Elementary Spanish
Practicum RL018

Boston College Spring 2010 Required texts: None

Quien mucho duerme, poco aprende. - Spanish proverb

AIMS:

The purpose of this course is to offer more "time-on-task" working with material from RL016 to help you better master the basics of Spanish communication.  It will serve as a review, help clarify concepts, provide additional practice (both oral and written), and help improve your long-term memory of material presented.  You will frequently go over concepts already presented in your RL016 class. Enrollment in this course will not only help you in RL016, but also will improve your performance in subsequent study of the Spanish language.  The syllabus will closely follow and enhance language functions and their respective grammar and vocabulary as presented in RL016.

COURSE PARTICULARS:

1. Prerequisites: This course is open to students who are concurrently enrolled in RL016 (Elementary Spanish I).  It is especially valuable for any students who have had high school Spanish and did not take RL015 (first semester Elementary Spanish at Boston College).
2. There will be no required text for this course, but all students should have the RL016 required texts: Imágenes 2nd Ed. text and Student Activities Manual that contains the Workbook and Lab activities.
3. Students should make use of the Imágenes web pages and the CD-ROM that came with the textbook (not the audio CD that contains all chapter conversation, but rather the CD-ROM that contains a wealth of self-checking activities). NOTE: There are copies of the CD-ROM in the Language Lab in 313 Lyons.
4. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory for this course.
5. Compositions: You should not consult with friends nor tutors. You may consult your instructors of RL016 or RL018 when preparing these. All compositions must be double spaced, typed, and handed in on the indicated date to receive credit.  No late work will be accepted. Use of online translators and help from anyone other than an instructor of RL016 or RL018 will be considered a violation of the BC Academic Integrity Policy.
6. Make-up Policy:  No make-up quizzes will be given unless you have a written excuse from a doctor or a Dean's Office.
7. There will be no final exam for this course.
8. Distribution of Grades:

COURSE SYLLABUS:

