Beginning Spanish Fall 2024 Syllabus
SPAN 132-10 (Beginning/LS1)
Spanish for the Professions
Fall 2024 Syllabus
Mr. Aurelio Días-Ferreira
E-mail
Office Hours: Virtual office hours; by appointment
| Syllabus Links Textbooks CLOs Competencies (C,O) Prerequisites |
Resources Canvas Login and Tutorials |
Canvas Information:
NOTE: The first introductory class will be held on August 21st.
You will be enrolled into the Canvas site automatically. There, you will find all relevant and up-to-date details, including Zoom meeting times.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A joint venture of the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of World Languages and Literatures, this beginning course provides a foundation in Spanish language and its cultures that will enhance the students’ professional preparation as well as their interpersonal skills. The first objective of the course is to prepare the students to interact with Spanish-speaking patrons from various countries and communities, and, for this purpose, the course content and activities will emphasize communication for a professional and socio-cultural setting. Secondly, by taking this course, the students will increase their proficiency in the use of information and communication technologies by being able to find information and resources in Spanish. Thirdly, through repeated exposure to the language, the students will practice applying the Spanish language and will be better prepared to build professional relationships with Spanish-speaking patrons, librarians, and public agencies. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on receptive skills (listening and reading), on writing, and on Hispanic (Spanish-language) cultures.
This beginning (first-semester) Spanish class is for students who have no or little experience with the Spanish language. Students who are advanced or near-native speakers are welcome to take this class, but are requested to pay particular attention to typical mistakes, and to help other students with in-class exercises and homework oral assignments.
Instruction in the beginning of the semester will be mostly in English, and will progressively add more basic Spanish as the course advances. Most detailed definitions or language structure (grammar) explanations/discussions will be in English.
Note: Check with your iSchool academic advisor on minimum grade policy. Typically, the student is required to maintain at least an average B grade in their courses.
COURSE GOALS
SPAN 132 is a 4-unit online, synchronous beginning course, in which students need no prior knowledge of Spanish. It covers the foundation for Spanish-language communication in the present tense, with emphasis on professional, formal address. Students will learn not only necessary day-to-day vocabulary, but will also apply essential terminology in the context of the library, university, information forms, information technology, health, among others. Reading and writing, listening and speaking are the key acquisition goals, attained during and outside online class sessions. Furthermore, students will be able to search for, read through, and understand general content in websites, articles and other information sources. Ultimately, they will be able to communicate and collaborate in Spanish with patrons, clients, and peers to meet their needs.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisites: See Course Prerequisites section below for specific iSchool required classes. There are no Spanish language requirements for this beginning class.
Zoom usage in class: This fully online class will meet via Zoom (https://sjsu.zoom.us/). It is up to you if you would like to turn on the camera while attending an online session.
The regular (Wednesday/Saturday) meetings/sessions in this course (including lectures, group breakout session, discussions) will be recorded for instructional purposes. The recordings will only be shared with students enrolled in this class through Canvas. The recordings will be deleted at the end of the semester. If you have any concerns around the use of Zoom or privacy, please contact the instructor before class for any accommodations.
Highly-recommended Initial Online Class Meetings (August 21st OR August 24th): Two repeated highly-recommended Zoom class meetings will be held in this first week, as part of the introduction to the class and its requirements. For this first week, students should attend only one of these two class sessions (Wednesday–August 21st–at 6:30 pm PDT OR Saturday–August 24th–at 10:00 am PDT). Try your best to make one of these meetings this first week; let me know ahead of time if you cannot attend this first week.
Please check the Calendar (below), for meeting dates/times and other related details. To join the class sessions in Zoom, go to: https://sjsu.zoom.us/s/860451846
(This link and other details can be found in Canvas.)
Regular Online Class Meetings:
Regular class sessions will be for 80 minutes, twice a week (Wednesdays at 6:30 pm PDT and Saturdays at 10:00 am PDT). Real-time (synchronous) attendance, online via Zoom, is highly recommended. Students who do not attend both online sessions for the week must view the recordings and write a brief summary with a brief reaction/ commentary on one of the two weekly sessions. In general, the Wednesday sessions will focus on language structure/grammar lectures, some culture and library-related/professional practical vocabulary, while the Saturday sessions will review previous material, and provide more reading and listening/speaking practice. All recordings of the class sessions will be posted in a centralized location (link will be referenced in Canvas).
Exam Review Online Class Meetings:
Each week before Exam 1, Exam 2, and the Final Exam is due, there will be two repeated 80-minute review sessions to practice and review the format and content in the exams. You only need to attend one exam review session for that week. Because this session will help prepare for the exams, real-time (‘synchronous’) attendance is highly recommended.
