Tentative Syllabus for SPANISH 2100-90 Winter/Spring  2007
Instructor: Darren Witwer

Class meets 5:30-7:45  T Th T4220

Office H4119 (English & Humanities Suite) Phone # 612-659-6444    My office hours are  11:00-11:50 Monday & Wednesday 1:00-1:50 T (sometimes Thursday 3:00 to 4:00) I am in my office a lot, and if I’m not too busy, I can take walk-in visits.

I'm almost always available after class, and in the student lounge before the night class.    Voice Mail 612-659-6444  Home phone:

e-mail:  Darren.Witwer@minneapolis.edu     

Darren’s web site:
http://home.minneapolis.edu/~witwerda/ (for class schedule, syllabus, class notes, grammar tutorials, vocabulary, links, etc.)

https://minneapolis.ims.mnscu.edu/ D2L (Desire 2 Learn) for on-line access to your gradebook 

My home phone is available for important messages. I expect to receive some visits and calls for class related issues or to make an appointment for a longer discussion. Also, I have office hours for a reason--come see me at least once, but it's nice if I know you are coming so that you don't come when somebody else is already there.

In appropriate situations it is best to come see me in small groups if you have similar questions. The same goes for tutors--it is usually best to go with at least one other person. You may not think of a question that somebody happens to ask and it is more fun and efficient.

You can communicate with me by e-mail: Darren.Witwer@minneapolis.edu Please send communications in Spanish. I will be lenient for a while, but after a month, there is no excuse or reason to use English for anything except technical questions of grammar. I won’t grade your e-mail. I will expect errors and be very pleased to see you make the effort to write in Spanish. You don’t need to use accent marks if you don’t have a convenient way to access them. I can help you use a Spanish keyboard on all PC-based machines using Windows XP, 2000, 98, 95 and Windows 3.1 See me for details. I encourage you to submit writing assignments via e-mail attachment or e-mail itself. I prefer that you use Microsoft Word to write your electronic papers.

This is a somewhat computer intensive course. You will be expected to do some web-based research of newspapers on-line, and send e-mails. Training is available for all students in the computer lab on the 3rd floor of this building. I can provide some help too. Minimal support is available for Macintosh users. You must submit files in a format readable on PC such as MS Word (filename.doc) and Rich Text Format (filename.rtf)

TEXTS (used for entire 2nd year prog.):

The grammar content will be coming to you in two ways:

The reason for this approach is based on the observation of my students over the years, and realizing that grammar rules are not easily internalized for productive ability, especially if the student receives primarily training of the formal type.   Even as adults, a large part of our language learning involves repeating structures that you have heard or read, and not accurately demonstrating your ability to apply formal rules explained and drilled.  Keep this in mind as you work on developing your skills.  The best way to develop writing and speaking skills is to read and listen to a lot of Spanish.   Grammar rules are little more than an excuse for a teacher to discipline you with drilling exercises.  This is an important, but limited value.  Don't expect grammar rules to cure your problems with writing or speaking.   Repetition is the only way.  You need to have feedback from a teacher, or the Student Activities Manual (SAM). 

In order to facilitate communication about these cultural, political and historical themes, we will be working towards nurturing dialogue and even argument about real issues and opinions. Your personal convictions are not relevant to your grade as long as you are doing the following:

Remember that this is much more than a grammar class. You should strive to contextualize your grammar and vocabulary according to the themes covered and the topics you choose to research on the web.  

I would like to stress that these are the most common and important weaknesses and sources of problems in this class.   Focus your attention on these first and foremost.

Answer when called upon, participate in small groups. Speak in Spanish in class. I will be more lenient in the beginning, but by the midterm and second semester I expect to hear no English from you at all. It’s time to shift into a completely Spanish-speaking mode. You may encounter vocabulary problems, or make mistakes, but that’s a very natural part of learning a foreign language. Shyness and speaking English count for nothing. Mistakes count for effort and good attitude. Try to keep a good sense of humor about the mistakes. Usually they do not interfere much with my comprehension, and they can be funny as well as educational experiences. We all make mistakes. Even I do. A relatively relaxed and positive attitude is a must. Language classes have the potential to be a lot of fun, intellectually stimulating, and very social.

