Contact Instructors: HERE
 

Course Description:

SPN1120, Elementary Spanish, is the first of a three semester sequence of courses designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Spanish. The course emphasizes the four communicative skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing in a culturally authentic context. Basic grammar skills are also introduced. Students will make oral presentations, read short texts, and write brief compositions in Spanish.
 

Required Course Materials:

Harcourt-Brace Publishers:     Dímelo Tú, Third edition     text and workbook
Target packet--Video Activities Packet

Optional:     Harcourt-Brace CD ROM--Encuentros--May be purchased at bookstore

It is highly recommended that the student also purchase a good English-Spanish dictionary.
 

Objectives:

In this course you will expand your knowledge of the culture, history, and daily lives of the Spanish-speaking peoples of the world. By the semester's end you will be able to read, write, and speak Spanish on a basic level. You will also learn to identify current and past contributions made by Spanish-speaking peoples to world literature, art, music, science and commerce.
 

Attendance:

In order for you to meet these objectives it will be necessary for you to attend class and language lab when they meet. Class meets five days per week--four days per week with the instructor, and one day in language lab. You will be allowed up to four (4) unexcused absences with no questions asked. Excused absences are the following: participation in a scheduled event as a member of a university-sponsored athletic/scholastic team (official absence form required); religious holidays; accident or illness (accident report or FSU health center/doctor's note required); or a death in the immediate family.

***Students are responsible for making up all work missed during absences.   Students may not make up graded work for unexcused absences.

*Each unexcused absence after the first four will reduce the final grade number - to be calculated on a scale of 100% - by two (2) percentage points.

*Excuses for absences must be submitted within two (2) weeks of the time of return.
 

Disabled Students:

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) and bring a letter to the instructor from the SDRC indicating a need for academic accommodations. This should be done the first week of classes. This syllabus and other course materials are available in alternative format upon request.
 

Evaluation:

Except in the case of excused absences or extreme extenuating circumstances the following will be the policy of this class: 1) late assignments will not be accepted, 2) there will be no "make-up's" of quizzes or examinations, 3) no quizzes or exams will be given early. A passing grade for SPN 1120 is a C- (70).

The final grade in this course will be determined from the following components:
 

Homework/Participation: 15%  (Includes workbook and video assignment sheets)  Writing/Compositions: 15%  (Includes three major writing assignments)  Speaking/Orals: 15%  (Includes three oral presentations)  Quizzes: 25%  Exam I: 15%  Exam II: 15%

Grading Scale: 94-100 A  90-93 A-  87-89 B+  84-86 B  83-80 B-

77-79 C+  74-76 C  70-73 C-  67-69 D+  64-65 D  60-63 D-  00-59 F

Course Director:

Dr. Jo Stepp-Greany     302 Diffenbaugh Building     Telephone: 644-4938
TA Office                      001 Dodd Hall                    Telephone: 644-1506

Honors Statement:

The Academic Honor system of Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community.

Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor Code published in The Florida State University Bulletin and the Student Handbook.

• This class meets five (5) days per week, four days per week in the classroom, and one day in the language lab on the first floor of Diffenbaugh.

• Please be aware of the fact that this is a "flexible" syllabus and, due to pedagogical considerations, it may be necessary to modify it during the course of the semester. Any changes, however, will be minimal.

• It is possible that students in this class may be recorded or video taped in the course of the semester for purposes of evaluation of either class assignments or of the teacher.

Capítulo 1

Functions/Context: Describe yourself, your friends, and your professors, tell where people are from, name and describe your favorite classes and activities.

Cultural topics: Comparison of U.S. and Hispanic Universities, introduction to Latin American countries.

Grammar: Subject pronouns, ser, gender and number of articles, nouns, and adjectives, -ar verbs, and ir.

Quiz: Capítulo 1--Pasos 1,2,3 -- Tuesday, September 12
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Week Of: August 28 - September 1

Clase 1 Antes de Empezar/Para Empezar

Clase 2 Para Empezar

Clase 3 Capítulo 1.1 pp. 11-30

Clase 4 Capítulo 1.1
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Week Of: September 4 - 8

Clase 1 Capítulo 1.2

Clase 2 Capítulo 1.2

Clase 3 Capítulo 1.3

Clase 4 Capítulo 1.3
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Week Of: September 11 - 15

Clase 1 Quiz, Capítulo 1

Clase 2 Capítulo 2.1

Clase 3 Capítulo 2.1 pp. 31-50

Clase 4 Capítulo 2.2

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Capítulo 2:

Funtions: Name and describe jobs, your living quarters, talk about roommates and dorm life, describe vacation plans, talk about seasonal breaks.

Cultural Topics: Puerto Rico, how Hispanic university students live.

Grammar: -er, -ir verbs, present tense, numbers, possessive adjectives, tener, salir, venir, telling time, days of week, seasons, months, verbs of motion.

Quiz: Capítulos 2-- Pasos 1, 2, 3 -- Tuesday, September 26, Tuesday, October 10

Composition 1: due September 19
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Week Of: September 18 - 22

Clase 1 Composition 1 due, September 26

Clase 2 Capítulo 2.2 pp. 83-84 in text

Clase 3 Capítulo 2.3

Clase 4 Capítulo 2.3
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Week Of: September 25 - 29

Clase 1 Quiz, Capítulo 2, September 26

Clase 2 Capítulo 3.1 pp. 51-66 Oral Evaluation 1

Clase 3 Capítulo 3.1/3.2 Oral Evaluation 1

Clase 4 Capítulo 3.2 Oral Evaluation 1

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Capítulo 3:

Functions/Context: Describe a party, initiating and maintaining conversations, describing things and people you like.

Cultural Topics: Quinceaneras, Barcelona, Spanish artists and musicians.

Grammar: estar, interrogative words, present progressive, superlatives, ser vs. estar, saber vs. conocer

Quiz 3: Capítulo 3 -- Pasos 1, 2, 3 --October 10

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Week Of: October 2 - 6

Clase 1 Capítulo 3.3

Clase 2 Capítulo 3.3

Clase 3 Quiz, Capítulo 3

Clase 4 Capítulo 4.1 pp.67-86

Oral Evaluation 1: Topics to be suggested by instructor..Due October 2

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Capítulo 4:

Functions/Context: Describe physical characteristics, discuss preferences and prices, make comparisons, shop for clothing, order in a cafe.

Cultural Topics: Food and services in Hispanic settings, units of money, Mexico, Mexican artists.

Grammar: Demonstrative adjectives, stem-changing verbs, numbers, tener expressions, hace in time expressions.

Composition 2: Due October 23

Exam I: Capítulos 1-4, Wednesday, October 25
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Week Of: October 16 - 20

Clase 1 Capítulo 4.2

Clase 2 Capítulo 4.2

Clase 3 Capítulo 4.3 pp. 119-120 of text

Clase 4 Capítulo 4.3
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Week Of:  October 23 - 27

Clase 1 Exam I, Capítulos 1-4,

Clase 2 Capítulo 5.1 pp. 87-102, Composition 2 due, October 1

Clase 3 Capítulo 5.1

Clase 4 Capítulo 5.2

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Capítulo 5:

Functions/Context: Describe families, rent an apartment, describe apartment, compare and describe.

Cultural Topics: Hispanic last names, Argentina, Evita Peron.

Grammar: Adverbs of time, ir a + infinitive, comparisons, por and para, review of ser and estar.

Oral Evaluation II: -- topic to be anounced by instructor.Due Oct. 31

Quiz, Capítulo 5 : Pasos 1, 2, 3. Wednesday, November, 8

Holiday, Veteran's Day - November 11.
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Week Of: October 30 - November 3

Clase 1  Capítulo 5.1

Clase 2  Capítulo 5.2    Oral Evaluation 2 due

Clase 3 Capítulo 5.2     Oral Evaluation 2 due

Clase 4 Capítulo 5.3    Oral Evaluation 2 due
 

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Week Of: November 6 - 10

Clase 1      Capítulo 5.3

Clase 2      Capítulo 5.3

Clase 3     Quiz, Capítulo 5, Pasos 1, 2, 3

Clase 4     Capítulo 6/1

Clase 5     Holiday - Veteran's Day
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Capítulo 6:

Functions/Context: Ask for, acept, or refuse a date, express preferences and emotions.

Cultural Topics: The custom of el paseo, Colombia, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Grammar: Direct object nouns and pronouns, -go verbs, stem-changing verbs, review of saber/conocer.

Composition 3:  Due Tuesday, November 21

Quiz Capítulo 5: Pasos 1, 2, 3. Wednesday, November 23.
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Week Of: November 13  - 17

Clase 1      Capítulo 6/1

Clase 2     Capítulo 6.1

Clase 3     Capítulo 6.1

Clase 4     Capítulo 6.2 refer to P. 233, text

Holiday, Veteran's Day - November 11.
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Week Of: November 13 - 17

Clase 1     Capítulo 6.2

Clase 2     Capítulo 6.3

Clase 3     Composition 3 (pp. 103-116) due; Quiz, Capítulo 6, Pasos 1, 2, 3

Clase 4     Holiday - Thanksgiving

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Capítulo 7:

Functions/Context: Talk about TV news, newspapers, and your favorite TV programs; read want ads.

Cultural Topics: The Popol Vuh / Guatemala / Rigoberta Mencho

Grammar: Preterit tense of regular verbs / Stem-changing verbs/ ir, ser, decir, hacer/ Special use of se.

Oral Evaluation 3: Subject to be assigned by instructor.

Second Exam: Final Exam, Capítulos 1 - 7, Tuesday, December 12, 2000 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
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Week Of: November 27 - December 1

Clase 1 Capítulo 7.1

Clase 2 Capítulo 7.1     Oral Evaluation 3

Clase 3 Capítulo 7.2     Oral Evaluation 3

Clase 4 Capítulo 7.2     Oral Evaluation 3
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Week Of: December 4 - 8

Clase 1 Capítulo 7.2

Clase 2 Capítulo 7.3

Clase 3 Capítulo 7.3

Clase 4 Repaso
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***Second Exam for SPN 1120 will be Tuesday, December 12 from 3:00 - 5:00 pm.  Rooms TBA later.
 
 

NOTE: If any discrepancy is found between this on-line version of the syllabus and the paper version distributed in class, bring it to the attention of the instructor immediately for clarification and/or correction.
 

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