Canvas homework Assignments, and PLAZAS Activities:
In addition to the regular (Wednesday and Saturday) Zoom class sessions, each student should spend an average of approximately 6-8 hours per week to review and do the “Assignments” homework in Canvas, and the assigned chapter exercises “Activities” from the PLAZAS online workbook.
Canvas “Assignments” focus on professional Spanish usage and terminology (short writing assignments, written dialogs, audio/oral assignments, brief question/comment of the week, etc.). The homework in Canvas is corrected, commented, and checked often. The online PLAZAS Student Activities Manual/workbook homework is mostly auto-corrected ‘drill’ grammar/vocabulary/ culture exercises, necessary for success in the Canvas Assignments homework. All homework is detailed in each folder for the Week (“Semana”), under the “Homework/tarea” section.
Generally speaking, to learn a language, at least a couple of hours of studying, practicing or reviewing is typically required everyday or every other day. Studying for hours in one sitting before class or an exam will not help most students learn the language.
Exams:
All exams (called “Quizzes” in Canvas) are timed and taken online, in Canvas. There will be two exams and a cumulative final exam. Each exam, including the final, will include (1) a written, objective grammar and vocabulary part, (2) a very brief cultural part, and (3) an extensive special-purpose/library-specific vocabulary and written part (usually in the format of dialogs or short paragraphs). The format of the online Canvas exams will typically be multiple-choice or fill-in, followed by short-sentence and short-essay writing exercises. Although studying for the exam ahead of time is essential, students may, during the exam, very quickly consult the book, a cheat sheet, or other quick references. Note that the exams are timed.
Speaking Practice:
For oral or spoken assessment, students will have three oral homework assignments where they will record brief content in Zoom (e.g. record a self introduction, orally act out dialogs in groups of two). These oral assignments will be detailed in the “Homework/tarea” section in Canvas and will count as homework. There will also be some time, especially in the Saturday sessions, for more interactive speaking/listening practice. If the student wants more practice, he or she can set up an appointment for a virtual office-hour meeting via Zoom.
For any additional class-related or language-related consultation, students can contact the instructor via email or set up an afternoon appointment to meet for a brief Zoom session.
Grading Distribution:
* PARTICIPATION / attendance & PLAZAS assigned exercises (supports CLOs: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7) 25%
Students should attend the initial meeting via Zoom (at the beginning of the semester).
After the first week, it is recommended that students attend both Wednesday and Saturday ‘regular’ sessions. If they cannot attend both sessions in that same week, they must turn in a brief summary-and-commentary on the material from one of the two recordings. Do not just summarize the class, but also include a brief reflection/opinion on some discussed linguistic or cultural topics.
During class, participation, including asking questions (either out loud or via the chat), is key to a student’s success in the class.
Assigned (“Counts toward grade”) exercises from the PLAZAS/Cengage website will be considered part of the participation grade. These will consist of online, auto-graded and provide drill exercises on each chapter.
Students are responsible for checking/correcting their own answers in the PLAZAS/Cengage website for their own learning. Ask the instructor if you have questions or need help.
* HOMEWORK; Canvas assignments (supports CLOs: 2, 6, 7) 25%
The most important Canvas assignments are the written homework and three individual/group oral recordings. All these homework (“Tarea” ) exercises are organized by week (“Semana”), and are posted and submitted (as a Word file) under “Assignments” in Canvas.
In addition, students should also post brief comments in response to the “Question of the Week” — detailed under “Discussions” in Canvas.
* EXAMS (supports CLOs: 1, 2, 6, 7)
- Two timed, written Canvas exams (10% each) 20%
- Cumulative, timed, written Canvas final exam 30%
Exam 1 can be taken online, at any time, by Oct. 12. Exam 2 can be taken online, at any time, by Nov. 16. The cumulative Final Exam can be taken online, at any time, by Dec. 19.
See Canvas for updated details on assignment and exam dates.
Reminder: To know your grade to date, please contact the instructor.