You are encouraged to play devil's advocate on issues, even to play ironically with listeners to elicit responses. (If nobody else does, I will.) Just don't be personally offensive. Students with greater fluency who speak frequently in class should always pause before answering questions so that others can answer. It doesn't take me long to figure out who can quickly answer questions. If you feel compelled to let me know you can answer a question, but are waiting for others to speak, try nodding, smiling or winking at me. Please don't be offended if I tell you "Shhhh!  Deja que otros contesten."

In summary, this class is designed to teach you to express yourself meaningfully in speaking and writing about Spanish-speaking culture and history, as well as to understand written and spoken Spanish about these cultural themes. The final goal is not simply to pass the language proficiency exam, but to assist you in developing awareness of the variety of cultures, the rich history and literature. You will demonstrate this knowledge through examinations in writing, reading, speaking and listening.

Because of the impediments presented by language barriers, I expect that the volume of reading and writing will be considerably smaller than in a similar course in your native language. Work toward formulating a few interesting and well-thought out remarks, rather than trying to write or speak extensively. Volume will increase with time.

We will be doing a great deal of reading and discussion of reading in this class.  You are expected to prepare for this outside of class by reading the text BEFORE class so that we can focus on interpretation of the text and clearing up problems of understanding.   Unlike the first semester, you will be quizzed very briefly on readings BEFORE we discuss them.  Do not expect to be able to come to class and find out about the homework you did not do.  You will be in trouble. 

For the classroom, work toward formulating a few interesting and well-thought out remarks, or questions rather than trying to speak extensively.  On essay tests, try to do more or less the same thing.  Focus your comments on a few points and develop them thoroughly.  Try to avoid making broad sweeping overviews of the text--I will grade these very low since they cannot demonstrate a well-thought out response to the questions nor can they demonstrate your ability to thoroughly analyze a passage of literature. 

For more activities you can do to help your grade and your Spanish language ability, click here.

Due to the nature of a language course, it is not possible to miss classes to any extent. I will be taking attendance in the class starting the second week.  I will count tardiness as partial absences. Be certain to keep a log of your "extracurrcular" time: tutoring, seeing tutors, working in the lab, etc. Give it to me at the end of the quarter and let me know what you are doing. Keep me informed and I'll keep you informed. If you are absent for an extended period, I will waive this policy only if a valid medical excuse is provided. No mercy will be shown to those whose Spanish skills are strong enough that they think they can miss classes.

Regardless of excuses, your participation grade will still be based upon the number of classes attended. I am using D2L to track attendance.  I will mark each day's attendance there, and then combine that overall score with a more subjective grade that will express your participation and attitude in the class.  Keep in mind that on top of this system of grading, I expect that you will miss LESS than 4 classes (or sum of 1/2 absences totaling 4).  At the point of 4 absences (roughly 15% of class content), and every four beyond that, I will lower your grade by one point.  Thus, if you score an A in all categories, but have 4 absences, there is no way you will receive an A in the course.  I will take into consideration valid medical excuses only.  With 8 absences, your highest possible grade is a C.  12 Absences is a guaranteed maximum grade of D.  Rarely do I have to adjust final grades that much, but keep in mind that a grade of 91% and four absences will get you a B for sure.  Generally, frequent absence will harm your grade by lowered performance on the tests and definitely low grades on your participation grade.   

 If you are absent for more than 10 class sessions for any reason, you should consider withdrawing from the course to avoid a negative impact on your GPA. I will not grant a grade of Incomplete unless you have been present for at least 3/4 of the class sessions, and a valid excuse is provided. I will also not grant an incomplete unless it is possible for you to complete the necessary work within the next school term. In case of extended absence, be sure to remain in contact with me so that we can determine your alternatives. If you fail to keep me informed, and provide valid excuses, I will not consider special provisions for you. Failure to complete an incomplete in one term automatically results in an F (school policy). Even given a serious reason for extended absence, I cannot give an incomplete unless all of the remaining work can be completed without attending classes in a later semester (also a school policy). Attendance is an important part of your grade that cannot be made up, though it is definitely not the only significant factor.

