Post on 28-Jan-2019
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SPANISH 317X-UX1 ONLINE: Advanced
Spanish Grammar CRN 77168 Fall 2017
Instructor: Daniel Darrow
Teaching assistant/tutor: TBA
Office: Gruening 606C
Phone: 474-7980
Email: djdarrow@alaska.edu
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 2:00-3:00 pm Alaska Standard Time (AKST) or by appointment. Email during these office hours and I will go to Google Hangouts or Blackboard Collaborate to work with you.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed as to give you a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and its
more difficult grammatical structures. The course will begin with parts of speech and end with
linguistic analyses of Spanish sentences. The course will prepare students planning to take
upper-level classes in Spanish composition and literature.
COURSE GOALS
By the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Identify the major parts of speech and syntactic structures of Spanish. 2. Compose, review and correct short, written works in Spanish
3. Translate parts of a work of historical fiction from Spanish to English
4. Gain confidence using difficult, grammatical concepts and Idiomatic structures in
Spanish
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the course, students will…
1. Classify Spanish grammar terminology and compare this to English grammar 2. Identify components of the sentence
3. Promote critical thinking skills in Spanish
4. Evaluate and discuss real-world uses of Spanish grammar to the class
5. Apply strategies of writing development to prepare them for future, higher level
Spanish courses in literatures
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These outcomes will be measured by unit exercises, unit exams, a midterm exam, a final exam,
translation exercises and asynchronous discussions online. According to the American Council
for Teachers of Foreign Languages benchmarks, students in a 5th semester university course
(advanced mid to high level) will be able to:
1. Deliver well-organized presentations on concrete social, academic and professional
topics.
2. Present detailed information about events and experiences in various time frames
3. Understand the main idea and most supporting details in texts on a variety of topics of
personal and general interest as well as some professional topics.
4. Understand texts written in a variety of genres, even if unfamiliar with the topic
COURSE MATERIALS
1. Allen, T. (2014). Repase y Escriba, 7th edition. Osckosh, WI: Wiley.
2. Azevedo, M. (2009). Introducción a la lingüística española, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.
3. Cortés, P. (2007). Gramática práctica del español, Madrid: Instituto Cervantes.
4. Real Academia Española: Nueva gramática de la lengua española. (2015). Edición
electrónica. http://www.rae.es
5. Iguina, Z. and Dozier, E. Manual de gramáticas: Grammar Reference for Students of
Spanish, 5th ed. Boston: Heinle, 2013.
6. Mujica, B. (1996). El próximo Paso: Gramática Avanzada, lecturas, composición.
Philadelphia: Harcourt Brace.
7. Piñol, A. (2012). Victus: Barcelona 1714. Edicions La Campana: Barcelona.
8. Spinelli, E. English Grammar for Students of Spanish, 6th ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Olivia and
Hill Press, 2007.
9. Torrego, L. (2011). Gramática didáctica del español, 10th ed. Madrid: Grupo Editorial
SM Internacional.
10. Torrego, L. (2011). Análysis sintáctico: teoría y práctia. Madrid: Grupo Editorial SM
Internacional.
11. Zagona, K. (2001). The Syntax of Spanish. London: Cambridge University Press.
12.
* REQUIRED: ONE NOTEBOOK FOR HANDWRITTEN VOCABULARY WORK (explained in Evaluation Policies below).
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The course will draw mainly from these sources. It is recommended you purchase the book
Victus (#7 above), in the original Spanish version, but this is not essential for successful
completion of the class. Email me if you have questions about this.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Internet access is vital to this course. If you do not have good internet connection at home, you will
need to use the various facilities UAF offers or other providers near you for computer/internet
access (Public library, university, UAF’s: Language Lab, the Nook, Rasmussen Library, etc.).
Specifically, you will need to be familiar with Blackboard and how to submit assignments through
this learning management system. It will be necessary to learn how to type Spanish accents, tildes,
and punctuation if you plan to continue your Spanish education at this university. Contact me if you
need help setting your keyboard to type Spanish diacritics.
