Spanish 109 TR
Spring 1998 |
Department of Modern
and Classical Languages
George Mason University |
Instructor _________________
Phone ______________________ |
Office hours ________________
E-mail address ______________ |
Course Description
Spanish 109, a six-credit
intensive elementary course for students who have studied less than two
years of high school Spanish, prepares you for the work that you will be
required to do in Spanish 201. In this course you will be reacquainted
with the Spanish language and you will also work to develop all language
skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Your final grade will
be determined as follows:
Class Preparation and Participation | 20 % or 25% |
Written Assignments | 15% |
Chapter Tests | 40% |
Final Oral Exam | 20% |
Final Written Exam | 5% or 0% |
Textbook
You must be exposed to Spanish and use Spanish in order to learn it, so you really want to be in class and benefit from it. Class attendance provides the kind of interaction in Spanish that you cannot do at home. For this reason, there is no real substitution for attendance. In addition, you will have to take a final written exam if you miss more than two classes during the semester.
Irregular attendance will severely affect your learning process and, consequently, your final grade in this course.
Although there is no way to make up for non-participation,
starting at your fourth absence you will be required to submit for
each absence either a 5 minute tape recorded dialogue with any other person,
or a 10 sentence paragraph in Spanish on the subject discussed during the
class you missed. These tasks will not be graded, but you will receive
an Incomplete if this is not completed.
In order for you to actively participate in class, you have to read the material assigned (see detailed syllabus on the WWW) for each class and prepare the activities assigned by your instructor. These activities can include workbook and textbook activities, and the viewing of video tapes in the lab. NOTE: Keep all your assignments in a folder (portfolio) that you are required to turn in the day of the last chapter test.
Class Participation
In order to participate, you must be present. You will
be graded for this component of the course. It will be based on the quality
and quantity of what you say in Spanish in class. The participation grade
includes your active contribution in Spanish in regular class sessions,
pair work, and small group activities:
Consists of material assigned to be completed outside
the class, such as the workbook "Escritura" activities. You will turn in
for a grade at least one written activity per chapter. Keep your written
assignments also in your portfolio.
Chapter Tests
There will be 4 chapter tests. Each will cover 2 chapters.
Exams will include listening, grammar, reading, writing and culture sections.
Each test is worth 10% of your final grade. There are NO MAKE-UPS
for missed tests. Consult your instructor if your absence is fully justified.
Final Oral Exam
During the last week of the semester your oral proficiency
in Spanish will be evaluated. This exam will last approximately 15 minutes.
The exam might include a variety of tasks, such as role-plays, description
of pictures, answering personal questions, responding to a situation, asking
questions, etc. This exam is comprehensive and will include all the material
covered in class. More details will be given in class by your instructor.
Final Written Exam
Whether or not you will be required to take the final
written exam will depend on your attendance as mentioned above. If you
miss more than two classes you will have to sit for the written final to
be counted as 5% of your grade, reducing your preparation/participation
grade to 20%.
Schedule
The detailed schedule with all assignments for this class can be found on the WWW at:
HONOR CODE
All written assignments, quizzes and examinations must be done independently. Please read the university catalogue for information regarding the GMU Honor Code.
©1998 E. Román |