First year students are required to spend time in the lab. You are not, but it is important that you make some trips there to view video tapes, and practice with the Pronunciation Tapes.  I will take lab attendance into account, as a factor in your participation grade, so be sure to check in with the technician.

You are expected to explore the Internet in Spanish. I have developed an extensive collection of web links in Spanish that will be accessible through the school web page. The computer labs are all linked to the net, and you will be able to access it from any remote Internet connection. This provides excellent access to reading materials, current events, art and literature.

You must complete ALL assigned workbook exercises and Lecturas exercises as assigned. Some writing assignments will be done at home, others will be prepared at home and then executed in class from your head. The workbook is organized into sections that correspond with the red Lengua book. You ought to parallel your work in the workbook along with where we are in the Lengua book.  The blue Lecturas book is conceptually and lexically (vocabulary) linked to these two, but there isn't a link between it and the Web SAM.  Click here for information on logging into the Quia books web site.

BE SURE TO COMPLETE THE Laboratory (audio section) of the SAM before the exam. The rest of the workbook chapter must be handed in BEFORE the day of the NEXT exam if you want feedback and corrections. Late workbooks will receive credit according to points assigned, but I will not write in comments and corrections.  The Web SAM will allow you to redo exercises until you get them right.  Once I go in and assign points, it will be locked for further editing.  Many of the exercises will be automatically graded.  Others will require that I look at them.  In cases of repeated attempts, I have to assign the points (I think that's how it works).  Exercises that require you to write short essays are very important.  I look more closely at them, and they carry more points.

Exams, in-class compositions, reading quizzes, Final Project. There will be a number of assignments from the Lecturas book in which you will be expected to prepare at home and bring in to class--ready to discuss or perform. All in class work (other than quizzes and final) and workbooks will be graded in a simple, holistic way: 4 pts excellent and outstanding, 3 pts good, 2 pt satisfactory but needs work, 1 credit for performance only, 0 missed test/performance or unprepared. In-class assignments may not be made up if you were absent.

Recommended procedure for preparing for class
Whenever I assign a Lengua section such as #5.3 on p. 146, this corresponds to section #5.3 in the lab segment of the SAM and section #5.3 in the workbook section of the SAM.

The workbook is best done BEFORE we deal with the grammatical concept in the classroom. Read the grammatical explanation in the Lengua book, do the Práctica exercises, then do the workbook. Write down any problem issues you have with the grammar or the workbook, and prepare to do the Comunicación exercises orally in class. 

It must be clear to you that D grades will be given. A grade of D is no longer considered passing if you take a course pass-fail.

100-91%=A 90.9-81%=B 80.9-70%=C 69-60%=D 59-0% F

Incompletes will not be given unless there are clear reasons which support such. i.e. extended illness. BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE FILED PASS-FAIL or AUDIT before the March 30 deadline. If you think you are auditing, but forget to change it, you will receive an F. If you intend to drop the course, do so in the first week in order to receive a refund. If you decide to "fade away" be absolutely sure to file a drop-add notice or you will get an F. The deadline for withdrawing from classes is April 20th. You will receive a W that doesn’t affect your GPA.

20% 3-4 Essay-based Tests Grading criteria will be distributed when I return the first test. Around midterm I will distribute another higher set of standards for the remaining tests.  The final exam is just another test.

20% class participation, attitude, preparation, speaking Spanish at all times in the class, etc.

20% 4 pt assignments: In-class exercises handed in AND workbook,  Lecturas assignments given specifically to be handed in. Absence from class when 4 pt assignments are done on Lecturas assignments will result in a zero for that assignment. Frequent absence will result in a lot of zeros. These cannot be made up. Don’t ask. These assignments are intended to show me what you can write by yourself in a limited time. Therefore, you cannot do these assignments at home and bring them in for credit.

20% -- Final Project Portfolio (explained in detail earlier in this syllabus) These must be typed on a computer.  They must be done in a word processor format—not as e-mail.  You can send them as e-mail attachments, submit them on floppy disk, or printed form.  I prefer e-mail attachments.  USE ONLY Microsoft Word format, or Rich Text Format.  They must be submitted with accent marks appropriately placed.  If you have difficulty finding a computer that can do this for you, I will accept hand written accents added to a printout.  I can help PC users add accent mark ability to their computers. 

