SPAN 3105 SYLLABUS

FALL 2009

Advanced Grammar, Composition, and Conversation

COURSE GOALS: The primary goal of the course is improved proficiency in Spanish through emphasis on grammar. Grammar exercises, reading, composition, and conversation are the tools through which improved proficiency will be gained. Proficiency levels referred to here have been established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
 

GRADE BREAKDOWN:  

20% Participation, Preparation and Quizzes:

Attendance policy: Since the course meets three times a week, each student is allowed 3 "freebie" absences. These are intended to be used for short-term illness, oversleeping, non-university-required trips, spring fever, funerals, studying for an exam, etc. Three tardy arrivals count as one absence. After 3 absences, each unexcused absence will lower the final grade by one percentage point. The professor will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to excuse absences for highly extenuating circumstances, beyond the 3 freebie absences. Do not assume that your absence will be excused; most absences beyond the freebies are not excused. Any student who is absent is still held responsible for all assignments and in-class activities for the following class day. 

Please exchange phone numbers with at least three classmates at the start of the semester so that you will have someone to call to get any information you missed during your absence. Do not contact the professor regarding work that you missed unless you still have a question after consulting with at least two other classmates.

Participation and Preparation: Excellent attendance, thorough preparation of homework, and active participation are crucial to completing this course successfully. On most days, a daily participation/preparation grade will be recorded.  

What is a daily participation/preparation grade? Each student earns a daily grade on most class days of the semester.  Factors taken into consideration will include attendance and punctuality, thorough and timely preparation of all assignments, quality of oral participation, and attitude toward the material. I do not expect that you will understand the homework completely and have every answer correct every single day--sometimes there will be things that confuse you. On those days I do expect you to know what you don't know, however, so that you can be sure to ask about it if I do not provide the answer in class discussion/lecture. Most of the time you should be able to do the homework completely. Since class meets three times a week, I automatically drop the 3 lowest participation grades to compensate for the 3 “freebie” absences allowed that semester. This means that, if you have perfect attendance, the participation grades from your three weakest performance days get dropped. At the end of the semester, all of your accumulated participation grades are averaged, and this total combines with your Pruebas grades to count as your participation grade in the course.  See the syllabus "grade breakdown" section for the weight of the participation grade in the final grade for the class. How does a student earn the participation grade? If I check homework that day, then the grade is a combination of 1) how complete your homework is and 2) your in-class participation/engagement. If I don’t check homework that day, then the grade is based on your level of participation/engagement in class. This does not necessarily mean that you must give all the right answers when you talk in class, or that your homework is entirely correct.  If you could do that on your own, then you wouldn’t need the class!  Instead, it means that you need to really be trying.  Jump in there and give it a shot!  It gets easier as you do it more often, and it will greatly improve your oral skills and your grasp of the material over time! I do not mark down the participation grade for incorrect grammar except, in unusual cases, when someone’s grammar level is so low that it impedes comprehension of their message.  In those cases, however, those students are not at an adequate level to take this class, and I meet with them privately about their situation. Examples of Participation Grades:  These are examples of typical scenarios of student performance and how I grade them.  F = Did not come to class; was disengaged from class or (in unusual cases) in some way detracted from the class experience so that it was detrimental for others. D = Came to class but did not do the homework; only participated minimally. Or: Came to class and did the homework minimally, but did not actively participate in class. C = Came to class, did the homework well, but only participated actively when called on or volunteered on occasion; is trying to learn, but has a passive approach. B = Came to class, did the homework very well, and volunteered at least 1-2 times during the class period.  Seems very engaged with learning the material. A = Came to class, did the homework very well, and volunteered repeatedly.  Seems highly engaged with learning the material. Note: I modify these letter grades with +/- as needed to reflect the degree of deficiency or excellence. Obviously I cannot call on everyone every single time s/he volunteers; your grade is not affected by this.  I am aware of the degree of your engagement and your willingness to participate, and I take that into account in the participation grade.

Pruebas (Quizzes): There may be announced and/or unannounced quizzes on the grammatical points that we cover in class. These will help you prepare for the exams. A quiz grade is equal to the weight of three daily participation grades.

30% Exámenes parciales:

There will be 3 exams during the semester, not counting the final exam. Details on the exams will be given later in the semester.

25% Compositions:

There are 3 formal, written communications that express clearly organized ideas and content, with the effective use of grammar, syntax and vocabulary.  The procedure will be as follows:

• The first version of the composition will be written in class. Grammar books and dictionaries may be used.
• The professor will mark the composition with correction symbols and return it to the student.
• The student will re-write and revise the composition using a computer and then turn in both the original version and the typed revision on the assigned date. The revised compositions must be the student’s own work. Plagiarism or undue help will be considered a violation of the Honor Code.
• The grade for the composition will be a combination of the grades on the original and the final versions. The first version will count as double the weight of the second version.
• Late compositions will be accepted only if the student obtains the professor's permission, and will be docked one full letter grade for each day late.

20% Final Exam:

The final exam will be comprehensive. Details on the final exam will be given later in the semester. The date is indicated in the programa de clases below.

Grading Scale:

A= 94-100; A- = 90-93; B+ = 88-89; B = 84-87; B- = 80-83; C+ = 78-79; C = 74-77; C- = 70-73; D+ = 68-69; D = 64-67; D- = 60-63; F = 59 and below.

HONOR CODE: Your professor subscribes to the Virginia Tech Honor System and the Virginia Tech Honor Code (http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/) as detailed in the University Policies for Student Life Handbook. All VT students must abide by this code. Plagiarism is an extremely serious matter. ANY STUDENT SUSPECTED OF ANY FORM OF DISHONEST CONDUCT RELATED TO THIS CLASS WILL BE SENT TO THE VT HONOR COURT. This has happened before, resulting in very serious consequences. Do not give any cause for it to happen to you!

STUDENTS NEEDING SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: Any student who has a condition that may prevent full demonstration of his or her abilities (including conditions related to the events of April 16th) should contact the professor personally to discuss learning needs and accommodations. Also, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students who will provide the instructor with a written description of the necessary specified accommodations. The following resources may be helpful to you: The Office of the Dean of Students (231-3787), The Cook Counseling Center (231-6557), Services for Students with Disabilities (231-3788).

EMAIL PROTOCOL:  If you contact me by email (jfolkart@vt.edu), please follow business protocol by identifying your emails with a descriptive subject, to avoid having them mistaken as spam and automatically trashed.  For example, in the subject line of each message, please place the class number and time (e.g., SPAN 3105/10:10) first, then the specific subject of your message (not just "hello").  If the message is not referring to a specific class, please note "SPAN" before the subject.  This additional cue should make it much easier for us to communicate.  As with all professional communications, your email should be written with proper punctuation and complete sentences, not in "IM-speak." Every effort will be made to reply to emails within 24 hours on business days.  Many class-oriented questions require interactive responses and may be better addressed by phone or in person; therefore, please include your name and phone contact information in any emails.

PROGRAMA DE CLASES: