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SPN 1120 Elementary Spanish I

Online

Juan Parra

 

Email: jparra1@valenciacollege.edu

Office Hours:

Virtual office hours: On Google hangouts by appointment via email.

Catalog Description:

Emphasis on everyday use of the language, integrating basic grammar, vocabulary, composition and culture through a conversational approach to Spanish. Not open to native speakers. A minimum grade of C is required to pass this course if being used to satisfy the General Education Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement.

 

Prerequisite:

None 

 

SPN 1120 Online:

This course is an introduction to the Spanish language and culture. It is the first class of two semester sequence. The purpose is to introduce you to the experience of learning a foreign language, and give you the basic tools to continue your other Spanish courses. The level of proficiency you attain will depend on you as the student.  

 

It requires self-discipline and time commitment.  This is not a self-paced course.  All assignments, activities, and assessments are due according to the calendar of deadlines found in Canvas and VHL Central (Supersite).  Only under extenuating circumstances will your professor make exceptions to the deadlines. If you feel you lack the self-discipline, motivation, and time it requires you to be successful in this course, you may want to consider the classroom setting instead. Keep up with the pace of the course and ask for help as soon as you feel you need it. 

 

 

Course Objectives:

At the end of the semester, students are expected to use the target language to speak, listen, write and read in order to perform the following communicative functions:

• Introduce self and others
• Describe self and others
• Ask and answer questions
• Express likes and dislikes
• Describe the physical environment
• Negotiate elements of time
• Describe daily routine

The linguistic objective is for the student to communicate at a novice high level of proficiency (according to the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Language proficiency guidelines) when communicating in the target language.

In agreement with the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, also known as the “5C’s”, this course will enable students to: 

 

• Communicate in Spanish (according to the proficiency level targeted in the course).
• Gain knowledge and understanding of Cultures of the Hispanic world.
• Connect with other disciplines and acquire new information.
• Develop awareness of similarities and differences (Comparisons) among language and culture systems around the world.
• Use the language and the knowledge gained in the course to build and participate in Communities at home and around the world. 

 

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines for novice high level of proficiency are that the student can:

SPEAK: Manage simple and formulaic communicative tasks in straightforward social situations.

LISTEN: Sometimes understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, with contextual support. Understand standardized speech dealing with areas of basic practical needs. 

READ: Typically derive meaning from short, simple texts in context and/or with extra linguistic support. Understand formulaic language such as that which is found on train schedules, road maps, and street signs. 

WRITE: Meet limited basic writing needs using lists, short messages, and simple notes.

 

 

Methodology and Activities

This course stresses communication skills in Spanish. Every effort will be made to make this class student-centered. To help students succeed in this course, the class will engage in a variety of activities and assignments, including but not limited to activities such as the following: Practice and communication using vocabulary and grammar learned in oral and written modes; Sociolinguistic practice and functions through communicative activities (paired and virtual chat activities using VHL Supersite); Reading activities and exercises, such as pre- and post-reading, intensive and extensive reading; Writing activities ranging from short paragraphs to developed compositions; Video/audio/computer exercises, presentations, and discussions.

 

Required Text:

Portales, author Jose Blanco; Vista Higher Learning

 

Vista Higher Learning: You can buy the book and access code in digital format (includes ebook) and digital + loose leaf print format from the Vista Store College Site ( https://vistahigherlearning.com/school/valenciacollege). When ask for ISBN or College, write Valencia College and when ask to create an account, please use your Valencia email.

You can buy it from the Valencia Book Store. (http://www.valenciabookstores.com/valencc )

Only the loose leaf packet version is available at the Valencia Book Store.

For this class you can use either digital format or digital format plus print. 

 

Materials/Technology Requirements:

• A reliable computer with up to date operational system capable of running the required browsers (only Firefox or Google Chrome) and required programs.
• A soundcard and speakers (or earphones)
• A hi-speed modem (Cable or DSL strongly recommended to access audio and video without delays)
• A dependable Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• A working Valencia Email address
• Webcam/microphone: Most computers come with an integrated microphone, but it is better to purchase one to avoid audio background noise. You will need this to complete your projects and activities in the Supersite and in Canvas.
• Canvas App required

 

Evaluation and Grading:

Letter Grade	Points		Assignment	Percentage  of Grade
A	90 – 100%		Lesson Tests	10%
B	80 – 89%		Oral Assessments	15%
C	70 – 79%		Supersite/e-book, Activities, quizzes, recording activities	30%
D	60 – 69%		Compositions	10%
F	0 – 59 %		Participation: Canvas Discussions/Orientation quiz/Meet your professor (2)/Create VHL account first week/others	10%
			Midterm	5%
			Final Exam	20%
			Total	100%