20% workbook—Do only the assigned sections of Chapter 5 Workbook, but none of the Lab Manual for 5.  From that point, we will proceed with the SAM, doing only assigned exercises in the Workbook section (which will be most of them), ALL the exercises in the Lab Manual (audio segments) and none of the exercises for the Video manual.  

The Lab sections must be completed ON the day of the test.  The SAM will automatically lock each chapter on that date.  I want to assure that all students are keeping up with the listening component of the course, and that NOBODY is permitted to wait until the end to complete these.  They will be graded so that each lab section counts for 2.5% of your final grade.  Failure to complete the four lab sections ON TIME will result in a loss of 10%, or one whole grade.  At 4pts each, I will deduct 1 pt for each class session they are late. This is one of the most important parts of the class, and if you do not take it seriously, I will not take you seriously--especially if you are having difficulty with listening comprehension.  Credit for late lab sections will be diminished so that after two weeks they have no value at all.  BEFORE the last week of the course before the final exam, you must have completed all but the last lab section.  If you are late, I will assume the problem was your procrastination, and no sympathy will be given.  ¿Comprende?  Turn in chapter 6 lab for Test One, and then complete the Workbook section before the day of the next exam. Repeat this with each chapter.  Final workbook entries must be completed or submitted on or before the date of the final exam.   As for the non-lab sections of the workbook, I will grade them like this: 4 pts for each completed workbook section, 4 pts for each completed lab section.  I will deduct points for incomplete or late assignments.  Assignments are considered late if they are turned in on or after the date of the following chapter exam.  That means that if you don't turn in the first workbook assignment until the end of the semester, you will get 1 point for that chapter.  1 pt per chapter late, so you could still get 2 pts for the second chapter, 3 pts for the 3rd, 4 pts for the 4th.

You will also prepare a final presentation that is based on personal research you have done using materials in Spanish language, and interviews with native speakers.  You will produce a final paper of approximately five typed pages in which you will discuss the project, and you will present your topic in class, responding to questions from the class and from me.  This final oral presentation will be designed to see if you can think on your feet about the topic you spent all this time researching.  You should not read from your paper—I will stop you and ask you questions if this happens.  I refer to it as a portfolio because I want students to have the option to create a CD-ROM with their documents and my remarks for future use to verify your abilities in Spanish to employers.  If you are not interested in creating such a portfolio, you can use printed format to submit documents.  If you want me to create such a disk for you, be sure to submit everything electronically.  If you have other handwritten papers that you would like to include in the portfolio, I can scan them for inclusion.  Let me know early what your plans are.  Not doing the electronic portfolio will not affect your grade, so long as I get all the required components of the assignment.

There is a model exercise for this paper.  You can view the notes here.

1. Required Research Sources:  4 different Internet sources, preferably newspapers from Spanish speaking countries.  The library provides useful research databases.  Not all of your sources have to be in Spanish, but at least three should be in Spanish.  1 native speaker—an interview (you should narrate in your paper and your oral presentation what the native speaker told you).  You can use students from this school, people you meet on the street, or contact local services dedicated to working with the Latin community.
2. Recommended Research Sources:  Printed materials—books, newspapers, etc.  Films.  Television (Univision, Spanish language Satellite TV)  Radio programs.  Internet databases, Internet newspapers.  Not all of these sources have to be in Spanish, but it should be clear to me that you are able to make use of and find Spanish language sources.  The 3 sources MUST be in Spanish.
3. Recommended Strategy: Find a native speaker, and strike up a conversation.  Find a topic that is of interest to you, and that fits the format of this assignment.  Ask hir questions about the topic, find out hir opinion, and find out what sources of information will be best.  Follow up with research.  Next, begin locating Internet articles on the topic, and books/newspapers in the library.  Once you have this much done, talk to me for further guidance.

Contents of your Final Project Portfolio: 

All of these documents should be in word processor format, and can be submitted entirely in electronic form to me, or in printed form.  However, I really would like to receive your vocabulary lists in electronic format, because I want to turn them into web pages for future reference.  Your work will be helpful to other students.

The grade for the project will also include a grade for your oral presentation on it. 

