape-581.html,
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/chile-guide/)
Instructor: Jeff Bersett
office hours: T
M/Th 11:00-12:30
phone: 7259 / office: TC 412
email: [email protected]
GENERAL COURSE GOALS
This course is designed to develop your Spanish language skills by concentrating on your ability
to speak, listen, understand, read and write in the language, with special emphasis on
conversation and composition. It will challenge you to communicate better in Spanish.
Through extensive work with the Spanish language in the form of class discussion, readings,
video, and grammar review, you will increase your level of proficiency and be able to present
yourself and your ideas in both spoken and written form. In addition to furthering oral
proficiency, you are expected to improve your ability to write logical essays on a variety of
subjects. Finally, you will be exposed to extensive readings and discussion of cultural material.
COURSE OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT
At the end of this course, you will be prepared to:
 Communicate effectively at an advanced level of proficiency (as described in the ACTFL
Guidelines, which can be viewed at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4236 ).
 Demonstrate an understanding of relevant aspects of high and popular culture in their original
context.
 Make effective connections to additional areas of knowledge relevant to the use of foreign
languages in other disciplines.
 Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of world communities.
 Compare and contrast your own language and culture to the target language and culture and
demonstrate an understanding that there are multiple ways of viewing the world.
These outcomes will be assessed, as appropriate, through class activities and assignments that
include conversation, presentations, written assignments (in the form of both portfolio entries and
more formal compositions, quizzes, and exams). Please see the course calendar and assignments
below for more detailed information.
REQUIRED TEXT
Fuentes: Lectura y redacción. 4th edition. Tuten/Caycedo Garner/Esterrich. Heinle. ISBN:
9780495898641.
Please note that there will also be additional readings assigned by the instructor during the course
of the semester, which will be given in the form of handouts.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Classroom practice cannot be replaced with any other activity, so this course has a fairly strict
attendance policy: you will be allowed 2 absences, no questions asked. Beginning with your 3rd
absence, you begin to lose points toward the attendance component of your grade. However, if
you miss significant amounts of class, your performance will suffer in all other areas—thus,
DON’T MISS CLASS!
CELL PHONES
Cell phones are not allowed in my classroom. They must be turned OFF and put away. If I see
your cell phone once class has begun, you will be marked absent for the day, no questions asked.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Westminster College’s policy on academic integrity will be rigorously enforced in this class.
Please refer to the Student Handbook and the College Catalog for details of the policy. If you are
not certain as to what constitutes an infraction of this policy, such as cheating or plagiarism, do
not hesitate to consult the instructor (BEFORE YOU TURN IN ANY WORK ABOUT WHICH
YOU MAY HAVE DOUBTS). The policy as it applies to this course will be as follows: If you
commit an act of plagiarism or are caught cheating in any way on any assignment (or
commit any other violation of the College policy), you will fail the course and be reported to
the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
Westminster College actively strives for the full inclusion of all our students. Students with
disabilities who require access solutions for environmental or curricular barriers should contact
Faith Craig, Director of Disability Support Services, located in 209 Thompson-Clark Hall.
phone: 724-946-7192 e-mail: [email protected]
GRADE BREAKDOWN
Participation and Attendance
Portfolio (10)
Compositions (3)
Presentation
Final Interview
Exams (3)
10%
25%
25%
5%
5%
30%
LETTERS AND NUMBERS
A
A-
93-100
90-92
B+
B
B-
88-89
83-87
80-82
C+
C
C-
78-79
73-77
70-72
D+
D
D-
68-69
63-67
60-62
CALENDARIO
SEMANA 1
fecha
8/27
8/29
fecha
9/3
9/5
fecha
9/10
9/12
fecha
9/17
9/19
fecha
9/24
9/26
fecha
10/1
10/3
materia del día
Introducción y repaso
Lengua: el presente / las descripciones
Lectura: “Los anuncios personales”
SEMANA 2
materia del día
Lengua: el presente / las descripciones
Lectura: “La dificultad de llamarse ‘hispano’…”
Portafolio 1
Lengua: el presente / las descripciones
Lectura: “Gente hispana”
SEMANA 3
materia del día
Conversación: La gente y la vida
Portafolio 2
Lengua: el pasado
Lectura: “Autopsia de una civilización”
SEMANA 4
materia del día
Lengua: el pasado
Lectura: “La presencia indígena en Hispanoamérica”
Portafolio 3
Lengua: el pasado
Lectura: “El eclipse”
SEMANA 5
materia del día
Repaso
Entregar Composición 1
Examen parcial 1
SEMANA 6
materia del día
Lengua: el subjuntivo
Lectura: “¿Cómo estás you el día de today?”
