SPA 101

Beginning Spanish I
Professor: Carol Lacy-Salazar
Tel: 4311 (clacy-salazar@cornellcollege.edu)

Objetivo del curso: Spanish 101-102-103 is a three-term sequence that presents the essential structure of the Spanish language and basic vocabulary in a four-skill approach: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The same text is used in all three courses; approximately one-third of the material will be covered this term. Your goal is correct self expression in Spanish as well as understanding of both written and spoken Spanish and a nascent understanding of the Hispanic culture. There will be daily quizzes plus two written exams and one oral final exam. There will be no make-up quizzes unless you have an official medical excuse; however, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. There will be three short compositions written on themes that allow you to use the vocabulary that has been introduced up to that point and that reinforce the grammar points being studied in class. They should be typewritten (double spaced) or handwritten in blue or black ink and written on every other line. Students should try to organize and write these exclusively in Spanish, using and practicing structures already learned in class and not write them in English and then translate them into Spanish. Students are responsible for correcting these compositions after they have been graded by the professor. Approximately 3-4 hours should be spent daily on the homework assignments, which will include reading over the chapter--paying particular attention to the grammatical explanations and exercises--, going over class notes, and doing the CAN-8 exercises (available in the College Hall Humanities Lab and accessible from your residence hall) that correspond to the chapter we have covered in class that day. Languages classes, in particular, go very rapidly on the Block Plan and absences should be avoided at all cost. Students having difficulty with the material should inquire about getting additional help as soon as possible.

Special Accommodations: Cornell College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for all students. If you have a documented learning disability and will need any special accommodations in this course, you must request the accommodations as early as possible and no later than the third day of the block.

Academic Honesty: Cornell College expects all members of the Cornell community to act with academic integrity. When a piece of work is submitted for credit, a student is asserting that the submission is her or his work unless there is a citation of a specific source. If there is no approprite acknowledgement of sources, whether intended or not, this may constitute a violation of the College's requirement for honesty in academic work and may be treated as a case of academic dishonesty. The procedures regarding how the College deals with cases of academic dishonesty appear in The Compass, our student handbook, under the heading "Academic Policies -- Honesty in Academic Work."

Textos:

¿Qué Tal?, 7th edition, Dorwick, Pérez-Gironés, Knorre, Glass & Villarreal

Evaluación: Your final grade will be based on the following:

10%-- Daily quizzes
30%-- Hour exams
25%-- Class participation and Oral Work
10%-- Final Oral Exam
25%-- Written work: Compositions and CAN8 exercises

A (93-100%) / A- (90-92%) / B+ (87-89% / B (83-86%) / B- (80-82%) / C+ (77-79%) / C (73-76%) / C- (70-72%) / D+ (67-69%) / D (63-66%) / D- (60-62%) / F (Below 59%)