Tentative Calendar (updated information and details are found in Canvas)
Week |
Date/Time |
Assignment |
|
1 |
WED/Aug. 21 @ 6:30pm (PDT) OR SAT/Aug. 24 @ 10:00 am (PDT) |
Familiarize yourself with Zoom tool and Canvas Intro to course; intro to Zoom / Canvas and to the instructor (attend either session–on Aug. 21 or Aug. 24) |
|
2 |
WED/Aug. 28 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Aug. 31 @ 10:00 am (PDT |
Textbook: Capítulo Prelim.:Greeting and meeting people; Estructura 1—Subject pronouns and the present tense of the verb ‘ser;’ ‘Hay’ and numbers 0-30) Culture: ‘El mundo hispano’ Library/’iSchool’: greetings, giving personal info, cultural awareness |
|
3 |
WED/Sept. 4 @ 6:30pm |
Textbook: Capítulo Prelim.: Estructura 2—Question words; Vocabulario esencial Class lecture on grammar fundamentals—gender (masculine/feminine), number (plural/singular), articles; verb conjugations (verb endings); alphabet & its regular sounds Culture: Encuentro cultural |
|
4 |
WED/Sep. 11 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Sep. 14 @ 10:00 am (PDT) |
Textbook: Capítulo 1: Estructura 1—Definite and indefinite articles, gender, and how to make nouns plural; Vocabulario 1 & 2; Estructura 2—Present tense of regular ‘-ar’ verbs; Telling time and talking about the days of the week Culture: TBD |
|
5 |
WED/Sep. 18 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Sep. 21 @ 10:00 am (PDT) |
Textbook: Capítulo 1 (cont.): ¡A leer!—Español en línea; ¡A repasar! Textbook: Capítulo 2: Vocabulario 1—La familia |
|
6 |
WED/Sep. 25 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Sep.28 @ 10:00 am (PDT) |
Textbook: Capítulo 2: Estructura 2-3—Describing people and things (1 & 2); Vocabulario 2—Las nacionalidades; Estructura 4-Describing daily activities at home/school; Estructura 5—Expressing possession, age, states, desires, and obligation; ¡A repasar! Culture: Encuentro cultural—México; ¡A leer!—La fiesta de quince años |
|
7 |
WED/Oct. 2 @ 6:30pm (PDT) OR SAT/Oct. 5 @ 10:00 am (PDT) REVIEW / EXAM |
Repaso (Review)… (attend either review session)
EXAM 1 (mainly Cap. P, 1, and 2; 2-hour exam); take by Oct. 12 |
|
8 |
WED/Oct. 9 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Oct. 12 @ 10:00 am (PDT) |
Textbook: Capítulo 3: Estructura 1—‘gustar’ (to like) (cover only: ‘a mí me gusta/gustan’; ‘a usted le gusta/gustan’); Vocabulario 2—Los lugares en el pueblo y la ciudad; Estructura 2—Expressing plans with ‘ir’ (to go); |
|
9 |
WED/Oct. 16 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Oct. 19 @ 10:00 am (PDT |
Textbook: (cont.) Capítulo 3: Estructura 3—Describing leisure-time activities; Estructura 4—Expressing knowledge & familiarity; ¡A repasar! |
|
10 |
WED/WED/Oct. 23 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Oct. 26 @ 6:30 pm (PDT) |
Textbook: Capítulo 4: Estructura 1—Describing household chores and other activities—Present tense of stem-changing verbs (e->ie; o->e; e->i); Estructura 3—Talking about location, emotional and physical states, and actions in progress (The verb ‘estar’); ¡Así se dice!—Counting from 100 and higher; ¡A repasar! |
|
11 |
WED/Oct. 30 @ 6:30pm (PDT) AND SAT/Nov. 2 @ 10:00 am (PDT) |
Textbook: Capítulo 5: Vocabulario 1—Las partes del cuerpo (Parts of the body); Vocabulario 2—La salud; Estructura 2—Describing people, things, and conditions (‘ser’ vs. estar’); Estructura 3—Pointing out people and things (Demonstrative adjectives & pronouns) Reflexive verbs will be covered LATER: Estructura 1—…Reflexive pronouns and present tense of reflexive verbs) |
|
12 |
WED/Nov. 6 @ 6:30pm (PST) OR SAT/Nov. 9 @ 10:00 am (PST) |
Repaso… (attend either review session)
EXAM 2 (mainly Cap. 3, 4, and 5; 2-hour exam); take by Nov. 16 |
|
13 |
WED/Nov. 13 @ 6:30pm (PST) AND SAT/Nov. 16 @ 10:00 am (PST) |
Textbook: Cap. 5: Estructura 1—Talking about routine activities (Reflexive pronouns and present tense of reflexive verbs; Capítulo 6: Vocabulario 1—La comida (pág. 180-181); Estructura 1—Making comparisons (comparatives and superlatives); ¡Así se dice!—Expressing food measurements Culture: Saludos y besos en los países hispanos (Greetings and kisses…) – (not from PLAZAS textbook) Library/‘iSchool’: The Internet and technology terms |
|
14 |
WED/Nov. 20 @ 6:30pm (PST) AND SAT/Nov. 23 @ 10:00 am (PST) |
Textbook: Capítulo 6 (cont.): Estructura 2—Describing past event (Regular verbs and verbs with spelling changes in the preterit ‘Los acentos escritos’ (not from PLAZAS); review and correction of common errors. Culture: TBD. Library/‘iSchool’: TBD |
|
15 |
WED/Nov. 27 AND SAT/Nov. 30 – No classes |
NO HAY CLASES (Thanksgiving — Acción de Gracias) |
|
16 |
WED/Dec. 4 @ 6:30pm (PST) OR SAT/Dec. 7 @ 10:00 am (PST) FINAL REVIEW |
Repaso Final… (attend either review session) |
|
17/18 |
FINAL EXAM |
FINAL EXAM (cumulative; 3-hour exam); take by/before Dec 19 |
Course Workload Expectations
Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 3 hours for every hour in class, reading/reviewing the covered material, doing the homework, and studying. For learning a language in particular, daily reviewing and practicing of learned material is crucial.
Course Prerequisites
iSchool prerequisites are: INFO 203. There are no Spanish language prerequisites for this beginning Spanish class.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Use proper Spanish expressions by following correct grammar agreement in articles, nouns, adjectives, and verbs.
- Recognize and use a) basic, general vocabulary, b) basic terminology and phrases in common areas such as health, immigration, banking, housing, employment, etc., and c) basic and specialized library science and resources terminology.
- Understand basic Spanish conversational language and interact with Spanish-speaking patrons in the library context
- Locate and use appropriate amount of information in Spanish via information and communication technologies
- Use conversational Spanish at a level required for building professional collaborations and relationships with Spanish-speaking librarians and public agencies
- Better understand Spanish-speaking cultures and peoples
- Overall, be able to communicate about most general and most library-related topics or be able to ask for and understand clarifications, using the basic present and future tenses.
Core Competencies
SPAN 132 supports the following core competencies:
- C Recognize the diversity (such as cultural and economic) in the clientele and employees of an information organization and be familiar with actions the organization should take to address this diversity.
- O Identify ways in which information professionals can contribute to the cultural, economic, educational, and social well-being of our global communities.
Textbooks
See Canvas/MindTap for Cengage Textbook/Workbook — Ordering/Account Setup
Creating a Cengage account
See Canvas/MindTap for Cengage Textbook/Workbook — Ordering/Account Setup
Ordering/Purchasing Information
See Canvas/MindTap for Cengage Textbook/Workbook — Ordering/Account Setup
PLAZAS Technical Support
Technical Support can be contacted at 1-800-354-9706 or they can submit a tech support ticket at https://cengageportal.secure.force.com/Support/
Students can also find general tips and help on this site: https://www.cengage.com/help-center/ This site includes student start guides, troubleshooting and user guides, and FAQ’s.
Other references
Canvas will contain materials more specific to the professions and iSchool, including specialized handouts and vocabulary lists, as well as links to relevant websites.
For general terminology, English-Spanish / Spanish-English online dictionaries are available at, for instance:
- Word-reference (including verb conjugations) : http://www.wordreference.com/
- Larousse English-Spanish / Spanish-English: http://www.larousse.com/en/dictionaries/english-spanish/ / http://www.larousse.com/en/dictionaries/spanish-english/
- Real Academia Española (all-Spanish definitions; including verb conjugations): http://www.rae.es
Grading Scale
| 94-100 | A |
| 90-93 | A- |
| 87-89 | B+ |
| 84-86 | B |
| 80-83 | B- |
| 77-79 | C+ |
| 74-76 | C |
| 70-73 | C- |
| 67-69 | D+ |
| 64-66 | D |
| 60-63 | D- |
| Below 60 | F |
In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work, these guidelines are applied to letter grades:
- “C” represents Adequate work; a grade of “C” counts for credit for the course;
- “B” represents Good work; a grade of “B” clearly meets the standards for graduate level work; Check with an advisor on cases where the grade is less than B (B- or lower); after the first attempt the student will typically be placed on administrative probation. He/She must repeat the class the following semester. If, on the second attempt, the student does not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B), he or she may be disqualified.
- “A ” represents Exceptional work; a grade of “A” will be assigned for outstanding work only.
Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).
University Policies
Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs’ Syllabus Information web page at:
http://www.sjsu.edu/gup/syllabusinfo/
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