Things to keep in mind:

Do not choose topics that are heavily covered heavily in the American media, UNLESS you are doing careful research of the opinions from Latin American countries.  If it looks to me like you based the assignment and your opinions entirely on American television and newspapers, you will receive an F for content and research.  Make it very clear to me that you did Spanish language research.

Do not wait until the last minute to find a topic.  I expect this project to show considerable thought, preparation and research.  You must have your basic topic by the end of February, and the document showing your interview with the native speaker.  If it looks to me like you threw this all together at the last minute, and did not use the semester to turn this into a valuable learning and research experience, you will receive and F for content and research.  Make it very clear to me that you worked on this over an extended period of time.  I will ask students frequently about their topics.

When you do your final presentation, you can use a few note cards to prompt you and organize your speech, but if you are reading from a paper, I will stop you immediately, and ask you difficult questions.  The final oral presentation is designed to show me that you have assimilated the vocabulary and linguistic structures necessary to think on your feet about the topic.  You can tell us about your research experience itself. 

Do not plagiarize (unless you credit the source), and be sure to include a significantly greater proportion of your own writing.

My job is to lead you through the problem spots, teach you the relevant vocabulary and linguistic structures, and keep things orderly.  Trust me.  It's not as scary as it sounds, and it's much more interesting than spending another year practicing verb conjugation.  Unlike the first semester, we will not be spending large amounts of time in grammar lectures.  I have provided a list at the end of the proposed grammar topics.  I expect you to read most of them on your own and prepare to do the Comunicación exercises in the Lengua book.  Other than the development of some more usages of the subjunctive, the grammar topics of this semester are not very difficult, nor are they central to developing the expected level of proficiency to pass this course.  We are focusing our attention on reading, listening, speaking and writing rather than on grammar.  The essential grammar points were covered last semester, except for a very few issues.

You will be writing some in-class compositions.  You are expected to prepare for these outside of class.  For the most part, these will be recitations of and reactions to ideas and info learned from the Lecturas book readings.  You can get help from tutors or friends, but be certain that you understand the grammar structures you are using.  Do not use your dictionary to look up conjugated verbs!  (For instance, do not look up “would” or “seen” in you dictionary) Avoid using your dictionary as much as possible unless you are extremely careful to check that you are getting the right word (noun, adjective, verb, etc.)  Always double check by looking up the word in the other side of the dictionary (Spanish--English).  Consequently, I recommend that you "borrow" structures directly from the reading.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with memorizing phrases you read.  It is actually a very efficient way to learn vocabulary, grammar and syntax in one simple operation.  I am very tolerant of such stylistic mimicry, so don't be afraid to copy some nice "turns of phrase" from our readings. 

            Another very important rule seems to require mentioning:  NEVER, NEVER write your compositions in English and translate them to Spanish.  The results are invariably disastrous and immediately visible to me.  No matter how much I warn people, there are always those who ignore me.  Be advised that although you may think it is easier, you are in reality doing the most difficult thing possible.  Your knowledge of English far exceeds your knowledge of Spanish so you will be best off to think immediately in Spanish.  If you don't know how to say one phrase at that moment, you will be in terrible shape after writing 500 words of stuff you don't know how to say.  You will not suddenly be able to translate it all.  Dictionaries do not help with grammar.           

            If you have difficulties in the class, please contact me as soon as possible.  Problems in language learning build up quickly and will "drown" you in a short time.  If my office hours are not convenient, please contact me, other times can be arranged easily and tutoring is available through the college.  I am an avid e-mail user, and will be glad to provide you quick feedback via e-mail. 

            Don't ask me or the tutors to translate letters and compositions for you.  We will check your work, but will not do it for you.

            Do not be afraid to make mistakes, effort counts much more than correctness.  Prepare yourself for making a lot of errors.  It's a natural part of the process.  I am extremely patient with anyone who is at least trying to communicate.  I expect you to be patient too if other students are not as quick as you.

            Because this class is based largely upon the absorption of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and syntactical structures, it is highly advisable that you make a set of flash cards to drill yourself.  Be sure to work them from English to Spanish.  You can do it the other way too, but Engl-Span is more difficult and important.

See Current Schedule page for classroom schedule