Kaili

Department of Modern Foreign Languages & Literatures

Spanish 300: Intermediate Transition
Fall semester 2010

Prerequisite: Intermediate foreign language requirement (200-level at the university, or equivalent) or Departmental Placement exam.

Required Text:
• Dozier & Iguina, Manual de gramática, fourth edition (2008).
• Heinle Learning Center Access Card(Quía) – www.cengagebrain.com

Course Description: Spanish 300 is intended for students who have completed the intermediate foreign language requirement (200-level at the university, or equivalent) and who either plan to take more advanced courses in Spanish or who are interested in increasing their command of Spanish for personal reasons. The course is a prerequisite for Spanish 323 and providespreparation in writing skills and exercise in key elements of grammar through the development of reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and compositions on assigned topics.

Grade Distribution:
Class Participation 10%
Homework (Quía and other) 10%
Compositions 20%
Quizzes (Pruebitas) 20% (The one lowest grade will be dropped)
Mid-term Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%

ClassParticipation: Active participation is integral to this class. Students must prepare each day's assignment before coming to class, and be prepared to participate actively. Students are expected to come to class having prepared ALL materials assigned by the professor. In class, students must participate actively in group activities and class discussions. Participation will also include other activitiesin class such as writing short compositions, short oral reports or presentations, group/pair work, special out of class assignments. Missing class lowers the participation grade.
Participation in class will be graded as follows:
▪ The A student: Attends class on time, has prepared all the homework, pays attention to the instructor and fellow students, asks questions and speaks in Spanishall the time, actively participates and volunteers, stays on task in group and class work, and never uses the cell phone to write/ read/ send messages or to receive calls.
▪ The B student: Attends class on time, has prepared the homework, speaks in Spanish but also uses some English, participates and volunteers most of the time, not always stays on task in group and class work, and never usesthe cell phone to write/read/send messages or to receive calls.
▪ The C student: Misses class or comes in late, does not prepare all the homework, does not make his/her best effort to speak in class or in Spanish, sometimes participates in group and class work, and never uses the cell phone to write/read/send messages or to receive calls.
▪ The D student: Misses class and/or comes inlate, does not prepare homework, does not make and effort to speak in class or in Spanish, often does not stay on task in group and class work, and is distracted by the cell phone.

Homework: Homework from Quia will be assigned daily. You must submit your responses by 11:59 p.m. on the PREVIOUS NIGHT of the due date in order to receive credit. You are strongly encouraged to work on your assignmentsdaily; as this will help you solidify your language skills and earn you a better grade. There are also additional tutorials and practice activities that are not required that you can do for extra practice. In addition to the homework assigned in the calendar, your instructor might assign other activities.

Compositions: You will write two (2) compositions. The first draft of each compositionwill be written in class (version1). The following class day you will bring a double-spaced typed copy (version 2) of your composition for a Peer Editing workshop with your classmates. You will take your composition home and will make the necessary corrections (version 3) and on the days indicated on the calendar you will hand in the three versions of the composition. Your instructor will make...