You will also need to have a UA Google account in order to use Google Hangouts. We will use
this service for office hours and any potential communicative activities necessary for the
course. Please use your UAF account in Google. (username@alaska.edu)
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS
This course is delivered completely online. THIS IS NOT A “SELF-PACED” COURSE. There are
strict deadlines so that students can finish before the semester end and receive a grade/credit
for the course. Successful students in online courses are highly motivated, can adhere to a
strict schedule, are independent, and technologically savvy. Here are two useful links from
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
If you come across technical difficulties, please do the following:
1. Switch internet browsers
2. Ask other students in the Blackboard Student Forum (someone may have had the same
problem)
3. Use your UA Google Account. Many of the Google Docs, Maps, etc. require you to use
your Google account in order to see the document.
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/6258784
4. Contact UAF’s eLearning and Distance Education (for Bb, Google, OIT issues)
https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/execute/tabs/tabAction?tabId=_39076_1&tab_
tab_group_id=_126_1
5. Contact me by email or phone.
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Duquesne University and Modesto Jr. College that goes into more depth with online learning:
http://www.duq.edu/academics/online-campus/prospective-students/successful-online-
learners and http://mjc.edu/instruction/online/readinessquiz.php
You are responsible for learning the concepts in various texts provided to you in Blackboard and
applying what you learn that will also be submitted through Blackboard or UA email.
Instructional supplements will be used to reinforce each unit. You are responsible for learning
the material- many of which have been introduced before in the 100 and 200 levels. If you have
CLEP’d out of these levels, be sure to brush up basic Spanish grammar (subject verb agreement,
conjugations, tense, mode, pronouns, noun-adjective agreement, etc.) before tackling this
material.
All unit exercises will be assigned and submitted in Blackboard or UA email. Blackboard will
serve as a “road map” for assignments, supplemental materials and grades in the course. Other
sites may be used outside of Blackboard, but all necessary links will be provided in each unit’s
folder. Contact me if you need help in finding additional review sources.
Excluding the introductory week, all exercises, quizzes, exams, vocabulary, reading and
correspondence with me should be in Spanish. Especially with the correspondence, do not
worry about being entirely correct. It’s important to me that you use the language as much as
possible. I will be happy to provide explanations to complex concepts in English if asked.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Span 317 is comprised of 7 units. Each unit will take typically 2 weeks to complete (actual hours
spent each week will vary between individuals). There will be weekly due dates to help you
keep on track to successful completion of the course. You will need to be very organized and
utilize time management skills to complete the course before the end of the semester. Even
though there are two holidays in this semester, it may be necessary to continue your work
through the holiday in order to meet the semester deadline. The tentative course schedule is
provided at the end of the syllabus.
*Any student who does not complete the introductory exercises in the first folder before
Friday September 1st, will be automatically dropped from the course.
**All due dates are listed in Alaska Standard Time (AKST). Dates are listed in American format
(month/day)
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*** The time due will be 11:59 pm AKST. No late work accepted.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Integrity: As described by UAF, scholAKSTic dishonesty constitutes a violation of the university rules and regulations and is punishable according to the procedures outlined by UAF. ScholAKSTic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an exam, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating includes providing answers to or taking answers from another student. Plagiarism includes use of another author’s words or arguments without attribution. Collusion includes unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of any course requirement. ScholAKSTic dishonesty is punishable by removal from the course and a grade of “F.” For more information go to Student Code of Conduct: (http://www.uaf.edu/catalog/catalog_08- 09/academics/regs3.html#Student_Conduct)
Attendance: SPAN 317 is mostly asynchronous where real-time attendance is not required.
However, you are required to meet with me online or face to face at leAKST two times during
the course of the semester for me to gauge your progress, address issue and solicit feedback for
the course. These meetings will be included as a portion of your mid-term and final exams.
Sign up for a date/time here…
Participation: You are highly encouraged to interact with each other through the Blackboard
Discussion Forum that I set up for this class. You are not graded on how much you contribute,
but if you are serious about improving your Spanish, this is an important component of
acquisition.