 

Assessments:

 

Lesson Tests (10%): All tests will be administered online using Canvas via computer under time constraints. Keep in mind Canvas does not support test taking with your phone or tablet. The best preparation method for tests is by keeping up with your homework and participation in the discussions on Canvas.  Tests will be administered at the end of each lesson accessed within Canvas in the Learning Modules for each chapter.  Be aware that there will be no make-up tests. The professor will drop the lowest lesson test grade. If you miss a test, that will be your lowest grade. The lowest dropped test grade policy does not apply to midterm or final since those are separate grades. You will see an announcement in Canvas letting you know when tests are opened.  Tests will be open to take for 48 hours so plan accordingly, as to when you will sit to complete them. Use of vocabulary and grammar not learned in class will result in a failing grade.

 

Note:  If you miss an exam you will receive a 0 (zero). You only have one attempt for each exam. If you have technical problems you should contact me immediately via email at jparra1@valenciacollege.edu and then continue checking your email for additional notifications from me about the course of action you should take after your issue is resolved.  You should also contact Valencia’s tech support for additional help.  Note that you cannot wait until one hour before the due time to attempt the test then email me regarding any problems you encounter because you will miss the deadline.

 

Compositions (10%): You will write a minimum of two compositions in Spanish. The use of electronic translators or unauthorized assistance (such as a Spanish-speaking friend) is strictly forbidden. You are only allowed to use vocabulary and grammatical forms learned in this course. Otherwise you will receive a failing grade for the assignment. Make sure you follow instructions carefully when completing any assignment. You will find the instructions for the compositions in the learning modules. Make sure you read and follow instructions.

 

Participation/ Canvas Discussions (10%): You are required to complete the activities listed in the discussion board, then to check regularly to review the responses of other students, and to add follow-up comments whenever applicable to contribute to the academic discussion thoughtfully and with detail.   I will be monitoring your progress and the quality of your responses throughout the course.  To receive full credit you are required to post one original comment and reply to 3 or more postings.

 

The guidelines to receive full credit for discussions are as follows: 

• Post an original comment due Thursday
• Read at least five other responses
• Reply to a minimum of three (3) or more peers’ responses by Saturday
• Observe the Rules of Netiquette when posting responses. For more information go to:  http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html  
• You are required to post before midnight and will have until Saturday to respond to other students. No late postings will be accepted.
• Do not post to comments with original postings with that have five (5) responses.

In addition to discussions, this percentage of your grade also includes your orientation quiz, setting VHL account first week of classes, meet your professor and other activities that will be announce during the semester.

 

Oral Assessments (10%):  There will be different types of oral assessments in the course. You will be using your webcam with Canvas for presentations and the Google Hangouts or Skype for oral interviews.  You will find instructions in the learning modules.

 

Supersite Activities (30%): VHL Supersite is one of the two learning management systems you will use in this course. The activities assigned in the Supersite in the calendar tab under “Assignment Calendar”. The activities assigned represent extensive communicative practice that will assist students internalizing the language. These activities are graded and averaged as part of the overall grade. Supersite activities will need to be completed by the dates that appear in the Supersite calendar. Other assignments might be graded differently, depending on the type of activity. Late Supersite activities incur a penalty of 5% reduction for each day they are late. As with any website, you might experience tech issues with the Supersite. Make sure you report tech issues to the Vista Supersite tech support. Do not email me before you do that. Any email referring to tech issues with Supersite should include the incident report number they will provide you.

 

Activities with a partner and recording activities
In the Supersite, there are activities that you will need to record your answers with a “virtual” conversation partner and there are other activities that you are required to record with a partner.  In order to complete the activities recording with a partner, you need to have a webcam.  You are responsible to contact and schedule to meet with your peer online before the due date.  There are three alternatives to find a partner:  (1) when you are online in the VHL Supersite: go to the Communication tab, then select “Chat”. A window will pop up including the names of all students that are online when you are.  Select the name of any student to wish to partner with and ask to be your partner.  (2) A second alternative is to post an announcement in the discussion board titled, “El cafe latino” in Canvas. (3) The last alternative is to invite your peers via email using Canvas.

 

Midterm (10%) and Final Exam (20 %): You will go to a Valencia testing center or arrange to an approved testing site near your location to take the midterm and the final exam. You can also use Proctor U for online proctoring (https://www.proctoru.com). Midterm and Final Exam expectations are the same as for other exams. Midterm and final exam are NOT open book/ open note.

