Course Expectations

• This is a fully online course. There are no mandatory class meetings. The only assignments you need to schedule are the partner video chats.
• Assignments will be due every Monday at 11:59pm. Be sure to plan ahead for assignments and don’t wait until the last minute! This means you should log in to Canvas every day to complete the online work.
• No late work will be accepted, but sometimes life happens so we can be flexible. Please email or talk to me if something comes up to work out a solution.
• Optional class sessions will be offered regularly. These will be recorded and posted on Canvas if you cannot attend. Times will be announced after the course starts and may vary during the semester.
• Email is the best and fastest way to reach me. I will generally respond within 24 hours. On the weekends response time will be within 48 hours.

• Contact me via email or in my office hours with any questions or if you need help. Good communication goes a long way.
• Plan on working 10-15 hours per week for this class. This is a 5-unit class. It is recommended to set a schedule to help you have enough time. Discipline and effort are very important.

 

Course Description

Presents a topic-based, introductory language acquisition course in standard contemporary Spanish, with emphasis on listening comprehension, oral interaction, culture-centered readings, and writing of basic Spanish. Transfer: CSU; UC. 5 Units.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Recognize and apply topic-centered Spanish vocabulary and basic grammatical concepts presented in every communicative goal contained in this level when listening, speaking, reading and writing.
2. During conversation in Spanish employ level-appropriate, topic-based questions and formulate oral answers in short phrases and full sentences, with morphological accuracy.
3. In Spanish, convey verbally and in writing the meaning of topic-centered, level-appropriate materials without resorting to word-by-word translation.
4. Write complete sentences and brief paragraphs in Spanish referencing a variety of social and cultural situations presented in this level of the Spanish program,
5. Describe and discuss various basic aspects of Spanish–speaking cultures.

 

Text Book and Materials

1. Tu Mundo: español sin fronteras, 2nd edition. You do NOT have to buy the book at the bookstore, but a resource fee will be assessed to your student account upon registration. This includes digital course material delivered through the Cuesta College Inclusive Access Program at a reduced cost of $58.81. You will have access to this material for two years. For questions please call the campus Bookstore at (805) 546-3206.
2. Connect code w/LearnSmart (Online homework through McGraw-Hill. Access from the course page in Canvas). This comes with the textbook.
3. A good bilingual Spanish/English dictionary. WordReference (Links to an external site.) is the best and it’s free!
4. Canvas will be used for course information and to complete the homework.
5. You must check your Cuesta College email regularly.

 

College Support Services

• If you have a physical, mental, or learning disability that requires any special accommodation, please contact Disabled Student Programs and Services (Links to an external site.) as soon as possible to ensure that you receive the accommodations in a timely manner. I will be happy to discuss and work with you on your need for accommodations. Captions for videos are available upon request with a documented disability on file with DSPS.
• Tutorial services are provided to students and can be found at the following link: Tutorial Services (Links to an external site.)
• For a list and reference to library services, including learning research and assistance, please follow the link: Library and Learning Resources (Links to an external site.)

 

Help and Technical Support

• For Connect issues, use the “help” button on their website.
• For issues related to accessing Canvas or other technical issues, email: support@my.cuesta.edu
• If the Cuesta server goes down or the power is out, you are still responsible for accessing the course. When this happens, you can access the class through: https://cuesta.instructure.com/
• For all other issues related to the course or course content, please email me.

 

Course and College Policies

• Follow this link for General Campus Policies  (Links to an external site.) (including: Withdrawal, Repeatability, Student Code of Conduct)
• Board Policy Student Conduct Code and Technology Agreement (Links to an external site.)
• College Plagiarism and Academic Honesty Policy (Links to an external site.)
• Authenticating student identity will be conducted through the use of the Learning Management System, Canvas, which requires each student to log into the program using a secure login and password to access. 
• Regular and Effective Instructor Contact will be met through instructor initiated threaded discussion forums; video chats and voice boards, weekly announcements to students; timely and effective feedback on student assignments; email, messaging to individuals; and office hours which may be asynchronous or synchronous.

 

Netiquette and Online Course Participation

• Read all instructions carefully.
• Use respectful and appropriate language in your forum discussions. 
• Please do not use texting language, lol. 
• Emoticons are not acceptable ways to show emotion.
• Avoid CAPS as they come across like YOU'RE SCREAMING.
• All messages are public, so be careful and courteous when you post.
• Make your posts thorough and your replies as well (e.g. complete sentences and thoughts). 
• Use a person's name when you reply to their post.
• Use Cuesta email for private communication.