University email and Blackboard: You need to have access to your University of Alaska
Fairbanks email account (username@alaska.edu.) We will use the UAF email to communicate
with you on many important matters. Email is often the only way some information is
distributed, so it is important that you regularly check your university email address or forward
mail from your UAF address to an address you check frequently. The university automatically
assigns each student an official UAF email account when the student enrolls. You are
responsible for knowing -- and, when appropriate, acting on -- the contents of all university
communications sent to your official UAF email account. You are also more than welcome to
forward your university account to your personal email account, but please realize that
Blackboard will automatically format any announcements from us in such a way that they are
sent to your University email account. Please take the time to make sure that you can access
Blackboard without any difficulty. If you want to receive university communications at a
different email address, you need to forward email from your assigned UAF account to an email
address of your choice. You can easily do this online here.
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Due Dates and Late Work: All assignments are due weekly, Sunday’s at 11:59 pm AKST. LATE
HOMEWORK IS NOT ACCEPTED. If you have an emergency or circumstance preventing your
completion of the assignments, you need to notify me as soon as possible and before the
deadline. Pay attention to your time zone! All times I list are in Alaska Standard Time (AKST). I
keep a world time zone on my Google Calendar for when I have meetings with students across
the states or colleagues abroad. Click here to see ways to add time zones to your Google
Calendar. I use #2 in the link above.
Time Management: A tentative schedule for SPAN 317 is provided at the end of this syllabus.
There may be some deviation to the schedule, but the due dates will remain. It is your
responsibility to keep up with your work and ask questions if you need help.
EVALUATION POLICIES
We will use the following resources to measure the expected learning outcomes:
A. PRÁCTICAS (20%) Doing the weekly exercises is important for learning Spanish grammar. It’s
where you put your independent learning into real-world practice. You are responsible for all
readings in the unit and will put that learning into practice through these exercises.
B. VOCABULARIO (25%) This is one of the most important facets of your grades. Each unit will
have an extensive vocabulary list. You must use your assigned reading and any other available
internet resource to give a definition, drawing, example or anything in your own words (Spanish
or very little English) to help you remember the concept. In order to assist you to commit this
vocabulary to memory, I require you to hand write it in your notebook (the only required
purchase), scan or take a picture of it and submit it through Bb for grading/comment.
C. PRUEBAS (10%) This is an in-depth assessment of your independent learning. There is a test
after unit. You must complete the unit exam before moving on to the next unit. Unit exams
due dates are included with your weekly assignments (Sunday’s). They will typically be
assigned every two weeks.
D. FORO (15%) We will use the Bb Discussion Forum for map exercises, translation activities,
and general discussions about the course. There will be a thread created for students to help
each other out, but discussion in this thread is not graded. I will specify in the unit folder what
needs to be discussed for a grade. We will draw heavily on Victus within the discussion forum
for translation and grammar exercises as well as map exercises (graded).
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E. MID-TERM (15%) The mid-term exam is a spot check of all the material covered up to Unit 4.
It will also give you an idea of how the final exam is arranged. The mid-term will be available on
Bb during the week of 10/29-11/5 and due on 11/5 at 11:59 AKST. As a portion of this exam,
you are required to sign up for a meeting with me online or face to face. I will post a sign up on
my Google calendar the week prior.
F. FINAL EXAM (15%) The final exam is cumulative and will be found in a special folder under
Contents in Blackboard. The final will be available on Bb during the week of 12/11-15 and due
on 12/15 at 11:59 pm AKST. As a portion of this exam, you are required to sign up for a
meeting with me online or face to face. I will post a sign up on my Google calendar the week
prior.
Components of the final grade and weight by percentage
Prácticas 20%
Vocabulario 25%
Pruebas 10%
Foro 15%
Mid-term 15%
Final exam 15%
DEPARTMENTAL GRADING SCALE
(% of grade earned according to the
weighted categories)
Faculty Senate Meeting #171: C-shall be the minimum acceptable grade that undergraduate
students may receive for courses to count toward the major or minor degree requirements, or as
a prerequisite for another course. http://www.uaf.edu/files/uafgov/Info-to-Publicize-
C_Grading-Policy-UPDATED-May-2013.pdf
Pacing expectations
Beyond the three hours you would spend in a face to face class during the week, you can expect
to add an additional 3-4 hours working on content and coursework beyond a face to face class
time. Although actual hours spent each week will vary between individuals, students should
expect to spend an average of 10 hours per week in this 3-credit online course.
