Class Syllabus - Elementary Spanish 1A

INSTRUCTOR: Albert Marqués
OFFICE: Humanities 110
HOURS: Mo-Th 12:30p-01:00p
TELEPHONE: (408) 848-4794
Email: amarques@gavilan.edu

INSTRUCTOR: David Pérez
OFFICE: Humanities 108
HOURS: Mo-Th 02:00p-02:30p
TELEPHONE: 848-4842
Email: dperez@gavilan.edu

Class Prerequisite: None.
Contact Hours: 5 lecture 2.5 lab.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

First year course with emphasis on understanding and speaking Spanish. Introduction to reading and writing and a general survey of Hispanic culture.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

This course provides a solid foundation in the four skills and an introduction to Hispanic culture throughout various parts of the world. In accordance with the ACTFL/ETS Proficiency Guidelines, the primary objective of this course is to help develop the necessary skills to communicate proficiently in Spanish and to function effectively within the culture of real life situations.

COURSE CONTENT AND SCHEDULE:

This class will cover Chapter 1 through Chapter 7 in the first semester, and Chapter 8 through Chapter 15 in the second semester. Each lesson will take approximately 7 to 8 days or 1 and 1/2 weeks.
A more complete scope and sequence for this class can be found in your textbook, ¡Arriba! .

TEXT AND WORKBOOK

¡Arriba! 6th Edition, Text + Student Activities Manual, Published by Prentice Hall

Textbook Organization and Features:

Flexibility and ease of use

	Presents essential communicative functions and structures along with basic cultural information about the countries that make up the Hispanic world in 15 thematically organized chapters.
	Content is divided into three distinct sections, Primera parte, Segunda parte, and Nuestro Mundo.

Facilitates use and retention of new vocabulary words through communicative activities.

	Primera parte and Segunda parte begin with ¡Así lo decimos!, which presents vocabulary in practical, functional groups to facilitate student retention.
	¡Así es la vida! begins each of vocabulary section by providing lively conversations that set the stage for the communicative functions and culture to be presented formally later in the chapter.
	Wide variety of practice activities, ranging from more guided to more open-ended activities, as well as audio recordings and flashcards are available online.

Solid grounding in grammar for communication.

	Clear and concise grammar explanations with short, bulleted points followed immediately by examples are what make up ¡Así lo hacemos!, the grammar section.
	A wide variety of practice activities is provided for each grammatical topic, moving from form-focused to meaning-focused to more open-ended communicative activities.

Student Learning Outcomes

	¿Cuanto saben? boxes at the end of each part serve to remind students of the communicative objectives for the chapter as well as assist them in determining how well they have mastered the material.
	These boxes can also be used by instructors to assess Student Learning Outcomes and determine whether students can perform the communicative objectives. ¿Cuanto saben? boxes help in identifying outcomes that coincide with ACTFL standards.

Authentic culture and personalized experiences

	Perfiles (found in Primera parte) present information on the Spanish-speaking world while allowing students to compare this cultural information with their own.
	In Mi experiencia, the Para ti questions invite students to reflect on their experiences within their own culture, while the En tu opinión activities encourage them to discuss topics further in small groups.
	Mi música offers students a more current sampling of music from across the Spanish-speaking world.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS AND SERVICES:

	Fully integrated with iLearn, the Gavilan online learning system, including full textbook access, text and activity manual audio files, video files, online practice exercises and practice tests.
	A language laboratory open Mo-Th 08:00a-06:00p; Fr 08:00a-02:00p
	Tutors available in the Learning Resource Center.
	Supplementary reading material in the library.
	Computer software in the computer lab.
	Videos, Destinos

Note: Language acquisition requires a process of intensive communication and your participation is essential. Many strategies are used to facilitate learning and to minimize any filter to learning such as anxiety shyness and stress.

GRADING WILL BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

40% Classroom participation, preparation including homework, group work,
lab manual and occasional quizzes

40% Two tests:

A. written.

B. oral

20% Final Examination

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS:

Understand how languages are learned and the relationship to study and class activity.

Follow the sequence of study recommended.

Study on a daily basis.

Take advantage of all opportunities to increase your comprehension of Spanish.

Maximum use of on-campus services.

ADVISORIES:

Students requiring special services or arrangements because of hearing, visual, or other disability should contact their instructor, counselor, or the Disabled Student Services Office.

Students should arrange their study schedule for this class to maximize time spent here at Gavilan where resources are available.

Students must take primary responsibility for effective use of study time.
However this will require extensive consultation with the instructor.

Student Honesty Policy Reference Statement:

“Students are expected to exercise academic honesty and integrity. Violations such as cheating and plagiarism will result in disciplinary action which may include recommendation for dismissal”