Week of 1/19	Introducing yourself and stating where you are from, asking others their names and where they are from; finding out what people did over vacation; introduction to the course.
Week of 1/25	Review the verb gustar by describing the university in detail (encantar, fascinar, molestar, faltar). Review of double-object pronouns to avoid redundancy (includes the poem). QUIZ #1 of preterit forms (see pages 157-158 in your textbook)
Week of 2/1	Review avoiding redundancy (double-object pronouns) in question/answer. Review preterit forms and state what specific things you did over break (saw a movies, traveled to Aruba, etc.). Review what you used to do when you were in high school (habitual past actions - imperfect). Describe your kindergarten teacher (past description - imperfect)and what you used to do when you were little (habitual past actions - imperfect). COMPOSITION #1 due. Topics include (pick one):  A: ¿Qué te encanta y qué te molesta de Boston? (Use verbs like gustar)  B: ¿Te caen bien tus profesores? (Use verbs like gustar) All comps should be double spaced and a minimum of 8 to 10 lines long.
Week of 2/8	Review of giving advice as it relates to medical problems (Tienes que... Debes...). Review narration in the past. Special attention on actions in progress that were interrupted. Create group stories.  Add description as needed with assistance of instructor. QUIZ #2 of preterit forms. See pp. 191-192 in your textbook.
Week of 2/15	Review of all aspects of narration in the past. Review of past narration including the perils of trigger words (a menudo, con frecuencia, etc.) and words like (ayer, anteayer, etc.). Contrast what you did with what you do now and what you plan to do in the future. Try to incorporate actions in progress that were interrupted. Tuesday will preview and Thursday will reviewpast intentions and responsibilities with iba a + inf. and tuve que inf. vs. tenía que + inf. QUIZ #3 Past narration quiz: Preterit and Imperfect.
Week of 2/22	Review of past narration including iba a, tenía que... vs. tuve que..., sabía vs. supe, conocía vs. conocí. Specific instruction as to how to write a coherent paragraph in the past - separating the events from the description. Create a fairy tale and use past participles as adjectives if possible AND/OR describe scenes from La historia oficial in detail. COMPOSITION #2 due. Narration in the past. Incorporate the phrase iba a + infinitive to give an excuse. Topics include:  A: No viniste a clase, ¿qué pasó?  B: ¿Por qué no viniste a mi fiesta? REMEMBER: All comps should be double spaced and a minimum of 8 to 10 lines long.
Week of 3/8	Review of ordinal numbers, rooms in a house, and renting an apartment. Describing what you are looking for (present subjunctive) vs. what you have (present indicative). Quiz #4 - subjunctive forms.
Week of 3/15	Review of giving advice and the difference between (quiero que tú estudies mucho AND quiero estudiar mucho).  Review for midterm - past narration, verbs like gustar, double-object pronouns, and contents of Chapter 10. COMPOSITION #3 due. Choose one of these three topics: A: Busco una universidad que... Asisto a una universidad que...  B: Busco un empleo que... Tengo un empleo que...  C: Tengo un compañero/a de cuarto que... Necesito un compañero/a de cuarto que... Remember: if the person or thing exists, use indicative if you are describing something or someone that you are looking for, use subjunctive All comps should be double spaced and a minimum of 8 to 10 lines long.
Week of 3/22	Review of los pasatiempos vocab. Tuesday will preview and Thursday will review expressing doubt vs. certainty. COMPOSITION #4 due. Possible topics - pick ONE: A: Draw a floor plan of your parents' house and write paragraph describing it - include furniture in the description.  B: Draw a floor plan of your apartment (or house) and write a paragraph describing it - include furniture in the description. REMEMBER: All comps should be double spaced and a minimum of 8 to 10 lines long.
Week of 3/29	Vocab of hobbies. Review expressing doubt vs. certainty.  NO CLASS ON THURSDAY.
Week of 4/6	Review por/para. Give instructions using the passive se. Tuesday will preview and Thursday will review subjunctive with emotion. Quiz #5 Subjunctive - doubt vs. certainty.
Week of 4/12	Tuesday will preview and Thursday will review comparing and contrasting - comparative and superlative. Complete reveiw of stating what you are looking for, giving advice, expressing doubt vs. certainty, expressing emotion. COMPOSITION #5 due. Topic: Write a letter to your instructor. In the first two paragraphs explain something that happened to you in the past - the last time you went shopping, met someone interesting, took a great vacation, etc.  Use the preterit and imperfect to narrate in the past - when you went, who you went with, what you did, what the weather was like, etc.  Try to pick a topic that does not necessitate the use of vocabulary with which you may not be familiar.  Use a dictionary sparingly if at all! In the third paragraph, give advice to your instructor (le aconsejo que + subjunctive, es importante que + subjunctive, quiero que Ud. + subjunctive, es necesario que + subjunctive, Ud. tiene que + infinitive, Ud. debe + infinitive). Include at least four pieces of advice and vary how you give it to add richness to your text. For example, if you wrote about a trip to New York City, tell your instructor what to do, where to eat, where to stay, etc. If you wrote about someone you met, give advice about how to meet someone new. If you wrote about going shopping, give advice as to where to find cheap prices, designer clothes, etc. REMEMBER: All comps should be double spaced and a minimum of 8 to 10 lines long.
Week of 4/20	Comparing and contrasting. Formal commands (compared to tiene que + inf..., debe + inf..., quiero que Ud..., le aconsejo que..., es mejor que Ud..., etc.) THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CLASS. If you really understand commands, life will be much easier in the future.
Week of 4/26	Geographical terms, comparisons of equality, and review of comparisons of equality and inequality. Review of formal and informal commands. COMPOSITION #6 due. Topics include comparing ONE of the following:  A: Boston / Otra ciudad u otro pueblo  B: los hombres / las mujeres C. los gatos / los perros REMEMBER: All comps should be double spaced and a minimum of 8 to 10 lines long.
Week of 5/3	Review for final, including items like por vs. para; más que vs. más de; ningún vs. ninguno; ya vs. todavía. Special attention on formal and informal commands with object pronouns in the affirmative and negative. Review of narration in the past (preterit and imperfect) and all uses of the subjunctive.
	There is no final exam for this class.

COMPOSITIONS:

To improve your writing skills, you will write 6 compositions on assigned topics.  They will count as 60% of your final grade.  You will be graded on content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and originality.  Each composition should be a minimum of 8 to 10 lines in length and should cover the topic well.  Topics assigned will incorporate functions, grammar, and vocabulary being studied at the moment in class.  The compositions are due when indicated in the course syllabus.
When writing compositions:

1. Try to think and write in Spanish from the first moment. Look up words sparingly (as few as three or four per composition).
2. First drafts must be hand written.
3. Type and DOUBLE SPACE your final draft. If you want to know how to type Spanish characters (á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ, ¡, ¿) you will find instructions for both IBM and MAC here.
4. Staple all drafts together putting the final draft on top.
5. Turn in the composition ON TIME!  Late compositions will be accepted, but you will be penalized one letter grade for each day late: a B becomes a C if one day late, a D if two days late, and an F if three days late.
6. Do not get outside help on the compositions. Outside help from a friend, a tutor, or an online translator will be considered a violation of the BC Academic Integrity Policy. If you feel you would like some feedback prior to handing in a composition, please see your the instructor of your practicum or your instructor for RL016.

