FLS 202 - Intermediate Spanish II

Spring 2012 Syllabi: MWF | MW | TH
Summer 2012 Syllabus: MTWHF
Fall 2011 Syllabi: MWF | MW | TH

Required Text: Rumbos second edition, Pelletieri et al (Cengage Heinle, 2011): Textbook and Premium Website access. Bring textbook to class each day.

Student Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course, students will be able to...

produce sentence-level oral discourse in Spanish and begin to connect sentences together.
compose short written products of up to one full page.
demonstrate listening and reading comprehension of formal and informal Spanish in familiar contexts.
interpret main ideas and some supporting details contained in Spanish language audio, video and reading passages of up to several minutes or several pages in length.
communicate about literary, cultural and other academic topics in Spanish with accuracy reflective of at least the Intermediate level on the Oral Proficiency Scale of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL http://www.actfl.org).

More detailed learning objectives can be found at http://fll.chass.ncsu.edu/spanish/fls202/objectives.php

Grading:
25% Preparation and Participation
30% 3 Major Tests
10% 2 Compositions
15% Oral Assessment: 1 Presentation and 1 Conversation
20% Final Exam

Preparation and Participation: Preparation and practice are essential for success in learning a foreign language. Your Preparation and Participation grade will take into account your timely and thorough completion of all assignments, your daily attendance, your contributions to all class activities (individual work, group work, whole class activities), and your interaction with your classmates and instructor.
Grading Rubric for Preparation and Participation Grade:

A Student completes all assignments before class and comes to class fully prepared, bringing proper materials, arriving on time and staying the full length of the class. Student is attentive and frequently volunteers to participate. Student is actively involved in all class activities and stays on task in group work. Any questions or comments are pertinent.
B Student completes assignments before class and almost always comes to class fully prepared. Student is always attentive, participates actively in all activities and volunteers during most class periods. Student asks only pertinent questions.
C Student may show evidence of being unprepared on occasion. Student may arrive late or leave early in some instances. Student may not volunteer frequently and may not participate fully in all activities. Student may ask questions that would not be necessary with proper preparation for class or attentiveness in class.
D Student is unprepared and/or inattentive. Student rarely volunteers and demonstrates a lack of involvement in class activities. Student may not stay on task in group work and may ask unnecessary or inappropriate questions.
F Student does not attend class or, if in attendance, student exhibits lack of concern for the class. His or her behavior may have a negative effect on the class.

Attendance: Attendance is mandatory because of the nature of the course. Your professor and your classmates depend on you to be present every day to take part in class activities designed for the participation of all students. Participation grades are given every day. Any unexcused absence, therefore, will have a negative effect on your participation grade. If you miss more than three classes in a Mon/Wed/Fri class and more than two classes in a Tues/Th or Mon/Wed class without presenting university-approved documentation for the absences, your final course grade will be lowered by five points. For each additional class that you miss without university-approved documentation, your final course grade will be lowered by one additional point.

Major Tests and Compositions: There will be three major tests, each covering two chapters. Dates are on the syllabus and formats will be provided. No grades will be dropped. Two compositions will be required, based on assignments clearly explained in the textbook. Due dates are on the syllabus. Compositions will not be accepted after the due date without documentation of a university-approved absence. No grades will be dropped. The grading rubric for the compositions is posted at http://www4.ncsu.edu/~navey/rubric.html.

Oral Assessment: Each student will be graded on one in-class oral presentation and one out-of-class conversation with the professor. Dates for oral presentations are on the syllabus and guidelines are below. Each student must also meet with the instructor outside of class to engage in a graded conversation. The professor will provide specific information about scheduling presentations and conversations.

Final Exam:Foreign language final exams are by nature comprehensive but the final exam will emphasize material that is assigned from the final four chapters. A format will be provided.

Make-up Work: All students are expected to complete assignments and take tests on time and should not expect to make up missed work or complete assignments late without a penalty. Documentation of a university-approved absence must be presented in order for late work to be accepted and make-up work to be offered without penalty.

Academic Integrity: Please see http://www.ncsu.edu/student_affairs/osc/code_conduct/ for important information regarding academic integrity. The Code of Student Conduct must be followed and violations will be reported. Students will be required to sign the honor pledge on each test and must type the honor pledge on each composition and sign it.

Plus/Minus Grading System: Plus/minus grading will be employed.
A+ = 98.0-100, A = 93.0-97.9, A- = 90.0-92.9
B+ = 88.0-89.9, B = 83.0-87.9, B- = 80.0-82.9
C+ = 78.0-79.9, C = 73.0-77.9, C- = 70.0-72.9
D+ = 68.0-69.9, D = 63.0-67.9, D- = 60.0-62.9
F = 59.9 and below

Conversations: Each student must meet with the professor outside of class to engage in a graded conversation. The conversation can take place at any time during the semester that is convenient for the professor and the student and will address the material that is being studied at the time of the conversation. The grading rubric Assessment of Interpersonal Communication posted at http://fll.chass.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/rubrics.pdf will be used for evaluation. If more than one conversation is completed, the highest grade will be counted. The professor will provide information about scheduling conversations.

Presentations: Each student must do an individual in-class presentation. Up to 6 students may do individual presentations for each unit. Presentation slots for each unit will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The professor will provide information about scheduling presentations. Students should choose topics that will be interesting and engaging for members of the class. Presentations can be excellent learning experiences for all students. The grading rubric Assessment of Presentational Communication posted at http://fll.chass.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/rubrics.pdf will be used for evaluation. If more than one presentation is completed, the highest grade will be counted.
Guidelines for presentations:

The presentation topic must be related to one of the countries in the chapter that is being studied at the time of the presentation. Dates are on the syllabus and chapters are specified. Possible topics include people, places, events, aspects of the arts or crafts, products, food, etc. The topic must not duplicate information presented in the textbook or in class, but it may certainly expand upon or complement something studied in class or presented in the book.
The presentation must have a visual component, large enough for the class to see or able to be passed around the class. Audio components may be included but a visual component is always required. If special equipment is needed, the student must provide the equipment or contact the professor to discuss other options. The language of any media must be Spanish and the use of anything other than a simple visual aid must be brief. The focus must be the presentation by the student.
The presentation should be approximately 10-20 sentences in length. Quality is much more important than quantity, but a minimum of 10 sentences is expected. Compound and complex sentences are encouraged and may count as 2 sentences.
The presentation should not be read, but use of notes is acceptable. Reading the presentation will have an adverse effect on the grade.
At least two sources of information are required including at least one non-internet source. Possible sources include the text, other texts, other books, the internet, and individuals who have visited or lived in Spanish-speaking countries. On or before the day of the presentation the student must submit a list of sources to the professor, including bibliographical information for books other than the text, internet addresses, and names and brief information about individuals who contribute to the presentation