Spanish 202: Intermediate

               Rei Berroa                                                                                                                        E-mail: rberroa@gmu.edu
               Summer 2000                                                                                                                   Office hours:  MWF 18:15-18:45
               George Mason University                                                                                            Tel. (703) 993-1241

Course Description

Spanish 202 is the fourth and last course of the basic Spanish series. It is designed to include your knowledge of the grammar plus the final development, at the intermediate level, of  all language skills you need (speaking, listening, reading and writing) to further pursue your study of the Spanish language and culture. As in all previous courses, in 202 you will learn more about the language and the different facets of the Spanish speaking cultures. This class fulfills the foreign language requirement for the B.A. degree at GMU and is followed by Spanish 300.

¡Ojo!: Be aware that learning another language requires your regular class attendance, your undivided attention in class, and at least two times the amount of hours of homework that you spend in class every day.  So I expect you to study for this class at least three hours every day! (including weekends).

Textbooks

1. VanPatten, B., Marks, M. A., and Teschner, R. V. Destinos. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
2. VanPatten, B.  Destinos Workbook/Study Guide II. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
3. Recommended for self-study:
    Spinelli, E. English Grammar for Students of Spanish. Ann Arbor: The Olivia and Hill Press, 1998.
4. Highly recommended: An excellent Spanish - English dictionary. [This is our deal: Instead of buying a cheap dictionary
     that won't be good for much, invest in a nice and useful working tool that will stay with you for a long time.]
5.  Additional materials can be found at http://mason.gmu.edu/~rcarpen2/gmu/100/hola.htm and
     http://mason.gmu.edu/~eromanme/destinos.htm   Although some of this material is under construction, you will find some
     of it quite useful.

Attendance
You must be exposed to Spanish and use the language 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 can not get at home.  For this reason, there is no real substitution for attendance.  In addition, you will have to take a final written exam the last day of class if you miss more than 10%  of your contact time during the period [two classes].  Irregular attendance will severely affect your learning process and, consequently, your final grade in this course. So please don't miss any class.

In case of non-attendance:
Although there is no way to make up for non-participation, starting at your third absence and each subsequent absence you will be required to submit either a 5 minute tape recorded Spanish dialogue with any other person, or a 150-word paragraph in Spanish on the subject discussed during the class you missed.  These tasks will not be graded, but you will get an Incomplete in the class until this requirement is fulfilled.
 

Class Preparation

In order for you to actively participate in class, you have to read the material assigned for each class and prepare the activities assigned by your instructor. These activities can include workbook and textbook activities, as well as viewing videotapes of the different chapters of Destinos.
 

Class Participation- Portfolio

In order for you to actively participate in class,  you have to read the material assigned for each class and prepare the activities assign every day.  These activities can include -as we just said- workbook and textbook exercises, as well as lab work. In order to participate, you must obviously be present.  Your participation will be an important component of your grade in the course and will be based on the quality and quantity of what you say in Spanish in class.  This participation includes, but is not restricted to, your active contribution in Spanish in regular class sessions, pair work, and small group activities. Here is a chart of  what we consider in the department an academic ranking for grade assignment:
 
 

The A student:  Initiates interaction in Spanish, elaborates on answers, shows leadership in group activities, asks questions only in Spanish.

The B student: Shows willingness to participate, cooperates in group activities, answers when called upon, occasionally talks in English, and is normally prepared.

The C student:  Participates more passively than actively, tends to use English, gives slightly more than one word answers, and is frequently unprepared.

The D student: Participates grudgingly, speaks a lot of English, does not cooperate in group activities and is not prepared for class.

The F student: Is always obviously unprepared, disrupts the class preventing others from hearing, refuses to participate in activities, and is almost never heard speaking Spanish in class.

NOTE:
Keep all your assignments in a folder (portfolio) that you would turn in the last day of class, June 21, if you want to be evaluated on all extra work you have done during the summer session: this includes, but is not limited to, a diary in Spanish, report on Spanish music that you hear, food that you eat, special activities you attend, among others. This will be the best evidence of your preparation for class and it will also show when you participate in class discussions.
 

Departmental Written Tests

The department requests two written tests which will take place June 7 for chapters 37-42, and June 19 for chapters 43-47 and 52. Each test will include the material covered in class up to the date of the test. Tests will involve listening, vocabulary, writing, and culture. There are NO MAKE-UPS for missed tests. If you have to miss a test, your grade on the next test will count double; if you miss the last test, you will have to take the written and oral final exam on June 21.
 

Final Oral Exam and Oher Oral Assignments

Your skill in speaking Spanish will be evaluated by means of constant participation in class. Immediately after the first test, you will select a moment during the following next two classes for an oral five-minute individual class presentation. Your final exam, on the other hand, is  a ten-minute oral activity with another student from the class. This exam, as mentioned above, will take place on June 21. The class presentation may be on a topic of your choice, but no personal presentation will be accepted (topics like my family, my friends, what I like the most, etc.).  Although you may use a 3" x 4" notecard as a guide for your presentation (better if you don't use anything), you must give the clear impression that you are not reading your text. If you do, you will lose 50% of your grade. For this reason, it would be much to your advantage not to bring notes, so that you don't depend on them. Notes will not be allowed at your final oral activity.
 

Final Written Exam

As mentioned above, whether or not you will be required to take the final written exam will depend on your attendance. If you miss more than two of your classes, you will have to sit for the written final which will count as 10% of your grade, reducing your preparation/participation grade to 20%. If you voluntarily elect to take the final written exam, it will be counted only if doing so would improve your semester grade.

Grading Scale
 

A 93-100	B+ 87-89	C+ 77-79	D 60-69
A- 90-92	B 83-86	C 70-76	F 0-59
	B- 80-82

Honor Code

Written work submitted for a grade must be done independently. Your instructor will tell you when you may use dictionaries for quizzes. All students are expected to be familiar with the GMU Honor Code.
 

Your Grade

Your final grade will be determined as follows:
 

Class Preparation and Participation 20% or 30%	Quizzes and Written Assignments 15%
Departmental Written Tests 40%	Oral Presentation 5%
Final Oral Exam 10%	Final Written Exam 10% or 0%