Explanation of NB, I and W grades
This course adheres to the UAF regarding the granting of NB Grades: The NB grade is for use only in situations in which the instructor has No Basis upon which to assign a grade. Because
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 0-60
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students are required to complete the 1st contact assignment or be automatically withdrawn, the NB grade will not be granted. Your instructor follows the University of Alaska Fairbanks Incomplete Grade Policy: “The letter “I” (Incomplete) is a temporary grade used to indicate that the student has satisfactorily completed (C or better) the majority of work in a course but for personal reasons beyond the student’s control, such as sickness, he has not been able to complete the course during the regular semester. Negligence or indifference are not acceptable reasons for an “I” grade.” Successful, timely completion of this course depends on committing yourself early and maintaining your effort. To this end, this course adheres to the following UAF eLearning Procedures:
1. The first contact assignment (Introducción al curso folder) is due one week after the first day of instruction. Failure to submit this assignment within the first two weeks of the course could result in withdrawal from the course.
2. The first content assignment (Lesson 1) is due one week after the first day of instruction. Failure to submit this assignment within the first two weeks of the course could result in withdrawal from the course.
3. Failure to submit the first three content assignments (Assignments 1, 2 and 3) by the deadline for faculty-initiated withdrawals (the ninth Friday after the first day of classes) could result in instructor initiated withdrawal from the course (W).
HOW TO SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments will be submitted through Bb, UA email, or other means specified by the instructor
in your content folder for each unit. Please pay attention to each unit’s folder!
HOW TO CHECK YOUR GRADE
Blackboard will be the place to go to check your actual grade. I strive to keep all scores up to
date in Bb (weekly if possible).
SUPPORT SERVICES
Language Lab. Gruening 609, open 8am-5pm. There are computers with internet for foreign
language students. In addition there are language-specific tutors who can help you with your
work, or act as conversation partners (hours found on the lab door). You can use the computers
in the language lab and receive help from student tutors with your assignments. This lab is a
good resource especially if you are experiencing computer problems at home.
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Student support services. UAF is committed to equal opportunity for all students. Students
who are the first in their families to attempt a four-year college degree, or students whose
incomes are low, have opportunities for tutorial and other forms of support from the office of
Student Support Services. Please make an appointment with Student Support Services at 474-
2644.
DISABILITY SERVICES
UAF makes appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities who have been
documented by the Office of Disability Services (203 Whitaker Building, 474-7043). Students
with learning or other disabilities who may need classroom accommodations are encouraged to
make an appointment to obtain the appropriate documentation if they do not have it. Please
meet with me during office hours so that I can collaborate with the Office of Disability Services
to provide the appropriate accommodations and support to assist you in meeting the goals of
the course. Students must submit the appropriate Disability Services form to the instructor in
order for him to make accommodations.
For more information, please visit http://www.uaf.edu/disability/forms/
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Tentative Course Schedule Introducción al curso Fecha
limite Semana 1 Prueba de sílabo; presentaciones en mapa; organizar
sistemas de UA (email, Blackboard…) 9/1
Unidad 1
Semana 2 Clases de palabras y artículos Semana 3 Sustantivos 9/17
Unidad 2
Semana 4 Adjetivos Semana 5 Pronombres 10/1
Unidad 3 Semana 6 Adverbios y conjugaciones Semana 7 Cuantificaciones 10/15
Unidad 4 Semana 8 Preposiciones Semana 9 Formación de verbos y MIDTERM 10/29
Unidad 5 Semana 10 Verbos (irregulars, cambios de raíz,
imperfecto/pretérito, futuro)
Semana 11 Verbos (subjuntivo) 11/12 Unidad 6
Semana 12 Sintaxis 1 (sintagmas) Semana 13 Sintaxis 1 (identificación) Thanksgiving Break…if you
are travelling, be sure to do your assignments well before the due date.
11/26
Unidad 7 Semana 14 Sintaxis 2 diagrama arboreo Semana 15 Sintaxis 2 diagrama arboreo 12/10
Examen final Semana 16 Final exams can be taken between December 11-15 12/15
*One due date per unit.