IMAGENES CD-ROM & WEBSITE

The Imágenes CD-ROM came free of charge with your textbook. If you purchased a used book and did not purchase a CD-ROM, you may access the CD-ROM contents on the Internet and there are copies of the Imágenes CD-ROM in the Language Lab in 313 Lyons that you may use. The CD-ROM activities can be used while studying a chapter or as a review for quizzes and exams. Much of the content is interactive and self-checking. The organization of the CD-ROM is similar to the organization of each chapter: Vocabulario I, Hacia la comunicación I, Nuevos horizontes, Vocabulario II, Hacia la comunicación II, and each chapter ends with a section titled Un poco de todo. If you click on a section, a series of activities will be displayed that provide a wealth of practice. If used consistently, the CD-ROM can be a most helpful tool to better master the basics of the language while also gaining additional cultural knowledge. To access the CD-ROM from the Internet, do the following:

1. Go to this site: http://college.cengage.com/languages/spanish/caycedo/claro/6e/improve/improve1.html.
2. Click on the last item in the list entitled More Practice.
3. Select the Chapter you want from menu in the pop-up box and select the item you would like to practice.

The Imágenes web pages contain activities that provide addition practice with chapter vocabulary and grammar as well as provides cultural information. The web pages contain the following:

1. Select a chapter.
2. Click on Improve Your Grade to access the Flashcards which allow you to practice vocabulary and verb conjugations without using English. Use the arrow buttons to move from card to card and to flip cards to see the responses. It is good to do this section as a first step when learning a new concept. These can be done WHILE you do a chapter.
3. Click on ACE the Test to access the ACE Practice Tests which provide guided practice with each chapter's grammar and vocabulary. These can be done WHILE you do a chapter.
4. Click on Improve Your Grade to access the Web Links section where you will find additional links for you to learn more about cultural information presented in each Chapter.
5. Click on Improve Your Grade to access the ACE Video Activities section. These activities are based on short video segments that you may or may not have seen in class. These are offered in even-numbered chapters.

HELPFUL INFORMATION ON THE WWW

1. Want to know how to type Spanish characters (á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ, ¡, ¿)?  Click here for instructions.
2. If you need to brush up on your English grammar try this site.
3. This site contains an on-line, bilingual dictionary.  Remember that when looking up an English word to find the Spanish equivalent, do not always grab the first translation you see, read all possible translations, and double check your choice by looking up in Spanish as well. To look up a word in Spanish, simply type in the Spanish word and read all possible translations keeping in mind the context of the sentence where you read or heard the Spanish word. It is possible to download this to your computer by following the directions on the site.
4. Having trouble finding the correct conjugation for a verb? Look up a verb in the bilingual dictionary and click on the word Conjugator at the top, center of the page. Once on this page, you can type in any infinitive to see forms. The forms you will use this semester include: gerundio (leyendo), participio (leído), presente (lee), imperfecto (leía), pretérito (leyó), presente del subjuntivo (que lea), imperativo (lea Ud.). Please note that there are other forms listed that you will learn in future study of Spanish with the exception of the future subjunctive which is not used in modern Spanish.
5. Improve your pronunciation using a site prepared by the University of Iowa.

TUTORING

The trick to learning a foreign language is to NEVER GET BEHIND and to seek help the minute you feel a concept isn't clear.  REMEMBER that your instructor is your best source for individual tutoring.  You should take advantage of this and see your instructor during office hours.  If you are unable to meet with your instructor during office hours, see him/her to arrange another time.  If you are seeing your instructor and still feel you need extra help, BC makes tutoring available for all students.  Tutors can be found through the Connors Family Learning Center (617-552-0611), AHANA Jaime Escalante Tutorial Program (617-552-3358), and Learning Resources for Student Athletes (617-552-8533).  You must call first to make an appointment.

REMEMBER: A tutor does not do homework nor correct compositions for you.  The purpose of a tutor is to provide additional explanations to help clarify concepts and to provide you with additional practice to help assimilate these concepts.