1. These two exams must be taken in one of Valencia’s testing centers or approved testing center, using Canvas.
2. If you do not live in the Central Florida area, you may arrange to take the exam at an accepted proctored site. You must make this arrangement at the beginning of the semester to make sure the site has Valencia’s compatible software. See the student resources link for exam sites.
3. When you take the exam you must show your Valencia ID.
4. Each of Valencia’s testing centers have different days and hours of operation. Some of their hours may be different from the times posted on their webpage. Please double-check that the hours of operation at the Valencia testing center you intend to use
5. None of the Valencia testing centers is open on Sunday.
6. Saturday hours are limited.
7. None of the testing centers will allow you to sit for the exam one hour prior to the center’s closing time.
8. The open hours I allow for the exam do not reflect the hours of the testing centers.
9. You are not allowed to have notes, books, or any other study aids during the exams.

The goal of the midterm and final exams is to assess your ability to assimilate what you have learned about Spanish grammar, vocabulary, language, and culture in the lessons up to that point in the course.  . The final exam will be comprehensive and cumulative in nature. The midterm and final exams will consist of listening, reading, and writing sections in which you will demonstrate your overall knowledge of the course material. The test is not curved and no make-up test will be given. Check schedule for opening and closing date for Midterm and Final Exams.

 

Email:

 

Email will be an integral part of this course. Make sure you:

• Check your email often. Use Canvas email to communicate with your professor and classmates. Do not use personal emails. You will not receive any response.
• Use a greeting and a closing.  Treat university email as regular mail, not as text messaging.
• Do not use the VHL Supersite email or personal email. You will not receive answer.
• Any email referring to tech issues with Supersite should include the incident report number they will provide you.
• Be patient. Do not expect an immediate response when you send a message. I will get back to you within 48 hours Mondays – Fridays or sooner. Weekend emails will be answered on the next business day. Set up your Canvas account to receive emails in your personal email or get the Canvas App so you do not miss any email or announcement.
• You can use the discussion board in Canvas to ask questions to other students in the class. This discussion board is called "El café latino" Just remember that this discussion board is exclusively for the students to help each other and I will not reply to any emergencies or questions about your grade within this discussion board. 
• Be courteous and considerate. Being honest and expressing yourself freely is very important but being considerate of others online is just as important as it is in the classroom.
• Make every effort to be as clear as possible in your communications. Online communication lacks the nonverbal cues that fill in much of the meaning in face-to-face communication.
• Do not use all caps. This makes the message very hard to read and is considered "shouting." Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation (you may want to compose in a word processor, then cut and paste the message into the discussion or e-mail).
• Break up large blocks of text into paragraphs and use a space between paragraphs.
• Sign your e-mail messages and include the course you are taking if you are using atlas instead of Canvas.
• Never assume that your e-mail can be read by no one except yourself; others may be able to read or access your mail. All emails and communications at Valencia College are public record.
• Make sure you check email daily (required). Any instructions will have due dates for your response. If you email because of tech issues, they should send before due time. Get the Canvas App.

 

Attendance/Activity Policy:

 First Week:

Attendance during the first week of classes is mandatory. Anyone who misses both class meetings during the first week of class will be withdrawn as a “No Show”—no exceptions

 

Attendance during the semester:

 

This course is web-based, fully online and considered a "WWW" course. Students are expected to complete and participate in all online activities and assignments.  Participation in online discussions are similar to attendance in a face-to-face class and joining in group discussions is an absolute requirement. Therefore, try not to miss these asynchronous activities because once a discussion opportunity is missed, it is not possible to make it up. Assignments that are not turned in to Blackboard or the Supersite will receive 0 points and missed exams cannot be retaken.  (See above for Supersite activities late deduction policy.) Be sure to provide pertinent documentation deemed acceptable by the instructor for any excused absence from a discussion group or delayed assignment. There are no Incompletes given in language

 

VERY IMPORTANT: College policy requires that students who are not attending class the first week of classes to be withdrawn from the course. In an online class, attendance is documented by participation. Your orientation quiz is proof of attendance the first week of classes. Thus, it is very important that during the first week of class you complete the new student orientation, create your own supersite account, and complete the orientation quiz.  Failure to do so will result in being withdrawn from the course.  However, under the new policy if you do not withdraw prior to the deadline (11/01/19) and you do not complete your work, you will receive an "F" as final grade. If you have an emergency please contact me immediately.

 

Withdrawal from a Course Policy:

A.             A student is permitted to withdraw from a class on or before the withdrawal deadline, as published in the College calendar. A student is not permitted to withdraw from a class after the withdrawal deadline.

B.             A faculty member is permitted to withdraw a student from the faculty member’s class for violation of the faculty member’s attendance policy with written notification to the student prior to the beginning of the final exam period, as published in the faculty member’s syllabus. A faculty member is not permitted to withdraw a student from his or her class as a response to student conduct which falls under the jurisdiction of the Student Code of Conduct (6Hx28:10-03).

C.            A student who withdraws from a class before the withdrawal deadline will receive a grade of "W." A student who is withdrawn by a professor will receive a grade of "W." A student who is withdrawn for administrative reasons at any time will receive a grade of "W" or other grade as determined in consultation with the professor. Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same course will be assigned a grade of "F". The grades of “WP” and “WF” are eliminated.

D.            A student who receives a grade of “W” will not receive credit for the course, and the W will not be calculated in the student’s grade point average; however, the enrollment will count in the student’s total attempts in the specific course.

E.             If a student withdraws from a class, the student may, upon request and only with the faculty member’s permission (which may be withheld at any time in the sole discretion of the faculty member), continue to attend the course. If a student is withdrawn by a faculty member or is administratively withdrawn, the student is not permitted to continue to attend the class.

For this course, the professor will not withdraw anyone.  In order to get a grade of “W” it is your responsibility (the student) to withdraw from the course before the withdrawal deadline.  After the deadline, you will receive a grade that will be calculated based on your progress until you stopped attending the course.  There is no incomplete grade “I” posted as final grade in this class.  Please do not ask.

 

 

Disability Statement:

 

 "Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a Notification to Instructor (NTI) form from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determine accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities. Please contact your home campus for more information." For East campus the number is Ph.: 407-582-2229.  Here is the link to Valencia’s OSD website: http://www.valenciacc.edu/osd 

 

Student Conduct and Academic Honesty:

Valencia College is dedicated to promoting honorable personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia, a student assumes the responsibility for knowing and abiding by the rules articulated in the Student Code of Conduct (6Hx28:10-03). The instructor reserves the right to refer students who engage in activities that are disruptive to the learning environment to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. This include any composition where a translator or unauthorized human assistance has been used or where the level of proficiency is higher than the one shown in class.

Students may collaborate on group assignments. This does NOT include duplication of work. Collaboration should be used to edit or to clarify doubts. If anyone is involved in incidents of cheating a zero grade (0) will be assigned for that activity, quiz, exam, or project without regard to who did the original work or who may have benefited. Each student is expected to be in total compliance with the college policy of Academic Honesty as set forth in the admissions catalog and the student handbook. Any student(s) cheating on an exam will receive a zero (0) grade, and the professor can at his/her discretion withdraw you from the class. This includes submitting work on which a translator or unauthorized human assistance has been used or in which the level of proficiency is higher than the one expected in the course. In addition, Valencia College strives to provide a drug-free learning environment for all those involved in the academic experience.

 

Drug-free Policy:

“In compliance with the provisions of the Federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, Valencia College will take such steps as are necessary in order to adopt and implement a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by Valencia College students or employees on college premises or as part of any college activity.” 

Valencia College Expected student conduct: 10-03 Student Code of Conduct 

Specific Authority:	1006.60, FS.
Law Implemented:	1006.60, FS.

 

Valencia College is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning, and to the development of responsible personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia, a student assumes the responsibility for knowing and abiding by the rules of appropriate behavior as articulated in the Student Code of Conduct. The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the faculty. Faculty may direct students who engage in inappropriate behavior that results in disruption of a class to leave the class. Such students may be subject to other disciplinary action which may include a warning, withdrawal from class, probation, suspension, or expulsion from the college. Please read the Student Code of Conduct in the current Valencia Student Handbook.

Here is the link to Valencia’s Student Code of Conduct http://valenciacollege.edu/generalcounsel/policy/default.cfm?policyID=180&volumeID_1=8&navst=0

 

Valencia College is interested in making sure all our students have a rewarding and successful college experience. For that purpose, Valencia students can get immediate help with issues dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, time management as well as relationship problems dealing with school, home or work.

BayCare Behavioral Health Student Assistance Program (SAP) services are free to all Valencia students and available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 878-5470. Free face-to-face counseling is also available.

 

 

 

Disclaimer Statement: 

This syllabus may be changed at the instructor’s discretion, during the course of the term. It is the responsibility of the student to make any adjustments as announced.