SCHOOL OF LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE STUDIES, CARLETON UNIVERSITY

COURSE OUTLINE- SPAN 1110A

Intensive First Year Spanish
Spring 2014

LOCATIONS:
TIME:
INSTRUCTOR:
OFFICE:
PHONE:
E-MAIL:

PA #215 & SP #349 (lab)

Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri. 9:05 AM -12:55 PM
Carlos Valdz
Saint Patricks building #320
520-2600 ext. 1106
carlos_valdez@carleton.ca

OFFICE HOURS:

Tue and Thu 12:55-1:55

1-OBJECTIVES
Learning a language is a complex, long-term and highly rewarding process. It is
important that you identify your own motivations and objectives in undertaking this
course. This class will require as it does constant attendance, participation and
gradual but consistent effort, review and practice both in and out of class as you fit
the pieces together and put them to meaningful use. Your constant personal
investment and involvement both in and out of class will be essential to your success.
It is my objective to get you doing things with Spanish as much as possible, because
this is the most effective way to acquire and retain what you are seeing in and outside
class.
Broadly, in terms of language during this course you will work with the sound and
spelling system of Spanish, using and recognizing verbs in past, present and future
forms and making some important linguistic distinctions. As well as using and
recognizing vocabulary related to common topics ranging from our daily lives and
surrounding to current events, with a lot of information on and discussion of the
geography, culture and current issues in the Spanish-speaking world.
2-DESCRIPTION OF COURSE WORK
As you can see, this is not a lecture course. The class itself is a workshop where
language will be presented in a context and you will work with it, usually in small groups,
in consultation with me and sometimes a TA. It is not important that you be the outgoing
type who is always ready to speak up in class, but it is important that you use the time in
smaller groups to practice, try things out and listen to others. Get use to yourself
speaking Spanish, ask for help or clarification, and generally contribute to making
things happen so that we can have a more interesting and meaningful class.
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The course is topic-based and task-based. For example, we will move from
introductory topics such as our daily lives, families and interests to the lives of famous
figures and ways of life in Spain/Hispanic America. You will do various tasks around the
topic, developing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Outside class, you will
be expected to keep up with readings from the textbook-mostly explanations of
structures and usage and do some activities from the text. Later on you will be asked to
do some web research in Spanish on free or given topics. You will sometimes have
other short writing assignments to do outside of class, but a lot of your writing will be
done in class, much of it for evaluation, which will generally grow out of topics discussed
in class or something you had to prepare at home. Since attendance is essential and
the class will be increasingly spontaneous as the level of language grows, in-class
writing for evaluation will not generally be announced beforehand, but will be done when
need and time coincides.
PLAGIARISM
Committing an act of plagiarism will be dealt with in accordance to the university
regulations. Plagiarism can be deemed to have occurred when a student, directly copies
anothers work without acknowledgement; or, when a student closely paraphrases the
equivalent or a short paragraph or more without acknowledgement; or when a student
borrows, any ideas in a clear and recognizable form in such a way as to present them as
his own thoughts.
Allegations of instructional offences will be investigated by instructors and/or
departmental chairs, and all cases will be reported to the faculty dean.
NOTE:
Students with disabilities
Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodation in this course are
encouraged to contact a co-ordinator of the Paul Mento Centre (Unicentre 500,
telephone # 520-3937 ext. 6608)
For religious observance
Please let me know what type of accommodations I will need to make for you. Consult
the Equity Services Website or Equity Advisor (ext.5622) for policy and list of Holy Days
(www.carleton .ca/equity)
For pregnancy
Contact Equity Services (ext.5622) to obtain letters of accommodation.

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3-COURSE TEXTS AND MATERIALS

1- Nuevo Ven 1: Libro del alumno
2- Nuevo Ven 1: Libro de ejercicios
3- Carpeta de gramtica y lecturas
These can be bought at Haven Books (43 Seneca Street Ottawa, ON K1S 4X2
(613) 730-9888

Dictionaries:
A good medium-size dictionary will be effective.
You can find dictionaries, readers, puzzle books, comics, magazines and the free local
Spanish-language newspapers. These are also partially available on-line:

4-EVALUATION
Attendance, Participation, Class Work and Homework
Tests (2)
Midterm
Final project
Total

50%
15%
15%
20%
________
100%

Attendance, Participation, Class Work and Homework (50%)

You will often be asked to write in class on a topic that has been discussed, as a way of
reviewing and consolidating the material. In free writing, you will be able to consult with
me or with other students. In the labs you will have research, reading, writing and
recording audio and video activities to complete. All of these tasks will be counted; all
will be evaluated. Remember that they may be done without warning.
Tests X2 (20%)
You will write two tests throughout the term. At the end of the first four weeks and
towards the end of the term a test will be given of materials covered in class and at
home. They will be graded on the basis of grammar structures, content and cohesion.

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Midterm (15%)
Around the middle of the term, we will do a longer in-class midterm. This will be focused
on all of the materials that were covered up the class before the midterm. Major
grammar structures and vocabulary will be discussed before the midterm.
Final project (20%)
This is a final overall assessment of your ability to deal with the language in spoken
form, to be carried out in the last classes of the year. This presentation will be done in
pairs. It will include outside research to be presented orally, on a given topic that you will
choose, which will be related to Spain or any other Spanish speaking country. The
schedule will be set beforehand and you must complete all parts of this cumulative
assignment. Note that this assignment and its results will be seen in class, and kept
available for any further questions.
Attendance policy for Language and Communication courses in SLaLS:
Attendance is compulsory. Absences (of any kind including medical and
employment-related absences) and cumulative late arrivals will reduce the inclass participation mark. Students must attend a minimum 80% of classes per
term in order to qualify for a passing grade for that term.
Failure to meet this requirement will automatically result in a failing grade.
Note: This course is for novice learners; some of you may have rudimentary knowledge
and/or basic comprehension, but no one identified as beyond a very basic level should
be in this course.
A large part of this course outline was based on Eva Schnitzer Sept 2003.

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