 

Grading Policy and Assignment Expectations

This is an academic course, which may NOT be taken on a pass/not pass basis. The units earned in this course are transferable to the University of California and California State University systems.  To continue on to Spanish 202, a grade of A or B is highly recommended in this course. No “incompletes” will be given, and you may NOT audit this class. Grades will be updated regularly on Canvas. It is your responsibility to check the grades. If you have any questions about your grades, please contact the instructor. I will give feedback as needed and submit grades within a week, but sometimes unusual circumstances occur.

 

 

 

Grading Scale (%):

93 - 100  = A   90 - 92 = A-    87 - 89 = B+    83 - 86 = B      80 - 82 = B-    77 - 79 = C+          

70 - 76= C       67 - 69 = D+   63 - 66 = D      60 - 62 = D-    00 - 59 = F

 

 

Final Grade Components                                                    

                                                                                         

Homework                                          20%

Quizzes (Presentations/Canciones)    12%                

Discussions                                         12%                            

Voice Boards                                      12%

Video Chats                                        20%                                                    

Exams                                                 24%

                                               

Total                                                   100%                                                                                                 

 

                                                                       

 

Homework

There is weekly homework due every Monday at 11:59pm. The homework consists of various components including: Tutorials, Homework, and LearnSmart (digital flashcards). On the homework, you get 3 opportunities to submit and you will receive the highest score. The LearnSmart activities are graded based on completion. To access the homework, go to Canvas, then Modules, then click on the assignment. Do not wait until the last minute to complete the workbook as no late homework will be accepted. Technology failures do not excuse late work. Other homework may be assigned as needed throughout the semester at the instructor’s discretion.

 

Quizzes

Each chapter includes a presentation by the professor that you will watch and/or listen to followed by a short quiz. Also, there will be canciones (songs) that you will listen to that also have a short quiz. Music is fun!

 

Discussion Forums

      There will be one Discussion Forum per chapter and you will complete them on Canvas. You are required to post your own response to the given topic for each chapter and then respond to another post. Remember to only use appropriate language and ideas on these posts, and please be polite while commenting on other posts. Follow the specific instructions found on each individual discussion.

 

Voice Boards

      Every chapter also has a Voice Board, which is an individual recording. You will be given a topic and you will prepare a short recording on that topic. This is an individual assignment to practice speaking and pronunciation. On Canvas, in Modules, click on the Voice Board, then click “Submit” and then record your Voice Board and save it to submit. You can also upload your own video. Remember, technology failures do not excuse late work.

 

Video Chats

This is a video partner chat activity and you will record a conversation and upload the video to Canvas. Please consult the Video Chat Schedule to find your partner. If you can’t connect with your partner, you may work with any other student in the class or form a group of 3. Scheduling a time with your partner can be frustrating, so please be respectful of the other students’ time and schedules.

You can complete the video chat any time before the due date, but be sure to plan ahead with your partner. The conversation should be natural with no English. This means that you should add more information through follow-up questions, elaboration, or other items relevant to the conversation. The lowest grade will be dropped, but practice is the only way to learn!

 

 

Exams

      Chapter Exams

There will be two chapter exams to be completed after every 2 chapters on Connect. These exams will cover the main points of each chapter consisting of a combination of various activities, such as listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, culture, and reading. The exams are intended to aid students in comprehending the material learned so far. You will have 2 opportunities and a limited time to complete the exam. The dates of the exams are stated in the syllabus and in “Modules” on Canvas.

 

      Oral Interviews

      There will be two (2) oral interviews with the instructor. One will be about halfway through the course and the other at the end. This should be a natural conversation with the instructor totally in Spanish. We will use Zoom for this in my Virtual Office Hours.

 

      Final exam

      The final exam will be cumulative and will be administered the last week of classes. It will include grammar, vocabulary, culture, reading, writing, listening, and/or other topics covered in class or on the homework. See the calendar for exact dates.

 

Course Calendar: This syllabus is intended as a guide only. Requirements may change as circumstances warrant. Please use the Modules tab for due dates.

 

 PLAN DE CLASE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT INSTRUCTOR’S DISCRETION)