Lectura: “El sabor latino de los Estados Unidos”
tarea
pp. 2-7
pp. 7-11
tarea
pp. 11-15
tarea
pp. 38-45
pp. 46-51
tarea
pp.51-56
tarea
¡estudiar!
pp. 79-85
tarea
pp. 85-92
pp. 92-97
F
0-59
fecha
10/8
10/10
fecha
10/15
10/17
fecha
10/22
10/24
fecha
10/29
10/31
fecha
11/5
11/7
fecha
11/12
11/14
fecha
11/19
11/21
SEMANA 7
materia del día
Lengua: el subjuntivo
Lectura: “Where you from?”/”Bilingual Blues”
Portafolio 4/5
Lengua: el subjuntivo
Lectura: “Cuarenta formas de contribuir…”
SEMANA 8
materia del día
Portafolio 6—Conversación
Lengua: el subjuntivo
Lectura: “Latinoamérica y el medio ambiente…”
SEMANA 9
materia del día
Lengua: el subjuntivo
Lectura: “Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú…”/“Fin de
siglo”
Repaso
Portafolio 7
Examen Parcial 2
SEMANA 10
materia del día
NO HAY CLASE (Monday classes meet)
Lengua: el subjuntivo
Lectura: “Frida Kahlo: El pincel de la angustia”
SEMANA 11
materia del día
Lengua: la voz pasiva
Lectura: “Realidad y arte en Latinoamérica”
Lengua: el futuro y el condicional
Lectura: “Continuidad de los parques”
Entregar Composición 2
SEMANA 12
materia del día
Lengua: el futuro y el condicional
Lectura: “Legalización de las drogas”
Portafolio 8/9
Lengua: el condicional y cláusulas de sí
Lectura: “Modernización, globalización y delincuencia
en Latinoamérica”
SEMANA 13
materia del día
Lengua: el condicional y cláusulas de sí
Lectura: “Sangre ajena: ‘La escuela del profe…’”
preparación de presentaciones
Portafolio 10
Examen Parcial 3
tarea
pp. 122-128
tarea
pp. 129-136
pp. 136-141
tarea
¡estudiar!
pp. 165-172
tarea
pp. 172-181
tarea
pp. 181-186
pp. 212-216
tarea
pp. 216-224
pp. 224-228
tarea
¡estudiar!
fecha
11/26
11/28
fecha
12/3
12/5
SEMANA 14
materia del día
preparación de presentaciones
THANKSGIVING—no hay clase
SEMANA 15
materia del día
Presentaciones
Presentaciones
Entregar Composición 3
tarea
tarea
PERÍODO FINAL: MARTES, 10 DE DICIEMBRE, 8:00AM-10:30AM
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
PORTFOLIOS
1. 1 page, due Tues. 9/3. Describe yourself, your interests and activities, likes and
dislikes. You can also choose to describe friends and/or family members. This activity
should be written primarily in the present tense.
2. 1 page, due Tues. 9/10. Describe the daily life of Westminster students. What sort of
things do they do? How often? Where? With whom? Include as much detail as possible.
Present tense.
3. 1 page, due Tues. 9/27. Describe the things that you and one other person did this past
summer. What did you do? Where did you go? With whom did you do these things?
Include as much detail as possible. This activity should be written primarily in the
preterite.
4/5. 1.5 pages, due Tues. 10/8. Describe what you want other people to do, and what
other people want you to do. For example, you want your professors to give you lots of
homework, and your professors want you to do it. Do what you can to avoid turning this
assignment into a list. Present subjunctive.
6. 1 page, due Tues. 10/15. Describe your thoughts on the presence of other cultures in
the United States. This is an open topic, and you can take it in whatever direction you
desire.
7. 1 page, due Tues. 10/22. Describe your thoughts on the current state of the
environment. This is an open topic, and you can take it in whatever direction you desire.
8/9. 1.5-2 pages, due Tues. 11/12. Describe your feelings about a particular artist. This
could be a visual artist, a musical artist, etc. Describe that person’s work. What is your
opinion of it? What is the opinion of others? Include as much detail as possible.
10. 1 page, due Tues. 11/19. What is your plan for the next year? What will you do?
What would you do if you were to have the chance? Include as much detail as possible.
COMPOSITIONS
1. 1.5 pages, due Tues. 9/24. Describe what life was like for you during a period in your
past. You may choose any time from childhood to the recent past, but must focus entirely
on that period. For example, you could describe your life during the first grade, or your
sophomore year in high school. You will need to include both specific activities and
those which may have occurred repeatedly/habitually/etc. This assignment will be written
using both the preterite and the imperfect.
2. 1.5-2 pages, due Thurs. 11/7. Describe what you think is an important problem in the
world today. Please consider questions like the following—What is the problem? Whom
does it affect? How does it affect you personally? What are some possible solutions to the
problem? What do others think about it? Etc. Be as detailed as possible.
3. Final project essay. 2-3 pages, due Thurs. 12/5. Your topic will be either a) some
aspect of Hispanic culture, or b) some problem that affects the Hispanic world. You will
describe your topic in as much detail as possible, from a perspective of your choosing.
This will involve your researching of the topic in both print and electronic sources. Your
final presentation will be a report to your classmates of your findings. More details on
this assignment will be given in class.